Nothing soothes the mid-winter blahs like delighting in Baker’s Creek heirloom seedcatalog, planning a spring garden that is just around the corner (or so I keep wanting to believe!) The earth awaits, my friends!
Thanks to saving seeds from last years crop (tutorial here) I had all our standard seeds stored and ready for use for free this year, which left me some extra wiggle room to expand our garden and try out some fun new crops I’ve never tried before.
I might have gone a little overboard, but I just can’t wait to get started. In fact, I plan to start some of the very early crops indoors this week… using my free and eco-friendly recycled greenhouse set up!
Here are the crops I’m going for this year:
1. beans (old homestead)
2. beets (detroit dark red)
3. carrots (danvers)
4. corn (strawberry popcorn saved from last year and golden bantam)
5. cukes (saved from last year)
6. pumpkins (saved from last year)
7. lettuce (saved from last year and adding miners lettuce, gentilina, big boston and little gen)
8. melons (watermelon saved from last year and adding on bidwell casaba)
9. onion (saved from last year and adding sultgarter)
10. snap peas (sugar snap)
11. red pepper (quadrato dasti rosso)
12. tomatoes (paste tomatoes and cherry tomatoes saved from last year, and adding on raspberry lyanna)
13. potatoes from organic potato tubers
14. herbs (basil saved from last year, adding dill, feverfew, cammomile and stevia)
15. flowers (zinnia saved from last year, adding balsam mix, romance carnations and marigolds)
I want to give a nice shout out to Baker Creek’s new seed book The Heirloom Life Gardener… and a big thanks to my hubby who gave it to me as an awesome Christmas gift.
What I did was have fun picking out some new seeds from the seed catalog… ones that I’ve never tried before… wrote those all down in a wish list and then turned to The Heriloom Life Gardener book to look up the specifics of how to grow them (i.e., direct sow or transplant seedlings… full sun or partial… those kinds of things are all addressed in this gorgeous book) so that I could plan where everything would grow in my garden this year.
If you haven’t started dreaming of your spring garden yet, the last week of Jan is the perfect time to get out your seed catalog, drawing yourself a nice hot bath, and take plenty of time to look through it and dream. xoxo, Laura
What do you do when your kids want to sled in the middle of winter, but you live in SC? Well, you grab an old cardboard box and head to your nearest hill, of course! It’s not exactly like sledding in snow, but it is still a ton of fun… and no frostbite!
What is the number one question I hear from my patients (and friends and family too?)
It’s “How do you have all that energy?“
I don’t have any extra energy. I didn’t get any more than you did. I’m not a particularly young parent (I didn’t have my kids until after I graduated from med school and finished my medical training…) but I do love to go and have fun with my kids and I don’t hold back.
This energy flow that I’ve got going? It can be yours. It *is* yours, because it comes from the same stream of life that your connection comes from. It’s called Well Being and it is our natural birthright.
We are living beings that channel energy into our bodies continuously… it is this energy stream that animates our body and creates life.
It is very easy to see this… easiest of all to see this when looking at a person who has passed on… shed their earthly body and no longer channeling energy into it… it becomes extremely obvious that it isn’t the body in and of itself that gives us life — it is the soul that illuminates the body… creating the *appearance* that these earth suits we are wearing are alive.
It’s not our bodies we rely on to give us energy. It’s our souls.
It’s that *we* are life itself.
Your soul is pure positive energy. I have an energy stream and you have an energy stream and we all enjoy living life connected to this stream every single day.
When your energy feels low it is due to resistance. It could be a physical resistance keeping your body from feeling it’s best (a nutritional deficiency, a hidden environmental allergy, low-level inflammation, chronic infections) or it is a resistance on a soul level.
More accurately, even if you have a physical resistance in your body, it is manifesting because of your resistance on a soul level. To heal the body, let’s invigorate the soul.
