Kitchen Stewardship

Welcome back! May I visit your inbox? Sign up to get all the posts by entering your email address here:

Time to see Katie do a handstand again!

Yes, the sun protective wear really is comfortable and cute. We’ve already talked about how I feel about sun protective clothing in general and trying to strike the balance between getting some sun and not getting burned, and yesterday I walked you through my review of products manufactured by Coolibar and Nantucket Sun, two Made in the USA companies.

Today I have some goodies from three more companies, and they are a bit different because they resell other brands. It doesn’t necessarily imply that the clothing is lesser quality, as some of the fabrics are made in Australia where they have very strict sun standards. It’s nice to have options!

Don’t forget that I’m not afraid of the sun, but a moderate. If you’re just starting with this post, back up a little and read about the hazards of chemical sunscreens and my search for the best mineral sunblock. Now on to those options that will hide you from the sun when you can’t help it otherwise…

Alex and Me: Women’s and Youth Rash Guards

The mom always worries more about her kids when it comes to good health and protection, doesn’t she? I didn’t really plan to have a rash guard for myself, but I’m glad I got the chance to try a Dakine rash guard along with my daughter’s Platypus sunshirt from Alex & Me. It’s a good example to my kids, and I also really, really like it for multiple reasons:

1. Cute factor: when I tried it on, my husband gave cat calls. With capped sleeves and a short mock neck, they’re very flattering!
2. Modest top: If you have a two-piece suit, the rashguard could easily replace your top, or simply cover it.
3. Save the skin: Boy, was I thrilled to have this option when I foolishly got burnt last weekend after six hours in the sun. We had two more days at the beach left, and I couldn’t have been happier to cover up my already tender shoulders. The women’s rash guard has a tricky job of balancing cute with coverage. I might add one more inch to the capped sleeves to make sure it covered the skin most affected by the sun’s rays.

The one drawback for women is that the shirts have no liner or support, so if you order a light color or will be doing any bouncing, you will want to wear it in addition to your regular suit. I found I could get away with just the shirt because it was black and tight-fitting enough to suffice.

The sizes do run a bit small, so be sure to order one larger than you expect yourself to be. Mine is a size bigger than my shirts, but it’s plenty tight enough!

For children, I always buy one size up on shirts so that they can wear it a few years. My daughter is very petite, and at just two years old the size two gives her a few inches of extra sleeve length to grow into.

I did like having the long sleeve option for her, for when the sun was just too intense. The shirt looked comfortable, and she never complained about the bulk. I can even say that watermelon stains come out of it just fine. However, at over $40 for one shirt – for a child – I just can’t recommend this one. Then again, if you buy a short sleeved shirt and Nantucket Sun’s arm sleeves, your grand total is going to get right up there again.

On the company: I found the folks at Alex & Me to be incredibly pleasant and prompt, willing to work with me and very helpful as I had questions. The shipping was fast and simple. They have periodic sales, so if you’re interested in something, you may want to get on their mailing list.

WIN $100 FROM ALEX & ME!

Solartex: Child’s One-Piece Suit and Flap Hat

Solartex was one of the companies I called upon for a hat with a drawstring after I thought the Coolibar hat I reviewed yesterday wasn’t going to cut it. I received a flap hat and one-piece SPF/UPF swimsuit for my daughter.

I’m personally not a huge fan of the baseball cap front, flat as a board, and then the fabric hanging down in the back, although I do like that feature if my daughter wears a bathing suit that exposes a great deal of her bare back. Along with a one-piece sun suit like this one, however, I think it looks a bit goiky and fearful. Is that just me? I much prefer the bucket hat below.

The hat and suit themselves were both very nicely made. I thought the hat ran a bit large because it comes down very close to my daughter’s eyes, although now that I see on the site that the size small should last until she’s 8 years old! That explains that! Even with the large size, the hat stays on really well in windy conditions.

The suit is very easy to put on , and there’s only one big problem with it for a toddler who is not potty-trained yet. Can you guess? It’s tricky to get at a dirty diaper, so I might recommend a two-piece suit for this very young crew. Solartex also carries some suits in sizes 0-2 with snaps for easy opening, and the C-Wear brand suits have snaps, too. If I had my druthers, I’d also make the zipper an inch or two longer just to aid in the “getting it off” game when everyone’s skin is wet and sticks to the clothing. Order these a bit large – my little one’s in a size four, which is what the company said they usually put 2-year-olds in.

On the company: Solartex had prompt customer service and very helpful answers to my questions. I love that it is founded by moms like me, and some of their brands are U.S. made! WIN $100 FROM SOLARTEX!

Sungrubbies: Tunga Bucket Hat

This pattern is so very cute that I wish it was my bathing suit. The Tunga bucket hat from Sungrubbies incorporates the best of both worlds: it’s snug enough to stay on in the strong winds or big waves, but if it does get jostled off, no one has to chase it across the beach because it has a drawstring cord. The fabric just seems like it’s high quality, and I love that the hat is even reversible to a solid color.

The wide brim casts a deep shadow on face, neck and shoulders, but it’s not so floppy that it gets in her face (like the Coolibar hat does when she borrows her brother’s). The shape is just perfect for maximum cuteness, in my opinion!

My daughter’s hat is a size small, and it just fits. It doesn’t even really tolerate her pigtails underneath, so I’m crossing my fingers and hoping it still fits next year! I’m curious if a medium would stay on as well in the wind. Be sure to measure your child’s head when ordering hats, and shoot larger rather than smaller if you’re guesstimating.

Can you tell how strong the wind is in the photo to the right? The hat stays on, no problem.

On the company: I knew I’d be working with fun people when the email address was “the folks” at Sungrubbies. I had a lengthy conversation with Gail over there about sun wear and even sunscreens, which is how I ended up reviewing (and liking) Melansol. I could tell that these gals really take their time choosing and take pride in selling only the best products out there. Actually getting the hat was a little slow, but it’s definitely their busy season.

The Best News…

Three of the five companies I worked with for this review are sponsoring giveaways to share the love with you, the KS readers! Here’s where taking that reader survey will really start paying off, because you’ll get five extra entries in each of the three contests, and the prizes are awesome, if I may say so myself.

Here are the giveaways:

• Solartex ($100 gift certificate)
• Alex & Me ($100 gift certificate)
• Nantucket Sun (2 sets of sun sleeves)
• $150 worth of sunblocks, 5 winners

———————————————

Be sure to catch all the sun protection giveaways!  Sign up for a free email subscription or grab my reader feed. You can also follow me on Twitter, get KS for Kindle, or see my Facebook Fan Page.

If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here.

Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money.  If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.

I received products to review free of charge for this post, but the opinions here are completely my own (can’t you tell?). I am also an affiliate of Sungrubbies, so I’ll receive a small commission if you purchase something there through my link, but I wouldn’t have signed up with them if I didn’t already love the hat. See my full disclosure statement here.

Hungry for more? Related posts:

1. Sun Protective Clothing Review: Cover Up and Get Out of the Sun?
2. Sun Protective Clothing Review: Thoughts on Two U.S. Companies
3. My Favorite Non-Toxic Laundry Option: Soap Nuts Review
4. Natural Sunscreen Review: Do Mineral-Based Sunblocks Work?
5. Charlie’s Soap Natural Laundry Detergent and All-Purpose Cleaner: A Mixed Review