Cleaning With Just Water

Are you enjoying your summer?  I've almost given up on blogging these days with three lovely boys, baseball, homeschooling and other joys of life!  But I interrupt your summer to present my new-found obsession and joy... cleaning!

I am not kidding.  I am loving these products.  So much so that I (not born a salesperson or a cleaning lady, let me assure you)  have decided to sell Norwex products because they sell themselves!  Once I show someone how they can clean their windows, walls, floors, sinks, mirrors and counter tops with only water, they are sold.  It works.... it reduces the use of chemicals, preserves the environment and saves you time and money.

Here is the cloth that started it all.  The Enviro Cloth can clean up to 90% of your home.  It lifts EVERYTHING off the surface, leaving a true clean instead of a residue that attracts dust.  When used dry, it creates an electrostatic charge that picks up all the dust off your surface.  When used wet, it will clean all your major surfaces with only water.

Here's what sets our products apart.  When you are done cleaning with the Enviro cloth, you rinse it out with hot water and hang it up to dry.  The micro silver inside the cloth goes to work with its self-purification properties against mold, fungi and bacterial odor and within 18 to 24 hours, your cloth is ready to use again!


Our Polishing Cloth also contains silver and is used to make your windows, mirrors, granite, stainless steel, faucets and more streak-free and shiny.  You can use a spray bottle of water to wet your surface, then follow up with a dry polishing cloth for amazing results.  I have never had my mirrors so clear and and my windows streak-free when the sun shines through!

My husband is so happy with how clean our house is since I've been using Norwex products.  It's fun and easy.  And saves me so much time.  I can clean our hardwood floors in half the time I used to spend vacuuming, sweeping and mopping by using the simple and wonderful Mop.  The dry pad dusts and polishes all types of flooring.  The wet pad (which also contains silver for self-sanitizing purposes) will clean the floor efficiently with ONLY water!  It dries quickly and streak-free and is much easier to push than a Swiffer.

And yes, all these products are machine washable so you can use them again and again!!  And you are saving money because of all the products you will no longer need to purchase.  The Enviro Cloth replaces paper towels and Clorex wipes and you no longer need dusting spray, floor cleaner, window cleaners, and more.

AND the cloths come with a 2 year warranty!

If you are in a two-hour radius of my hometown, I would love to have a show in your home.  You will be amazed at how generous Norwex is to their hosts/hostesses.  You can receive up to $200 in free product, just by hosting a party!  July and August are the Mop months, so you could have the Mop completely free.

Email me at fiveapplesaday@gmail.com or check out my website for more info.

Hope you're having a terrific summer.

~ Katrina :)

Read more...

NAET Review

We've been receiving treatments from our NAET (a.k.a. “voo-doo”) doctor for about a year and a half and wanted to post an update/summary to tell folks where we are and how we’re doing. We could write a book about it at this point but the important fact is that we’re “better”. We’re not bullet proof; we still struggle with food sensitivities, we still get colds, we have allergies… but we’re better. The following are some specifics if you’re interested.

Our youngest boy (2 years old last month!) has benefited the most from NAET. He was covered in eczema from one month old until he had been treated several times. I mean covered; head to toe. It is sheer joy to see his little tummy,thick little legs, arms and face free of eczema.  If you’ve seen this, you know what I mean.  Currently, he has no eczema, little to no rashing with foods (previously nearly all foods broke him out), only two recent outbreaks of hives/blisters (peanuts and a mystery food on vacation), and no breathing/upper respiratory problems (previously a regular issue).  He is sleeping at night (mostly), has no tummy issues (as long as he doesn't overdo it with fruit).  He is like a new boy.  It is true that he is bigger and some things he could have outgrown, but we still have things pop up to remind us how blessed we are that we have the NAET treatments to fall back on when he reacts badly to a specific food.  If he breaks out from a food, we have him treated for that food the next time we see Dr. Clifford.  (Example: he broke out with some eczema last month and we had to take a new cleaner to the doctor. No more eczema post treatment.)  Even after a year and a half, it sounds silly to say we get “fixed” for certain things, but silly or not, it has changed our world.

