A few days after my son was born, a little mark appeared on his cheek. It looked like a little bruise and I worried that I had somehow injured him. But when my midwife came to see us, I asked her, and she told me it was a cafe au lait spot - a type of birthmark. This was confirmed by my doctor, who told me that this particular type of birthmark would not go away, but should not really change much over the years either. I was okay with that; I think the little spot is cute - it's like a little thumbprint that begs to be kissed :)
I thought no more of it. So, when my mother in law asked me after one doctor's appointment, what the doctor had said about it, I said, "Nothing. It's a birthmark. There's nothing more to say about it," rather defensively. Her response did nothing to make me feel less defensive: sensing my defensiveness, she tried to be reassuring. "Oh. Right. And we can just put makeup on it for photos." EXCUSE ME??? There is nothing wrong or in need of covering about my son! We will NOT be putting makeup on him, thanks!
From time to time, someone will ask what's on his cheek - usually children, sometimes adults. I don't mind that. I simply tell them it's a birthmark, and that's the end of that. Children have no filter at this age and and naturally curious, but they aren't inherently mean. A friend's little girl thought he was being particularly helpful one time while I was cleaning my son up after dinner. "Oh," she said, "He has chocolate on his cheek!" It was actually pretty cute.
Over time, though, the mark did change a little. It got a little larger and a little darker. My doctor told me that it was just a change in pigment, likely due to sun exposure, and that it wasn't actually growing, just stretching as his face and skin grew - no reason for concern. Okay then, I'm not concerned :)
But his father feels differently. When I drop him off at his house, Dad often pokes at the mark and inspects it, telling me we need to have it removed. Saying this bothers me would be an understatement. When I look at our son, I don't even notice the birthmark, and if I do, I love it - it's what makes him unique, it's adorable, he's perfect and beautiful. I look at him and see his bright blue eyes, his adorable blonde curls, his mischievous smile...I see how big and healthy and strong he is, how smart, what a little sense of humour he has. I just can not understand how anyone can look at him and find flaw.
But I do understand that kids can be cruel as they get older. I know someone will make fun of him at some point in his life. But I figure everyone gets teased about something. I hope that I will raise him with enough confidence and encouragement that a little teasing about something so minimal won't bother him. He's big and athletic and has a big personality. I think he'll have lots of friends from those qualities, in school, on sports teams, and those kids will appreciate him for his skills and kindness and humour, and stop noticing the little beige thumbprint on his cheek, or at least stop thinking of it as a negative. But in order for him to grow up with that self esteem, I think it's integral that he feel that unconditional love from his family, and NEVER any doubt from any one of US that there's anything wrong with him. THERE ISN'T!
I did want to make sure I had been given the correct information about his birthmark and that there were no medical concerns associated with it, so I took him to see a dermatologist. She told me that I had, in fact, been slightly mislead: it is not actually a birthmark; it is a type of mole. But still, it was perfectly healthy and she saw no reason for concern. We will take him for an annual check up each year, at which she will measure and inspect the mole for concerning changes, and we will be diligent about using sunblock on him. She said the mole would grow with him, but proportionally to his face, and there was no reason to believe it would overtake it. I asked her about potential social implication the mole might cause him later in life. She acknowledged them, but assured me that the mole really wasn't a big deal, and that surgical removal of it would result in a significant scar, and more concerning: he'd have to undergo general anaesthesia, rather than just local, because kids his age just don't stay still for doctor's to operate on them without it. General anaesthesia always comes with risks, particularly in young children and infants, and I recently learned from my cousin, people affected by Thompkin's Disease have to be extra careful and another step needs to be in play if such a person needs to have general anaesthesia. My son has not been tested for Thompkin's, and I have no reason to believe he has it, but since we have now detected it in our family, it's a possibility for which we should all be prepared. Anyhow, the bottom line is that the risks of surgical removal at this point outweigh any questionable benefits. The doctor told me that if we were talking about her own daughter, she would leave it around. It was the mommi's advice that she gave me that solidified my position on it, even moreso than the dermatologist's. I decided to do nothing about the mole. Except I also decided to keep calling the spot a birthmark, because it somehow sounds cuter than "mole" ;)
Fast forward another few months: life goes on, my son is beautiful and perfect, he's healthy, he's growing, he's learning so much. And his dad brings the birthmark up again. Give it a rest already! He tells me that the birthmark is growing and our son is going to hate us later in life (actually, he tells me - not for the first time - that our son will hate me when he's older, because he will tell him terrible things about me, including the fact the he wanted to have the mark removed, and I refused). He says it's going to overtake his cheek and become the size of a baseball. (Note: it's still the size of a thumbprint) He says he needs laser surgery to remove it. I remembered something else the dermatologist had told me: that while laser surgery can be effective at removing surface cells, moles go many cells deep. The risk of removing only the pigmented cells on the skin's surface is that it effectively removes your only warning signs should anything happen and the cells mutate into something cancerous! I repeat everything the dermatologist shared with me, and my opinion that the best thing to do for our son is to love him, not make a big deal out of something that is nothing, and keep an eye out for changes. He is not satisfied, so I tell him I will make another appointment with the dermatologist, and that maybe he should attend this one (he has not attended a single medical appointment for him in the past), so that he can ask his questions and get the information firsthand, since he doubts what I report back to him.
