DIY Medicated Vapor Shower Disks

This is such a common DIY project on the Internet, that I hesitate to even blog about it, but since this is one of things that I have been doing this week so I thought "Why Not?" This recipe goes by several different names "Vicks Vapor Shower Discs". "Shower Soothers", and so on, but the premise is the same...to clear the boogers out of your nose and to ease chest congestion when you have a cold or flu.

Shirley's Notes:

• Since this project involves a gel based product, it may not be suitable for all sewer systems and piping. If you are concerned about the grease in the medicated gel clogging up either one of those, you can substitute the medicated gel with eucalyptus oil and mint oil. 
• Trying to get the smell out of the mixing bowel, measuring cup, etc., can be time consuming sometimes. I found the easiest way is just to make a paste using baking soda and water to wash the dishes out. That usually removes the scent right away.

What You Will Need:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup water
• 2 -3 teaspoons of medicated vapo gel (Vicks Vapor Rub is one name brand for this)
• measuring spoon
• stirring spoon
• measuring cup
• muffin pan
• paper cups
• saucepan.
• Mixing bowl (or you can just skip the bowl and mix the ingredients in your saucepan)

Directions:

•  Place 1/3 cup of water and medicated gel into  saucepan and place onto stove. Warm the water just enough to melt the get and then remove the pan from stove.
•  Combine water/gel mixture with the baking soda and cornstarch, mixing well into thick paste. You can add more water if needed.

• Put paper cups into muffin pan and fill each cup about 1/2 full.
• Using a glass bottom covered with a plastic bag, lightly tap down on mixture to compress it together.

• Allow mixture to sit overnight until disks are hard
• Store in an air tight container

To Use:
Put disks in the bottom of shower where the water hits the floor. Use hot water to melt the disk  

Thanks for reading and visiting my blog. :-) 

Natural Mosquito and Flea Repellent Recipe

Where I live at, mosquito and fleas seem to be in abundance at this time of the year. While I don't like to get bit by them, I like even less the over-the-counter sprays filled with all sorts of chemicals. Lucky for me one of the best mosquito and flea repellents that I have found is also one that I can easily make with things that I normally have in my house.

The combination of the ingredients have been used for decades to ward off mosquitoes and fleas, but the recipe that I found for it, made up way more than I would ever use during the summer months....so I have somewhat changed the recipe. As with anything else like this, please try the product on a small patch of skin before slithering all over you in case you find that you are allergic to it.

Natural Mosquito and Flea Repellent Recipe

• whole cloves
• rubbing alcohol
• baby oil (equal amount as alcohol used)
• a container that can be tightly closed

Put as much or as little as you like of the cloves in the container and cover with the rubbing alcohol. Tightly cover and allow to marinate for 4 days, stirring (or swishing around) the contents both morning and night. After the 4 days, add the same amount of baby oil as what there is rubbing alcohol. There is no need to actually measure it...just eyeball it is good enough. Mix together and store in a covered container in a cool, dry, place .

To Use: Apply with a cotton ball to arms, legs, and throat area.

Thanks for visiting and reading my blog. :-)

Herbal Remedies Using Daylilies

One of my Daylilies beds in my garden this year.

 

For hundreds and hundreds of years, Chinese traditional medicine has used a tea made from the flowers of the daylilies (Hemerocallis fulva) to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While this has not been verified by Scientific research, it is reported that the daylily tea helps to cause forgetfulness concerning the traumatic event for the victim.

The tea from the daylily has been also used as a pain killer, fever reducer, sedative and for childbirth. However, there is no scientific research, that I have found, to back these claims up. To my way of thinking, the tea tastes good, so no harm can be done in trying it to treat the above conditions.

Some warning: While all parts of the daylily are edible, make very sure it is a daylily that you will be eating and not it's poisonous look alike...the Iris. Eating to many of the flowers can cause diarrhea. Also, there are reports that eating to many of the leaves, can cause hallucinations. Although, I have never found any documentation, that this has actually occurred or a reason why this would occur.

Thanks for reading and visiting my blog. :-)

Disclaimer: (Legal stuff my lawyer said I should include in this section of my blog.) I am not a doctor or a member of the medical community. The content of this post is solely from my own personal research and use and the information provided here has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This post is intended for educational purposes only and not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any condition or disease. Be sure to consult with a medical professional regarding the treatment of any condition or medical symptom you may experience. 

Yucca Shampoo – Make your own

Some of the Yucca flowers in my yard.

