Momma's DIY Buckwheat Cold Pack Tutorial

Although they hated them for a long time, my kids love ice packs, especially Momma's DIY Buckwheat Cold Packs. If Mommy's kiss isn't quite enough to soothe their owie, Momma's cold pack almost always does the trick.

These were borne out of necessity; before our DIY cold packs it was almost impossible to get ice packs back from my children, which was bad on a number of levels.  First my kids were literally numbing their little hands, second, we could never find ice packs when the hubs and I needed them and  worse, lost or warm ice packs were not sufficient for little boy boo boo's.

I decided to make my own and partially because I had it on hand and partially because I thought the larger grain might not hold the cold as well, I used buckwheat as filler. Flax is also a good option I've used before (which can be heated in the microwave as well) but it has a lot more surface area and I think would stay cold for longer.

The buckwheat is perfect, it warms back to room temperature in 5-10 minutes depending on the size, at which point my kids tend to abandon it somewhere for me to rescue.

They are a super easy DIY that could be completed during naptime if you have a sewing machine. You can make these any size, or shape, you want and whatever scrap fabric you have available. I usually use quilting cotton and this tutorial uses a cute Batman flannel. It's the first time I've used flannel and my boys haven't complained it warms up faster, but its something you may want to consider in your fabric choice.

These are super quick and super easy, I'm sure you can do it.

DIY Buckwheat Cold Pack for Kids

1. Fold your scrap fabric, right sides together and cut out a square or rectangle. Then, keeping your fabric folded, pin around the three open sides.

2. Starting at the fold, sew up the side and turn the corner. Stop sewing and leave a 2 inch gap before you continue sewing around the corner down to the fold. Make sure you backstitch everytime you start and stop. Clip your corners and turn your cold pack right ways out. Use a chopstick to ensure your corners are pointed before you iron your cold pack flat.

3. Starting next to the gap, topstitch all the way around the edge, stopping at the other side of the space.

4. Use a spoon to fill your coldpack no more than 2/3 full with the buckwheat groats. Push the buckwheat to the bottom and place pins horizontally to keep it from shifting while you are sewing. 

5. Topstitch the gap shut, making sure you backstitch at both ends. Then throw it in the freezer and wait until its needed. Maybe next time Mommy's kisses don't work, Momma's DIY Cold Pack will.

Cocoon Apothecary Skin Care Starter Kit | Review

I have sensitive skin; in my youth, I had been to the dermatologist before the age of 10 and I rarely test out new skin care products for fear of adverse reactions. That said, when given the opportunity to test out the Cocoon Apothecary Skin Care Starter Kit, made from organic, eco-friendly products, all I needed was assurance that the products were appropriate for sensitive skin, and I was sold.

When the box arrived, it was beautiful; a small unbleached cardboard box, tied with a simple ribbon and a fluttering butterfly. I almost didn't want to open the box and delve into my goodies.

Step one is the Petal Purity Facial Cleanser, which felt light on my skin, but effectively cleaned my face of the days' grime with extracts of and lavender and geranium, without leaving my skin feeling tight and dry.

Step two of the Cocoon Apothecary regime is the Rose Dew Facial Toner, which takes advantage of the natural astringent properties of witch hazel and combines them with rose hydrosol to calm the skin and reduce irritation.

The third and final step was the very rich and creamy Rosey Cheeks Facial Cream, which is 'packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids to support elasticity, promote collagen production and fight free-radical damage'.

The Cocoon Apothecary products are strongly rose scented, and I was extremely cautious during the first few applications of the product, as scented products rarely work for me. Fortunately, I had no redness or irritation as a result of using the products, in fact, my skin feels softer after a month of use and I no longer have dry, dull spots on my cheeks. A little bit of product goes a long way, so the 3.3 oz bottles of product in the starter kit feel like they are going to last a long time.

 Our skin is the largest and most visible organ in the body and if we think, even for just a moment, that it doesn't matter what products we use on our skin, we are certainly fooling ourselves. Cocoon Apothecary is bringing nature back to us and I for one am loving the softness I'm feeling after using their products.

Cocoon Apothecary Skincare Products are available at select stores and online on their website, Well.ca and Amazon.ca.

I received product in exchange for this review, however all opinions are my own.

