A Surprise Use for Vinegar

By now we all know that vinegar is great for a plethora of things. I discovered a new use this weekend, and it surprised me a bit.

I have to start by sharing a funny story. The holiday weekend started with a birthday party for friends' little girl. Her dad loves to tease me about my green ways. He was talking about some of the work he'd done in his yard, including pest control, and said "Don't worry, Renee. It's all made of vinegar." :) I'm sure I talk about vinegar the way the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding talks about windex. It really is an amazing thing. So tease all you want, it's funny because it's true!

Anyhoo, today's use for vinegar? Taking the sting out of sunburn. Of course, you're better off not getting the burn in the first place, but if it happens, some vinegar in a spray bottle soothes!

Cold and Flu Season

I'm happy to say that so far my family has survived flu season without incident (knock wood). An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...Here's what's been keeping us healthy:

- Herbal supplements - echinacea, elderberry and other immune-boosters

- Lots of handwashing

- Cleaning and disinfecting with my usual vinegar and TTO


We've all had a bit of minor congestion, but we're taking it in stride. We haven't yet reached for the medicine yet. Instead, we're treating the symptoms with these natural remedies:

- Essential oils. A blend of eucalyptus and other soothing oils with water sprayed on pillows aids nighttime breathing when congestion is at its worst. I put some full-strength oil on a cloth and hang it in MJ's crib. The same oil blend is fabulous in a bath or shower.

- The Neti Pot. The ancient remedy really works! You use it to pour saline into one nostril and it comes out the other...bringing out all kinds of nastiness. Gross? Yes. Effective? You bet.

- Garlic oil. When congestion leads to earache, garlic oil to the rescue! It will even stop an infection before you call the doc for antibiotics.

- Hankies. Skip the paper tissues for a more eco-friendly version. They're so much gentler on your nose too! I've got a fun handkerchief DIY project coming up...stay tuned :)

MAJOR RAVE: Medicine Man Ointment

At a local arts and crafts festival yesterday, I bought some goodies from Pretty Baby Naturals. They sell all natural soaps, lotions and potions. One of my favorite finds is Medicine Man Ointment. Made with tea tree oil, neem oil, aloe, and healing herbs, it's antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral.

About an hour after I bought it, I was so glad I did. I was on the lookout for a quiet spot to nurse MJ and found a tree stump in a shady area. Not 30 seconds after sitting down, I felt like acid had been poured on my feet. The stump was rotten and home to a massive colony of fire ants. My mom had been standing in front of me to shield me for a bit of privacy, and she was bitten too. I jumped up and ran away (baby still on breast, which, looking back, is pretty funny). My sister had helped us get all the ants off...fortunately, none had gotten MJ. Our feet were red, swollen, and felt like they were on fire. I remembered the Medicine Man, fished it out of my bag, and slathered my feet...INSTANT RELIEF. It was truly amazing.

Later that afternoon, I went back to the Pretty Baby booth and bought two more tubes. This will replace Neosporin and the Benadryl pen in my medicine cabinet and diaper bag. Natural and it works better than conventional methods? You know I love me some of that!

Buy some. You'll thank me later.