Our middle angel (our sensitive guy) is doing a lot better, too, but we are still trying to get to the bottom of his breathing problems.  He gets exposed to a combination of allergens and/or sensitivities and develops a persistent dry cough that we call the machine-gun cough; this apparently is a common symptom of childhood asthma.  To address the cough he was given approximately five courses of oral steroids last year.  To get a handle on the asthma we tried a recommended allergist and we are now treating him with daily meds for seasonal allergies/asthma.  Although this was not our first choice, the meds seem to keep things fairly even.  He is able to eat the occasional treat, some wheat, and a little dairy without upsetting the apple cart.  We attribute the food success to his NAET treatments.  It means a lot being able to have the birthday cake at a friend’s party or a scoop of regular ice cream on vacation.  Still must avoid the biggies – red dye, artificial sweeteners, chocolate – these are like a triple espresso for him and make him mean.  He’s been treated for red dye and chocolate but there are still issues there to work on.  We also avoid a dozen other oddities that don’t agree with our sensitive guy (i.e. no polyester pajamas/blankies…  I have no theories to explain this, but it’s true). After five years of this, we get weary sometimes.

Our oldest is our perpetual optimist.  It’s tough to get him down so he doesn’t act like any allergies bother him.  He still has a seasonal allergy issue we can’t pin down and dairy always makes him congested even though he’s been treated for it several times.  In general, if he lays off the dairy and a bunch of sugary treats, he’s a healthy kid.  Praise the Lord for a happy kid.

The rest of us still have some seasonal allergies, although Christian's are much better.  He was taking a Claritin a day about 30%-40% of the year and now only occasionally (note that this year is reportedly an epic allergy year).  Trina has some funny little things clear up, like the bumpy skin (the allergist said this is a sign of a very allergic person) on the back of the upper arms and front of the upper legs.  She's had that her whole life, but something Dr. Clifford did cleared it up.

Our general philosophy on food has changed over the years but has been shaped mostly by our family’s sensitivities (boys 2 and 3).  We give the boys good fruit instead of sugary stuff.  We pretty much avoid processed foods with more than five ingredients (the fewer the better), bleached flour and sugar, high fructose corn syrup and red dye.  Eat lots of veggies.  Buy the best meat we can afford or skip it.  As a result of our struggles the last few years, we now consider the money we spend on food as an investment in the health of our boys (and ourselves, I guess).

The greatest gift that we’ve received from Dr. Clifford is sleep.  Weeding out a couple of the big issues has allowed our middle and littlest boys to sleep through the night.  They both still get up sometimes but what a blessing a few nights of rest can be for a family (and especially a mom).

Even after a year and a half, we balk at trying to explain our trips to the voo-doo doctor.  I’m just the kind of skeptic that doesn’t abide by medical treatments that don’t make sense.  My friends do chuckle at my explanations of the treatments.  I don’t care.  I don’t really understand it all and I don’t have to.  I’m not taking my kids to the voo-doo doctor because it makes me feel good but because my kids are healthier and happier for having gone.  I hope someday to be done with all the food avoidance and playing detective as we figure out what caused our boy to react “today”, but until then, I’m awfully glad we found a treatment to remove some of these triggers from our world.  It gives us hope and sometimes a little hope makes all the difference.

---Christian  

Read more...

If it sound too good to be true...

...it usually is.  

That was my first thought when I heard about NAET.  (Maybe it was your first thought, too.)  Sometimes you take a gamble out of sheer desperation.  For us, these treatments have changed our world.  So many people have asked me about this, it seems only fair to give out a few more details.

1.  Does it work?  For us, yes.  It took about four treatments to see definite results.  I'm able to eat foods that formerly triggered eczema in our littlest man.  (This is amazing if you read our previous post! We've cut back on baths and never have to lotion him in between. The baby skin is back!)  Seasonal allergies are substantially better. Our gluten-free/casein-free son is eating foods that he wasn't able to before without negative effect.  This has been a life change for us... We can eat in other people's homes without having to bring special foods with us.  I am making bread and pancakes and buying pasta made from wheat--which is a significant break in our monthly grocery budget.