Loving 'Love Child Organics'

My kids love, squeezy, squirty fruit snacks and I love whole, natural, minimally processed foods; fortunately Love Child Organics satisfies everyone. I admit the very first time I saw soft pouches of applesauce I worried about sticky spills in diaper bags if the kids didn't finish eating them; that was in vain however since neither Bolt or Simba ever has leftovers.  When presented with Love Child Organics, my boys gobbled them up before I could even grab my camera.

I love that EVERY pouch contains one of my all time favourite super grains, Quinoa as well as acerola fruit which provides a natural source of vitamin c.  Add to that nutritional powerhouse a variety of organic fruits and veggies and local Whistler residents John and Leah Garrad-Cole have finally created a packaged food that I want to feed my children.

And perhaps more importantly, my kids can't get enough. The second I showed the boys' the squeezy pouches of goodness they were begging to eat them and surprisingly neither of them expressed a preference among the flavours. We tried out three of the six flavours; 'Mangoes and Apples', 'Blueberries, Apples and Bananas' and the 'Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Apples and Blueberries' and I promise you, not one single drop was spilled.

For all of us living an allergy-friendly life, I love that Love Child Organics are produced in a nut-free facility and are naturally gluten-free, dairy-free and kosher. I remember travelling around Asia looking for gluten-free, dairy-free baby food for Bolt when he was eight months old, it was a total nightmare. You'd be amazed how many of the non-fruit baby foods include at least one of the two.

Just in case you're worried, the packaging is all BPA-free and although only the cap is recyclable, the packaging is still a sound environmental choice.

Our pouches use 80% less material than many alternative forms of packaging. An independent audit of the life cycle of our pouches has shown that the energy used, and the environmental impact made, when making, transporting and destroying them is significantly less than PET plastic bottles, Tetra packs and glass. When compared to the glass jars commonly used for baby food, our pouches can use as little as 8% of the energy requirements.

You can find Love Child Organics in Wal Mart Stores and you can also check them out on their Website, Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter and Pinterest.

Have you checked Love Child Organics out? What did your kids think?

I received three packages of Love Child Organics products for the purposes of this review; all opinions are my own.

My Snackbox Arrived!

Oh my goodness, the excitement.

I got a Food.ee Snackbox in the mail today.

All that deliciousness is Gluten Free!

I promise I'll tell you more about Snackbox (and share an awesome, totally worth-waiting for, coupon code) later, but for now I'm off to bed.

Gummy Vitamins? Yes Please.

Brothers: An unrelated but oh-so-cute photo!
They are holding hands!

Back in November, Bolt got invited to his very first playdate. Let me explain, this is not the first time he's been on a playdate, it was the first time the playdate was arranged at the request of the children rather than the parents.

In fact before we arrived, I was feeling just a little bit anxious about spending time with an unknown woman who could quite possibly have parenting and lifestyle philosophies that differed greatly from my own. But my boy, who doesn't always make friends that easily, had been invited over to play and there was no way we were passing up on an opportunity for him to develop his budding little relationship.

I need not have worried however, us Mom's got along great and in no time flat we were tlking about naturopathic medicine and the vitamin regime Bolt's friend was currently on. Although not prone to catching every single cold like Bolt, her cold's were always accompanied by a five day fever. When she started taking a suite of children's vitamins however, the duration of her fever began to diminish.

In a second I was sold; ever cautious of the supplements I chose, I headed out to my local Choices and bought a plethora of Children's vitamins including: Multi-vitamins, probiotics, omega 3's, calcium, greens, immune boosters and cold guard.

I am well aware that both gummy and chewable vitamins can be dangerous for kids because they don't understand that it they are medicine and not candy, so as parents we have to ensure we keep these products well out of our children's reach. That said, it also means that vitamins, particularly gummy vitamins, can be particularly effective as a bribe.

On one particularly cranky day, Bolt was refusing to eat dinner, not because he wasn't hungry, but because he's 3.5 and wanted to assert his willpower. Simba on the other hand had devoured his dinner and was waiting (not so patiently) for his vitamins.

Almost like magic, when I pulled the vitamins off the shelf and began handing Simba his meagre share, I simply told Bolt that for every three bites of his dinner he could have one vitamin. He finished his dinner and his vitamins in about five minutes flat.

I know that food is the best source of nutrients and that ideally we shouldn't need to supplement our children.  I also know that a month after starting this vitamin regime, Bolt fought off a cold for a good three days before he succumbed. Two weeks later he lasted almost a week and the cold lasted only two days. A month into his vitamins he completely fought off a cold.

