Linen Spray

I am pretty new to aromatherapy.  Or, perhaps I should say, I am pretty new to using essential oils correctly for aromatherapy.  I spent too long using them the wrong way, taking no time to consider possible side effects, contraindications, etc.

When I decided to extend my knowledge base of essential oils and learn how to use them properly, one of the first things I wanted to accomplish to find an alternative way to treat my allergies which trigger my asthma.

Several months back I was introduced to Blue Tansy (Tanacetum annuum) as a means to deal with allergy flare ups.  I decide to experiment by using it in an aroma-inhaler and had a lot of success with dealing with my allergies through the day.  The one problem I had was waking up congested, with itchy, irritated eyes.  I was not about to wake up during the night to use my aroma-inhaler so I wanted to come up with something I could use just before bed that would carry through to morning.

One morning, I was reading a blog post on linen sprays written by a friend who is a certified aromatherapist and became inspired to create a linen spray that would put an end to night time allergy issues and help me sleep.  The following recipe is what I came up with...

It has worked so well for me that I gave it (along with an aroma-inhaler) to my dad to help with his allergies and ihe noticed an immediate difference.  Since then, I've shared it on a few Facebook groups I participate in geared towards aromatherapy and several people have come back and told me how much success they've had with it.

How it works --

•  Green Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) is high in monoterpenes which are known for being effective airborne deodorizers and respiratory decongestants.  Green Mandarin is also known for its sedative properties.  
• Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) has a long, documented history of helping with sleep and decreasing stress which makes it great for any kind of night time sleep blend.  Lavender is high in esters and monoterpenols.  Esters are known for their anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and sedative capabilities.  Esters are also adaptogenic which is why Lavender helps the body deal with stress.  Monoterpenols are also antispasmodic and have been shown to help with immune boosting.
• Cedarwood (Cedrus deodara) has anti-inflammatory properties.  It is also a mucolytic, meaning it works to break down mucous.
• Blue Tansy (Tanacetum annuum) contains a number of ketones and monoterpenes.  It's therapeutic actions include being an immune stimulant, being anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic and a mucolytic.

Another bonus to these (and most essential oils) essential oils is that they all have anti-septic, antiviral and bactericidal properties.

*If you would like to learn more about chemical constituents in essential oils, check out the chemical family page on Aromatics International.*

How I use it --

I use my spray nightly.  Before getting into bed, I spray down the pillows and linens.  I also spray the curtains right next to my side of the bed just to be on the safe side.  :-)


If you give this linen spray a try, let me know how it works for you in the comments below!  :-D

Have a wonderful day!

As always - I am sharing with you things that have worked for my family and friends. While I am passionate about herbalism, natural health and aromatherapy, I am NOT a trained professional.  I am not here to diagnose or as a substitute for your primary care provider (PCP).  You should discuss all natural treatments with your PCP.  

Ginger Tincture

 Fall is now upon us which means it is, again, that magical time of year that involves loads and loads of celebrations with friends and family, comfort foods that remind us of our childhoods and holidays past, mulled drinks to keep us warm and, inevitably, upset stomachs from overindulging.

Ginger Tincture is our go-to for all stomach related issues.  

Here's how you make it -- 

Ingredients - Fresh Ginger Root, 100 Proof Vodka, Quart Size Mason Jar

Use a spoon to scrap the skin off of your ginger root.  If you've never worked with ginger before, the skin is paper thin and will come off with little to no effort.  After your ginger root is peeled, slice it up and place it in your mason jar.  I fill my jar about 3/4 way full with ginger slices and cover with with your vodka.  NOTE - You could throw the vodka and ginger in a Vitamix or food processor if you wanted.  I have never done so because fresh ginger is relatively soft and peeling and slicing provide plenty of surface area. 

      

All jarred up!

Do not forget to leave about an inch of head space!

Don't forget to label your tincture!!!!

Store your tincture in a cool, dark place for 4-6 weeks.  Be sure to shake the jar everyday for the first week and check that the ginger is covered by the vodka.

When your 4-6 weeks is up, strain your tincture through cheesecloth or unbleached muslin and store in a dropper bottle such as this....

Eric and I usually take two droppers full as needed either straight or mixed in tea or water.  For the kids, we use 1 dropper full.

How it works -- 

According to The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B. White, M.D. and Steven Foster, "Ginger stimulates digestions and dispels gas.  It also helps move food through the intestinal tract and reduces irritation."  Ginger is able to do this due to two chemical constituents, gingerols and shogaols.  

