A Gingerbread Tradition

One of my favorite traditions, from my childhood, has to be when we would create an entire gingerbread village for Christmas. Of course, we had enough people to make houses (10 children plus 2 adults)! My mom always spent extra time landscaping the village. There were vast lakes with overhanging waterfalls, frozen in time. Miniature ice skaters danced playfully on their mirrored surfaces. Bears slept in caves, pine trees with tiny red berries begged to be eaten, and new-fallen, powdered sugar snow accented the scenery.

Each of us made blueprints of the house we would build and my mom cut out the shapes and baked them, equipped with stained-glass candy windows! My mom was responsible for the church, with its steeple pointing towards the heavens and the windows depicted beautiful mosaics. It truly was a masterpiece, year after year. I don't have to0 many pictures that showcase what I'm talking about, but I've included a few. I'll try to find some more.

'Tis the Season

Inside My Medicine Cabinet

First of all, I guess I should clarify that I don't really have a medicine cabinet, rather a tackle box filled with my medical and emergency supplies. However, Inside My Medicine Tackle Box does not have quite the same ring. Moving on...

I firmly believe in being as prepared as possible for any emergency situation, especially since I have kids. I also take a holistic approach to medicine, so some of the items in my medical tackle box might sound unfamiliar, but here goes:

Tools and Miscellaneous Supplies

Large and small nail clippers
Tongue depressors
Small pen light
Cotton swabs
Thermometer
Surgical scissors
Dissection kit (from my Anatomy and Physiology classes, but it comes in handy)
Ice packs
Water bag
Matches
Emergency blanket
Disposable gloves

Bandages, etc.

Various sizes and shapes of self-adhesive bandages
Various sizes and shapes of gauze, self-adhesive and non-adhesive
Pre-wrap
Various sizes of kinesiology tape
Surgical tape
Mole skin
Adhesive strips (great for sealing wounds, instead of having to use stitches)
Skin glue

Wound care, etc.

Colloidal silver spray (as an alternative to Bactine)
Herbal salve (as an alternative to Neosporin- I have one with Pau d' Arco, Calendula, Plantain, and such)
Aloe gel (100% pure, great for burns)
Oreganol (This particular brand of oregano oil is great for serious fungal infections, spider and snake bites, etc.)
Zinc oxide cream (Weleda makes a good one, it's great for diaper rashes and various skin rashes)
Insect sting and bite gel (Sting Stop by B&T is a homeopathic formula I use for minor stings and bites)

Colds, Ears, and Eyes

Immune system formula (like System Well Ultimate Immunity by Nature's Way)
Cough drops (organic and sweetened with stevia or other natural sweetener)
Nasal spray (I have one with grapefruit seed extract, xylitol, and saline)
Olive leaf throat spray
Herbal eye drops (I use a homeopathic and herbal blend with fennel, clover, eyebright, in an isotonic solution)
Ear oil (Wally's Ear oil has garlic and other anti-fungal/healing herbs)

Tooth, Gums, and Mouth

Clove oil (helps numb tooth and gum pain)
Tooth and gum ointment (Perio Rub by Nature's Answer makes one with clove, olive leaf extract, phytoplenolin, and many other therapeutic herbs)
Cold sore gel (Herpanacine has l-lysine, astragalus, sarsaparilla root, and additional anti-oxidants)

Pain and Inflammation

Arnica gel (Boiron, for contusions and other aches)
Turmeric (reduces inflammation, increases circulation, etc)
Pain relief spray (Stop Pain with menthol, glucosamine, chondroitin, boswellia, etc)
DLPA (helps body and mind cope with pain, neurally)

Homeopathy in Your First Aid Kit

Homeopathic remedies are prescribed on the principal that 'like cures like'. They are constructed by placing a tiny amount of the remedy in a dilution. I have a kit at home, which looks like a mini chest of drawers, that is filled with some of my favorite remedies. I don't think it's any secret that my husband and I shun the conventional medical world. Personally, I choose to take our health in our own hands. Along with treating ourselves, we have been treating our children (since they were just babies) with homeopathy, as needed.

My basic philosophy is to try the simplest route first, then move on to the next phase if necessary. I have detailed the steps to healing in another article. Here is a list of my favorite remedies to have on hand, along with arnica montana (which I also wrote about in another article):

allium cepa- headache, burning, tearing eyes with runny nose, toothache, and earache. Also used for allergies, hayfever, and laryngitis.

antimonium tartaricum- respiratory conditions, rattling of mucus with little expectoration, drowsiness, chills, and spasmodic cough.

apis mellifica- swelling, pain, and inflammation associated with insect bites and stings.

arsenicum album- restlessness, exhaustion, feelings of despair, fear or worry, depression.

belladonna- high sudden fever and perspiration, hot, red skin, flushed face, spasms, scarlet fever.

bryonia alba- aching muscles aggravated by motion, stitching pains.

calcarea carbonica- chills and susceptibility to cold, night sweats, commonly used for teething.

chamomilla- teething pain with irritability.

cinchona officinalis- diarrhea with gas and bloating.

colocynthis- sharp pains, cramps, colic, abdominal pain often with nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, menstrual cramps.

drosera rotundifolia- violent coughs with exhaustion, cramps, absence of thirst, shivering, nosebleeds. Also used for growing pains, bone pain, stiffness or hoarse voice.

dulcamara- conjunctivitis, cystitis, wheezing cough. Also used for hives, ringworm, itchy crusting eruptions and large smooth warts.

eupatorium perfoliatum- stiffness and bone pain associated with the Flu.

ferrum phosporicum- low or mild fever associated with cold and Flu.

hepar sulphuris calcareum- painful and hoarse dry cough.