Natural Products I Love: Part 1

Taking a moment to veer from my typical family happenings report, I'd like to share with you one of my newest favorite natural products.

In recent years, antiperspirants have started coming under scrutiny for their potential health risks. The bare bones of the idea is that every antiperspirant has one thing in common: Aluminum. The aluminum clogs your pores, thereby eliminating or greatly reducing the ability to sweat. However, aluminum is linked to Alzheimer's disease, and when used so closely to the breast (right on top of lymph nodes!) may also be a factor in breast cancer. Now- there is a big ol' debate out there whether the relationship between aluminum and Alzheimer's/breast cancer means that antiperspirant use is actually risky or not, but for this sort of thing, I'd rather be safe than sorry. For a more detailed look, I'd recommend the four part article, full of research, science, etc., found at controlyourimpact.com:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Again, my basic thought process is better safe than sorry - I don't know if antipersperant use is risky, but it sounds plausable to me. The body sweats for a reason, and anything that inhibits the body from performing the way God designed it to perform seems risky to me. So, a bit over a year ago, I made the switch from antipersperants to plain ol' deodorant. But it hasn't been a fun journey, all the time. At first, I was generally happy with the brands I picked - they smelled nice and performed to my expectations. Unfortunately, it seemed like my body would adapt to them after a while, and they would just stop working, no matter what brand I tried. I would have to reapply the stuff several times a day if I had any hope of not being stinky. I was getting downright frustrated and sorely tempted to switch back to antiperspirant.

Then, I found the Thai Crystal Deodorant Stone. I read the reviews - they seemed pretty good. But I didn't order it right away, thinking it perhaps cost too much money for a deodorant I wasn't sure would work. My other options still weren't working well, though, and so a couple weeks later, I hopped back online and ordered it. It came a few days later, and I used it for the first time the next morning. It was a little awkward to figure out - you have to get the stone wet and rub it all over your armpits, and then let it dry. So I ended up wetting it at my bathroom sink after my shower, applying it, and then standing in front of a fan for a couple minutes. I've since figured out that it doesn't need to be dripping wet when you apply it, and I've gotten used to having my armpits wet for a few mintues while I get dressed, so it's not quite so strange. But the deodorant stone uses mineral salts to stop odor. This is not an antiperspirant - you will still sweat. That might not make some people happy. But *I* like it. Okay, no, I don't like to have sweaty armpits, but I think it's normal and I don't like the idea of stopping it artificially. What I do like is that I'm stopping the stinky smell from developing, and doing it essentially risk-free. According to the Cosmetic Safety Database, deodorant stones are about as low-risk for anything as you can get.

Let me give you a run-down of how well the Thai Crystal Deodorant Stone works, by giving you an example from this past weekend. When we went out to play at the playground on Saturday, I hadn't showered yet. Now, I normally wouldn't love to admit that, but I think it's important to show you how well this works. I didn't feel like wasting part of my beautiful, unusually warm Saturday by showering. The last time I had showered, then, was Friday at about 8am. I re-applied the deodorant stone, though I probably didn't really have to, and we went out to play. I was quite sweaty when we got home - it was a sticky, humid day, and I had carried around Alex, run around chasing balls, etc. And it was still warm when we got home, and mild activities, like folding laundry and playing Guitar Hero, were making me sweat more. But at the end of the day, I still smelled fine. Not perfect, but just like a "hey, that's my smell" sort of thing. Not stinky. Just me... after all that sweating, and going on 2 days after a shower! And Jesse's tried it, with the exact same results - if I get right up into his armpit at the end of the day, I can smell something, just barely, but it's not something I can call stinky. It's just Jesse.

And this stuff is going to last a long time, I can tell. I've been using it for about a month, and I can't really tell that it's gotten significantly smaller. It's a really dense stone. And when it's wet, it goes on smoothly, with it's nice curved edges. There are other brands of deodorant stones out there, and I have to assume, with their common mineral salts ingredient, that they would work about the same. I was worried that the cost of the deodorant stone was too much, but I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of it. I can't imagine that I'll need to replace it within the next year. And I'm avoiding any potential health risks in the process. Yay! As far as I'm concerned, this product is what I'll be using the rest of my life.

