Wordless Wednesday; Tombstone, AZ

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: Tombstone, AZ

Tackle It Tuesday - Migraine Relief Kit

For this week's Tackle It Tuesday post, I wanted to share with you how I made my Migraine Relief Kit and what goes in it!  I have suffered from migraines since I was a teenager and I have learned a lot about what helps relieve them when I have them.  The trouble is, once I have a migraine, I can't think or function well enough to remember all my remedies!  So I was looking at a post about a first aid kit, and I thought, why not make a Migraine Relief Kit?  Something where I can have all my migraine relief remedies all in one place? Here's my kit;

What's in it?  Below are pictures and descriptions of everything in my box.

As you can see, I have a large bottle of electrolyte water.  Often times, migraines and headaches are a sign that you are dehydrated.  I have this in my kit just in case I am out of drinking water, and to serve as a reminder to drink plenty of water once my migraine begins!

This is my favorite lotion from Bath & Body Works.  Stress Relief Hand cream.  Aromatherapy can work wonders for migraines, and rubbing some of this on my hands, neck, and shoulders can really help.  Plus, it helps remind me that some simple self-massage and reflexology can help too.  There are pressure points on your hands, feet, and neck that can help with headaches and migraines.  If you suffer from headaches or migraines I strongly suggest you learn some of these reflexology pressure points.  And this lotion is wonderfully relaxing whether you have a headache or not!

I suffer from the migraines that not only make my eyes very sensitive to light, but there is usually pounding, excruciating pain behind one of or both of my eyes.  I went looking for a sleep mask, and I found this sleep mask at Walgreens.  It has removable gel inserts that you can put in the freezer and then back into the sleep mask.  Oh that nice cool feeling on top of my eyelids, while also shielding my eyes from any light in the room.... it's really a GREAT find for migraine and headache sufferers!  I can pop the inserts into the freezer for about 5 minutes and then be ready to go!

As I mentioned before, aromatherapy can really help.  I have this bottle of eucalyptus oil in my kit to remind me to use it in my oil warmer.  For headaches I would recommend either Eucalyptus or Lavender scented oils in a diffuser.  Experiment and see what works for you, but be careful because some scents can actually trigger migraines.  Also, make sure you use pure essential oil, not perfume oil.  The "perfume" oils contain chemicals that can make your migraines worse.

My heating pad.  I made this one myself, with a fuzzy sock!  I filled the sock with a mixture of dry uncooked white rice, some eucalyptus scented Epsom salts, and some dry crushed spearmint.  I sewed the end shut with needle and thread.  When I need it I heat it up in the microwave for about two minutes and then put it behind my neck.  The heat combines with the soothing scent is so relaxing!  Migraines and headaches often come with neck and shoulder tension, so this is a must-have for a migraine relief kit!

Of course, some obvious essentials... over the counter migraine relief medication!

I found this in a little shop of natural teas and remedies.  It's a loose tea blend of chamomile, white willow bark, and a couple other herbs that are known for pain relieving.  I haven't tried it out yet, but once I try it I will let you know how it works!

I also included a couple other tea bags of my favorite soothing teas.  I have a Stash Chai Green Tea, a Stash Chai White Tea, and Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra (with valerian).  A nice soothing cup of hot tea helps me relax and fall asleep.  Plus, I often get a sour stomach and nausea with my migraines, so hot tea helps with that symptom as well.

This is another aromatherapy remedy!  This is a "Bath Tea" of a blend of herbs and essential oils.  You put it in a bath tub full of hot water and it releases the scent into the bath water.  VERY relaxing and effective!

This is some allergy medicine.  Antihistamines can help relieve a migraine.  I put these in my kit because I know it works, but I almost always tend to forget about taking them once a migraine hits!

AND, last but not least, Emergency Chocolate!  Because sometimes a migraine or headache can be caused by, or aggravated by low blood sugar.  And besides that, chocolate just makes me feel better.  If you put some chocolate in your kit, make sure it is Milk Chocolate, NOT Dark Chocolate!  Dark Chocolate is a migraine trigger, and might actually make your headache worse!

