Note: If you’re planning to use any of these remedies, I highly recommend that you purchase high quality ingredients that are pure and free of harsh additives that might alter the remedy’s effectiveness. I like to purchase from Mountain Rose Herbs, DoTerra and VitaCost.

Natural Remedies for Summer

Bees, Hornets and Wasp stings

First Aid:

First, gently remove the stinger with tweezers or a credit card…be careful though, pinching the stinger could release more venom. I like to administer a dose of Benadryl immediately to fight allergic reaction, but call 911 if you notice signs of anaphylaxis, which include: difficulty breathing or wheezing, tightness in the throat or a feeling that the airways are closing, hoarseness or trouble speaking, nausea, abdominal pain, or vomiting, fast heartbeat or pulse, anxiety, dizziness, or loss of consciousness. Once you’ve removed the stinger and washed the bite, you can use the following remedies.

Remedies:

After removing the stinger, apply a paste of vinegar and baking soda (or meat tenderizer). This might not give immediate relief, but is said to be effective and long lasting.

Apply mint toothpaste (not gel) directly to the bite for fast and long lasting relief.

Apply a cool compress with Roman chamomile essential oil. Or combine 1 drop basil, 2 drops Roman chamomile, 2 drops lavender essential oils and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar and apply to the area three times a day.

Soak in Epsom salts or make a paste to apply to the wound to ease discomfort and pull out the venom.

Jellyfish Sting

(I was stung by a jellyfish as a child and it is one of those painful experiences that is still fresh in my mind. So, if you plan to head to the beach this summer, make sure to pack vinegar in your first aid kit…just in case.)

First Aid:

Wash the area with salt water only (fresh water releases more toxins) and douse with vinegar or lemon juice. Then remove any remaining tentacles with tweezers, a towel or piece of clothing. (Don’t use your bare hands!) Once the wound is cleaned you can follow the following remedies.

Remedies:

Covering the wound with wet beach sand will help lessen the sting, especially if you need to mobilize to reach additional care.

Apply a paste of meat tenderizer and water directly to the wound to help ease pain.

To continue soothing the area, mix a 1:1 ratio of lavender essential oil with coconut or olive oil and apply to the wound every 15 minutes as needed.

Mosquito Bites

Dab a bit of toothpaste onto the mosquito bites and the itching should stop very quickly. Peppermint toothpaste (not gel) is the best.

Apply lavender or helichrysum essential oil directly to the bite.

Make a paste out of witch hazel, rubbing alcohol or tea tree oil and baking soda. Apply it and leave it on for about 15 minutes.

Apply chilled aloe vera gel to the bite.

Mix a crushed asprin with a bit of water and apply directly to the bite.

Poison Ivy/Oak

Mix 2-3 drops of rose, lavender or Roman chamomile with olive oil and apply directly to blisters.

Boil cracked acorns in water, strain and cool the remaining liquid, and then apply to affected area

Apply a paste of water and baking soda directly to the rash to sooth inflammation, draw the fluid out of blisters and dry them.

Unless you are allergic to milk, applying buttermilk to the blisters may help by drawing out blister fluids. Plain organic yogurt can also be used as a soothing element.

Taking a bath with a dozen chamomile tea bags will help dry blisters and reduce inflammation.

Appling an ice pack for 5-10 minutes will reduce itching temporarily.

Sunburn

In a 4oz bottle, mix together: 4 oz organic Aloe Vera Gel, 15 drops lavender essential oil, 10 drops Vitamin E Oil and 2-5 drops of Peppermint essential oil. Store in the refrigerator and apply to the skin as often as you like.

For a soothing bath: add 2 drops of eucalyptus oil, 6 drops of lavender oil, 3 drops of Roman Chamomile oil and 1 drop of Peppermint essential oil with 1/2 cup Epsom Salts to lukewarm water and soak without rubbing for 10 minutes (anything longer could dry your skin out too much). This recipe can be used as room temp moist compress also.

Soak a washcloth in cool water and apply it directly to the burned areas. You can also add a soothing agent like lavender essential oil, baking soda or oatmeal to the water.

Drink plenty of water to replenish moisture and help the burns to heal better.

Liberally moisturize skin with coconut or olive oil. You can place the oil in the refrigerator for extra comfort.

*Use high quality essential oils, and avoid soaps and commercially processed lotions which may contain harsh ingredients that can irritate sensitive skin.

Wounds (Minor skin abrasions)

Witch Hazel extract has astringent, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, and anesthetic properties, which makes it an ideal solution for cleansing minor cuts and abrasions. To avoid irritation, make sure to get a high quality solution that has less than 20% alcohol.

After the wound has been cleaned, add 1-3 drops each of helichrysum and/or lavender essential oils to 1 tsp olive oil and apply a small amount to the wound regularly.

Bonus Contest

Rudi’s has supplied me with an art-inspired kit to give away to one lucky reader. It includes various art supplies such as paint, markers, colored pencils and a sketch pad, along with a black beret for creative inspiration (how fun!), a reusable Rudi’s Organic bag and 2 free coupons good for any Rudi’s Organic product.

To win:

To win, you must visit Rudi’s website, come back here and tell me something interesting you learned. For additional entries, follow these steps and leave a separate comment for each one.

1. follow The Average Parent on Facebook.