And I did make that appointment, and surprisingly, his dad did attend. My mother took my son to it since I was working, and the dermatologist only allowed one adult in the room for the appointment, so I had to ask his dad what the doctor has said. He told me a very different story than what I later got by calling the dermatologist's office for a report myself. The medical notes held only the same information I had been given the time before: everything was fine, the doctor's medical opinion was that no treatment was advisable. But still his dad was insistent that surgical removal was needed. He went so far as to get a referral to a plastic surgeon! I was furious, and had to notify the dermatologist's office that, as per our Separation Agreement, I have decision making power on non-emergency medical decisions. So, dad can make as many appointments as he wants, but cannot authorize a procedure. Note to self: fax copies of Separation Agreement to dermatologist, plastic surgeon, family physician...
WHY WHY WHY??? Why is he so intent on viewing our child's adorable little thumbprint birthmark as an imperfection? Seriously: show me a child who is perfect! I bet you probably can. Every mommi will present me with their child :) But now show me a child who is perfect by everyone's definition. I look around the room at the daycare my son attends: there's the little girl with a bright red birthmark showing above the collar of her shirt. There's the little boy with a lazy eye. There's the girl with two hearing aids. There's another with thick glasses. There's a boy in a wheelchair with osteogenesis imperfecta (Don't know what that is? Read Jodi Picoult's Handle with Care - great book! Actually, most of hers are...but I digress). There's a little girl with a healing scar from corrective surgery for a harelip. There's a little girl with fiery red hair and a multitude of freckles. There's a skinny kid. There's a chubby kid. There's a short kid. There's a kid who stands way taller than everyone else. There's a kid with a lisp. There's a kid who stutters. There's a kid who hasn't mastered consonants. AND THEY'RE ALL ADORABLE, LOVABLE, PERFECT.
The kids with hearing and vision aids, and who had undergone corrective surgery, were treated because their differences were medical, and necessary. Not because their parents just didn't like what they saw! Isn't it better to teach kids tolerance, acceptance, and love - than that we need to change or correct anything unique about them?
I understand where his dad's concern comes from. Any mommi (or daddi) feels such tremendous love for her child that the very notion of them suffering in any way at any time is unbearable - and suffering teasing or bullying counts. I want to do right by my son. I want to make the best decisions for him. I hope he has the easiest life possible. But will removing a unique and harmless part of him do that? I don't think so...but I can't say I'm 100% sure about that. And so, I will allow the appointment with the plastic surgeon, and I will attend with an open mind. I will listen to his professional recommendation and learn about the options available to us.
But I still maintain that my son is absolutely perfect, just the way he is.
Thursday 27 October 2011
Wednesday 19 October 2011
Use Cloth Diapers
Most of the time, I will tell mommis to do whatever works for you, to make your own decisions, that whatever you feel most comfortable with is the right thing to do in terms of parenting decisions. But not today; not on this one topic.
USE CLOTH DIAPERS!
I was just like many mommis: appalled by the mere suggestion of using cloth diapers! I mean, EW: they're ugly, they're stinky, they're leaky, they're old fashioned, they're a lot of work...gross. But I humoured a coworker (rolling my eyes behind her back), and told her I'd take a look at one she brought in to work.
IT WAS ADORABLE!
It was small, and clean, and green! Like, the colour green, in addition to the whole "enviro-green" thing. It was a BumGenius 3.0 adjustable size cloth diaper. She'd used it throughout one child's diapering years, and was in the middle of another's - and it was clean! The inside was white, there were no stains, it did not smell. Another skeptical coworker and I played catch with it when its owner was out of the room, it was that cute!
