Dry Skin Relief

Winter weather always wreaks havoc on my skin. The dryness slowly starts creeping in during the fall and continues right through spring before it seems to improve. My hands suffer the worst and I'm constantly looking for a *new* or *better* lotion to try that will hopefully bring some relief. If you suffer from dry hands that constantly split and crack open then you know the misery that I'm talking about.

I found this recipe somewhere on the internet several years ago and wrote it down. I tucked it away in hopes of trying it someday. In December I decided to mix a batch of it up and give it a try. 
It is AWESOME!
I am ready to throw away all the other lotions I have ever bought and use only THIS! 
It works that GOOD!

3 simple ingredients are all you need and a few containers to store it in.

2 (15 oz.) bottle of Baby Lotion
2 (4 oz.) jars of Vitamin E Cream
2 (3.75 oz.) of Vaseline
8 pack of Glad Mini Round 1/2 cup plastic containers with lids

I purchased all of these at Walmart for a total of $12.00. I believe you can use any of the baby lotions. I have tried Baby Magic and Johnson's and Johnson's Shea butter and both worked just as well. Also plain Vaseline is better than the scented. I tried the lavender scented Vaseline and it seemed to make my skin burn when I applied it.
Don't throw your empty lotion & Vaseline jars away as you can reuse them to place your homemade lotion in.

You will need a metal or glass bowl of some sort to mix these in and a metal whisk. Something that will easily wash afterwards. I use the whisk attachment that came with my hand mixer. 
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix away. Make sure that you incorporate the Vaseline throughout the mixture. Once it's whipped then spoon it out into your containers and place the lids on. You should end up with about 10 (4 oz.) containers that are great to give as gifts or just to share with friends and family. 

This is the second batch that I have made just this winter. 
Give it a try!
I think you will like it.

A Much Dreaded Trip

The dentist is definitely not one of my favorite places to be so this mornings early appointment is one that I have been dreading for the past month.
It wasn't for me though but it might as well have been because I was probably more nervous about it than Katie was.
She's had a cavity in a baby tooth that's really been bothering her. I was hoping that she would just loose the tooth soon and we wouldn't have to deal with it but we weren't that lucky.
It began aching with hot and cold foods so I knew it was time.
We visited the dentist and then had to wait to get an appointment with an orthodontist. In between times we found a lifesaver of a product.

My sister in law told me about it and said that I could find it at a Kroger store. 
Boy does this stuff work for a temporary fix!! 
It's kind of like a putty that you place into the cavity and then wait one hour for it to dry. After one hour she was able to eat and drink with no pain and no need for round the clock doses of pain reliever. (Tylenol/Ibuprofen)
If you are a parent then you will know the relief that you get when your child is no longer hurting.
After several weeks wait it was finally time to go get the tooth removed.

I wasn't sure how she would react since she's never had a tooth taken out. I too have never had one removed so I was also unsure of the procedure.
However, she took it like a pro! (I should have taken my camera with us.)
She sat up in the chair and got numbed.
You could tell it wasn't her favorite part but no big deal. No tears, whines or whimpers.
After that she sat joking and kidding around with the dentist and his assistant while waiting for the full effect of the injections to take hold.
Once she was good and numb the dentist worked his magic.
She was actually laughing as he was pulling the tooth out. She was in no pain and thought it was funny that he was jerking her head from side to side. (and no she did not have laughing gas)
Thankfully it was a much more pleasant trip than I had anticipated but I still hope that we don't have to make that trip again anytime soon.

I was quite surprised at the size of the roots especially being that it was a baby tooth.
I sure hope the Tooth Fairy leaves her something good for that one!

Leaves of Three, Let it Be!

Oh how I wish I would have heeded that advice!

I cut grass for someone the other evening and while weed eating I ran into a patch of poison ivy.
I came in contact with that same patch about a month ago when we removed some shrubs from that same yard. I managed to get a few small rashes then but I got it good this time around.
I immediately came home and showered up but evidently it was too late. I've got a big patch of it on my back and various places on my legs. (Next time I won't wear a tank top!)
 I can deal with the ones on my legs but the spot on my back drives me nuts because it's about a 4" X 4" spot right in the center of my back and I can't reach it.
Hubby has been slathering me with Caladryl which helps but it needs repeated often and he's not always home to do that. 
So tonight I tried something different.
Alcohol on a washcloth!
After showering and drying off I soaked a washrag with rubbing alcohol and then wiped it over as much of the rash as I could. 
Did it burn??
Heck yeah but afterwards it felt so much better and several hours later I'm still itch-free plus the angry red rash doesn't look so angry now.

