This/That: Mid-Week Edition

*This week's This/That is delayed, thanks to the lovely and all-too-reliable Time Warner Cable. Yeah, TWC, I'm talkin' to YOU. You, who goes out for no reason at all making it impossible to work on the internet. We are now mos def switching to Fios. 

This/last weekend I...

+ Set our little kitchen table with this adorable CLOUD napkin holder. Why is it so cute?

+ Art directed the kitchen linens. Now this hand towel is having a design dialogue with this rug.

+ Made and labeled this and this. Both gluten-free and both DELICIOUS. I swear, if you use coconut oil anything gluten-free is a heavenly treat. Also, this.

+ Found the perfect co-worker companion spot for Gracie Mansion. I am not totally into the fabric so am thinking a reupholstery situation might be in order. 

Sick Days

This week, both Gracie and I, caught bugs that kicked our rears into bed. Luckily, I was well enough early in the week to take Strudel Loo to the vet and make sure she was alright, and she was better enough to hang with me in bed while I was under the weather the last couple of days. I feel WORLDS better today, and I think the Gracie snuggles and head cold survival kit really helped. One of the things that alleviated my symptoms the most were the daily piping hot baths with tea tree oil. Those seemed to soothe my sniffles and coughs and calmed my tightened chest. It's not easy to lay low for a few days when there is work to do and things to make, but sometimes you just have to take a moment and make your main to-do list involve items that take care of yourself.

Thank you to my darling husband who was so sweet in providing me with lots of comforting items like cough drops, Throat Comfort Tea, NyQuil (when it got really ugly and mama needed to SLEEP), and taking care of walking the dogs and doing the dishes after work. It made it a little easier to give in and just admit I was sick and lay low. Thanks boo!

Another big help: The tiny swirl of hair on Gracie's chest that is so cute you can't help but smile no matter how badly you feel. 

Head Cold Survival Kit

It's about to be the most wonderful time of the year, but until then, it's the time of year where everyone gets nasty head colds.  There is a sinus situation going around and it has decided to live in me for the moment. Not cute. It's nothing big enough to go to the doctor about, so I have a regiment of things that I use to ease my symptoms that I'd like to pass on to whomever may need them. This is my head cold survival kit:

-organic lemons

-cold pressed oregano oil

-organic sinus congestion elixir 

-tea tree oil

-Yogi tea (any of their cold weather teas)

-water water water

 

Organic lemons are essential all year round, but are vital when you have a cold. They are filled with vitamin C and antioxidants, and they even have antibiotic effects. Plus they are delicious! I will put half of a lemon in my pint glass of water and the other half in my tea. Again, this is excellent to do all of the time to support optimal health and is especially helpful when your body is fighting something. 

Pregnant women should not use tea tree oil. Meg Allan Cole is not a doctor, consult yours before you use this or anything else. 

Tea tree oil is an potent essential oil with incredible antiseptic benefits. I use it in these 3 ways:

-Add a few drops into a bowl of water by my bedside and breathe in the soothing oil throughout the night.

-Add a capful into a piping hot bath, close the curtain, slowly and deeply breath in the steam.

-Boil water, add a couple of drops, then put a towel over my head and take slow and steady deep breaths for 10 minutes.

*When my husband or I suffer from allergies, adding a couple of drops to the floor of my shower helps. It's very soothing and cleans out your sinuses beautifully. It is a topical treatment and should never be ingested. Again, consult a doctor before using and DO NOT get this in your eyes. Trader Joe's has the best deal or you can buy it here or here.

*Tea tree oil doubles as an amazing cleaning agent. When I clean my floors I add some Dr. Bronner's into hot water, and then add a capful of tea tree oil. It kills germs and smells so clean and fresh. Dr. Bronner's is also the cheapest at Trader Joe's FYI.

Cold pressed oregano oil is a natural antiseptic and it kills all kinds of bacteria and fungus. If someone in your office is sick, take oregano oil capsules with food as directed and it'll help your immune system fight it off. Miss Corinne Leigh told me about this years ago and I now SWEAR by it. It will seriously lower the amount of times you get sick in a year. I didn't catch one single cold or bug last year, and I swear it's because of this. You can find it in any drug store or online here for low-budget and here for higher budget.

Tea is a natural expectorant so my doctor recommended drinking as much as I can stand when I have a bug like this. If I can handle 5-6 cups of tea with fresh ginger, lemon, and local honey in it, that is ideal. But of course, just do the best you can. When I am sick, I make a check-list of things to do to get better and check them off. This makes my high-functioning self feel like I am accomplishing things even when I'm under the weather.

Sinus congestion elixir is basically an all-natural Vicks vapor rub. You put it under your nose, in your nose, or on your chest with a Q-tip or tissue and breath it in deeply. It's usually a mixture of essential oils like eucalyptus and peppermint and helps open up and clear out sinuses. It's soothing and helpful and works for me.

WATER. When we are sick, water can be our best friend. We are supposed to drink eight 8 oz. glasses of water a day, so I try to make sure that happens when I'm sick. H20 coats our cells and protects them against viruses. My sister told me that years ago and it makes sense and definitely motivates me to keep on chugging. The aforementioned organic lemons helps with the chugging because it adds a nice taste.

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Bottom line: Basically you want to flush this out of your system with water, tea, and essential oils. I am not a doctor, so if you are really sick GO SEE ONE! This is just my natural survival kit when I have a bug that I just have to wait out. I hope you and your family are healthy right now. If you aren't, feel better soon and let us know YOUR go-to tips in a comment. It's takes a village, man.