This Stefanie Matters: Battle of the Chills

We've recently been experiencing "battle of the temperatures" here in NY and the opposition has been between what the thermometer really reads and what it actually feels like outside. Earlier this week, it was 22-degrees out with a "feels like" of 9. Both Gabe and Anna complain about the near-nightly ritual of lots and lots of Desitin Dry-Skin or Aveeno Extra-Dry/Extra-Sensitive baby lotion we smother them with before bedtime to prevent super-dry skin from the super-cold, super-dry temps.

I don't know about you, but if someone were to voluntarily want to lotion and massage me every night, especially on my dry cracked elbows, I would gladly sit back and let them. Anna, on the other hand, yells throughout the entire process, making snarky faces and mean eyebrows. Gabe constantly asks, "Are you done yet?"

We really came to head with the roaring beasts the other night when Gabe's poor cheeks were so chapped they required a little trick I like to call "Applying Diaper Rash Cream To The Chapped Cheeks" and no, I don't mean those cheeks. His lips were also very dry so I applied a little "natural" secret -- Olive Oil.

He was thrilled. I almost expected him to tell me he likes that on his pasta, not his smackers.

Gabriel, my night-time science project

I almost started questioning if this night-time ritual was worth the arguments, but then he woke up the next morning looking fantastic! Almost as if he had spent the night in an expensive spa!