Tea Tree Oil

I love Tea Tree oil.

I always have. This passion dates back 10 years ago to when I was first introduced to this remarkable oil as a brand new massage therapist (Yep just another hidden talent I have. I am a real life massage therapist I just don't choose to do this as my career anymore ).

I use tea tree oil for everything from brushing my teeth to cleaning the house. It is a great antibacterial, anti fungal anti anything bad and is not too bad of a smell.

I am so dazzled by this oil that I wanted to share my newest trick with you!

About 2 months ago I decided to make homemade baby wipes for Amelia. I took a roll of bounty paper towels and mixed in some water, baby oil, baby soap, and tea tree oil. The wipes came out just fine ( i did use them on her briefly)However I quickly found myself using them in a totally different manner. Don't you just love it when you embark on something and it takes you in a completely unexpected direction.

I begin to clean the counters and window sills and just about any other surface i came in to contact within my house with these wipes. I quickly begin to notice that my house smelled lovely, there seemed to be no bugs entering the house (natural repellent) and I felt germ free.

These wipes live happily under the kitchen sink in an air tight Tupperware container and they are brought out whenever I feel the need to call them to duty. The tea tree not only sterilizes but is a natural bug repellent as well, and the smell is quite pleasant. So now not only is my house super clean and disinfected, but it also is pest free. This is double great because I have a fantastic allergy to all bug repellents and chemicals and can not use them at all.

So in light of the Swine Flu and all its glory I thought that after 2 months and the success I have encountered I would share this great oil with you and you too can be disinfected and bug repelled in a cheap and easy way.

If you have never been exposed to Tea Tree oil her are some links for you to study up on:

my favorite brand of essential oils
http://www.auracacia.com/

Wikipedia says

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_tree_oil

Cool and informative site

http://www.teatreewonders.com/natural-healing.html

And if you would like to make your own baby/cleaning wipes here is the recipe i used:

2 TBSP Baby liquid soap
2 TBSP baby oil

5 Drops Tea Tree Oil
2 Cups Water
1 roll of bounty paper towels (seem to work the best)

Cut the roll of paper towels in half and remove the cardboard liner (recycle using in crafts or compost)
You may want to unroll further to allow ease when retrieving wipes with ease later on

Place paper towels in a air tight container

Mix the above ingredients together until well blended and then pour over paper towels

Make sure paper towels are fully saturated

Then place the air tight lid on container and use wipes whenever needed.

Origins of Swinne Flu

I am a firm believer in laughter is the best medicine...

it is my understanding this is the origins of the "pandemic" sweeping our world right now!!!!

LOL!!!

Wearing pink and sippy cups

We introduced Amelia to her sippy cup. I read recently that allowing her the exposure will help her transition from bottle to cups later. Here is the pictorial details of this first attempt.

Hmmm what is this hot pink and green skull crusted new toy...

Wait a moment here...I think there is milk in this toy

Okay I am done...New Toy Please!!!

And here is Crazy mom!

And the most beautiful baby EVER!!!

Swine Flu hits the Houston Area!!!!!

Wow!

My siblings old elementary school was closed down this morning due to possible Swine Flu outbreaks. Testing is being conducted to confirm these findings. The only confirmed case so far in the Houston area is in Fort Bend county. That is just one county over and where the hubbs-to-be works. Pretty interesting.

Here is a couple of good links wit hvery good information on Swine Flu in case who have been living under a rock or something...

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html

and our local news website

http://www.click2houston.com/index.html

I know the Swine Flu is just a serious form of the flu that many of us encounter on a yearly basis, however this year my view of any illness is completely different than that of years past. I now have an infant that I do not want germs of any kind coming near her in any way shape or form. I mean come on, Amelia missed her first ever Christmas pics this year on Santa's lap because she was so tiny from her early birth that I was terrified of those crazy germs jumping off Santa's suit and into her little body. Now I am not a germ-o-phobe, but I don't want her sick either. I also do not want daddy or myself to be sick. It is hard enough to keep up with a baby while sporting a healthy body. I can not even fathom the idea of caring for the babe while running a temp of 103 and feeling fluish!!

Amazing. Little Miss Diva has already had such drama unfold here in Houston during her short life. First we had Hurricane Ike rip through our grand city shortly before her birth. Then we had SNOW here in Houston a few days before Christmas (totally unusual). We experienced the great flood this week those closed our dear city for the day, She was/is born under the first African American president during a depression (first in my lifetime). And now the Swine Flu.

All I can say is she is a Diva and the world will never be the same now that she has arrived!!!!

Cancelled Book club

Oh and one more thing...

