Wellness Blend

Yours truly (me) has a sinus infection. At least I think I do. I went to the doctor yesterday because I was just sick of fighting it on my own. He thought it looked like a sinus infection. One nostril has been completely plugged for 2 weeks. No matter what I did it stayed plugged.

Sure there were things that made me feel better in the moment. Maybe those things would have worked had it been viral. I think what I have is bacterial. When it came down to it I just needed antibiotics. Ever since I started taking antibiotics yesterday I'm getting a lot out. That's what makes me think that I really needed them.

I tried many things to make me feel better: The Neti Pot, Probiotics, steamed greens, and many of my allergy meds did nothing.

There are 2 things I tried new that did bring me some relief:

ONE: ALKALOL A Natural Soothing Nasal Wash

Source

I got this solution at Walgreens. I noticed it had all the stars for the rating. You just add this solution to any nasal cleanse, and boy does it help. It didn't dry me out, I could control how much I added to make it whatever potency I wanted. It just made my nose feel better.

Ingredients: Purified Water USP, Menthol, Eucalyptol, Thymol, Camphor, Benzoin, Wintergreen Oil, Spearmint (Mentha Viridis) Oil, Pine Oil, Cinnamon Oil, Potassium Alum, Potassium Chlorate, Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda), Sodium Chloride, Alcohol (2/100 of 1%)

TWO: Wellness Blend

One of my FB friends posted this recipe. I changed it up a bit because the recipe included way too much sugar, which sugar increases inflammation. Adding 2 spoons full of this stuff to hot water had been such a relief! 

Directions: 

• Boil 4 cups of water in a large pot
• Add 1/2 cup local honey
• Add in 1 1/2 large yellow onions diced
• Add in 3/4 cup ginger diced
• Add in 2 big spoons full of turmeric
• Add in 1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
• Add in 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon
• Bring to a boil again, turn the heat down to low, and cover it. 
• Let it do it's thing until the water is cooked down 1/2 way. *Note: You'll be able to see where it started because the tumeric colors the pan a slight yellow
• Cool a bit, and put mixture through a blender
• Drink 2 spoons full twice a day in hot water. 
• Store in the refrigerator. 

Why local honey? found here

• It helps build a tolerance to seasonal allergies
• Helps digestion
• Strengthens the immune system
• Stabilizes the blood pressure

Why yellow onions? found here

• They contain vitamin C
• Assists in regulating blood sugar
• Reduces inflammation to heal infections
• Help to prevent cancer
• Help to lower bad cholesterol 
• Reduces ulcers

Why ginger? found here

• Helps with nausea
• Helps with sore muscles and pain
• Is an anti-inflammatory 
• Lowers blood sugar
• Improves your heart

Why tumeric? found here
It's used in many teas, so that's why I don't need tea in with this mixture. It's also added to many pain and depression pills. It's been used in India for 1,000s of years as a spice, but more importantly a medical herb.

• Is an anti-inflammatory
• Kills bad bacteria
• Protects our body with antioxidants 
• Boosts brain function
• Lowers heart disease

I divided the mixture up, so I have some for work, some at home, and I put some in the freezer for later.

This can be a preventative for getting sick. You could drink it all winter long. There are no drugs in it, so the body is just being pumped full of anti-inflammatory things that help lower bad cholesterol, regulate blood sugar, help prevent cancer, boosts brain function and more.

It actually tastes really good! I was having it in tea at first, but the flavor is so strong on its own that I just started putting it in water. It opens me up, while I'm drinking it!

Disclaimer I'm not a doctor. I'm only trying these things to help clear me up. All the things in this post will not clear you from illness. They only help prevent it.

1,000 Piece Puzzle

I love puzzles when I have the time to do them. Some (my husband) might say, "What's the point? Isn't it a waist of time?"

I find them relaxing. When I do them I don't think about anything much, but finding the piece I need to find. It's also fun for me to put things into sections. Yep if you gave me a tub full of Legos with all different colors I'd be the one that would love to color organize them. I did that with my crayon box when I was a kid as well. With puzzles I separate all the edges out, then the blue goes in a pile, greenery in another and so on.

