Homemade Baby Teething Biscuits

Today I decided to finally try my hands at some homemade finger food for Jacob. He is starting to be at that stage, and man is that crap pricey at the store! Not to mention all of the sugar and crazy list of ingredients. I knew I had seen some simple recipes using baby cereal on the internet so I sat down and picked one to try! I changed it just a pinch but the gist was the same.

Here is the link to the original recipe.

I did olive oil instead of coconut, and I added about a tbs of sugar. Mine didn't turn out so much as a dough like the recipe said--it was more of a batter that I spooned onto the parchment paper into an oval shape. Much quicker than rolling out and cutting to shape!

 Baby was able to easily grab onto it and get it into his mouth. It softened very quickly and he didn't gag or cough once while eating it. Even big brother tasted it and approved!

 These baked up very easily and I threw them into a ziploc baggie after they cooled to room temp. They should be good for several days since there is no egg or any thing perishable in them.

Homemade Gripe Water

Gripe water is an old-fashioned remedy for multiple baby ailments including upset tummy, colic, gas, hiccups, and general fussiness. It is basically an herbal tea mixture and different commercial brands use different combinations of herbs. The most common ones are chamomile, ginger, dill, fennel, and peppermint. Here is what each one is good for:

Chamomile: Chamomiles reported anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic actions relax the smooth muscles lining the stomach and intestine. The herb may therefore help to relieve nausea, heartburn, and stress-related flatulence. It may also be useful in the treatment of diverticular disorders and inflammatory bowel conditions such as Crohn's disease. Chamomile has been used for centuries in teas as a mild, relaxing sleep aid, treatment for fevers, colds, stomach ailments, and as an anti-inflammatory, to name only a few therapeutic uses.

Ginger: Gingerols increase the motility of the gastrointestinal tract and have analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Studies have shown that it may help reduce nausea caused by motion sickness or pregnancy and may help relieve migraine.

Dill: Dill oil, extracted from dill seeds, has been in use in traditional medicines as anti-spasmodic, carminative, appetizer, digestive, disinfectant, to help increase breast milk secretion in nursing mothers and to relieve neurological symptoms like headaches and nervous irritability. Along with caraway, fennel, aniseed, it too is one of the most important ingredients in gripe water preparation.

Fennel: Carminative herbs, such as fennel, are rich in essential oils that help relax the stomach and stimulate the movement of the digestive system, which aids in preventing gas formation. Fennel has traditionally been used not only to relieve flatulence, bloating and gas discomfort, but also to stimulate appetite and digestion.

Peppermint: Research studies have also been suggested that the compounds in the peppermint relax intestinal wall and sphincter smooth muscles through blocking calcium channels at cell receptor levels. This property of mint has been exploited as an anti-spasmodic agent in the treatment of "irritable bowel syndrome" (IBS) and other colic pain disorders.

You can buy a commercially prepared bottle of this at the store but it is very pricey and may have high fructose corn syrup or other undesirable ingredients in it. So I decided to make my own! It's very simple and cost effective. You have peace of mind knowing exactly what is going into the tea and you can customize it according to what ingredients you have on hand.

For mine I used chamomile tea bags, dill weed, and ground ginger. In a perfect world I would have also used fennel and fresh ginger but I did not have either. I used purified water and steeped all the ingredients in a large bowl for about 10 minutes until cool. Then I poured it over a coffee filter into a glass jar and let it slowly filter.

To this I added about a teaspoon of sugar (only because baby made a sour face without it and did not want to take it). It smells quite nice and just tastes like fragrant herbal tea. I read that the herbs are not as potent after about 24 hours so to extend the use of the tea I poured it into an ice cube tray and froze it into approximately 1oz portions. I thaw what I need and only give him about a teaspoon at a time. It seems to help and soothe his fussiness and that makes for a happy baby AND momma!

A Call to Action!

Have you ever had a moment that was a wake up call for you? Where something happened or you noticed something that truly opened your eyes and made you realize "Man, I need to change something"? As a nurse I am a little more tuned in to signs and symptoms of diseases. I have seen over and over again how it can escalate into a full blown illness and miserable life. I have seen people in their 20s getting toes amputated from diabetes, people in their 30s and 40s having fatal heart attacks and strokes, or going into liver failure from drinking.

