The Battle Against the Germs: Natural Remedies to Help You Win the War {Fresh From the Cabinet}

Hello hello. Here I am through the fog of vinegar and my other natural cleaning products. I don't know about you, but we are SOOOOOOOO sick of germs and nasties! There have been days recently where I wondered if I could ever totally get the snot out of the house! But even though we get hit a few times, we tend to be up and going again quickly. Today, I am going to share some tricks we have used to keep us able to bounce back when we get knocked down in the battle with the germs during the cold and flu season!
*Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical provider. I am simply "Doctor Mom" who does a lot of research to find the best things to help her family stay as healthy as possible. I am simply sharing ideas for what has worked for us time and time again. 

1. Never Underestimate the Power of A Cup of Tea

My family members are MAJOR herbal tea drinkers. I make my own teas with loose leaf herbs (I buy all my loose herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs), but also have a couple of store bought varieties I am never

Fresh from the Cabinet: Elderberry & Spice Syrup Recipe ~ A Natural Immune Booster for the Whole Family

It is that time of the year when all around you is the sound of coughing and sneezing. Your Facebook news feed is full of reports of head colds and the flu bringing down your friends, family and coworkers! You feel like wearing a Hazmat suit whenever you head to the office, and want to spray your kids down with Lysol as soon as they walk through the door after school. It's the time when you start pulling out all the stops to boost your family's immune system--from increased vitamin C to EmergenC packets. In our family, it means daily doses of elderberry syrup!

Linden Flowers and the Cough Kicker Tea {Fresh from the Cabinet}

Plants. They are all around us. They provide us beauty, fresh air, and a lot of natural remedies for every day issues. I have really enjoyed diving into the world of herbal remedies and discovering new and exciting ways to use the many herbs and flowers that grow on our earth.  One of the plants that I have had fun exploring recently is the Linden tree--also known as the common lime or basswood-- a native tree to most of the middle and eastern United States. Known throughout folk medicine for its fever reducing properties as well as a long list of other health benefits, the flowers (also called lime blossoms) from this tree  are a valuable everyday remedy for any home.

The links on this blog and in the posts may be affiliate links.

Let me start with a HUGE disclaimer: I am not a botanist. I am not a medical provider. I am not an herbalist. I am {just} Doctor Mom with an unquenchable thirst for trying to find ways to keep my family healthy, without relying on many of the side effect filled over-the-counter drugs being used to treat everyday problems. As always, please use common sense and wisdom. Consult your health care professional before undertaking the advice shared here, to best assess your individual needs, symptoms and treatment. This information is intended to just provide you ideas about more natural ways you could deal with everyday issues in your health and home. I have included all sources that I have studied for this article at the bottom of this blog post for further reference.

Linden Tree--aka common lime---aka basswood

The Linden tree (also known as the common lime or basswood) is a native species to a most of the eastern United States. It is a deciduous tree with soft, green, heart shaped leaves and clusters of tiny drooping lemon colored flowers. The flowers show up starting about June and will give way to a small velvety green fruit during the fall. These flowers are very pleasing (and strong!) to smell and bees love them. The flowers (also called lime blossoms) hang down from the tree in clusters. 

The tree is said to be able to grow up to 130 feet tall and can live up to 500 years. It has dull gray bark when young, which browns up slightly as it matures.

I asked Love-Of-My-Life about them...he knows them by their name Basswood, but says he only knows of one in the area at his uncles property--there aren't as many around here any more, though they are native to this area (Kentucky).

The tree is very pleasing to the eye and is used in decorative landscaping (and as a shade tree) frequently. It's wood--more familiarly called basswood--is used in making models and for carving due to its light density. Did you know it's used for making musical instruments and for artist's charcoal? Even the inner bark can be used for things like rope, baskets, mats and other woven crafts. 

The tree is amazing...and we aren't even to it's homeopathic uses yet!

