Coconut Oil: Not just for butts anymore!

I’ve been using coconut oil as a cloth-diaper-safe butt cream for over a year now. Luckily, we haven’t had to deal with diaper rash, but teething sometimes makes Little Man’s bum a little angry, and a swipe of coconut oil calms it right down every time without causing my diapers to repel.

But this week, I fell in love with coconut oil all over again for a completely different reason. 

Those of you who tweet may have seen me mentioning the horrible case of hives I had last week. At least I thought they were hives. It turns out I had an allergic reaction to something (who knows what) that I had come in contact with, and I was a mess.

I had a red, itchy, swollen rash all over my face, neck, torso and hands. I think my right pointer finger was the worst, and it blistered so much I was actually afraid it might scar. When I went to the doctor, he seemed concerned about infection because it was getting pretty ugly.

He immediately prescribed a round of Prednisone. When I mentioned that I am nursing and we are trying to conceive, he decided against that prescription. (I was relieved because I just hate medication in all forms, and I have to be pretty much dying to agree to it…)

The rash seemed to be calming on its own a little, but he still wanted to prescribe Triamcinolone Acetonide cream. But only for my hands. Not my face, because it’s more vascular and too much could enter my bloodstream.

Sorry, but does that sound safe to you? Uh, no thanks. 😕

OTC hydrocortisone? I think I’ll skip that too.

So I left and went home, happy in the knowledge that I didn’t have some kind of incurable skin crud, but not sure what to do about the severe itching and raw skin on my hands and face.

And then I remembered: A jar of Tropical Traditions virgin coconut oil in my cupboard.

Could that work? Why not!? With all I’d read about the different uses of coconut oil, it made perfect sense. 💡

I immediately put a thin layer on my face and a slightly thicker layer on my hands. On the really bad parts, I applied it a few times.

That was yesterday and, long story short, you can barely see where the blisters were. No lie – the parts of my hands that were affected actually feel better than the rest. This stuff is amazing: just one simple ingredient that’s 100% pure and safe for me as a mama, my baby, and the baby that we’re already looking out for, just in case. 😉

Prednisone disaster averted. 

Just one more reason I plan to keep a jar of coconut oil in my house at all times. Thanks so much to Tropical Traditions for a great product, and I look forward to finding out what other tricks it can do! 🙂

I was not compensated in any way for this post. I just really, really want you all to know how great this stuff is!

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Have you ever used coconut oil? What is your favorite use for it?

Wordless Wednesday: 18 months!

Frontera Fresh Guacamole Mix

Cookout season is upon us! Chances are, you’ll be called upon to bring a dish to countless occasions in the coming months, so I thought I’d tell you about a new favorite of mine!

Frontera Guacamole Mix, straight from the kitchen of Chef Extraordinaire Rick Bayliss! (He is toooo cute!)

Quick and easy is the name of my game lately, and this mix fits the bill. But in all honesty, the key selling point for me is the all-natural list of ingredients – fresh tomatillos, fresh tomatoes, green chiles, fresh onions, fresh cilantro, fresh garlic, citric acid, salt, and pure cane sugar. No funny stuff! (A BIG plus since my toddler would eat it by the handful if I let him.)

This mix adds lots of the flavor you want, with little to none of the calories, added fat and sodium you don’t want, allowing your lovely ‘cados to shine through!

 All you have to do is cut the avocados in half and scoop them out! I add 3 and give it a quick spin in the food processor.

If you like it a little chunkier, just mash by hand. You’ll have fresh, zesty guacamole in a matter of minutes. It’s perfection on a sandwich, in a taco or dropped into a bowl of white chicken chili. Grab a bag of chips and you’re good to go for a “bring a dish” party (you don’t have to tell ’em how easy it is! 😉 )

Since this guac warrants a quality chip – might I suggest Tostitos Artisan Recipes Roasted Garlic and Black Bean Tortilla Chips? I tried them recently, courtesy of Foodbuzz, and they earned a solid 2 thumbs up from my crowd. I don’t buy chips often, but I dig that Tostitos chips are all-natural. Who needs a fake chip? 😕

Plain chip pictured in photo - not a Tostitos chip.