Do you have any tried and true remedies for poison ivy?
If you do I'd love to hear them.

Long Hot Weekend

It was a long weekend for hubby due to Memorial Day weekend plus he got an extra day off for his (41st) birthday which was last week. It was so hot and sticky though that no one really wanted to do much of anything other than swim in the pool.

When we weren't in the pool we were enjoying the coolness of the air conditioned house. 
I did get my Promises and Borders Block 5 finished the other day while I was resting my ankle. I'll share those pictures with you tomorrow.
I've also gotten back to stitching up some more hexies for my flower garden quilt.


This whole ankle thing is really getting old!! Tomorrow makes a week since I fell and though it is feeling better it still swells and hurts if I'm up on it for any amount of time. I'm not used to sitting for long periods of time so being told to rest just doesn't come easy for me. (GRRRR!)
As I type this I'm laying in bed with it propped up on a few pillows and have an ice pack on it. * BUT* I have things to do that can't be done while laying in bed or sitting on the couch. Heaven forbid I ever break a leg and be confined to a wheel chair or crutches. I think I'd literally go nuts!

Just Put Me in a Bubble

This weeks has been lousy for me and at the rate things are going I may need put in a bubble for safety's sake.


-Monday my truck's transmission decided to quit working


-Tuesday I peeled all the skin off the side of my lil pinkie    finger as I was trying to work on the pool pump. (Ouch!)
I also took out a 2 foot section of our chain link fence Tuesday as I was cutting grass. The chain on my back tire got tangled in the fence and I didn't realize it so as soon as I drove forward it ripped it all out. Hubby wasn't too happy and neither was I. From now on I'll be weed eating everything within a foot of that fence because I'm not going near it with the riding mower anymore.


-Wednesday I sprained my ankle as I was heading outside to hang up a load of laundry. I was just stepping off the last step and as soon as my foot touched the ground my ankle rolled and I hit the ground. I didn't think I had hurt it that bad but as the day wore on it really started bothering me and by late last night it REALLY was bothering me. However, a good nights sleep with it resting high above on pillows has helped the swelling and pain to go down.


My husband suggested that maybe I just needed to stay indoors and not do anything today. Maybe that way I won't break or hurt anything else this week.
I'm taking his advice and spending the day sitting with my foot propped up, my stitching in hand and hopefully something nice to watch on tv.
Hope you all are having a better week than I am!

Allergic Reaction

Angry looking huh?
If you follow my blog then you all know that Katie was sick with Strep throat last week and went to the ER late one evening. There they prescribed Amoxicillin & by the looks of things bees aren't the only thing she is allergic too!

It began on her legs and a little on her belly and by the next day it had spread to her arms, back, chest and neck.

Today the rash is everywhere and it looks like all the little dots have merged together into one big splotch.
Itchy?
Yes, but I'm giving her Benadryl around the clock so it's not too bad. I'm told it will all begin to fade within the next day or two. 
Until then I just have to explain to anyone that sees her that she doesn't have some contagious disease or something.

Winter Hand Scrub - This stuff is great!

Last night I was reading through some of my favorite blogs and I came across a recipe for a hand scrub from Kim over at Life in a Little Red Farmhouse.
I so wanted to try it as my hands get horribly dry and cracked through the winter months. I'm talking so dry that they split open and bleed.
My husband is always telling me that they feel like sandpaper.
My excuse ~ I'm in the kitchen every day doing WORK!
There is never a good time to put lotion on.
I'm constantly in the kitchen preparing meals and would rather not taste lotion in my food.
When I'm not doing that I can usually be found on the computer or working on some sewing.
Again, don't need greasy hands on computer keys or fabrics.
And before you say why not at bedtime....well because I usually take my sewing with me and fall asleep as I stitch.