Amelia was going to attend her first "book club" meeting today. AKA infant story time at the local library. However plans have changed due to the flooded street. No boat around to take her...so better luck next week!!

Until then she will immerse herself in the fabulous writings of Mother Goose.

Rain Rain Go Away

Come Again Some Other Day.

FLOOD DAY

Everyone has heard about "Snow days" up North. Here in the south we have "Flood days", and today is just such a day.

Last night we had a storm roll in that demonstrated that Mother Nature was a little less than impressed with us here in this fine city. I was working online when we lost electricity, so bye bye customers for the evening. Although I must admit I was not to upset about this change in plans.

The thunder roared and the lighting crashed and the rain came in sideways and with a great force...ALL NIGHT LONG. Pounding rain slammed against our bedroom window and frightened us but the pyhtmic sounds soothed the baby Diva and she slept quite nice (which is a godsend however because of the storm I yet again got no sleep LOL).

Our power restored late last night so we were able to watch the early morning reports of the weather damage on the news. We waited patiently to determine if hubbs-to-be could in fact report for work today or if we were having another FLOOD DAY. Schools begin to report in that they were closed for the day. Our local school district was the first to announce No school today! Businesses begin to report the same. Patiently we sat waiting for the darkness to dissipate and the morning light to reveal what lay before us.

The water receded on our street by first light but the destruction was still to be seen. Cars seemed to have floated up into yards. Water lines of trash and debris lay about in the lawn. The storm drains hummed as the water passed in vigorous force as the water struggled to drain away. Luckily we have no damage to our cars or our home. We thank you Mother Nature for sparing us as so many around us are suffering.

The city received a beating last night and so we have Flood day!

All the lovely Women

Not my finest moment in pictures just 2 hours after birth But here are Grandma Kathy, Meemaw, Great Granny, Me and Amelia

Check this out. Little Miss Diva is one lucky girl. She has tons of grandparents. More specifically GRANDMOTHERS...

Momma's Side

Grandma Kathy

Great Great Granny

Great Meemaw

Great Grandma Naomi

Great Grandma Rousseau

Grandma Jane

Daddy's Side

Grandma Lucy

Great Grandma Aguirre

Great Grandma

Wowsers what a lucky little girl to have so many generation of women to learn from!!!!

At my onesie shower with Amelia's Aunt Monica, Grandma Kathy, Meemaw, Grandma Lucy and Aunt Ana

5 Months and counting

HAPPY 5 MONTH BIRTHDAY MY LITTLE DIVA AMELIA!!!

Well the little Diva turns 5 months today. And as a gift to her parents she stopped sleeping!!! Woohoo my earlier bragging rights this week about how little Diva was sleeping 12 hours are being retracted at this point. Let us just pretend i never said anything. She is a playful Diva then a giant fusspod during those lovely cherished hours of night!! Oh well it was fabulous while it lasted!

WEDDING WEDDING WEDDING

WEDDING UPDATE!!!!

This in Ruby Red. No gloves. White flowers and a white masquerade wedding mask.

I am finally feeling those pangs of excitement growing inside me, or is it more of deadlines looming and kicking my butt into gear, to get this wedding planned. I can not wait to be married to my Hubbs-to-be and I am so excited to have chosen Las Vegas as our venue. What better to go with wedding vows that the SINFUL city!!! Wooohooo

I have chosen my dress and now i just need to go and purchase it. It is a RUBY princess ball gown poofy skirt and I absolutely love it. I felt like a giant sparkly lobster when i tired it on. Just kidding. It felt great and i did feel very poofy and happy tucked inside this great gown. I still feel that way about it a month later, so it must be a keeper!!! I am very excited about it and yes i will have matching flip flops on under the gown for those of you wondering if i will adorn these bare loving feet with real shoes...absolutely not!

I have decided to carry a white bouquet of tulips hand tied and embellished with peacock feathers. My 3 bridesmaids will be in a black dress of their choosing ( I have given them free reign in this decision to go as crazy or as simple as they want. I mean we are in Las Vegas it is on Halloween and is a masquerade ball). Their arms will be adorned with a wristlet corsage of tulips and feathers and a gorgeous masquerade mask on a stick will hide their identities to all those who try and gaze upon their sparkling beauty.

The 2 groomsmen will have a small white boutonniere carefully placed upon the lapel of the black attire (of the hubbs-to-be's choosing) and gorgeous masquerade face masks to hide their wandering expressions of joy to be a participant in this lavish event. My hubbs-to-be will sport a bright red flower(I am still trying to decide what at this time) on his lapel of the black attire of his choosing and a full face masquerade mask to be removed at the unveiling of being my PRINCE during that magic moment when he may kiss his bride.

