Vital Rain Product Review

I was given the opportunity to review some products produced by Vital Rain. The thing that drew me to this company, other than the people who run it are amazing, is that their products are 100% plant derived and toxin free. You can read and pronounce every single ingredient on their products.

I'm sure that most people think, "They gave you free stuff, of course you'll say that you love it." That has never been the case in the past, nor will it ever be the case in the future. When I wrote my horse blog, there were a few times that I got products and was not that impressed. I did contact the company, told them my thoughts and did offer to NOT write about it. 

When we landed in Pennsylvania, the products were at my parents house waiting for us. I've used them daily since then on the Bug and myself. We were given the opportunity to try their Baby Shampoo and Body Wash, Tushie Ointment, Mineral and Dead Sea Bath Salts, and Quick Heal. 

The first product we used was the Tushie Ointment. In the middle of the night, right after we got home, Bug somehow got a rash on his leg. His jams came unbuttoned, and he had peed through is diaper. His little legs rubbed together and chaffed. I guess that's what happens when you have chubby little legs, not that I'd know. It was red and swollen and looked so painful. I first put some of the Quick Heal on it and then the Tushie Ointment. 

Poor Bug's leg

I decided to stick with the Tushie Cream since it had coconut oil in it, and was for a rash. The whole thing was cleared up by the next day! I was impressed. I did manage to use the Quick Heal for myself. If you know me in real life, you know I have weird allergies to weird things. I had used some cream for chapstick when we landed, and my lips became red and swollen and super dry. If they didn't hurt so bad, it would have been an awesome way to get some enhancement. I wasn't sure what to put on them since the last time this happened (because of course I'd try this same stupid trick twice) it took three of four days and they hurt the entire time. I figured the Quick Heal was for healing, right? Why not. I put it on three times and it cut my healing time in half. Within a day and a half they were no longer red and swollen. Good to know since I'm sure I'll do the same stupid thing again. 

I almost feel like I can't give the next two products a proper review. They are lavender scented, and I love the smell SO MUCH that they could have not worked at all and I'd still love them. I used the Shampoo on Bug and have to say that it lathers up much better than I expected, and even better than the shampoo I was using. The smell is divine and it left his squeaky clean. What more does a momma want? I love that I can read everything on the label and that it is tear free. Bug smelled so good after his bath that I didn't want to put him to bed. Poor kid. Doesn't like snuggles to begin with, and he had his momma sniffing his head for an extra ten minutes.

The last product that I reviewed, I used my own way. The directions on the container said to put it into your bath, or to use it on your hands by the sink.  I took it into the shower and used it as a scrub. O-M-G! My gross winter skin felt AMAZING after my own personal spa treatment. It was amazing. 

When I read reviews I always think somethings "up" when the entire thing is one big glowing recommendation. So I'll add this. I didn't realize that the label wasn't water proof, and it made me sad when I put it in the shower with me and ruined it! Opps. 

I love Vital Rain and will definitely be ordering more of it soon! 

Want a chance to try Vital Rain yourself? For followers of my blog, you can enter to win a Tushie Cream Ointment AND Shampoo! (I might enter myself!) The contest ends Sunday night at Midnight (and if the Seahawks lose, it might take a day or two for me to recover and hit the "select a winner button." ) There are 7 chances to enter! It's easy to enter. Click on each arrow and follow the directions. If you already follow the blog page, you still need to click on the arrows! Good Luck!! 

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County Prison Tutoring #TBT

When I was a Junior in college I signed up for a class that seemed easy. I got three credits, and a grant paid for them, for tutoring inmates at the county jail. A friend of mine signed up to do this, and went to the prison for our first day.

The Warden took his job very seriously. You would have thought that I was there to sneak a man out in my bag. He went over what we were allowed to talk about and not talk about. When we walked back to the library (where we were tutoring) there were cells on both sides of the hallway. Keep in mind that this was a male prison...I'm 21....and probably the first girl they've seen in months. Talk about feeling loved (kidding.)

