4 Natural Pain Relief Solutions

October 26, 2023 By Jess Weaver 2 Comments

Are you dealing with a lot of pain right now? I know it can be frustrating to try and feel better without taking medicine filled with unnatural chemical ingredients. I’ve tried hard to find natural remedies to fight any pain that I deal with and I wanted to share my natural pain relief options with you!

#1. Heating Pad

If I’m ever dealing with any type of muscle ache or pain, I always reach for my heating pad. I love how it makes the muscles feel and it’s also a great way to relax and forget about the pain for a little while. You can also easily make your own reheatable heat packs with a little bit of uncooked plain rice or flax seed and some lavender oil in a sock tied off at the end. Stick it in the microwave for 2 minutes and then 30 seconds at a time until heated enough.

#2. Herbs

There are several herbs out there that are ideal for natural pain relief. Herbs like Turmeric has several pain relief benefits you may not have known about before. If you’re dealing with issues like aches, then ginger is the herb you’ll want to turn to. Backaches and achy joints can be taken care of with a little bit of eucommia.

#3. Fish Oil

Fish oil is one natural remedy to help relieve pain in the joints and muscles. Fish oil actually helps to ease the inflammation you’re feeling within your joints. This one is a little tricky though because you’ll want to make sure you’re using the right type of natural fish oil. There are tons of companies that say their fish oil is top of the line, but you can’t believe everything they say.

#4. Chiropractor

One of the best ways I’ve found for beating pain in a natural way is going to the chiropractor. I almost always feel instant relief whenever I spend time getting readjusted. Our bodies are amazing and the right chiropractor can help put you back together again. Make sure you read reviews before you pick a chiropractor and check to see if your insurance covers it. Many people don’t know that their insurance will cover a few adjustments per quarter, even government medical coverage such as medicare.

Fighting any kind of pain is not easy, but finding a way to cope is important. I hope you find one of these remedies successful!

Filed Under: Green Living, Health

How to Naturally Preserve a Pumpkin

October 22, 2023 By Jess Weaver 4 Comments

Its really close to Halloween and if you are like most people celebrating, you probably have your pumpkin and are ready to carve it. There’s nothing worse than a Jack-o-lantern that falls apart only a few days after you carve it. It’s important to learn how to preserve this gourd for as long as possible so you can get many nights of enjoyment from it.

How to Naturally Preserve a Pumpkin

1. Purchase a pumpkin you want to have around for the next couple of weeks. Make it a good one. A good pumpkin is solid, free from too many blemishes and has a good flat bottom on it.

2. Design your pumpkin with how long you want it to last in mind. A detailed pumpkin with lots of cuts will generally not last as long as one that is more simple no matter how you preserve it. If you want to do something more elaborate, do it closer to Halloween night so it still looks good. Make sure to get rid of as much of the guts and seeds as you can as this will slow down the process of decay.

3. I prefer to not use anything that is toxic to preserve (some use bleach and other chemicals) as I try to keep my home as Chemical free as possible. One method I employ is a combination of natural things that helps to keep my pumpkin as fresh as possible. I don’t carve my pumpkin any sooner than 3-4 days before Halloween.

Use the following steps to save your Jack-O-Lantern:

Use peppermint Dr. Bronner’s Soap to make a spray that is not too concentrated or it will be too soapy. Spray all the inside surfaces. You can also just rub the soap on directly as well. Peppermint naturally guards against fungus and mold. You can use straight peppermint extract, but that could get costly.

Every day, spray your pumpkin with straight vinegar or more of the peppermint spray.

If you live where it is still warm this time of year, refrigerate your pumpkin during the day and only light it outside at night.

This natural preservation method may not last as long as ones involving the common method of bleach, but if you don’t carve your pumpkin too soon, this natural way to preserve pumpkins will work perfectly.

What are some Halloween traditions you have done with your family in the past?

