Did you know that the tropical fruit, mango, is in the same family as cashews and poison ivy? About a week or two ago, my mom called to tell me that she had read something about people who are allergic to poison ivy having a similar reaction to the skin of mangoes. She thought I'd like to know because our second son, NG, is very allergic to poison ivy. We found out a few years ago, when he was playing around with his older brother and M1 grabbed a handful of red leaves and stuffed them down NG's shirt. Did you know that poison ivy leaves turn red in early autumn? Well, I didn't and, apparently, neither did M1. NG broke out in a horrible rash over his whole upper body, neck, and face. His ears swelled. His eyes swelled. He was miserable. It wasn't a case of poison ivy you could treat at home, it called for a trip to the doctor.

Just this week, I bought some mangoes because they were on sale for 2/$1. NG had been checking them each day to see if they were ripe yet. Two days ago, he found that they were ready. He scored the skin, peeled off four sections of the skin, and nibbled the little chunks that were still attached to the skin. The next day, NG had a dry, patchy rash starting around his mouth. I assumed it was from dairy because he had been drinking milk consistently for the past week. But then, today I remembered what my mom had told me and did a little research online. After reading THIS, I am certain that the mango is what has caused NG's rash. Once we thought about it, we remembered that sometime in the past year, NG had a rash just like it while he was staying at my mom's. It started around his mouth and then made two paths on each side of his nose straight up to his eyes. But we cannot remember if he had eaten any mangoes during that time. We just assumed that it was allergic eczema then also. NG was not pleased to learn that his favorite fruit was causing his skin rash. What I've read indicates that it is the skin, not the flesh, that contains the irritating oil, urushiol, so NG should be able to continue eating mangoes. Needless to say, NG will no longer be peeling them. 

Wordless Wednesday #11 - Has Anyone Seen the Baby?

One week in the life of a 13 month old boy.

Linked to Mama to 4 Blessings, 5 Minutes for Mom, and Home Grown Families.

Why I Love Coconut Oil

A couple of years ago, I read about the nourishing qualities of extra-virgin coconut oil and bought my first small jar from a health food store. Now I'm buying 54-ounce jars and using it for several things, from cooking and baking to skin care. Just this week, I used it to make hard lotion bars and peanut butter oatmeal cookies. It does have a slight coconut flavor, so it is best for baking, although some people use it for cooking eggs and pan-frying. We also like to add a spoonful of coconut oil to our oatmeal, along with honey and cinnamon.

As far as skin care, you can use it straight from the jar for dry skin or as a massage oil or you can mix it with other natural ingredients to make things like diaper rash cream, hair conditioner, lip balm, toothpaste, and deodorant. There is also reason to believe that it can be used to treat some medical and nutritional issues, such as yeast infections and hypothyroidism.

"One of the good fats that comprises about 50% of coconut oil, is lauric acid. Lauric acid is a rare medium-chain fatty acid found in mother’s milk that supports healthy metabolism and is now being studied for its anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial health-protecting properties." - Nutiva.com

And it's not just good for humans. It has multiple benefits for dogs also. I plan on giving Ruben, our mini doxie, a very small amount each day to see if it helps with his scratching. He had fleas last summer and, although they are gone, he has continued to scratch like his skin is dry.

Tip: You can use Amazon's Subscribe & Save to get a two-pack of 54-ounce jars of Nutiva EVCO for a great price. If you don't need that much, order with a friend.


Update 4/29/11: Get a 54 oz. jar of Nutive EVCO at Vitacost for less than $22!

Disclaimer: I am not a medical expert, nor do I suggest believing everything you read on the internet.  Please be responsible and do your own research. This is not a sponsored post, I just happen to use Nutiva. The links are Amazon affiliate links, though.

Hard Lotion Bars

Before Christmas, I purchased the ingredients to make soap, hard lotion bars, and lip balm from Bramble Berry. Today, I finally got around to making the hard lotion bars from the MadeOn tutorial. It was very easy to do and the resulting bars make my skin feel silky smooth. We only have occasional skin issues in our family but I have read many reviews on the success people have using these lotion bars with eczema. NG has had infrequent bouts of eczema and M2 has had one so far.

I used 4 oz. each of shea butter and beeswax pellets and 5 oz. of coconut oil. The bars turned out solid but the surface begins to melt in your hand immediately, as it should. I'll probably be giving these in gift baskets for Mother's Day and for Christmas.

 I

2011 Ultimate Blog Party

Join us for the 2011 Ultimage Blog Party hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom! Since I have only been actively blogging since August, 2010, this will be my first Blog Party and I am looking forward to meeting lots of new bloggy friends. And there will be prizes too!

My name is Christy and this is our homeschooling family blog where you will find a little bit of everything including snippets from our daily life, curriculum and product reviews, recipes, and bits of wisdom I've learned along the way. With five boys ranging from nursing toddler to teenager, every day is an adventure. I admit that I struggle daily to find balance and am grateful that I can rely on God's grace every time I fall short. In a house full of men, this blog is my daily indulgence. A place where I can talk about random mom stuff and not have to shorten it down to two or three to-the-point sentences. A place where I can find others of like mind. A place where I can be me. I hope you'll find some things that interest you. Thanks for stopping by!