ACV Diaper & Yeast Rash Cure

Mama's Stock Up on Your Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar!

Even though my tot is no longer wearing diapers during the day, we are not free from the occasional stubborn rash (especially with the Florida summer heat).

For almost two weeks I had be lathering on the BEST products on the market in hopes of curing my daughters painful rash. Nothing was working. I had resorted myself to the fact that it was time to make an appointment with her pediatrician.

After searching online in hopes of finding another remedy, I came across a few moms who recommended Raw Apple Cider Vinegar. I just happen to have a bottle in my pantry and immediately drew a small mid-day bath for my daughter to soak in.

I filled the tub just enough to cover the "problem area" and added 1-1.5 cups of Bragg Raw Apple Cider Vinegar. She sat and played in the tub for 15 minutes. I patted her dry and crossed my fingers. By bedtime the rash was significantly less red. Day 2 - I soaked her a second time. By end of day - it was 50% cleared. I WAS SHOCKED!

Was it Heat Rash? Chaffing? Yeast? I have no idea - all I know is that within 4 days it was completely gone!!!

I now keep that ACV bottle in the bathroom closet!

When she wakes up in the morning and we change her out of nigh time diaper, I now keep a small spray bottle of 8oz of filtered water mixed with 3 Tbsp ACV. I spray her and off we go - rash free!

ACV may not work for everything but it is a scientifically proven anti-fungal and candida growth inhibitor. I only wish I knew how well it worked sooner.

XO

Maria

#naturalremedies #acvhacks #diaperrashcure #eczema #applecidervinegar #bragg #allnatural

Potty Talk

IT'S OFFICIAL... Sabrina is 99% POTTY TRAINED at 21.5 months old!!!

No dirty diapers in over 3.5 weeks (except for nighttime) 🙌 👶🏻 🚽

There is a lot of talk about when you should begin potty training your child. Some start Elimination Communication as infants, some wait until their child is 3+. Some even believe that early potty training can be somehow detrimental to your child (Sabrina can blame me as an adult for whatever psychological problems this may have caused her 🙄).

I personally believe there is no right answer. I believe that you should follow cues from your children and when they are ready, they will do it. Don't worry your child is not going to go off to college not knowing how to use the toilet.

I chose a combination of Elimination Communication, Charlotte Mason Habit Training and plain old Mom instincts to potty train my tot. Here is how our potty journey began.

At 14 months old (Christmas Day to be exact) we gave Sabrina a potty. She was “showing interest” over the past few months (wanting to mimic Mommy). We purchased the Fischer Price Learn-to-Flush potty from Amazon. She was so excited to sit on it until she actually went in it & flushed (it makes potty sounds, musical ditties, lights, and “twirling water” action) She was startled to say the least. So I immediately removed the batteries and we were happy again. To this day it is still disconnected. It's very cute even without the sounds.

Our training started with a simple goal of sitting once a day regardless of if she actually went potty (this didn’t always happen but we tried). With a fun bin of her favorite books beside her we quickly got into a routine. Our favorite potty books are Prudence and the Potty, A Potty for Me and Elmo's Potty Time Songs . Since she was only 1 and could not verbally communicate to me that she needed to go potty, my goal was to just get her comfortable with the idea. Each time she sat down we would grab a book and begin to read, I started incorporating the pssss psss psss sound while we sat. Sabrina began to associate this sound with going, and before long I could set her on the potty, make the sound, and she would go.

We hit highs and lows as we progressed over the months (regression is normal, take a break and try again in a few weeks), soon we were able to stop making sounds and she knew what sitting down on the potty was for. As she began to communicate more with cues and sometimes words I was able to pinpoint the best times to try. We introduced her to her Minnie Mouse “big girl panties” at about 20 months only using them when we were at home. This was to get her associated with the feeling of “wet” and not having the comfort of a diaper.

Over the last month we have focused on going potty using public restrooms, which she picked up quickly and went without a fuss (she is still very little for an adult potty so she sits at the very back of the seat). No more hunting for a public changing table!!!

Over the last two weeks she has come to realize the feeling of going #2 and knowing that that too goes into the potty. Only a potty training parent can understand the joy in hearing your tot say "Poo-Poo Go" get up and walk themselves to the potty! 🙌 #success

Potty training did not happen in a weekend. It was an 8 month long journey filled with laughter and sometimes tears, but in the end Sabrina gained understanding, independence, and is proud of herself each time she goes (plus we have saved a boatload of $$$ not buying diapers)!

Happy Potty Training!

XO

Maria

P.S. Here are some things we did NOT do while potty training.

1: Reward System (no stickers, treats, etc.)

2: Put the potty in the kitchen or living room (the potty stayed in the bathroom)

3: Discipline her when she had an accident (When she would have an accident, we would explain to her what happened and re-explain and show her where we go to the bathroom)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding

Chocolate Peanut Butter, Oats, Coconut Chips, Bananas...OH MY!

This is our new go-to breakfast or mid-day snack...even my 21 month old loves it!

With these simple ingredients it's hard to mess up.

I absolutely LOVE the PB2 products, I use them in everything! From protein shakes, pancakes, muffins, and now Chia Seed Pudding. (Find it on Amazon HERE)

Recipe

Wisk the following ingredients together in a bowl:

Feel free to substitute ingredients with the brands you love.

1/4 Cup - Chia Seeds (I purchased the Simply Balanced Organic Chia Seeds from Target)

1.5 Cups - Unsweetened Original Almond Milk (I used Great Value (Walmart) brand.)

You may need to adjust the Almond Milk ratio as needed - be sure the mixture is not too dry as it will expand and soak up the almond milk overnight.

1 Cup - PB2 Chocolate Powdered Peanut Butter (I stock up on Amazon with this twin pack https://amzn.to/2npyRJ3)

1/2 Cup - Ground Rolled Oats (I grind them up in my Nutribullet, but you can leave them whole as well for a chunky overnight-oats consistency.)

2 Tbsp - Organic Agave Nectar ( I use Trader Joe's brand)

After the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, cover the bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight 24 hrs. After 24 hours remove from refrigerator, stir, and add additional almond milk if needed.

Serve and enjoy with sliced bananas and Coconut Chips or on it's own!

I LOVE the Coconut Beach brand Coconut Chips (I found them at Dollar Tree and purchased 12 bags!!! 😬 If you have purchased the Bare brand toasted coconut chips you know they start around $3.50 for a 3.3 oz bag. The Coconut Beach brand at Dollar Tree is a 4oz bag for only $1...can't beat it + they taste amazing!)

Hope you enjoy this recipe and if you have any yummy chia seed recipes, feel free to share!

XO, Maria