Thanks, Pinterest!: Whipping Coconut Oil

I love coconut oil!  But like this blog author shares, it can be tricky to work with.    Traditionally used for cooking, coconut oil is my favorite way to moisturize my skin (and my daughters' skin, too) without fragrance (I have so many allergies!).    This recipe is on my "to do" list to try---whipped coconut oil!  Plus, you have the option to add your favorite essential oils.   Love!   If you try it, let me know how it goes!

Electronic Toys

I hate them.

My three-year-old loves pushing buttons (literally and figuratively---tee hee).   The same ones...over and over.   The few electronic toys we have are reserved for the car, because it's already a bit noisy in there with the radio, babbling or crying kids, and traffic noise.

Why do I hate electronic toys so much?

For one, they are expensive to purchase and to up-keep.  Batteries are horrible for the environment, and they cost a lot of money.

For another, they annoy me.   I can't stand hearing the same noise over and over and over.  

Some argue that electronic toys teach kids letters, numbers, shapes, etc.   Well, there are other ways (ways we had to learn when we were kids) to learn that require more parent-to-child interaction (which is a good thing!).

I get that the world is full of electronics; however, I own very few of them.  I don't use my phone for Internet access (and in fact, I have a very non-fancy phone), I don't own a laptop, a Nook or Kindle, an IPAD or ITOUCH (I do have an old IPOD for working out).  We have a minimal-cable package, one that is required to have a DVR.   We only have two televisions in our home (one in the living room and one in the basement by my exercise space), and only one phone (a land line for emergencies).    I own a PC and have no plans to convert to anything smaller.  We don't own any gaming systems.  (I'm also that mom who doesn't let my kids watch more than 30 min of TV a day, and only movies or channels, like PBS, with limited commercials to avoid conditioning them to want the things I know are bad for them).     The few electronic toys we have do not have batteries in them, except for the car toys which already came with batteries.   

I want my girls to understand and be familiar with the pleasure of a library book in their hands.   I want them to enjoy playing together instead of separately on personal electronic devices.  I want them to self-occupy with art supplies, not a baby laptop.   I want them to utilize a pad of paper and a pen at the doctor's office instead of my cell phone.   

It's just me, really.  I know I'm not the norm.   Shrug.

I'm a college writing teacher, and it seems that so many students are increasingly lacking in the creativity department.    Generating ideas is like pulling teeth.    It's sad, really.

Here goes my old lady voice...back when I was a child, we played outside for fun.  My brother, sister, and I spent hours in the swimming pool, riding bikes, and making mud pies under the tree house.   If we were indoors, we played with Barbies and Legos and Playmobile.   We had tons of art supplies.  I had an eraser collection (Lisa Frank, baby!).   We colored.  We wrote and performed plays.    The possibilities were endless.

I want to fight to give my girls the same opportunities to think for themselves.    I want them to occupy themselves and each other with creative play.     I adore the stage my three-year-old is in.  Just today she took a cardboard insert from the lunchbox she got for Christmas and put it around her waist.  She hopped in my bed and said, "I'm on an airplane, and here is my seat belt."   She's so creative.   The other day she was in her sister's Cozy Coupe car and put a magazine on top of it.  She then exclaimed, "Look mom!  It's a pizza car!"  

Kids really can think and occupy themselves.  We adults just have to get out of the way and give them the chance.    Oh, and stop buying them toys that tell them WHAT or HOW to think about the world. 

There is beauty in simple things.

Birthday Banner

I am no seamstress.

But, a few years back, I asked for a sewing machine for Christmas, certain I would automatically become an expert pillowcase dress maker.   I bought fabric, ribbon, thread, and some other items.  I hired a sewing teacher.

I made one dress with wayyyy too big arm holes. 

The end.   Or so I thought.

