Here is a list of herbs that we keep in the house (especially during the winter months)  we use them when we are catching a cold or virus.

1. Echinacea- Best to use at the first signs of getting a cold.  You can take it in a capsule form or you can purchase a tincture (great for kids) and take as many drops that is recommended on the bottle
2. Elderberry- love this one since it cuts the sick time in half (we like using the tinctures)
3. Astragalas- its anti bacterial and anti inflammatory, boosts the immune system (used to treat pneumonia, whooping cough and bronchitis)
4. Ginger- you can drink this as a tea, or capsules (great for circulation and to sweat out toxins)
5. Pro-Biotics- we like to use the Bio K plus (especially for the kids) its in a yogurt form and gives you all the good bacteria for your intestines
6. Vitamin D-3- this is a really great way to ward off colds and flus.  For kids we like to use drops and for adults we like the gel capsules from Carlson’s  (during winter months we use a couple of thousand a day, ask your doctor what dosage you can safely use)
7. Garlic & Onion- natures best antibiotic without killing off the good bacteria like antibiotics do.  Make lots of soups using as much onion and garlic as possible  (check out my lentil soup recipe)
8. Vitamin C- stops the viral replication and protects the outer line of the cell  (we like to use one made of whole foods so that we can avoid the fructose  (Natures Way has a powder we use)
9. Colloidal Silver- we use this for the whole family adding a dropper to our drink when we have a virus.  It destroys single cell nuclei fungus and bacteria.
10. Olive Leaf- has the widest spectrum of defense; its anit-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-microbial

*The big three…Vitamin C, Colloidial Silver and Olive Leaf combined have the biggest impact when taken together.

I have tried every lotion on the market from low end all the way up to the most expensive.  They all had one thing in common, none of them worked.  Some smelled great and felt good but none of them were able to relieve me nor my children of that winter dry feeling.  Furthermore, as I researched the ingredients I slowly realized that some of the ingredients kept you in constant need of their product while others where flat out carcinogenic.

What worked?  The easiest and simplest thing of all, actually two items worked incredibly.  We first started putting olive oil on our skin after showering and for my kids they never had dry skin again.  We have found olive oil to be useful when someone has a fever.  I will  rub it on their chest, back and soles of their feet.  I typically buy Extra Virgin Oil and use it for salads and we always have a container in the bathroom.  Try it …it really works and it will save you money plus you will feel great as a mom that you are not putting chemicals onto your child’s skin.  (If you can’t eat it you really shouldn’t be putting it onto your skin, the skin absorbs all of it good or bad)

The second item that worked well and we continue to use it daily is Coconut oil.  We buy a few containers of extra virgin coconut oil and use some (high heat) for cooking and eating and we buy another container and use it for our skin.  Why not, its healthy for you and you won’t suffer from dry skin.

Give both a try you will be pleasantly surprised!

I just obtained a booklet entitled “Gone Before You Get There”. It has a list of the top 77 items that will disappear from the store shelves first in the event of an emergency. The items are in no particular order and some may not apply to you like baby products, but it gives you a list to start with. Please do not wait to prepare!  Start collecting items from the list each time you go out.  Customize the list to suit your needs.    I also recommend having homeopathics on hand and a few tinctures of echinacea for adults and children.

1. Water
2. Batteries
3. Flashlights
4. Ice
5. Candles
6. Matches
7. Toilet paper
8. Paper plates, paper towels
9. Heavy duty aluminum foil
10. Water Filters
11. Flour
12. Sugar
13. Milk
14. Powdered milk
15. Coffee
16. Canned soup
17. Soup mixes
18. Bouillon cubes
19. Hand-held can openers
20. Dry cereal
21. Diapers
22. Wet wipes
23. Baby food
24. Baby formula
25. Sanitary napkins & tampons
26. Bath soap
27. Laundry detergent
28. Waterless hand sanitizer
29. Disinfectant
30. Bleach
31. Trash bags
32. Re-seal-able plastic bags
33. Toothpaste
34. Tooth brushes
35. Shampoo and conditioner
36. Shaving equipment
37. Lanterns
38. Lantern fuel
39. Lantern wickets or mantles
40. Butane igniter
41. Charcoal grills
42. Charcoal
43. Camp stoves
44. Propane for camp stoves
45. Pocket knife
46. Army knife
47. Vitamin supplements
48. Antacids
49. Antibiotics
50. Rubbing alcohol
51. Hydrogen peroxide
52. Laxative and diarrhea remedies
53. Antihistamine
54. Epsom salts
55. Bandages
56. Sterile guaze pads
57. First-aid tape
58. Portable toilets
59. 5-gallon plastic buckets
60. Gas-driven generators
61. Gasoline storage containers
62. Duct tape
63. Chain-saws
64. Cast iron Dutch oven
65. Cast iron frying pan
66. Bug spray
67. Mouse traps
68. Mouse bait (D-Con)
69. Thermal underwear
70. Insulated coveralls
71. Heavy work gloves
72. Boots/rain gear
73. Band saws
74. Axes
75. Solar panels
76. Hand-crank radios
77. Canvas and nylon tarps

This is a list based on facts from real life emergencies. In my opinion I would easily replace the coffee with a protein or green drink that the whole family can have and more food items that can be stored.  Granola, beans, rice, different kinds of nuts can be stored in containers and easily accessed.

You can also take empty 1 gallon containers and rinse them and put tap water in them…this can be used to bathe or clean and leave the spring water for drinking.  (we had 3 days of e-coli in our tap water and learned how much we depend on water from our tap even though I don’t drink it nor cook with it…that alone motivated me to always have lots of water on hand.  Have a minimum of 1 gallon of drinking water per person per day.   It is highly suggested and recommended to have at least 3 days worth of water for each person, more if possible!  Remember you will need more if you have an infant or special needs.