Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil review and GIVEAWAY

I stumbled across coconut oil a few weeks back, when I was looking for ways to treat Kingsley's supposed yeast rash. I was amazed at how many different containers it came in at the Health store. Large glass jars down to itty bitty plastic tubs. It was in the health food aisle as well as the cosmetics aisle. All, I knew at the time was it had an anti-fungal agent and would help with the yeast rash. Well, turns out it wasn't a yeast rash, and so, it did not help BUT....it really did not hinder either and it is organic after all. I actually had my mom use it as make-up remover when she was in town! Less, than 2 weeks after buying a small tub for $7.99 I saw tweets by @troptraditions for bloggers and reviews. I immediately responded, thinking, there had to be much more I could do with it, than what I had already done.

I received a huge glass quart container of Tropical Traditions to review and couldn't wait to start cooking...well, I mean, I was excited to cook with it, not that I like cooking or anything. So, I got out chicken tenderloins and Vigo breading. I realized we were out of eggs, which I normally dip the c hicken in before the breading. I decided to dip the chicken in the coconut oil before the breading and then fry the chicken in coconut oil as well! There are many advantages to cooking with coconut oil, that I did not know, like the fact that is has was less calories than vegetable or olive oil. The fat content in coconut oil also turns to energy instead of lingering to the heart or arteries. It is chalked full of vitamins and minerals too!

Even with my head cold, I could smell the coconut. Christian worried that it might taste too coconutty and he wouldn't like it....I was worried too. Let me tell you, that they were delicious. They did not taste like coconut at all actually, but did give the chicken a bit of a sweeter taste. Zealand ate two whole chicken tenderloins and there wasn't any leftovers for Kingsley today. Then tonight, Christian made beef cube steaks and prepared them with flour instead of Vigo but used the coconut oil with dinner tonight too! All on his own, he liked it so much.

On the site Organic Facts I read the following: Coconut oil has been known to help with irritable bowel syndrome due to its high anti microbial properties, it is also good on for pancreatitis and weight loss. It as been known to strengthen the immune system and aid in healing and infections. Diabetes, bones and teeth have all seen an improvement by using coconut oil.

This is more than a one use product. And now I am so glad, I was sent such a huge bottle!

Wanna know where to buy some? Visit Tropical Traditions!

Wanna win a quart of coconut oil for your very own?

Mandatory entry:
What other Tropical traditions product would you like to try?
OR
What recipe from here sounds good?

Additional entries:
Subscribe to their newsletter
Follow @troptraditions on twitter
Follow my blog
Follow me on twitter
Subscribe via email
Tweet (once per day...leaving me your tweet link)

Winner we be drawn December 21st.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product

Stripping diapers 101 from The Rash Specialist aka Dani from Baby Cotton Bottoms

OK....so she might not have the name tag that says Rash Specialist and she may even laugh knowing that I call her that but she holds a mean grudge against rashes. She takes a no holds bar approach and is FIRM about how to rid babies of their rashes.
Danika on twitter had heard my exasperated attempts at trying to clear Kingsley's rash..only for it to come back with bells on. She recommended that I contact Dani, (Baby Cotton Bottoms) through her online contact form on her website. I was semi-familiar with her site since I was "owl-hunting" on it for the Great Cloth Diaper Hunt, just a few weeks prior. Dani immediately responded and fired off LOTS of questions.....are you sure it's yeast? Has it been tested? What diapers are you using? What have you tried? She informed me that if it was bacteria and I was treated it as yeast, that I was in fact FEEDING the bacteria and visa versa.

She informed me that vinegar does not cure...it feeds.
Dr. Smith's which is zinc-based has boric acid. DRYING out the rash but not curing it.
The TTO...I was using? Could have been killing her natural womanly flora since I was adding it to bath water....and we know where the water goes;)
She recommends Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottoms Balm.

So, these emails are shot back to back quickly and VERY detailed. She even asks if she can CALL me!
(The day BEFORE Thanksgiving!!)

Now, Dani, is working closely with the CDC in Atlanta because she is writing a book! She called out a few detergent products, which I will NOT name but I will list what she DOES recommend. AND because Kingsley is now rash free, I trust her.
END OF STORY.

She likes Allen's,
Bum Genius (which is a country save partnership)
and
the new Thirsties (which has the anti-bacterial agent)

Lots of detergents are new or haven't been tested enough or are simply NOT cleaning the diapers the right way.

She asked about how I was storing dirty diapers, liners and wipes? If I had attempted sterilizing changing pad covers, blankets and washcloths? Bacteria LIVES! And I never thought that one tiny bad bacteria could be living in her changing pad cover or a cloth liner!

Now we move to stripping.
BOIL
All but your PUL covers
Like you would boil pasta....10 minutes
then dump in washer add detergent and wash.

FOR PUL :
Using one of the 3 detergents above use 1 scoop and add 1/4 cup of chlorine bleach wash on your HOTTEST water that your thermostat has.
MAKING SURE YOUR DIPES ARE 1ST CLEAN not DIRTY!
Then repeat.
1st time takes a layer off the fungus...2nd time KILLS it.
Then rinse rinse rinse. Till they smell like cloth again!
Make sure you don't overfill the washer. Give them room to float around.

Don't forget using a NON-RESIDUE detergent is the way to go. Choosing the wrong detergent, may cause the process to fail.

This should clear up all ammonia issues as well, I assume, for those JUST battling that issue!

Till December 2nd Baby Cotton Bottoms has FREE shipping on everything in store by using HOLIDAY as your coupon code.
So go grab one of these 3 detergents with FREE shipping
(you won't find that ANYWHERE!)
No minimum purchase required.

I know this should work for you too!