We went into the room and got out our supplies. We were going to help the guys get their GED. The guards told us not to put up with any crap, and they were across the hall. It went well. The guys were nice and told hilarious stories. We went every Monday for weeks. During that time the guys all told me what they had done to be in the jail. Most of them had done some form of burglary. One guy, we'll call him Big Ed, would not tell me what he did. I didn't press it.

A few more weeks, and my friend was sick. A few of the other guys were on lock down for mouthing off to the guards, so there was just Big Ed and me. We were working on some basic multiplication when he said, "I guess you really want to know, hu." I was confused as to what he was talking about. I thought he meant the answer to the math problem.

Me: "Hu?"

Big Ed: "What I did to get in here."

Me: "Only if you want to tell me."

Big Ed went on to tell me how he was at a bar drinking and ran out of money. He decided it was a good life choice to go in his truck to the nearest ATM. When he got there, he realized he did not have his card to get money out, but he did have a large chain. He took the chain and wrapped it around the machine and drove off with it.

Me: (Holding back tears from biting my cheeks to keep from laughing.) "Oh."

Big Ed: "That's why you don't drink beer out of pitchers."

Sneaky Bug

When I came to Pennsylvania to visit family I brought our video monitor with me. I am glad that I did. The little bugger is getting too smart for his own good.

Since we started doing our own version of sleep training, he has been AWESOME (knock on wood) at going to bed and taking naps. He went from napping 20 minutes 3 times a day to taking two hour to two hour naps. He's not on a schedule, but I just do a better job of watching his cues.

ANYWAY. Sometimes, Bug is overtired. When he gets overtired, he WILL NOT SLEEP. He has figured out a sneaky way of getting out of a nap. Example: Today.

Today he was really grumpy and tired. I put him into his bed and tucked him in for his afternoon nap. He didn't make a peep. When he's over tired, usually he cries a little for a minute or two. Nope. Nothing. I walked out of the room and turned on the monitor.

There, on the screen was Bug staring at the door. Not saying a word. Next he grabbed his Mr. Frog (pacifier and played with that for a while) then he walked around his crib and knocked on the wall. He played with his Elmo, and after about 20 minutes he started to cry the cry he does when he wakes up from his nap.

Nice try Bug. Nice try. He did end up taking a nap.

He's getting smarter by the day. I'm in trouble.

Molson

April 27, 2004 - January 21, 2014

I don't even have the words that he deserves.

On an August day in 2004, I became a first time mom. My new baby was a 4 month old golden retriever who desperately needed love and room to run. He was everything that I ever wanted in a dog. He was my first baby and the love of my life. At the time, my now husband and I had been dating for also 4 months. He has been around almost our entire relationship. I got the rights to name him on his papers, and named him Mojo Rising, aka Molson.

Molson, like any good Golden, was a puppy through and through. He loved babies (stuffed animals) and would tear them apart in 30 seconds flat. We'd take him for hikes and he'd run and run and run. When he was about 6 months old I signed him up for Puppy Class.

It started out bad. He wouldn't listen and as much as I tried after our first week he was WAY behind his classmates. The teacher pulled me aside and said "maybe he wasn't ready." Being the stubborn person that I am we kept going back and trying. I'd work with him outside of class, and we'd go back the next week. We were always a little behind.

At the end of class we had the option to take a certification test to see if we would be good candidates to be a therapy dog (visit nursing homes) and I signed him up. When we got there my boyfriend (now husband) was asked to sit in a chair. The dogs had to walk past him and ignore him. Molson, LOVED HIM. I knew there was no way that we were going to make it past him without Molson trying to go to him.

There was a variety of obstacles. Boyfriend was at the end of the course and I was sure that it wasn't going to go well. Well, when we got to him, I was suppose to stop, Molson was suppose to stop, and sit while looking at me. AND HE DID IT.