For hundreds of years, the southwest Native Americans used the dry root of the Yucca plant for shampoo. During the 1970's it was the “in” thing for everyone to buy shampoo with yucca in it. The yucca plant does leave the hair looking shinny and beautiful. This is because the Yucca root contains a natural saponin which softly lathers when used with water. It helps to prevent dandruff and some say that it helps to prevent hair loss. Now days though, it can be rather difficult to find commercially made shampoo that has Yucca in it. 

The Yucca plant.

Making shampoo from the yucca plant is not difficult at all. To do so:

1. Dig up a small to medium size plant.
2. Remove all dirt and chop the the roots into manageable size pieces. (About 1 inch cubes seems to work best for me.)
3. Peel off the brown outside layer of the root, cutting off the hairlike extensions..
4. Use a hammer or rock to pulverize the root pieces into the pulp. You know you have smashed them enough when the pieces turn from white to light yellow.
5. Your shampoo is now finished. You can either freeze it or dehydrate it for later use. To deydrate it, place onto a cookie sheet and place into 225 F degree oven for an hour or two or until all the moisture has evaporated and the root no longer feels sticky.. Or you can dehydrate by allowing to set in the sun. Store in a dry, cool place in an air tight container. If you freeze it, allow to thaw before attempting to use.
6. To use: Put a small amount into a bag made out of cheesecloth. Close the bag and wet it. Squeeze the bag with yucca root to dispense the lather onto your hair. Wash as you normally do.

Thanks for reading and visiting my blog. :-)

Homemade Mosquito Repellent

It is that time of the year again...stick your head outside the door and you will probably get bitten by a mosquito. Unless, of course, you either spray yourself with a commercial insect repellent, or you spray yourself with a homemade (usually healthier alternative) repellent.

There are a lot of recipes online for insect repellant, but the three that seem to work the best for me, can be found at Yahoo Voices , You have three different recipes to choose from.

Another idea is to incorporate plants in your landscaping that repel mosquitoes.  Eartheasy Blog has a list of five easy to grow plants that help to repel mosquitoes.

Some of the other things that you can do to help prevent mosquitoes from biting you are:

• Wear white colored clothing
• Don't allow standing water to become stagnant. Clean out birdbaths daily and remove things like discarded car tires or other items where moisture and rain collects in your yard.
• Keep your grass, hedges, and other vegetation, mowed and trimmed. 

Thanks for reading and visiting my blog. :-)

Infusing Plantain - Natural Remedies

Infused oil made from the plantain plant is an all around great treatment for damaged skin from rashes, insect bites, dry skin patches, help to heal pulled muscles, or anytime you want to relieve pain and swelling of the skin.

What you will need: plantain leaves, knife, virgin olive oil (other oils can be used but olive oil has the longest shelf life), cutting board, glass jar, vitamin E if you want it, lid to seal jar, and something to wash the leaves in if you are wanting to wash them.

I have repeatedly been told by herbalist not to wash the leaves in order to keep all the oils from the plantain plant...but I do and I think you can see from this picture why I do so. I have no desire whatsoever, to have the dirt and other nasty gunk in my infused oil.

After washing the leaves, you can either give them a spin or two in a salad spinner, or do like I do and lay them out onto clean cloths and pat dry. I have heard that you should allow 24 hours of drying time before adding the leaves to the oil, but I don't and it always seems to work out okay for me.

 

Make a medium size stack of the leaves

Then roll the leaves

 

Then slice the rolled leaves into thin stripes. What we are looking for here is as much exposed surface area as possible so as much of the oil in the plantain leaves can be infused into the oil

Next, put the leaf stripes into the glass jar and cover them with the virgin olive oil. Make sure all of the leaf strips are submerged in the oil or you risk mold forming. If you wish, you can add vitamin E at this point. Then, poke around the jar with a knife to get rid of the air pockets.

Now, screw on the lid. Some people place cheese cloth over the top of the jar before screwing on the lid, but I never have done this. Label the jar and keep the infusing oil at room temperature and where oil will not ruin the surface that it is sitting on. Mix the contents daily. (I just shake the jar one or two times) After several days, it will start to smell like salami. This is very normal. Allow to sit for 4-6 weeks but no longer than 6 weeks or your oil may go rancid. Strain off the oil and discard the leaf strips. Keep the infused oil in a cool dry place in a dark bottle or jar.

Thanks for reading and visiting my blog. :-)

Common Plantain – Your New Best “Friend”

Last week I posted on my FaceBook page about using common plantain (as opposed to the plantain that looks like a banana) to relieve the itching from insect bites. While doing so, I thought that I was being redundant and saying what everyone already knew. I was amazed at the response. Some people knew exactly what I was talking about but several people were totally clueless and even private messaged me for more information. So I thought that I would blog today about this wonderful and useful plant..

