Chronic conditions?

I'm going out on a limb here and I hope I don't get branded with a "TMI" label.

After I started using natural soap from Oil and Spice, my chronic acne seemed to get a little better. I especially love Mary's tea tree and eucalyptus soap (although apparently I need to put that word on a spelling list because after four tries I still can't get it right). I follow that up with some tea tree oil diluted in water on a cotton ball. When my face does break out, this clears it up within a day. I grew up massively OD-ing on Clearasil, and quit using it when I got married because I didn't want to bleach all my newly acquired bed linens. Now I wouldn't use it for other reasons, but I digress.

I inherited poor skin from my mother (she would say) and since she still struggles with acne (she would say) I presumed it would be a life-long problem for me. And then :::::::::drumroll:::::::::: after 20+ years it has almost disappeared. And for $25 you can click here for one mom's secret to white teeth a clear face. Not really...this is a public service announcement.

A friend told me she used baking soda to wash her hair, and vinegar as a conditioner. We don't spend that much on hair products as it is (those days ended when the kids started coming) but I was looking to move away from the chemicals in bath products. I don't use her exact method; I put a tablespoon of baking soda in a cup, a tablespoon of vinegar in another cup, and then fill them each with warm water from the shower when I get in. I pour the baking soda mixture over my hair first and scrub and rinse, and then I pour on the vinegar and let it sit there for a minute or two before rinsing. My mother-in-law remembers having her hair rinsed with vinegar as a child so it's a time-tested conditioner. I use white vinegar, and I guess because I've switched over to using vinegar more for cleaning, the smell doesn't bother me. I don't smell it at all once I'm out of the shower.

The first perk I noticed: I never get nasty soap scum film in my shower. I do still have to clean the tub, but it's a breeze. Then I realized that my face and back were rarely breaking out (unfortunately, this combo can't get rid of hormones). I went out of town for a weekend and just used shampoo/conditioner, and within a day my face started breaking out again, and it took several days to clear up.

My husband has been using dandruff shampoos for years with little success (he would say) and now that he uses this baking soda/vinegar combo his scalp doesn't itch and the dandruff is gone. So these "chronic conditions" were actually caused by our bath products, which in turn caused us to have to go out and buy more harmful products with which to treat them. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I do wonder why I've never read anything about the side-effects of shampoo. Shampoo seems harmless, right? I'm not here to go into anything too deep about SLS or anything, just wanted to pass on these tips to anyone else who may be struggling with what they thought were life-time annoyances.

Have you run across any other bath/beauty products that are causing problems? Any other natural solutions you could pass along?

rash vows and snowy day projects

A few weeks ago I started a self-imposed "no computer until exercise is completed" daily regimen, and so I haven't been online much. That's not entirely true: I have been exercising quite regularly, but by after I've added the extra 30 minutes to my day I have a tough time fitting in much else. Despite the fact that I don't like to think about my smidgen of free-time going to such an unpleasant activity, it really has made me feel good to be working out again.

Monday I rearranged the kids' room, including moving their 500 lb solid wood bunk beds (just a guess on the weight) all by myself and the exercise plan is on hold until I can move my neck again. Their room looks SO much better, though, so it was totally worth it. :) (This is an inherited weaknesses.)

The kids played outside for several hours yesterday since it was in the 40's...pure bliss for mother and children. Here are a few of our recent inside activities, which I guess we will return to for the rest of this snowy week.

The two-way mirror bird feeder occupies lots of little moments throughout the day:

A cardboard box barn in process:

A sling, remnants from an upholstery project, a pair of wacky pants, and curtains become a patchwork pillow. Here's the tutorial I used when I taught this in the sewing class.

Hope to be back sooner rather than later. :)

Athletic event

I want to suggest a new Olympic sport: going to the post office in sub-freezing temperatures with three preschoolers in tow. All kinds of unusual activities are considered official Olympic sports, surely they will consider mine. This was something I should have trained for when I was single (and what mother wouldn't have loved me for life if I had whisked her packages and children away for 30 minutes or an hour, depending on the post office!?!). Side note: If you want to read the most hilarious blog post of the day on the Olympics (sounds a lot like "the most beautiful girl in the room" song) check this out. She needs to seriously consider writing a book!

Back to the P.O. When we lived on Lookout Mountain we had the best post office. I walked there each week with my firstborn and they weighed him for me until he grew too long for the scale. They knew everyone by name, and told me never to try to balance all my kids and packages, but to honk the horn instead and they would come out and help me. (I was never brave enough to actually try it, but it was nice to know I could.)


Our current situation is not so accommodating. I may visit the post office one town over, just to avoid the very long lines and the workers who seem to enjoy watching me try to assemble a priority mail box with one hand (with a wiggling 25 lb. baby in the other).

So, if you get a package from me in the near future, know that it was sent with all my love (and energy) and if you live on Lookout Mountain, take some candy or cookies to Steve and his coworkers on my behalf.