Ok, Baby Girl fell asleep and I had some fun updating my header. I won't tell you who that guy is, just that he's been mentioned on here a time or two, anonymously...
I searched and searched my photos for anything remotely Christmas-ey, that didn't have the girls in it, or was a decent picture. No luck. I found some nice wintery scenes, but geez, what will I do for January if I use those up now?
I know, I know. It's a stretch.
But since we don't have chestnuts to roast on open fires...
Mini marshmallows roasting on holiday candles will have to suffice.
The bow looked better on his forehead, but I thought that might be stretching too far...
6 comments:
Hey, I know that guy!
That picture sure is..uh....interesting! :) He looks happy about his mini-marshmallow.
So, I have a question. Actually, a few. Do you not use commercial shampoo/bodywash/soap on your girls, either? What do you use with your baby?
Do you avoid food coloring? What do you use instead, if you do?
Sorry! :)
Annie, yeah, he was happy. He roasted a few dozen with that toothpick, one at a time over a jar candle (back when I didn't think jar candles were evil *sigh* I really am out there, huh?).
Please don't ever apologize for asking questions (or writing long comments, or whatever your apology is for!). I'm always thrilled to know I have a reader.
Let me see. The girls. I use the kids shampoo from Melaleuca on them. It's ok. As for soap, I think we've been using some random old homemade soap we got as a gift a while back. It might be chocolate soap. Or coffee. Or something else. I have no idea.
As for baby, hm, let's see. The poor kid hasn't exactly had a bath every day. Maybe every week. Maybe. I've been using this soap which I buy from azure on her hair and body (also their diaper cream, when needed - these look like they're available online in several places), plus olive oil on her head to help with the cradle cap. Poor girl looks like she has leprosy or something. I don't know if the olive oil helps or just hides it, but it works. I kind of mix it with the soap.
As for food coloring, I put it in the play dough when I'm feeling benevolent. Otherwise they get dough-colored dough. IF I make a cake, it's usually chocolate. IF I make one where I'd use colored icing, I use some of those wilton colors. That is so rare that it's not much of an issue. I don't forbid them from eating poison- er, colored frosting at someone's birthday or anything. If we were looking at some serious health issues that were linked to dyes and such, I might be more militant about it outside the house. I try to 'be cool' at others' homes and such. If it's another's home where we are frequently (grandparents, etc) I try to only avoid the biggies like aspartame or maybe high fructose corn syrup.
Hope this answers some of those... Ask again if it doesn't. :)
I think the bow is a nice touch. Does he know he's featured in such a prominent position on your blog? Does he know you have a blog? :) And, no, you aren't too out there. I'm not all that sure of those candles myself. Last year my mother-in-law found out I like the cranberry lip gloss stuff from The Body Shop and went out and bought me six cranberry jar candles for Christmas. That's enough to last me ten years, since I only really like the scent in the fall and winter. :) Sweet, I didn't have the heart to tell her I don't use those, so I still have all six. I probably should sell them, except I'm afraid she's going to visit and ask about them. What's your position on soy candles? :)
I've never heard of Melaleuca. Or the soap you use with your baby. I'll have to check that out. We, too, are suffering from a bad bout of cradle cap. I used olive oil, but I'm not so sure it did any good. My mom thinks I'm being weird and bought me a big bottle of the traditional Johnson's and Johnson's baby soap. :) I appreciate the thoughtfulness. I'm trying to switch our soap over to homemade/all-natural. I'm having fun trying to convince my husband he won't smell like flowers or patchouli.
I don't usually put food coloring in cakes or frosting (we generally stick with the traditional chocolate/vanilla colors unless it's red velvet), but I have used it for icing sugar cookies. I'm really not sure if food coloring is harmful in general or mainly for those who have health issues. I know some health nuts who don't use it at all, and I'm sure it's not wonderful for us, but I don't know.
So.....do the grandparents stick with your family's eating habits when you're visiting? Or do they bring out the potato chips and soda and other "traditional" food? I'm anticipating a (hopefully) minor struggle as my daughter grows older and starts eating big people food. My family is convinced I have food hang ups. :) I'm definitely not militant, but I do try to be healthy. Well, as healthy as I can be with chocolate on my food pyramid.
Annie, well, he might know by now. His wife knows; I called to have him or her look at it. I'd have scrapped it if either of them weren't ok with it. I don't know for sure if HE has seen it yet. I was looking for some bright Christmas bulb-type decorations to hang off his ears, but it's hard to find just what you need when you're scavenging the 'net for the pic. The bow suffices.
Hm.. maybe auction 5 of them on ebay, burn one halfway down, and set it out when she's around? :) And believe it or not, I have no position on soy candles. (!) I haven't researched them; I don't even know if I've seen or smelled one. I got some beeswax candles but haven't burned them much. I do like them though.
Melaleuca is a pyramid - er, multi-level marketing outfit that does lots of healthier alternatives to cleaning products and such. We use their kids stuff; toothpaste, hand soap, shampoo, vitamins, and almost all our household cleaning products (laundry soap, dishwasher detergent, cleansers, tile stuff, etc). My grandma is "in" it - she gets the semi-reasonable price, and we order together... One serious drawback of their program is that if you don't order your alotted amount each month, they send you that amount and bill you - but you get a box of random stuff you might not want. I looked at J&J no more tears stuff after the girl was born... Reading the label was enough to convince me to look elsewhere. :) Also, Hubby uses whatever is on sale at Costco... He uses soap like... water, and if I bought him natural/homemade stuff I'd be paying $100/month. Irish spring is enough for him, says he. He also uses evil shampoo (well, when he hasn't had me shave his head), and deoderant with aluminum *hangs head*.
If you make icing cookies every month, I might look into alternatives (or if you eat the whole batch yourself...). Icing cookies is NOT my favorite pasttime, so that's not much an issue here either.
As to 'family'... while they might not personally follow the same guidelines I do, or even agree, they DO pretty much respect Hubby's and my decisions just by the fact that WE are the parents. They usually ask ("Can xxx have some Crystal Lite?" I try not to point out that aspartame crosses the blood-brain barrier and is a serious neurotoxin and just decline with, "not this time"). Too, if it's a barbecue where such things are prevalent, I try to take our own "version" of stuff, so the kids aren't deprived (juice boxes in lieu of pop, etc). Hubby's family has long had a tradition of gifting (for birthdays, christmas, etc) someone's favorite 'goodies' along with their gift; giant M&M bag, etc. They've given our girls juice boxes and organic 100% fruit roll thingies, and that's awesome! When I get a minute (diapers need laundered!), I'll write how we did deal with an issue early in our first daughter's life with a problem like you are concerned about facing...
since my mom reads my blog, i didn't publish your comment. :) thank you though!! very helpful. we've been trying to use that position and i know my in-laws respect us. it's just my mom who thinks i'm doing more harm and setting my child up for disaster, disappointment, hang ups, obsessions, and weird issues than if she just gives our child whatever the forbidden item is (a bikini, j&j shampoo, sugar...). the funny thing is, i've learned if i leave her alone and keep doing my thing anyway she eventually gives in and actually embraces what i do. like recycling. :)
your husband sounds a lot like mine. who also has add. and is on adderall, though we'd like another solution. we have decided if our children also have add, we are definitely using dietary and environmental controls to combat it.
i don't make cookies with icing every month. just really at christmas time. they don't have to be colored. they are pretty with just plain white icing. my husband likes his airplane cookie cut-outs blue, though. :)
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