I give my boys a ton of gummy and/or chewable vitamins each and every day; they love eating them and when combined with the nutritious home-made foods we eat the majority of the time, I am confident that we are giving their bodies the best chance possible to grow up strong and healthy.

Do you give your kids multi-vitamins and/or other supplements?
I'd love to hear your rationale.

The Healthy Shopper

Eating healthy is hard. Not super impossible hard, but takes some effort and a little bit of planning hard. As you know I recently decided that it was time to get my eating habits under control. I loaded up on superfoods, participated in the Meghan Telpner Fab Detox and started to get my eating habits under control.

A few months ago when I was out grocery shopping I noticed The Healthy Shopper coupon book and was amazed how many of the coupons were for things I would and could actually use like gluten-free sauces, coconut milk and organic products. 

When I was invited to receive some product from The Healthy Shopper I was super excited and when I read the following quote I was simply inspired.

“We started the Healthy Shopper Picks to let consumers know that healthy choices are available in their own supermarket, and not just in health food stores – it’s all about reading labels and knowing what’s in your food,” said Boyer, co-founder of the Healthy Shopper.  

Have you tried any of these products? Have you seen them in your local stores?

Although there are a number of gluten-free tamari's available in stores, San-J
is my number one choice and I ALWAYS choose it over the other brands. It has a deep, rich flavour that is so much more intense (but not overpowering) than what I remember regular soya sauce to taste like. San-J gluten-free Tamari is fermented with corn rather than wheat, certified kosher, certified gluten-free and Non-GMO Project verified. Perhaps my favourite thing about San-J is that I find the price considerably better than the other gluten-free options.

Before I found out that Bolt was allergic to peanuts, San-J gluten-free Teriyaki sauce was a regular fixture in our house, in fact when my little brother realized his body was having trouble tolerating gluten, I promptly bought him a bottle for his gluten-free care package I was compiling for his birthday.  San-J has a number of gluten-free Asian cooking sauces including orange sauce, Szechuan sauce and a sweet and tangy sauce; unfortunately (for our family) they also have a peanut sauce and all the gluten-free sauces (except the Tamari) 'may contain peanuts' so we no longer eat them at our house.  That said, if you are gluten-free and peanuts aren't an issue for your family, San-J gluten-free sauces are amazing!

I'm also currently enjoying a wide selection of Simply Naturals salad dressing; I admit salad comprised entirely of vegetables isn't exactly my thing, but if you throw some quinoa, buckwheat or other nutritious grain into the mix, I'm all for it. Now that I have a cupboard stocked with delicious, organic gluten-free dressings (the Goddess dressing is the only one that contains gluten) grain salads come together in a flash. I've also been using the roasted garlic vinaigrette on my roasted potatoes and vegetables and the kids have been gobbling them up!

I'm also quite impressed with the quality and softness of the Natracare products I received in my Healthy Shopper kit. I'm really not sure why its taken me so long to realize that the products next to my sensitive nether regions should be both natural and organic. "Natracare products are made from certified organic and natural, plant-derived materials that are chemical and additive free, and biodegradable, containing only organic and natural ingredients sourced from sound ecologically managed producers and certified free from animal testing." Um, yes please.
Last but not least, I want to share a cool little book, Unjunk Your Junk Food which is devoted to helping everyone and anyone make better junk food choices. The book is divided into eleven chapters including chapters devoted entirely to chips, ice cream, cookies and of course, chocolate.

Each two page spread includes a photo, nutrition facts and ingredients for a bad choice on the left and a 'naturally savvy APPROVED' choice on the right. It de-mystifies and defines ingredients we see every day. For example did you know vanillin is an artificial flavour made from wood pulp (yuck) and it can be found in a variety of products, including Sun-Maid vanilla flavoured yogurt covered raisins?

If you are serious about getting your family's health in check and committed to making small changes that matter, then its time to check out The Healthy Shopper.

I received product in exchange for this post however, all opinions are my own.

Kaia Foods | Review & Giveaway

Anyone who eats gluten-free knows that finding pre-made snacks that are delicious, is not only a challenge, it’s practically a hallelujah moment when you find one that you love. For me, Kaia Foods has recently filled that niche for me. I only wish that their products were available here in Canada; fortunately I have access to an American mailing address so Kaia foods are only a few mouse clicks and a short drive across the border away.