When I have them, I like to add a few chopped tomatoes, straight from the farmer’s market, for eye appeal.

…and don’t forget to put the pits in so your guac doesn’t turn brown! 😉 (Thanks for the tip, Alysha!)

I’ve served this at a few gatherings now, and I’ve learned one thing: there are guac people, and there are non-guac people. Verdict? The true guac people love Frontera Guacamole Mix – Look for the affordable 4.5 oz. pouch in your local produce department!

*Note to Mr. Bayliss: Now, how about an organic version? Just a thought… 😉

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Are you a guac person or a non-guac person? What’s your favorite way to eat guacamole?

Where am I?!

Geez! Where have I been?!?

No, I have not fallen into a big black hole somewhere, although I can see how you might assume that I had. Last week, I had a short vacation, and now it seems that Verizon has stuck it to me once again…and I’m without internet service until FRIDAY! 👿

Dudes…tonight is the finale of My Baby Experts with Shari Criso! I can’t believe I have no service.

I’m NOT happy. 😦

But I’m going to try to figure out something sooner, and if I do, I’ll see you then.

Oops…gotta run!  (My boss is coming. 😉 ) #officewifi

Wordless Wednesday: The reason I’ve been MIA…

Big things are just around the bend. I can feel it!

Wordless Wednesday: Meet my new nursling!

I’d like to introduce you to my new nursling…

Yeah, it felt a little silly, but my son insisted. And so goes life with a toddler… 🙂

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18 months tomorrow! WOO!

Go (.)(.) !!

Mom Fail: Yet another reason to go green…

Yesterday’s Major Mom Fail:

About 10 seconds after I heard my son run down the hall toward his very baby-proofed playroom, I turned to go find him (because I never, ever leave him alone. Not for a minute.)

I was heading down the hallway when I heard a thump behind me, in the kitchen. I thought my husband had come into the house.

I turned to see my son, sitting on the kitchen floor. How did he get over there? I swear toddlers have some kind of magic…

Then I noticed the spray bottle of bug spray. In his hands. Pointed toward his face.

His little face, with tiny droplets on it.

My heart stopped. For a minute, I thought I might throw up.

He looked at me, wide-eyed, surprised. But he did not cry.

He switched gears, smiled, got up and ran past me down to his playroom, and I ran after him, grabbing a towel along the way to clean him up.

Reason #45789203 to go a little greener: Orange Guard Home Pest Control, kills pests on contact with orange peel extract in a water-based formula that is safe for use around food, humans and pets.*

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I was horrified that my son had gotten past me, and that I allowed it to happen. I felt like the worst mother in the world, and I’m still beating myself up for it. But, I gotta say, I’m pretty freakin’ proud of myself for making sure the product in that bottle wasn’t toxic. Because toddlers really do have a certain sneaky mischief magic, and accidents happen.

Even so, I’ll be hovering a little more from now on.

*Orange Guard may cause moderate eye irritation.

On My Mind: Weaning

Weaning.

I’ve been meaning to write a post about this particular topic for quite a while now. Months, even.

But I just haven’t been able to get it down on the page. Every time I try to write anything about what the early stages of weaning look like in our house, I get about 2 lines in and my mind starts to race. Trying to put my thoughts down in a linear perspective frazzles my brain, and I end up putting my laptop to sleep and zoning out on DVRed Top Chef.

Why the struggle? I’m not exactly sure, but I think it’s because I know that good information about weaning is important, and there are lots of mamas out there who need a seasoned perspective (hard to believe I’m a “been there, done that” mom now on some topics!) but it’s very difficult to put into a box. I’d love to write a post chock full of helpful tips and witty observations, all tied up with a bow and some kind of enlightening conclusion at the end. But for us, this process is so fluid and ever-changing that the best I can do is relay my experience and save the definitive answers for another time.

