My son has had his Jeep for 18 years, and he LOVES it! He has gone on countless 4-wheeling trips over the years with his friends. Somehow, though, I've never gone with him. So when he asked me if I wanted to go along as my birthday prize, I was excited! All I had to do was ride along. The kids took care of all the snacks, drinks, food, everything. Never having gone 4-wheeling before, I knew it sounded fun, but was bouncing along and crawling over rocks really what it was cracked up to be? I was soon to find out!

The event was held on private property at Oakridge Estate that is situated between Lynchburg and Charlottesville, VA along Rt. 29. The weather was rainy and downright chilly, which was going to make the event a bit wet and slippery. It was all for a great cause to support the American Cancer Society, so lots of Jeeps showed up... lots.... and lots... 200 in fact! Below you'll see all the Jeeps lined up and ready for the first trail of the day!

There were 10 different groups, each led by an experienced Trail Guide. Each group would run a different trail so that everyone had a chance to get some quality off-roading in. Our trail guide happened to be an old friend of my son's, so it was going to be a fun time. Once everyone lined up, let out some of the air in their tires to make crawling easier, and jumped in...  we started off!

We started off with our group and followed Ben, our trail guide. He took us down through the woods winding along the trail. Then he came upon a stream that was running pretty fast because of all the rain. I asked my son if he was actually going to try to cross it, knowing that if Ben did, we would all have to follow. My son thought I was silly for asking... "Of course, we're crossing it!" Check out the video I took to give you a sense of the ride across.

For anyone who hasn't gone 4-wheeling, you can't imagine the terrain these guys cover. Rocks, trees, streams, hills...all of them are just another challenge as to who can make it over and who might get stuck and need to be pulled out. It's a slow ride with lots of stopping and waiting to see if the next in line makes the obstacle or needs a tow strap, but boy, is it awesome!

Yep, it took some effort to get out of this. After we slid into the tree (on my side of course), I decided to get out and watch from ahead and take pictures. That rock you see in the center of the Jeep was only one of the problems. Being up against the tree and hung up on other rocks underneath were just minor details... :-) Because the guys try very hard not to damage the trees or bust up their vehicles, it takes time to figure out how best to "extract" oneself from such a crazy spot! "Goat" came through and paved the way for others behind us.

Relaxing with dinner and music after the first day...chilly, rainy...but oh so much fun!

 The weekend was a great way to meet new and old friends, get to play in the mud, and raise some serious funds for the American Cancer Society. Over the 2 days of wheelin' fun, $16,000 was raised...wow! Hopefully those monies and the thousands more over the past 7 years will help find a cure and save other families from the heartache of losing someone dear. My dad would have loved doing a trip like this... I'm so glad I could be part of it in his honor! 

Happy Birthday, Dad!

For more info on this event, please check out their website... Wheelin' For Hope

You’re at the store buying soap. You have a choice between the plain, simple soap OR one that says “antibacterial” on the label. Seems like a no-brainer! We’d all buy the “antibacterial” soap because we all want our soap to be doing the best job possible.

However, there’s no evidence that specially marked “antibacterial” soap is any more effective at preventing disease than regular soap. Any soap, when scrubbed under warm water for twenty seconds, is antibacterial! Branding a soap as such is nothing more than a marketing ploy to convince customers to buy that company's soap. 

Take it from a soap maker: SOAP IS SOAP...no fancy chemicals are necessary! This is why the FDA has decided to ban 19 chemicals that soap producers were using to make this alleged “antibacterial” soap. To make matters worse, the chemicals they were using are potentially harmful.
​

The FDA banned 19 different chemicals, but the most commonly used are triclosan and triclocarbon. These are chemicals used in antiseptic soaps in hospitals - we’re talking some very strong stuff! Doctors in hospitals usually use soaps with these chemicals to wash before surgery… but should we be washing our hands with them every day? After an investigation, the FDA has determined that we should not. There has been some research to suggest that regular use of these chemicals could lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant germs, and the FDA is concerned about these chemicals’ ability to disrupt hormone cycles. While hospitals may need high concentrations of these chemicals in their soap to ensure sterilization, the FDA has banned their use in any over-the-counter soaps.
​

Relax! As long as you’re using real soap and warm water, your skin is getting clean without stripping it of good bacteria and needed oils. Read the label to make sure it says "soap" on it and not "beauty bar" which is usually loaded up with synthetic detergents and is not "soap" at all! These soap wanna-be's might contain harsh detergents and preservatives that may be harmful to your skin. Real soap is simply saponified fats that have reacted with an alkali (lye) to become soap...that's it! No preservatives needed in genuine soap.

Check out one of our past blogs, “How Does Soap Work?” for a mini chemistry lesson on the subject. Basically, soap molecules attach to oil, dirt and other particles, and then are washed away with water - no scary chemicals necessary! This is why we focus on natural soaps here at Tailored Touches. Moreover, you can always look into the ingredients we use or contact us with questions. In case you haven’t noticed, we love to talk soap...and make it!