Ease an Upset Stomach and Vomiting: At-Home Care Dos and Don'ts
While its true that juice and tea are great for an upset stomach, orange juice is not, contrary to what most people believe. In fact, drinking orange juice while your stomach is upset may be the cause of your sudden attack of vomiting.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/697557/ease_an_upset_stomach_and_vomiting.html

Static free, Fresh - Clean Scent, Quick and Easy, Cheaper, and No Chemicals!

Take a muslin bag or cheese cloth.
Fill full with lavender buds. Dry or fresh.
Sew or tie shut. (If you tie it shut, tie it well!)
Add 5 drops of lavender essential oil directly to the bag.
Place the bag into the dryer with your load of clothes and that's it!

Bag will last for about 4-6 dryer cycles.
After that, sprinkle on your carpet and vacuum up.

(They actually sell these at Trader Joe's grocery store for about $10, I think, for 2 bags. You can buy muslin bags for about 20 cents each and lavender is about $2-3 per 1/4 pound. That is what www.herbco.com charges me. Plus shipping of course. My point, you can really make a LOT of these bags for the cost of 2 bags from Trader Joe's.)

Recipes for Natural Cleaning products.

Replace those chemicals!


Window & glass cleaner
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol


Bleach Alternative:
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
12 drops Lavender essential oil
1/4 cup Baking soda
1/4 cup vinegar

Put ingredients into a large jug, and shake well.
Next time you wash a load of white use this in place of the bleach.


Floor Cleaner:
1/8 cup liquid castile soap
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 gallon warm water
5-10 drops tea tree oil or lavender oil


Furniture Polish:
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice

Place on a rag and rub down furniture. Use a clean rag to polish.


Non-abrasive degreaser:
Warm water
baking soda
drops of orange essential oil

Soft Scrub:
Use this for tubs, showers, and toilet bowls
1/2 cup baking soda
castile soap (Enough to make a "Soft but thick" consistency)
5-10 drops peppermint essential oil

All Purpose Cleaner:
1/3 cup Salt
1 cup Vinegar
1 cup Warm Water
1/2 Baking Soda

Put into a spray bottle.




* Castile Soap is an all natural soap made of oil olive or vegetable oil rather than animal fats and chemicals. You can buy castile soap in flakes or liquid form, check online or (maybe!) a local health store might have it.

Please do not use any herbal remedies if you are currently taking anti-depressants or any other medications without first talking to your doctor. Herbal remedies are generally considered safe however, when paired with prescription drugs, can have negative interactions.

Fibromyalgia affects the muscles and soft tissue. Fibromyalgia patients usually suffer from chronic pain in the muscles, fatigue, sleep problems, and painful tender points in parts of the body.

In order to effectively treat all symptoms of Fibromyalgia you would need multiple remedies. Here are just a few remedies you could try to help reduce suffering for some of the worst symptoms of Fibromyalgia.


Chronic Pain:

St. John's Wort has Antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory,and anti-depressant properties making it ideal for nerves, pain relief, and of course depression symptoms. St. John's Wort can be taken in capsule form, liquid extract, infusion, or tincture form. You can purchase all of these either online or at a health store.

To make a tincture of St. John's Wort:

You will need a large jar with an air tight lid - canning jars work great.

Fill the jar with 1/4 fresh or dried St. John's Wort.
Cover with 100 proof vodka to the top.
Leave a little room in the jar because you will need to shake this.
Screw on your air tight lid and keep in a cool dry place for about 2 weeks. Shake you tincture well every day.
After two weeks, strain out the herb and reserve the liquid into a new sterile jar with an air tight lid.

The dose is usually about 1 drop 3 times a day.

To make an infusion of St. John's Wort:

Place 1-2 teaspoons of dried or fresh herb into a large mug. Cover with 1 cup of boiling water and steep for 10-15 minutes. Strain and drink 1 cup of infusion 3 times a day.


Fatigue:

Drink a lot of water and get plenty of exercise to stimulate circulation and blood pressure.

Try making sage wine for an energy boost. Recipe found here.

You can try drinking teas with ginseng.

You can also buy ginseng capsules for a daily energy supplement. Start with a low dose as too much ginseng can cause insomnia.


Trouble Sleeping:

There are so many herbs for help Sleeping. Some of the most common ones are:

Skullcap
Valerian root
Chamomile
Hops
Lavender
Passion Flower

You can find all of these in capsule form, liquid extract form, tea form, or make your own tinctures & infusions. You can also try sleep pillows, or dream pillows. Read this post for easy to follow instructions.