Filed Under: Family, Green Living, Homelife Tagged With: carved pumpkin, jack o lanter, natural ways to preserve a pumpkin, preserve a jack o lantern

Slow Cooker Corn Chowder

October 20, 2023 By Christine 2 Comments

My slow cooker and I are pretty much besties. I use it about once a week but wish I used it more. There is something just so wonderful about putting all ingredients in, setting it and coming back to a cooked meal several hours later. It’s a busy and frugal mom’s best friend. So when Hamilton Beach asked me to review their Set & Forget® 6 Qt. Programmable Slow Cooker with Spoon/Lid I was ecstatic! This slow cooker features all the things I have always wanted a slow cooker to have such as a way to check the temperature of the food in the slow cooker without removing the lid (so much heat is lost this way!) with the probe that attaches to the slow cooker itself and pops right into the lid. I love that it comes with a spoon that attached to the lid as well as clamps that make it easy to transport my slow cooker to events. What more could you ask for?

I made Slow Cooker Corn Chowder with the Hamilton Beach Set & Forget® 6 Qt. Programmable Slow Cooker to give it a test run. The soup was amazing and perfect for fall as the weather starts to cool. I always get excited for this time of year as my husband calls it “soup season”. Apparently, I am a master chef when it comes to making soups and sauces.

The Hamilton Beach Set & Forget® 6 Qt. Programmable Slow Cooker made it so easy to make this delicious soup and I promise you, it’s pretty much fool proof!

The only thing I don’t like about this slow cooker is the fact that it seemed a little confusing to use at first as there are 3 settings: Manual, Program and probe. When I tried to use the probe setting, I found it wouldn’t really work for soup since it only allows you to set it up to a desired temperature of 180 F. I needed to soup to kind of boil, so I was not able to just use that without watching it. I instead went with the manual setting and checked with my own thermometer through the probe hole in the lid.

I hope you love this perfect for fall recipe, Slow Cooker Corn Chowder. And make sure you enter to WIN a Hamilton Beach Set & Forget® 6 Qt. Programmable Slow Cooker right below the recipe!

Slow Cooker Corn Chowder

Ingredients

4 Qt of Chicken Stock
⅛ cup White Vinegar
2 Cups Milk
2 Cans of Creamed Corn
5 Lbs of Potatoes
¼ Cup Butter, melted
¼ Cup Wheat Flour
2 tbsp onion Powder
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Black pepper
1 Tsp Salt

Instructions

Start by peeling the potatoes and chopping them into cubes.
Add your chicken stock and vinegar to the crock pot and turn it to high for 4½ Hours.
Add in the potatoes, butter, creamed corn and milk.
Whisk in your wheat flour, briskly, until no chunks of it remain.
Add in your seasonings.
If you have a programmable slow cooker, set it for 4½ hours on high and then 2½ hours on low. If your slow cooker is not programmable, cook for 4½ hours on high and come back and allow to cook for 2-3 hours on low.

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

To enter to win the Hamilton Beach Set & Forget® 6 Qt. Programmable Slow Cooker, Enter on the widget below. Giveaway ends on Nov 1, 2013.

You must be 18+ with a street mailing address (no P.O. Boxes) and a US resident to enter.

Entry -Form

Filed Under: Dinner Recipes, Food, Lunch Recipes, Money Saving Meals, Recipes Tagged With: corn chowder, programmable slow cooker, slow cooker, slow cooker recipes, soup recipes

Healthy Halloween Treats: Orange Pumpkins and Banana Ghosts

October 14, 2023 By Jess Weaver 1 Comment

Are you looking for a delicious and easy treat for the kiddos this Halloween? Cakes, Cookies and cupcakes, oh my! It’s easy to eat far too many sweet treats during Halloween. After all, its a holiday that practically celebrates candy. Your little ghosts and goblins can enjoy a fun and spooky twist on the holiday sugar rush with these fun healthy Halloween treats. I am lucky to have what I have always referred to as a “banana monster” in my house so these were a big hit with her when she was younger. These treats are also very low cost as you can make the ghosts for less than $5.