Gone are the days of dirty-looking cotton sheets you have to practically do origami with and then pin onto your baby and wait for them to leak onto your lap. New cloth diapers come in a variety of forms, but I fell in love with the BumGenius and continue to recommend them today, so can only speak about this particular brand. I have the 3.0s, which have velcro tabs that fasten them onto the baby. Now 4.0s are available, and the velcro is replaced with snaps. I have to say: my only complaint about my 3.0s is the velcro, which, after 2 years of use, is wearing out, looks a bit dingy from collecting hair and stuff along the edges, and doesn't always stick so well. However, BumGenius supplies its retailers with replacement velcro kits - for free! Snugglebugz mailed me 24 velcro refresher kits within 2 days of my inquiry! Problem solved. The snap closure system on the 4.0s would eliminate that problem altogether, but I had a particularly squirmy baby, often having to strap a diaper on him on the go - so I feel that snaps would have been more challenging to line up and fasten with my particular child.
But I digress. Why use cloth diapers? Well, the most obvious reason is because of the environmental benefits. First consider the amount of energy, water, wood, oil, etcetera that goes into manufacturing, packaging, and shipping disposable diapers. Plus, disposable diapers can take 100-500 years to decompose, which means that an unfathomable number of disposable diapers sit in a landfills, leaking human waste into our water table. It is illegal to throw human waste into the garbage – disposable users are required to throw any poop into the toilet before trashing the diaper, but do you know anyone who actually does that? Add into the landfills the packaging from each pack of disposable diapers, then consider the dangerous chemicals leaking into the ground water from said landfills and the manufacturing process: dioxin, sodium polyacrylate (the absorbant gel), and TBT or Trybutylin, which is ranked by the World Health Organization as one of the most toxic substances used in consumer products in the world today.
Let me be clear that I am no environmentalist. Not that that's a bad thing; I'd be proud to say I am, but I have also vowed to be nothing but honest in this blog. And I just don't want any mommi to think you have to be a Birkenstock-wearing tree-hugger to consider cloth diapers. I have fake boobs, remember - just keep that in mind. But there are other reasons to use cloth diapers!
How about cost? As a general rule, it is almost always cheaper to reuse than to buy new every time. This is no different with cloth diapers. Diaperjungle.com suggests that most parents go through 6 to 8 thousand diapers per child, from birth to about age three. If we take an average of what those diapers cost, that equates to between 2000 and 3000 dollars per baby. Once those children are potty trained, those diapers are gone. They can't be re-used. So a significant chunk of our hard earned money has gone to buying what is essentially garbage. In comparison, enough cloth diapers to last for three years will usually cost between 300 to 800 dollars. At a minimum that is about a 1200 dollar savings! But wait: Consider, too, that those cloth diapers may last for one or more successive children, and your savings grows. Some people will point out that cloth diapers will cost a mommi more in water, hydro, and detergent for washing them, and this is true, but these costs are minimal and negligent in comparison.
From my own experience, 24 BumGenius 3.0s, a pail of Claudia's Choice cloth-diaper-safe detergent (which lasted me almost 2 years), a diaper pail, charcoal filter, a wet bag for travel, and a 2-pack of Nellie's Dryer Balls cost me about $750. That's a lot up front, but in the long run, you can see the savings. AND, if you register for your cloth diapers before your baby shower, you can get a lot given to you for free ;)
The most significant reason to use cloth diapers, however, is because of the benefits to your baby. I'm going to let the researchers at Diaperjungle do that talking for me again here - with some of my own modifications ;) What should be of serious concern to all mommis are the toxic chemicals present in disposable diapers. Dioxin, which in various forms has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, skin diseases, and genetic damage, is a by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in manufacturing disposable diapers. Trace quantities may even exist in the diapers themselves. Dioxin is listed by the EPA as the most toxic of cancer-related chemicals. Additionally, disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals. Disposable diapers also contain sodium polyacrylate. If you have ever seen the gel-like, super absorbant crystals in a disposable, then you have seen this first hand. I just recently had that experience when my son came home to me after a day at his dad's, and the disposable diaper he had him in was so soaked, it actually exploded at the seam, displaying the scary-looking pee-soaked crystals :S Sodium polyacrylate is the same substance that was removed from tampons because of its link to toxic shock syndrome. No studies have been done on the long-term effects of this chemical being in contact with a baby's reproductive organs 24 hours a day for upwards of two years. Studies have also been done to show that the chemical emissions from disposable diapers can cause respiratory problems in children. This is all scary, scary stuff! ...Cloth diapers, on the other hand, are free of the many chemicals contained in disposable diapers.
