Meet Haute Mess Mama

Hey friends, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine.  Her name is Lacey and she just started a blog called Haute Mess Mama.  She started using essential oils in November and is on a journey to make life more healthy for her and her family.  She is a born and raised Texan and has a heart of gold. Her adorable family consists of her, Haute Mess Papa Kevin, Haute Mess Baby Tennysin, and their fur babies Isabella and Dozer.  
We collaborate a lot and we will be sharing each others posts so we can give you more information that we think you will enjoy.  Go check her blog out at HauteMessMama or here on Facebook where she will be talking about God, family, cooking, crunchiness, DIY, essential oils, parenting [triumphs and struggles], and the kitchen sink! 

Just look at how adorable they are!

Be healthy, 
Jen

Tackling Teething

Do you have teething babies in the house?  I do right now, big time!  Poor Mallory has 8 teeth now and has been plagued by 2 molars this past week that can't quite come through.  Below are a few things that we have been using to give her some relief.  Sometimes we only need to try one thing, other days we throw everything but the kitchen sink into making her feel better.  Here are a few things outside of the normal things like frozen teething rings and cold foods.

When she is pulling on her ears I use a blend of equal parts basil and lavender with a carrier oil and rub along her jaw line and behind her ears.  The recipe would be 10 drops basil, 10 drops lavender, 20 drops carrier oil.  Of course you can multiply this for whatever size container you want.  This blend is also great for earaches.

When it seems like she needs relief right on her gums I usually use a blend that is a DIY version of Punkin Butt Teething Oil.  Here is the recipe I came up with -

The fancy bottle of teething oil.

2 drops clove

10 drops peppermint

15 drops roman chamomile

35 drops olive oil

I have it in a roller bottle and I just swipe my finger to get a little bit and then rub it on her gums.  With this you want to make sure and not get it on the lips because the clove is hot and not comfy on sensitive lips.

As a side note, I have been using this on a sore spot on my gums and it is really effective.  After several applications my gums and tooth are no longer sore.  Why did I not use this weeks ago?  Silly me.  Clove is an antibiotic, analgesic as well as anti-inflammatory.  If you have gum and/or tooth pain clove is an excellent choice, just make sure you dilute and test it first, it is a hot oil and very strong!

I pulled this kit out of the closet the other day.  I have had it in the closet for a while now and not opened it.  Why o why have I not opened it up?  It is a great little kit that I bought here on Amazon and it even has a little book about each bottle and symptoms it can address.   The chamomilla is working pretty well so we will definitely keep it in the arsenal.

I have also been putting frankincense with a carrier oil on the bottoms of both feet.  Frankincense has many properties and is considered the king of oils, but the properties I'm interested in here

My trusty bottle of Frank.

are anti-inflammatory, analgesic and sedative.  Other common oils that are anti inflammatory are lavender, peppermint and melaleuca.  One thing I love about essential oils is that there are lots of oils that each have several different properties so if you don't have one oil on hand you may have another that can do the trick.  Pretty cool stuff!

And of course my baby girl always has her baltic amber jewelry on.  She has a necklace and two anklets that she wears everyday.  Genuine Baltic amber comes from near the Baltic Sea and because of the high levels of succinic acid it has inflammatory reducing properties.  We both wear ours everyday

My baby with her bling on.

and I feel like it helps a little.  But even if it doesn't work they sure look good on her!  I get mine at Inspired By Finn but only when I can find a coupon code.  They are sometimes floating around for 25% off and I'm super cheap so I won't pay full price.  You can also get them at Hazelaid.

It is hard to tell what one thing is the most effective because it seems to be the combination of several things that is doing the trick.  Of course every child is different but hopefully this gives you a few more options that you didn't know were out there.

Be healthy!

Jennie

Remember, I'm no doctor or health professional.  I'm just a mom who is sharing what works for me and my family.  

Check out Spark Naturals for your family's essential oil needs.  Make sure you use coupon code crunchyurbanmom to save 10%.  Also all orders over $99 (after discount) ship for free right now.  Woohoo for free shipping!

www.sparknaturals.com

Flu Strikes.. At Least I Think it Was the Flu.

I'm pretty sure that the flu just visited this house. Thank goodness we have found a way to combat it so we sent it packing!  Yesterday morning my brother (who is visiting) and I just hit a wall.  We were both just bleh.  He was even grey colored, it was not pretty.   I suspected it might possibly be the flu so we started "bombing" and napping. Then more "bombing"  To refresh your memory, a bomb has 3 drops each of melaleuca, oregano and Shied or On Guard essential oils in an empty veggie capsule and swallowed.  By the evening we were still kinda tired but definitely better.  Today we felt fine.  Thank you mother nature!