These exceptional masquerade nuptials will be sealed in a beautiful ceremony atop the fabulous bridge on Halloween 2009 at 3:30pm in the afternoon in Venice..well The Venetian in Las Vegas! Shortly after this incredible joining of two fabulously sheek people, drinks will follow at the Very Venice bar near the bridge. Then it is off to ride the roller coasters of Las Vegas in full wedding get up followed by a CRAZY night of anything can happen.

Well that is about as much as i have gotten done right now...writing it all out. Now i need to order the flowers, order the masks, order the dress, etc etc. I also need to start planning the reception which is to follow back at home on Nov 7 at the family compound. Oh no!! I feel that headache coming back again!!

Revenge and death in the Illiad

Revenge and death in the Illiad

Happy Happy Earth Day

And so the day begins today with a baby temperature of 100.1. However my little Diva in training seems not to be effected by this heated increase of her body. She continued on with her scheduled early morning photo shoot in honor of earth day at the fabulously sheek location known to the world as "Our backyard" under the Oleander bush. And yes she did give us a quick pose by the compost bin as well in honor of this glorious help restore the earth day. Go Green Baby Go!!

It is assumed at this time that little Diva may be spawning her first tooth and thus the temperature of her young body is elevated. A dose of Tylenol and a lovely nap in the lavish mom's bed and we will see the outcome of this interesting earth day surprise.

So is it totally terrible that on this earth day I find myself already done with the gardening, laundry, dishes and various other household duties for the day (And it is barely 11am) and I am totally enjoying sitting here writing on my blog, working on some articles, watching the first season of Sex and the City on DVD and not really feeling the need to go out and save the world. So maybe my tree hugging self is only hugging a small baby tree right now and not a big oak! Am I incredibly bad or just a worn out mommy who is waiting for her possibly teething fever ridden babe to awake so we can play some more!!!

ANOTHER WARDROBE CHANGE AND YET ANOTHER SKILL LEARNED

Okay seriously my kiddo here is learning way to quick!! As much as I think or rather I know (LOL) she is the most advanced super knowledgeable perfect child who has ever graced this planet, I am myself am in shock of all these new accomplishments happening so FAST!! First back on march 7 she laughed, then on the 18th she rolled over from the front to back. ok spread out time there. Then she began to giggle and communicate and really talk to us revealing each growing day more and more of that beautiful personality blossoming like the gorgeous daisies in the yard. Then within the last 24 hours she has learned to roll from her back to front and over again, how to scoot or "crawldrag" across the floor and NOW...

Look mom I can sit up on my own now!!!

What is next??? Will her college applications arrive stamped with ACCEPTED FULL ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP!!!!! LOL

Here is how it happened. We had another wardrobe change after lunch (of course just because we like to change out look not at all because we were dirty) and then I was setting up for the afternoon photo shoot when out of no where little Miss Amelia decided to grace me with yet another new talent.

MORNING WARDROBE CHANGES

SORRY BOYS I ONLY DATE ROCKSTARS!!!!

HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS LITTLE FACE????

I GOT EM MOM! I CAUGHT THOSE ESCAPING TOES!!!!

Scooty Butt

So Baby Amelia has picked up yet another new skill. She has learned the art of the scooty butt pull crawl movement. At the ripe young age of almost 5 months old (we have until Saturday to hit this official anniversary) my wonderful child is now crawling bound. Yep i must now head off to babies r us to purchase the appropriate equipment to lock down the house from exploring babies! Ha!! Go baby! Oh yes and she also mastered rolling from her back to her stomach! ALL in one day!!!

Now I must almost mention my glorious happiness in that my scoot butt girl is also sleeping 12 hours straight at night...this week!!! I sure hope this marvelous skill sticks around for a while!!

1 week shy of 5 months old

Well a week from today and Amelia will be 5 months old. It is so hard to believe. Motherhood is still the greatest adventure I have ever endured; however it is also the hardest. A few quick updates on Amelia's milestones:

1. she is officially rolling over

2. she is reaching for toys and is able to identify ones she likes and dislikes

3. She "talks"

4. She had her first fever and little cold

5. She went and had her pictures made in the Texas Bluebonnets wearing mommy's dress

I love being a mom and mothering Amelia. Being with her every day and watching her grow and her future unfold each second really is the greatest gift. I could not ask for a greater happiness in life. It never fails that when I am at my wits end and so super frustrated Amelia will again embark on a curious new achievement that brings nothing but joy and warmth and happiness to my heart. I thank the higher being for this marvelous gift of life I am a part of.