If you can drop your resistance, if you can stop swimming against the current of where life wants to take you and instead pick up your feet and let the current take you where it is you need to go… then you can feel the full force and power of your life stream. You can feel it’s power and its never-ending strength, and you can enjoy the ride. Your body responds by feeling it’s best and resolving health issues as the energetic dynamic behind these issues shifts.
If you are feeling tired… if you are feeling uninspired… if you are feeling out of sorts or stuck in a rut or like you are stuck in survival mode instead of in thrive mode… I have a new program that I’m very excited to reveal to you!
I am opening up a new course… and it’s all about accessing your innate energy flow. It’s all about trying less and feeling it more. It’s all about getting excited to drop your resistance and reconnect with Well Being. It’s my answer to all the questions I get about how I get so much done and how I have so much energy.
Want to join me? I am going to have limited space in this new program, so if you’d like to have first dibs on a spot in the course, email me at heartsong@primary-plus.com and I will unveil the course to you first before opening it up publicly.
The program will be a one month experience that supports you in finding your energy flow on many levels. From a fun online creativity class to weekly live group phone coaching to inspirational emails finding their way into your inbox all month long, this is a fun dynamic program that will have you accessing your flow and releasing your resistance.
Ready? I’m in the final stages of pulling it all together and will be unleashing it soon, so email me to reserve your spot and stay tuned for all the details! xoxo, Laura
Whew! I just finished it. After spending months and months dreaming, writing, designing, sketching and painting it, my second children’s book is now off to be published!
And not a nick of time too soon, as my house has literally fallen apart around me (we are talking dust bunnies that have built their own little hutches in every corner of my house) and orders in my shop have back up slightly (sorry peeps! Working on them right now!!!) my house feels strangely sad with all of this clutter cleared away:
But the book I have been working on is such an important one. It’s all about sleep, from a Heart Centered Parenting perspective.
It’s funny that most of the world shares sleep as a family with their little ones… certainly it’s the most natural thing in the world to most mammals… yet my publisher Lisa Bently (of Do Life Right, Inc.) and I could not find a single picture book that parents could share with their children that included pictures of families sleeping together.
Yes, there is a ton of literature out there for adults to read… but picture books? Nada. Some of my favorite books for parents on the topic of sleep come from Dr. Sears, who first coined the term sleep sharing. He is fabulous about coming at it from a medical perspective and writing about the benefits of sleep sharing.
(And if you are interested, this another good read about why some children may show resistance to bedtime…)
Lisa and I aimed to produced the most adorable picture book ever, one that shows gentle and sweet pictures of families all around the world sleep sharing… from a graceful pod of whales in the sea to a troop of monkeys in a tree to families in tents and in hammocks and in RV’s and in boat houses and in neighborhoods, villages, apartments and homes all over the world… I can’t think of a better book to soothe your little one to sleep then this.
In the back of the book are several “Dr. Laura” pages, where I talk about sleep from a Heart Centered Parenting perspective and give some great ideas to incorporate a little nighttime connection in your own family. No, you don’t have to share the same bed to foster a nighttime connection with your littles. There are lots of things you can do as a parent to make sure nighttime is a time to reinforce your family bonds and help your little one feel secure as they sleep.
Restorative sleep is so important to the cuties who are growing and learning all day long… allowing their bodies to fully relax and their brains to cement the neuronal connections they’ve made during the day ensures that the next day begins as a fresh start, a new platform on which to leap forward. Part of falling into that deep restorative sleep involves creating a safe and supportive sleep arrangement that benefits everyone. It doesn’t have to be in the same bed, or even in the same room, although it could be. In my book I talk about my very favorite ways to strengthen a nighttime bond with your child, regardless of where you sleep.
It’s not about sleep. It’s about connection.
After all, night-time is soul time.
This is a great book to support any parent who seeks to strengthen their child’s restorative sleep and is a lovely picture book to read to every baby. All babies intuitively love to see pictures of animals snuggled up as a family and people snuggled up with their children. This book fills a much needed void in the gentle world of heart centered parenting.