2.  Is it expensive?  No, not really.  But here's how we look at it.  If it's going to keep us from getting allergy shots, and cut down on the number of trips to the doctor, then we see the NAET treatment as preventative maintenance.  It also saves us in grocery bills and allergist and pediatrician co-pays.  According to our insurance, it is the same as seeing a specialist.  If insurance doesn't cover it, they provide you with a special plan.  In our case, it is inexpensive and one child is treated free per every adult.  It never hurts to ask what it costs if they bill you as a cash patient; that goes for any doctor, really.

3.  How soon will I see results?  This depends.  Our NAET doctor treats for more than one item at a time, so we saw results within four visits.  Most NAET doctors treat for only one allergy at a time.  This slows things down a bit, I'm sure.  Our doctor says he usually sees people every week and doesn't ask them if they are feeling better until he's seen them four or five times.  I was treated for sun poisoning and was not too convinced it would work.  A few days later I broke out with sun poisoning.  But this week (several weeks after being treated) I got a burn--and no sun poisoning!  I've been getting sun poisoning since I was 16.  (That's 20 plus years, but who's counting?)  It's hard to believe, but I guess I'm cured.  :)  We still feel some skepticism from time to time.  I think that's normal for a non-traditional treatment like this... But, if I've stopped getting sun poisoning, I don't know where else to give the credit.

4.  What does a "treatment" look like?  I'm not going to lie.  It's a little strange (I prefer intriguing) at first.  The doctor checks to see if you are "allergic" to an item using applied kinesiology.  (Quick internet research reveals that the Western world does not consider this legitimate science.  You decide for yourself.)  No, he does not shake a dead chicken over you and, no, there is nothing spooky or creepy about it and, yes, you get to keep all your clothes on.  It's actually so painless that you'll have a hard time believing that it'll help.  

5.  What allergies can be fixed?  Here's a list that our NAET doctor provides.  Some examples include addictions, ear infections, environmental allergies, eczema, fatigue, headaches, insomnia, sinusitis, and weight loss or gain.

6.  Why isn't everyone doing it?  That was my main question before I started seeing results.  And I'm still wondering why.  Perhaps people just shy away from the unknown.  But it's not that weird.  This kind of medicine has been around a lot longer than Western medicine... but it's not yet accepted in our culture.  Based on conversations with our doctor, there aren't very many doctors/chiropractors out there providing these treatments yet.  Our guy is swamped, so if you want to go back to school, this might be a growth industry.

There are no needles, medicines or supplements.

Why try it?  Why not.

If you have more questions, please email me.  I'd love to share our story.
~ Katrina

P.S.  We do make small advertising fees if you purchase books off our link.  But we love sharing with you.  Don't forget to utilize your local library.  We do. :)

P.P.S. We don't make a nickel if you go to NAET treatments.  We've benefited so much from it that we want all our friends to know it's out there.

Read more...

NAET Update

The answer is Yes.  NAET is working for us.

Sure, we've heard great reports from friends and acquaintances, but it's hard to believe unless you've seen it first hand.

Christian has seen a significant improvement in his Spring-time allergies.  Only four Claritin this season gives us reason to celebrate. Since he approaches everything from a science background, he was skeptical.  But even he has confessed this week, "The voodoo works."

Our middle angel (4 years old) is now able to handle eating foods that contain gluten!  Major cool.  He still isn't having it with every meal but we're introducing it into his diet with success and no apparent tummy or skin issues as before.  You should have seen his face when he had his first donut.  We are trying to start with whole grains, but you have to live a little when you can't remember ever having a cracker or a piece of bread in your lifetime.  It was a Krispy Kreme yeast donut, by the way. :)  

The baby's eczema has cleared up.  We keep finding new things that trigger it but, as we figure out the trigger foods, we take those items to the NAET doctor and have the baby treated.  Then I am able to eat those things without affecting baby's skin negatively.  It's quite amazing.