It is commonly known in the homeopathic world that the linden flowers (aka lime flowers) have many medicinal uses.  The flowers are best known for containing a high amount of the curative plant fiber mucilage--great for dealing with respiratory complaints. Natural healers have been taking advantage of the warming properties of the trees blossoms for years in making fever reducing tea. Drinking a hot linden-flower tea is known to induce sweating--which as you know is the body's way of cooling itself...thus linden-flower tea is known throughout folk medicine as "fever tea".

But that's not all! 

Remember when I said that it was a must have in your house for everyday remedies? Here is a "short" list of what linden-flower tea is also known for:

*alleviates respiratory ailments including coughs and the byproducts of the common cold

*stimulates the appetite, promotes healthy digestion, and soothes intestinal disorders

*helps calm the nervous system, thus reducing symptoms of anxiety

*to help promote natural sleeping

*eases painful cramps

*skin health and regeneration

*swelling reduction
*a mild diuretic and good for easing the symptoms of gout and rheumatism.

I think you can see the benefit of having linden flowers at your disposal! I have also read that linden flower honey is delicious! I'm a big fan of honey in general, so I would love to try some!

You aren't limited to using it medicinally! The fresh tender leaves of the linden (lime) tree can be added to green salads. You can even remove the stalk from the leaves and add them to your next sandwich. 

Obviously, you have to make sure you are really harvesting a linden tree before you ever consume anything from it...and if you find one, make sure it's not anywhere near a place sprayed with pesticides/herbicides. You don't want those added to your diet!

But if you are like me...you probably just want it already harvested for you. If so, you can buy the linden flowers from most herbal suppliers. My personal favorite is Mountain Rose Herbs. They have excellent prices and are careful to make sure they only provide you herbs that are either organic or cultivated without chemicals or synthetic products--and aim for ethically harvested plants in the wild when available. But, if they can grow it themselves, they do!  Here is the link to purchase dried Linden Leaf and Flower like what I use in our home.

How can you use it to benefit your health?

If you do a search on Pinterest, you can find all sorts of herbal recipes with Linden Flowers in it. I have found many in the books I have read. Linden flowers can be used on their own or mixed with complementary herbs. They are definitely a common denominator of ingredients in the herbal recipes I have checked out.

To use the Linden Flowers as a tea, the most basic recipe is this:
Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 tsp of linden flowers, and then steep for 10 minutes. Be careful not to steep too long or the flavor will be lost.

*Sip it (as hot as you can stand it) three times a day to reduce fever and to promote perspiration.
*Drink a cup or two of the tea each day to help break up mucus buildup and congestion, relieving bronchial problems and to help eliminate painful cramps.

I will throw out this note that as I was reading I learned there are contrary arguments regarding drinking large amounts of linden-flower teas. Some sources believe it might damage the heart, while others claim it's safe. Those with heart disease may want to limit their intake to be safe. 

How about a great facial?
Clean your skin and pat dry gently. Place 4 tbsp of linden flowers in a bowl and add 1 litre (1 3/4 pints) of boiling water. Lean over the bowl and cover the head with a towel to trap in steam. Remain in this position for a least 10 minutes to allow the steam to open and cleanse the pores. Then wipe your skin with a cool damp cloth. Pat dry and allow the skin to cool down naturally for about 30 minutes before heading outside.

Simple and oh so effective for a great deep cleaning feel. I like to do this when my skin is at its oiliest. It makes my face feel so good!

Have puffy eyes?
To decrease swelling, simply soak cotton balls in the tea (cooled down of course) and place them on the eyelids for about 20 minutes. The flowers are said to reduce swelling, so this a simple and quick remedy.

How about dealing with sleep issues?
Make a tea by boiling 2-3 handfuls of linden flowers in 1 quart of water. Strain this mixture and pour it into the bathwater (or put the handfuls in a muslin bag and toss into your bathwater). Bathing in this will help calm nervous tensions, fight insomnia and is effective for calming children and babies before bed.