It should be available in about 3 months, and I’ll keep you posted right here as soon as I see it! You can also like Do Life Right’s FB page to keep posted on their latest books as they release, and/or sign up for my blog alerts by entering your email in the email box to the left.
A new study published online November 22 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology shed some new light on the use of Tylenol.
It doesn’t look pretty in this new light.
I know it would be easier to turn the light off, but instead, let’s shine a spotlight on Tylenol so that we can help spread awareness, and then lets talk about all the positive wonderful alternatives there are out there.
Okay, here is the low down. Taking just a tiny amount more Tylenol then recommended, on a chronic basis, may lead to death. And if not death, brain injury requiring artificial ventilation and liver injury requiring dialysis are increased outcomes as well.
This large study, which followed 663 patients admitted for liver injury from 1992 – 2008, showed that folks who repeatedly took Tylenol doses just *slightly* higher than recommended had brain injury, liver damage, and an increased risk of death. This was compared to the patients that were admitted for taking a single massive overdose, and the shocking findings were that miniscule, chronic overdoses had a worse outcome then those taking massive overdoses.
Hold up, what? Yes. Taking just one extra Tylenol pill a day on a routine basis is harder on your body then a massive overdose.
So liver problems, brain problems, and an increased risk of death, from chronic doses that are only ONE EXTRA TYLENOL PILL a day. That’s all it takes to exceed the recommended safe dosage. So we aren’t talking about a large amount of Tylenol… we are talking one extra pill.
The number one reason patients cited for taking a little extra Tylenol then recommended was pain. So they are in chronic pain and hoping that taking one or two extra Tylenol each day will help. This seems completely reasonable and I’m sure many folks… folks that we know and love… are doing this exact thing.
Let’s crunch the numbers: Tylenol comes in 325 mg pills, and the adult dosage is to take 2 (650 mg) as frequently as every 4 hours. This adds up to a total of 3900 mg of Tylenol a day.
The dose that caused the brain and liver damage? The dose that increased artificial ventilation, dialysis, and death rates? Anything over 4000 mg a day. Okay, that’s 100 mg over the quantity listed on the label. Considering each pill is 325 mg… we are talking just one extra pill a day. Less then one, if you want to be honest. Taking a third of a pill each day extra is TOO MUCH.
This study was conducted in adults, but the scary thing to me is using Tylenol for babies and children. Folks whose brains and livers are still developing.
Does any parent really *know* their child’s EXACT weight on any given day? My sweet children are the offspring of two physicians and yet I can say I have never been 100% certain of their weight when dosing medication to them.
If a tiny overdose, adding just one small *fraction* of a dose to their intake, can cause problems… how is this avoidable? Tylenol is frequently used for fever in young children… and I’m thinking that many parents, who are trying to bring down a high fever in their child, might give a slightly higher dose of Tylenol, thinking that it will help reduce the fever faster.
Done over a long period of time, the findings show this causes more damage than a single *massive* overdose. YIKES!!!!
Step away from the Tylenol, folks.
Let’s turn our attention to what we can do to reduce inflammation and fever instead of taking Tylenol.
1.) For chronic pain, fish oil(or krill oil) is a head to toe anti-inflammatory and soother that works every organ… from your skin to your brain. Boasting many many benefits beyond decreasing pain, I recommend taking your Omega 3′s every single day, whether you are in pain or not.
2.) For chronic or acute inflammation… so yes, everything from your chronic knee pain to your acute tension headache… you just can’t beat grounding. Laying on the earth. Laying directly on the earth neutralizes the free radicals causing inflammation in your body from head to toe. Easing everything from insomnia to back pain, menstrual cramps to post-surgical healing… nothing is a better anti-aging plan then laying on the earth for 10 minutes a day. Yes, keep your clothes on. Yes, bundle under a blanket if you like. Yes, bring out a cup of hot chocolate, a glass of water, hell even a glass of wine… your favorite book, your favorite pillow… and just chill.