Then I went to a party (hosted by, ironically, the woman who gave me the sewing lesson) and saw beautiful banners hanging throughout her house.    I asked her how she made them, and she said it was very easy.   Easy, I thought.  Right.  Easy for someone who used to own a sewing shop, can quilt, can smock, can craft basically anything out of nothing.

But I decided to give the project a whirl.   I purchased three different fabrics for each banner (one for each daughter), allowing my then two-year-old to choose one of her fabrics (a monkey pattern).  I then bought ribbon to match.

I created a triangle stencil using a file folder (as recommend by my sewing teacher) and spent a few nights cutting triangles with my sewing scissors.  I then ironed my triangles and stacked them in order of how I wanted them to line up on the banner.

Finally, a few weeks ago, I pulled out (and dusted off) my sewing machine.     I didn't touch a single setting (gulp!  who knew what would happen?) nor did I change the thread (change the thread?  are you kidding me?)  and holding my breath, sewed the triangles to the ribbon.

It worked.

I was so happy.   So I pulled out my second ribbon and set of triangles.   About four triangles into the project, I realized something was awry.

Three You Tube videos later, I had wound a new bobbin (whew---listen to me using sewing terms) and was back on track.  

With the leftover triangles and some ribbon I had on hand, I created a third, shorter banner to give as a gift.

What I love about this project is that it's easy, it's inexpensive, and it's homemade.  Plus, you can customize it for any holiday or celebration, and you aren't purchasing a one-time-use banner that will go into the landfill.   And finally, you don't have to do anything perfect.  In fact, the minor "flaws" give the banner character.

(Please excuse the poorly taken photo---the only free and long-enough space I had to lay out my banners was the kitchen floor). 

You can use fabric and ribbon scraps to add to or create a sensory box for your little ones.  

If you give this project a whirl, let me know what you are celebrating! 

Eczema

Miss E has eczema.  Boo.

I did many things to try to rid her of it:   creams and lotions (all recommended by a dermatologist), bleach in the bathwater (which worked temporarily but smelled horrible), changing laundry detergents, keeping pants on her legs when outdoors, limiting time in the bath tub.    She was too young to endure allergy testing...so that was off the table.  I talked to numerous parents who all told me the same old tricks I had already tried.

None of it really worked.

So finally, I had a conversation with Miss E's biological brother's mom (got that?) who said she took her son off milk and his eczema went away.   

So, one day, cold turkey, I stopped giving Miss E milk and started offering her soy instead.  (Which she rejected for about a month, but I was persistent).

The exzema cleared up in a matter of days.

I talk to many moms of brown kids who say their children have eczema, and it's frustrating to pinpoint what the cause is and how to avoid it.     (Note, excema isn't just a brown baby issue).   


If you are struggling with your little one's skin, here are some practical, inexpensive or free, healthy ways to help ease your child's eczema:

---Eliminate the use of body products that contain "dirty" ingredients.   Try alternative ways to moisten your child's skin like coconut oil, olive oil, vitamin E oil, or almond oil.   (The last two contain potential allergens---so be careful!)   I buy organic oils that are USDA certified to insure I'm getting what I want.  I also LOVE Chartreuse products---made in the USA, mostly organic, and no water in the lotion!   My saleslady is also the girls' nanny, so please visit her Chartreuse page and check out the amazing products. 
---Make your own laundry detergent.   Even "free" detergents can be full of things you don't want on your little one's skin, and many green beauty and cleaning books state that the cleaning industry is highly unregulated---meaning, you don't know what you're getting or doing to your body.     The recipe I use for detergent is:   3 cups of Borax, 3 cups of washing soda, and 1 bar of grated (healthy) soap.   Use 1 Tablespoon per load of laundry.   
---Don't use dryer sheets or fabric softeners.   1 cup of vinegar in your rinse cycle helps eliminate odors and soften clothes.  Use dryer balls or a rag with a few drops of your favorite essential oil on it instead.
---Limit bathtime.  Water dries out skin.  (That's why it's silly to buy any lotions containing water!)   10 minutes in a warm bath.   And do not bathe more often than necessary.   Miss E gets a bath 2x a week.
---The most important tip:  Do whatever you can to figure out the cause.    I was simply covering up the problem with creams and lotions and bleach.   Once I discovered the sensitivity to milk, problem solved!   

