Five Favorite Fall {Cold Season} Things

Okay, so, you know the awesome vacation we took? That was wonderful and beautiful and just so needed? When we slept and ate and slept again, then saw some beautiful things and went back to sleep?

We headed back home on Wednesday, and by mid-drive, Zeke's sinuses were totally swollen. He went through a box of tissues, and the half-roll of toilet paper I stole from a restaurant bathroom. (Is that gross? Illegal? TMI? I don't even know, but I just couldn't handle that "snarf-cough-blech" noise he kept making. Choices.) And of course, you spend 7 hours in a car with a large, germ-infested man, and... yep. I've got it, too.


So while I wanted to do a 5 Faves Fall post, I've got snot in my brain, so... yeah. You get cold-season favorites. You're welcome.

(Full disclosure: Some of these are affiliate links. That meas that if you click on the picture, it'll take you to Amazon, and then you decide to buy something, I'll get a little teeny commission at no cost to you.)

Fuzzy Socks

Because when you're all stuffed up, there's nothing like the feeling of stepping on cocker spaniel puppies.


Oil Diffusers

Seriously. I love this thing. And my sinuses love this thing.


Essential Oils

and

to use with my diffuser. I'll be honest, I'm not an oil snob. I know that the essential oil brand wars are out there, and that people have chosen sides, sister against sister, and there has been bloodshed (well, hurt feelings, anyway.) I don't really get all into that. These are two oils that have worked for me. I like 'em.


Copious Amounts of Netflix

Source

Having the sniffles is a great excuse to watch three seasons of Gilmore Girls. Right? RIGHT?


Soup That I Didn't Have to Chop Vegetables to Make

Soup is good, but chopping millions of carrots and onions and simmering? I don't mind it when I feel okay, but sinus headaches and chopping do not a happy Adrie make.

I keep a couple of these around for just such occasions. Yum.



Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to disinfect my keyboard, cuz I just sneezed all over it. Ew.

Linking up over at Call Her Happy! 

How We Do Essential Oils and Sore Man Blend {Works for Me Wednesday}

Essential oils have been somewhat of a "big thing" for the past year or so. Or maybe it's been longer than a year and I'm completely out of the loop. No matter the case, after the interwebs and real-life friends started buzzing about the benefits of essential oils, I was intrigued.

First, I like smells. I attach memories to smells, and very strongly so.

Second, using essential oils in place of general painkillers or whatever was a big draw. My maintenance guy husband comes home with lots of aches and pains most days, and being able to reduce the meds while still having some relief sounded pretty great.

So I looked into it some more, and realized that the popular name brand essential oils simply don't fit into our budget.

And so I started looking into other options, and found that there are plenty of not-as-fancy-not-as-organic-not-as-effective essential oils on the market- and for lots cheaper.

Now, I'm not saying that those big name-brand popular essential oils are a rip off. Not at all! I know (from experiencing them compared to my cheapo oils) that the more expensive ones do tend to be of higher quality, no question. But for the way I'm using them? I don't think the higher quality is necessary.

Here's how we use essential oils in our household.

The first, and most popular way (especially from Zeke's perspective!): as massage oils.

Like I said before (and lots of other times), Zeke has a physically demanding job, and he gets sore muscles often. Even more often than I have to mend his clothing. If you can believe that.

Zeke likes to have his feet rubbed before bed, and usually his shoulders, sometimes his forearms... you get the idea. So we use Sore Man Blend (well, that's what we call it, anyway), and he says it helps... although that could also just be the massages.

I mix up Sore Man blend (as well as a version of Thieves oil blend, and a relax blend) in little glass bottles with a dropper built in- like these so that I don't have to mess around with making the blends every time we use them.


I also put some lavender in my unscented lotion- and when I'm having trouble falling asleep or feel stressed, a little lotion helps to calm my mind and body.

We also use essential oils in cleaning products. I use plain white vinegar and water for my general cleaning spray, unless I have some orange-peel infused vinegar around. I like to add some essential oils to my cleaning spray to give it a nicer smell.

And I've found that mixing up some lavender in the cleaning spray helps to calm those all-the-extended-family-is-arriving-for-Thanksgiving-in-one-hour-and-the-house-is-a-disaster nerves. 

And that's about all.

See, we don't use our essential oils for very much, and we don't take them internally. Maybe someday we'll be more dedicated EO users, but for now, these few uses are enough and frankly, I don't think spending a huge amount of money on oils is necessary for us right now.

It works for us!

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"Sore Man" Blend

A Hunky Husband Favorite

2 drops Ginger
1 drop Black Pepper (I typically omit this one)
3 drops Lavender
2 drops Fennel
3 drops Peppermint
2 drops Eucalyptus
1 oz carrier oil (I use almond oil, typically)

Apply topically as a massage oil (not to be ingested!)


Linked up with Works For Me Wednesday.