It's been a miracle for us straight from heaven.

Thanking God for His grace,
~Katrina

Read more...

Home remedies... fun stuff!

I was at a baby shower recently and conversation turned from mastitis (use cabbage leaves!) to home remedies.  We could have written an entertaining book combining everyone's knowledge. How do you discern home remedies from old wive's tales, anyway?

Here are a few things for you to try at home.  Remember, I'm no doctor.

Jennifer found these interesting body tricks including curing brain freeze and clearing a snuffed nose.

Lauren says use garlic oil for ear-aches.  (It worked for her!)  Buy it or make your own by warming 2 cloves of garlic in 2 teaspoons of olive oil and straining out the garlic.

She also recommended checking out passionatehomemaking.com for other natural remedies.  I got stuck on this website...  Rabbit trail... She gives great gift ideas like making your own lip balm.  Or what about making your own deoderant?  I have got to try this.  Why does that sound like fun to me?

Lindsay told us a couple of her grandparents' natural remedies.

• Sore Throat Remedy.  Combine 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup vinegar, 3 Tbsp. honey, and 1 tsp. cayenne pepper.  Take a small sip every 3-4 hours.  Yum?
• Cobwebs and Turpentine.  She remembers cobwebs being used to stop bleeding and turpentine being used to help heal cuts. Has anyone ever heard of these?

She also shared a link to a list from The Doctors show that gives you 30 quick solutions to cure yourself without a doctor.    This is a good list, too, including treating headaches, sore throats, menstrual cramps, burns, blackheads and more.

I love this stuff.

Got some good home remedies?  We would love to hear them in the comment section below.

Stay well!

~ Katrina

Read more...

Eczema: not the perfect baby skin

Our baby's skin isn't perfect, but it is improving.  By God's grace, we have discovered most of the foods that trigger his reactions.  At 8 months old he is downright refusing solids so we know exactly what he is eating.  As long as Mommy steers clear of trigger foods, the baby skin is sufficiently clear without using a topical steroid.

Sometimes we are even able to give only one bath a day, instead of two (see previous post with tips that have helped us manage little man's eczema).  Mommy still has to avoid certain foods, but he is much less sensitive to fabrics.  We still have issues with heat/sweating causing a rash.  And, once the skin is just a little bit irritated, baby will start scratching... which results in a rash.  Overall, he has improved significantly.

The general consensus is that baby boy will be less affected by foods and environment the older he gets and the stronger his body becomes.

Although we seem to have the eczema "managed", we'd like to do better.  By better, we mean it would be easier (and cheaper) if baby and Mommy could eat some of the no-no foods like dairy or gluten. We've exhausted the avenues available through traditional sources, so we thought "why not try some of the kooky hocus pocus, too?"

This sounds far-out so don't think we're too crazy... It is called N.A.E.T.  We'd never heard of this particular practice of revised eastern medicine, but here we are... trying one more thing.  It's kind of like acupuncture without the acupuncture.  The jury is still out on this one, so stay tuned.

We'll share more later.
~ Christian & Katrina

Read more...

The Nose Sucker

We have taken a brief hiatus from the family health blog because we've had sick kids.  Ah, the irony.  It's been a sicky kind of winter for us.  Our youngest was briefly hospitalized for RSV (which caused bronchiolitis) and is now on the mend.

Keeping the airways clear was a concern once we left the hospital with their magical deep suctioning equipment.  I remembered a friend that swore by this weird-looking contraption called a NoseFrida (The Snotsucker).  Desperate for clean baby airways, I ordered it overnight from Amazon. (They are only sold in one store locally, and they were out of stock.)

I have to share with you!  This thing really does work wonders!  The NoseFrida actually sucks out snot--as opposed to the worthless little bulb syringes you get "free" from the hospital when your babies are born.

The first customer review on Amazon confesses it's "the grossest thing I've ever loved".  I concur.  Mommy or Daddy uses their own suction to suck out the snot!  Sounds like a good way for Mommy to ingest some boogies, but it's designed to prevent that sort of thing.  It's the best $15 I've spent in a long time.