Miss E still has occasional patches, but I have found that by using natural remedies and making a few changes (which have saved me money in detergent and doctor bills), life for Miss E is much more happy.

Sensory Fun

I don't buy many toys for my kids (unless they are on major sale and would be adored).   For one, they get plenty from relatives on their birthdays and Christmas, and we have many friends with older kids who give us the toys their children have outgrown.  For another, I am anti-electronic toys (aka obnoxious, battery-gobbling, uninspiring toys).  

But, my girls' birthdays are both in November, followed by Christmas in December, so there's a ten month gap between toy-receiving sessions.   So, what can a mama do who wants to bring in something new but doesn't want to spend money?

Over a year ago, I created a sensory tub for Miss E full of dried beans of various colors and sizes along with odd-and-end household items like toilet paper cardboard rolls, plastic containers, and cheap spoons.   We would place the open tub in the kitchen (for easy sweeping afterward).   NOTE:  This is an awesome toy for AA kids, like mine, who aren't allowed to go near a sand box.    :)  

Now that Baby E is mobile and FAST, the dried beans pose a choking hazard.  So I came up with a new idea:  a toddler and baby safe sensory tub featuring fabrics, ribbons, and other odds and ends.

Ask friends and family members for any leftover ribbon and scrap fabrics they might have.  (You might even call your local fabric store to see if they are willing to donate any items to you that they are throwing away).  Throw in things you no longer want or need.  I found several jar lid rings in my kitchen which are perfect for "threading" fabrics.   

Just the other day I caught Miss E "decorating" Baby E like a Christmas tree.   Baby E was sitting perfectly still, mesmerized by her sister's actions.   :)

GOOD STUFF

Many of my posts focus on adoption issues, but my new "GOOD STUFF" posts (which will be published occasionally) will be full of fun tips, activities, and ideas that focus on family.

So, here's your good stuff for May:

---Try almond flour instead of traditional white or wheat flour. Almond flour is slightly higher in calories, but it's full of healthy/food fat and protein. It also makes baked goods more dense and moist (yum!). It's pricey if you buy it in the 1 lb packages (such as Bob's Red Mill), so trying to find it in bulk is wise.

---Give up one wasteful item in your home. Model for your children that going green is important (because God cares about the Earth; I mean, the Creation story in the Bible is elaborate!). This past month, I ran out of paper towels, and as I was on my way down the designated aisle at Wal-Mart, it dawned on me that I really could give them up. Now I'm using rags to clean my bathroom and random spills. Last year we gave up paper napkins and only use cloth. What can you give up to make a difference?

---Get outside! I discovered a new book at my library called Fifteen Minutes a Day: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect With Your Kids. I have always struggled with the "great outdoors." Unless I'm in a pool or reading a magazine in a lawn chair or taking a purposeful walk, I don't love being outside (bugs and heat are not my friends). This book is inspirational!

---Out of lotion? Do not, I repeat, DO NOT purchase lotion that contains water. It dries out your skin. Instead, use the olive oil you already have in your kitchen. I have a Pampered Chef oil sprayer that I use to spray my kids and myself with olive oil. Brilliant! If you feel you MUST have lotion, I recommend purchasing one of these. This is a USA company that discloses ALL its products ingredients. I LOVE the vanilla almond organic lotion.

---Hit delete. Go through your DVR and delete any shows that you don't truly love. I love an occasional mindless show, but do you really need to watch every geographical region's version of Real Housewives? It's empowering to say "no" to toxic nonsense.

---Find local markets and start shopping! Buying local is good for the environment and supports local farmers. It's also a great learning and exploring experience for your kids. I love seeing what's new at our local market every year!