An Oil for That...

Nearly four years ago, there was a commercial on constantly, and the phrase "there's an app for that" was heard just about every time the tv was turned on. I rephrased their jingle once, and I'm here to do it again.

There's an oil for that. 

Since starting to use essential oils in our home about a year ago, I've been impressed with just how many uses there are. We've had experience with some of them, and I'm sure there are many, many more. But it seems that every time I decide to just try an oil on something first, I'm surprised again by how effective they are.

Last week one evening I noticed that Caroline had developed a sty in the corner of one eyelid. Remembering how another friend had taken her son to the ER for antibiotic eye drops when he had a sty a few months back, I was bummed. But when I looked it up online, I discovered that I could use essential oils to treat it.

Yes!!

It said typically the sty would clear in 3-4 days while using oils, but when the little girlie woke the next morning, after just 1 application the night before, the sty was nearly gone. By that afternoon, there was no sign of it.

The oils I used were very basic ones - lavender and melaleuca (aka tea tree oil). They're also relatively inexpensive oils and some of the most useful. 

Last year one of the boys had a skin tag on his nose, and because it was in such a noticeable spot, we wanted to get rid of it. At his check-up, the doctor said that a dermatologist could remove it, but he recommended waiting until a child was older so as to reduce any scarring. 

Then I read that melaleuca was useful for removing skin tags. We put a dab on it once or twice a day for a few days, and the skin tag just fell off. No scar. Easy-peasy.

I use some oils in home-made cleaners, and I add them to foaming soap dispensers too. We've found that lavender is great on cuts or burns or bug bites.

And, oh yes, I almost forgot! 

Last summer we successfully used lavender, basil, and melaleuca to help a number of very large, swollen bug bites get better. Elsa seems to be especially sensitive to mosquito bites, and often much of her lower leg will swell if she gets bit on her shin. Better than hydrocortisone cream or Benadryl, the oils reduced the swelling and itching.

And late last summer when I felt a sinus infection coming on after a bad cold, a few days of an antibiotic blend had me feeling better. The eucalyptus/melaleuca home-made "Vicks" rub helped the kids with their coughs too. We've also headed off a few ear infections (read: no antibiotics necessary!) using oils. 

Now I know lots of folks are brand-loyal. I've been using DoTerra oils for a year now, and I'm pleased with the oils. But I dislike the MLM business model. While I'm glad when friends share with me something new they've tried and found useful, I don't like being pressured to buy from friends (or anyone else!), and I won't pressure any of my friends to buy. I've talked about the oils to a few friends, but I absolutely will not pressure them to buy anything from me or from DoTerra. I'm not in this to make any money or build a business. So I've been keeping my eyes open for alternative choices in essential oils. 

Recently I was excited to discover that Tropical Traditions is now offering Florihana essential oils. Their prices are better than DoTerra, and they are highly recommended for quality. They also offer a greater variety of oils. The variety isn't so important to me right now as I'm just learning the benefits of using these oils, but it could be very helpful to someone who is more familiar with some of the less-well-known oils. I expect in the future that I will take advantage of these in lieu of DoTerra as they are not an MLM company and the cost is significantly better even with access to wholesale prices from DoTerra.

All that aside, I am just excited about how well these oils work...and at the possibility of fewer trips to the doctor's office or filling prescriptions for antibiotics. Hooray for natural medicine!

PS - I am not anti-modern-medicine. I think modern medicine has its place and is a great blessing when used well. But if there is a natural alternative that works (or even works better...I'm thinking of oregano's effect on MRSA), that would be my first choice.

More Than a Taste

This year in northern Virginia we've gotten a taste of winter. The past two years have been unusually mild, but this season we've had a few snowstorms and a few cold spells, too. We had to go north to Pennsylvania to get more than just a taste of winter weather. 

Born and raised in PA (as we locals call it), I find winter without snow rather dreary. Now, I don't want too much snow, and I don't want it to last too long either. But there has to be some snow to have a proper winter.

So we drove north and packed our snow gear and sleds. Just in time! There was six inches on the ground when we arrived, and another storm rolled through that night leaving everything covered in ice. Not so nice to drive in, but a feast for the eyes.

The kids enjoyed their stay at Grammie and Grandpa's house a bit extra this time. They had a blast whizzing down the hill. I even took a few turns, and, I admit, I was way more scared than they were...scared that somebody would get a face full of ice or a broken arm or leg. When Cade went airborne, I could hardly watch, but he came up rather pleased with himself.

Little Miss didn't love it. She only lasted a few minutes before being sent
in for a nap.

She got upset when she sank down into the snow.

The boys tried going from the very top of the hill but found there were too many cornstalks in the way, so they switched
to the driveway which was smoother.

All three of them piled on together.

This must have been early on in the sledding seeing as how they are all running up the hill instead of trudging.

Elsa is holding onto somebody's neck.

Luke crashed into the plowed snow on the side of the driveway, which incidentally worked out well to keep the kids
from going off the side.

The boys told her she was the Pink Panther in a tree, so she was screaming
like a panther.

Cade enjoyed somersaulting down the hill.

But the best time of all was in the evening hanging out with Grammie and Grandpa. And, as you can see, fussy Caroline
even warmed up to Grammie and snuggled down for a story. Victory!!

The fun didn't end when we left, though. We made it a half hour before we got a flat tire and had to call Grandpa to rescue us. He got us to Walmart where we were able to get a new tire (bummer - they couldn't plug the hole), and then we got to have lunch at Al's before saying "good-bye" to him...again.

'Til April, PA. But I sure hope there's no snow then!