0
0
was successfully added to your cart.
All Posts By

Giulia Simolo

Mar 22
0
Smoothies for Babies | Daphiyl's Iconic Baby Gear

Smoothies for Babies

By | Health

Safe And Delicious Smoothie Ideas For Babies

You love smoothies, but did you know you can make them for your babies too? Just make sure that they’re baby-friendly. Here are some easy and delicious recipes that pack a nutrient punch, and they’re a great way to ensure your babies eat their fruit and veg.

Fancy making a vegetable smoothie? It’s probably a good idea to add some fruity flavors to the mix to ensure that your babies will like the sweet taste of them. Another alternative is to add some spices to the mix for flavor, such as vanilla and cinnamon. Seeds or nuts can also be a tasty treat addition to fruit or veg smoothies, but make sure you finely grind them up first – and be careful of any nut allergies your baby might have. As for honey, which is a nice sugar punch, be sure not to give your baby honey until he/she is one year old, as Kids Health states.

Here are three delicious and healthy baby-safe smoothies to try.

Apple And Cinnamon Smoothies by Stonyfield Organic

This recipe gives smoothies a lovely apple pie flavor! You’ll need the following ingredients to make it:

¼ cup plain whole milk yogurt (avoid if your baby’s younger than 18 months as dairy can cause intestinal bleeding. Avoid other milks too, such as nut and rice milk.)
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup of applesauce

Simply pop the ingredients into a jar that has a lid, close it, and shake it to achieve the smoothie consistency.

 

Cherry And Beetroot Smoothies by Baby Foode

This creative recipe is really easy to make, and contains a lot of tasty ingredients your baby will love.

Ingredients:

1 cup pitted cherries
½ beetroot that’s been peeled and chopped
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of chia seeds
½ cup of ice
1 cup milk (avoid if your baby’s younger than 18 months)
1 tablespoon of honey (avoid if your baby’s younger than 12 months)

Blend all the ingredients together for about two minutes, before serving it up!

Smoothies for Babies | Daphyl's Iconic Baby Gear

How To Make Your Smoothies Deliciously Creamy

What’s a smoothie if it’s not creamy and, well, smooth, right? If you’re giving ingredients such as dairy a skip because your baby’s too young to consume them, it doesn’t mean your smoothies have to lack creaminess. Here are some tips to follow:

  1. Add ingredients such as mashed banana or papaya to the smoothies. These fruits have a nice satisfying and plumping effect to make the smoothies much creamier.
  2. You can use baby formula to punch up the consistency of your smoothies.
  3. Oatmeal is another clever idea to bulk up smoothies, and it works with any flavors of fruits and veg that you want to make.

Serve your smoothies in a pretty and colorful sippy cup to make them even more appealing! You can find some lovely ones in our our shop.

 

Sources: Kids Health, Stonyfield Organic, Baby Foode

Editor’s Note: Giulia Simolo is a freelance content provider & writer for Daphyl’s LLC. Daphyl’s is a USA based multi-national world leader in safe, innovative, Licensed Rock N Roll, branded baby gear. The opinions, advice and assertions made in this article are for entertainment and information purposes only & are solely those of the author.

Feb 28
0
When to Let your Baby Drink Water | Daphyl's Iconic Baby Gear

When Is It Safe For Babies to Drink Water?

By | Health, Safety

Although adults are always told to drink lots of water every day, this rule doesn’t apply to babies! In fact, it might surprise you to discover why you need to tread carefully when giving your baby water. Here are the rules to follow.

Don’t Give Water To Babies Younger Than Six Months

There are quite a few reasons for this, as Baby Center explains. First, giving your baby too much water can disrupt his or her body’s absorption of breast milk or formula, as well as the nutrients found in those. Second, water can be filling, which can cause the baby not to want to eat, thus making him or her lack nutrients from food.

There’s also the danger of water intoxication. This can happen if you give your baby too much water. Although rare, this condition is when too much water dilutes the sodium and nutrient content in a baby’s body, causing tissues to swell. It can result in seizures, coma, and even death.

When to Let your Baby Drink Water | Daphyl's Iconic Baby Gear

Be Careful With Water When Baby’s Older

Your baby loves his or her Daphyl’s sippy cups that are full of fun and bright colors. These help your kids stay hydrated. But, don’t keep filling them up with water. Even when your baby’s hit the six-month mark, you should still avoid giving him or her too much water. A few sips here or there are fine. Limiting how much water your baby drinks is to prevent a lack of hunger that occurs from sipping too much of the beverage. Water can also give your baby a sore stomach.

