No I haven't TOTALLY lost my mind. Yet.

Good morning! Its Wednesday! I am actually looking forward to blogging now that I have a day I have put aside to blog. It doesn't feel so over whelming. Plus it gives me a little time to think about what I am going to blog about. Then if I feel the URGE to write another post...its just a bonus for you. :) I hope you enjoy todays blog. xoxo



I have always considered my way of life "modern" yet "conservative". We are Christian Republicans. Although I do have friends of all walks of life, this is what works best for our family. I WASNT about "alternative" medicines and thought my "organic" friends had LOST THEIR MINDS! How can food be bad. Its a French Fry. How bad can it really be? Then I met Jaclyn. She calls herself a "crunchie" mom. I thought that was funny. Then we started talking about Oils and Herbs and the things that work for her family. Not sure why, but I was like "That makes sense! Why have I not thought about that?" Then the pinnacle in the relationship happened when I watched Food INC.  My life as I knew it...would never be the same.

There are several turning points in a persons life where they can't turn back. Where a chapter ends and another begins. No matter how hard you try you wont ever be the same. That for me was when I watched Food INC. It was that serious for me.

I belong to this private group on Facebook called "Moms Helping Moms". Its a group where moms can come together and ask questions about just life and we all give advice and encouragement. Its been such a blessing. Its private so we feel comfortable asking questions with people they know. ANYWAY. There are a lot of moms on there that are "Crunchie" and talk about natural remedies with oils and herbs. I jumped on the ban wagon. YES I DID! One that has been the topic of discussion has been Elderberry Syrup. (no not for pancakes) Its flu and cold season.

Caden got sick at church when a mother decided to bring her two daughters to church with a cough and nasty runny noses. Caden caught it. SHOCKER! So instead of taking him to the Dr I decided to do the "Crunchie" mom way and test it out. (keeping in mind I know where my Dr is if I can't fight it myself and knowing where I feel my boundaries ARE. After all I am THE MOM and I know when that point is.) After a week of just being slightly ill. We are 100% over the flu. No sign of a cough, a fever and or a runny nose. Seriously. AND what is even BETTER about all of this. The next time Caden comes into contact with something with someone who is sick, he will have a stronger immune system to help fight it off FASTER and BETTER than last time. Keep in mind. ALL prescriptions have about 100 side effects. Deciding whether to take them and get better and deal with what comes along with the side effects OR do the natural way and not deal with the side effects. That's all I am saying. Do you research. Do what is best for you! Here is what we used.

The Herbs
My grandmother was all about Herbs. Especially Horehound. We all thought she was crazy. Until I looked up this herb for myself. Horehound if you have mucus is THE single most important thing you need. I am not kidding. It makes your cough PRODUCTIVE. Who wants to cough to just cough? If I am going to cough I want to get the crap out! Well this stuff helps do that. I went through an entire bottle of this stuff in a week. Everything Caden drank had this stuff in it.
Got this from our local health store. It is very yummy. It is not your imagination when you use this and 10-15 minutes later they feel better. You do have to use it often. That's the only down fall with herbs. However I think that is a great downfall. No side effects.
This stuff is POWERFUL. I will be making my own next time and adding a few things that are better like Echinacea. Echinacea is like the natural antibiotic! I am super excited about making my own. I will blog about it later PROMISE.
Essential oil
No its NOT doTerra or Young Living. I had this from when I was pregnant with Caden. I put him in the bath twice a day with Epsom salts and let it pull the poison out of his body and the eucalyptus helped with his breathing. This is going to sound strange but the water was always a dingy color when we emptied it. I really feel like the Epsom salt was doing a good job.
I am not sure I will ever have a specific "Brand" I stick with.
The Big Guns.
I have always used the Hyland's brand. We started using it with Caden when he started teething and well. I am a believer. So anything they put out I give a try and if it works for Caden I keep it on hand always.

 Don't let the night time fool you. This didn't make Caden "Sleepy it has a calming effect that made him peaceful. The sleepy time medicines usually WIRE him to the max. This didn't do that. Helped with the cough also. I sometimes gave it to him during the day. I found that it helped day and night with out him being groggy.

Oh sweet mother! This stuff was my favorite! Speaks for itself! Love it.

And I have been looking for Vitamin C tablets and finally found some. Thank you Hylands for being consistent. HOWEVER Caden wont eat these. I have to sneak them into his juice. We went a little overboard on Vitamin C. Your body doesn't store it and if you get to much...it gets tossed out. So bulk up baby!
I know that seems like a lot, and it was really a small pharmacy on my counter top, but you know what he was a champ and told me when it was time for more medicine. He knew it worked for him and knew he felt better when he took it. I am a believer. Children don't lie. They can't by nature unless they are taught.
Look forward to more posts about natural things we will be doing around here.
Thanks for reading. Tell me what you think.
xoxo 


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Life Hack

I listen to A LOT of talk radio. Probably to much. We have a local radio station called SuperStation 101.1 I am probably borderline obsessed, HOWEVER, I think it is important to stay in touch with local news and topics. (and lets be honest I like listening to the "goodens" call in.)

This morning as I was listening I heard a truck driver call in and say "If ya'll would put some bleach on them there tires. Them folks wouldn't slip down them hills." This is a DIRECT QUOTE. (SMH this is yet ANOTHER reason we get made fun of.) Sometimes I hear things and I just think, "Yup, you blew off an arm as a kid", but this one seemed pretty legit. So today I HAD to get out of the house. I was going stir crazy. I should NOT have left the house. After trying to get out of my community I was met with this: do you see the ice!


That should have been my CLUE to turn around and go home...But NO...this girl is on a mission. I turn around and go another way.

Then there is this one:


So no big deal. I am seeing it starting to melt. I will be good to go. Its 40 degrees the ice will melt. Not so much.

So folks. This is what you need to do if you live in the south use some BLEACH and get on over "them there hills"

xoxo

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Its a winter wonderland!

I live in the south. I am SURE you know that. Since I have lived here we have had snow every single year. Not a lot. Yet it is still snow. Here is the problem. We the people in the great state of Alabama do not know how to appropriately DRIVE on these roads. I thought I would share a few of my favorites.


I know what you are thinking. WHO CARES! Its a little bit of snow. Oh. Ok.

1. Lets add we don't own snow plows. (seriously we probably own 8 in this state)

2. We only eat salt in our food and dump it in our pools.

 3. They told parents in the MIDDLE of the storm they were releasing schools. ^ That picture is parents trying to get to their children^ no lie.

Add those back woods "goodens" and we have a mess!
Then you have the city folks who say "I have the latest greatest SUV with the best tires money can buy. I am good"


Because THATS going to help you if you can't make it up or DOWN the hill.

Then there are others who say "Move over you idiot I saw the Krispy Kreme sign light up I need to get up that hill."--Here is your sign.


Just in case any of you where wondering...NO your RV will not make it up the hill either.

This is the reason this state gets made fun of ALL THE TIME! Seriously. I just sit and watch the news and shake my head.

On the news a little while ago I heard a few babies have been confirmed born in cars. No they didn't make it to the hospital either. The caller said "Its not everyday a baby is born some where but a hospital." Really? Does she live under a rock?

Be safe people. I am a professional blogger. Don't try driving up that hill by yourself.

xoxo



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