I'd even throw in some lavender blossoms (or a couple drops of lavender essential oil) for a truly delightful and soothing bathtime soak.

As I did my searching, the ultimate goal was to find a great recipe to help my boys with the nasty wet cough they have thanks to this nasty warm-cold-warm-frigidly cold-warm bipolar weather we are having this year. A sign of the month of November it seems. I know we aren't the only ones dealing with it this month.

Once I learned that linden flowers had such a great amount of mucilage (great for breaking up mucus and treating respiratory issues)--similar to one of my favorite herbs Slipper Elm Bark-- I knew I wanted them in a tea. I looked at a lot of recipes and came up with the following recipe--I used it today and the boys not only liked the taste, but it I could hear the coughing ease as they drank their tea. I would say that they got a good 2 hrs free from coughing thanks to the tea--and it prepped them for a great night of sleep too.

This recipe is great for boosting the immune system and for alleviating all those annoying bronchial issues--especially the never ending cough! Only want one cup of tea? Just remember it's a 1:1 ratio on the herbs--with a smidge extra for the linden flower. You can adapt it to fill just a tea ball or a tea infuser mug. I don't really measure--I really do pinch! LOL!

What my herbal pile looked like before putting it in my tea pot. It's so pretty! 

*When I am giving the boys (age 4 and 8) herbal tea, I make one mug of tea and split it between them giving them about 3-4 oz each. This has always worked well and I would recommend a similar dosage of herbal teas for any child 4-10 years old.  

I get all my herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs and everything in this recipe can be purchased from them. This makes a delightfully rosy colored up of tea which just looks pretty too. And as always, LIBERALLY lace it with raw honey for extra flavor and help kicking the cough.

I hope you enjoyed learning more about the amazing Linden flower. You can see why it is so valued in herbal medicine and I hope that you will consider adding it to your natural remedy "medicine" cabinet in your own home!

SOURCES:
*Ageless (website)
Botanical Encyclopedia entry for Linden Flowers (http://www.ageless.co.za/herb-linden-flowers.htm)

*The Illustrated Book of Herbs (book)
by Gilda Daisley
Illustrated by Ingrid Jacob
Copyright 1989
"Lime" pg 86-87

*The Complete Guide to Natural Healing (book)
Copyright 1999
Therapeutic Teas (Group 2 Card 9)
Linden-Flower Tea

*LIVESTRONG.COM (website)
"Benefits of Linden Flower Tea" by Joanne Marie
http://www.livestrong.com/article/401394-benefits-of-linden-flower-tea/
May 17, 2014

*Linden Tea (website)
http://lindentea.net/

5 Days of Favorite Family Recipes: Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner

So far this week I've share recipes for Australian Damper Loaf and Beef Tacos w/DIY Taco Seasoning...but today I'm going to take a step back from food and share with you a Favorite Family Recipe that is good for you...to clean with!

We threw out our store bought cleaners, once I started making my own versions with MUCH healthier and safer ingredients. I've discovered that my cleaners work just as well (and sometimes even BETTER) than anything that I've used before. And they still smell good and are good for sanitizing my home! After looking at several different recipes and trying out different ingredients, I recently came up with a *favorite* ingredient combo for a Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner that I want to share with you!

The links on this blog and in the posts may be affiliate links. 

Please see my disclosure policy for full details and thank you for your support!

The best place to find the large 28-oz empty spray bottles is a dollar store--they have them at Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree. WalMart is another option or any other grocery store with cleaning products. But the best price is going to be your dollar stores. Make sure you label it after it's filled up so you don't forget what is in it! Especially if you have several of them with homemade mixes!

To fill the bottle, I suggest a funnel. It offers you the highest chance of success...take this advice from one who had to clean up her counter when she tried to "freehand" the pouring of the liquids. LOL! 

