Last weekend I went for a walk with my 2 year old and didn’t even think about putting bug spray on. Needless to say, we both got a few bites. Here in South Carolina we’re already entering the season of needing bug spray. Ever since the birth of my son, I have been on the hunt for a safe, environmentally friendly bug repellent, but could never could find anything that worked on the whole family.  I was really happy to finally find this product by All Terrain, well known as a leader in natural insect repellents.

What I love most about Herbal Armor Insect Repellent is that it uses all natural ingredients and contains no Deet or petrochemicals. It’s water and sweat resistant, too. It works really well for up to 4 hours thanks to the new “time release” protection, so it’s perfect for an entire afternoon of fun outside. I found that most bug sprays have a really terrible strong smell, but this has a gentle geranium and citronella scent from the essential oils it contains. This 2oz bottle uses a pump spray and is biodegradable, so it is also environmentally friendly. This fits perfectly in a diaper bag, but it is recommended that your child be at least 12 months old before they use it. You can buy it at greenfeet.com for $4.95 a bottle.

This is such an innovative idea that when I saw it, I had to read more about it. The Boon Bug Pod looks like a toy but actually stores bath toys. It’s more than just a storage area, however. The pod has a drainable scoop to collect and rinse toys, plus a wall-mounted base to store them. You can use the enclosed adhesive strips or screws to mount the Boon Bug Pod to the wall. All of this will help to keep mold and mildew to a minimum, an important consideration when dealing with your child’s health and well-being while having fun in the bathtub.

The Boon Bug Pod seems like a vast improvement over the mesh bag that attaches to the bathtub wall with suction cups that I currently use to store bath toys, which is constantly falling off the wall. The Boon Bug Pod measures 11″ x 17″ x 7 1/2″ and sells for $35.99 at KangarooBoo.com.

This is a very cool robotic toy that would make a great Christmas gift. The HexBug is a micro robotic bug that can feel and sense its way around objects in its path and avoid them. They also respond to loud noises — a clap, shout, or thud will send the HexBug scurrying across the room.

HexBugs are available in five colors and styles, each for just $9.99: HexBug Bravo (shown above), HexBug Echo, HexBug Alpha, HexBug Delta, and HexBug Charlie. If you’d rather buy a set of all five HexBugs, it costs $49.99.  Visit RoundTableToys.com to view them all. I can think of one little boy whose eyes will light up on Christmas morning when he sees one of these under the tree.