Girls Get Away!

Last week I had the opportunity to go on a Girls Get Away with my church, Church On The Move.  The Girls Get Away was held at Dry Gulch, U.S.A., Church On The Move's summer camp ground and retreat.  Dry Gulch is set as a western-themed town.  I actually attended summer camp at Dry Gulch as a young kid.  I loved my time there and have such great memories of my years at camp.  It was absolutely incredible to see how much the grounds have changed and how many new buildings, additions and upgrades there are now.  During the holiday season, The Christmas Train is at Dry Gulch where the town is actually transformed into a winter wonderland!  Visit http://www.drygulchusa.com and http://www.christmastrain.com for more information about Dry Gulch, U.S.A. summer camp and the Christmas Train.

So, my Girls Get Away was a ton of fun.  I was away from my boys for approximately 20 hours.  It was actually the first time that I was away from both of my little guys.  I missed them like crazy, but it was nice to get-away for a little relaxation and fun.  There were so many activities and events planned, and I had a wonderful time of fellowship.  From phenomenal messages by our Pastor's wife, Bunk-Pa-Looza, to mini-manicures, to drinking lattes in front of the fireplace on the patio overlooking the lake, Girls Get Away was a blast!  Oh, and my favorite activity of all?  Two words: Dance Party!

Here are some pics of Dry Gulch, U.S.A.  If you have young children, this would be the perfect summer camp for them.  I speak from a wealth of experience.  Your kiddos will have a ball!

Happy Blogging!

Toni The Chic Momma

Pumpkin Patch 2011

So, before I began moonlighting as Florence Nightingale because everyone in my household had a case of the "yucks," my family and I visited the pumpkin patch.  And I mean a "real" pumpkin patch!  We went to Livesay Orchards in Porter, Oklahoma, on October 1st.  

I love supporting local businesses and going to Livesay Orchards to do our pumpkin shopping was definitely a treat.  Livesay Orchards is open mid-June through October and has a Farmer's Market during the summer months and offers pumpkin picking and fall fun during the month of October.  Porter, Oklahoma is the Official Peach Capital of the state of Oklahoma, and the best place for the most delicious peaches is Livesay Orchards.  They grow several varieties, and have fresh peaches for sale in their Farmer's Market.  If you live in Oklahoma you should pay a visit to Livesay Farms!  Visit http://livesayorchards.com more details!

So, when we arrived at Livesay Orchards, we first took a hay ride to the pumpkin field where we would select the perfect pumpkins for our porch at home!  My toddler loved running through the field and just had a blast picking pumpkins.  If it had been up to my toddler, he would have picked every pumpkin in the patch!  We selected our pumpkins and then did a little shopping in the Farmer's Market.  The Farmer's Market had produce, more pumpkins and a variety of peach jams, jellies, sauces and salsas.  We enjoyed shopping and the staff at Livesay Farms was very accommodating and friendly!

Have you and your family visited the Pumpkin Patch yet?  If you're unsure of any Pumpkin Patches in your area, check out http://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org for a list of pumpkin patches, corn mazes and hay rides in your area!

My toddler is well and so we're headed to a Halloween event this evening!  It will be fun to get out of the house after being cooped up for so long!  What are your weekend plans?

Happy Blogging!

Toni The Chic Momma

Cloth Diaper Approved Products!

I've only been cloth diapering my little one for two months now, but I think I have a few golden nuggets to share about the world of fluff!  In fact, my neighbor's sister-n-law is thinking about cloth diapering her baby.  So, during our afternoon walk, my neighbor was picking my brain about cloth diaper brands and other tricks of the trade.  I have to admit that I felt mighty knowledgeable when telling my neighbor about my bumGenius diapers and sharing my laundering tips.  I felt as though I was the neighborhood "Fluff Guru!"

So, in case you're unfamiliar with cloth diapering, you may not know that you can't use your average store bought laundry detergent to wash your cloth diapers.  Per the bumGenius web site:

• Ingredients in certain detergents may ruin your cloth diapers or cause your baby to have a diaper rash. When washing cloth diapers, always use a detergent free of perfumes, dyes, whiteners, brighteners, softeners, enzymes, or other fabric enhancers. Using too much detergent may cause cloth diapers to leak. When using detergents not made for cloth diapers, use 1/2 the amount of detergent suggested by the detergent manufacturer for a load of 18-24 diapers.

I have been using Charlie's Soap for washing my cloth diapers and have been happy with it.  I bought my Charlie's Soap from my local cloth diapering store, Booty Duty Cloth Diapers, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  There are other cloth diaper friendly detergents out there such as: Rockin' Green Cloth Diaper Detergent, bumGenius Detergent and Thirsties Diaper Detergent.