My son went an entire year of life without a single diaper rash or bum irritation, and I attribute that success to the use of cloth diapers. In all fairness, he later developed a recurrent diaper rash problem, but that was due to the incurrence of uric acid burns from being left to sit in a pee-filled DISPOSABLE diaper too long (if Blogger offered an angry-face emoticon, I would use it here - remember: I do not use disposable diapers...I will say no more). Hey, parents? Just because many disposable diapers boast that they can absorb urine for up to 12 hours does NOT mean that you should leave your child in a wet diaper (of any sort) for that long!!! Deep breaths, deep breaths... Anyhow, I strongly believe that, if he had been wearing cloth diapers, and changed regularly when not in my care, he would have continued his great-bum-health streak indefinitely.
So, seriously: why AREN'T you using cloth diapers? Really. I invite anyone to share a rebuttal, and I will try to counter it :) If you've already been using disposable diapers, it's not too late to switch! I am proud to say that my efforts have converted 2 disposable users to the cloth side, and have convinced 3 new mommis to take the plunge and start the cloth way. I hope this post helps increase my numbers :) Please let me know!
Just before I sign off, I should note: I do use one disposable diaper per night. I find that my cloth diapers are more than up to the task of absorbing a few hours' worth of pee, but not a whole night's worth. The BumGeniuses do come with "doublers", which are extra inserts you can put inside to increase absorbency (and the size of your kid's booty) for such occasions, but I don't bother. When my son was a teeny guy, the doublers, in combination with the already-admittedly-bulkier cloth diapers put him on such an incline when on his back, it was comical :) That said, one cloth-using-mommi-friend (Hi, Christine!) says her daughter goes through the night in a cloth diaper without an issue, so maybe your child will have as much success ;)
USE CLOTH DIAPERS!
I was just like many mommis: appalled by the mere suggestion of using cloth diapers! I mean, EW: they're ugly, they're stinky, they're leaky, they're old fashioned, they're a lot of work...gross. But I humoured a coworker (rolling my eyes behind her back), and told her I'd take a look at one she brought in to work.
IT WAS ADORABLE!
It was small, and clean, and green! Like, the colour green, in addition to the whole "enviro-green" thing. It was a BumGenius 3.0 adjustable size cloth diaper. She'd used it throughout one child's diapering years, and was in the middle of another's - and it was clean! The inside was white, there were no stains, it did not smell. Another skeptical coworker and I played catch with it when its owner was out of the room, it was that cute!
Gone are the days of dirty-looking cotton sheets you have to practically do origami with and then pin onto your baby and wait for them to leak onto your lap. New cloth diapers come in a variety of forms, but I fell in love with the BumGenius and continue to recommend them today, so can only speak about this particular brand. I have the 3.0s, which have velcro tabs that fasten them onto the baby. Now 4.0s are available, and the velcro is replaced with snaps. I have to say: my only complaint about my 3.0s is the velcro, which, after 2 years of use, is wearing out, looks a bit dingy from collecting hair and stuff along the edges, and doesn't always stick so well. However, BumGenius supplies its retailers with replacement velcro kits - for free! Snugglebugz mailed me 24 velcro refresher kits within 2 days of my inquiry! Problem solved. The snap closure system on the 4.0s would eliminate that problem altogether, but I had a particularly squirmy baby, often having to strap a diaper on him on the go - so I feel that snaps would have been more challenging to line up and fasten with my particular child.
But I digress. Why use cloth diapers? Well, the most obvious reason is because of the environmental benefits. First consider the amount of energy, water, wood, oil, etcetera that goes into manufacturing, packaging, and shipping disposable diapers. Plus, disposable diapers can take 100-500 years to decompose, which means that an unfathomable number of disposable diapers sit in a landfills, leaking human waste into our water table. It is illegal to throw human waste into the garbage – disposable users are required to throw any poop into the toilet before trashing the diaper, but do you know anyone who actually does that? Add into the landfills the packaging from each pack of disposable diapers, then consider the dangerous chemicals leaking into the ground water from said landfills and the manufacturing process: dioxin, sodium polyacrylate (the absorbant gel), and TBT or Trybutylin, which is ranked by the World Health Organization as one of the most toxic substances used in consumer products in the world today.
