Fabulous or Not?

Neutrogena Skin Aid

My currently 15-month old son had some questionable dry patches of skin that were sort of scaly and very red on his right knee.  I noticed it most frequently after his bath when it would especially bright red and unsightly.  He also had some dry skin that wasn't red or round and patchy looking on the sides of both thighs.  It arrived a few months ago when he began crawling and I assumed it was some sort of irritation from clothing and rubbing against the carpet.  I tried every single lotion and potion in my house and nothing worked to rid his knee of an area of red dry skin.  In fact, it was starting to look worse last week and I pondered a call to the dermatologist but thought I'd give self-diagnosis and treatment one last try.  I went to the store and decided to get something, anything that was recommended for (baby) eczema.  Or eczema, or dry skin or really anything I could find that 1) wasn't poisonous, 2) didn't require a second mortgage on the house, and 3) was something I had not already tried, like Vaseline, Neosporin, anything made by Aveeno, diaper rash cream or baby lotion.

I happened to notice this new product and its cure-all claim caught my eye.  It is indicated for pain, itch, minor cuts, scrapes, minor burns, redness, chapping, cracking, irritation, sunburn, chaffing, insect bites and stings.  I think it can also end war and solve the current mortgage crisis in America, but what do I know? 

What it is.... a skin protectant:  Glycerin, and an external analgesic.

I rubbed a little on his knee and on the sides of his thighs for two nights.  On the third night, the red mark was completely gone and the rough skin on his upper legs had completely vanished.   I wouldn't even have known where to put the cream.  The difference was that fast and that good.

I like this this is such a simple cure-all product.  The ingredients are basic and safe for most people.  I highly recommend this product for mildly dry baby skin.   But you know, I'm not an expert, so ask your doctor first. 

Book Review: It Started with Pop-Tarts

This book review is cross-posted with my book discussion on my main blog, The Fabulous Miss S.  I am posting here as a review because I found this book to be informative, enlightening and hard to put down.  This is a must read for anyone dealing with eating disorders of any kind, themselves or someone they know, or anyone looking for ideas and options to better self-understanding and introspective.  A friend of mine once said, when you stop evolving it's time to go, and Lori Hanson shows us exactly how she has done just that.  We can all gain a little inspiration from this book.

Lori Hanson's It Started with Pop-Tarts really spoke to me as a woman, a friend and as a parent.  This book literally fell into my hands at a rather precarious moment in my life. I have a friend from high school in a battle for her life right now with a severe case of bulimia.  She has been sick for over fifteen years and I recommended this book to her. What if Lori's story gives her the hope she needs to rebuild? Anything is possible and this book reminded me of that simple fact.    I'm feeling so much conflict right now with different aspects of my life and I am going to use her positive-thought-affirmation/positive-energy seeking ways to find solutions for myself.  Hanson wrote a remarkably candid memoir chronicling the more difficult parts of her life. She confesses to mistakes with men, partying, drinking too much, and some behaviors that would send even the most centered and self-assured asshat into temporary hiding.  But that is just it; in order to overcome, learn, and evolve, you have to face reality and understand why you are who you are before you can be who you want to be. 

On one level I can relate to the self loathing and over-analyzing of her body and weight because most of us have been there, but I started to really find interest and intrigue at how she committed and recommitted to searching out a more peaceful life for herself.  I am on a mission to find the same freedom that Lori did in letting go of control.  Lori has spent years committing and recommitting to her search for authenticity. Her story made me realize that, so what, I haven't worked out weeks, but that is okay, because tomorrow can be the first day of the rest of my life. 

I have to admit, I am on the fence when it comes to "natural" cures and "nontraditional therapies" because I like my vaccines and antibiotics for bad infections, antidepressants and the occasional Xanax, and I have never met a post-surgical painkiller I didn't like.  That said, I am a strong believer in talk therapies, massage, organic eating, getting in touch with your authentic self, and if that involves someone who can feel your energy or prescribe a diet to help your colon flora rebalance itself, who am I to judge, I might need that sort of therapy myself one day and what if, just WHAT IF, that is what works for you? 

Lori is a remarkably driven person and I'm feeling motivated and inspirated to try new techniques in my own evolution.  I have written a bit lately about feeling unbalanced and over stressed and I need to stop.  And refocus. 

A lot of Lori Hanson's self-doubt and need to control stems from her less than loving childhood where she was harshly criticized and repeatedly unaccepted by her parents.  Hanson explains how this type of parenting led her to grow up with distored images of herself and unhealthy habits in relationships.  I am a mother, and vaguely new to motherhood at that.  As Noah gets older I am increasingly aware of how my actions/choices/decisions as a mother will effect the person he becomes.  I feel reminded of how important it is to make your children feel accepted, adequate and successful.  Family relationships and dynamics have the potential to land you on a one-hundred-twenty-dollar-an-hour-leather-sofa anyway so couldn't we all learn a little from these intimate confesions of Lori Hanson?  I am going to love Noah, accept Noah, challenge him and make sure he knows that I love him unconditionally.