Kaia foods creates 'raw foods' (never heated above 118 degrees) that are naturally gluten and dairy free. I had the opportunity to test out the Cocoa Bliss Buckwheat Granola, the sprouted sunflower seeds and the fruit leathers, and one of our readers (must be delivered to a US address) will have a chance to test out a product of their choice too!

The product I was most excited about, and rightly so, was the Cocoa Bliss Buckwheat Granola. I still long for the crunchy sweetness of granola sprinkled on yogurt, and although there are gluten-free alternatives, until now, none of them have even come close to satisfying that craving.

Cocoa Bliss is so delicious, I haven’t even eaten it with yogurt, or milk, I simply cracked the package open at my desk at work and have been noshing on, it as is, straight out of the bag. Cocoa Bliss is chunky and a little softer than regular granola, but has a great crunchy texture from the healthy combination of buckwheat, raisins, coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and more. Seriously, this stuff is heavenly and at $6.99 for 12 ounces, it's a steal.

I also tried out Kaia sprouted sunflower seeds, which are sprouted, seasoned and dehydrated at low temperatures to maximize the nutritional content.  The process also enhances the flavour, and managed to provide a crunchy, flavourful snack without leaving a dry and pasty feel in my mouth (which I find traditional sunflower seeds do).

I was very intrigued by the sweet curry flavour and I was pleased to discover that the seasoning was sweet and mild and accented the seeds rather than overpowering them.  The sprouted sunflower seeds are also a fantastic price, only $3.99 for a 5 ounce package.

Finally, the boy and I tested out the organic fruit leathers made without additives, sugar or concentrates.  Unlike traditional fruit leathers, Kaia's are composed of a very thin (not-sticky) piece of dehydrated fruit wrapped around itself in the package, about three layers thick.  We tested out the vanilla pear flavour, which the boy loved and gobbled up.  Personally, I would have enjoyed the addition of a little cinnamon but pear is a mild flavour, so it makes sense this product would be as well.  Kaia Foods organic fruit leathers are $1.89 for a 0.5oz strip.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoy Kaia foods; the products are tasty, nutritious and best of all, able to meet both the boy and I’s dietary restrictions.  They are great gluten-free, dairy-free products that are available at prices that won’t break the bank. Interested in testing some out for yourself? Check out our Momma Stuff Blog giveaway below.

Enter to Win

One Kaia Foods Product of winner choice

(Winner must have a US Mailing Address in the continental US - not Hawaii or Alaska)

First Entry:
Visit the Kaia Foods Website and leave a comment sharing which product you'd like to try
Please make sure you include your email address if its not in your profile otherwise I won't be able to contact you if you win!
Additional Entries:

Please leave a comment for EACH additional entry

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Kaia Foods - Raw Organic & Natural | #gf #dairyfree #giveaway #review | @mommastuffblog @kaiafoods #CMTT http://bit.ly/cyn3h5
 

Giveaway closes Sunday November 28th at 8pm.  Winner will be determined by a random number generator. Winner will be notified via email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new name will be drawn and contacted.

Contest now closed.
Congratulations to our winner, Comment #17 Ashlei

All Terrain Company: Natural Herbal Armor Insect Repellent Review

Just over a month ago I shared my experiences with the All Terrain Company's Kid's Eczema Cream; I was fortunate enough to recieve another great product form the All Terrain Company to review.  With summer well underway and camping fun scheduled, I was eager for a chance to test out All Terrain's Natural Herbal Armor Insect Repellent.

Deet-free, cruelty-free, water and sweat resistant this product sounded like everything I needed it to be. It's been clinically proven to be 100% effective for two hours and I can't say it enough, Natural Herbal Armor Insect Repellent accomplishes this amazing feat without the use of Deet.  A special blend of essential oils such as citronella, peppermint, cedar, lemongrass and geranium do the trick just fine.

And that's fine by me.  Deet is nasty, nasty stuff and its in almost all insect repellents on the market.  As long as I can remember, I've been told to watch out for deet; that it could eat through my skin and that it was prudent to make sure that the insect repellent I was using had the lowest possible deet content I could find. I always heeded this advice, but after one particular camping trip, I vowed to avoid the stuff at all possible costs.

I was on an outdoor education camping trip as a chaperone.  Both the team leader and I were disgusted by the sheer quantity of deet infused repellent the teens were surrounding themselves with.  As the team leader started her speil, I wasn't sure she was going to reach the kids.  She knew actions speak louder than words, particularly with teens, so she gave them a demonstration.  She held up a piece of saran wrap from her lunch, held it taut and asked one of the kids to spray the saran with their insect repellent.  In less than thirty seconds there was a hole the size of a subway cookie in the saran.

