As a blogger who gets to review a lot of really fun stuff, sometimes I get products that are intriguing, but I’m not totally excited to try it.  Case in point, an herbal first aid spray.  No one really wants to have to use a first aid spray, yet there seems to be many opportunities to test it out lately.

I received the Omyst organic healing first aid spray just before I had a freckle biopsied on my foot.  Anyone that knows me knows that I get at least 1-4 freckles checked out every year since I have a history of skin cancer on both sides of my family.  The minor surgery involved for biopsies or a full excision is not a big deal to me, but the recovery time is always very bothersome to me.  My skin HATES band-aids, tapes, etc. You name it and I’ve tried it.  My skin gets irritated to the point where I have blisters wherever the bandage was applied.  I hope this explains why I was actually excited to test out the Omyst.

After the surgery, I had to leave the bandage on for 24 hours.  After the first shower, I sprayed the Omyst.  It did sting a little, but it sensation didn’t last long as it does have analgesic properties.  I left my foot out to air dry, probably about five minutes before one of my children needed me.  I kept up with spraying the Omyst over the stitches for the next two weeks.  For the first time, I didn’t get the horrible reaction I usually get with band-aids, despite still using them while I had stitches.  Omyst recommends leaving the wounds open to the air, but that just doesn’t work with stitches and the need for socks in November.

Thankfully, this freckle was benign so I didn’t have to go through the ordeal all over again.  (Stiches in your foot is no picnic.)  Next year when I have my annual dermatology appointment, at least I’ll be prepared.  Since the surgery, we have tried the Omyst for a variety of scratches and cuts.  Since there is a sting factor, I don’t recommend using this on little kids when they first cut themselves.

Omyst is made with organic calendula, yarrow, plantain and wild roses.  It’s a non-toxic spray that now has a home in my diaper bag.

You can purchase Omyst online at their Store, or enter in your zip code to find a retailer closest to you.

Disclosure: I was provided a sample of the Omyst organic healing first aid spray.  This did not influence my opinion shared here.

I attended a wonderful event today and got to listen to Dr. Meg Meeker talk about how to prepare ourselves and our kids for the cold and flu season. Dr. Meg has four children and has been a pediatrician for 25 years.  No one wants their holidays derailed by a sick child so the information she provided was very timely.

Dr. Meg had few must have’s on her list of what all parents should have at home in preparation for cold and flu season.

1. Tylenol
2. Motrin
3. Saline nose drops (especially for kids under one)
4. Ear Aspirator
 (I didn’t even know these existed! It’s like a bulb syringe, but with a pointier tip)
4. Thermometer

We got to learn about the new Vicks Behind the Ear thermometer while we were at Finale today.  Dr. Meg explained that the different places we take a temperature reading vary based on how close it is to blood vessels.  Behind the Ear provides a more accurate reading as it’s close to major blood vessels. ( I have been using the temporal (forehead) thermometer for the past few years, but I never felt that it was super accurate.) The Vicks thermometer has a memory that stores the last eight readings so you can see if a fever is rising, or hopefully falling, in your child.  It’s also color coded to you know that if the light blinks red, it’s time to call the pediatrician.

Dr. Meg shared a few other helpful tips today in dealing with fevers in little kids.

-keeping kids hydrated is very important
       -offer Pedialyte, (no Gatorade for kids under 2) mix it with a little juice if your kids don’t like the taste
-tepid baths are helpful, be nice and don’t put kids into a cold bath.
-use a vaporizer for kids that have a nasty, barking cough, which offers more moisture in the air than a standard humidifier.
-clean toys with an antibacterial cleaner
-change toothbrushes at least once a month, more if they are sick.
-WASH HANDS!

I asked Dr. Meg after the presentation if she has any natural remedies that she relies on.  She said she likes both Zycam and the Airborne products, as both Zinc and Echinacea have both been proven to reduce the duration of colds and flues. She wasn’t familiar with Elderberry Syrup so I am still on my own hoping that it is helping us stay healthy.

I was also provided a copy of Dr. Meg’s book 10 Habits of Happy Mothers.

 I’m so excited that my new chalkboard kitchen cabinet is finally finished!  There is a large, door-like cabinet in my kitchen that we painted with both magnetic and chalkboard paint.  The chalkboard part works great, the magnetic part not so much. We used a spray paint for the magnetic paint, if I did it again I would use a traditional paint.  I find this is a great way for me to reduce the amount of paper floating around my kitchen.  Good for the environment, and good for my sanity.

Above is our menu plan for this first week of December. (is it really December?!  It’s just way too warm here around Boston to feel like December!)  The chili was perfect yesterday after spending the afternoon at the Needham Holiday House Tour.  Adding the adobo chiles is making a big impact without making it too spicy.  Tonight is our homemade chicken nuggets, sweet potato fries and leftover (L/O) rice.  My favorite part about using the chalkboard for the menu plan is that I can easily update it if something changes mid-week.

 Madison also loves her new section of the door.  This has been a great way to keep her in the kitchen with me while I get dinner prepped.

The only challenge is keeping this little guy OUT of the cabinet!

If you have any questions about making the chalkboard cabinet, let me know!

This post is part of Menu Plan Monday at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Frugally Sustainable and SortaCrunchy’s Green Resource. 

I’m packing up all the pumpkins paraphernalia in the house this week and looking forward to decking my halls in the coming week.  Here’s a little candy to start the holiday season off on the right foot.  I love to decorate with candies for the holidays.  It may be peppermint puffs for Christmas, Cadbury Eggs for Easter and rock candy for the 4th of July.

Here is a sample of ideas to decorate with candy that can then be enjoyed as a party goes on, or maybe after the presents are opened on Christmas morning.

 I would double up with two vases, one larger than the other so the candy remains edible in the outer vase.  (Here is an option from Pottery Barn.)  This does get a little tricky when your little ones (or husband) get into the candy before you are ready to part with the display.

Lastly is a cute way to decorate with glass huricanes and wine glasses~ gumballs!

Happy Decorating!

Images from GoodHousekeeping.com and RealSimple.com

Select images from the Holiday magazine, published by Good Housekeeping, Redbook and Country Living. The magazine covers topics of decorating and entertaining with many recipes and beautiful photography.  I received a copy of the magazine to review which in no way influenced me sharing this here.


This post is being shared with SortaCrunchy Green Resource, Learning the Frugal Life, 5MinutesforMom.