Cold "Tonics"

I'm still trying to keep my spirits bright, but it is extremely difficult today! My head is pounding, my chest is tight, my body is weary and achy and my throat is irritated. I have a runny nose, a cough, and no voice.
But I've been managing with some Dayquil and my "cold tonics".  

I don't know if these drinks already exist, but these two warm cocktails have given me the little energy that I have had today!
1. "Apples & Ginger"
Filled a glass 2/3 full with apple juice, sprinkled a piece of a pinch of cinnamon, a half of a capful of lemon juice, and about 1/4 of a crushed up peppermint. Heated it in the microwave & then filled the rest of the glass with room temperature ginger ale. 
This seriously taste like something only a sick person would drink.  It does not taste bad, it just tastes like something mommy would give you.  The concotion soothed my throat and it suppressed the cough for a little bit.
2. "Hot Tea with a Twist"
Nothing like hot tea to help me feel a little better! A cup of hot green and chamomile tea with a capfull of lemon juice (I used Hard Lemonade), a sprinkle of cinnamon, some sugar, honey, and some crushed peppermint. 
3. Warm orange juice with crushed up peppermint. 

Seriously, it's wonderful!

Just the other week I was craving peppermint, and this week I need it.  I think I am going to spend the rest of the evening bundled up.  

Home Remedy: Onions

My sweet girl has been a little congested for the last week. I've been trying to wait her out, but I finally gave in & pulled out my secret weapon: onions.

I've been using onions for my family for about 2.5 years.  Whenever any of us get sick: I turn on the humidifier, slap on some vapor rub, and use onion socks.  Onion socks are onion slices inside your socks.  Pair them with a shot of Apple Cider Vinegar and a cup of Chamomile & Peppermint Tea with lemon, cinnamon, & honey, and we are better within 2 days. (The tea is also pretty good when you aren't sick, by the way.)  The natural way works fast, but it seems as if it immediately attacks the cold not the symptoms.  You are getting better; it just doesn't feel like it.  So I give my kids Tylenol two or three times, just to take the edge off and reduce any fevers. 

Another kind of relevant onion trick is for a teething child. It's rumored that cold green onions help soothe their gums.  Both of my boys actually ate room temperature onions, & they were not fussy "teethers".  Isn't it obvious? I swear by onion remedies. 

But I digress. Noelle is only 3 months old. I avoid giving her unnecessary medicine; and I'm definitely not feeding her onions.  About three hours ago, I gave her a bath in a steamy bathroom- she bathed in the sink while the hot shower ran.  I then used the handy nose sucker thing, and let her smell yellow onions for about 15 minutes. To get her to smell the onions, I put them in a napkin, and placed them on my breast during a feeding.  She did not like the way I smelled at all.  She squirmed, wiggled, and hit me a few times, but latched on after a while. And I'm glad she did! It cleared her nasal passages within a few minutes. Just for added measures, I put onion socks on her feet; the mucus has not come back! I actually feel bad now for letting her go the week with congestion.  Yes, my baby smells like a casserole, and the onions are daddy repellent; but my beautiful girl is now happy and breathing just fine now.  Besides, I rather enjoy the smell of onions.