Marvelous March Weekend

You just can't beat today's weather.  70 degrees!  In March!  Obviously, we weren't the only ones itching to get outside and soak it all up this weekend.  After the late winter snowstorm earlier this week (we only got about 5 inches, maybe, but it was more than we had all winter long!), this was a very welcome change.  Melinda really wanted to just go to the neighborhood playground, but Jesse didn't.  He gets bored at playgrounds.  And I'll be honest and admit that I do, too.  But Jesse was the decision maker this time around, and he decided we'd all go out to Meadowood park again.  Nice open space, paved walk, big fields, and a playground. 

Everyone and their dog was there.  Literally- most families did have a dog with them... or two.  Joggers were out in droves, dogs were every couple feet, and the amount of kids?  Well, let's just say there was a 10-minute line to get onto one of the 4 available swings.  We spent most of our time out on the fields, though, kicking around soccer balls, throwing our hula hoop up in the air, blowing bubbles, and even just enjoying the ability to let Alex roam free without worrying about his feet getting wet.  Although we did have to pick a relatively mud-free spot on the field, since melting snow doesn't tend to leave dry ground, after all! 

Jacob had a fun time running with a ball to each of the nearby sports nets (they were kind of small to be soccer nets, so I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that they were lacrosse nets), Daddy tagging along.  Eventually he picked up a stick and started hitting invisible monsters.  He got so much energy out!  He always gets into trouble when he picks up anything stick-like at home, because invariably, he winds up whacking someone and starts a big cry-fest.  But out in an open field, he could swing that stick as wildly as he wanted to!

Alex spent most of his time picking up clumps of dirt from the recently aerated ground, trying to eat every single one.  Lovely.  But when he wasn't doing that, he was climbing up into the stroller seat.  Because, ever since he figured out how to get up that chair (from the video I shared earlier this week), he's been climbing up chairs non stop.   I turn my back for two seconds and he'll steal my computer chair, even!  And of course, the new found prowess at climbing chairs also comes with an increased confidence in his ability to climb down, so he's also fully capable of getting off my bed, the couch, and any chair he climbs into.  I kind of miss being able to plop him on my bed and running to the bathroom alone, knowing he'll be "trapped" there.  Now he just slides on down like it was never a challenge.  Amazing what a couple days can do.

Melinda seemed a little bored outside today, unfortunately.  While we were at the fields she kept begging to move on to the playground.  We put it off as long as we could, since it was so crowded, but finally acquiesced.  And then she spent most of her playground time (well, aside from waiting in the line for swings) trying to get random girls to play with her.  My heart broke a little, watching so many girls just dash on away, barely acknowledging that she was there, but she was persistant.  She came to me a little glum, saying that the girls weren't playing with her, and I explained that things were so busy that they probably didn't realize she was trying to get them to play with her.  She seemed okay with that explanation.  But I know a lot of kids can be overwhelmed by her in-your-face eagerness to be friends, too.  I never know how to react to things like that, since my nature is to be so much more withdrawn.  I don't know whether to encourage her or try to tone her down. 

Anyway, we had a lovely day outside.  It was a little humid and sticky, but we got out in short sleeves, no jackets - Jacob even wore shorts (laundry day... no clean pants!).  And we were all perfectly comfortable.  And when we got home, we opened up all of our windows and let things air out.  That has to be one of my favorite parts about spring - the fresh air in my home.  Can't do it in summertime without giving up the air-conditioned comfort.  But spring is perfect for fresh, new air.  And in fact, here it is almost 10pm and most of the windows are still open.  It's heaven, I tell you!

Another side effect of springtime:  We cut hair.  Warmer weather means Jacob's head gets sticky with sweat.  He's always been a sweaty kid, but I think his super thick hair just amplifies the problem.  Doesn't take more than a couple laps around the front room, and his hair is soaked.  And obviously, we did a lot more than hop around indoors today.  So, it got buzzed.  I took the opportunity to go ahead and trim Alex's hair, as well  It's been getting long on the sides and back, and not looking too great.  I always hesistate to cut my babies' hair for the first time, and this time was no different, but I had been mulling it over for a good 2 or 3 weeks now, so I was ready.  While Jesse buzzed Jacob's hair, I had Alex in the high chair and took a pair of scissors to his hair.  He was so good, too!  He kept trying to look at the scissors, of course, but he behaved very nicely and calmly as I snipped away at his hair.  And now he's neatly trimmed, and I think I did a fantastic job for my first time ever attempting to trim boy's hair by hand.  One side is a bit shorter around the ear, but I doubt anyone but me would notice it unless I pointed it out.  Jesse said it doesn't even really look like he got a haircut - and that's a good thing!  I didn't want him to look buzzed or anything, just neater.  He doesn't have as much hair as Melinda and Jacob did at this age, anyway.  And with it being blonde, it looks like even less.  I was just going for a nice trim, and I accomplished it.  Yay!  (And I only pinched his neck with the scissors once!!)