I went to Marshall's and spotted some mystery puzzles. By the way they have some other really neat games and puzzles for older kids there. I wanted to buy a bunch of stuff, but refrained. I had a mystery puzzle when I was a kid. You read a small book, put a puzzle together to help solve the mystery, and back of the book has the answers. You have to read the back in a mirror because it's all backwards.

Mica used to like puzzles, but he really hadn't touched them for a few years. I had no idea if what I got him would be a hit, or not. I thought it would be good regardless because it's something we could do together.

This is the book/puzzle I got him:

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I didn't pay too much attention to the fact that it was 1,000 pieces. I was just so excited that it contained a mystery book with it. Yes it's for adults. I'm an adult that helped my tween put it together. 

It took us like 3 nights to put it together. Travis I swear let the cat out of the bag that I'm Santa so many times to Isaak. Travis, "Alissa why did you have to get this thing? I swear you're missing pieces! What's the point?" Blah, Blah, Blah. In his defense we did have a dance party to get ready for. Here a puzzle was all over the floor. When I told him it had a mystery book that went with it, and that we had to solve it he thought that was cool. Nope we didn't have missing pieces, but we did have a missing piece. Down in the bottom middle. We looked all over for it, and couldn't find it. 

Mica picked it up to put it away. I could tell he didn't really want to put it away. He looked annoyed that it was going back into the box. It came up all in 1 piece!

For the record the company makes more. I looked at Sherlock Holmes, and Alfred Hitchcock as well. I think kids Mica's age - age 11 still want toys as gifts, but it's a little harder to find gifts. 

What kind of things would you get for an 11 or 12 year old boy?  

Disclaimer: This is not a review of the puzzle. I just shared because I liked it. 

WW: Happy New Year {Linky}

After Christmas it was a rush to get down that holidays things to make room for our New Years Eve Dance Party! 

I had Travis and Mica blow the dust off the tree piece by piece:

We made too much food! One thing is for sure, one can never have too many lights. 

We had 15 kids show up and 11 adults.

Happy New Year!

I said, "Ok now all the boys have to kiss the girls." I heard loud, high pitch screams, "No!" Ha!

I let the boys have two kids spend the night - 1 for each kid. We know their parent's well. This was their first overnight with kids other than their cousins.

One of the little guys wasn't on his pillow, the other little guy was hanging off the mattress.

These boys could have stayed up all night.

Don't let that older one fool you this was him on New Years Day:

Like Father, Like Son. Here's Dad:

Holiday Performance

I told Travis to skip the boy's holiday performance this year. He's never skipped it. He just got back from being out of town. Asking off for work wasn't something he wanted to do. Their holiday program is smack dab in the middle of the day. They offer it at 2 times 10 and 1. It lasts about 3 hours. I'm not exaggerating. Usually I have to take off work, and it lands on my finals week. Thankfully that wasn't the case this year. Sigh of relief!

My parents came. They had my youngest nephew Edison. I was worried that he'd get restless, but he was pretty good! He's used to being taken all different places where he has to be quiet. He has 3 older brothers, and one has Trisomy 18, so lots of doctor appointments, sports events and church that he has to attend.

Me: Edison Smile! :)

I got more cute pictures of Edison than my boys because when my boys performed the photos were grainy and dark.

My Dad and I have always been good at entertaining kids with very little things. My Dad used to make faces on our hands to make them talk, while we were in church when we were little. Ha! Can you tell I didn't pay attention to what the paster said? With Edison we kept passing back and forth nothing. We put that nothing down his shirt, and he'd pull it out the bottom of his shirt, and hand it to my Dad, then to me, then to my Mom, and it would get back to Edison. 

The next day someone sent me this: 

I imagine it's what Edison was picturing the nothing that we were passing back and forth to look like. 

Mica had his first band performance:

They played really pretty good! A beat of music played, while they played. I'm sure that helped them. When they missed a note I couldn't hold the camera still I was laughing so hard. I don't know why I think that's so funny! I guess I just have a twisted since of humor. 

After the band played the room got really dark. I filmed mostly, so Travis could see. 

The school got me with their last song. All the kids in the whole school came in to go around the gym. They all sang a song about togetherness. I cried like a baby. Travis is like, "Why didn't you record the finale?" It was hard spotting out our own kids + there were people standing up blocking kids + I was crying like a baby. 