So this scrub may just be the solution to my dry, cracked hands. I tried Kim's recipe today and then I played around and made up my own concoction.
I put the mixture in a few canning jars and set one right beside the kitchen sink so that it is in sight and I will remember to use it.
So far I've used it twice today and my hands definitely feel softer. It leaves my skin lightly oiled but not so oily that I can't go about my daily tasks of sewing, cooking, computing or whatever else I may be into.

If you'd like to try Kim's Lemon Poppy Seed Scrub then you can find the recipe HERE.

If you want to try my version then here you go.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Oatmeal Hand Scrub

1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup oatmeal
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix everything together and place in a storage container.
Take a little dab of this into your hands and scrub gently.
Rinse with warm water and then blot hands dry.

 Note ~*I used quick cooking oatmeal this time but I think the next batch that I make I will try grinding the oatmeal into a fine powder.*

It's super easy to make and I think it feels way better than the store bought scrubs that I have used in the past.

Try it !
Your hands will thank you.

Have a great weekend and stay warm!

Taking the STING out of Bee Stings

This is the remedy that my mother always used on us when we were growing up and it is the one that my kids ask for when they get stung.

Bee Sting Remedy

Baking Soda
Water

Make a thick paste by mixing a tbsp. or so of baking soda with just a few drops of water. Stir it up with your finger and then apply it to the bee sting area. Leave it on for 5-10 minutes and it really helps to take the STING away.

I keep a store-bought Bee Stick in my medicine cabinet but my kids always ask for the baking soda stuff when they get stung. They say it works better... and one of my kids should know.
Katie has been stung 4 times this summer. It's called STUBBORN!  You would think after the first time she would just give up and put shoes on before she runs outside.

She was stung again the other day and I did finally notice that she IS now putting shoes on before she heads out the back door.
She is obviously allergic to bees because her foot will swell up for 4-5 days after getting stung and the other night she broke out in hives (after being stung) that lasted into the next day. I gave her some Benadryl and watched her closely. Yesterday the hives disappeared and today the swelling seems to be going down.
I wish there was a good homemade remedy for allergic reactions!

A Sour Start with a Picky Eater

I have been on a mission lately.

A mission to get my youngest son to try more foods.

You see, I believe he may just be the world's pickiest eater!

He has it in his head before he even tastes anything that he's not going to like it. So he just simply sticks to his old standby's and rarely ever samples anything different. This is sooooo frustrating for me. I don't like every food that I may try but I will at least try it.

Wait! I take that back. I do NOT like seafood and WILL NOT eat it! (I've never had shrimp and I don't ever intend too!)

Ok, now that I have said that I feel bad. I blame my son's picky eating behaviors on my husband, who by the way is known as the world's 2nd most picky eater.

However, here I am saying that I will NOT try seafood. (Shame on me!)

I guess now I need to take a little blame, however seafood is about the only thing that I can think of that I am not willing to try.

Anyways , back to my story....

My mission started out with teaching him to read food labels. We had already studied this in Health class but obviously he needed a refresher course. I didn't make the fat and calories be the big issue though. Instead I tried to show him how healthy an item was by looking at how much fiber, iron and vitamins it was going to supply his body with.

We started by looking at breakfast foods. He loves the sugary cereals but he also loves Coco Wheats. So I showed him how much more "good stuff" he was getting by eating the CoCo Wheats instead of the stuff in the sugar boxes. We continued comparing throughout the day with each meal and then the next day we went to the store where he searched the shelves and read the labels. We ended up leaving with a few "new" items for him to try.

The oddest thing that he picked out was grapefruit!

Who would have guessed?

I like grapefruit but I would have never imagined him picking it out as a new favorite.

He tried it first cold with a little salt sprinkled on it and then I told him how my Mom & Dad used to broil grapefruit and that I thought it was pretty good that way too!

Needless to say we are on our second bag of grapefruit and he now prefers it broiled with just a bit of brown sugar sprinkled on top.

Not what I expected but it's a step in the right direction.

I just hope he continues with a more open-minded approach to eating new things.

Anyone else out there have a picky eater?

If so, do you have any tips or tricks up your sleeves?

Looking on the Bright Side!

I would rather that it not have happened but if I must look on the bright side then that bright side would have to be NO dishes for 2 weeks. Yahoo!!!!