Oooh, and Melinda did her bath all by herself for the first time today!  Well, I filled up the water for her - she was stubbornly insisting that she wouldn't be able to get the right temperature.  But she did all her own washing and rinsing, and did a great job.  She's getting more responsible by the minute!  She even helped Jesse scrub the toilets this past Thursday night.  I had asked Jesse, while Melinda was in earshot, "Jesse, do you think Melinda's big enough to clean the toilets yet?"  While Jesse was hemming and hawing about it, Melinda was jumping up and down, almost dying of eagerness, whining about how she really wanted to scrub the toilets!!  Boy... if only I could bottle up that enthusiasm for when she's a teenager, huh??

Randomness

You know, I think Mr. Sandman is out to get me.  But not in a helpful way.  Between Alex's crack-of-dawn antics yesterday morning/the night before last, and last night.... Boy oh boy, am I getting sleep deprived!  What happened last night?  I honestly have no clue.  Donated blood in the evening, felt perfectly fine all night.  But despite feeling very tired, heavy-eyed, and ready for sleep last night, I could not fall asleep!!!  Finally, at 4am, I was starting to drift off (no thanks to my MP3 player's batteries, which had died around 3am, taking my relaxation music with it) - I could tell, because my brain was following a not-real storyline, and it was just barely starting to get that surreal feel to it.

And then Alex woke up.  Yay.  Well, he went back to sleep fairly easily, but it just prolonged my falling asleep.  And of course, you know, the entire time I'm laying there, whacking Jesse every few minutes for daring to start snoring again (can't you see I'm trying to fall asleep over here?!?) I'm thinking how entirely unfair it is that I'm getting closer and closer to morning with no relief in sight, and this is the second night in a row that I'm not getting the sleep I need!!  And there's no chance for naps today - we've got a playdate after lunch.  And I have to get ready for hosting preschool at our house tomorrow.  So, yeah.  I'm super-duper happy today!!  Or not.  I actually feel like digging my eyeballs out, they're so tired.

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Allyson over at Laughadaisy tagged me for a quick little picture meme:
Go to the 6th folder of your picture files and post the 6th picture.

....drumroll!!
My 6th picture folder happens to be 2008.  And then I sort them by month within that, so there weren't any individual pictures.  So I picked the 6th folder, which was June.  And the 6th picture there is this slightly-blurry but oh so spring-worthy picture.  I can't wait for spring!!  (Holy moly, Melinda's hair was short!!)

Alternatively, if I ignore the 6th folder part, and just go to my "internet" folder, where I store all sorts of random photos, the 6th photos is this one of Melinda and Jacob just before Halloween in 2005!

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And here's another meme for you, that I found on Facebook:
This is a fun way to waste 5-10 minutes (or more if you actually want to be creative).

Make your band's album cover meme:

1 - Go to Wikipedia. Hit “random”
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to Quotations Page and select "random quotations"
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote on the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to Flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use Photoshop or similar to put it all together.

And here's my band's album!

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I'm thinking of making baby blankets for my two sisters, Melissa and Megan, who are both expecting their first baby girls in May.  I've been eyeballing quite a lot of lovely, adorable, girly fabrics on Etsy.  What do you think, you two?  Any of these strike your fancy??  I'm wondering if I should even mention it (too late now!!).  Because I've been oh so unreliable at finishing projects lately.  But I should be able to handle some simple blocked blankets by May, right??  Here's what I'm looking at:

#1

#2

 

#3

 

I also absolutely adore this bundle of fabrics.... but it's not so girly.  :(  I might have to buy it for myself....

 

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Uhhhh.... look what Alex just figured out how to do while I was typing this post....

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I have the best kids!!  While that video was uploading, Jesse got home and we had lunch.  And then I put Alex down for a nap.  Just before Jesse left back for work, and after I left the room to rock Alex, Jesse told Melinda and Jacob to clean up the room for me.  When I came out, they had put all their train tracks away, and folded all the blankets!  *sniff*  Way a make a tired mama so happy!!