First, a little history:

My son was exclusively breastfed until 6 months, when we began to introduce solids. He is now closing in on 18 months, still nursing and eating lots of real, whole foods (mostly fruits, veggies, legumes, and grains; no cow’s milk (some yogurt), very little meat and very, very little sugar.) I work away from home about 50 hours a week, and he spends 4 days a week with my Mom and Dad, who have been very supportive since day 1. We are hoping to add to our family ASAP!

So, why wean?

This is where it gets complicated, because I can’t answer this question! Here’s the jumble in my head:

I would like to start initiating weaning because we really, really want another baby SOON and at 17 months I still had no return of my cycle (except for a random 2 days in December that didn’t amount to much) so I think I may be one of those moms who has to fully wean to concieve, but I know that my son is still reaping great health benefits from nursing past infancy, plus I work more than full-time, so nursing still provides a huge chance for us to reconnect each night. But it’s hard – I’ve been pumping for over a year now, and it’s draining, and I am ALWAYS hungry and unable to lose any weight, and frankly, toddler nursing is a whole different beast than infant nursing. He tugs, he pulls, occasionally bites, and never sits still. The mysterious “full night’s sleep” still eludes us, as he nurses on average twice a night, but I know that’s totally normal, so how can I complain? Frankly, I’m a little scared. I feel like I’m playing with fire by cutting out pumping sessions and letting my supply drop, trying to jumpstart my cycle, because I could wake up one day with no supply and a sad, feeling-rejected baby and I don’t want to know what that kind of guilt and regret feels like. BF has been his biggest source of nourishment and nurturing since the night he was born, so I could never just take it away unless he was ready. But IS he ready? He’s off the bottle, and down to about 6 ounces per day from a cup at my mom’s house, and he might get another 6 throughout the night, so would it be that big a deal if he didn’t get it anymore? On the other hand, it’s been such a comfort knowing that he’s getting such quality nourishment, tailored perfectly to his little self, while I get used to preparing table foods for a toddler. It’s like a backup plan for nutrition that doubles as a remedy for pinkeye, ear infections, diaper rash, and boo boos, while also providing a great way to calm an overstimulated or crying toddler. Who in their right mind would stop producing milk when it’s so multi-purpose and valuable? Oh yeah, maybe a haggard, exhausted mom who really wants another baby before the clock ticks any louder… I mean, extended health benefits are a gift, but a sibling is a gift, too, right? Ugh! Who says I even get to decide any of this anyway? Every time I give in and decide I’m not ready to push weaning yet, he says “Nononono!” and takes off in the other direction, no milk on his mind. It feels like any day could be the last day…

Do I even know how to be a mommy without it!?

See what I mean? I’m all over the place. But with all that being said, there are a few things I’ve figured out for sure:

• While we didn’t use Baby Led Weaning in the proper sense (we gave our son purees), I do fully believe in letting baby take the lead in ending the nursing relationship. That’s not to say I can’t nudge a little, though, so we are currently practicing the “Don’t offer, don’t refuse” approach, and I’m limiting the length of each session whenever possible.
• This is one emotional subject! Much of my purpose and identity as a mother is wrapped up in our breastfeeding relationship, and my heart just aches at the thought of its end. But, I’m realizing that parenting only gets deeper and more complex as the days pass, so I’m sure the bond we’ll develop in the next stage of our lives, whatever it may be, will be just as precious to me (and maybe a little easier on my sleep schedule.)
• No matter how much longer we go, I have met several goals already: 6 mo, 1 yr, nearly 18 mo. It has been wonderful, but it has not been easy, and I get choked up every time I think of how proud I am of our accomplishment. Even if we stopped today, I sleep better at night knowing that I’ve provided my son (and myself) with an entire lifetime of better health!
• I’ve been told right to my face that I am disgusting for nursing my toddler and that if we continue, I will damage him for life. To those people, I say: Make NO mistake about it, this decision couldn’t have less to do with you and your ignorant judgement. 
• Every time I think I have something nailed down, it up and changes on me again. After a long conversation with my LLL leaders about this very topic several days ago, I woke up the very next morning to a happy monthly surprise! It seems that we are back in action, for real this time. So I may not have to entirely wean after all (even though my boy may have other ideas at this point.) I guess I’m right back where I started, confident that (as with most parenting issues I’ve found) I need to just follow my heart and my son’s lead and we can’t go wrong.