If you can’t go outside, take a nice hot soothing bath with organic Himalayan and dead sea salts to help ground you… similar to taking a swim in the ocean… ahhh….
3.) Spice it up… using rosemary, thyme, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon in your diet helps decrease inflammation across your entire body.
4.) Stay hydrated. Studies have shown that hydrating decreases pain instantly… keeping your joint discs hydrated, your blood flowing and speeding immune boosting agents and oxygen to your sore areas, and boosting over all health. If you are in pain, stop and drink a glass of water while you consider your next step.
5.) For nerve pain, B-12 supplements can help greatly over time.
6.) For soreness, topical magnesium gelhelps relax it away… I love to use this whenever my shoulders knot up. For fibromyalgia pain, post exercise soreness, and general muscle tension (including dreaded tension headaches) this can make a real difference.
7.) Proteolytic enzymes help reduce inflammation and can be a god-send for those in chronic pain.
8.) Topical arnicagels and creams help decrease pain if you have a specific injury such as a bruise or an insect sting.
9.) For fevers, staying well hydrated, cool wash clothes on the forehead or nape of the neck, sucking on ice chips or ice pops, resting, and letting your body do it’s thang is the first step.
10.) For growing pains, menstrual cramps, abdominal pain secondary to gas or bloating, back pain, or really most any kind of pain, a hot water bottle is my go-to therapy. Everyone in my family has their own hot water bottle, and those bottle have seen us through everything from PMS to growing pains to freezing cold nights in the winter and everything in between.
11.) For uncomfortably high fevers or fevers that don’t resolve, seek medical attention as needed and if you must take a medication to reduce you or your child’s fever, stick with Motrin. Throw out your Tylenol and stock up on Motrin to have on hand when you need it.
There you have it, my top 11 ways to take care of inflammation and pain without using Tylenol.
Have any others to add to the list? CoQ10 work for you? Is it accupuncture you love? Please, oh please would you share it in the comments below so that we can all benefit? And while you are at it, share this post with anyone in your life who might use Tylenol, to alert them to stay well within the recommended dosages and to avoid using in children all together. Thank you!!!!!
Control + Alt + Delete is the only thing I know to do when my computer freezes, so this necklace really cracks me up.
Is your wife or girlfriend or daughter similarily computer handicapped? Did she reboot your life in the best way ever?
Or maybe you are a computer lover who would find humor in wearing a little bit of computer art.
Or maybe you met your true love on-line and want a tongue-in-cheek romantic gift to say “I love you” this Valentines Day
I handcrafted this necklace from my old Mac keyboard, silver chain, and gorgeous shimmering aqua and citron glass beads. Finished with a silver toggle clasp, this necklace is both unique and pretty.
When we allow our spirit to infuse our days, our entire reality can shift… sometimes dramatically. I created this necklace as a reminder that all I need to do to shift my life is to shift my perception. Allowing spirit to lead the way, I am gently guided to where I need to be.
If your significant other is a computer lover, or if you just want to add a little techie humor to your day, let this little necklace do it for you. It’s the first and only necklace I’ve ever seen that mixes a computer keyboard with a soul charm, and it had me grinning from ear to ear as I created it.
I handcrafted this necklace out of my old Mac keyboard, added a sweet little clear glass heart bead and a silver goddess charm to it, and strung it all on a forest green satin cord. It is a lightweight and simple necklace that makes me smile.
If you love the unexpected, love staying open to the moment, and love shifting reality by living in a heart centered place… this necklace is for you.
Your Intuition Physician... offering on-line health e-courses, private consultation, and inspirational artwork designed to re-connect you with Well-Being. My blog combines holistic health, healing, art and snippets of my life, all swirled into one!
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The content on this website is intended for emotional support as you journey towards Well Being. The information on this website is not a substitute for advice from your personal physician. You should not change any treatment plan without consulting your physician. Reading this website does not constitute a therapeutic relationship with the author of this blog, and is intended for educational information only.
