DAY 2 OF THE CONTEST IS TODAY! ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!
Now on with the blog!
There are cruel and nasty things about nature. Seriously! If anyone ever tells you something can't hurt you because it's all natural, remind them Hemlock is all natural and it'll kill you right quick. It's a good way to remind people that there is a duality to everything. Good and Bad, yin and yang. There are also things like poison ivy. Ask Lady Bug about it. We don't know how, but she has ended up with poison Ivy on her face, neck, and 2 fingers. *smh* (I'm not quite sure how this crap keeps happening. When it rains is pours I guess.) Normally just having to deal with the incessant itching and burning of poison ivy is bad enough. But next week they are doing their end of grade testing, so she also has to go to school. Oh, and she's the reigning Little Miss Princeton and the pageant (where she is a presenter and performer this year as she passes on the crown (to Booter?)) is this Saturday. *face palm....sigh*
She woke up yesterday morning with what I thought were a couple of bug bites on her neck and finger. I put vinegar on them (they looked like fire ant bites though I was completely unsure of how she would get fire ant bites in her bed while sleeping (I was worried her room was getting invaded), And I wondered if they could have come from riding lessons yesterday where she stepped into a fire ant hill and got bit on her foot a few times and we had to use the body balm bar (I forgot to bring the vinegar.....), but I'd never even heard of delayed fire ant bite reactions. I hugged her and apologised that she had to be so miserable but that I didn't know what else to do. So I kissed her on the head, told her to pull up her big girl panties and deal with it, then sent her to school. By 11:00 am I was getting a phone call. Mommy guilt is awesome!
"Mom, I need vinegar."
"What? Why?"
"I have more fire ants bites all over my face and neck."
"What? How'd that happen?"
"I don't know they just showed up!"
Now, I happen to know for a fact fire ant bites don't randomly show up with out the introduction of more fire ants and the existing bites certainly don't spread. But I told her I'd be there in a few, grabbed the ACV, and headed out the door. I get to the school and the kid is scratching like crazy! She had red bltches and bumps all up her neck and on both sides of her face all the way up to her temples and new patches showing up on her nose, upper lip, and the middle of her cheek. It was bright red and puffy and some of it seemed to almost be like small hive streaks. I had no clue. We tried the vinegar. Nothing. Not even a temporary relief of the itching. Ok, something was up. I pulled her out of school and we went to the pharmacy for some calamine and advice. As soon as we walked up to the counter our local pharmacist looked at her and said,
"Good Lord girl! How'd you get that poison on your face?"
POISON? Oh God, I didn't even think about poison Ivy.... *mommy fail* He recommended Hydrocortisone cream and Benadryl. My baby got calamine lotion (I know it's not all natural), colloidal oatmeal, and witch hazel. We came home and had a nice lunch of turmeric chicken salad pitas (turmeric is a natural anti-itch herb) and had a "spa day" with calamine lotion and colloidal oatmeal masks, cool chamomile and witch hazel compresses (with cucumber slices on the eyes, of course), and a wash cloth ALWAYS soaked in a witch hazel and tea tree oil calming tonic I made just for her. I had her take an 80 mg bromelain (herbal anti-inflammatory) capsule when we got home and one before bed. She not only felt like a princess, her face and neck didn't hardly bother her, and she slept the whole night with out itching.
The best part is when she woke up this morning and while there re still bumps and raised spots all but one spot on her neck is flesh colored! And the only spot that was bothering her or itching at all was the one on her neck that was still red. So before I sent her to school today I had her take another bromelain and then made her some itch witch pads (homemade Tucks) to take with her to school so if it starts to itch too badly she can soothe it and still pay attention and learn. The best part? She doesn't need a doctors note to have them or leave them in the office! They are not made with "medicine", so she can keep them with her! This brings me to the mandatory disclosure. I am not a medical professional nor am I representing myself to be one. I have never had any formal training of any kind in health care or medicinal herbs and I am speaking solely from personal experience and Google search information. This is solely advice from one nutty natty to another. Ok..... Now that we're done mucking the barn ;-) ..... Here's the how-to low-down on Itch Witch Pads.
Itch Witch Pads
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2 sheets of paper towels (or a small chamois cloth)
1/4 cup witch hazel tonic
20 drops tea tree essential oil
Cut the paper towels into small squares (2 in x 2 in or what ever works for you)
mix the witch hazel and the tea tree oil
Stack paper towels squares up and put into the witch hazel/tea tree oil mixture
Pull out stack of paper towels when completely wet
Press flat between hands to remove about half of the moisture until it's not completely dripping (I squeeze back into the bowl)
Put soaked paper towel squares into small container or ziplock baggie (we used a micro sized storage container)
Apply when needed for itching, pain, or swelling.
It works on boo boos & sunburn too!!!!!!!! (also great for hemorrhoids and episiotomy owies.... but let's not go there) The Paper towels are disposable and the chamois are reusable. I used Viva paper towels today.... they're super soft and thick and absorbent. The batch I made for home are made of chamois (from the dollar store). They are fantastic and an awesome concoction that works amazing! I was glad I could provide her some relief with out covering her in and filling her with chemicals.
So go out there and get your supplies and mix up a batch of this handy dandy great for everything first aid healing skin tonic. You'll be so glad you did and it will do wonders for your all natural first aid kit! It's super cooling and soothing and calming (all these zen words are making me want a nap...hahahahahaha) and 100% worth the investment. :) Plus you can't pass up the feeling of being able to lessen the suffering of those you love. That, to me, is worth the investment.... all by itself!
*********CONTEST!***********
This is day 2 of my contest!
Starting today (May 13), Follow this Blog
1: Read & Comment on Blog = 1 entry
2: Like & Share Facebook Blog Post Link from Foodies At Heart Page = 1 entry
3: Comment on Facebook Post = 1 entry
I'll take entries everyday until midnight. I will have one of the Girlies draw the previous day's winner in the morning and announce the winner here. Monday through Saturday you win a Mini TOTG Sample Pack and on Sunday I will draw the grand prize out of all of the total ticket accumulated over the week (except for the 6 tickets previously drawn) and will announce the Grand Prize Winner on here next Monday. I will ship everything out the same Monday as the announcement of the Grand Prize Winner.
(Turns out I don't have a follow button.... I'm so unobservant sometimes. Sorry about that confusion.....)
This poison ivy treatment sounds fantastic. If only I'd had it the times my hubby got it in the vacant lot next door! I enjoy your blog so much. THANK YOU for all your efforts to "cleanse" & better yourself & family.
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