Soap and water? For what? Getting clean?

Nope. Getting rid of ants!

We woke up yesterday to a small ant infestation in our kitchen. This week apparently kept me busy and I didn’t get around to sweeping up those crumbs or getting the dirty dishes put in the dishwasher and they found them.  They also found our dishwasher. Hundreds of them. And to make them worse, they were the biting kind that sting and itch like crazy. Let me just say, they were not welcome in our house. I immediately swept and mopped the floors, hoping to get up any crumbs and food stuck off the floor while Mark was busy squashing and spraying whatever he could get his hands on (what a way to spend Saturday morning, right?).  And that worked…for a little bit. Until we came home and saw even more.  We kept pounding our fist and trying to drown them but a new batch would come right out. Finally out of desperation and not wanting to go to the store to buy chemicals, I searched the internet for natural ways to kill ants.

And it worked.  Who knew something so simple as a few squirts of dishsoap and hot water in a spray bottle would be so effective? They seriously die instantly. Bam. I think it’s the bubbles that trap them or maybe something in the soap that doesn’t agree with them.  Who knows, but it works. And, I’m not afraid to be using it myself since I’m pregnant and even Savannah gets a kick out of spraying them as pay back for all the times they bit her toes outside. We sprayed it in the cracks we knew they were coming from and only a few have ventured out since our attack…and those few were quickly dead whenever we walked by.

Muhahaha! Take that ants.

This week has been a rough one. Ya know the kind. A kid wakes up sick and crying, sheets and jammies are changed, just in time to be changed again. Fun stuff. And then parents (in this case mostly Mark, he knew I had to finish school), because they spend time taking care of their precious little one, catch it too. And it’s just a domino effect. Boom, boom, boom. Everyone’s down for the count.

The stomach bug.

Especially when 13 (now 14) weeks pregnant, and you can’t keep hydrated and contractions start. Not fun. We’re all okay now (heard baby’s strong heartbeat again yesterday!), but man, I hate this stuff. Thank you GOD that it’s over.

But all this to say, I’m glad we have a little book called “The Moose with Loose Poops” because I think it helped all of us understand what’s going on in our bodies, even us 20 some year old parents. Of course, I didn’t think to pull out the parent’s guide when we were all sick, but we survived. I won the whole Dr. Hippo book series from Design {for} Baby in a giveaway several months ago and Savannah loves them even when not sick. They talk about common illnesses like cold’s, earaches, sore throats, stomach bugs, fever, in a story that helps them understand what is happening and why. We love them and their worth checking out (they are on Amazon) if you’re looking for some new kids books. It’s educational, but fun too.

On a happier note: in exactly a week I will be a graduate! Right now I will sporting a graduation cap and gown, a belly bump, and surrounded by family. So exciting to finally reach this huge milestone and goal in life :-) Just 3 exams and a portfolio standing in my way…

And an even happier note: with graduation comes a new direction.  What will I do after I graduate? Stay tuned to find out my new goal! Ya know, besides growing a healthy baby and being a great mom and wife. A goal for me.

The O Momma Recommends series is based on products that I find helpful in daily life, that I’ve discovered my self, and have not been paid or supplied the products to review.

In my battle with acne, I’ve been forced to change many things in my life, from food to make up.  Like I said, I’m sure I have Candida which causes my acne internally, but it’s also made me sensitive to certain products from laundry detergent to make up. I have used Bare Minerals since right after Savannah was born. I had clear skin then, fresh from pregnancy and still breastfeeding so my hormones kept my skin beautiful.  I bought Bare Minerals because I wanted a fancy make up that would last on my wedding day, and for 2 years I stuck with it.  However, I realized this summer that even though many mineral make ups claim to all natural and “safe to even sleep in!” it’s not true.  Particularly there is a filler ingredient called Bismuth Oxychloride that actually reacts with some people’s skin to either itch like crazy or break out. Yeah, they don’t tell you that in the commercials!

I realized that my make up was actually harming my skin rather than just covering up the issues I already had.  And so, I seriously spent all summer trying to find make up that 1) Didn’t break me out and 2) Covered up the scars and acne I did have.  It was quite a search because every one I tried either covered wonderfully but broke me out, or didn’t break me out but had no coverage. Frustrating, no? I also really wanted a makeup that was natural and didn’t contain things like parabens (which is rumored to cause cancer) but it was impossible to find a make up that suited everything I needed. And very costly to keep trying things out!  Finally, I discovered Sterling Minerals on an online forum.  They have samples to try before commiting and I’ve fallen in love with the two samples I’ve had (trying to find the right color for me, but more on that later).

Why do I love Sterling  Minerals? Well, it meets all of the above reasons: its natural ingredients, great coverage, and doesn’t break me out. But, I also love that these products can be made to suit anyone of any age or skin type. For example, the foundations come in three different types of bases that help with certain types of skin (dry, normal, oily). I use the Velvet Rose base and it really does help combat my super oily skin! I love that it’s a smaller company that you can really tell values their customers. The founder, Katherine Corkill, just oozes out passion for what she does in her newsletter/blog that talks about issues with skin care and in her videos. And?  Her wet method application technique has been a wonderful new way to get the coverge I need on my acne scars.  I’ve been using mineral make up for 2.5 years but thought water would be a big no-no! It actually helps my makeup stay on longer and cover much better.  She now has a whole collection of short videos that show how to apply mineral makeup for the best application.