Then this evening I get a text from a friend asking if I suggest the flu shot.  My answer?  "Nope, I'm into the cold and flu bomb kit."
Jump ahead about 3 hours later and it looks like I'm going to practicing what I preach a little bit more...

This evening while I was putting the boy child to sleep, he all off the sudden got very whiney, hot, and he said he hurt all over.  Oh yeah, and he was completely irrational.  That sound pretty flu like to me. That boy went from 60 to 0 in about 20 minutes.  At first I though he was just a mess because he was so tired but then I realized he must really be sick. If he has today what we had yesterday then he needs "bombs" too.  I started rolling his feet with a roller ball of melaleuca, oregano and Shied that is diluted 1:1 with jojoba oil.  He was also really upset that he could not breathe because he was so congested so I started the diffuser right by his head with Respire (similar to Breathe from dT) and eucalyptus and I put some Respire on his chest.  We tried to use the neti pot but he was too congested.  My poor boy. After lots of nose blowing and 5 or 10 minutes of diffuser time he was breathing normally.  Phew.  I gave him some elderberry syrup for its antiviral properties, put a cool towel on his head and he fell asleep.  I can tell already that his fever is coming down and he is sleeping.  I am "bombing" his feet every hour right now and I plan on doing it once or twice in the night so he can wake up feeling good.  I promised him he would feel better in the morning and I don't plan on disappointing him.

Times like this I am very thankful to have tools in my house that are natural, that work and are safe for all of us.  If I didn't have essential oils on hand for times like this we could have been sick for days or even longer.  I just saw on the news the other day that the flu killed a grown man.  That is scary stuff and I don't want to mess around with it.  What is amazing about using essential oils is that when you are sick and you use oils you are killing the viruses and bacteria that are making you sick not just treating the symptoms of a virus or bacterial infection like OTC medicines do.  That makes your recovery time much faster, especially if you catch it at the beginning. You never really get fully "laid out on the couch" sick, and we all know that kind of sick really sucks!

If you are not an oil user yet then cold and flu season is a good time to start.  The Cold and Flu Bomb Kit will make a believer out of you if you catch a nasty bug.

Follow this link to get your Cold and Flu Bomb Kit  ---->http://www.sparknaturals.com?affiliates=157

Use coupon code Crunchyurbanmom and save 10% on your order!

Remember, I am not a doctor I am just sharing what works for me and my family.

Be healthy!

DIY Toothpaste

You are going to think I'm crazy I'm sure, but I am PUMPED about my new toothpaste!  I know, I'm a weirdo.  Read on though.

Here is the backstory.   You see, I have always been picky about toothpaste.  I don't like the minty kinds.  I always went for cinnamon.  Let me tell you, there are not  a lot of choices in cinnamon, I remember like one choice at Target.  Then several years back I discovered how nasty fluoride is and so finding toothpaste that is cinnamon, has no fluoride and tastes decent was really a chore.  I found a few and they were OK, but I was not really in love.  Plus they were expensive, like $6- $8 a tube.  I started using On Guard toothpaste and really liked it and then I learned about carageenan.  Do you know about it?  Briefly here is what I know - it is a food additive and it produces inflammation.  I don't need anything in my body that produces inflammation.  Grody stuff.  Sometimes I think I should get off the internet, I know Julie thinks I should.  I am constantly learning something new and saying, no, we can't have that either, "it's toxic"!  Then I switch us to something else.  I promise I am just trying to do what is best for us, but I know it drives her batty.  Ignorance is bliss is not a phrase that applies to me, that is for sure.

Goo Tube

Anyway...so I came across this post from Wellness Mama about DIY Remineralizing Toothpaste.  I was pretty excited so I pinned it and went on my merry way.  Well, now I'm almost out of toothpaste so it was time to whip up a batch.  I had everything I needed except the calcium/magnesium and a container so I picked up the calcium/magnesium at Whole Foods for about $7 (I'm sure it would be cheaper anywhere else) and at Target I picked up this little guy -------> It is called a Goo Tube.  They are kinda pricey (like $7) but I will use it for a long time and it is perfect.  It will not leak, it squeezes great and is made of food grade silicone.  I have a smaller set of 3 for other things and I love them so I knew this would be perfect.

Mixed it in a bowl, no fancy tools needed

I followed her recipe (without the DE) and used 2 drops of cinnamon essential oil essential oil and 3 drops of wild orange for flavor.  OMG it was so yummy!  I was so excited!  I wish I could say I am exaggerating but I brushed my teeth 3 times because I was enjoying it so much. My teeth felt wonderfully clean!  I know it is crazy but it was cheap, easy, effective and finally tasty toothpaste!  I will never again buy a $8 tube of toothpaste.

