Look at the Counter!

I wanted to get into the spirit of the upcoming holidays and decided a counter like I've seen on some other sites would be a great idea. How great is the one I found? Even has pomanders on it! Was that banner made for me or what? Of course, the only problem with having a counter up is the terror it is striking in my heart. I cannot believe how fast the time is going by.

I've had to make a lot of use of my Healthy Simmer Potpourri this past week. Fighting off a cold, simply no time for being under the weather. I keep it going around the clock in a big ol' dutch oven on the woodstove. It surely does help. Keep the air clean so the germs don't get passed around the family.

So today I decided to give you some hints to keep these good for you essential oils around you all the time! With all the stress of shopping, do something good for yourself and stay healthy through it all.

Put a couple drops of essential oil in your shampoo bottle! Lavender, our old standby, is known for it's calming effect but it is also an antiviral! Rosemary is nice. It's good for your hair and, guess what--yes indeed, kills germs.

Have a nice soak in the tub if you feel something coming on. Add 4 or 5 drops of your favorite essential oil to relax. Sinuses clogged up, a drop or two of eucalyptus will make you feel better.

Make sure you are carrying a bottle of hand sanitizer with you. A few drops of essential oil will make it smell nicer and improve it's germ killing abilities! I like one of the mints for this, I like the fragrance and it also perks me up! You can make you own, you know. Check out my friend, Andrea's site for a recipe, http://www.aromaticsinternational.com/ .

Homemade cleaning products are so nice and so economical. See the same link above for recipes for this as well. Lemon or orange is such a happy and uplifting fragrance. By using the essential oils, you not only get the great aroma, it encourages alertness and a feeling of well being and, yes indeed, will fight some of those nasty microbes flying around. It's no matter of chance that the fragrance of pine is used is some commercial products, very strong protector!

I hope you try these ideas and stay healthy!

Following is a note from my daughter, Maegan, about our Walk For The Cure on October 18. To this I would like to add my thanks to all the wonderful people who contributed through my fund raising site. Researchers are so close to the cure, every single dollar is making a difference.
On October 18th Justin's Jungle Joggers participated in their 7th Annual JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. The team was formed in 2002 in honor of Justin Coss y Leon, now 12 years old, to help raise money for JDRF so that one day he and the millions of others living with Type 1 Diabetes could be cured of this medical monster.
In spite of the rain and bitter cold temperatures that day 82 of the 112 Justin's Jungle Joggers showed up to walk on Walk Day. The team managed to raise an astonishing $10,812.85 for JDRF even in this troubled economy!
Justin and all his Jungle Joggers would like to thank the generous sponsors who helped the team raise all those crucial dollars needed to fund the research to find a cure for Type one diabetes. Our 2009 sponsors are...
Louise Kyasky of the TK Memorial Fund
Joe Binetti, ABR,SRES Remax Realtor
Orange County Golf Carts
Pyramid Imprints, Bergenfield, NJ
Pangaia Partners
Dr. Carol Carberry, DVM
Kevin P. Kelly Counselor at Law
Patricia Rose
Anita DaSilva, State Farm Agent
Nicholas Apollo Painting,LLC.
M.Ingannamorte & Son General Contractors
Pictured below is Justin and Tyler Coss y Leon and friend Nicholas Gallo on Walk Day, a JJJ team photo from Walk Day, and Justin's Jungle Joggers from left to right Sarah Gihr, Patrick and James Kane, Bridget Coss y Leon, Kristen Kane, Kayley Coss y Leon, and Kaitlyn Carberry along with the NJ Nets Mascot.
Photos by Maegan Coss y Leon

Maegan Coss y Leon

I am trying valiantly to get the photos up but am ending up with thumbnails that are impossible to see with the naked eye! I'll keep trying and add them on if I can figure it out.

Have a wonderful week all,

Pat

Doot, doot,doot, doot, doot Out My Back Door

Sorry, gotta love Credance Clearwater! So today I am showing you out my back door. It is so beautiful right now, just have to share with you all. In addition to across the road, which is equally lovely! Don't you just love the Colors of Autumn? And isn't this just the sneakiest little segway into telling you about this week's Make Mine Pink Friday? Just so happens, this week's theme is Colors of Autumn! Ta-da! Please join Patricia Rose and all the participating Little Pink Boutiques for this fun themed shopping event.

My sons have been busy at work getting wood ready for the coming cold weather. You know what they say about heating with wood. It warms you twice - once while you're cutting it and once when you burn it.

Glad I don't have to do that any more! But I will sure appreciate their hard work in December (not that I don't now). One son managed to get a case of poison ivy that put him out of work for a few days. Have I ever mentioned to you that the best way to avoid getting and/or spreading poison ivy is to take a warm shower with liquid Dawn after you've been exposed to that rascally vine? Cuts right through the oil from the plant. If you should develop the rash, jewelweed is a great antidote to the burning and itching. You can usually find jewelweed growing fairly close to where the poison ivy is. Jewelweed has a pretty orangy-yellow flower and when it is 'ripe' and you touch it, the seed just shoots right out. You'll have to try and find it and try that next year, it's kind of funny and kids just love shooting the seeds (so do I, guess I'm still a kid at heart). Isn't it amazing that the antidote for many things are found growing right next to the offending plant?

The cold and rainy days this past week had me working in the house. I want to share this easy way to clean your silver. As I was doing it, I made myself a note to share it with you. It's non-toxic so you don't have to worry about using it on flatware or serving dishes. In a large flat bottomed pan, take a piece of aluminum foil approximately the size of the pan, crinkle it up and then open it back up again. Lay this in the bottom of the pan. Then add some water so it will cover what you want to clean. For very large pieces, you can do half of the item at a time. Now, set this on the stove until simmering (not too hot, don't want to be melting the silver), sprinkle in a teaspoon or two of cream of tartar and stir around a little. Add your silver pieces and the tarnish magically falls off your silver onto the aluminum foil. It's a truly amazing little bit of chemistry!

Have an absolutely wonderful, wonder filled week,

Hugs,

Pat

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

It is official, autumn has arrived in the Hudson Valley! I believe this was our first hard frost. The dogs went charging out the door this morning, as they usually do, and proceeded to slide across the deck. They turned around to take a look at me, as if to say, what the heck did you do? The sun was out bright and early and everything was sparkling, so beautiful! Must remember to keep my jacket by the back door though. Way too cold to be out there without a jacket!

There is a new event making its debut at Make Mine Pink, the Pink Twilight Sale. This will be a fast sale every third Saturday of the month from 6PM until Midnight only. There will be deeply discounted items offered from many of the boutiques.

The first Pink Twilight Sale will be October 17,2009. Come on over and visit, we just love company!

We have arrived at the time of year when we will be in closed up homes and offices for extended periods of time. To keep your house and/or office smelling sweet, and perhaps even healthier, you have to go no farther than your spice cupboard! It is suggested that some of these oils will kill household germs that cause the colds and flu that haunt us in the winter! So try keeping a simmer going (your crockpot is a great way to do this). Some great things to try are cloves, cinnamon, sage, lemon, rosemary, savory and thyme. You don't need all of them, just a few or all if you prefer, will give you the germ killing effect! You can also use essential oils for this but make sure you are only using therapeutic grade essential oils, not fragrance oils! A great source (not the only one, but I trust this one completely) for therapeutic grade oils is Aromatics International. What a pleasant way to stay healthy!

Have a wonderful week, stay warm and stay healthy,

Pat