The one chore that I most despise is doing dishes. A task that gets done in our home usually twice a day will now be turned over to the man and lil men of our home.

Yesterday morning as I was washing dishes a glass broke and cut the side of my pinky. I called for back-up. (I am fine helping others that are hurt but when I am the victim then I tend to get queasy.) We got it wrapped and I sat for an hour with it above my head to stop the bleeding. Then all was fine, or so I thought.

My husband came home from work and said that I really needed it looked at. My SIL, who is a RN stopped over and said the same thing.

Needless to say, a short while later we were headed to the ER.

Several hours later we were discharged with a splinted finger, 8 stitches and a 2 week REPRIEVE from dishes.

Now I'm just hoping that we don't get the FLU because the ER was full of patients with flu-like symptoms.

I guess you have to take the bad with the good !

Or in my case a little of the bad to get the good! (i.e. NO DiSHES) :0)

Hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Homemade Heating Pads (corn bags)

Here is another simple idea I use in place of an electrical heating pad. Not that I have anything against heating pads but I don't think it is safe to fall asleep while using one. It's a fire hazard (it could overheat) plus you could actually burn your skin if it gets too hot and you just sleep right through it.

So here is a safe version to take to bed with you when you have aches and pains or just to give the kids to curl up with on a cold winter night. You can also make little ones that I call Boo-Boo bags and throw them in the freezer for when the kids fall or get bumps and bruises. These aren't as cold as an ice cube so the kids actually like to use them and often ask for them when they get hurt or get stung or bitten by something.

I make these from whatever scrap material I have laying around and field corn that I purchase in bulk from the local Co-op. (Field corn will not pop open in the microwave like popcorn.)

I buy a large bag of corn and then store it. It is so cheap and I always have people asking me if I will make them corn bags so it's nice to always have extra on hand.

I cut two pieces of fabric just a little larger than I want my finished corn bag to be. I then place wrong sides together and sew around three sides. I double stitch these to give it added strength and you don't have to be a great seamstress or even be neat about it. After my 3 sides are sewn I fill the pouch about 3/4 of the way full with corn. Then I sew the end shut. To give it a little neater look I take pinking shears and go all the way around the edges.

If you are making these for your back I prefer to sew tubes into the pouch ( just sew simple lines creating little tubes) and then I fill those tubes with the corn and sew the end shut. This just makes a more comfy bag, especially if you are going to lay on it. It keeps all the corn spread out as opposed to it all sagging to one end or the other of the bag. (The red bag has the tubes sewn into and the smallest bag is a boo-boo bag for the freezer.)

When you need one you can just pop one in the microwave and heat. I usually heat mine for about 2 minutes but everyone's microwave heats differently so I would suggest starting out for maybe a minute and build from there till you figure out the right time and temperature for you.

I hope these directions make sense to everyone. I'm not the best at describing by word how to do a project. If anyone wants to make these and needs a little better explanation then feel free to email me.

Awesome Old Fashioned Remedy

(I put a dab of this on a bandage just to show you what it looked like.)

My daughter has had two splinters within the past couple of weeks and both times she tells me "please just go get the black stuff." She asks this after I have tried unsuccessfully to remove the splinters with tweezers.

This "black stuff" is called Ichthammol and we use it here all the time.

It is a drawing salve that will draw infection out of cuts or wounds and it's also excellent for drawing splinters out.

This is black.. like tar and smells like tar.. so we always apply it with a bandage so that it doesn't get on anything and stain it. I apply this and leave it on for just a few hours and then a splinter will usually pop right out with little effort. If I'm using it to draw out an infection of a small cut then I apply it at bedtime and bandage it well so not to get it on the sheets. In the morning we remove the bandage and the infection (pus) is usually on the bandage. It works like magic to draw all of the yuck out.

I can only find this around our area in the small old-fashioned family owned drug stores and not in the big chain pharmacies.

The last tube that I bought cost me just under $7.00 and it will last me for several years if not more. This is a great old-fashioned remedy to keep in stock!

Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

Today, May 12th, is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day!

You may ask, "What is Fibromyalgia"?