Now, we come to the issue of using diaper creams with cloth diapers.  Like cloth diaper safe laundry detergents, there are cloth safe diaper creams.  I have been using Earth Mama Angel Baby's Angel Baby Bottom Balm.  First off, Angel Baby Bottom Balm scores a big fat ZERO on the EWG Skin Deep Data Base.  Second, it's more then a diaper cream.  Angel Baby Bottom Balm also helps treat thrush and is a great first aid salve.  During the summertime, I was viciously attacked by a pack of hungry mosquitoes.  They must have thought my legs were crème brûlée because they nearly devoured my pour legs!  I'm highly allergic to mosquito bites and the bites quickly whelped up, turned red and began to itch horribly.   I used Angel Baby Bottom Balm to help treat my mosquito bites and it brought me some much needed relief!  

Another product I have also been using is Sweet Knee Bun Glaze.  Sweet Knee Bun Glaze also scores a ZERO on the EWG Skin Deep Data Base.  The Bun Glaze smells yummy and actually reminds me of the glaze I make for rum cake!  There is a third product that I'm aware of, but have yet to try.  Diaper Rash and Thrush is a cloth diaper safe diaper cream that is made by Motherlove Herbal Company.  Motherlove's diaper cream also scores a ZERO on the EWG Skin Deep Data Base.

So, as you can see, not only are there a plethora of choices in brands and styles of cloth diapers, but there are also many choices when it comes to selecting your cloth diaper safe laundry detergent and diaper cream!

I hope this post has been helpful to you!  If you're reading this and you cloth diaper, how long have you been doing so and which is your favorite cloth diaper brand?

Happy Blogging!

Toni The Chic Momma
 

Runny Noses, Aches and Sore Throats... Oh My!

So, I've been absent from my blog, but I have a good excuse.  Allergies, colds, tummy virus and ear infections.  When it rains, it pours sometimes.  Right now, my two little ones and I have ear infections.  So, our ears ache, we're congested, our throats are sore and we feel like poo.  Yep, I think that about sums it up.  It's interesting, but there's no care taker for a sick momma.  Sigh.  If you're a sick momma, you simply have to plow through the discomfort, suck it up and continue to take care of your little ones.  It's funny, but my toddler was trying to rub my head earlier.  Bless his heart, but he knew that his momma's sinuses were aching.

I was reading a blog posting from another cloth-diapering-stay-at-home-work-at-home-mommy-blogger earlier today and her little ones are suffering from the sniffles and coughs, too.  I thought I'd share some of her more natural approaches for colds and throw some of mine in the mix as well.

Courtesy of Momma Tara and her blog Fluffy Bums:

• The Coughs: Coughs can be not only uncomfortable, but can keep your little ones up all night. If you child is over 2-years old, try a teaspoon full of honey before bed.  The honey will act as a natural cough suppressant and can help you get through the night.  Another great option is Hyland's Cough and Cold 4 Kids.  This product is recommended by Dr. Sears and will help with multiple cold symptoms including coughs.
• The Sniffles: One of my favorite products for the sniffles is a humidifier. Keeping the air moist can really help relieve the stuffy noses.  I love my Crane Humidifier.  It is not only functional but adorable.  Hyland's also makes a great product called Sniffles and Sneezes 4 Kids that works great in conjunction with the humidifier.

I also have some natural remedies that I would like to share with you mommas as well!  I love how Momma Tara mentions using a humidifier.  I also love my humidifier and if you don't have one yet, run out and get one today!  When we start running the heat this autumn and winter, the air in our homes becomes extremely dry.  The dryness can actually cause your nasal passages to over produce mucus which can lead to uncomfortable and irritating congestion.  So, I definitely recommend using a humidifier as well as using a saline nasal spray.  Any brand of saline nasal spray will do.  You might also look into trying a Neti Pot.  For your little ones who can't efficiently blow their noses or who are too young for a Neti Pot, use a saline spray and the ever dreaded nasal aspirator.  My toddler is great about me using the nasal aspirator on his nose.  My youngest little one absolutely dreads it.  However, the nasal aspirator along with saline will do wonders for congestion for your little ones.  I also adore Boogie Wipes and Saline Soothers during cold and flu season.  I recently reviewed both of these products and they have high marks in my books.  These saline wipes are way better then tissue and won't irritate the delicate skin around your nose.

Here's a home remedy that I have yet to try, but trust me, I will be making them very soon!  The blogger over at the The Pistachio Project recently featured homemade cough drops and lollipop cough drops.  Check out the posting along with recipe here.  If you try them sometime soon, let me know how they turned out.  I think the lollipop cough drop version is simply a genius idea for toddlers.

Well, hope you're having a Happy Monday!  If your little ones or you for that matter are a little under the weather, I'm sending healing and happy thoughts your way!

Happy Blogging!

Toni The Chic Momma

(Images Used: Boy blowing nose (http://www.madeformums.com), Nasal aspirator (http://www.safety1st.com), Cough drop lollipops (http://thepistachioproject.blogspot.com).