Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Cell Phone Update

A while ago, I was pondering whether or not to get a cell phone. Well, I finally bit the bullet and got one. Now, here's my review:

Pro:
* I like having my own number. Friends can call me and know they will get me.
* It can be nice to have the phone when I'm out and want to call my husband and ask a question (what kind of batteries do we need, for example).

Unrelated to me pro:
* My husband needs a cell phone. He has had to call for rescue a couple of times from long bike rides.

Con:
* We have terrible reception in my house, so I usually have to talk outside, regardless of the weather or the huge deer looking at me in the front yard.
* I don't like to talk on the phone when I'm in a store or at another person's house, so I don't answer it at those times (generally). I also turn it off at work. I don't like to talk when I'm driving or when I'm walking somewhere... or ... just about any time that I'm out of the house. So what's the point? 95% of the time that I talk on the cell I am at home. Hmmm...
* I think that texts are sort of anti-social and expensive. I make/receive about 15 texts a month for about 5 dollars. Do the math. Worth it? No.
* I keep losing the darn phone in my house and have to use my husband's phone to call it and find it.
* My 8 year old could use the phone to call 911, but I really doubt that my younger kids could figure out how to unlock the phone and call 911. If they even knew where it was.
* I hate checking the voice mail. I much prefer listening to messages on the answering machine -- OR -- better yet :) -- screening messages on the answering machine.
* I thought that I wouldn't get trash phone calls, but the girl who had my number before me gets strange texts from a guy and many MANY collection calls. Awesome.

For two lines and a minimal minutes plan, we pay about 90 dollars a month. That is more than double our previous land line charge.

I think we made a mistake. We should probably just have a cell phone for my husband and a land line for me and the house. The cell phone really annoys me and is a rip off.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Colloidal Oatmeal -- What's the Deal?

I am a big fan of oatmeal baths. Actually, it may be just an extension of my general philosophy of sickness -- just about anything can be treated with tea and a warm bath. Sore throat? Tea, bath. Tummy ache? Tea (peppermint or ginger) and bath. Cramps? Tea, bath. Feeling terrible, depressed, whatever? Tea with plenty of sugar. Bath. Maybe turn off the lights and have bath by candlelight. Ahhhh....

Eczema? Hives? Bath. Tea would be soothing -- it always is -- but not necessary in this case. Although I guess it could help to be more hydrated in the case of eczema.

Anyway, the point is.... little E (my 4 yo) has terrible eczema. Last night she cried. It was awful. Her legs were covered in raised red blotches and she had scratched her belly and legs to the point of drawing blood. So, I went to the store and bought the whole anti-itch spectrum of products.

One of the products that I always rely on is colloidal oatmeal -- E really enjoys an oatmeal bath and it does seem to be very soothing. Just make sure to use lukewarm, NOT HOT, water because hot water just exacerbates skin problems. Normally I buy Aveeno oatmeal, but my supermarket also offered (for 2 dollars less) a large bag of colloidal oatmeal -- considering the number of baths it would work for, it was at least half the price of Aveeno. I looked at the ingredients -- both were 100% colloidal oatmeal, so I opted for the less expensive option.

When I got home, I started to wonder.... what the heck is colloidal oatmeal? Is it just finely ground oatmeal? What's the deal?

The package says not to eat the oatmeal. Colloidaloatmeal.com (no kidding) says the same thing. But the same website gives instructions on making colloidal oatmeal -- basically, you just grind up oats (not an package of instant oatmeal!) to a very fine consistency. A coffee grinder would probably work fine. That would be a HUGE savings.

So why does the package say not to eat it? Is finely ground oatmeal a danger? Or are they using some sub-human grade of oat? Maybe it's just gross? Who knows....

Another advantage of the oatmeal bath is that it's naturally cleansing because of saponins in the oats that attract dirt and oils (source). Little eczema sufferers should not be using soap because it is very harsh and drying, so any cleansing that comes through oatmeal is a nice bonus :)

So.... note for future:
Aveeno oatmeal baths (8 packets) -- 6.99 on Drugstore.com
Giant bag of colloidal oatmeal -- <4.99 at HEB
grind oats -- <1.00/pound

It's awesome when it's less expensive to be green. No trip to the store. No extra packaging. Just grind the oats you already have. Beautiful