all about delish

Have you seen the growing items of delish naturals that we carry in our shop lately? From bug spray to deodorant and many other items in between, Delish has a wide variety of goodies for you to enjoy!

I [Andi] am here today to tell you about one product in particular: The Delish Naturals Pucker Lip Balm. Now, I would have to say that I am pretty much an expert when it comes to lip balm. I confess that I have an e.x.t.r.e.m.e. addiction to lip balms and I use stuff on my lips countless times every day.

Let me just paint a picture for you...Before trying the Delish Lip Balm, I was using Vaseline. I had a huge tub of it on my bedside table, one on the counter in my bathroom, and another one on my kitchen counter. Then of course I had a travel-size tube in my purse. I can literally not go ANYWHERE without having my lip stuff with me. My lips need to constantly feel moisturized.

Anyway, I'm getting side-tracked. Enough about the details of my not-so-secret addiction and on to the details of the Delish lip balm!

This stuff is really, really good. And like I said - with my expertise [I tried MANY different kinds of chapsticks/lip balms before I finally had settled on Vaseline several years ago], I have a lot to compare it to. I love everything about this stuff - the size, the way it feels, the way it smells/tastes - it's all good!

The current stock comes in little jars but the new ones will come in cute little tins as shown in the picture. But both don't take up a lot of space in your purse [or on your bathroom counter!] - and the jars/tins can also be re-used when the lip balm is gone. When mine is empty, I plan to use it for keeping a stash of pain/cold medication in my purse!

These also have yummy flavors that are far better than just the plain ol' "flavor" of Vaseline. B-O-R-I-N-G! But not these! Coconut Cream, Peppermint Stick, Watermelon Granita are the ones currently in stock. I myself am using the Coconut Cream and it is perfection. It's a strong enough flavor to taste it, but not at all overpowering.

I love the way it makes my lips feel, too. So soft and smooth. And the best part? I can go long durations without having to re-apply [although with how much I enjoy it, it's tempting to re-apply more than necessary just because it tastes so good!].

If you are an 'addict' like myself - or just like to have something on hand for those rare moments when your lips feel dried and cracked - the Delish Pucker Lip Balm is the way to go! But don't take my word for it. Give it a try for yourself and see what you think. It will be $4 well spent!

Snag one up while you can and let me know what you think! Don't see a scent you want to try? Email pamj@tinytreehuggerdiapers.com to pre-order yours. We are ordering soon!

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One of our loyal customers, Kristin B. is pregnant with her 3rd child and has this to say about the Delish Mango Mama Bump Butter. :

I hate lotion. I hate creams. And I hate body butters. But I LOVE the Mango Mama Bump Butter by Delish Naturals! Want to know why? There are three reasons, actually.

Reason one: You don't have to touch it to apply it. I think that's why I don't use creams and lotions and body butters--you have to rub them on and I don't like the feeling of greasy palms. It's terrible to say, but I'll wait as long as possible--until my skin is itchy and red--before I apply lotions and creams. But I don't wait with the Bump Butter... I use it all the time!The deodorant-style bar is fantastic!!

[Photo by Kristin]

Reason two: It's not sticky or greasy. The right amount goes on each and every time. With the handy twist-up applicator, you just pop off the lid, swipe over the belly [and other growing areas] and you're done! It doesn't soak through clothing and it doesn't stain, either. [And it even helps hold up my over-the-belly pants ;p]

Reason three: The whole family loves it! My daughter is officially my Bump Butter helper. She likes to help me keep my growing belly moisturized. And Hubs likes to use it when he massages my poor aching back--it turns his rough tile-setters hands into smooth tile-setters hands.



I have a different set of stretch marks from each of my two children and I'm hoping to not add a third set of stretch marks. And THAT'S why I'm using Mango Mama Bump Butter.

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Can you tell? We LOVE Delish Naturals! [Bonus - it's Made in CANADA too!]

AMP One Size Diaper Giveaway!!

 

So...we think it's time for another give-away over here - what about you? Thanks to AMP Diapers, we have an AMP one-size sweet lil' diaper up for grabs! These diapers combine both the benefits of the All-in-two diaper and the pocket diaper all in a one size. They also provide three different rise options and multiple tummy and thigh settings for a custom fit right from birth to potty training stage! 