Wish I'd had this thing when my first baby was born.

~ Katrina

P.S.  Little tip that I didn't know before purchase: if you love it, you'll want extra filters.

P.P.S.  We have a few blog posts in the works... be watching for a blogs on kale, crock pot meals, N.A.E.T. treatments to cure allergies, GF bread recipe, antibiotics, and more.

Read more...

Sweet SunButter Savings

Found a great bargain today!  If you use SunButter in your home, you know it's not cheap.  Depending on where you buy it, you will pay $5-$7 for a 16 oz. jar.

Would you like to stock up?  It's on sale right now at Amazon.com! $20.58 for a pack of 6... PLUS sign up for Subscribe & Save to save an additional 15% (you can unsubscribe later if you'd like).  I will have 6 jars delivered to my house for just over $17.  SWEET!

Since I'm breastfeeding a baby with severe nut allergies, SunButter has been a great nut butter replacement.  I use it on sandwiches and pancakes, as a veggie dip, etc.

~ Katrina

Read more...

Dairy-Free, Guilt-Free "Ice Cream"

We love ice cream.  Three out of five in our family can't eat real ice cream, so we've been making smoothies from frozen fruit and rice milk or juice. Sometimes I add in ground flax seed for those great omega-3 fatty acids and/or frozen spinach--which goes undetected in the yummy blend.

But NOW we have found our favorite.  A real dairy-free treat.  Banana ice cream.

Bananas are not my favorite fruit, but as a frozen treat they are delicious.  Chop and freeze your ripe bananas in chunks and then whip them up in a blender or food processor.  We often add dates, rice milk, or soy milk.  But you really only need the bananas.

Check out The Kitchen if you'd like more details.

Enjoy a guilt-free snack on me!
~ Katrina

Read more...

Keep your nose clean!

My Dad is a natural teacher.  I've learned much from him over the years, especially in the areas of medicine and health.  I think my Dad would consider this tip as one of his top 5 most important.  Seriously folks.  Keep your noses clean.  And not just because boogers are gross.

Well, maybe "clean" isn't the best word.  "Rinsed" fits the bill better, actually.  According to Dr. Dad, keeping things moving is the idea. As long as everything is moving, you've got a happy nose.  But when things get blocked, thick, plugged, etc., then you get an unhappy nose that can result in a sick child or grown-up.  We have seen in our family that, among other things, seasonal allergies in the fall are a major contributor to stuffy noses.  Stuffy noses, if left alone, commonly develop into a "cold".  So, you might ask, how does one go about rinsing out one's nose?  Easy.    

Some use a neti pot, waterpik, or squirt bottle to irrigate the sinus canals.  None of these methods are very expensive and we'd prefer to spend a little to keep from being ill rather than paying co-pays and pharmacies after we've already gotten sick.  We usually rinse our noses in a very warm shower and rinse with a saline spray.  We use an over-the-counter saline solution (which you can pick up at any grocery or drug store) to rinse our noses.  In fact, the boys rinse dutifully before bed when they brush their teeth.  For our infant, who sadly has a cough this week, we just squirt a little saline down one of his nostrils to keep the passages clear.

This is not to say we never struggle with colds, sinus infections, seasonal stuffiness or the like.  On the contrary, we do (especially our shopping-cart-licking-children).  We have found that this little trick will often help keep us healthy, stave off a cold when we feel doomed and even shorten the length of a sinus infection once it is going full tilt.  Since we're a family that makes a sincere effort to avoid the biannual amoxicillin prescription when we can, this little tip has helped us to that end.  Hope it helps you, too.

Stay healthy!

~ Katrina (& Christian, too)

Read more...

Eczema: the rash that keeps on giving

My sweet baby, Theo, is an eczema victim.  I'm so grateful that he's healthy and quite smiley otherwise, but it still stinks.