 

Babies Don’t Need to Drink Water – No, Really!

As The Daily Mirror reports, babies receive all their fluids through milk, whether formula or breastmilk, and this is what keeps them hydrated. They will only start needing water on a daily basis once they hit the age of one. As Healthline reports, CHOC Children’s Hospital states that at the age of one, babies will need approximately an eight-ounce cup of water daily. This amount will increase a bit every year.

Sources: Baby Center, The Daily Mirror, Healthline

Editor’s Note: Giulia Simolo is a freelance content provider & writer for Daphyl’s LLC. Daphyl’s is a USA based multi-national world leader in safe, innovative, Licensed Rock N Roll, branded baby gear. The opinions, advice and assertions made in this article are for entertainment and information purposes only & are solely those of the author.

Feb 21
0
Smart Speakers & Kids | Daphyl's Iconic Baby Gear

AI, Smart Speakers & Kids: What You Need to Know

By | Parenting, Safety

Important Things To Know About Kids And AI Devices

Artificial Intelligence is becoming much more common in the home. Take smart speakers, for example. Approximately 20 percent of households in the U.S. already own a smart speaker, as Statista reports. The most common ones include Amazon Echo, which is powered by Alexa, and Google Home. These devices are becoming more tailored to kids. They can play kids’ favorite songs, answer their questions about the world, and even help kids with their homework. But what are the risks involved?

You Don’t Engage With Your Kids

It might seem like a healthier idea to leave your kids with a smart speaker who can answer their questions about the world than with the TV, but this should never be done for long periods of time. Nothing compares to having quality time with your kid. In addition, if your children are spending time alone with these speakers, they could run into trouble.

Kids Might Make Unauthorized Purchases

The problem with kids using smart speakers is that the speakers are not solely designed for children. They have many adult uses. For example, smart speakers come with voice purchasing options. Google Home, for instance, merely requires that you add a payment method in the app and then you can place orders for items by asking Google Assistant for them. Now, imagine if your child gets a hold of it!

That’s what happened with a young girl in Texas, as CBS reports. The six-year-old was having a conversation with Alexa via Amazon’s Echo Dot about how she loved dollhouses and cookies, and ended up purchasing a four-pound order of cookies and a dollhouse costing $160. Since then, the family has set up a PIN code that has to be used before purchases via the speaker can be completed.

If you’re going to use a smart speaker in your home, it’s essential to change your settings so that your child can’t accidentally or intentionally buy things without your consent.

Kids Might Be Exposed To Harmful Content

Parental controls are a must to set up on these devices, as it’s really easy for kids to end up getting exposed to things that aren’t suitable for them. But there are still some loopholes. An example can be seen with music. A music app such as Spotify doesn’t have the ability to block certain songs that are age-inappropriate via smart speakers, as Southern Phone explains.

Smart Speakers & Kids | Daphyl's Iconic Baby Gear

Smart Speakers Could Violate Your Privacy

The devices work by listening to your commands. They then record and upload what you say to the cloud. This is done to learn more about you so that the service can be tailored to your needs. But the process is troubling when it comes to issues such as privacy.

Since the devices are obviously tracking what you’re doing online as well as your conversations, they’re doing the same thing with your kids. The apps do have privacy settings, such as giving you the option of turning off the microphone, but as Common Sense Media states, the microphone comes back on when you ask for it which is a bit strange considering it wasn’t supposed to be listening to you!

Smart Speakers Get Info About Your Kids

Since you’ll have to set up a profile on the apps for your kid so that the devices will recognize his/her voice, you’re giving the companies a lot of information about your children, and this could include things you’d prefer to keep private. “The companies encrypt that data, and they don’t store it forever,” Common Sense Media explains. “But having that information “in the cloud” means it potentially could be used by third parties to whom you haven’t specifically given consent.”

This knowledge accumulation by the device is also worrying when you consider how children view the devices. A study that was published in the American Psychological Association found that when children interacted with a robot, they stated that they thought the device had feelings and was a social being. Some kids even felt that it could offer them comfort and be trusted with their secrets.

Kids Can Lack Social Skills

Talking to a device can make children battle to learn social skills. For example, Alexa doesn’t respond to tone, so if a child screams out a command or demands something rudely, he/she will receive a response. AI devices are trying to change that, though. For example, Google Home has a “Pretty Please” mode which requires children to say “thank you” or “please” in order to receive responses, and they’re rewarded for being polite with compliments. This can encourage children to learn not to be rude.