The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook by James A. Duke, Ph.D says the following about the actions of gingerols and shogaols, "It's gingerols and shogaols quell stomach upset and gently but effectively encourage the muscle contractions that move food through your intestines.  At the same time, oddly enough, they inhibit spasms, curb diarrhea and deter the urge to vomit." 

While most resources list ginger are being safe for consumption, the University of Maryland Medical Center list the following precautions and possible interactions:

Precautions

The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. Herbs, however, can trigger side effects and interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, herbs should be taken with care, under the supervision of a health care provider qualified in the field of botanical medicine. 

It's rare to have side effects from ginger. In high doses it may cause mild heartburn, diarrhea, and irritation of the mouth. You may be able to avoid some of the mild stomach side effects, such as belching, heartburn, or stomach upset, by taking ginger supplements in capsules or taking ginger with meals. 

People with gallstones should ask their doctor before taking ginger. Make sure to tell your doctor if you are taking ginger before having surgery or being placed under anesthesia for any reason. 

Pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with heart conditions and people with diabetes should not take ginger without asking their doctors. 

Do not take ginger if you have a bleeding disorder or if you are taking blood-thinning medications, including aspirin.

Possible Interactions 

Ginger may interact with prescription and nonprescription medications. If you take any of the following medications, you should not use ginger without first talking to your health care provider. 

Blood-thinning medications -- Ginger may increase the risk of bleeding. Talk to your doctor before taking ginger if you take blood-thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin), clopidogrel (Plavix), or aspirin. 

Diabetes medications -- Ginger may lower blood sugar. That can raise the risk of developing hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. 

High blood pressure medications -- Ginger may lower blood pressure, raising the risk of low blood pressure or irregular heartbeat.

Source: Ginger | University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/ginger#ixzz3FPoXPaFA
University of Maryland Medical Center

As always - I am sharing with you things that have worked for my family and friends. While I am passionate about herbalism, natural health and aromatherapy, I am NOT a trained professional.  I am not here to diagnose or as a substitute for your primary care provider (PCP).  You should discuss all natural treatments with your PCP.  

Are you going to make a ginger tincture for your family?  Do you already use it?  If so, how does it work for you?  Let me know in the comments below!

HAVE A GREAT EVENING!

Adventures in Kombucha

In a continued effort to boost the overall health of the family, I got the bright idea to try my hand at Kombucha.

If you aren't familiar with Kombucha, check out this article from Food Renegade.

After researching the pros and cons of making kombucha at home versus purchasing pre-bottled kombucha, I bought this kit through Amazon.

 After about a week and a half my kombucha looked like this

and it tasted like lemon tea.  

I wasn't sure if it had gone bad or not so I sought out the advice of friends who have way more experience than I do.  It was decided to give it a few days, taste it again and bottle it.

Things seemed to be going well.  After three days, all of the sugar taste was gone so I bottled it but it never carbonated and then the SCOBY started getting weird.

       

 

Long and short, I ruined my scoby.  I have NO IDEA what I did wrong.  :-(  The only thing I can think of is maybe it had something to do with only getting a small piece of SCOBY in the kit, rather than a whole one.

I want to try it again but I think next time I will see if I can convince one of my friends to give me a SCOBY rather than buying another kit.

So, all you Kombucha aficionados out there if you have any ideas on how I messed up something that seemed super easy, let me know in the comments!

Have a great day!

Garlic and Mullein Ear Oil

When I decided to start taking a more natural approach to our health, this was one of the first items I learned to make.  

As a child, I suffered from chronic ear infections and I remembered my mom using Sweet Oil in my ears because it always seemed to take the pain away.  As I begun researching Sweet Oil, I came across articles about using garlic ear drops instead.  I was immediately sold for no other reason than I always have fresh garlic on hand which meant that when late night ear pain hit, I wouldn't have to worry about whether or not I had forgotten that I ran out of Sweet Oil at some point.

Before we jump into the recipe itself, lets talk about the ingredients a bit.