Theo, at 8-weeks-old, broke out with eczema all over his body the day after having his first immunization. The pediatrician says his body was reacting against the vaccination, not to it (I need to read up on this).  I knew I needed to investigate my diet since both my first- and second-born sons had food allergies or intolerances.  (Here was my go-to book* when I was frantically searching for answers to problems for my second son, Gabe.)  Before using the recommended steroid cream, we tried baths, no baths, various lotions and creams, etc.  Since I was breastfeeding, I was also trying to "weed out" potential foods that are on various food sensitivity lists.  The eczema did clear up for a few days.  But I went out of town and decided to abandon my diet for the weekend.  Since then, only a steroid cream will clear up the inflamed, itchy skin and it will come back as soon as I quit using it.

I took Theo to our allergist where we discovered he was allergic to dairy and eggs.  I had already been pretty careful with dairy because our family historically has problems with dairy.  Plus Theo would spit up all over the place and be pretty fussy if I ate any dairy at all.  The doctor recommended I also remove gluten from my diet since we already have one child whose blood tested positive for Celiacs Disease.

I must admit, I did shed a few tears the day the allergist told me to give my baby two or more baths a day, lotion often, and cut out diary, gluten and eggs.  But it has not been as difficult as I'd imagined.  I do struggle coming up with the necessary breastfeeding snacks without dropping big bucks in the "gluten free" aisle at Whole Foods.

Plus--you may not believe this--I feel better than I’ve felt in years!  I can’t remember a time in my life where my mind  felt this clear and I had so much energy with so little sleep.  Seriously, I used to always be exhausted.  I’ve heard people boast these marvelous rewards with a gluten-free diet before but, for me, it’s true!

The allergist gave me instructions for bathing and moisturizing that beg to be shared with other eczema sufferers.  It seems to make Theo more comfortable, especially helping him fall asleep easier.  We give him a bath twice a day in warm water, cleansing with Dove Sensitive Skin Unscented bar soap and then pat dry.  With skin still damp, we seal in the moisture with Vaseline.  I appreciated this advice in lieu of buying expensive eczema products, but I'm not sure if Vaseline is doing the trick.  However, the bath and mild soap really help!  

I'm still working on tricks to keep Theo from scratching his face raw.  I swaddle him during bedtimes, keep his nails short, and moisturize frequently.  This is a work in progress since he's only 4 months old.

The allergist is certain I should find a food that will eliminate the eczema.  The pediatrician isn't so sure.  For now, I'm avoiding what the allergist said to avoid and keeping a food diary of the rest.  A breastfeeding mom really has to consume mega calories, after all.

I'll keep you posted on our progress.  In the meantime, I'd love to hear from our readers...  Any secret eczema treatments?

~ Katrina

* We are paid a small advertising fee if you purchase off our link, but the point of the link is to provide easy access to literature we found helpful.  My husband says if you're gonna buy it anyway, he'll accept the sixty-seven cents! :)

Read more...

Cheap Laundry Detergent

I only wish I'd started making my own laundry soap sooner.  We already used a fragrance-free, dye-free detergent, so this was no great change in quality, merely cost-effective.  Our allergist also recommends no fabric softener.  Another savings!

This recipe is easy, inexpensive and requires very little time.  Each batch makes about 4 gallons.

Ingredients: Ivory soap Borax Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda Instructions: Shred, chop or shave one bar of soap into small pieces.  (Shreds easily with a cheese grater.) In large pan, heat 6 cups of water with soap pieces. Once soap is dissolved, stir in ½ cup Borax and ½ cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda.  Stir mixture until dissolved. Remove from heat and pour into large bucket. Add 4 more cups hot water and stir until well blended. Add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of cold water to the mixture.  Mix well.  Let sit for 24 hours. Store in old laundry soap bottle or other container for easy pouring.  Mixture will be clumpy; shake well before each use.  Use ½ cup per load.  For high efficiency machine, use ¼ cup per load.

So... solicit friends for empty laundry soap containers, buy three ingredients, roll up your sleeves for the fun part... and start saving!

~ Katrina

Read more...