And the feel of these beauties? You can be sure your baby is enjoying superb comfort with the soft layer of microfleece inside to keep baby dry and comfortable. The outer layer is also soft; a durable laminated PUL. 

And that's not all - stuffing the insert is simple, and removing the insert is easy AND mess-free due to the large envelope opening.

 

So what do you think? Would you love to have one of these in your stash? The winner will get to pick an AMP one size diaper of their choice - including the NEW Spot print. How delish would this look on your baby's bottom?

Follow the instructions below for how to enter - and make sure you do what the entry says in order for it to count! Contest ends July 20th 2012 at 12:01AM. Contest is open to US and Canadian residents.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The One about Infertility

Welcome Jodi - our guest blogger and PamJ's friend for over 10 years!

[Pam and Jodi]

My infertility journey (which I am still on) has been the most difficult and painful experience I have ever been through. However it has also shown me that no matter what anyone says I am a strong person. Stronger then I even knew!

We started trying back in June 2010. We were very excited about the whole process. 6 months later we just assumed my body was taking a while to get back to normal after coming off BCP. At this point my husband had some tests done and everything came back normal. 6 months after that and still nothing. We were in denial and made excuses (stress from work, timing, etc.). 6 more months, putting us at 18 months, I finally reached out to some professionals. My family doctor referred me to an OBGYN.

And that’s when it all started. I was given all sorts of paperwork for blood work, procedures, and surgery. I was very overwhelmed and felt very alone. So when I left the office that day I was booked to get a ton of blood work done for all sorts of different things, an ultrasound, a hysterosalpingogram (x-ray of fallopian tube), and a laparoscopy. Throughout all of this I found out that I have a tilted cervix, endometriosis, my left ovary is stuck to my pelvis because of scaring that the endometriosis caused. I was also put on a fertility drug called Clomid. I was only able to take this for 2 months because I was having A LOT of very horrible side effects. So, now we are on the waiting list to a fertility clinic where we will most likely do IVF.

The best advice I would like to give to other future mama’s struggling with fertility is: Don’t wait to seek professional help! Reach out to friends and family, the support is much needed and they will surprise you! And always remember you are not alone.

My name is Jodi. I am trying my hardest to become a cloth diapering moma! At which point I will be a regular customer at TTH! I have been married for 2 years. I work as an EA in elementary schools. I also pick up part time jobs cleaning and babysitting.
For fun I like to watch movies and and as lame as this sounds I like to go driving in the rain...well I like my husband to drive and I enjoy being the passenger and looking at everything. I also love chocolate! It is my greatest weakness! HAHA! Melted chocolate chips, chocolate bars, chocolate cookies and cake and most of all brownies!

cloth diapering: the old-school way

When I had my babies (8 1/2 and 6 1/2 years ago) cloth diapering wasn't as big of a thing as it is now. Or at least it wasn't something I had heard about a lot. But my sister had cloth diapered her 2 oldest children by this point and she had me convinced that it was the way to go.

Her mother-in-law had made her 36 cloth diapers and she had offered to make some for me as well. So after talking it over with my hubby, we decided that we would give cloth diapering a go. I was nervous about starting the experience, but once I actually went ahead with it (after baby was a few weeks old) it really didn't take long to get into the swing of things and I found it actually quite simple.

[picture taken from here but these are what mine looked like]
I was grateful for my sister's mother-in-law for making me my 3 dozen diapers - but now seeing all of the delightful colors & patterns that are available...it makes me feel like I missed out a little bit! I didn't have the REALLY old-school ones that I had to fold myself and use safety pins or anything. But they were all just plain white. They did have 3 different velcro strips though, which was really handy since I could use them right from birth until potty training. And I used them for both of my girls so we really saved a boat load of money!

Another thing that I missed out on with the cloth diapers that Tiny TreeHugger stocks is that I had to buy separate plastic covers to go over top of the actual diapers. It was an extra step every diaper change, and the plastic sure didn't feel very soft or comfortable. I like the way cloth diapers these days can be an all-in-one sort of thing!

