Herbal Allergy Tea

i.cant.stop.sneezing.

I'm about to go crazy. I made two of my $32 air purifiers. One sits on Arianna's dresser. One follows me where I go. Living room during the day, bedroom at night. I take Zyrtec, Sudafed, Advil, and do nasal washes and sprays. I'm still sneezing, stuffy headed, and feeling wretched.

While on Pinterest, I found a recipe for a sore throat/allergy tea. The website is down now, but I was able to pick up a cached copy of the recipe. I tried it out and it's clearing me up fast!

 Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

1 tablespoon dried sage

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried lavender

juice of 1/4 lemon

honey to taste (local, raw honey is best for allergies)

KITCHEN TIP: Freeze your ginger! Yeah, I know fresh is better, but I have had trouble grating ginger before, so when I picked up the frozen ginger I had saved from a recipe, I figured I'd try grating it frozen. It did so much easier!!

 Steep the ginger, sage, pepper, and lavender in a tea ball for five minutes. 

Add the honey and lemon juice which makes it quite pleasant. This tea is light but spicy, but has a kick that is kicking my allergies' butt (oops, bottom)!! Sinuses are clearing, no more sneezing, and I feel like I can get some stuff done today!

Rebirth

I've been going through a sort of rebirth as a Christian, wife, mother, and woman in general over the last few months...

I downloaded an app on my phone "Daily Bible". It gives me a daily verse, and an option for reading through the Bible plan. I've enjoyed taking a few minutes before the house wakes up to read, pray, and meditate on the Word.

LJ and I purchased three books last night and at least I am chomping at the bit waiting for them to come in the mail. Two topical studies (one on parenting and one on couples), and a book going through history and geography of the Bible. The big question: where do we start?!

I've never been a "good" homemaker. I knit, sew, etc. etc., but I am a lousy housekeeper. I am kicking my own bottom (we've had to stop saying "butt" in the house) into gear using "Large Family Logistics" as a resource. Slowly but surely I am getting into a stricter routine of housekeeping, homemaking, and getting everything presentable. I'm cutting down on clutter. My mom will be coming over to help me get rid of all of the kids' baby clothes that I've held on to for years. Many I've already gotten rid of, but some I have held on to for nostalgia or some meager hope of a future fourth. While I know that will never happen biologically (unless God intervenes), it may not even happen through adoption. My three are fine with me though, and I need to cut the clutter out of my life.

I'm taking more time to read to the kids. I homeschool Arianna (and occasionally let Jonas and Josiah sit in on it too until they get bored), and usually I let LJ read each unit's book. I'm starting to get into a habit of reading more to the kids. More Bible than the homeschool Bible time and our family Bible time. More books casually read than with Daddy. I want to be that mom. I want my kids to remember me reading to them.

I've also dug my "crunchiness" a little deeper. Before our trip to Colorado (see Help For Arianna for more info on that) I purchased some herbal books. I have fallen in love more and more with herbalism and herbal healing. God has given us a beautiful world, and we have natural gifts that He has given us that can work amazingly with our body systems to mend bones, heal disease, and improve our quality of life. I have used several herbal remedies and plan to do more. I have joined the "nopoo" movement as of tonight. I will write more on that soon too! I have seen an improvement in my chronic pain issues with the use of more herbal remedies as well as removing toxic chemicals from items I use in my daily life.

So it's a new me. More natural, less clutter, more devoted to God, my husband, my family, and myself than ever before.