Let me be clear that I am no environmentalist. Not that that's a bad thing; I'd be proud to say I am, but I have also vowed to be nothing but honest in this blog. And I just don't want any mommi to think you have to be a Birkenstock-wearing tree-hugger to consider cloth diapers. I have fake boobs, remember - just keep that in mind. But there are other reasons to use cloth diapers!
How about cost? As a general rule, it is almost always cheaper to reuse than to buy new every time. This is no different with cloth diapers. Diaperjungle.com suggests that most parents go through 6 to 8 thousand diapers per child, from birth to about age three. If we take an average of what those diapers cost, that equates to between 2000 and 3000 dollars per baby. Once those children are potty trained, those diapers are gone. They can't be re-used. So a significant chunk of our hard earned money has gone to buying what is essentially garbage. In comparison, enough cloth diapers to last for three years will usually cost between 300 to 800 dollars. At a minimum that is about a 1200 dollar savings! But wait: Consider, too, that those cloth diapers may last for one or more successive children, and your savings grows. Some people will point out that cloth diapers will cost a mommi more in water, hydro, and detergent for washing them, and this is true, but these costs are minimal and negligent in comparison.
From my own experience, 24 BumGenius 3.0s, a pail of Claudia's Choice cloth-diaper-safe detergent (which lasted me almost 2 years), a diaper pail, charcoal filter, a wet bag for travel, and a 2-pack of Nellie's Dryer Balls cost me about $750. That's a lot up front, but in the long run, you can see the savings. AND, if you register for your cloth diapers before your baby shower, you can get a lot given to you for free ;)
The most significant reason to use cloth diapers, however, is because of the benefits to your baby. I'm going to let the researchers at Diaperjungle do that talking for me again here - with some of my own modifications ;) What should be of serious concern to all mommis are the toxic chemicals present in disposable diapers. Dioxin, which in various forms has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, skin diseases, and genetic damage, is a by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in manufacturing disposable diapers. Trace quantities may even exist in the diapers themselves. Dioxin is listed by the EPA as the most toxic of cancer-related chemicals. Additionally, disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals. Disposable diapers also contain sodium polyacrylate. If you have ever seen the gel-like, super absorbant crystals in a disposable, then you have seen this first hand. I just recently had that experience when my son came home to me after a day at his dad's, and the disposable diaper he had him in was so soaked, it actually exploded at the seam, displaying the scary-looking pee-soaked crystals :S Sodium polyacrylate is the same substance that was removed from tampons because of its link to toxic shock syndrome. No studies have been done on the long-term effects of this chemical being in contact with a baby's reproductive organs 24 hours a day for upwards of two years. Studies have also been done to show that the chemical emissions from disposable diapers can cause respiratory problems in children. This is all scary, scary stuff! ...Cloth diapers, on the other hand, are free of the many chemicals contained in disposable diapers.
My son went an entire year of life without a single diaper rash or bum irritation, and I attribute that success to the use of cloth diapers. In all fairness, he later developed a recurrent diaper rash problem, but that was due to the incurrence of uric acid burns from being left to sit in a pee-filled DISPOSABLE diaper too long (if Blogger offered an angry-face emoticon, I would use it here - remember: I do not use disposable diapers...I will say no more). Hey, parents? Just because many disposable diapers boast that they can absorb urine for up to 12 hours does NOT mean that you should leave your child in a wet diaper (of any sort) for that long!!! Deep breaths, deep breaths... Anyhow, I strongly believe that, if he had been wearing cloth diapers, and changed regularly when not in my care, he would have continued his great-bum-health streak indefinitely.
So, seriously: why AREN'T you using cloth diapers? Really. I invite anyone to share a rebuttal, and I will try to counter it :) If you've already been using disposable diapers, it's not too late to switch! I am proud to say that my efforts have converted 2 disposable users to the cloth side, and have convinced 3 new mommis to take the plunge and start the cloth way. I hope this post helps increase my numbers :) Please let me know!