For those of you who are still debating on if cloth diapering is something you can take on - let me assure you that you absolutely can! Some people might try to make you think that it's taking on a bunch of extra work that is unnecessary; that Moms are busy enough without having to worry about cloth diapers on top of everything else.

But here's the beauty of it all: The work is really quite minimal. With the type of [old school] cloth diapers that I used, I purchased disposable liners to place on the inside of the diaper so no matter if the diaper was just wet or...well, d.i.r.t.y. through-and-through, I just tossed the liner away and the diaper itself went into my diaper pail to soak until it was time to do a laundry load. Now the new-fangled diapers have re-usable liners which continues to lessen the amount of waste but also doesn't really increase the work at all. A quick swish in the toilet water to get the worst of things off and voila! It's ready for the washing machine. [Pam here - we don't even suggest SOAKING pails anymore, just throw it into the waterproof bag until wash day and that first warm wash without soap will rinse away the yuckies!]

Now, if you're anything like me - laundry is my downfall. I cringe everytime there's another load [or two, or SIX] waiting to be done. The whole process just sounds like a lot of work, regardless of what type of load it is. But the reality of it is that once I actually just get started it's not so bad. I mean really, the machines do the actual work! So when it came down to washing my cloth diapers, I thought that would be the part that would do me in. But it was a pleasant surprise to realize that it really was no big deal. Toss them into the washing machine, then go have a nap until they're done and then hang them to dry on my clotheshorse [or sometimes line-drying outside in the warm sunshine!].

It really was as simple as that.

So whether you have the old-school cloth diapers, or the adorable 'newer generation' kind - it's all a very do-able process. I encourage all of you who may be on the fence to plant your feet on the cloth-diapering side of the fence. And just go for it!

Those of you who are cloth diaper veterans - what would be one tip you could give someone just starting out, or to someone who is still debating going this route?

growing gardeners

So, I have a color-changing thumb. It's true. Some years it can be black as black can be... [Exhibit A]

 And other years I get surprised when I find out that there is some green in my thumb afterall... [Exhibit B]

With the constant change in my thumb's abilities - and never knowing what will happen from year to year - I try to still take care of my flowerbed [you know, to continue to at least TRY to figure out how to care for plants], but I tend to leave the vegetable gardening up to my hubby. However, the previous two summers he was working out of town A LOT and I had to tend to the garden during the weeks as he was only home on weekends. Let's just say that his garden didn't fare as well as usual in those past two summers...

But regardless of my green or not-so-green thumb, I'm just not a gardener at heart. In fact, I always say that if my husband wouldn't plant a garden, we just wouldn't have one. I know we'd be missing out on all of the home-grown yumminess that comes from a garden...but I just wouldn't be motivated to do it myself. Growing up my parents always had beautiful gardens and spent a lot of time and energy into making them such, I guess I just didn't inherit the love for it.

So what about your kids? Do they enjoy gardening? you might be wondering. Well...sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. They like to water my flowers from time-to-time [but only when it suits them] and I think they've planted a few seeds here and there [until they get bored and would rather jump on the trampoline or run through the sprinkler]. And they sure do enjoy picking off the plants in the veggie garden - snap peas, cherry tomatoes, raspberries, etc. But they don't really spend a lot [or any] time actually nurturing or caring for it. I think I'd like that to change. I would love for them to regularly spend time in the garden and to do the whole process too, from start to finish and everything in between.

That would include marking off rows, planting, watering, weeding and harvesting. It would be great to have gardening turn into a family affair instead of just leaving it for Dad to take care of [and me to try to hold things together if/when he's away]. It could turn into one of their summertime chores perhaps, where they each have to spend a certain amount of time in the garden per week doing whatever is needed to help keep it in good shape.

I was looking online the other day and came across a good article about gardening [click here to check it out]. I discovered it had some pretty helpful tips. Now, the article is specifically tips for gardening with kids - ahem - but I think some of these tips could be pretty useful for an adult like me too, who has proved to be rather inept at gardening. I encourage you to read the entire post, but here are the tips, followed by my own comments on them.

