Using herbs for various ailments is not new to me. But it seems from time to time I *forget* or don't take the time to utilize simple treatments for everyday ailments.

Take mosquito bites for example. Recently I received about half-a-dozen standing outsite late in the evening. These guys itched so badly I scratched raw spots around them! One particular bothersome bite was just to the inside of my big toe, right were my berks rub. That particular bite had developed a blister on top and itched soooo bad.

Well, as usual, I ignored them for as long as I could but after 3 days even I get bothered. As sort of an after thought, I rubbed some lavender EO (neat) on the bites and went to bed. In the morning the itch was completely gone and so was the swelling. Duuuuhhhhhhh! And I didn't try that on day one because.....? *shakes head* I know better, I really do!

Now this weekend, Saturday, my daughter smashes the OMG outta her big toe. (See Bob's journal for a really funny explanation of the whole thing).

At first, I just gave her baby motrin/tylenol, alternating them. She wouldn't let me ice it and there was no bleeding... externally. All the bleeding was happening *under* her toe nail. What do you do? Talking to a nurse practicioner friend well afterward, I should have heated up a large paper clip end and relieved the pressure by in essence "poking a cauterized hole" in her toe nail. *rolls eyes* Can you imagine the screaming?

Come the end of Monday, her toe relieved the pressure itself and pretty much weeped all evening. Which is a good, if messy thing. Well I painted it, *frequently* with things like oak gall tinc, comfrey clove salve and finally... lavender EO and liquid lanolin. Now I can't get her to leave a band-aid on her toe so not all of those things stayed on her toe but I was sure enough of it did.

This morning arrived and her toe looks much improved. I think the lavender oil played a huge part in it. Its very healing, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic.

Now... what to use on Sam's cough...? (she says thinking about the *huge* mullein plants in the back yard) ; )

Hmmm... guess I better add "family healer/hedge witch" to that job description I was working on yesterday. ; ))