Just before I sign off, I should note: I do use one disposable diaper per night. I find that my cloth diapers are more than up to the task of absorbing a few hours' worth of pee, but not a whole night's worth. The BumGeniuses do come with "doublers", which are extra inserts you can put inside to increase absorbency (and the size of your kid's booty) for such occasions, but I don't bother. When my son was a teeny guy, the doublers, in combination with the already-admittedly-bulkier cloth diapers put him on such an incline when on his back, it was comical :) That said, one cloth-using-mommi-friend (Hi, Christine!) says her daughter goes through the night in a cloth diaper without an issue, so maybe your child will have as much success ;)
Wednesday 5 October 2011
A Few of My Favourite Things: Ladies Only
This post is mommi-related in that all mommi's are short on time. So here are a few things that save time or allow me to multi-task or just save sanity.
1. Shellac Manicures: Most mommis I now have the same affliction I do - we are unable to keep nail polish on for longer than an hour. Let's face it: with all that picking up of toys and scrubbing bottles and bathing babies...regular polish doesn't stand a chance. And fake nails are trashy. Sorry! Just my opinion, but in this case, my opinion is the right one :P So, mommis need Shellac. It goes on like polish, but gets cured with a UV light in between coats, and is guaranteed to last without chipping, peeling, or fading for 10 days! I have found it to last even longer than that, but then you still get grow out, so you need to change it up about every 2 weeks. There is no buffing and grinding involved, so your nails aren't damaged, and actually do grow long and healthy from it. Except I also believe long nails are trashy, too ;) So get them trimmed and stop scratching you kid accidentally. If you're in the Hamilton area, get in touch with my nail lady! Peri-Lynn of Comforts Time to Spa: 905 387 4490 or peri-lynnh@hotmail.com. I don't even know what her regular rates are because she ALWAYS has specials, so it usually costs $20 and includes the removal at the end of your 2 weeks. I also see her for eyebrow waxing, and other parts - just not you-know-where, because she's old-school and doesn't go "all the way". If you know what I mean. Oh, and when you get your Shellac, please don't get nail art - also trashy, by Accidental Supermommi standards :P Please tell her I sent you! If you are not nearby, there are lots of Spas that are now offering Shellac - just make sure it's actually the CND Shellac brand every step of the way. There are some places that cut corners and you'll end up having to have that sh!t ground off your poor, thin, and brittle nails, leaving nothing but ultra-sensitive tips that are just waiting to tear :S
2. Brazilian Blowouts: This has nothing to do with my crotch. It's for the hair on your head. Brazilian Blowouts are highly controversial because of alleged formaldehyde content, so do your research and decide what's right for you. But they do offer a formaldehyde-free line. It is not a straightening treatment; if you have curls or waves, your hair will still be curly or wavy - but it will not be FRIZZY. Even in high humidity or after getting caught in the rain. It dramatically reduces your blowdrying time (I went from 30minutes to 15minutes - and that's still doing a good job, with a round brush - a basic dry takes like 5 minutes), and minimizes the amount of processes or products you need to use. For example, before my Brazilian Blowout, if I blowdried my hair with a round brush, it would look great...for about 5 minutes, until it started to pouf and frizz. I'd have to then use a flat iron to really get it to stay nice. But now I can get away with one or the other. WIN! It also just feels nicer and looks shinier. Because it is. The way it works is: the stylist washes your hair with some sort of clarifying shampoo, then rough dries it, the applies the Brazilian Blowout solution like she would colour, then rough dries it with the product in (Ew), then flat irons it to seal it into your hair's cuticle, then washes it out and dries it for good. The whole thing takes 90 minutes and is guaranteed to last 6 weeks, but my stylist says most of her clients only do it every 6 months! I am on month 4 and am still going strong :) In the Toronto area, contact Rachelle at 416 899 1487 or whitewindbear@hotmail.com.
3. PVR: I don't think I need to go into detail o this one. Mommis often don't get to watch what they want, when they want - either because it is not appropriate viewing for a child, said child dictates what shows will be viewed at all times in a Hitler-esque manner (Mighty Machines, always - or "Bazines", as my son calls it), or you are just too effing tired to stay up to watch anything past your child's bedtime. For me, it is all of the above. So, record your faves, and watch them in 5 minutes increments, whenever you get the time :) This was particularly life-saving when my son was tiny and liked to feed around the clock; there's not much worth watching on at 4am, I tell you.
4. Smartphone: Preferably, a Blackberry. I expanded on this in another post, so won't here, but the ability to instant message, email, call, surf, look up essential phone numbers (Telehealth :S), manage your appointments, stay abreast of social networking news, take and share photos of your little monster (I mean angel), and yes, play full episodes of Mighty Machines is absolutely priceless.
