My take on Weleda taking on Infant Massage

I follow Weleda on Twitter, and a little bit ago, they put out a tweet about infant massage. Of course I had to check it out.

Let me start by saying I love Weleda. They're one of the only commercial companies I follow on Twitter, I like their products, etc etc. I'm very happy to see them promoting infant massage, especially and it's totally within their rights to use it as a vehicle for promoting their own products.  Part of me wants to question whether or how many of the products are entirely necessary.   I know for the sake of lubrication during massage, oil is indeed necessary, and soap of some sort is needed for bathing, but a separate moisturizer for infant skin?  I know there are conditions like baby eczema and such that would warrant it, but in my mind, it seems a little unnecessary for the average infant, especially if it's getting proper and adequate nutrition and hydration.  Baby skin is so naturally soft and smooth, and I'm largely of the belief that letting the skin do its job until/unless it needs help is ideal.  I suppose it doesn't hurt anything, though, and if you're going to use something, I'd recommend Weleda 10,000 times over petroleum anything, which is what so many people use.  (I welcome informative comments on why an average baby would need the extra moisture/drying protection, of course.  I'm always up to learn something new.)

I'm a tad let down by the video and download-able "step-by-step" instructions. I'm sure when they say "Infant Massage Therapist" in the beginning, they're just trying to make something sound fancy that doesn't really exist, at least not as far as I've heard or seen. Granted, I haven't been in infant massage circles very long at all and it's really such a small facet of both mainstream massage and mainstream childcare that there's really no regulation at all. No state (again, that I know of) is going to come in and say "You can't teach that, you're not certified!" Notice I say teach, not do. I suppose if someone really wanted to take on the liability of massaging someone else's infant... they could... but it defeats what I think is the best aim of infant massage: parent-child bonding. It's not about the massage, it's about time, and touch, and feeling, seeing, hearing, smelling, even tasting each other. So to call someone an "Infant Massage Therapist" who isn't pretty much just the baby's parent or caretaker, while small, is slightly dishonest, in my opinion. Sometimes I nitpick.

And given that nitpicking, part of me really wants to pick apart the massage "routine" they present. However, I have to remind myself that I often have told parents that while I teach a specific routine and methodology, when it comes down to it, unless you're harming the baby, there is no wrong way to massage your baby. So the routine is very simple, short, and loosely organized, but it encourages parents to touch and massage their children, and I applaud that very heartily.

So! while I could nitpick and be all gripe-y about it... eh!  Why bother, beyond the opinions I've already stated?  Good on Weleda for having excellent products and promoting parent-baby bonding and care!  Moms, Dads, and other family members: touch, cuddle, hug, enjoy, and love your babies.

Ninja Gratitude "Death" from Above

I love doing this to other people, but this is the first time it has ever happened to me.

I opened my Facebook late this morning and saw that I had an email from an old friend that I haven't really talked to all that much for quite a long time, in spite of being pretty good friends with her younger sister. (I am an admittedly "craptastic FB friend" right on my profile page, so... you know.) Anyway, so I opened the email and I get a longer-than-expected letter broken down into four parts.

1. Praises and appreciation for my work in doing infant massage and doulary and helping women taking charge of their births.  She calls me Heaven-sent.
2. She enjoys the links I share, especially the "crunchy" ones, and do I have any recommendations for learning about herbs?
3. I had posted a link about circumcision once that lead her to learning more, and she is committed to leaving her son(s) intact when/if that happens.
4. Stuff replying to a post I had written on a forum that she just joined.  (If you're reading this, I will find you, girl. ;) )

I was rendered mentally and physically speechless for more than five minutes.  All I could do was just be so flattered and grateful, and cry.  Like I said, I love dropping a G(ratitude)-bomb on other people, but it has never happened to me.  (Actually I take that back, it has happened, but never this intensely.)  I knew I had my contingent of "crunchy" friends, and it has recently grown after a few wonderful discoveries, but this one took me 100% by surprise.  And somewhere out in the world, stuff I've done or said has made an unexpected impact for good.  I couldn't ask for more.  This wasn't a G-bomb, it was a G-Ninja, right to the heart.

