Appologies and Appothecaries

My word, it has been a long time since I have posted. Although my intentions have been sincere, the sickness of my daughter, then myself, then a week long (and much needed) working vacation has kept me from faithful communication. And now, as I am preparing for a big event next week, today's post is going to be short and sweet.
Because of my growing belly (25 weeks tomorrow!) and all the other wonderful symptoms that come along with pregnancy, I have been searching out and experimenting with ways to relax. Let's face it, I don't have the time or the money to visit a spa once a month, so I typically must come up with my own treatments. There are many, many ways to pamper yourself on the cheap at home, so today I am sharing just one of my current favourites.
I'm sure that if there was a poll of mothers to find out what the most common pregnancy complaints are, a general discomfort in the torso region and lack of energy would be in the top five. In my attempts to alleviate the former, I have taken to enjoying a nice warm bath at least once a week after the little one is in bed. Time to relax, read a book or a magazine, or yes, I admit, paint my toe nails... that is, if I can still reach them. The warm water feels wonderful on my expanding waistline, and the weightless quality of it relieves the pressure in my back. When I started wondering about making my weekly ritual into more of a treatment, I started using "extras" such as bubble bath, a candle, cucumber slices... but the best thing I have come up with thus far is a wonderful mix of relaxing and energizing:
Lively Lavender Bath.... Gook. Don't let that last part frighten you, it's only a strange, pasty, gritty gook until you melt it into your bath water. Then it turns into a delightful little miracle. This is how you do it.
Combine 1/8 cup Epsom salts with 1 Teaspoon honey (raw is best), 1 Teaspoon avocado or olive oil and a few drops each of Lavender oil and peppermint or eucalyptus oil. Stir into your bath and enjoy! The salts are soothing, the honey helps to draw toxins out of your skin, the avocado oil contains omega fatty acids and moisturizes wonderfully, and the heavenly scents of lavender and eucalyptus invite you to relax and revive.
Any other favourites out there?

How To Get Crayola Off Your Kitchen Appliances

My 18 month old blessed me with this dilemma today, therefore this afternoon I offer to you the solution. Or should I say A solution, for there are, in fact, more than one. As I stood looking at my suddenly very colourful refrigerator door this morning and tried not to laugh in front of my daughter (who was incredibly proud of her masterpiece), I had to wonder. Wax. You don't dissolve it, you don't bleach it... how do you get rid of it? I tried a few different things.
1. A dry cloth and some elbow grease. Oh, it was working, but it took a LOT of elbow grease. More than this pregnant momma was willing to muster up.
2. All purpose cleaner. Yes, this was working as well, but it still required an awful lot of elbow grease and my arms were already tired from solution #1.
3. Nylon scraper. You know, the one you're supposed to use for ceramic and glass topped cook stoves. Fail.
4. Good old baking soda and a damp rag. This worked wonders. minimal effort, excellent results and no worries if my daughter tries to do something else to the refrigerator... like lick it. She does like to lick things.