So is this something you would be willing to try?  Let me know your thoughts.


Oh, and if you are curious about carageenan, check out this article in Prevention.   This is just one article but there is lots more info on it if you dare to Google.  It is pretty nasty stuff and it is in all kinds of food.  I sure don't want it in me or my kiddos.  Go check it out.  Knowledge is power.

If you are not an oil user and you are interested in learning more let me know.  The two brands I know, love and trust are doTERRA and Spark Naturals.  Message me and I can help you.

Be well.
Jen

Monster Cookies

If I have made you a cookie in the last 4 years it was probably a Monster Cookie.  They are delicious!  I named them Monster Cookies after my wonderful step monster who gave me the recipe.  Don't let the name fool you, she is an awesome person, definitely one of my favorites in my world.  Although when I was kid I may have called her a step monster a few times and meant it.  But we all do that as young people right?  Say things we don't mean to our parents.  I know I did.  Fortunately I now have great relationships with all 4 of my parents.  I'm a lucky gal indeed!

Anyway, on to the yummy stuff!  The recipe was not originally gluten free nor did it have chocolate chips but I can't imagine a cookie without chocolate chips, it just seems wrong.  So the chocolate has been permanently added to the recipe.  I always make a double batch and freeze what does not fit in the cookie jar.  They thaw quickly if you need them in a pinch and are actually quite tasty straight from the freezer.

Here are the specifics.

2 C oats

½ C WW flour

½ C white flour

(If gluten free use 1 cup gluten free flour and 1/2 tsp xanthan gum)

1 tsp. baking soda

6 Tbsp. oil ( I use coconut oil, make sure it is warm enough to be a liquid)

1 C brown sugar

1 egg (3 if you double the recipe)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 C dried cranberries

1/2 -3/4 C chocolate chips

1/2 C chopped nuts

Mix all dry ingredients in a big bowl including the chips, cranberries and nuts.  In a separate bowl mix wet stuff.  Add wet to dry and mix well.

Use a ice cream scooper or something small and rounded to scoop out dough and drop onto cookie sheet. 

Bake at 375 (or 350 convect) for 8-12 min and they are golden brown.

With coconut oil, cranberries, nuts, dark chocolate chips and not too much sugar these are practically a heath food so you can eat lots and not feel guilty.  That is what I tell myself anyway.

Enjoy!

A full treat jar makes for a happy house, I think so anyway.

My New Cleaning Schedule

It has been several months since my last post (sorry if you felt I abandoned you, I promise I didn't).  Boy how time does fly!  Here is a quick run down of some stuff that has happened in the last few months.
-Mallory got 6 teeth, is nearly walking and can say Mama while chasing me down.
-Maddox started kindergarten and soccer and LOVES both!
-The kids and I spent the whole month of July in Oklahoma and had a great time with friends and family.
-The kids and I got in a small fender bender and the person that hit us did not have insurance (really??)
-The next day (and coincidentally Julie's birthday) our basement massively flooded and it was NASTY.  It was so bad we had to hire a crew to clean it, we had no clue how to handle that one.
-I got an 18in tattoo of a skeleton riding a Harley on my back.
OK, that last one is not true, I was just feeling a little wild just now.

I recently realized recently that since I had baby numero dos I have been in a bit of a rut.  It has taken a while for me to get back in the swing of things with two kids, much longer than I had anticipated.  Mallory is a really easy baby and Maddox is a pretty easy kid but taking care of two kids is a lot more difficult than one. For me 1+1 > 2.  I have pretty high expectations of myself and I was getting a little frustrated that I was struggling to keep up with all of my duties.  I mean come on, when I was a working gal I was very organized and extremely on top of my game, surely I can handle a couple of kids, feeding us all and some chores???  Think again sister.

 So in attempt to get a little bit of my organized self back I started cleaning stuff out and making lists.  Oh how I love to do those things.  I know, I'm weird, I actually like to clean out closets.   In the last two weeks I think I have dropped off 4 or 5 trunks full of stuff at the thrift store.  It feels so good to clear things out of my house.  I have a very strong connection to the spaces I inhabit and if they are cluttered and messy then so is my head and the opposite is true.  Clean and organized house = clutter free mind for me!  One thing I have always struggled with is cleaning, like scrubbing things, you know dusting, mopping, scrubbing toilets.  It is NOT on my list of things I enjoy.  I know I'm not the first person in the world to love a clean house but hate actually cleaning it.  Until now I had no system for keeping everything clean.  Why no system?  As someone who wants to be a professional organizer when I grow up I have always said you have to have systems set up to make your life easier.  The solution?  A cleaning schedule.  Why, why, why did I not implement a cleaning schedule before?  I didn't invent this, there are many much smarter people than I already using this idea, but I am jumping on to that train now.  So far my schedule is very simple.  Maddox and I talked about all the things we need to clean during the week and based on what other activities we have during the week we came up with this.  He did a decent job of helping me too and I suspect as time goes on he will get better and better.
So here are our duties.