Well, the good thing is that Fibromyalgia or FMS is not a life-threatening disease. However, it is a life-changing and debilitating syndrome that creates havoc to your body from your head clear down to your toes. It is no fun and it can stop you in your tracks either in a slow progressive way or it can hit you as quick as night turns into day.

Fibromyalgia has many symptoms. Here are just a few of the more common ones:

Pain (can range from flu-like achiness to a deep "to the bone" pain)

Stiffness

Headache

Dizziness

Irritable Bowel

Skin Sensitivities

Sleep Disorders

Anxiety

Depression

Fibro does not only affect adults, it can also effect children.

Studies have proven that FMS can be passed down genetically from parent to child, therefore if you suffer from FMS then your children have a chance of developing it. Keep that in consideration, if and when your child complains of constantly feeling tired or achy.

There is no "magic fix" for Fibromyalgia but there are several prescription drugs out there that can help & I personally have had great success with homeopathic remedies.

If you suffer from FMS then you will benefit from learning as much as you can about this disorder. You can't make it go away but you can learn how to change your life-style and routines to make everyday be easier and less painful. To get more info you can go visit these sites.

National Fibromyalgia Association

National Fibromyalgia Research Association

Exercise Ball Spells Comfort for Me (Fibromyalgia Post)

I know this sounds strange but it works for me.

This large exercise ball was on my Christmas wish list this year so my husband bought one for me and I LOVE it!

I'll explain why...

I was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which causes pain throughout my body. This affects my muscles and joints, therefore, when I do a normal exercise routine I end up in misery. Now, I'm not talking the typical "no pain-no gain" thing. I'm talking whole body pain, feel like you've got the flu pain, chest pain & fatigue that will last from as little as a few days to several months. It is awful!

So that is where this ball comes into the picture.

My muscles feel much better when I can do gentle stretching (as opposed to heavy exercises) and this often alleviates some of the pain. So with this ball I can lay my back upon it and kind of roll with it to stretch some of the muscles in my back.

My most favorite thing to use the ball for though is just as a computer chair. Sounds goofy, I know.

I used to have days that I couldn't sit for very long in one spot because my hips would hurt so bad. So I started using this ball as a chair when I was at my computer. I would kinda move around with the ball just a little from side to side or even lightly bounce on it....now I know the mental picture of this is hilarious but it really helps.

It seems to relieve the pressure and pain in my hips by doing these gentle movements while sitting for any length of time.

And of course, when I'm not using it, it sits in my room (as pictured) until one of the 3 kids go and get it to use it as a toy to bounce on.

It's been a great multi-purpose purchase.

Sniffle...Sniffle...Achoo

What a yucky weekend! The kids seem to be getting over their colds but now it's obviously the adults turn. On Saturday we both came down with it. Just all achy, sneezy, sleepy and YUCKY!

Hopefully it will leave us as fast as it did the kids.

I found this bottle of bath salts at Walmart.

It is called Natural Mineral Bath Batherapy - Kids Cold & Flu. It was under $5.00 a bottle and it is tear-free.

I tried it and liked it. They had all different "flavors" of this stuff but I stuck with the children's version that didn't have any "extras" in it. What it did have was eucalyptus, so when you sprinkle it in your warm bath water it really helps to unclog your nose.

My only other thought for today is :)

Thank Goodness for PUFFS with LOTION!

Fibromyalgia Questions

After a year & a half of not feeling well and hurting all the time my doctor has diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia. She started me on a medication that sounds like I will be taking for the rest of my life and the end results are the pain & stiffness are more tolerable but it does not come without it's share of side effects. I do not take any other medicines and hope to not have to takes these either.

I am going to see a homeopath on Monday and I am truly excited to see whether he can help me to return to the life & person that I once was (pain-free, happy & healthy with no medications to take). I have been reading lots about Fibromyalgia in an attempt to understand all the why's and how's of it all. So my question tonight to all of you gals & guys out there reading this is....

If you or anyone you know has Fibromyalgia then how do you/they cope or try to remedy it?

Do you live on a heating pad or take excessive hot showers like I do?
Do you take any supplements that seem to help?
At this point I am grateful for any advice on this subject. My goal is to learn to cope and/or remedy this problem as natural and drug-free as I can.
Feel free to leave me a comment or if you have a longer story that you would like to share with me then you can email me at the address that I have provided.