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

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Cold Feet

Has anyone heard about putting Vicks VapoRub on your feet at night when you have a cough?  Well, we finally remembered to try it this winter.  Not bad!  I mean, they didn't jump up and start whistling Dixie, but we're pretty sure it helps them sleep better.  I recommend it.

It's listed under urban legends on About.com with a large amount of information which basically convinced me I should try it.  Snopes says "undetermined".  Found more information at eHow...

That reminds me, I saw a couple of warnings to never put Vicks on a baby under 2 and take care that you don't cause a foot fungus in a sensitive-type child.

But with my big boys, I thought I might as well try it.  If it works, what the hey?

~ Katrina

Editor's note: I firmly believe if you feel you require a documented, defensible explanation for why a home remedy works, you just aren't tired enough.  If I determined that filling my kids' socks with peanut butter helped them sleep through the night when they have a cold, I would happily shovel Jif into socks.

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