I had the teacher's gifts. I made them little loaves of Banana Chocolate Chip Bread, June Berry Jam, Hot Coco. Mica and Isaak looked at me and said, "That's it?" I put in a gift card to Dunkin' Donuts as well. I said, "Just don't tell your Father." Travis always says, "I don't know why you give the teachers so much. My parents never gave the teachers anything. You don't get anything." I'm a college teacher. It's different. These kids get 1 teacher everyday for 5 days a week. 

I picked the kids up after their performance. They were so excited to get out early. Many parents swipe their kids out at that time. The kid's attendance isn't jeopardized. 

We went home. I said, "I have to get a good photo of both of you."

Do your kids, or did your kids (when they were younger) have a holiday program?

Busy Bees

I know I haven't posted about us in awhile. Things have been busy. I'm sure things are busy with you as well. 

In order to play catch up, I'm going to make this a text only post. I'll have follow up posts I promise. There's a list going of everything I want to post about. I'm sure I'm missing something(s) along the way.

Right before Christmas Travis went to see his parents. I played single Mom for 4 or so days. When he got back it was a rush of trying to:

1. Wrap the rest of the presents
2. Figure out what we were going to make for Christmas Eve and Christmas
3. Shopping for food
4. Getting the teacher's gifts together
5. Going to the boy's school holiday performance
6. Making lots of food
7. 2 big family gatherings
8. Santa time
9. Quickly and thoroughly cleaning up after Christmas
10. Putting a 1,000 piece puzzle together
11. Buying more food for New Years
12. Having a New Years Eve Dance Party geared towards kids
13. Each kid got a friend to spend the night
14. We helped Isaak put together a duct tape wallet
15. We figured out if we needed to switch doctors with this new insurance we have
16. We'll have our nephews on Thursday because my nephew Emerson is going in for tests to see what all is going on in his little body.

And the list goes on. I'm sure your list is long like mine is.

Throughout the holidays I've been sick with a cold, or something. I have chronic allergies, so who knows. I'm supposed to call the doctor today - now that we know our insurance is covered. When we signed up for insurance it said 2 of our doctors were not covered. When we looked on our plan online, and boom all of them are covered. That's good. I tried calling yesterday, but like me they had their New Years off. All the hours I can talk to my doctor I work. At work everyone can hear me on the phone. No one wants to listen about how one of my nostrils is completely plugged. It's not the nostril that I have a deviated septum on. Ya breathing is interesting. I'll have to take care of my doctor call during lunch. Then I'll probably still have to talk to them in front of everyone because I'll have to leave a message. Isn't it interesting how doctor's offices make you repeat everything like they didn't hear your message at all?

What has been some of the major things on your list to get done lately?

Alterna Dry Shampoo Bamboo Leaf Review

One thing I've never tried is dry shampoo. I've always wanted to though. This last week I had a chance to try out Alterna Dry Shampoo Bamboo Leaf dry shampoo.

It was packed so well. The whole product was covered in plastic. That guaranteed that no spray came out.

About Dry Shampoo:

This is a virtually translucent dry shampoo that is designed to absorb oil, product build-up, and impurities to extend the life of your blowout without leaving any powdery residue. Use it to give volume to freshly washed hair with a fresh bamboo leaf scent.

Why Dry Shampoo:

• It helps you have a lot of build up of other products in your hair.  

• During allergy seasons I have to keep my hair clean at all times. I can't have pollen in it, and sleep on it. 

• This shampoo is so convenient because I can wash it anywhere at any time. 

• During the winter months some people get really dry. Everyone would love to take a shower daily to stay clean, but it's not always in the cards for dry cracking skin. With dry shampoo you can keep your hair clean. 

What it Doesn't Have:

• No Parabeans

• No Sulfates 

• No Phthalates

• No Synthetic Color 

I'm so glad there's no sulfates. My body hates them.

Cost:

$18.50 for 4.75 ounces.

Disclaimer: I received Alterna Dry Shampoo to review. I wrote this post, and was not influenced at all with an opinion. I only review things that I find interesting, or that would benefit my readers.