Common plantain, or Plantago major, grows about every where in the United States and Europe. It was called “White Man's Foot” by the Native Americans, because the Puritans brought the plant from Europe to America. It is a very versatile plant as it is both edible and used for medicine but is thought of as a weed especially here in the states.

If you gather the leaves when they are young, they are edible in both salads and soups. Once the leaves have matured though, they become tough and bitter. I have tried eating plantain raw, and to me it tastes very...well...green. (I am sure you understand what I mean by that.) In a salad or soups, it does tastes pretty good. One hundred grams of plantain, contains about the same amount of Vitamin A as a carrot. Seeds from the plantain plant can be ground into flour.

Used as a medicine, plantain can be used for insect bites, and applied to wounds to promote healing. The reason that this works is because the plantain plant contains many bioactive compounds. It can used as an astringent. And the root of the plant has traditionally been used to treat fevers and respiratory infections. Due to its astringent properties, a tea of plantain leaves can be drank to treat diarrhea or dysentery. It can be chewed or pounded into a paste and applied to a wound to stop minor bleeding. It is very soothing and cooling as it heals.

The stems from the plantain can also be used to make rope. In the coming weeks I will try to add just exactly how to prepare plantain for medical purposes. Thanks for reading and visiting my blog. :-)

Mosquito Bites – Natural Remedies

It has been hot and rainy here, which made for the perfect conditions for mosquitoes. The other day, I was working in my yard and of course I forgot to use any kind of insect repellent before I went outside. Needless to say, I ended up with a lot of mosquito bites. Not wanting to miss this golden opportunity to see what worked and what didn't work, I tried several different natural remedies to stop the itch and swelling from mosquito bites.

Why a mosquito bite swells and itches is because when a mosquito bites, venom from the mosquito is injected into your skin which causes pain and sometimes triggers an allergic reaction. How bad the bite swells and itches depends on your sensitivity to the insect venom or how many bites you have.

Of course the best way to treat mosquito bites is prevention. Always use some kind of insect repellant when outdoors to keep from having this problem in the first place. But, if you end up forgetting, like I did, here are few things that you can try to stop the itch and swelling:

• The first thing that you need to do is wash the bite area with soap and water. If you see a stinger, scrape, or brush off the stinger with a straight edged object. Don't try to pull the stinger out, as this may release more venom.
• Plantain – I tried this and it worked very well. To use, make a fresh leaf poultice. Pick a leaf, chew it well and put it on the bite. The pain, heat, itching, and swelling, will disappear fast.
• Baking soda – This one works well also. To use, make a past of baking soda and water and apply over the bite area. I put a band-aid over the top of the mixture to keep the paste in place.
• Vinegar – Apply a small amount directly to the bump.
• Ice – Apply ice directly to the bite.
• Dry Bar of Soap – Rub a bar of dry unscented soap directly on the bite.
• Lemons or Limes – Apply a small amount of the juice directly to the bite.
• Banana peel – rub the inside of a banana peel over the bite. I tried this one and it surprisingly worked pretty well.
• Crushed Dandelion leaves – Apply fresh crushed leaves every hour. This didn't work for me.
• Salt Paste – Mix salt and water together to form a paste and apply to the bite. I tried this and it didn't seem to do anything for me.
• Onion – Place a fresh slice of onion on the bite for several minutes until the itching goes away.
• Toothpaste – Rub a small amount onto the bite. Allow to dry and leave for as long as desired. I tried this and it didn't do a thing at all to help me, but it did leave my foot smelling minty fresh. <lol> (Please don't ask me how I know that one. <ROFLOL>)
• Cucumber – Apply the skin of a cucumber over the bite.
• Honey – Using a small amount of honey, apply directly to the bite. Honey has anti-microbial properties so it will help to prevent infections.
• Rubbing Alcohol – Using a cotton ball, lightly rub alcohol over the bite. I tried this and it helped somewhat but it did need to reapplied often. What I finally did was to soak the cotton ball in the alcohol and placed it onto of the bite. Then I held the cotton ball in place using medical tape.

I hope that one of the above will help you the next time you are bite by a mosquito. If after trying to stop the itch and swelling yourself without any relief, or if the symptoms get worse, contact your doctor to see what treatment would be best for you.

Thanks for reading and visiting my blog. :-)

Disclaimer: (Legal stuff my lawyer said I should include in this section of my blog.) I am not a doctor or a member of the medical community. The content of this post is solely from my own personal research and use and the information provided here has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This post is intended for educational purposes only and not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any condition or disease. Be sure to consult with a medical professional regarding the treatment of any condition or medical symptom you may experience. 