If you suffer from migraines, educate yourself on as many remedies as you can, and try to figure out what your triggers are so you can avoid them.  Common triggers are stress, dehydration, hormones, perfumes, chemicals, and some foods.  The most common foods that can trigger a migraine are; Sharp Cheeses, Dark Chocolate, Citrus fruits, and Red Wine.  You may be triggered by one or more of these things, and there may be things that trigger your migraine that are not listed here.  The best defense is to prevent the migraine by avoiding your triggers, but they can't all be avoided all the time, so maybe you will want to put together your own Migraine or Headache Relief kit to have everything in one place when they do strike!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

Join the Meme at Book Journey with me!  Come check out It's Monday!  What Are You Reading?

Last time I posted, I had just started reading The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.  Well, guess what?  I'm hopelessly addicted.  Each time I finish a book in the series.  I say to myself, "Maybe I should look for something different to read for awhile."  And then I say to myself, "Ha!  Who are you kidding?" and start the next book in the series.

So now I'm on book 6.  I think I need to pace myself.  Slow down, take it easy.  After all, what will I do when I have read through all of them, and have nothing left to live for?  I haven't felt this way about a book series since Harry Potter.  Come to think of it, The Dresden Files IS a "Harry Potter" for grown ups.  Even the main character's first name is Harry.  (Although the ubiquitous Harry Dresden was named after the Magician, Harry Houdini.)  Harry the grown up Wizard isn't in Magic School, he's living in Chicago where most people don't know about or don't believe in magic.  Yet he manages to make a living as a Supernatural Investigator, doing all kinds of odd jobs that mostly end up with him battling the ultimate evil and almost losing his life.  He has to skirt around the rules laid down by the White Council, very much akin to how Harry Potter had to question the sanity and integrity of the Ministry of Magic.  With each book there is a new case, a new mystery to solve.  Yet there is an ongoing plot line that continues through each book and takes you deeper into Harry's past (which haunts him), and effects how and why he makes choices through each book.

Did I mention I just LOVE this series?

Anyways, I am in the middle of Book Six, Blood Rites;

"For Harry Dresden, there have been worse assignments than going undercover on the set of an adult film. Still, there’s something more troubling than usual about his newest case. The film’s producer believes he’s the target of a sinister curse-but it’s the women around him who are dying.

Harry’s even more frustrated because he only got involved with this bizarre mystery as a favor to Thomas-his flirtatious, self-absorbed vampire acquaintance of dubious integrity. Thomas has a personal stake in the case Harry can’t quite figure out. But Harry is about to discover that Thomas’ family tree has been hiding a shocking revelation that will change his life forever…"

Sample of Chapter 1; http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/blood-rites/br-chapter-1

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Monday Ramblings.
Onward, another week to conquer.  This week the kids go back to school.  (They were out on Spring Break last week)  I have my usual work schedule, and faithful hubby is working 7 days a week.  So far, it's been 14 days since he last had a day off.  This week in Mom-Land I will try to stay on top of housework, focusing on Laundry and organizing my Master Bedroom.  I have something exciting to share with you tomorrow for Tackle It Tuesday, so come back tomorrow to see it!

Have a Great Week!  Please leave a comment and tell me what YOU are reading right now!

Living Room Organization

This week I am sharing what I did last week in my home!  I focused on cleaning & organizing The Living Room!  To get ideas for your own "Tackle It Tuesday" project or to see what other bloggers are sharing, check out Tackle It Tuesday at 5 Minutes For Mom!

 

 

 

 

Last week (Jan. 28 thru 31st) was a time to focus on Zone 5 (FlyLady.net).  Each week FlyLady has a different "zone" or area of the home that you focus on for decluttering or deep-cleaning.  So this I a big part of why I focused on my Living Room last week!

 

This week's organization was also inspired by the Home Organization 101 Challenge at A Bowl Full of Lemons!  Check out this awesome livingroom and see where I got my inspiration and see what other bloggers did in their Living rooms as well!

 

 

 

First of all, my Living Room was DUSTY!  One of the joys of living in the desert!  Dust gets everywhere and builds up very quickly!  I had neglected dusting in here for awhile as you can see with the following before and after pictures!

I loved using Shaklee's Basic H2 for dusting!  Just a little spray on a towel and I was able to get all my surfaces super shiny, without any chemical smell, and with the peace of mind of knowing I used a safe & healthy product!

 

 Moving on... the shelves under the tv were a bit cluttered! 