And with the developments over the last week, my hope to tandem nurse just might not be completely out of reach after all… 🙂

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Motherhood: It’s never boring, is it?

Who wants to win some of my favorite oats?

***Giveaway Closed***

My lucky winner, with comment #94, is MamaChocolate! Congrats, and happy oat-making! 🙂

Original Post:

You might remember my recent review of Tropical Traditions organic oats.

Well, now Tropical Traditions wants to offer one of my readers the chance to win a bag of their own! 🙂

These oats are no longer just a review product for us – they are officially a product we purchase for use in our home.  We liked them so much, we’re currently waiting for another bag to arrive!

Why am I so excited about some simple oats? Because they’re anything but. I love the fact that Tropical Traditions thick rolled whole grain oats are not only certified organic, but they’re also thick, dense and chewy, and add a great hearty texture to our overnight oats.

One of the main reasons I love a bowl of morning oats so much is that they are never the same twice. There are so many ways to enjoy them! I’ve even seen people prepare savory oats with ingredients like cheese and eggs! My daily breakfast usually differs based on what’s in season and what I happen to have on hand.

Here are a few of my favorite combinations:

• Banana, chopped dates, cardamom and a drizzle of honey
• Shredded coconut and cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips/shavings
• Artisana Cacao Bliss and fresh black cherries
• Blueberries, almond slivers and lemon zest
• Raisins, dried cranberries, cinnamon and granola (like an oatmeal raisin cookie!)
• Chopped banana and Tierra Farm Chocolate Hazelnut butter (Nutella who!?)
• Pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon and crumbled graham crackers or granola
• Granola, almond butter and Crofter’s Superfruit spread (hits the spot like a PB&J!)
• 1/2 oats, 1/2 cooked millet with cardamom, coconut milk, toasted coconut and lime zest.

…and nothing tops off ANY bowl of oats better than one big, plump Medjool date. My favorite!

If you’d like to enter to win your own 5 lb. bag of Tropical Traditions Certified Organic thick rolled whole grain oats, just sign up for the Tropical Traditions email newsletter! I promise you’ll be glad you did (the email is where I just found the free shipping code for the bag I ordered!)

Signing up for the TT email is the only mandatory entry. Just leave me a comment below letting me know you signed up, and you’re entered! 

Bonus entries:

• Subscribe to my blog via email.
• Like ABCGP on Facebook
• Like Tropical Traditions on Facebook
• Follow @ABCGP on Twitter
• Tweet about this giveaway (please include a link to this post in your tweet. Limit one tweet per day. Leave a comment with a link to your tweet.)
• Tell me your favorite way to top a bowl of oats. I’m always up for new ideas! 🙂

Entry period will remain open until May 15th. I will then choose a winner via Random.org. Winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to confirm or a new winner will be chosen. Open to US and Canada.

An Earth Day Wish for You…

Last year, as my husband cut up old cardboard boxes to line the paths between our raised garden beds, I found this in our yard.

It stuck with me, and I’ve loved this photo ever since. I’m not sure why. But today, it’s the inspiration for my Earth Day wish for you. 

In honor of Earth Day, I wish you a long life full of all things beautiful, natural and pure, and good health so that you may enjoy them to the fullest. I wish you nourishment for your mind, body and soul, a peaceful spirit and fruitful labor. I wish you the strength and determination to stand by the things you believe in, even when you stand alone, and I wish you the wonderful feeling of pride that comes with every small step toward a better world.  I wish this, and much more, for your children, and their children.

And, as the photo says, I wish you an abundance of fresh thought – because there is nothing more important to the future of our planet than fresh thought. 

Happy Earth Day, everyone! Love your Mother! 😀

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How are you celebrating Earth Day? I’d love to know what this day means to you.