Monday - Clean car and change all bed linens
Tuesday -  Dust, including fans
Wednesday - Detail kitchen (move everything and clean behind, stove, cabinets. all stainless steel, vacuum crumbs from drawers, etc)
Thursday - Bathrooms
Friday -  Clean floors (for me this is on my hands and knees with a baby on my back - yup it was tough!)

Usually the weekends are for bigger projects and yard work that the whole family does so those stayed off the weekly list.  Laundry did not make it to the list either because I have been working very hard at not letting more than 2 loads pile up at a time so basically it is ongoing.  I detest laundry so I could not bear to do load after load on one day, it would just make me hate that day and so far I kind of like all the days in the week.
This is not a thorough list but I felt like I needed to start small.  I have a tendency to "go big, or go home" and I start out very gung-ho about something then burn myself out quickly (just ask Julie, I'm bad at it).  I really want this new approach to work so I am doing small workable chunks to start.  This past week after I finished my chore for the day I would find myself wanting to move on to the next day's task.  I would make myself stop and find something else to do because I don't want burn out.  It worked pretty well and I felt like I had a little time for myself and to just play with Mallory one on one while Maddox was in school.  It was nice!

Did you struggle getting back to normal after having kids?  How do you manage your house?  How do you keep your house organized and functioning for your family?  Please share any tips and tricks.  Moms gotta be helping other moms!

Something a Little Different for This Sunday

Normally Sundays are pretty lazy around our house.  We sleep in, read the paper, work on the house and maybe, just maybe, change out of our pj's.  Today was a different kind of Sunday.  Today I put on the ole' fancy pants and I worked at an event for Ergobaby downtown as a Brand Ambassador at the Best of Bump Club . I got to talk to lots of moms and dads about why Ergobaby is such a great product.  As most of you know I don't normally "bring home the bacon" around here but it sounded like a fun opportunity so I jumped on it. Although I'm pretty sure Julie and Maddox spent all my

my handsome guy on a boat 

"bacon" galavanting the city today.  They went to Navy Pier, the Lego Store, H&M, took a boat tour, played in a fountain and of course got a few treats. They both had an awesome day and Maddox chattered about it the whole way home.  I love it when they get to spend quality time together without me, I think it is so sweet and such good bonding time!

I really enjoyed talking to grown ups all day, even if it was about babies! I felt a little like my former, working girl self.  Mallory went with me and OH MY GOODNESS she was PERFECT!  She was in the Ergo from 9am to 3pm and got out a little to eat, be changed and play, but she slept and just chilled about 90% of the time.  She was the best-est baby model ever!

It was fun to talk to other moms, and I actually found a few similarly minded people who were into cloth diapers, essential oils and all around green living.  I love running into fellow crunchies!  Ha, ha.  And go figure, I forgot to take pictures of us working hard today.  Oops.

I struck up a great conversation with a few moms about cloth diapering and they wanted to see some pictures.  I promised I would share some of my home made creations.
When we are out and about we usually use pocket diapers but when we are home I like to use fitted diapers with wool covers.  I use pockets when we are out because they have PUL on the outside and they are waterproof and faster to change.  At home I like fitted diapers because they are much more breathable and I think more fun but not waterproof unless you put a cover on them.  I like wool, again because it is more breathable and a natural fiber, but also because I like making covers and I think they are adorable.  The white fitted diapers are from Green Mountain Diapers and are called Worhorse fitteds.  They are awesome!  They are absorbent, soft, fit very well and not too expensive.  Plus I like the simplicity of a classic looking diaper.   So here you go ladies that I met today, my latest creations made from my scraps and thrift store finds.

Fitted Woof, Woof

Fitted Birdies

Fitted flowers and owls

Brown flower was from leftover PUL, green flower was a  pillowcase and pink plaid was a table cloth

Mallory in upcycled wool

More upcycled wool on the cute baby model

Workhorse fitted - such a cute bum!

Oh how I am having fun with fluff!  It is becoming an addiction.  A bad one.

Jen