For the Ghosts, if you plan on making them for a school party or another function away from home, just bring the ingredients and unpeeled bananas since they will tend to go bad and get brown pretty quickly as soon as they are made.

Healthy Halloween Treats: Orange Pumpkins and Banana Ghosts

“Orange” Pumpkins

Ingredients

5-6 Mandarin Oranges
Celery sticks

Directions

Peel apart the Mandarin Oranges and lay on a plate of your choice.
Cut apart the celery sticks to small pieces about 1 inch long.
Stick the celery stick piece into the center of the mandarin orange.
These make a fun centerpiece for when Halloween comes around. Make sure to be careful in giving these to younger kids as the celery sticks can be a choking hazard.

Banana Ghosts

Ingredients

4-6 Bananas

1/4 Cup of milk chocolate chips or another chip you prefer

Directions

Cut the bananas in half (after they are peeled).
Insert each chocolate chip where desired onto the banana.
Eat pretty quickly after you make this as it will get slippery!

This recipe makes 8- 10 ghosts.

These treats are a nontraditional HEALTHY way to enjoy a Halloween treat.Make sure you check out my post on healthy Halloween snack ideas as well for more spooky fun!

What are some ways you try to balance all the sweets this time of year?

Filed Under: Food, Snacks

Tips for Growing Aloe and 5 Uses

October 7, 2023 By Jess Weaver Leave a Comment

Aloe has long-been used for all sorts of ailments. It is a fairly easy plant to grow and is pretty hearty as well. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, the aloe plant can usually stay pretty healthy. Here are some tips for growing aloe and 5 uses for it.

Tips for Growing Aloe Plants and 5 Uses

Tips for caring for your aloe plant:

Make sure you give your plant plenty of room to grow. Aloe plants can grow pretty large and spread pretty fast. You will want to make sure you give the plant enough room to do this and be ready to re-pot when necessary.

Use a soil that drains well. Aloe can get root-rot if you don’t.

Water 1 time per week during the “growing period” (Typically April to October or November) and 1-2 times per month when it is dormant. Use distilled water or rainwater if you can.

Aloe is a type of succulent and should be cared for in a similar fashion. While they enjoy the outdoors when it is warm out, take them in way before the first frost. If an aloe freezes, it is likely to die.

One of the most common ways to use aloe is for sunburn, but did you know there are several other ways to use this miracle goop? Check out these other ways in which aloe can be used.

Insect Bites

If you’ve ever been eaten by an insect, you might be surprised to know that aloe is a great way to take the sting out of the bite. Aloe can also help to make the bug bit stop itching. The next time a bug unknowingly takes a chunk of your skin, fight back with aloe.

Frostbite

Not everyone comes into contact with frostbite, but just in case you do aloe can help. Just rub it on the part of the skin that has been exposed to the extreme cold. Don’t forget you should also get that frostbite checked out by a professional.

Asthma

Asthma is something that millions of Americans struggle with on a daily basis. To get a little relief, boil aloe leaves in water and inhale the vapor. This actually helps to reduce symptoms brought on by asthma.

Rashes

Hey! If you have a rash that’s been bothering you for some time now, aloe vera can help alleviate the itching and possibly help clear it up. There’s nothing worse than a rash, so hopefully aloe will help yours clear up.

Athletes Foot

There’s nothing smellier than athletes foot. Use aloe to help get rid of the fungus and smell that comes with this issue. It’s nice knowing there’s something as simple as aloe in our medicine cabinets that can help fight basic issues like athletes foot.

Can I just say that there are tons of ways you can use aloe and this list is just a few ideas. Make sure you keep a bottle of aloe on hand because you can literally use it for 101 things for beauty and home purposes. Happy aloe-ing!

Filed Under: Beauty, Green Living, Health