That's all for now. A rather meaningless post, but I am home sick today and am sweating with this laptop on my lap, and just want to curl up and die. Virus, courtesy of daycare, of course :S Anyhow, I thought sharing a few of my favourite things would make me feel better, but it only hurt my eyes. Hope it helps you! :)
1. Shellac Manicures: Most mommis I now have the same affliction I do - we are unable to keep nail polish on for longer than an hour. Let's face it: with all that picking up of toys and scrubbing bottles and bathing babies...regular polish doesn't stand a chance. And fake nails are trashy. Sorry! Just my opinion, but in this case, my opinion is the right one :P So, mommis need Shellac. It goes on like polish, but gets cured with a UV light in between coats, and is guaranteed to last without chipping, peeling, or fading for 10 days! I have found it to last even longer than that, but then you still get grow out, so you need to change it up about every 2 weeks. There is no buffing and grinding involved, so your nails aren't damaged, and actually do grow long and healthy from it. Except I also believe long nails are trashy, too ;) So get them trimmed and stop scratching you kid accidentally. If you're in the Hamilton area, get in touch with my nail lady! Peri-Lynn of Comforts Time to Spa: 905 387 4490 or peri-lynnh@hotmail.com. I don't even know what her regular rates are because she ALWAYS has specials, so it usually costs $20 and includes the removal at the end of your 2 weeks. I also see her for eyebrow waxing, and other parts - just not you-know-where, because she's old-school and doesn't go "all the way". If you know what I mean. Oh, and when you get your Shellac, please don't get nail art - also trashy, by Accidental Supermommi standards :P Please tell her I sent you! If you are not nearby, there are lots of Spas that are now offering Shellac - just make sure it's actually the CND Shellac brand every step of the way. There are some places that cut corners and you'll end up having to have that sh!t ground off your poor, thin, and brittle nails, leaving nothing but ultra-sensitive tips that are just waiting to tear :S
2. Brazilian Blowouts: This has nothing to do with my crotch. It's for the hair on your head. Brazilian Blowouts are highly controversial because of alleged formaldehyde content, so do your research and decide what's right for you. But they do offer a formaldehyde-free line. It is not a straightening treatment; if you have curls or waves, your hair will still be curly or wavy - but it will not be FRIZZY. Even in high humidity or after getting caught in the rain. It dramatically reduces your blowdrying time (I went from 30minutes to 15minutes - and that's still doing a good job, with a round brush - a basic dry takes like 5 minutes), and minimizes the amount of processes or products you need to use. For example, before my Brazilian Blowout, if I blowdried my hair with a round brush, it would look great...for about 5 minutes, until it started to pouf and frizz. I'd have to then use a flat iron to really get it to stay nice. But now I can get away with one or the other. WIN! It also just feels nicer and looks shinier. Because it is. The way it works is: the stylist washes your hair with some sort of clarifying shampoo, then rough dries it, the applies the Brazilian Blowout solution like she would colour, then rough dries it with the product in (Ew), then flat irons it to seal it into your hair's cuticle, then washes it out and dries it for good. The whole thing takes 90 minutes and is guaranteed to last 6 weeks, but my stylist says most of her clients only do it every 6 months! I am on month 4 and am still going strong :) In the Toronto area, contact Rachelle at 416 899 1487 or whitewindbear@hotmail.com.
3. PVR: I don't think I need to go into detail o this one. Mommis often don't get to watch what they want, when they want - either because it is not appropriate viewing for a child, said child dictates what shows will be viewed at all times in a Hitler-esque manner (Mighty Machines, always - or "Bazines", as my son calls it), or you are just too effing tired to stay up to watch anything past your child's bedtime. For me, it is all of the above. So, record your faves, and watch them in 5 minutes increments, whenever you get the time :) This was particularly life-saving when my son was tiny and liked to feed around the clock; there's not much worth watching on at 4am, I tell you.
4. Smartphone: Preferably, a Blackberry. I expanded on this in another post, so won't here, but the ability to instant message, email, call, surf, look up essential phone numbers (Telehealth :S), manage your appointments, stay abreast of social networking news, take and share photos of your little monster (I mean angel), and yes, play full episodes of Mighty Machines is absolutely priceless.
That's all for now. A rather meaningless post, but I am home sick today and am sweating with this laptop on my lap, and just want to curl up and die. Virus, courtesy of daycare, of course :S Anyhow, I thought sharing a few of my favourite things would make me feel better, but it only hurt my eyes. Hope it helps you! :)
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