1. Start small and keep it simple. Brilliant advice! If we want our children to help out with something, giving them responsibility [even partial responsibility] of a huge garden might be just too overwhelming for them. Our garden is already planted this year [likely yours all are too] but for next year I might consider asking hubby to corner off a section of the garden just for me and my girls to take care of. That way I won't risk screwing up ALL of our home-grown produce, but we'll still get to try to care for and grow something on our own.

2. Use a kid-friendly layout. This sort of fits into the "keep it simple" category in my opinion. Making sure there is enough space between rows is one thing to keep in mind when you know kids will be working in the garden, so you can walk without damaging any plants.


3. Give kids tools of their own. This one is great for both kids and me! Getting kid-sized garden tools and their own properly-fitting gardening gloves is a great way to get them excited about working in the garden. And for me? A pair of pretty pink gardening gloves would get me more interested in helping out too!

4. Choose plants that grow easily. Research which plants are easier to grow and nurture and choose those ones to plant with your child. You certainly can do other ones as well, but if you section off a part of the garden for your child to care for [or your wife...hee hee], make sure to pick ones that will be more likely to fare well under their supervision. This will give them a sense of pride and accomplishment - rather than if they destroy a plant that they worked hard for but was just too difficult for a beginner.

5. Decorate the garden. How much more fun would it be for a child to work in a garden that was decorated rather than just a boring ol' patch of dirt with green plants? It's definitely more enticing if there are some bright colors in the mix. You can find all sorts of things to stick into the dirt to improve the appearance - like bright, colorful butterflies and ladybugs on sticks, or like the writer of the post I'm getting these tips from suggested, making a banner to welcome all of the plants! I've even heard of people using an old toilet as decoration - filling it with dirt and planting flowers in it! Use your imagination and get your kids involved with how you choose to decorate.


Growing your own fresh produce is a wonderful way to be green and economical AND to take on a family project that you can all work on together. Besides, it's a 'chore' that can be done outdoors! And with so many other chores keeping us cooped up inside, on a beautiful summer day what better excuse to ditch the indoor chores and get your feet dirty in the garden instead?

And I think it's so important to get your kids involved in everything you do around the house and yard. This way not only are you teaching them skills - and life lessons about responsibility - but you are spending quality time with them in the process! This is a win-win situation for everybody!

So grab those gardening gloves, hook up the water hose and get those feet muddy! But before you do...tell me if you have a garden and what you have planted! Our garden this year has snap peas, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, carrots and lettuce!

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My name is Andrea (Andi) and I have the privilege of working part-time alongside Pam to help her with "a little of this and a little of that" as she strives to bring superb customer service to all of you through her Tiny TreeHugger business.

I am a 33-year-old mostly stay-at-home mother of two girls (aged 6 and 8) and have been happily married for almost 11 years. I am a Pepsi-loving, game-playing, guitar-learning, Nutella-craving girl [among many other things that make me ME]. I cloth-diapered my girls when they were babies and enjoyed the cost savings as well as the feeling of helping the environment - one cloth diaper at a time.


Thanks for checking in and I'll see you again both on this blog and on Facebook!

NEW & Restocked June5/12

Restocked - Wubbanubs

Designed to keep the pacifier conveniently placed to infant. Soft plush brings soothing comfort and security. Vibrant colours are stimulating and captivating. Can assist in the development of hand to eye coordination. Latex free medical grade silicone. No pacifier cords or clips. It's unique style allows pacifier to remain close and will easily position to baby.

Restocked - Rockin Green Laundry Detergent & accessories [more being added this week including magnetic scoops!!]. Not sure about Rockin Green? Try a sample today!

Something NEW to Tiny TreeHugger is the DELISH Naturals Skin care line. Made by a Alberta mom, Delish offers natural ingredients paired with wonderful scents [or scent free!] so you don't have to worry about nasty chemicals. For the month of June, get the Bite Me Not Bug Spray & Bitty Baby Bug Balm for 10% off. Watch for more Delish Natural Products on the website soon!!

Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone!!

Winner

A few weeks ago we had a facebook party with a few giveaways here on the blog. MANY turned out and it was great, especially for being on such short notice! I left one giveaway open for a little longer to give others a chance to enter....
And the winner of an AppleCheeks Little Bundle is...
Laurie Simpson!
Congrats! Watch your email for the confirmation :)