 I sorted through the books and got rid of quite a few that the kids had outgrown.  Some of the books were moved to the girls' bedroom.  What was left all fit on the bottom shelf, leaving the middle shelf open for video games and a few DVD's.  The canvas caddy box with blue spots on it now serves as a storage bin for remote controls and game controllers.

This corner was very cluttered!  A lot of papers and miscellaneous stuff, but most of it was my hubby's guitar stuff.  (Guitar strings, picks, supplies, and books)  He has been teaching himself to play guitar over the past couple of years.

I straightened up the table, and put all hubby's guitar related stuff in a basket! 

Now it looks like this!  Hubby's two guitars, Miss Z's Guitar.  The window unit A/C is tucked under the small table for storage until summer when we need it again.  I even framed and hung up a picture above the table to add some more decoration to the room!

 

It's a picture of Jerry Garcia!  Drawn by my very talented brother.  He did this in an art class in college.  I'm glad it finally has a home, displayed above our little "Music Corner" in the Living Room!

Onward - a couple more areas needed dusting and straightening....

 

Yeah. The ceiling fan was gross!  I used a duster with an extension handle on it to reach it.  Funny how those things get so dusty when they are constantly moving!

 

Anyways... that was my living room project!  It's nice to know that there are specific "homes" for things in my living room now, and easier to maintain with specific places to put things.  If it doesn't have a home in the living room, out it goes!

It's Monday; What are you Reading?

Joining in again at Book Journey; come and see what is being read by others!  I like to check out the posts by others to get ideas of what to read in the future, although my "Books I want to read" list just grows exponentially!  So many books, so little time!  I feel a little odd reporting that I am STILL reading the same book I posted 2 weeks ago.... A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

I am really enjoying it!  Along with delighting in the amazing prose of Dickens, I am learning a bit about the French Revolution and a period in history I didn't know much about.  I usually read through books more quickly than this, but... well there was a Thanksgiving Vacation thrown into the mix, and then an injury to my shoulder (which actually gave me MORE time to read, but the pain medicine made me drowsy so I would fall asleep while reading!)  But also, I am just taking time with this book.  It's like a delicious home cooked meal made by a master chef.... something to be savored and eaten slowly to fully enjoy every flavor.  Sometimes I go back and re-read a paragraph a few times just to let the words swirl around my brain a few times the way that one would taste a fine wine.

"The mill which had worked them down, was the mill that grinds young people old; the children had ancient faces and grave voices; and upon them, and upon grown faces, and ploughed into every furrow of age and coming afresh, was the sign, Hunger.  It was prevalent everywhere.  Hunger was pushed out of the tall houses, in the wretched clothing that hung upon poles and lines; Hunger was patched into them with straw and rag and wood and paper; Hunger was repeated in every fragment of the small modicum of firewood that the man sawed off; Hunger stared down from the smokeless chimneys and started up from the filthy street that had no offal, among it's refuse, of anything to eat.  Hunger was the inscription on the baker's shelves, written in every loaf of his scanty stock of bad bread; at the sausage shop, in every dead-dog preparation that was offered for sale." - from A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Also lately, when I am not reading I am listening to music.  When a song strikes me, I like to look up the lyrics and read along while I listen to the song.  So here is what I have been reading/listening to today; Amanda Palmer!
I really enjoyed the lyrics to Ukulele Anthem so I will share them here for you; Enjoy!  Oh and I might actually ask Santa for a Ukulele for Christmas, just because of this song!

Ukulele Anthem
by Amanda Palmer

sid vicious played a four-string fender bass guitar and couldn’t sing
and everybody hated him except the ones who loved him
a ukulele has four strings, but sid did did not play ukulele
he did smack and probably killed his girlfriend nancy spungen
if only sid had had a ukulele, maybe he could have been happy
maybe he would not have suffered such a sad end
he maybe would have not done all that heroin instead
he maybe would’ve sat around just singing nice songs to his girlfriend

so play your favorite cover song, especially if the words are wrong
‘cos even if your grades are bad, it doesn’t mean you’re failing
do your homework with a fork
and eat your fruit loops in the dark
and bring your etch-a-sketch to work
and play your ukulele

ukulele small and forceful
brave and peaceful
you can play the ukulele too it is painfully simple
play your ukulele badly, play your ukulele loudly
ukulele banish evil
ukulele save the people
ukulele gleaming golden on the top of every steeple

