Tag Archives: natural remedies

When It’s Not What We Think It Is

It started on Chloe’s birthday after spending 3 hours in a park. The itchy throat, the stuffy nose, and it came on fast. Knowing my history with allergies, even though the past few years have been better (thank you raw local honey and clean healthy eating!), I made the obvious assumption that allergies were to blame, and I locked myself inside for the next few days as I battled to breath with just one nostril.

My suspicions were confirmed when I went out for an hour 4 days later, and I started to feel worse again. This time, more than my nose, my throat was the victim. By the next morning, I had virtually no voice. The weather was gorgeous and I stayed inside, wishing I could open the windows and let the air filter my home (just like Sara Snow talked about in our recent interview).

A week had passed, and despite beginning to feel better thanks to Melanie St. Ours and her wonderful herbal wisdom, I questioned whether enjoying the 70 degree weather was a smart choice, but I needed to get out, so off we went.

“So far so good,” I said to my mom as we walked from the car towards the season’s first Clover Market, an outdoor market of area artisans including our friend Hillary from Isabella Sparrow and a woman I went to school with, Jenny Staple with her beautiful jewelry.

As the hours passed and I still felt pretty good (just tired out by the 4 year old!), I began to realize something really exciting – I had been sick!! I have rarely been so excited about being sick, but this meant that perhaps the windows could be opened and I could enjoy the fresh air of spring.

It is easy to jump to conclusions in our lives – whether it comes to relationships, to our health, or even to what path to choose. When we can stay open to all possibilities, we might find ourselves pleasantly surprised.

I remain cautiously optimistic and now feel prepared to try opening the windows and letting the breeze into my home. If you’re a fellow allergy sufferer, here are a few things I’m adding to my routine this season just in case.

My daily dose of raw local honey
Sabidil (a homeopathic allergy remedy)
My nose irrigator (I just tried it but so far I find it easier than my neti pot, same concept)
Lots and lots of water
Being mindful of high pollen days so I can keep track of how I feel and if it’s related (nothing beats self awareness!)

I’d love to know about a time when what you thought to be true turned out to be something else and what that taught you. Leave a comment below!

Peace, Love, and Wellness,

Creating Sacred Space

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My home is sacred space. Taking care of my home is an extension of taking care of myself. When my home feels out of balanced, cluttered, and visibly like it’s not receiving the care it deserves, I know that is a reflection of myself. This is tricky for someone who has wanted to tackle clutter for a long time. I am getting there – in my home, on my computer (oh the files!) and in my mind and heart. I am so incredibly aware of how they intertwine.

There are times when I move furniture around, and warn my husband so he doesn’t hurt himself or go into shock when he gets home. The last move was just a couple of tables, but the time before that was moving some big pieces of furniture between rooms. It’s what I do. It’s part of how I shift the energy and create space for what I most need.

But I don’t always have the time or desire to go big when it comes to cleaning and moving things around in my home. Sometimes, even if I wish I could wave a magic wand and have our home look like the sacred space that I know it is, I have to be content to start small.

There is magic is starting small.

There is magic in picking one small space and knowing that you have made it what you want it to be.

There is magic in creating a part of your home that is free of clutter and that fully reflects what you want.

There is magic in creating little altars throughout your home, spaces that bring forth love, peace, and calm even amidst a larger mess.

Last night I chose one small space.

It never ceases to amaze me how filled with junk our medicine cabinets get even when I think I’m staying on top of them.

Today, I chose another small space. Granted, all it took to create this space was removing one misplaced item from the shelf, but look at the magic!!

When you create a calm and sacred environment for you to live in, you begin to feel the calm and sacred within, and that is a beautiful act of self-care.

What is one space in your home that you can make sacred today? Share with us in the comments below.

Peace, Love, and Wellness,

A Holistic Approach to Flu Prevention – What We’re Doing in Our Home

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A hot topic of conversation these days is the flu. To get a shot or not? Is it hype or is the concern real?

I have a handful of friends who got hit with a nasty virus. Flu? Maybe.

I learned more about what’s in the flu shot and how much (or how little) it can actually protect us (thanks to Dr. Christiane Northrup sharing this article).

My philosophy when it comes to most things in life, and especially decisions we make about our health and the health of our families is this – learn what your options are and then make the decision that feels best for you and your family.

After gathering information from a variety of sources, here’s what we’re doing in our house this year….

We are…

Drinking lots of water (at least ½ our body weight in ounces each day)

Remembering to take our vitamins, including probiotics and Vitamin D supplements

Making sure to get plenty of sleep and rest

Incorporating raw garlic, ginger, Vitamin C , coconut oil and Omega 3s into our daily routines

Washing our hands a lot!! (Important note: antibacterial agents often do more harm than good, so avoid the triclosan and stick with using regular soap, wash for 20 seconds, and then rinse with warm water)

We’ve also added some new things to our arsenal this year, because I’m always learning more and I want to do as much as I can to keep my family healthy.

Thieves Oil. Thieves during the Plague used a combination of essential oils to protect themselves from getting sick while robbing those who were ill (and those who had perished). I’m new to the world of essential oils, but I’ve been curious for a long time. I know so many people who count on Thieves to help keep their families healthy, and I was finally motivated to try it in our home.

Muco Coccinum is a homeopathic remedy that was recommended to me by Dr. Cory Reddish as something that you can take to prevent the flu (1x every 2 weeks) or to help relieve symptoms if you get the flu.

This is what we’ve stocked our home with. What about you?

Peace, Love, and Wellness,

Cold Busting Tea

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All around me, people are getting sick. I’m managing (so far) to avoid it myself, even though my husband has a cold. We’ve got lots of water, probiotics, vitamin C, raw garlic and rest happening around here.

Last year, I got hit with a nasty cold. As soon as I noticed it creeping up on me, I made this tea and my cold was gone in a day or two, and I was feeling back to my normal self.

If you’re on the verge of getting sick or even in the midst of it already, I hope you feel better soon. Here’s a tea recipe that can help get you there:

Put  1‐2  cups  of  water  in  a  pot  on  the  stove  on  medium –medium  high  heat 
Add  1  garlic  clove,  1  cinnamon  stick,  1  tsp  fresh  ginger,  dash  of  cayenne,  juice  of  ½  lemon,  and  1 tsp  honey  (or to taste)
 Steep  for  10‐15  minutes 
 Drink  at  first  sign  of  a  cold  and  32  ounces  daily  until  symptoms  lessen 

Peace, Love, and Wellness,