He was the best dog ever. When we decided to move to Seattle, I asked my dad to keep him for me. We were moving to a city, and had no idea where we were going to live and I didn't think it was fair that to take a 90 pound dog who was use to running on 5 acres.

For the past 7 years he has lived a wonderful life with my parents. I have missed him so much, and always looked forward to seeing him when we came home to visit. He really was the best dog ever. Even if he hadn't seen me for months, he'd step right back into my shadow and wouldn't leave my side.

Last summer, while we were home with Bug, Molson got a cough. We took him to the vet and found out that he had lung cancer. Never smoked a day in his life. The vet said he could have a day, a week, a month. By some miracle, he had 5 more months. He passed away peacefully in his sleep laying in his favorite spot in front of the wood burner. I'm glad that I was able to be here and to see him again. I'm sad that he passed away on his own, and I hope that he knows how much he was loved. I don't even remember if I told him I loved him today. He was so loved and will be so missed.

Owning a dog is a countdown to heartbreak.

Molson circ. 2004

Weekend Update

Yesterday, I spent 6 hours in the car driving my husband to the airport so he could fly back to Alaska and go to work. Stupid work. Bug stayed with my parents, and it was the longest he has ever been away from  me. Do you think he was excited to see me at all? NO. The kid just wanted his Grandpa. Nothing like feeling the love there.

In the middle of driving down and back from the airport, I stopped at the Outlet Mall to buy some clothes for Bug. I can't believe that he is in 12 month clothes already and almost into 18 depending on the brand. They need a "rent-an-outfit" business out there...It would be much cheaper in the long run!

This past weekend Bug was baptized. I thought for sure that he would throw a massive fit at some point. He had to get up early, and make it to the church (on time.) We tossed him into his adorable suit, which didn't fit around his little chubby neck. His nap was suppose to be at 10am, and it was closer to noon before we put him down. The good little guy went right (well, almost right) down for his nap.

So much craziness for one day, and he was so good.

In other news, today Bug is officially 9 months old. Sunday we were able to see our friend's newborn son. He is two weeks old and holding him makes Bug look like a toddler.  He's growing up so fast. On Saturday he said his first clear word, he's said Mamamama before, but on Saturday he said, "done."

Sunday Confessions #insecurities

Sunday Confession is the brainchild of More Than Cheese and Beer.  Everyone is welcome to participate.  You can link your blog or post your confession in the comments section of her Sunday      Confession, or send anonymous confessions to her via Facebook or Twitter (@MKitchenWitch).

       When I saw this weeks #confession, I almost didn't write. I almost skipped it and made up an excuse as to why I wasn't going to write it. You see, I spent most of my life feeling insecure and that caused anxiety a lot. 

     I spent most of my life worrying that people didn't like me, and would go out of my way to do things for them to make sure that they did. THAT was stupid. I still worry, but not as much. I feel like it's hard to list my insecurities and I'm 99% sure if you look up the word my photo should be next to many of the definitions (and it's probably a bad photo.) 

     LUCKILY, I have an amazing husband, and while I always question why HE is with ME, reminds me that I am a good person. I still hate confrontation. I am passive aggressive and I HATE when people fight. You may find that funny, especially since I spent 8 years working with students with emotional/behavioral problems. They helped me to learn to accept confrontation the most and how to deal with fighting. You think that as a teacher, I would teach my students, and I did...and I personally think I was damn good at it (once in awhile.) My students though, taught me the most. That if I was myself (my sarcastic, sarcastic self) and told them how I felt that they liked me more. Honesty is the best policy, right? Between my husband and my students I have grown into a person that I am today. The anxiety monster still hangs out, but he is better behaved. 