lizzie borden took an axe, and gave her father forty whacks
then gave her mother forty-one, and left a tragic puzzle
if only they had given her an instrument, those puritans
had lost the plot completely
see what happens when you muzzle
a person’s creativity
and do not let them sing and scream
and nowadays it’s worse ‘cause kids have automatic handguns
it takes about an hour to learn how to play the ukulele
about same to teach someone to build a standard pipe bomb
YOU DO THE MATH

so play your favorite cover song, especially if the words are wrong
‘cos even if your grades are bad, it doesn’t mean you’re failing
do your homework with a fork
and eat your fruit loops in the dark
and bring your flask of jack to work
and play your ukulele

ukulele, thing of wonder
ukulele, wand of thunder
you can play the ukulele, too
in london and down under
play joan jett, and play jacques brel
and eminem and neutral milk hotel
the children crush the hatred
play your ukulele naked
and if anybody tries to steal your ukulele, let them take it

imagine there’s no music, imagine there are no songs
imagine that john lennon wasn’t shot in front of his apartment
imagine if john lennon had composed “imagine” on the ukulele
maybe folks would have more clearly got the message

you may think my approach is simple-minded and naïve
like if you want to save the world then why not quit and feed the hungry
but people for millennia have needed music to survive
and that’s why i’ve promised john that i will not feel guilty

so play your favorite beatles’ song
and make the subway fall in love
they’re only $19.95, that’s not a lot of money
play until the sun comes up
and play until your fingers suffer
play LCD soundsystem songs on your ukulele
quit the bitching on your blog
and stop pretending art is hard
just limit yourself to three chords
and do not practice daily
you’ll minimize some stranger’s sadness
with a piece of wood and plastic
holy fuck it’s so fantastic, playing ukulele
eat your homework with a fork
and do your fruit loops in the dark
bring your etch-a-sketch to work
your flask of jack
your vibrator
your fear of heights
your nikon lens
your mom and dad
your disco stick
your soundtrack from “karate kid”
your ginsu knives
your rosary
your new rebecca black CD
your favorite room
your bowie knife
your stuffed giraffe
your new glass eye
your sousaphone
your breakfast tea
your nick drake tapes
your giving tree
your ice cream truck
your missing wife
your will to live
your urge to cry
remember we’re all going to die
so PLAY YOUR UKULELE

credits

released 31 October 2011
Written and performed by Amanda Palmer (hear the song here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZaR_4us6Ec )
It's Monday!  What are You Reading?

Thirteen Vacation Memories

It's time for another Thursday 13; a list of 13 things (anything!) on a Thursday!  (Yeah it's not Thursday yet!  But I missed last Thursday because it was Thanksgiving and we were ON this vacation!) Since we just got home from our wonderful family vacation, I thought it would be cool to share with you 13 of my favorite pictures/memories from our trip!

 

Our Thanksgiving Family Vacation! 2012

Brother & sister reading books in the car!  this was the longest road trip they have ever taken!  6 hours in the car is a LONG time!

Along the way we stopped in Cabazon, CA to see the big dinosaurs on the side of the road!

We arrived in San Pedro, CA and settled in to our cottage where we spent the next 3 nights!  It was so lovely!  Plenty of room for all of us!  The kids played kick ball in the front yard for awhile, they needed it after the long drive!

"Girl Time Bonding" with my mom!  We traded socks, now she has one of mine and I have one of hers.  Our "mismatched" pair of socks will always remind us of this vacation!

Thanksgiving Day, we walked to a park where some very fat squirrels would come right up to us for some bread crumbs!

There was a beautiful pond with lots of ducks to watch and feed!  And some very noisy geese as well!

Taking a walk around the neighborhood with my uncle.  My youngest son really bonded with his great-uncle, it was so sweet!

 

Waiting for the Thanksgiving Feast!

Day after Thanksgiving; Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.  At the "touch tank", petting some starfish and sea anemones!

more fun at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium!

Daddy and Daughter in the ocean!

Exploring the tide pools at Cabrillo Beach!  We found some really cool shells, starfish, sea-slugs, and had a great time!

We had some car trouble on the way home!  But it's just another memory... an "adventure"!  All worked out okay!  Being stuck in the desert was no fun but it just made us all the more grateful for our wonderful, safe, happy family vacation!