Essential Oils - Peppermint for Constipation and Gas - Trial

I have a friend who is presenting with constipation, pressure in the lower abdomen, and gas. You know me, any opportunity to try out my new batch of essential oils.... I asked and was given the ok to try peppermint essential oil on this person. Peppermint oil is supposed to aid in digestion, and can be taken in tea, or 1-2 drops can be placed on or beneath the tongue. This person opted for the drops on the tongue. Two drops.

Tick tick tick.....

Not even 15 minutes had passed when I got the report that the person was no longer constipated. Hm. That's awfully quick. As always, I'm not quick to believe in something right off the bat, but would like to test it a few more times.... I will also ask this person as the day goes on if any symptoms remain.

I'll report back. In the meantime, here's a link to some information on essential oils, specifically peppermint, and how they/it aids digestion. This link came from a google search on "How to take peppermint essential oil for digestion" and it was the first link in the list. Link

This if from http://www.YLessentialoils.com:

Constipation

Single Oils : Ginger, Peppermint, Fennel, Tarragon, Anise seed
Blends : Di-Gize

Solutions for Constipation:

Constipation is usually a consequence of inadequate fluid and fiber intake. Start taking one Life 5 before going to sleep at night. Life5 builds and restores core intestinal health by providing five clinically proven probiotic strains including three advanced super strains to enhance intestinal health, sustain energy and improve immunity
You can ingest the oil or blend of your choice by mixing 1-2 drops with at least 4 ounces of rice milk 2-4 times daily.

Pajamas For Baby Boy - Sewing

I made these following the t-shirt and pants patterns in the Kwiksew book Sewing For Toddlers. I love this knit. It's not too thin (I really don't like sewing with jersey and super thin knits, they drive me nuts!) and I really like the main color. He wore the shirt a few days ago, which I had finished first, and it turns out that David wears the same pjs in the book Oops! by David Shannon. Fun! Double click to enlarge if you want to see the pattern close-up. Firetrucks and dalmations. =)

Exposure

Sometimes the only way to change a behavior is to expose it...that is to say, if you knew others we watching you, would you behave the same way all the time? Probably not. I realize this sounds as if I'm going to expose this major secret life, but I'm not. Sorry to disappoint! It's just about food.

At the moment I am heating up canned stew for my son and me. Here are the details:

Fat: 10g (per 1 cup)
Sat Fat: 4g (20% RDA)
Cholesterol: 30mg
Sodium: 970mg

There are some good things, but I won't list them.

My son chose this out of the cabinet, and I cooked it. While fixing it, he asked for fruit salad - in this case it was also in a can. Double dammit! I opened it and he ate with gusto.

Sugar: per 1/2 cup 11g

After a while I told him he'd had enough of that and...would he like his stew? Yuck! he said! I went through the panty naming items both good and not so good. DS chose to have plain kidney beans. I need to follow this boy's example!!!

Total fat: 0g
Sat Fat: 0g
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0g
Sodium: 250mg
Dietary Fiber: 6g (24% RDA)
Protein: 7g

Smart kid. My punishment for even suggesting and actually serving such crap is to make myself look up healthy recipes for my next two dinner nights (tonight and Sunday.) I have mentioned how I feel about the entire meal process (I'm not a fan) so this really is a punishment of sorts. But I gotta do something. Sheesh.

Intervene? Part 2 - More

If you've read my post called Intervention? Part 2, you are aware that my husband and daughter have a somewhat tumultuous relationship. They love each other, but have an interesting way of communicating with each other.

Lately I have been thinking about the summer, and the fall, and have started to look into options for summer camp, and so forth. We are new members of the YMCA, so I spent some time the other day looking into their programs for kids. Finding programs my daughter will participate in is somewhat challenging, as she consistently says she won't go unless I go with her. Programs designed for kids her age are mostly without a parent. (She's 5) So I was very excited to find a program at the Y for kids ages 5-9 WITH a parent or significant adult. It is called Adventure Guides. It's held once a week for an hour in the late afternoon, and it states "...you will have the opportunity to develop a stronger relationship with your child..." The focus is on "...family, nature, community, fun..." which couldn't be more suited for our nature girl. I immediately thought it would be a great class to sign her up for. My second thought was that it would be a great opportunity for my hubby and daughter to bond and have some fun together.

When my hubby called from work that day, I told him about the class. He was all over it.

I told my daughter about it after school-she flat out refused to go with hubby.

Shoot!! I think it's a great opportunity. But I'm stuck between making her go with him and sending her the message that she has no say in the matter and no control, but also gives her a much needed opportunity to spend quality time with her papa and have some fun together...and either dropping it altogether, or, as she prefers, just going with her myself. Part of me wants to push her to go with him, and hubby feels that way, too. She'd get her head around it and would adjust. But I am also aware that it could backfire, and just cause more issues between the two of them.

An interesting note to add is that when I went online to register, I couldn't find that particular class. I sent an email to the contact person and haven't heard back. Perhaps it's a sign...

Purge Issues!

As many of you already know, I have a plan for this year, to greatly reduce the amount of stuff in my home. It got to the point where I was constantly moving stuff from one surface to another, and it was a constant source of frustration for everyone. Anyhow, I'm in month 2 - kitchen stuff.

For some reason, this month has been much more challenging purge-wise. I think about it every day, and I'm motivated, but it's been much harder to put it into action. Here's one reason why....

This spoon, which came with a rice cooker we no longer own, was chosen to be passed on to some other loving rice spoon type. It has been living happily in our silverware drawer for time uncountable. This morning I took it out. Instantly, little people found it, and reincorporated it into our lives. This has happened with every item I have pulled out and put in the purge-line. Ergh! My son was in tears yesterday because I wouldn't let him drink from a cup we've had in our cabinet since before he was born! Suddenly it became interesting. So not only do I need to remotivate myself every day to climb up into the cabinets, but I need to stash the purge items out of sight of my children. Geez! Challenges come from places we could never predict! =)

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Tact

There are ways of being beautiful that have nothing to do with what you wear, how you style your hair or anything that the eye can see when you walk into a room. It's a way a person presents him or herself. A manner of communicating. Of using your ears to hear and your eyes to see what kind of space another person is in, and communicate accordingly. Tact.

We are all human and we all say stupid or unkind things from time to time-but hopefully we catch ourselves and make it right.

But for some reason it's much easier to remember the hurtful things that are said to us than the kind things. That is very true for me. I'm sensitive. If someone says 10 kind things to me and one very hurtful or confusing thing, for years the hurtful comment will live in my head and when I think of that person, the unkindness pops up with the image of the person like a giant out of style hat.

It does no good, other than the decompression that can come with venting, to complain about the person, and it's a waste of time to expect the blunderer to mend his evil ways, so the only helpful thing to do is to take the experience as a lesson in how not to behave myself.

And it gets complicated. I try to treat my children with the respect that I would hope they give to and expect from others. So what do you do when someone is disrespectful to them, or to you in front of them? Let's face it. We're not always going to be a walking example of exemplary behavior. When someone is a jerk, my desire is to let them know they've been a jerk. Helpful or not!! But I try to explain to my kids that it is natural to get angry or hurt. It's what you do with those feelings that matters. And wow. When someone is unkind and I'm able to maintain my dignity and continue to be respectful (while asserting myself, too) well, that's a gift.

My parents used to compliment us kids when we were tactful. It stayed with me. I'd like to do the same for my kids. Because after all, beautiful is as beautiful does, right?

(Though damn it does feel good to rip someone to shreds even if I am alone in my car at the time!!!) =)