Fire Ant Bites, Shea Butter, and Life Dreams

Last night my daughter and I were picking clover in our backyard to give to our pet bunny rabbit. In the middle of picking the clover, my daughter made the unfortunate mistake of stepping in a fire ant hill. If you've never stepped in a fire ant hill before, you have no idea how painful and irritating it can be. After soaking her foot in cool water and applying hydrogen peroxide, I had her massage some shea butter and mango butter onto her foot. As she rubbed the shea butter into her skin, she sighed at the relief it provided. She said, "Mommy! The shea butter is taking my itches away!". After that, we got into a long discussion about shea butter, how it is made, how it helps to provide work for people in Africa, and how good it is for us. She wanted to see actually how shea butter is made, so I did what any proper 21st century mom would do, and I went to youtube. There I found the video above, which shows how shea butter is crafted in Africa. It is extremely informative and enjoyable for anyone to watch. After my daughter watched it she kept saying that she wished she lived in Africa, and she wished we had the community here that they do there. This led to more discussions on African culture and life, and now she's determined to go there when she graduates from high school.

 Funny how an unfortunate accident, like stepping in a fire ant hill, can lead to such great conversations and dreams. If you happen to step in a nasty pile of fire ants this summer, try applying some shea butter! First we would suggest soaking your foot (or any affected area) in cold water and washing it with a gentle cleanser. Secondly, rinse the area with some hydrogen peroxide. Afterwards, apply some shea butter. Shea butter naturally relieves itching and reduces pain. If shea butter isn't enough (sometimes those bites can be really intense), we've found spraying some pain relief spray like lanacane or dermoplast can help. Enjoy the video, and remember that with each purchase of shea butter, you help to support the villagers in Africa who make it.