I am a staunch advocate of taking CONTROL of your own health and being responsible for how it affects your body. So many diseases these days are reversible and yet doctors continue to prescribe pills to "fix" the problem. Unfortunately more often than not, the root of the problem is in our mind and we have to overcome it our self to truly be healthy. I'm sure if a doctor wrote a prescription for "diet and exercise" instead of drugs there would be a lot of angry people out there who either sued or ignored the order. But they have pills for this!! Why do I have to completely change my life??

This day came for my husband on December 22. We had lost power during the night and it was very cold in the house. I had to go to work for a couple of hours and had him and my son go with me to get warm. After I was done with my patient, me and another nurse were messing around and taking our blood pressures. Nick came over there and we took his----and were floored. His first BP was 175/112. We took three readings and all over them had a diastolic (bottom number) over 100. He just got the wake up call!

For almost a decade up to this point his diet had been very poor and his lifestyle was very sedentary. Of course as a nurse and wife I nagged him about it but in the end I knew that he would have to WANT to change for himself, not for me. As much as it bothered me, I could not control it so I waited for that day to come.

In the last 8 days he has truly made a huge turn around in his lifestyle. No sugar (even on Christmas!), no caffeine, no fast food, no soda, and exercising at least 30 minutes each day. The progress is already evident! His latest BP reading is around 145/96 and he has lost 3lb!

We will be keeping a log of his progress because I feel that will be the biggest motivator. Everyone likes seeing proof! He went today for blood work to see what his baseline numbers are. We should have the results tomorrow and I don't expect them to be very pretty. After 6 months or so we will get some more done to really see how he has improved not only on the outside, but also at the cellular level.

Baseline bloodwork: CBC, CMP, Hemoglobin A1C, Urine Albumin, and Lipid Panel (in layman's terms--blood count, electrolytes, liver function, kidney function, diabetes check, and cholesterol levels)

Beginning stats:

BP: 175/112

Pulse: 90

Weight: 217lb

BMI: 32 (obese)

1 Week stats:

BP: 145/96

Pulse: 85

Weight: 214lb

BMI: 31.6 (obese)

Getting Ready to Get Ready!

It's that time again! Nick and I have always planned to have our children about 5 years apart. I use the term "plan" loosely since infertility is a huge speedbump in our life. Now that Brad is 4 we are working on gearing up to TTC for #2. I have done a lot of reading on male infertility and have read a lot of good things about herbal supplements to treat/improve his specific problems.

He has started on a vitamin regimen and has been on it for going on 6 weeks now. It takes at least 3 months for changes to start taking effect so we started around the middle of May to prepare to TTC around August. I call this Plan A. Plan B will be trying Clomid (for him, not me), and Plan C will be IVF. Plan D is to have an only child :(

 

We have added 1 more vitamin since this picture, so all of the ones he is taking are:

1. Vitamin C 500mg

2. Zinc 25mg

3. Vitamin E 400IU

4. L-Arginine 500mg

5. L-Carnitine 1000mg

6. One-A-Day multivitamin for men

I am planning on scheduling a consultation with a new RE (our old one retired in January) around August so that we can hit the ground running and not waste any time. Please pray for us that we are able to conceive WITHOUT doing IVF and that everything works out!

PS. There is a link to the right ------> for our infertility story if you haven't read it yet!

Oil Cleansing Method Revisited

 

I began using using the OCM on April 5 (as talked about in this blog) and did it every night for a month. I was pretty happy with the results and loved that I was using such cheap and natural ingredients to clean my skin. Then my concoction ran out and I was out of town for a week so I went almost 2 weeks without doing it and instead using an astringent that I used to use.

I immediately noticed a difference. My same problems were back--extra dry skin after cleaning, oily skin in the morning, oily skin throughout the day....so I finally mixed up some more and took pics to show you the ingredients!

 

Just 3 ingredients! Castor oil, EVOO, and Tea tree oil. I designated a nifty little travel container to hold it all. Here are the amounts:

 

I use 2/3 castor oil and 1/3 olive oil. I added more tea tree oil to this batch--about a teaspoon or two--compared to only a couple drops in my last batch. As you can see, my container is not even half full, yet I'm sure this will last me at least a month. It just takes a few drops to clean your face and eliminates your need for lotion! Be sure to gently shake each time to mix the oils up.