     I still worry that people won't like me, and sometimes don't act like myself at first. I worry when I DO act like myself that they don't like me. So, lots of worrying...about everything. It's stupid. I worry that people won't like this blog. I remind myself that I didn't start this for you (but love that you read it.) I started this for myself, as a way to document Bug, life, and everything in between. Also, and it is equally stupid,  but when people "unlike" the FB page I get worried that I did something to piss them off...then I realize that not everyone wants to hear about moose and me rambling. 

     So in the words of Stewart, "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me." (At least I hope they do!!)

Traveling with a Baby

Or "My own personal hell."

This was the third time that I have traveled with Bug on a plane. The last time we flew to the East Coast it was out of Seattle, and also a red eye. I think that the reason(s) that it went so well was that 1. It was overnight and 2. Bug just wanted to be snuggled up next to me.

This time it was night also, which you'd "think" would pay into our favor. WRONG. Bug went down Tuesday night like normal. While we were finishing packing (or starting, I'm not discussing it) we lost power. That was not a good omen for the rest of the day.

When we woke Bug up at 10 pm to leave for the airport he started to scream (and scream, and scream.) We put him in his car seat, and pulled out of the garage. He eventually calmed down. We tried a bottle, changed his diaper (all before we left.) I blamed the damn teeth. We had gone to the doctors earlier in the day because he just didn't seem himself. He has two coming in at the same time. LUCKY KID.

Once we got on the road it was about 30 minutes to the airport. Bug, thankfully, fell back asleep and I hopped that the rest of the trip would be smooth.

Wrong. (BUT, it could always be worse.)

We got to the airport and put Bug and his car seat on the airport stroller (thing that turns your car seat into a stroller.) I thought, "Okay. He's still asleep. There is hope." WRONG. Right after we checked in, Bug woke up. Not only did he wake up, he woke up screaming. I ended picking him up, and his dad wheeled his carrier AND all of our stuff. We looked like such a hot mess, that the TSA sent us our own personal guy to help us go through security.

Once we got to the gate, we let Bug crawl around since he was WIDE AWAKE. Once we got on the plane, Bug was GRABBING EVERYTHING. The guy in front of us, the guy next to us, EVERYTHING. I offered earplugs (and in reality I should have offered liquor.) He started crying, and would.not.stop. The little guy was SO TIRED. His dad tried holding him, I tried holding him. NOTHING. Finally after about two hours in the air (so around 3:30 am) Bug FINALLY fell asleep, across his dad and me. We got about an hour of sleep.

Once we got to Seattle we grabbed breakfast and I wrestled Bug for a diaper change. Bug spent our layover flirting with everyone and managed to cut his finger.

By some miracle, we got into Business Class (whatever the leg room rows are called) and there was an empty seat in our row. It was SO MUCH BETTER. He was still into everything, but liked looking out the window. He fell asleep before we were even in the air, and I got to enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and the sunrise over Mt. Rainer.

When we landed in Chicago, about 3 minutes after getting off the plane, Bug had the most epic of blow outs. POOP EVERYWHERE! I was so thankful that he decided to do that off the plane, because you could smell it EVERYWHERE.

The last flight wasn't too bad. It was only an hour (but they couldn't get the engine started, but made sure to tell us to not worry.) We gave Bug some more Tylenol, and he seemed pretty content.

Once we made it to Pittsburgh we had a 3 hour drive home. At this point Bug had had it. At one point even Tylenol wouldn't cut it. He just started screaming (it's okay buddy, I wanted to scream too.) My husband pulled off of the interstate, and into a parking lot of a farm store.

About 2 minutes after pulling into the parking lot, the state cops showed up. The cop pulled up to our window and asked us what we were doing. During this time, Bug was still screaming. The cop asked what we were doing, and over the screams my husband said, "teething baby." The cop wished us luck and drove off. I told my husband he was probably afraid we'd ask to turn him in. (No internet, we would never turn him in.)

Overall, LONGEST TRIP EVER. I'm thinking of driving back to Alaska. It sounds less torturous.

Also, if you're on Facebook, check out the FBX Adventure page for a giveaway.