Lavender Pillow Pouch

We have some gorgeous lavender bushes growing along our front sidewalk.  I love smelling them in the summer as I walk up to the house.  Harvesting the lavender is really easy and fun to do.  Of course they are not in bloom right now, but I had some dried lavender in the basement that I needed to use up.

I sewed a little pillow out of fabric scraps, filled it with lavender, and sewed it shut.  I tucked one inside each child's pillowcase so they would receive the benefits of smelling the calming lavender all night long.  These have lasted quite a long time, even going through the washer and drier a couple times on accident, but are still smelling wonderfully.  Scrunching them up a bit releases the scent.

One of these pouches in the drier also works well to lightly scent your laundry.

We've also put lavender buds in water to simmer on the stove and add some humidity and calm to our house.  I'm looking forward to harvesting more lavender this summer and coming up with more uses for it.  I imagine you could also purchase dried lavender somewhere for this same purpose.  Sweet dreams!

Guest Post: Herbs for Children's Sleep

Today's post is from Nina at ShalomMama.  Nina Nelson is a follower of Jesus. Wife to Ian. Mama to Isaac, Eva, Ella and Isaiah. Hippy. Conservative. Lover of simplicity. And babies. She enjoys writing about health, building relationships and simplifying.  (and is also a good friend of mine!)

Sweet dreams for your sweet baby

When I asked my friend Christy to do a guest post the other day she laughed and told me that she was about to ask me to do one on her blog. Great minds think alike  .

She specifically asked that I discuss herbal sleep remedies for kids. I’d actually never tried any and was really glad to have something new to research. I’m especially grateful that she asked me as I’m having some trouble with Isaiah sleeping well at night while he’s teething and I’d love to try a gentle remedy. I’m getting tired of being used as a pacifier all night long.

I first visited Sister Wisdom, a wonderful site that I found months ago that has great information on herbs for babies. She had exactly what I was looking for and I used her information as a jumping off point to begin researching more on my own.

The following herbs are wonderful to have on hand to gently calm your kids and use in a handful of other remedies as well:

Lavender

Oh how I love the scent of lavender. Lavender essential oil is frequently used in aromatherapy for its soothing effects as it helps to alleviate restlessness and irritability. I’ve also successfully used it to ease headaches by applying it to my temples. It is one of few essential oils that is safe to apply directly to the skin without diluting it in a carrier oil. However, I suggest diluting when using it on kids, as they are more sensitive. According to The Handbook of Vintage Remedies, it also offers antibacterial properties.

Chamomile

This is the standard sleepy-time herb that comes to mind for many people. When using chamomile, it’s important to use only the flowering tops – sometimes ragweed can be confused as chamomile and cause an allergic reaction in some. Using only the flowers will prevent that mistake.

Like many of the other sedative herbs, chamomile is also commonly used for digestive disorders. One of my favorite uses of chamomile is topical as it soothes inflamed skin and is gentle enough to use on small children. A diluted bottle of weak chamomile tea helps to calm a teething baby and prevent colic spasms. (I’m all over this one!)

Catnip

When I think of catnip, I picture my mom’s cats sniffing it and rolling around on the ground for a while afterward. What I didn’t think of was the effect that it has on people. Catnip is a soothing herb that is so mild it can be given as a tea to children. According to altnature.com, catnip also has a long history of being used to treat digestive system disorders and helps to reduce fevers because it induces sweating. The leaves or flowering tops of catnip also provide relief from stomach spasms and coughing, and because it is so gentle, it’s a beneficial herb to have on hand for little ones fighting an illness.

Lemon balm

Lemon balm has some lovely qualities. It’s antiviral and is also aids in healing minor skin irritations. Like catnip, lemon balm is antispasmodic. It can also increase sweating to reduce fevers. It is commonly used to reduce anxiety and restlessness and relax the body. Lemon balm is gentle enough to give to children.

Tomorrow (hopefully) I’ll be making a balm that you can rub on your little one before bedtime to help them get a good night’s sleep. I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures.

I love reading about herbs and learning about all of the plants God has provided us to take care of ourselves and each other. Yet another thing He does for us that makes me smile. 

References

The Handbook of Vintage Remedies by Jessie Hawkins

Herbal Medicine by Dian Dincin Buchman

The ABC Herbal by Steven H. Horne

www.altnature.com

www.sisterwisdom.com

*Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor or certified herbalist. This information is intended for informational purposes only. If you choose to use these herbs, please do so in conjunction with a trusted herbal reference and herbal professional.

Also, buy purchasing products using my affiliate links, I will earn a small commission. Thanks.

Thanks for sharing, Nina! - Christy

Sick

I am sick.  For the last week and a half the girls have been fighting off coughs, colds, sore throats, and a bit of pink eye.  Friday I finally came down with it all.  Saturday night I had a really painful earache and now I think it's ruptured.  I was up all night trying every remedy I could think of because the pain was so awful.

Instead of posting about sleep like I said I was going to, I've been sleeping!  Ross has been great about helping around the house and taking care of me.  His mom and sister both came over to play with the kids and let me rest.  My ear is not as super painful today but I'm still exhausted and sick feeling.  I may try and get in to see the chiropractor tomorrow.  I'm ready to pack my luggage sets and head out somewhere vacationy, I have had enough of this already!  Ugh.  I'll be back with more posts soon...

Happy Mama

Do you ever forget to shower, or is that just me?  Like the other night when I sat down to write this post (about my shower soap), I realized I should probably go shower.  I mean, I usually don't show up places unshowered (thank goodness!), but when I'm at home I just get busy with getting the baby to sleep, finishing up the dishes, washing the cloth diapers, and a million other things.  Its easy to forget about my own needs, even the most basic ones, until I get to a point where I'm really stressed out and tired.

Like I mentioned earlier this week, lately one of my goals has been to get enough rest and take care of myself.  Which probably includes showering....  which is the point of this post... to tell you about my Happy Mama Body Wash.

I love this stuff!  If you haven't noticed, I recently put up an affiliate button for Earth Mama Angel Baby® .  I did that because I absolutely love their products.  I love that they are zero rated in the cosmetics database, contain no yucky toxins, and just all around great.  My bathroom cupboard holds quite a few Earth Mama Angel Baby products.

I've been using the Happy Mama Body Wash for about a month now and really like it.  I even told my husband to keep his hands off my special soap.  Actually I told him he could try it and if he really loved it he could use some, but otherwise he should leave it for me.  ;)  The body wash smells like ginger and is nice and refreshing.

If you have even less time but are feeling frazzled, try the Happy Mama Spray for a quick pick me up.  The ginger and lime can help lift your mood and encourage you.  I've loved trying out this product lately as well.  You really can't go wrong with any of the Earth Mama Angel Baby products.

Want to win a bottle of Happy Mama Body Wash?  Leave a comment letting me know what your favorite quick pick me up activity is for when you are feeling frazzled.  Prize can only be mailed to US and Canadian residents.  I'll close the giveaway on February 4th at midnight.  Want an extra entry?  Share the giveaway somehow (blog, facebook, etc) and leave a second comment letting me know you did so.  Be sure to leave your email address or enable it on your profile so that I can contact you.  Thanks for stopping by.  I'm off to go shower...

I received Happy Mama Body Wash and Happy Mama Spray for review. All opinions are my own. If you choose to make a purchase, clicking through the Earth Mama Angel Baby link in this post or button on my sidebar helps support my blog. Thanks!

*Giveaway closed.  Congrats Vanessa!*