I can't really say if there is a visible difference in my complexion. Maybe less redness? It has only been a month so I will keep you posted on what I see and feel in the future. Here are some pics for you either way!

 

Helpful Natural Remedies

Life has run off with me and it has been 2 weeks since my last post! It is already April 20 and I have only posted one time this month.

If you recall from early December of last year I wrote this blog about my solution to dandruff...well recently it seems to have come back partly (not near as bad as it was) and the Tea Tree Oil was not helping quite like it did before. Plus I ran out, so I was open to different remedies to try.

I have done a lot of reading on natural scalp and hair treatments since I have dandruff and am trying to grow my hair out. Apple cider vinegar (referred to ACV from here on) is one that kept popping up as very beneficial to both your hair and scalp. It naturally cleanses the build up on your hair and works to condition and soften your hair. The acidity helps neutralize the ph of your scalp and helps unclog pores that can prevent natural oils from moisturizing your skin thus causing flaking.

I tried a little experiment and here is what I did: I poured pure ACV on my scalp (enough to wet it but not dripping) and massaged it in--especially my problem areas. Then I let it sit for 15-20 minutes and shampooed/conditioned in the shower like normal. I did this every other day and after about 5 times I have noticed a significant improvement in not only my scalp, but also my hair! My scalp has much less flaking and no itching. My hair is soft and very shiny. Sure, I smell like a pickle right after I wash my hair but after it dries there is no trace of vinegar smell. It was harder to pour the ACV directly out of the bottle so I got a little squirt bottle to help control the flow better.

ACV is definitely cheaper than Tea Tree Oil so I would recommend those who are not having success with other remedies should try this!

If you read my last blog post you remember that I started cleaning my face with oil. Yes I am still doing it and I like it! I haven't noticed much improvement per say in my tone or discolorations, but I love that I do not need moisturizer any more. I love that it does not burn if it gets in my eye or when I am taking off eye makeup. I can also say that any blemishes I do get are quickly gone in a day or two instead of hanging around for over a week.

 

In short, I am sold on the oil-cleansing method. If for nothing else but for the cost! It is just pennies to make a small amount that lasts forever. It takes very little oil to get the job done and it has to be better for your skin if it's chemical-free and all natural pure ingredients! I do think for my next batch I am going to get some jojoba oil to throw in there for more blemish fighting properties.

On a different note, Nick and I met some friends for dinner by the lake and here is a pic of us at sunset :)

Experimentation = Oil Cleansing!

What am I cleaning you ask? My face! With oil? Yes! Before you call me crazy, feel free to read this very informative article that sums it up perfectly. My skin is kind of weird and I have battled with it for years. I'm not going to be dramatic and say I "struggle" with acne because I don't. I do however have annoying blemishes, dry spots, and a very oily T-zone that an almost-30-year-old should not have.

For a long time I used astringent to clean my face at night but was still getting occasional break outs and dry/oily skin. Nick got me a different kind of face cleaner for Christmas and it seemed to help a bit but still had the same old problems. It just ran out yesterday so I decided to take the plunge and try out the oil cleansing method!

I started out simple with a mixture of 2/3 castor oil and 1/3 EVOO. I also added a few drops of Tea Tree oil (Nick calls it my marinade). It took just a pinch to cover my face and I rubbed it around for about a minute, then gently cleaned it off with a hot wet washcloth. These pictures are after the cleaning (and will be my "before" pics if it turns out well):

 

It doesn't look too bad in the pics, but I do have some discolorations, small blemishes, blackheads, and old scarring (pay no attention to the red spot under my left eye--it is dilated capillaries that I've had for many years). I have read several accounts of people who have used this method and it has reversed much of the old scarring and marks on their face.

I usually have super dry skin after a shower, but this time I did not. I didn't use any lotion or spot treatment before bed. In the morning my face did not seem oily at all, and I did not notice any new bumps. In fact it almost seemed more clear than the day before! I also noticed during my day at work that my face did not get oily in the afternoon like it normally would. Yay!

I am going to do this each night as my face cleansing method for at least one month. I will take pics again after one month and tell you about pros/cons at the end.

PS My son got a spot in our local primary school! We officially enrolled him and got the afternoon class that we wanted. Now we are all set and will meet his teacher in August.

Are You Flaky?