What a great way to start the day.  Awesome. :D

Lecithin for pelvic and hip pain

I was passed along this article on Facebook by a friend. It is slightly lengthy, but very informative and well worth the read.  This is definitely a piece of information worth passing along to childbearing women.

"Got lecithin?" at Birth Faith

 I'd be interested to see how or whether it's effective when you're not pregnant, when your body isn't flooded with the hormone relaxin.  I occasionally get some shooting pains at my pubic symphesis, but I've started paying attention to such pains so recently that I usually can't decide whether it's pelvic or perhaps ovulatory.  I'm inclined to think the former, since they often repeat.  I guess I could try upping my intake of eggs and finding out!

Stop reading me.  Go read that.

A lot of people don't

I was in line at the grocery store tonight and the lady in front of me saw my tub of rice pudding (yum) and went "Oh! I want some of that!" and ran off to the back of the store. This probably would have bothered a lot of people, but there was no one behind me, I wasn't in a rush, and she just seemed so happy. I looked at the cashier and told her she could ring up my tub for her, once the other groceries still on the belt were done. She thanked me and did so, and I sort of meandered until the woman came running back to pay and leave. The cashier remarked that I seemed in a good mood and I paused, thinking about it. I was. I had no reason not to be. Then I got to thinking about all the things I have, and how much I've been blessed.


I've got a home, and a lot of people don't. I've got a job, and a lot of people don't. I've got a loving family that I love and no mistreatment to speak of, which a lot of people don't. I have a pair of cats that love me, and a lot of people don't. I have a car and money in the bank, which a lot of people don't. I have the opportunity and ability to earn more money, and a lot of people don't. I have a phone that texts, takes pictures, and surfs the web, and a lot of people don't.


I have access to high-quality, inexpensive higher education, and a lot of people don't. I have a strong, sure faith in God and a lot of people don't. I have a lot of diverse knowledge that a lot of folks don't. I have a career, friends, and a beautiful place to live, all of which I love, and a lot of people don't. I have clothes on my back, food in the cupboard, a creative mind, a giving heart, a patient soul, and a talent for working with my hands. A lot of people don't.


That's not to say, I sometimes don't quite have all the money in my account I wish I did, or that I need. Or that I always get along with my family and friends. Or that I never mistakes, or wonder if my faith is good enough.  Or that my life is everything I want it to be, especially with regards to men, marriage, and family. Life is far from perfect, but that's how it's meant to be. If life were perfect, we'd have nothing left for which to strive. Imperfection gives us drive and opportunity for growth. I've learned and continue learning to be grateful for all things, good and "bad", because I have few real reasons to complain.


A lot of people don't.

Mad Science!: Laundry day

Image found at Blue Jeans and Cotton Tees

I work with the skin and the body, and I believe everything that can be absorbed through the skin, will be absorbed whether we like it or not.  I've had many dear friends over the years with extreme skin sensitivities and I've seen the effects harsh chemicals and some products from nature can have on them, and the pain it causes.  Bearing these things in mind, I do my best in my practice to not intentionally put anything on another person's body that has a reasonable potential to cause a reaction if they have or could have sensitive skin. 

This goes right down to my laundry.  I do my own wash at home, I don't send my linens out to a service.  Brands and products I use at various points or various times (depending on sale prices, availability, or as a result of one being closer than the other to reach) are:

• Seventh Generation Free & Clear (considering moving to the powder to avoid SLS)
• Ecover Delicate Wash 
• Oxyclean
• I do not currently use any fabric softener either in the wash or the dryer because I haven't found one that I would feel totally comfortable with being against a sensitive person's skin.  I do occasionally use dryer balls (handfelted from upcycled wool... I know, I sound so greener/craftier-than-thou hip or whatever.  Yee haw.) if the noise won't bother other people.

