In the Rain

Sometimes being stuck in the rain can just be really annoying. 

You plan a nice day out- it rains, you decide to do more activities outside- it rains for a week straight! 

But then there are times, especially when you are two, that being in the rain can be just amazing. 

Jumping in puddles and getting to use your new Hello Kitty umbrella- what could be better!

And lets not forget the super cute kitty mac! 

Outfit of the Month: August

This months outfit is this gorgeous Frozen inspired Tutu! I actually won this and the necklace in a giveaway and it's handmade from Dazzling Diva Designs.
I absolutely love it!
It's so beautifully made and gorgeous. The detail is astonishing and it is of such high quality, I know it will last a long time and be a favorite of Calleigh's.

Calleigh loves it too, she calls it her special Anna dress and thinks it's very special. As soon as I put it on she started dancing around telling me she felt just like a princess.
I feel so very lucky to have won and I'm sure Calleigh will treasure this way after she has outgrown it.

You can shop more Tutus on the Dazzling Diva Designs website. She really has an awesome talent and there a some truly gorgeous Tutus to choose from!

White t-shirt- Next
Necklace- Also Dazzling Diva Designs

Summer

This summer hasn't been nearly as hot as last year in St Louis, or the year before that. As much as I do love the odd hundred degree day it's been a lot better with lower temperatures as we have been able to play outside more and for longer without getting too hot and sweaty. 

Below are a few photos from some of our best summer days.

Getting the pool out in May

A BBQ in May

Enjoying an ice lolly on a hot day in July

Playing at the park on July 4th

Ice cream on July 4th

Playing with water in July

Getting splashed by Daddy in July

We also visited Branson, Lake of the Ozarks and Memphis this summer and had a great time at each place. It's been a really good one! I know summer isn't really over just yet but it kind of feels like it is. We will be heading back to England for a visit in 4 weeks and by the time we get back fall will be almost here and we will be looking forward to Halloween (which I cannot wait for, my favorite season!).

Hope you all had a great summer too!

Aveeno Baby Products Review

A while back Calleigh started suffering pretty bad from eczema. It was all up her arms and round her neck and back, with the worst of it just sitting under her hair on the back of the neck. I really didn't know how to treat it at first as Calleigh never suffered from it as a baby and this was the first time it had made an appearance.

Back when I was younger i remember suffering with it quite badly but only on my legs (easy to hide). Calleigh's however was on show and I even got asked at daycare what it was on her arms, some days it would look worse than others I assume from her scratching. 

Up until that point I was just rubbing an eczema cream on once or twice a day in hopes that it would work, I even got a steroid cream prescribed from her doctor which worked wonderfully until we stopped using it and it came back again! 

So it seemed that just creams on their own were not working. 

I decided to try changing everything we were using to the same brand of unscented and gentle wash, shampoo, bubble bath, cream and everything.

I chose Aveeno Baby products. Not for any particular reason I just found they had the most extensive range of eczema care products.

At bath time I used the wash and shampoo as a bubble bath as well as shampoo and the soothing relief wash as a body wash. I found the wash and shampoo bubbled up really nicely and was really gentle as a shampoo and washed out easily. The soothing relief was was a cream and moisturized her skin really well. I applied it mainly using my hands as I didn't want to use a scrub or sponge and aggravate it.

After the bath I applied the eczema therapy moisturizing cream to the affected areas. The cream rubbed in really well and didn't leave a white residue behind.

I continued using the products at bath time, which I also dropped to every other day as I didn't want to over dry her skin from too much time in water, and finally I started to see some results. Calleigh had stopped scratching and the redness had gone down. Her skins still felt a bit snake like and dry but after a few more days that also got better too and her skin was looking and feeling good again.

These products clearly worked to help heal Calleigh's eczema and I think part of that is due to using them all together.
I still use the wash and shampoo and the relief wash but no longer use the eczema cream. Her skin is still looking good now and I am so relieved that it isn't red and hurting her anymore.