Garlic - Garlic is a part of our everyday lives.  We eat it in all manner of foods and those of us who know the healing ability of this food make a concerted effort to consume even more of it than most folks.  Garlics is said to be antimicrobial, antibiotic, antifungal, and immune-stimulant, anti-oxidant, diaphoretic, cholagogue, hypotensive, antispasmodic, anthelmintic, expectorant, anti-thrombotic and anti-diabetic.  According to Practical Herbalism by Philip Fritchey, "In laboratory studies, Garlic has been shown to have direct anti-microbial actions equivalent to many antibiotic drugs, but without those drugs' tendency to create resistant strains of pathogens."  In his book, Herbal Antibiotics - Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Stephen Harrod Buhner states, "Garlic is perhaps the most extensively tested herb in the world; in vitro, in vivo and human trials have shown its powerful effectiveness against bacterial and viral infectious agents."

Mullein - This you may not be as familiar with but I am willing those of us who live in the United States have seen it growing along the road and in fields.  Mullein's actions are said to be expectorant, demulcent, emollient, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, nervine, antispasmodic, vulnerary, alternative, astringent, pectoral, nutritive, antiseptic, hemostatic, anodyne, narcotic, anti-asthmatic, germicide and vermicide.  Studies are not available to show the efficacy of Mullein against earaches and infections but it has long been used in folk medicine as a treatment for both.  It is likely that its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties are the key players in its usefulness against problematic ears.

ON TO THE RECIPE!

1 head of garlic

.75 ounces of mullein leaves Where to Buy

4oz Oil (approx)

Ignore the scale.
I grabbed this shot before I finished weighing out the Mullein.

The Process is very straight forward.

Peel and crush your garlic.  There is no need to chop it up.

Combine Mullein, Garlic and Oil in a food processor.
How much oil you need will depend on how dry your Mullein is.

Now, you may be wondering why the food processor.  This is a little trick I learned in an Herbalism 101 Course I took through Divine Journeys.Mullein is a very fluffy plant.  Processing it ensures that everything gets covered in the oil without having to use more oil than necessary.  You can choose to either cut it up by hand into smaller pieces or even skip this step.  Even if you have to add extra oil, your ear oil will still be effective.

Pour into a glass jar with a tight fitting lid.

At this step you are going to want to add about an inch of oil for head space.  This will help keep the herbs covered and decrease the risk of your oil molding.

Label your concoction!!  I can't tell you how many things I have had to throw out
because I just knew I wouldn't forget what it was.  I was wrong!

Once your oil is labeled you can do 1-2 things.  You can sun infuse your oil.  This entails placing your oil into direct sunlight generally for 24-72 hours, allowing the heat from the sun to infuse the oil with the herbal constituents.  Though 24-72 hours is the general time frame for sun infusions, I let my sun infusions sit for a week. 

You could also cold infuse your oil.  To do so, you just place your jar in a cool, dark place being sure to shake it once a day for the first week.  With this type of infusion, your oil will be ready in 4-6 weeks.

Regardless which infusion method you choose, the last step is the same.  Strain your oil through unbleached muslin or several layers of cheesecloth (Mullein has tiny hairs that can be irritating if left in), place into a dark colored, glass bottle and label.

How I administer - 

1/2 glass dropper full to the affected ear, twice daily for a week.  If both ears are affected, allow 2-3 minutes between ears to ensure the oil has made it down the canal.  After the oil is applied to the ear, place a warmed (NOT hot) cotton ball in the ear or have them lay down with a warmed rice pillow over their ear.

NOTES - 

• You do not need Mullein for this oil to be effective.  Some people even use Calendula in place of or along with the Mullein.
• This is NOT appropriate for pain related to water in the ears.  In fact, using this oil in that case can cause molding in the ear.
• Without treatment, many earaches and infections will resolve themselves.  However, if you notice a worsening of the symptoms or there is no improvement after a week see your primary care provider (PCP).
• If you or your child suffer from chronic ear infections, you may find a chiropractic realignment helpful.
• If the ears are draining, there is hearing loss or bleeding from the ears DO NOT use this oil. Instead, contact your primary care provider (PCP).
• Always remember - I am sharing with you things that have worked for my family and friends. While I am passionate about herbalism, natural health and aromatherapy, I am NOT a trained professional.  I am not here to diagnose or as a substitute for your primary care provider (PCP).  You should discuss all natural treatments with your PCP.  

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Questions?  Comments? Share them below!

*Product Review - GreenAir AromaMister Diffuser*

I was first introduced to GreenAir when I purchased my very first diffuser, their Serenity UltraSonic Diffuser.  Since then I have also become acquainted with their USB Aroma Diffuser and their  aromatherapy necklaces.

I have really enjoyed all of their products thus far so I was very excited when the opportunity to review another GreenAir diffuser presented itself.

