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If you haven’t heard of it, Simply Raw is a documentary about a group of diabetic people are put on a raw food diet for 30 days. The results are miraculous, but I don’t want to spoil it for you. Just check it out. Today is a great opportunity to get Simply Raw on the cheap. It’s so worth $15.
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We are home buying virgins, so this is all quite the exciting experience for Patrick and I. Axel will be happy too, he just has to go through a bit of “play by himself” time in order for us to get into our dream living space.
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Now you know why I haven’t been blogging very frequently these past few weeks. We were not at all prepared for buying a home, nor were we even considering it as an option. That is, until Patrick’s younger brother, at the ripe age of 19, decided he was going to purchase a house for himself. This gave me the idea to check my FICO scores (which I thought would still be terrible because of how irresponsible we were 5 years ago), which in turn led us to realize that gaining a mortgage was a realistic possibility.
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To tell you the truth, Patrick and I are really against buying property in this fashion. It is our belief (and possibly Dave Ramsey’s 
) that one should purchase everything with cash, including things like homes and cars. However, we are wishful thinkers. Although we are not in a position to play out our ideal home buying scenario, we are still absolutely STOKED that a bank is willing to loan US money.
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We haven’t officially closed on the house, so I can’t really say it’s ours just yet. (Actually, I can’t say that until the darn things isn’t being held hostage by the lender!) We are supposed to know by tomorrow whether or not we have a clear to close from the underwriters, or whether they’ll need more information. Hopefully, it will be the first of the two.
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Needless to say, we are beyond ecstatic. We are already conjuring up all sorts of wonderful remodeling ideas, which I cannot wait to see play out. Of course, adding $400 to our monthly rent is going to leave us broke, so I don’t know how much actual remodeling we’ll get to accomplish.
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Thank you all for being patient with me and this blog, and continuing to come back time after time to read this past month… only to find that there isn’t any new material! I appreciate your commitment. I will be back in action soon, and better than ever! (Remember, I’m a wishful thinker!)
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Please pray that Axel doesn’t get too bored while mommy and daddy scramble to get everything under the sun accomplished during this home buying experiment. Sometimes natural parenting means sacrificing a little bit now in order to make things a lot better later. (And, in this case, I’ll accept that since the “later” is very soon.) I’ll keep in touch.
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A few days ago, I was painting with oil paints in an area “next” to Axel’s play room. (I bet you know what’s coming.) When I was done painting, I put the canvases away, but I left my paint pallet on the floor. I didn’t think much of it, because I keep the gate to Axel’s area closed. Most of the time, at least.
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I walked into the kitchen to do something, and within a minute or so, I heard Patrick yelp. I rushed into the room, only to find Patrick firmly gripping Axel’s wrist, holding it away from his body. Apparently, I had left the gate open.
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Spiderman 3 - Don't let the black goo get you!
Axel decided to try his hand at oil painting- finger oil painting. Luckily, my dear husband had caught him just in the nick of time. He didn’t get paint on anything (except his own hand, of course). We were very grateful for that.
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Patrick’s exact words were, “so, I guess this is one of those situations where we have to use soap.” What a bummer.
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It wasn’t as traumatizing as I originally thought it would be. His hand didn’t even fall off.
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I guess from now on I’ll have to say, “we’ve never used soap on our baby… oh, except for that one time after the paint incident.” Haha. The joys of motherhood when things don’t go according to planned. And, do they really ever anyway?
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Coconut oil is great for many things when it comes to our babies. My top three uses of choice are:
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Skin Moisturizer
Coconut oil is best used on baby right after a bath. We’ve only used it a couple of times, but we basically just rubbed a small amount of the oil all over Axel’s body. It’s an easy process, but I do find it extremely difficult to resist the urge to eat it. (It actually smells a lot better than it tastes!)
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Diaper Rash
It’s my personal belief that diaper rash is almost always caused by either diet, or lack of fresh air to the bum. (In other words, leaving wet diapers on for way too long.) However, once I discovered what Axel was sensitive to in my diet, coconut oil was helpful in speeding up his bottom’s healing process. Just dab a little on the rash, and let it sit, preferably without a diaper for a little while. It really seemed to sooth the pain for our sweet Axel. Plus, coconut oil is safe to use with cloth diapers, unlike most diaper creams.
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Cradle Cap
When Axel was 2-3 months old, he got a horrible case of cradle cap. I freaked out initially, because I thought it meant that I “had” to wash his hair, but after a little research, I discovered the coconut oil solution. I put a generous amount on his entire scalp, rubbed it in, and let it sit for an hour. I then used a baby comb with really small teeth, to brush out the gunk. Trust me, this works wonders, it just takes a little time to get it all out. He’s never suffered from cradle cap since then. (I didn’t wash the oil out afterwards either. It was just extra moisturizer!)
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So, if you’ve never tried coconut oil, you are missing out, especially if you’re a parent! There are so many great uses for it, and I’m sure you’ll love it if you try it. It’s a product that you don’t have to worry about what’s in it. It’s just coconut! Enjoy stiffing the jar, it’s hard to stop.
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Disclaimer: Some children suffer from an allergy to coconut (Axel doesn’t do well when I eat it, but is fine if it’s applied to his skin), so it’s best to test a small patch of skin before moving forward. Hopefully, none of your babes will have any problems, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry!
Welcome to the April Carnival of Natural Parenting: Parenting advice!
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month we’re writing letters to ask our readers for help with a current parenting issue. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
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I have a natural parenting dilemma!
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I don’t have enough time to do all the things that I need and want to do! I want to give my complete undivided attention to Axel at all times. I need to go grocery shopping so we don’t starve do death. It’s necessary that I clean the bathroom once a year. (Haha- ew.) How do all of you natural parenting people do it all? Are you all just breastfeeding, cosleeping, gentle disciplining, baby wearing, natural living maniacs!? Sometimes I feel like I’m going to lose my mind!
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I have been having a really hard time with effectively managing my time lately. I can’t seem to keep up with all of my natural parenting ideals. We are still practicing all of the same things we were before, but I’m finding myself paying less attention to Axel, simply because there is so much to DO all the time!
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How do you all find time to do chores, without losing sight of what’s most important? I am not very focused right now, and I need some honest advice about how I can redirect myself back in the right direction. I think I’m in “get stuff done” mode, and sitting with Axel outside doesn’t produce immediate results, if you know what I mean. (I love doing it, and spending time with him always warms my heart, but it’s hard when a million things are swarming through my head from my “to do” list.)
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My son is my life, and I love him with all my heart. I want to be the best mommy I can be. Please, can someone tell me how I can manage all of the things that get in the way of life, without neglecting my precious little boy? I’m just so stressed out, and I would really appreciate the advice. Thank you all.
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Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
(This list will be updated by the end of the day April 13 with all the carnival links.)
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