Ever since Georgie turned 2, he’s been suffering from atopic dermatitis otherwise known as eczema. His condition, which includes red patches, itching and scaly skin would take a turn for the worse during the summer months. Excessive bathing and swimming pools would dry his skin causing it to lose moisture. I tried numerous products, both organic and non, with vague results. Nothing seemed to work and rid him from excessive scratching until someone mentioned Aloe Vera. If you use creams or oils based on aloe, great! But what I cannot recommend enough is the actual plant and the gel you find within the leaves. A good friend gave me an Aloe Vera plant ages ago, when we were still living in the flat sans baby. When we moved, I took it with me and planted it in our garden. Little did I know that this little plant, which by the way requires minimal maintenance and knowledge to grow, would become a life-saver.
children
There is a slight chance some will find this post offensive. I can only hope that is not the case. I am about to touch on the topic of cultures and religions, something I was sure would never be mentioned on the blog due to the obvious sensitivity of the matter. However, this piece is based on my own experiences and thoughts, as a mother and individual and something that happened to me recently. I am not here to tell you what you should or should not believe in. Far from it. I believe the world is beautiful due to the mixture that exists, more so in terms of culture than religion. It seems though, that my view is not shared by all, something I am completely aware of. Then there’s the matter of hate and extreme, which again I am aware of but do not and will never understand. When it hits too close to home, I cannot remain quiet anymore.
Packing Georgie’s lunch box is, apparently, a thrilling task. I have so much fun with it (most times) and try to include exciting yet healthy options. Apart from the school’s ‘no nut policy’, which means peanut butter is out of the question (boohoo) I think the possibilities are endless. I set time aside in the evening to get as much as I can ready for the morning and always keep in mind that I am feeding a three-year old, so small portions and bite-sized pieces are key. I photographed some of the lunches and snacks I put together during Georgie’s first and second week. Let’s see how long this lasts! (ha!)
Displaying Georgie’s art has been on my list of things-to-do for an embarrassingly long time. I have a folder where I keep not only Georgie’s musings but also my godson’s and niece and nephew’s. But there’s always one favourite hanging on the side of the fridge or sitting clumsily on the blackboard in the pantry. So it was about time I got some wire, two nails and a few pegs and created a little art corner.
Yay for painting, right? It keeps kids occupied for a ridiculous amount of time and there is unlimited creativity involved. It is something that Georgie and I do often. We love painting stones, sticks, cardboard boxes, wooden toys and anything else I can get my hands on. But then there are times when creating a beautiful mess is not what I have in mind and the last thing I need is a toddler running around with black paint on his hands. Enter Water Painting. It deserves to come in capitals because it is such an awesome no-brainer. All you need is a bowl of water, paint brushes and somewhere to set those little ones free. The only problem I had with this activity was trying to explain why the painting was disappearing. But trust me, if there’s water in the mix, you won’t get any complaints.