AromaMister Ultrasonic Diffuser

Product Information - 

• Six hour run time with auto-shut off
• Holds 4.7 fl. oz. of water
• 6 rotating LED lights (Blue, Green, Purple, Red)
• Setting options - Off, Rotating Lights, Solid Color, No color
• Coverage - 250 square feet
• Voltage - 120V
• Requires as few as 5 drops of essential oil

When you open your AromaMister box you will find the instructions and three parts, the base, the dome top and the AC adapter.

 












There are no special tools required for assembly.  Simply plug in the adapter, put regular tap water into the base, add your essential oils, set the top on the base and turn it on.  Note - The top does not secure to the base.

 

Pros - 

• Reasonably priced - If you've spent anytime researching diffusers, you know that prices range greatly.  This is great for anyone whether they are just getting into essential oils or if they've been using them for a long time.
• Easy to use - From box to on, literally takes less than 5 minutes.
• Easy to clean
• Uses regular tap water - The minerals in tap water are actually vital to the ultrasonic function of this diffuser.  The essential oils are broken down to smaller particles that attach to the minerals in the water and then are dispersed through the air.
• Quiet
• Lightweight 

Cons - 

• Top does not secure to base - If you have little ones, cats or accident prone people in your home, you definitely want to keep this out of arms reach.  On a positive note, if it does get knocked over the mess won't be too big since it only holds 4.7 fl. oz. of water.
• Lack of interval options - I wish there was other time settings available as I prefer not to run a diffuser more than 60 minutes at a time as is recommended by many aromatherapist.  However, that doesn't stop me from using it.  I just make an effort to remember to turn it off regularly.  I do have it on good authority that GreenAir is working on a product that will have an option for more frequent auto-shut offs.

Conclusion - 

I really do love this diffuser.  I *might* even love it more than my Serenity diffuser.  :-)  I would gladly recommend it to anyone looking for a diffuser.  I look forward to seeing what other products they develop in the future.

Interested in GreenAir?  Find them here:

GreenAir Online - http://newgreenair.com/index.html

GreenAir Blog - http://newgreenair.com/blog.html
Find GreenAir on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/newgreenair

What reviews would you like to see in the future?  Let me know below!

Don't forget that I am giving away a GreenAir USB AromaDiffuser when I reach 50 subscribers!!  

Subscribe now!

Have a great day!

2014-2015 Curriculum Choices and Schedule

I was asked to share our curriculum, why I chose it and schedule for this school year.  So, without further ado....

Math - Math in Focus (Singapore-style Math) Where to Buy
History - History Odyssey (The Ancients 1 for Abbie and Noah, The Ancients 2 for Bryce) Where to Buy  Try Before You Buy
US Studies - 50 States and Where to Find Them Where to Buy
Handwriting - Cursive Copy Work, Nature Quotes Where to Buy
Science - R.E.A.L Science Odyssey Where to Buy Try Before You Buy
Spelling - All About Spelling Where to Buy
Grammar/Writing - Igniting Your Writing (Start-up for Abbie and Noah, Intermediate for Bryce) Where to Buy
Reading - Explode the Code and book of choice (Abbie and Noah), Book of choice (Bryce) Where to Buy
Spanish - Mango Languages (Bryce only) Where to Buy

This is our second year using Math in Focus and we couldn't be happier with it.  Singapore math has worked well with all three kids, regardless of their varying learning styles.  The kids actually look forward to math everyday which says a lot to me.

I decided to try History Odyssey after hearing people rave about it online.  So far, we are loving it.  It is a great mix of reading, writing and hands on activities.  It is still early but I have a feeling we will be staying with History Odyssey for years to come.

I got my hands on 50 States and Where to Find Them last year during a promo the blogger who created the curriculum was having.  Due to poor planning on my part, we didn't get through as much of it as I would have like and in a way I would have preferred so we are restarting it this year.  This is also a great combination of reading as well as hands on activities and it is easy to add to it with videos such as Liberty Kids and How the States Got Their Shapes.

