A new take on an old tradition

With Halloween officially behind us, the holiday season has officially begun (whether you like it or not it's true). But before I tell you about a new take on an old-ish tradition of ours, here is a sneaky peak of our treasure troll family costumes. We were inspired by our daughters hair that has a mind of its own and we even won a costume contest later that night while out with some friends. I love 80's inspired costumes and this may be our best yet thanks to our adorable daughter!

One of my major love languages is gifts and I love taking the time and energy to pick out the perfect gifts for friends and family. So much so that it can be a detriment because I get very discouraged if I can't think of the perfect gift. Of course once you have a child, you can't go wrong with pictures of them, but what about the members of your immediate, in-home family? If you love giving gifts like me, you could go way over-the-top, way quickly.

That's why I love the tradition of "want, need, wear, read". We had friends that started this tradition several years ago with their sweet family and once Annabelle arrived on our scene, we decided to start it in our home. Children make the giving season even more Merry but things can get very out of control because they are so much fun to buy for. I think we have all been disenchanted to check Facebook around the holidays only to find picture after picture of trees showing hundreds of brightly wrapped packages for a family of three.

Desperately trying not to be a cautionary tale we embraced the idea of "want, need, wear, read". The idea for those that have not heard of it is simple. You buy each family member only four gifts. One gift that they really "want", for example a new game for their X-box. One gift that they "need" such as a new pair of headphones. A gift that they can "wear" such as a pair of boots or piece of jewelry. and finally something they can "read".

My idea this year is to use this formula again for Christmas but with a slight spin on it by adding the category "do". For this we'll give one another an experiential gift such as tickets to a show or a class. This way not only can we enjoy the act of gift giving, but also experiencing the joy that those gifts bring.

How about you? What types of gift-giving traditions are in your house? One other I've heard of is the gift of three. My MIL uses that one. She always tells us that if Jesus only got three gifts (gold, frankincense and myrrh) that is how many we are getting.

Family magnets

We have a ton of family and with all of them being out of state Annabelle doesn't get to see them so often. I also have been wanting fridge magnets for Annabelle but couldn't find any safe ones. So annoying. 

Then one day while on shutterfly.com I ran across their photo magnets and had the idea to put family pics and names on the magnets so that Annabelle could see pics of all her family every Damon the fridge. I waited for a sale and ordered them at 40% off which was a huge help. These magnets don't have the small piece but are one large 2x2 piece that the pic and whatever wording you choose is printed directly on so there is no concern that they will break off or be swallowed. 

Annabelle LOVES them and it is a great way to keep her familiar with her entire family. 

Have you heard of ThredUp?

ThredUp is this great website for you to buy and sell gently used clothing. There are some wonderful "used" items available that can be sorted by size, shape, etc. It is like everything you ever wanted from Goodwill. You can also request a bag so that you can send in items that you no longer want and they will pay you for them! You can use the money in the ThredUp shop or you can cash out via PayPal.

Do yourself a favor and check it out! Plus if you use the links here in my blog you will get $10 to spend in the shop :-)

DIY toys for kiddos under one

This is a great link that shows 12 DIY toys for kids. I would classify most of these as appropriate for those under a year but kids could definitely enjoy them past a year as well.

Perhaps my favorite is the Sensory Treasure Basket. This is one of AB's favorites too. I love to rotate her toys every week or so and this sensory basket is a great way to do it. Plus you don't have to go out and spend a lot of money on small toys for this. You can use items from around the house, things like lids, measuring cups, etc. 

Here is the most recent sensory treasure basket (well bowl in this case). I put in a couple blocks, connected rings, and two teething toys. Next I added a small water bottle (with cap removed because it was too small), a lid from an old Tupperware container and a plastic baby spoon holder. This has been good for hours of entertainment for AB and keeps her mind fresh and curious as she pulls out and examines each object. 

One thing to keep on mind is that you MUST be careful about choking hazards. Anything that can fit down a paper towel roll could potentially be swallowed by your little one so use caution when finding household items to use.

Oh and Happy Fourth everyone!!!

Essential oil diaper rash cream

It is the most wonderful time of the year...for diaper rash. But seriously, I do love the summer but whereas I have skin that is tough as tire rubber, my sweet daughter is highly susceptible to heat and diaper rash during these warmer months. 

When we were at the beach last month I tried several types of diaper rash cream but nothing made a dent. Then a lightbulb finally went off and I remembered my essential oils...of course!

A quick mix in the hand of Melaleuca, Lavendar and some vitamin E oil and I finally saw improvement within about 24 hours. I decided to mix up a batch of my own diaper rash cream when I got home. Here is what you need:

-4 tablespoons coconut oil

-5 drops (or about 1 capsule) vitamin E oil

-10 drops Melaleuca EO

-10 drops Lavendar EO

You want to use a double boiler to melt the coconut oil and then let it cool down for a bit (but not harden up again yet) in the container you will keep it in. I used a cleaned out baby food jar. Once the coconut oil is cool (this is important so the heat doesn't change the properties of the essential oil) you can add the Vitamin E, melaleuca and Lavendar.

Then you just let it cool down to normal coconut oil consistency and use as you would a normal diaper cream. 

Some things to keep in mind before trying this at home are the individual allergies of your child. I knew before making this that AB was not allergic to any of the items used. You also want to be careful to use something clean to scoop it out each time so you don't get any "bum bacteria" in your diaper cream.

Hopefully this will give you a less chemically (is that a word?) version of diaper cream for your sweetie during this tough time of year. Oh and bonus! Since this uses just normal ingredients not specific to bums you can also mix up another separate batch to use on heat rash.

Bug spray

I mixed up this nifty bottle of safe bug spray for the family using:

20 drops Terrashield

1 drop Lavendar

Distilled water

I like knowing I have a safe alternative for my daughter when we go hiking, camping, or just want to enjoy these summer nights outside without Mosquitos.

The Terrashield will keep the bugs away for up to 6 hours and smells much better than store-bought spray. You can even use it neat on your dog (but you should research this on your own to do it properly).

30 day abdominal challenge

Anyone out there doing this challange? I am! So far so good. Definitely have not spent this much time on my abs in a long, long time.

They have a great Facebook page with tutorials and great support from other folks participating. You can also check out the website at GetYourFitTogether.com.