If you're not sure about the toxicity of deet, try it out for yourself.  I promise you will be suitably disgusted.

All Terrain Company's Natural Herbal Armor is a great solution to a difficult situation.  It's been a few years since the saran wrap incident and since then I have pretty much gone without insect repellent rather than subjecting my body to deet.  Now I don't have to, since using Natural Herbal Armor, I have no bug bites and I have the peace of mind that there is no deet in sight.

Natural Herbal Armor is a light cream in a pump bottle.  It's easy to apply and I didn't have any issues with the pump clogging.  The product does however have quite a strong smell.  When I opened the packaging, the scent was immediatley obvious.  The day after use, my clothes still had a strong odour to them and would definitley need washing if I wasn't camping or otherwise outdoors.  That being said, much like the Kids Eczema Cream, given the lineup of essential oils in Natural Herbal Armor, it would be ridiculous to expect a scent-free product, after all its those same essential oils that are keeping the bugs away.

Overall an effective and natural product for keeping bug bites at bay.  I rate All Terrain Company's Natural Herbal Armor a 4/5.

Earths Best Disposable Diaper Review & Giveaway Link

Before the boy was born, we went through the great diaper debate; cloth vs disposable.  Although cloth won out, we decided to use Happy Nappy Diaper Service to avoid washing diapers and of course the dreaded ‘poop in the washing machine’.  That being said, when we travel we use disposables.

  

Earth’s Best are the number one choice for disposable diapers at our house; we’ve tried a few other brands, but none have given me the peace of mind that Earth’s Best does.  Their diapers are unbleached, chlorine-free and free from latex, dyes and fragrance.  All of which equate to a product that is safe for the boys sensitive, eczema-prone tushy.  

Earth’s Best also utilizes wood pulp from renewable and sustainable forest practices, wheat and corn from renewable resources for added absorbency and uses proportionally more sustainable products than petroleum based products. 

This is a commendable feat, did you know that every 'regular' disposable diaper requires 1 cup of crude oil to manufacture the plastic?  Multiplied by an estimated 7,200 diaper changes in a child's lifetime*, the statistics are staggering.  The little choices in life sometimes have a huge impact.

Diaper fit is very subjective and will absolutely vary with the size and shape of your little one.  At our house we have found that when the boy fits two diaper sizes the larger does a better job controlling blow-outs.  With regard to absorbency, we have had no issues during the day; however in the evening, the boy tends to have leakages and need at least one diaper change through the night.

Earth's Best is a great disposable diaper and it is our choice when we need a diaper on the go.  Rather than chancing foreign diapers and potential chemicals the boy and I packed Earth's Best Diapers across Asia for 3 weeks.  

Every day I strive to maintain my commitment to nature and Earth's Best helps me do this when cloth diapers aren't an option.  With Earth's Best I'm confident that just as the name states, not only are these diapers best for the Earth (compared to traditional disposable), they are best for the boy.  I rate Earth's Best Diapers a 4.5/5.

Check out the Earths Best Website for more information and to:

• Download a $3.50 Coupon for your next (or first) purchase of Earth's Best Diapers
• Enter to Win a One Year Supply of Earth's Best Diapers (open until September 15, 2010) 
• Earth's Best on Facebook
• Earth's Best on Twitter @BabyMatthew2

* Statistics taken from an email-course by the New & Green Diaper Company

This post documents my own personal opinion of Earth's Best Disposable Diapers, without influence, however I was provided with a package for Earth's Best Diapers for the purposes of this review.

All Terrain Company: Kids Eczema Cream Review

I recently admitted that I am a 'lotion addict' and that I am pretty much always open to trying out a new lotion, particularly if it is natural and has the potential to help with eczema.  When presented with the opportunity to test out a product from the All Terrain Company I knew I wanted to try out the Kids Ezema Cream.  We've had some success with colloidial oatmeal products, and its the feature ingredient in the Kids Eczema Cream.

Other key ingredients include Aloe,  Shea Butter, Eucalyptus and Tea Tree, definitely a soothing and moisturizing mix.  It's stinky though; not overly so, and the scent fades fast, but I would be remiss if I didn't tell you there was a noticable odour.  With ingredients like eucalyptus and tea tree however, scentless isn't particularly an option.