Plus? They ship super quick! And it’s not ridiculously expensive! Sure, it’s more than a drug store find, but for the same price as Bare Minerals it’s better quality.

The only thing that makes it difficult is that it is an internet based company, so it is hard to find the shade of foundation that matches perfectly from only the picture online. Like I said, I had to buy two different samples, but the beauty of mineral makeup is that it can be combined with other shades to make your perfect color!  Other than that, I’m absolutely thrilled with this company all around.

The O Momma Recommends series is based on products that I find helpful in daily life, that I’ve discovered my self, and have not been paid or supplied the products to review.

Remember last year before one of our summer road trips I was desperately looking for kids music that didn’t hurt my ears? I discovered Laurie Berkner, Sesame Street Songs, and Lisa Loeb.  Good stuff.  Now we’ve added some Choo Choo Soul to our collection and even some classical music because Savannah loves to dance to it (she is loving dance class, by the way!).

But, the focus of today is this little gem of a CD: Music with Mommie.  I was given this CD last year and I seriously think it’s one of my top favorite kids music ever (it may be tied for first with Laurie Berkner of course…).  The CD is based off one of those classes you can take with your child to encourage interaction between mommies and babies, learn about music, and just to have fun.  This group in particular is based out of Tennessee and their voices are beautiful, with a little Tennessee twang and country style music twist to these popular songs (but not overly twangy, that would annoy me).  It’s very easy listening if you have to listen to it over and over like Savannah requests. And plus? Since it’s songs that encourage interaction, it adds a little entertainment with the hand motions that are easy to guess what they are (like I’m a Little Tea Pot, Shoe a Little Horse, etc).  And for sleepy time during car rides? Savannah loves the ABC and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star songs. Her top favorite song is Six Little Ducks though :-) What kid doesn’t like quacking like a duck?

Even when we aren’t on a car ride, we play this CD some times just to dance around and play. I doubt many people have heard of this CD because, ya know, they aren’t on Noggin, you probably can’t fine this CD in a local store, or even iTunes. In fact, I wouldn’t have heard of them unless some one given it to me (not for a review, just because they thought Savannah would like). So, I wanted to spread the word in hopes of supporting an awesome growing company.

I inherited the love of ice cream from my Dad’s side, it’s our dessert weakness.  It’s better than birthday cake, coconut cream pie, candy, or a cinnabon.

However, as I’ve gotten older I’ve become a little more…picky…about the ice cream I like. 4 years ago my best friend introduced me to Coldstone Creamery, and man, that is the standard of good stuff right there. So in trying that most creamiest, flavorful ice cream full of fresh strawberries (birthday cake ice cream with strawberries, please) I put store bought ice cream behind. It just wasn’t good enough,  the texture wasn’t the same, the flavor tasted fake, and mostly it tasted like freezer burn.

Until…I found this:  Breyers Fried Ice Cream. I may have to say this is better than Coldstone Creamery or Marble Slab (maybe…).  It’s super flavorful, creamy, and I practically melt with the amazingness of each bite.   And it sure beats the price of paying $5 for a gallon versus $5 for one serving.  I’m in love.

It’s a cinnamon ice cream with swirls of caramel, and how is it “fried” you ask?  The bits of cinnamon sugar tostada pieces add the fried crunch (like what you get at a Mexican restaurant). Oh. My. Gosh. I saw some one describe it like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal but in ice cream form (and so much better…).  Seriously, I eat a bowl every single day now and it makes my day a much happier place to be (especially no-nap-whiny-days like this past week has been). Yes, it’s not the healthiest food ever. But oh my, is it worth eating healthy to eat this as my treat.

Yum.

As a Mom and wife I find myself doing laundry a lot (or…procrastinating).  However, I found that stains are (were) more frustrating than the piles of laundry we accumulate and that I don’t want to fold.  Especially, especially the stains in the girl’s clothes.  Pizza sauce, ketchup, grape juice, chocolate…did I mention those awful tomato sauces?  They are horrible to get out, yet they end up on most of Savannah’s clothes because it’s her favorite. (she eats ketchup up on anything)  Which means more trouble for me. Oy.

My favorite solution?  OxiClean Laundry Spray.  If you own a TV I’m sure you’ve seen OxiClean’s infomercial…but this?  This stuff WORKS. It gets anything out I’ve ever put on. If not the first time, then the second time.  Even if it’s been sitting in the dirty laundry for a week or two (I hate laundry!) it always gets out those stains.  My trick is to let it sit for hours before washing like normal. It’s never failed me and never ruined the color of her clothes like bleach would. It’s also fragrance free so it doesn’t bother her sensitive skin or mine.

In short: It saves me from throwing out her clothes.