I have tried recipes that call for vinegar and not the alcohol. They work good. But there is something about this one that seems to work better on my counters for taking off dried yucky stuff. You could use Vodka in it's place if you so desire.

You can buy a box of washing soda at most grocery stores in the laundry detergent section. This recipe calls for a tiny amount, but washing soda is in a lot of other homemade cleaners AND you can use it in my Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent recipe too. It's also great as a general add in for laundry.

Liquid castile soap can usually be found in stores with organic or natural food and body products sections. I know you can get it at Fred Meyers, Kroger, Jungle Jims, and Trader Joe's to name a few. I like to use the citrus scented one in my cleaners, but any will work.

I have tried a LOT of different essential oil combinations in my cleaners. The main ones that you find in recipes across the board for homemade versions are usually Lavender, Rosemary, Lemon and Tea Tree. This is because these are disinfectant wonders! Not only do they have incredible anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties, but they smell good too!

If you count up the drops of essential oil it adds up to 25 drops of oil. If you don’t have some of these that I have listed, you are more than able to change them out for what you do have! Simply adjust the number of drops for the oils you have!

Here are some other anti-microbial essential oils that you could try too:

Basil, Bergamot, Eucalyptus, Fir, Juniper, Lemongrass, Orange, Oregano, Peppermint, Pine

If you have a name brand oil blend like Thieves (Young Living), Purify (doTerra), or something similar, you could use that too! I like to swap out the Lemon and Lime, replacing them with 5 drops of Purify when using this recipe. Are you seeking a supplier of essential oil--maybe even looking for organic essential oils? I have nothing but good to say about the quality of the essential oils I have purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs.  They are one of the few companies that carries certified organic essential oils. They are very high quality and I have purchased nearly all of my single oils from them. Their price is very reasonable and you can order straight from their website. They carry a wide range of oils--including the exotic ones.
Enjoy using this fresh smelling and disinfecting all-purpose cleaner for your counters, cabinets, refrigerator, blinds, tile, sinks, tubs...just about anything with a surface that needs cleaning!  (Except laminate floors. It's too harsh for that. Trust me on this one.)
Print the recipe for Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner
***** I'd love for you to pop over and see what other things are going to be covered by our crew this week!

To make it even easier, here are some of the ladies who are participating with me in this great series this week--if you start with them, I know you will find something that is interesting for you!

Anne Marie @ Future.Flying.Saucers ~ Christian Worldview 101

Marya @ Suncoast Momma ~ Homeschooling Special Needs

Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break ~ Ordinary Homeschooling

Dawn @ Double O Farms ~ Helping Your Struggling Learner

Gena @ I Choose Joy! ~ Homeschooling Middle School

Christine @ Our Homeschool Reviews ~ Free and Frugal Homeschooling

Monique @ Living Life and Learning ~ Homeschooling with Lapbooks

DaLynn @ For the Display of His Splendor ~ Diagramming the Proverbs

Easy Peasy Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

My family is making an effort to become as toxin free as we can in our house...and one of the things we've eliminated is store-bought laundry detergent. Now we could buy the GOOD detergent...but it's so expensive that I would much rather make my own for a fraction of the cost...and my recipe works just as well, if not BETTER than any detergent I've tried...and I've tried a LOT!

Since I decided to make a batch today I figured I would share a step-by-step tutorial of the process for all of you who are VERY visual (like me!). I've also given you a link to where you can download and print off a copy of my recipe for yourself at the bottom of this post...making it easy for you to give this a try--and it really doesn't take long to make...can be done in 30 minutes since the longest thing is just waiting for your water to get hot!

The #1 thing to remember about homemade detergent...it will NOT suds and foam like store bought detergent...but do NOT think that means it's not going to clean. Trust me, you don't need suds to clean. Your clothes won't care if they aren't taking a bubble bath!

Okay so what do you need?