I've been looking into homemade detergents, considering using a mixture including borax.  I'm a little hesitant, though, because we have a septic tank that leeches out to our apple orchard.  If I moved to a homemade mixture, I may feel more comfortable doing my laundry in town at the laundromat just up the hill from the salon, or the one next to my favorite deli, which is closer to home.  This, of course, would raise my overhead costs, an idea that doesn't particularly thrill me, so this will be an area of continued exploration until I settle on something I love without a doubt.

It's sort of like dating!

Latest Experiment: Foot Butter!

I know, this is neither the ranty nor hilarious post I promised. I've been a lazy bum lately with my blog and my Tweeting. But now I have something to document.

So, hopefully starting next week, I'll be dedicating a day or two to walk-in partial sessions: Head-to-shoulders, hands, or feet, or a combination of the three.  This requires some signage for advertising and pricing purposes, and I looked at the prices online, and a super simple sandwich board runs about $130.  Well crap, I can do that for less!  Right?

Hoo boy.

That sign is a whole other post of its own that I probably won't do.  Today's mad science experiment is foot butter for said sessions.  The idea was the make Plain, Lavender, and Peppermint.  Since I can't find a satisfactory cream that doesn't have 20 ingredients in it, I decided to wing it!  (This is often how I cook, too...)

Abundance Foot Butter ingredients:

• Shea butter
• Jojoba oil (actually it's a liquid wax, but whatever)
• Cocoa butter
• Dead Sea salt
• Love
• Blood, sweat, and tears (figuratively speaking)

I should have photo documented this journey.  Oh well.

I started with 10 oz of shea, 1 oz of jojoba, a chunk of cocoa, and some salt.  My idea with the salt was to hopefully dissolve it in for the mineral content.  Yeah.  It doesn't really.  Oh well.  Maybe later I'll mix it in, finely ground, as an exfoliant.  Maybe.  We'll see.

I started out gently melting the shea in pyrex on the lowest setting on my cook top.  I added the ounce of jojoba and half an ounce of cocoa butter., poured it into squeeze tubes (a big one plain, two smaller ones lavender and peppermint, 15 drops in their respective bottles) and stuck it in the fridge to cool.  It was thick, but it came out of the tiny orifice of the cap so I thought it was fine.

I got up this morning to go to work and try it out on a client, and it had set so thickly overnight that it wouldn't come out anymore.  Well crud.  I could still use it but I had to remove the cap to squeeze it out.

Conclusion on Attempt 1:
I knew shea was thick, but holy cow.  One ounce of jojoba is not enough to significantly loosen up ten ounces of shea and half an ounce of cocoa.  In spite of this, the mixture melts like a dream into a lusciously warm and smooth massage oil when I rub it in my hands.  I used the lavender, and it needed more essential oil; the smell was pretty evenly lavender, cocoa, and shea across the board, with nothing really sticking out.

So, on to Attempt 2.

I've remelted approximately six ounces of the original mixture (all I could get back that didn't have essentials in it) and added just under half a cup of jojoba, so it's approximately a... what... 60:40 split of shea:jojoba?  Something close to that.  It's cooling right now, so it'll be a while before I can give more detail, but I'm hoping that loosens it up enough to be squeezable.

More to come!

Update:  I've been using the foot butter as my massage lotion this past week and I do like it, but it's still too viscous for my squeezy tube.  I'm going to attempt another mixture with jojoba and neem in greater proportion to shea next.

Happy Backness!

Hey guys! I'm back. Did you miss me? Awww, thank you. I missed you too.

I know, I know I've been back for several days, and I haven't really said much. It's been crazy around here, and I'm lazy. And currently hungry. I need breakfast. I've got a couple of posts brewing for your viewing pleasure, one rather ranty and one hopefully hilarious. I should have finished the ranty one when I began it weeks ago, because within days of relegating it to "I'll finish that", my Twitter exploded with posts about it the subjects within, and now I feel behind the curve when originally I was just ahead of it. Boo.

Carpe Diem, readers, and hope for some awesome the next time you're here!