Flaky in a dandruffy kind of way? I had been struggling with it for a few years (my dirty little secret) and I have dark thick hair so it was especially obvious on me. It seems when I hit my 20s that my skin got a little weirder all over, my scalp being one of the areas hit. I want to share this with those who are also struggling with this burden and need help!

 I had tried all of the obvious treatments--Head and Shoulders, Selsun Blue, wash more, wash less, cleansing shampoos, moisturizing shampoos, cool water, hot water...you name it I tried it. But nothing changed. I used to wash my hair every other day but it was getting to the point where the same day my head would start to itch and flake more and more until I washed it again. I would have relief for a few hours but then it would start back up. I even got a Benadryl rub-on stick to use on certain spots that itched so bad it was raw! I felt like a dog with fleas and VERY self conscious about it.

It was a vicious cycle....I would itch and scratch, the skin would get raw and scabby, then that would itch as it tried to heal. I felt like a psycho always picking thru my hair trying to get out the flakes before they became visible or fell onto my clothes. It seemed like over the summer it was getting worse and I was washing my hair every night before bed just so I wouldn't lay there and itch. And yes there were times where I woke up at night because I itched!

Finally I spent awhile on the internet searching for natural remedies since none of the store-bought crap was helping. I came across some sites that talked about Tea Tree Oil and it's natural anti-fungal and anti-bacterial qualities. I decided to go to the store and find some!

I started out with Walmart (since ya know, they have everything) and looked in the hair care aisle. I found a bottle that was less than $3 so I grabbed it!

 

 Soon after I made a date with myself in the bathroom to saturate my scalp and let this oily goodness soak for about an hour. It felt a little tingly and smelled good but did not come out in one washing....I still looked oily the next day. And my head still itched. I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt so I waited a couple of weeks and tried it again. This time I shampooed twice and got it out. Unfortunately my head was no better!!! It figured I would be the weird one that this magical oil did not work on.

At that point I looked at the ingredients and it was NOT PURE TEA TREE OIL. I felt duped! That's why it was so cheap! I brought this up to my mom and she just happened to already have a bottle of it stashed away in her cabinets!! I lovingly took it off of her hands (and later found they also sell it at Walmart but in the vitamin/supplement aisle).

 This sucker said PURE Tea Tree Oil and it smelled and looked significantly different than the first impostor. It was more watery and almost burned when I put it on my scalp, especially on the raw spots. I didn't care, I figured the burn said it was working! I only left it on about 20 minutes then jumped into the shower to wash it out.

The next day my scalp was SUPER dry. So dry I could feel my skin pull taut whenever I would move my head. Then it started to flake big flakes. But no itching! After about a week, the flaking stopped and I realized I was itching much less and had minimal flaking even in my problem spots. I waited around a month and did another treatment recently. Some of it dripped close to my eye and that was BAD news--I felt like I had a chemical burn there! Once again my skin felt really dry the next day and I had some big flakes but I was back to normal soon after and have had hardly any flakes and NO itching since!!

I think since the oil is so strong I will dilute it with olive oil for my next treatment and apply heat while it is saturating--kind of as a hot oil treatment for my scalp and hair all at the same time. I plan on doing a treatment about once a month to keep up the healthy scalp. I hope if you read this and are suffering with dandruff that you try this and it works for you too!

 Now to end this post, here are my last few things I am thankful for from November....

21. i am thankful for the few people who make the effort to come to my house for dinners and such

22. i am thankful to be able to spend the holidays with my family, as well as start my own traditions with my boys

23. i am thankful for all of the truck drivers who deal with crazy people on the road every day to bring our goods to us 

24. i am thankful for the days my son lets me sleep in

25. i am thankful for movies/shows that stream online, enabling us to cut cable completely

26. i am thankful i have the courage to be myself

27. i am thankful for mornings that hubby cooks breakfast

28. i am thankful for days i get home early enough to relax on the couch with my hubby before going to sleep

29. i am thankful that my hubby sits thru my favorite show with me even though i know he doesn't like it

30. i am thankful to have grown up with God in my heart. He has influenced so many of my decisions and kept me from doing things I shouldn't do. I'm not perfect and I'm working on it with Him as my guide!

The house is all decorated for Christmas, the lights are up outside, and all we need now is our tree! We are going to get one tomorrow, then I have a craft show all day Monday I will post about next!