Aspirin Substitute – Natural Remedies

A substitute for aspirin may be as close as in your own neighborhood, and that is bark from the Willow tree. The reason that this works is because the bark has most of the same components in it as aspirin. Willow tree bark has been used for centuries to reduce pain and inflammation. However, it will not reduce a fever.

***WARNING*** If you have any medical condition(s). especially an allergy to salicin, or take medication of any kind  (legal kind or otherwise), please consult with your doctor first. There have been some known interaction between some medications that has resulted in serious side effects. Also children under the age of 16 should not use Willow bark because of the danger of them developing Reye syndrome. And of course, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding you shouldn't use Willow bark.

You can buy the bark from a health food store or online. The kind of willow tree bark that is sold most often in the United States is usually a combination of white and purple Willow although any bark from any Willow tree can be used. If you do harvest your own Willow bark, please be kind and take the bark from a small branch. If you must take the bark from the trunk, go vertical with your cut and not horizontal. Girdling a tree can kill it.

To make Willow bark tea, boil 1-2 teaspoons of the dried bark in 8 ounces of water and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes. Let the tea steep for ½ hour more. Drink 3-4 times daily.

Thanks for reading and visiting my blog. 

Disclaimer: (Legal stuff my lawyer said I should include in this section of my blog.) I am not a doctor or a member of the medical community. The content of this post is solely from my own personal research and use and the information provided here has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This post is intended for educational purposes only and not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any condition or disease. Be sure to consult with a medical professional regarding the treatment of any condition or medical symptom you may experience. 

Intestinal Flu – Natural Remedies

One of the best ways that I have found to deal with... ummmmm...intestinal flu (which means diarrhea for the sake of this post) is to drink a tea made from the dried leaves of blackberries. It sounds to good to be true, but most of the time, one cup of this will take care of the problem. Two cups at the absolute most. This is very safe to drink for both adults and children without any known side effects. It tastes wonderful and you can drink it even if you don't have the flu.

My step-dad was in a very serious accident a few years ago, and was hospitalized for several months. While he was there, he caught a virus and came down with intestinal flu. The hospital tried several medications to alleviate his problem, but nothing helped. I suggested that they try blackberry tea. Thankfully the doctor was very opened to alternative medicine and to my suggestion, and "prescribed" blackberry tea for my step-dad. Within an hour after my step dad drank the tea, the problem had cleared up. The doctor was very surprised, and now he suggests drinking blackberry tea to his other patients that have the flu.

A couple words of caution though:

• There is a difference between blackberries and black raspberries. You need the blackberry tea.
• So called blackberry tea that you buy in the grocery stores in handy-dandy tea bags usually are not made from blackberry leaves. They only have have artificial flavoring in them, or the flavoring in the tea is made from the juice of the berry instead of the leaves. These will not work. You need real blackberry leaf tea. So be careful what you buy.

To make blackberry tea:

Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 3 teaspoons of dried blackberry leaves and allow to steep for at least 10 minutes. Strain tea and drink. Repeat after one hour if needed.

Thanks for reading and visiting my blog. :-)

Disclaimer: (Legal stuff my lawyer said I should include in this section of my blog.) I am not a doctor or a member of the medical community. The content of this post is solely from my own personal research and use and the information provided here has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This post is intended for educational purposes only and not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any condition or disease. Be sure to consult with a medical professional regarding the treatment of any condition or medical symptom you may experience.  blah, blah, blah.....

Sore Throats - Natural Remedies

Disclaimer: (Legal stuff my lawyer said I should include in this section of my blog.) I am not a doctor or a member of the medical community. The content of this post is solely from my own personal research and use and the information provided here has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This post is intended for educational purposes only and not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any condition or disease. Be sure to consult with a medical professional regarding the treatment of any condition or medical symptom you may experience. 

 

Now that I have all that legal stuff out of the way...I am not a big fan of taking synthetic drugs, especially when I have found ways, for myself anyways, to take care of the problem naturally. Sore throats are one of those times. I can't claim that the following works every time for me, but more often than not, my throat will stop hurting within an hour of drinking one of the following:

Recipe One:

1 cub of hot, strong, black tea (orange pekoe seems to work best for me)

2 teaspoons of honey

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

At the onset of a sore throat, mix the ingredients together and drink. Repeat as needed.

Recipe Two:

1 teaspoon honey

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

At the onset of the sore throat, mix ingredients together and drink. Take two times a day for three days.

Recipe Three:

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons vinegar

dash of cinnamon

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

At the onset of a sore throat, mix the ingredients together and drink. Repeat as needed.

Thank you for visiting my blog. :-)