This book review is cross-posted with my book discussion on my main blog, The Fabulous Miss S.  I am posting here as a review because I found this book to be informative, enlightening and hard to put down.  This is a must read for anyone dealing with eating disorders of any kind, themselves or someone they know, or anyone looking for ideas and options to better self-understanding and introspective.  A friend of mine once said, when you stop evolving it's time to go, and Lori Hanson shows us exactly how she has done just that.  We can all gain a little inspiration from this book.

Lori Hanson's It Started with Pop-Tarts really spoke to me as a woman, a friend and as a parent.  This book literally fell into my hands at a rather precarious moment in my life. I have a friend from high school in a battle for her life right now with a severe case of bulimia.  She has been sick for over fifteen years and I recommended this book to her. What if Lori's story gives her the hope she needs to rebuild? Anything is possible and this book reminded me of that simple fact.    I'm feeling so much conflict right now with different aspects of my life and I am going to use her positive-thought-affirmation/positive-energy seeking ways to find solutions for myself.  Hanson wrote a remarkably candid memoir chronicling the more difficult parts of her life. She confesses to mistakes with men, partying, drinking too much, and some behaviors that would send even the most centered and self-assured asshat into temporary hiding.  But that is just it; in order to overcome, learn, and evolve, you have to face reality and understand why you are who you are before you can be who you want to be. 

On one level I can relate to the self loathing and over-analyzing of her body and weight because most of us have been there, but I started to really find interest and intrigue at how she committed and recommitted to searching out a more peaceful life for herself.  I am on a mission to find the same freedom that Lori did in letting go of control.  Lori has spent years committing and recommitting to her search for authenticity. Her story made me realize that, so what, I haven't worked out weeks, but that is okay, because tomorrow can be the first day of the rest of my life. 

I have to admit, I am on the fence when it comes to "natural" cures and "nontraditional therapies" because I like my vaccines and antibiotics for bad infections, antidepressants and the occasional Xanax, and I have never met a post-surgical painkiller I didn't like.  That said, I am a strong believer in talk therapies, massage, organic eating, getting in touch with your authentic self, and if that involves someone who can feel your energy or prescribe a diet to help your colon flora rebalance itself, who am I to judge, I might need that sort of therapy myself one day and what if, just WHAT IF, that is what works for you? 

Lori is a remarkably driven person and I'm feeling motivated and inspirated to try new techniques in my own evolution.  I have written a bit lately about feeling unbalanced and over stressed and I need to stop.  And refocus. 

A lot of Lori Hanson's self-doubt and need to control stems from her less than loving childhood where she was harshly criticized and repeatedly unaccepted by her parents.  Hanson explains how this type of parenting led her to grow up with distored images of herself and unhealthy habits in relationships.  I am a mother, and vaguely new to motherhood at that.  As Noah gets older I am increasingly aware of how my actions/choices/decisions as a mother will effect the person he becomes.  I feel reminded of how important it is to make your children feel accepted, adequate and successful.  Family relationships and dynamics have the potential to land you on a one-hundred-twenty-dollar-an-hour-leather-sofa anyway so couldn't we all learn a little from these intimate confesions of Lori Hanson?  I am going to love Noah, accept Noah, challenge him and make sure he knows that I love him unconditionally.

Annie's Homegrown Cheddar Bunnies

I've been seeing these in the store for awhile now but I hadn't taken the Annie's plunge until last weekend while visiting family friends and Noah was offered some of these cheddar cheese flavored crackers called Cheddar Bunnies.   He loved them!

Noah is currently 14 months old and he is a great eater, overall.  He used to eat anything I dished into his mouth as long as it was edible, soft and in large quantities.  However, he is growing up and growing stubborn and prefers to feed himself.  While working my way through the cracker aisle of the local food mart I have sampled everything from Club to Wheat Ritz to Goldfish.  Noah is not a fan of Goldfish crackers. I have tried to feed them to him but he isn't interested.  Crackers are a must in any mom's arsenal of distract-calm-and-redirect.

I wasn't hopeful when he first was offered a Cheddar Bunny and perhaps he only tasted it because that one-year-old peer pressure is JUST SO INTENSE. In any case, I bought some to try in the safety and privacy of our own home. Verdict?  Noah loves them. He cannot stop eating them. Nutritionally speaking, they are fairly decent.

Wait! The important MOM info is that these Annie's crackers are made with organic ingredients and are sugar free.  They taste light and flavorful as opposed to the overly chemical-ed cheese flavor of Goldfish. 

Dollars and Pounds = 7.5oz/$3.29