Handwriting or rather setting aside time specifically for the sole purpose of practicing handwriting seems to divide the homeschool community equally into two groups.....those who do and those who do not.  I was previously a do not as I felt like the kids received plenty of practice through other subjects.  I was also wary about setting aside time for additional practice because when I had done so previously, it was a huge source of anxiety and frustration for Noah and that was not something I was in a hurry to experience again.  However, when the kids began showing interest in cursive I decided it was time to add handwriting to our curriculum.  I am so glad I did.  Bryce writes so much better in cursive than he ever did in print.  He also writes faster.  The Nature Quotes are great because we love nature and because it introduces the kids to famous writers, poets, screenwriters, painters, etc. that they have not been previously exposed to.  Handwriting still isn't Noah's favorite subject and I except it never will be but he is not anxious or frustrated with it anymore.

This is also our second year with R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey.  We love it!  Pandia Press has really done a great job with balancing reading and hands on activities with all of their curriculum options.  The lessons are simple enough that the kids don't get bogged down with details but fact based enough that the kids are genuinely learning scientific terminology and processes.  It is also very easy to add on to with additional experiments, documentaries, Magic School Bus, lapbooks, etc.

This year is our first with All About Spelling.  All About Spelling is based on teaching spelling rules rather than learning by memorization or word families/associations.  We've attempted to teach the kids by memorization, word families/associations with no avail.  When using All About Spelling, regardless of your child's reading ability, you must start at the very beginning to ensure they have a solid foundation and that they do not miss any rules that are taught in the earlier levels.  We are currently more than half way done the first book.  The kids are enjoying it and learning a lot.  The curriculum works for all learning types which is great for us.

I chose Igniting Your Writing after it was recommended by several moms.  I was looking for a way to make grammar and writing more fun as none of the kids really enjoyed the process of writing and grammar can often be very dull.  Each level of Igniting Your Writing offers three levels of course load based on your child's level (Start-up, Intermediate and Advanced).  We initially set out to have Bryce to do the Advanced level which entailed completely the Start-up and Intermediate activities and then an Advanced activities but at this time we are finding it to be too much.  Not because he doesn't understand the work but because it requires so much time to complete the work so for now he is doing the Start-up and Intermediate levels.  

Explode the Code is a favorite in our house.  This is our second year and we will continue with until completion.  Prior to Explode the Code I worried constantly that Noah would never become a reader.  This is not something I worry about any longer.  We use the online version of the curriculum as I thought Noah would be more receptive to it if I wasn't adding one more book to his curriculum and it seems to have worked.  Last year I created a reading list for Bryce because I thought it would be helpful to encourage him to expand his taste in literature but I ended up dealing with a fair bit of resistance on his part.  For this year, we have agreed that he can choose the books he wants to read as long as he is not reading books he has previously read.  So far this seems to be working.  We are about a month into the school year and he has read more than a dozen books.

Since Bryce is officially a middle schooler this year I decided it was time for him to begin a foreign language.  We attempted to introduce foreign language earlier but he wasn't interested and it became more of a frustration than anything so we stopped.  I came across Mango when looking for alternatives to Rosetta Stone and couldn't help but give it a try when I learned they offered a free, 14 day trial period.  I like Mango because the languages are taught in a conversational manner which makes practice in the real world much easier.  They also offer a wide variety of languages.  The cost provides access to all languages, rather than purchasing one which is great for kids who aren't sure what they want to learn or want to learn a wide variety of languages.  Mango is not very expensive and in fact, many libraries offer free usage to their card holders.  So far Bryce seems to be enjoying to program and looks forward to his Spanish lessons.

Our school schedule is pretty straight forward, all subject are done 5 days a week with the exception of history and US Studies.  They have history on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and US Studies on Tuesday and Thursday.  We usually schedule one activity during the week with friends, often on a Tuesday or Thursday.  On those days, we still have handwriting, reading and spelling and we will move US Studies to Saturday (per the kids' choice) as we are trying to complete it by spring.

We have found that the kids function a lot better when they get up early so their day begins at 6:30am.  After they wake up it is chores, breakfast and then school.  Between each subject they have a 5 min. break with the exception of lunch which is an hour break.  After their school work is completed, they clean up and then their time is their own.  Our schedule is more formal than many homeschoolers but I've found that this works best for us because the kids like the predictability of it.  It also helps to reduce my stress level because I am not flying by the seat of my pants.  ;-)

What curriculum choices did you make this year?  What does your schedule look like? What do you do to fit in everything that is important to you?

Have a great day!!  

 

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AromaDiffuser picture from - http://www.zundigo.com

AromaDiffuser Features:

Great for small places 

Uses a USB Port

Offers two settings - Interval (Blue Light) and Continuous (Green Light

Run Time - Up to 4.5 hours

Auto Shut-off

Easy to Clean