There are some benefits to letting your children use AI devices, such as that they can teach children about the world and entertain them. However, there are clearly quite a few issues to consider before you purchase one for your home.

Sources: Statista, Common Sense Media, American Psychological Association, Southern Phone, CBS

Editor’s Note: Giulia Simolo is a freelance content provider & writer for Daphyl’s LLC. Daphyl’s is a USA based multi-national world leader in safe, innovative, Licensed Rock N Roll, branded baby gear. The opinions, advice and assertions made in this article are for entertainment and information purposes only & are solely those of the author.

Feb 04
0
Green Lifestyle for Your Baby | Daphyl's Iconic Baby Gear

Here’s Why Your Baby Needs To Follow A Green Lifestyle

By | Health, Parenting, Safety

Go Green With Baby This Year By Avoiding Toxins

If you haven’t started greening your baby’s lifestyle, it’s a really good idea for a New Year’s resolution. Infants are especially vulnerable to toxins, even more so than adults. This is due to how they have greater exposure to chemicals for their body weight when compared to adults. As Health Affairs states, a six-month-old baby will drink seven times more water per pound than an adult, and children will absorb three to four times more calories per pound than adults. So, when they come into contact with toxins, they’re going to absorb more of them.

Let’s be practical for a second: it’s not always economically viable to replace all your baby’s items and foods in one go. That’s okay. You can slowly fade out chemicals from your baby’s life by focusing on the most important elements first. These include food, skin products, clothing, and toys, since babies use these on a daily basis.

Where to start? Let’s identify some of the most common chemicals found in baby products and figure out how to eliminate them so that your baby can live a healthy and green lifestyle – from today.

Green Lifestyle for Your Baby | Daphyl's Iconic Baby Gear

Common Chemicals Hiding In Baby Products

There are some common toxins that are found in baby products which are best avoided for a green lifestyle because of their risks. These include:

Fragrance:

The ingredients in fragrance aren’t required by law to be listed on products, but often a group of chemicals found in fragrances is phthalates. These are endocrine disruptors that can contribute to a variety of conditions, such as birth defects, infertility, liver and breast cancer, and diabetes. Avoid any and all products with fragrances.

Petroleum-based ingredients:

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) states that up to 40 percent of baby lotions and baby oils contain petrolatum. This is made from crude oil and it coats your baby’s skin, not allowing it to breathe. When skin pores are clogged in this way, the skin can’t eliminate toxins from the body, which causes them to affect the body’s cells. Avoid all petroleum-based skincare products.

Preservatives in baby skincare products:

These go by various names such as DMDM hydantoin, 2-bromo-2 nitropropane-1,3-diol, Diazolidinyl urea, Imidazolidinyl urea, and Quaternium-15. They cause allergies and irritation, but also release formaldehyde which is a neurotoxin and carcinogen, as Green People reports. Other preservatives, such as parabens, are also worth giving a skip. Read product labels!

BPA in food and clothing:

BPA is found in plastic, so you want to avoid using plastic containers for food – and especially heating them in the microwave as this can release BPA and other harmful additives. Choose BPA-free food storage containers. Beware of bottled baby formula that can contain BPA, as well as plastic toys.

Phthalates:

These are found in a range of products, such as skincare items (where it’s found in fragrance, as mentioned earlier). It’s a softening agent that’s also found in plastic toys, but it’s linked to reproductive problems as well as being a known carcinogenic. Your best bet is to avoid all plastic toys that release chemicals such as phthalates. An online store that offers healthier and eco-friendly alternatives, such as The Eco Baby Store, is a good idea to check out.

Chemicals in clothing:

When clothing is treated, such as to be stain-resistant or waterproof, a lot of chemicals have been used to make it that way. Avoid such clothing items that release toxins. Choose natural fibers instead, such as cotton, wool, and bamboo. Try to buy locally-produced clothing as much as possible. Clothing made in the USA is often less chemically-treated than clothing made overseas where few regulations exist, as reported by Clear And Well.

Now you’re making great green lifestyle progress! The amazing thing about going green and eliminating toxins from your baby’s life is that once you start, you’ll want to do more and more as time goes by. Knowing that you’re keeping your baby healthy and happy is definitely worth it.

Sources: Health Affairs, Best Health Magazine, Green People, Clean Label Project, Clear And Well

Editor’s Note: Giulia Simolo is a freelance content provider & writer for Daphyl’s LLC. Daphyl’s is a USA based multi-national world leader in safe, innovative, Licensed Rock N Roll, branded baby gear. The opinions, advice and assertions made in this article are for entertainment and information purposes only & are solely those of the author.