Baby Gear Expert: Ali Wing
Expert Bio
Ali Wing is the founder of giggle, a destination resource that does the homework for new parents navigating the baby gear maze. giggle stores include items that have been pre-sorted to offer only the most healthy, stylish, and innovative products available, helping take the guesswork out of gearing up for baby. Ali is a regular speaker on lifestyle topics for parents and is currently writing The giggle Guide to Gear, due in 2008 by Chronicle Publishing.
She serves as a parenting resource through both her published works and her speeches, written to help new parents navigate the glut of choices out there and find only what they need, when they need it. Because of her extensive product knowledge, Ali is a regular speaker on lifestyle topics for parents. From general advice for each gear category to lifestyle tips about individual products, her expertise helps provide context for the peer reviews.
Community and involvement are important to Ali, whether it's serving on the board of the Children’s Advocacy Center and Northwestern University School of Law, acting as executive director at the Tecumseh Foundation, or her involvement with the Children's Museum of the Arts (among others). She continues to track new courses both personally and publicly, as an innovative businesswoman, an avid runner, a wife and a mother.
Click the links below to view all of Ali's features, articles, and other content!
Warm-Weather Product Picks for Vacation and Beyond
by Ali Wing, The Bump's Baby Gear Expert
Looking forward to a break from the cold? There's a good chance you and your family have some fun in the sun in your future, and packing the right products can help give you peace of mind so that you might just get a chance to enjoy yourself. Here are some of my favorite things to take along for a worry-free vacation:
SuperGoop!This aloe Vera-based formula is my new favorite sunscreen. Optimal for daily use all year long, it doesn't clog pores or hold in heat. In fact, its texture is so weightless you can barely tell it's there! Safe for both adults and children, it's hypoallergenic and PABA-, oil- and fragrance-free. It offers broad-spectrum SPF 30 coverage that's both waterproof and sweatproof, making it perfect for whatever kind of getaway you have planned. And just to make sure it covers all your needs, it's available in family-sized pumps, easy-to-apply sprays, and sticks for hard-to-reach areas. SuperGoop! is also eco-friendly—what's not to love? Coming to giggle in April!
Safety Turtle Pool Alarm
If you have a toddler who can't swim, or an inexperienced swimmer you need to keep an eye on, a resort or rental house with easy access to the water can add stress to your relaxing vacation. But this simple wrist band for children acts as a safety monitor, alerting you from a base unit the second they get wet. Additional wristbands are available for more than one kid, and they're safety-locked, so they only come off when you say they do. While nothing can replace parental supervision, the Safety Turtle gives you a good defensive line!
A good sun block is essential, but UPF-enhanced clothing adds an extra layer of protection. Most lightweight clothes only offer an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of 5, but Cabana Life gives you a UPF of 50 with their patented High IQ Sun Protection. Their collection includes a variety of beach essentials, including hats, cover-ups, tunics, shirts, and pants for boys, girls, women, and expecting moms. These beach-club-chic styles have garnered a celebrity following that includes Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marcia Gay Harden, and Lisa Kudrow. Their new spring line is coming soon to giggle stores.
ShadyDay Sunscreen WipesEver get home from the beach to find a random sunburned spot where you goofed on the sun block? These super-convenient sunscreen wipes help ensure even coverage and give you a great on-the-go solution. Each package has fifteen broad-spectrum sunscreen wipes that are easy to apply and mess-free, with zero irritating artificial ingredients or synthetic fragrances—perfect for everyone in the family! Toss some in your bag and you'll be ready to head out into the sun anytime.
Ali Wing is the founder and CEO of giggle - www.giggle.com