The Kids Eczema Cream is thick, but it blends into the skin easily and leaves the skin soft, cool and silky, not sticky or sweaty.  I tried it out on the boys eczema and it seemed to noticeably smooth and soften his poor inflamed skin.  I also used the Kids Eczema Cream on the bumps on the back of my arms and was surprised to find that my arms too felt quite lovely the following morning.  Needless to say, the bottle is emptying very quickly!

As a Company, the All Terrain Company strives to provide "Natural Remedies for Outdoor Enthusiasts", their product packaging is all made from recycled, recyclable or biodegradable materials and they donate 10% of their product cost to an Environmental Charity (you choose one of six) and have numerous environmental programs and partners.  At $7.99 for a 2oz bottle of Kids Eczema Cream, you're donating $0.80 cents to charity, which is not much, but we all know the little things add up.

I've truly enjoyed the All Terrain Company's Kids Eczema Cream; its all natural and left both our skin both smoother and softer.  I rate it a 4.5/5.

Check out the All Terrain Company:

Blog
on Facebook

on Twitter

My Detergent Dilemma

I've mentioned it before and I'll mention it again, the boy and I both have sensitive skin and eczema.  When I was young the dermatologist gave me all sorts of advice, including the fact that I should never use fabric softener or brand name laundry detergent.  Fabric softener, is pretty much all chemical and fragrance, which essentially just means its all irritants for lucky people like us.

The laundry detergent on the other hand seems a little odd right?  You'd think the big brand name laundry detergents would be the best, but its just not so.  Apparently you get what you pay for; more money equals more pretty smells which equals more irritants and a very itchy, uncomfortable body (at least for me).  Growing up, my Mom bought the cheapest, store brand laundry detergent she could find and we all suffered through crunchy natural smelling towels.  Personally, when I go somewhere where the towels and sheet smell all flowery or scented, it kind of grosses me out, I just like the smell of clean.

I like to use Nellie's All Natural Washing Soda, and let me tell you there's no room for fillers in Nellie's.  One tablespoon of washing soda does an entire load of laundry in my large front loading machine; it dissolves easily in cold water and leaves our clothes clean and residue free.  The package pictured to the left, is only slightly larger than a medium sized Ziploc Freezer bag and it will wash over 50 loads for only $10.  Nellie's is high efficiency compatible and great for traveling since you need so little and it dissolves so easily.  I took a Ziploc snack bag half full of Nellie's on my three week trip to Asia (with an 8 month old and all the mess that entails) and still came back with about half of it left.  Oh and did I mention the most important part?  With Nellie's there's no filler, no fragrance and no itching or irritation.  Yay Nellie's!

I've pretty much only used Nellie's on the boy's clothes and although he constantly itches from his eczema I'm confident that Nellie's is not the culprit.  In fact his skin has cleared up dramatically now that I've taken soy, as well as dairy out of his diet, but that's a story for another day.

The boy and I are on a little mini-vacation this week with my Mom, we're at a cabin a couple hours away from home and we've really been de-stressing and enjoying the chance to have one on one time for an entire week.  Well knowing that in a week the boy could go through tons of clothes, or barely any, I packed for somewhere in between with the inention of doing laundry while I was here.

But I forgot to bring the Nellie's.

Of course, we'd already started the laudry and let the machine fill up with water before we realized that we had no soap.  We had to use the soap at the cabin.  We had to use Tide.  We used a very scant amount in the hopes that we could get our clothes clean without any irritation and things seemed to be going fine.  The boy wore pants that had been washed without any concerns, so after bathtime, I lubed him up with his Aquaphor, dressed him in his freshly cleaned sleeper, read him his books and popped him into bed.

Around 11pm, he started to whine, when it started to elevate into crying, I went in to his room and he was barely awake.  A hand on his tummy and he drifted back to sleep, but as soon as I lifted my hand, the whining started again.  Then I started to notice that he was itching his head, and his neck, and his arms with some serious vigor.  I got him up and immediately felt that his body was covered in a fine sandpaper type rash.  Stupid Tide.  I changed him into his dirty sleeper from the night before, gave him some Benadryl and he drifted back to sleep.

Now I'm kicking myself for forgetting the Nellie's.  Its essentially irrelevant now since we're going home tomorrow, but I know better than to use brand name detergent and it annoys me that I took the chance.  I guess I was just in need of a gentle reminder.