My daughter and her husband were married 11 months ago. They both had significant debt when they got married. They are both working full time and are making good salaries, however they do not have extra cash on hand for entertainment. My daughter stopped over to ask if I had any suggestions of what they could do for their anniversary that would be fun, yet inexpensive.
I told her that one of the things that her father and I used to do when we were first married was to go on picnics. I have several picnic recipes that are fun and romantic. My daughter thought this was a great idea. They have several spots by area lakes, where they like to go for hikes. My daughter asked if I could share some of the picnic recipes with her, so she could make them a nice dinner.
We started going through the cabinet where I store all of my recipes. My daughter could not believe the number of cookbooks, recipe boxes and folders I had. I had one folder that was marked outdoors. I told my daughter that the picnic recipes would be included there. She asked what other recipes were included in the outdoors file. I explained that they were recipes for grilling as well as side dishes that I serve when we entertain outside. The picnic recipes that are our favorites include smoked salmon rolls, a special cracker made with sesame seeds that I served with smoked sausage and grapes mixed with brown sugar and sour cream for dessert. My daughter was very excited about the picnic recipes and told me that they had a bottle of wine that they received as a wedding gift that she would take along.
The day before their anniversary my daughter and I went out for lunch and then went grocery shopping for the items needed to complete the picnic recipes. As we were shopping for the ingredients I began to realize how long it had been since my husband and I had gone on a romantic picnic. I picked up several of our favorite foods and decided that I would surprise him by having a picnic supper ready to go after work. The weather was perfect and we found a nice quiet area in one of our favorite parks. We had a very enjoyable time relaxing and talking without the distraction that come with being at home or in a restaurant. My husband and I agree that we are not going to let as much time pass in between using the picnic recipes in the future.
Not to mention the perks like going to Galveston and having it on the beach because afterwards we go to the ‘Strand’ and shop. Know what I mean, ladies?
Wish I could meet ya’, Vallie
This phenomenom occure when my youngest son with born so I wanted to pass on a little research I found. Small babies may develop acne because of the lingering maternal hormones after delivery, which may cause stimulation to the baby’s sebaceous glands. Your baby receives these hormones from the placenta, after the delivery.
Don’t worry if your baby has pimples. About 20% of the newborn babies are affected by baby acne, also known as acne-neonatorum.
There are various aspects of this peculiar type of acne. First things first, the treatment for infantile acne is not the same as that of acne treatment for any other age group.
Infantile acne is gender-biased. Male babies are more affected than their female counterparts. Normally babies have the acne attack at the age of 3 weeks. Some babies have it from the time of delivery. Generally the types of acne you find in infants are papules and pustules. Papules are red bumps and pustules are whiteheads. They have a collection of pus.
Some babies also have acne on the scalp. Acne in babies does not require treatment as such. The lesions will take care of themselves within a period of four months. But do take the normal care of the baby as you would take care of its other body parts.
Use mild baby soap and gently clean the face once in a day with water. Do not try harsher methods by using oil and other lotions which you think are good. They may at times, worsen the condition. Know for certain that infantile acne will disappear when it has to.
In your anxiety to photograph the baby, don’t stuff his/her cheeks with cosmetics and if at all you need to have the touch-ups, do it in an imaginative way.
If you or your family doctor feel that the baby has severe acne, treat it with benzoyl peroxide, keratolytic agents or topical creams like retinoids.
The ways of acne are indeed mysterious. If you have a family history of acne, that doesn’t mean that your baby will have acne. And just because the baby has acne, it doesn’t mean that, it will suffer from the attack of acne, when it grows up. Acne has its own working style and attacking strategy.
Infantile acne, which normally appears after the age of three months in a baby, quietly disappears after the age of 12 months. No special efforts of treatment are required. In some babies, the condition may last up to three years. It is due to the genetic makeup of your baby. You have something to contribute to it, as the hereditary part.
You have nothing to do with the infantile acne, relating to the treatment part. Just observe its arrival and departure. Well, arrival with anxiety and departure with pleasure!
Yay for science! Vallie Grace