* bar of soap--you can use any soap really, but if you want to keep it free from all that junk in most commercial brands stick with these brands: Ivory, Fels-Naptha, Castille or your "good" soap bar of choice. I use Ivory because you can get it about anywhere and it's cheap--just $1-$2 for 3 bars. Stay away from heavily perfumed bars though...kind of defeats the purpose of making a fragrance free and such.

* 1/2 c. Borax--you can buy this at Wal*Mart, Safeway, Kroger, Meijer...just about any grocery store in the laundry detergent section. Even my local grocery store has it. It's in a box. About $3-5 a box depending on where you get it...but it's a big box and you can make a LOT of detergent with it.

*1/2 c. Washing Soda--also purchased at these same stores in the same place. In fact most stores stock them side by side. Also in a box and runs from $2-4. Again...one box does a lot of detergent!

*Water--you can use distilled or tap...doesn't really matter in my opinion.

*Essential Oils--optional: peppermint, lavender, tea tree oil, rosemary, etc...

*You also need a Stock Pot or any other pot at least the size of a dutch oven, a Pail or old Detergent containers to put your NEW detergent in...(needs to be a LEAST 1 gallon--because this makes 2 gallons. So get a couple of them if you have them--or just keep it in a bucket!), and a Grater

I recommend getting all your ingredients ready before you start--it's just easier to have it measured and ready to go.

Start by grating your bar of soap and measuring out your Borax and Washing Soda.

Now heat up 3 pints of water in your stock pot--doesn't have to be to a boil--just get it steaming and hot! You also need to heat up in a separate container (I use my tea kettle) 1 quart of water to be used later.

(my el-cheapo stock pot for making detergent)

To the hot water in your stock pot (or whatever you have the 3 pints in), add the grated bar of soap and stir it until it's completely dissolved. Won't take long. Maybe about 5-8 minutes.

(see, you can clearly use a smaller container if you don't have a stock pot)

Next add in your borax and washing soda...again, stir until dissolved. Remove from heat.

Now you need to get your container you are going to store this in out and make sure it's clean.

(I recommend also getting a funnel if you are messy like me!)
 Pour in the quart of hot water you heated up separately. Now pour in your heated soap water.

(I use my old detergent containers--perfect size and great to shake!)

Note: If you are going to use TWO containers, then split the hot water between them and then split the soap water equally between them too.

Now top off your containers of hot soapy water with COLD water and stir well. If you use an old laundry detergent container just put the lid on really good and shake it, baby! This mixes it all up really well.

And that's it! Yep, easy as that! I think it's nice to write on your containers the date you made the detergent so you can see how quickly you use it up.

When you are ready to use it--and you can use it right away if you want--just add 1/4 to 1/2 cup per load. Make sure you shake/stir the detergent before you use it each time because it will gel up.

Once your detergent cools, feel free to add 10-15 drops (per TWO gallons) of your essential oil of choice to your detergent. Make sure it's added once the soap is cooled and shake/stir it REALLY good. I like to mix lavender and peppermint in mine...some other choices are rosemary and tea tree oil.

Now--a note about this recipe. This recipe originally came from my mom, but this version is MY recipe which means I've tweaked it to fit my washing needs. I have two kids who adore mud and get grass stains on nearly everything. I also have a mechanic for a husband who comes home with clothes that can stand up by themselves from all the grit, dirt, grease and only our Father God knows what else...so I needed a heavy duty detergent--which means I added extra soap to my recipe!

If you don't need one that heavy duty, then just use 1/3 of a bar of soap in your mixture!!

Another change I've made is that I use all the measurements above but only use ONE container--1.17 gallons (see picture above)--which means I use a more concentrated detergent. So this is another option...just make sure you decrease the amount of detergent you put into each load.

I tried out my concentrated formula in today's nasty mechanic clothes load and it worked like a charm!

If you want to print a recipe for yourself, here is your link:

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

Feel free to pin and share the link to this blog post since I'd love for others to see how easy it is to make your own laundry detergent!