Painful joints/Parts of the Body:

Turmeric capsules can be taken daily to eliminate pain and inflammation.

Make a Turmeric compress for pain in certain areas of the body:

In a bowl combine 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of ginger juice. Add 1 cup boiling water. Steep for 10-15 minutes; dip a cloth into mixture and apply to affected area for 10 minutes. Repeat as necessary.

You can also try a camphor bath. Instructions available here.

You may try a Homemade Calendula Salve, recipe here , for on the go relief from pain. Rub the salve on the painful areas and relief should follow shortly. You can reapply this often if needed.

Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, astringent

Hawthorn Berry is know as "The Heart Herb". It strengthens tissue and eliminates inflammation making it great for the heart and vascular system. Hawthorn also aids in increasing circulation having a positive effect on blood pressure.

Taking Hawthorn Berry Extract everyday can help lower blood pressure.

Hawthorn can be taken in a few different ways:

Tea - Purchase Hawthorn Berry Tea and prepare according to tea box directions. This is the least expensive option but arguably the least effective too.

Liquid Extract - Hawthorn Berry Liquid Extract can be purchase at your local health store or online at vitamin & supplement stores. Typical dosage in 1-2 drops mixed a glass of water 3 times a day. This is the most expensive option for taking Hawthorn. You will pay around $8-$10 for a 1 ounce bottle of liquid extract but this should last a while since you take only a few drops a day.

Capsules - The easiest option unless you have a hard time swallowing pills. Hawthorn capsules can be found locally in stores like walmart for around $5 for 100 capsules. A typical dose is usually 1 capsule taken between 2 - 5 times daily. 100 capsules will usually last you anywhere from 20 - 50 days depending on your exact dose.

Warning:
Do not take Hawthorn if your pregnant, nursing, dizziness occurs, have colitis, or ulcers. If you are taking heart medications or have a known heart condition consult your doctor before taking Hawthorn Berry.

This is a great remedy for those of you who may have a hard time falling or staying asleep.

A Sleep Pillow can contain any herb that has a scent you find relaxing. They are quick and easy to make and you can give them out to friends & family or tuck into gift baskets.



Video credit to Nili Nathan of Expert Village. http://www.youtube.com/user/expertvillage

The herb Eyebright has astringent and antibacterial properties to drawl out infections such as pink eye and soothe eyes.

Make an infusion:
Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1 teaspoon of dried eyebright herb.
Steep for 10 minutes; Stain and allow to cool.

Now you can use this infusion in a few different ways.

You can use as an eyewash 3-4 times a day.

You can also use as a warm compress. Take a soft cloth and dip into infusion while still warm, gently ring out cloth and apply to eyes. Repeat as cloth cools. You may need to reheat your infusion. Leave the compress on the eyes for at least 10 minutes.

You can also purchase eyebright tincture already made from a herbal shop. Put three drops of eyebright tincture in a tablespoon of boiled water. When cool, use as an eyewash.

Wash your hand REALLY good after handling your eyes to stop the spread of pink eye.

This a very simple, quick, and easy to follow home remedy for cough syrup. All you need is ginger root and pure honey.

I would like to note that you can not use this remedy on infants. Pure honey contains bacterial spores that are harmless to older children and adults but can cause infant botulism in small children. Never give children snacks or remedies containing pure honey.









Credit for this is goes to LivingbyDesign1 http://www.youtube.com/user/LivingbyDesign1

Please visit her Youtube page for more great, easy to follow home remedy videos.

Well, as much I like this old fashioned journal template, it is time for a change. I'll be testing out new themes for about an hour. Just in case you happen upon the blog while it is being edited I apologize and hopefully everything will be in order later today.

Comments on the new layout and theme will be greatly appreciated.

I wanted to share this article with you guys...


Household Uses for Herbs and Spices
Herbs and spices can serve many purposes around the house besides cooking and remedies. They can be great for natural cleaning solutions, warding off summer time bugs, freshen linens, give your home a fresh clean scent with chemical air fresheners, and in many other ways.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/632591/household_uses_for_herbs_and_spices.html

Drop a few drops of peppermint essential oil on a small square of cloth.
Hang from rear view mirror or place near heating/AC vents in car.
The scent will fill the car and help you feel refreshed while driving for a long time.

To refresh the scent just add a few more drops when needed.


This is also helpful to remove "stale air" smells in cars.
Use a citrus oil, like bergamot, to clean the air.