2. follow The Average Parent on Pinterest

3. follow The Average Parent on Twitter

4. follow Rudi’s Organic Bakery on Facebook (pst, you can also find a $1 off coupons there)

5. follow Rudi’s Organic Bakery on Twitter

6. Tweet about this contest

7. Post about this contest on Facebook

This contest will end Monday, May 21 at 11:59 p.m. at which time the winner will be chosen with a random number generator at Random.org. The winner will be announced on this page, on the facebook wall and will be contacted via email. The winner will have two business days to claim his / her prize before another winner will be chosen. The prize will be mailed directly from a representative for Rudi’s Organic Bakery. The email addresses collected on this page are used for contacting the winner and will never be sold or given away. Open to US residents. Good luck everybody!

Contest Disclaimer:

Rudi’s Organic Bakery provided the prize for the purpose of this post at no cost to me. The owner of this site has been given a prize of equal value for the purpose of this post. This giveaway is administered by me. Therefore, any questions or comments regarding this promotion should be sent to me. The Average Parent is not responsible for lost, damaged or stolen prizes. Winner is responsible for any taxes and/or fees that may result from winning. The Average Parent and the sponsoring company are not liable for any injury or damages to person and/or things as a result of the acceptance of the prize offered.

For those of you who aren’t local, we’ll be working to bring some resources to you via my website. It is my hope to be able to live stream oil classes so that you can all learn from the comfort of your homes. I just have to figure out how to make it work. (contact me if you can assist and there might be a free bottle in it for you.)

But, in the mean time, I know that many of you might be questioning the validity of this practice or just wondering if it’s really worth your time/money. You might even be wondering if I’m just looking to make some cash from you. So, I wanted address some common concerns and tell you a little bit about my journey with oils so you can see why I’m so eager to share my knowledge.

Does it really work?

I have been using essential oils for my family for about a year now, but it really did take me a while to totally embrace it. I was very skeptical. To me, it seemed like some people were touting the oils as a miracle solution and I just didn’t buy it. It felt like they were trying to get me to drink the Kool-Aid, if you know what I mean. Yes, I saw a lot of benefits to using the oils…but I didn’t see them as a cure all. When I first started using oils, the suggested protocol for ear infections did absolutely nothing for me and my boys. NOTHING. I thought, this oil thing was a crock….or maybe it had a placebo effect on people, but it wasn’t working for us. Then I got hooked on the Breathe blend from DoTerra. My family suffers from lot of colds and there’s really nothing you can give a child. We adults can take a cold tablet, but I don’t need to tell you that those things often put you in a medicine fog that can make you feel even worse. The Breathe blend has been a life saver. As soon as one of us starts feeling congested, I get the diffuser running and it gives us instant relief. At night, I mix it with lavender and olive oil and rub it on the boys’ feet or chest to help them breathe easier.

Then there are the mood enhancers. OMG, they really do work! But, like anything else, it takes some experimentation. I’ve heard so many people tout the effects of lavender. Being a family of restless sleepers, I was eager to try it. NOTHING. Don’t get me wrong, lavender is very soothing for us, but it did nothing to help us sleep….nor did it help my oldest’s hyperactivity or Hubby’s anxiety. Again, through experimentation we were able to find some other oils that worked wonders for us. It turned out, there was some validity to the whole oil thing, but it just took some experimentation to find the right combinations.

It’s so expensive.

It’s all in how you look at it. The truth is that initially it can be a big investment. The oils are pricey and it takes some time to build your collection. BUT, in the long run, it’s actually cheaper than traditional medicine. The difference is that a tiny bit goes a long way, so one bottle of oil can last a long time… and as long as you store them properly, essential oils never expire.

Also, many people forget that traditional medicine comes with a cost even if it’s not coming from your pocket. For example, a prescription might come with a $20 co-payment, but insurance is covering $50 of that cost. Plus, you probably had to pay a $25 co-payment to the doctor (with insurance picking up the other $75). Insurance companies are in business to make money (a lot of it), so that cost just gets transferred back to you in the form of higher premiums.

Why DoTerra when there are a lot of less expensive essential oils available?

In my experience, there are three different grades of essential oils. There is the kind you can buy at health food stores. They might smell nice, but the quality is very low and the therapeutic value is even lower. Then there are spa grade essential oils. These are much higher quality and have a great deal of therapeutic value, but their purity is questionable. They might be good for topical and aromatic use, but it would not be advisable to use them internally. Finally there is what I like to call pharmaceutical grade essential oils that would include Young Living, DoTerra and Simplers. I have several oils from the “spa quality” grade and have been really happy with them. They’re cheaper and for the most part, they do exactly what I want them to do. I finally settled in with DoTerra for a couple of reasons.

1. The primary reason is that their price structure is the best for the high quality oils. With DoTerra, you can sign up to be a consultant without any commitment to sell, or buy. That means you get the wholesale price without having to sell it yourself and there’s no minimum amount you have to purchase for yourself. Young Living’s program requires you to sell a certain amount of oils in order to qualify for the wholesale price.

2. I enjoy the community of DoTerra oilers and the resources available to learn more. DoTerra offers tons of free webinars and product sheets that help you to get more extensive information online. Also, once you start using oils, you want to share your experiences with others and learn from them. When you’re all using the same oils, it’s easier to connect. My friend hosts an oil chat at Starbucks twice a month and there is an online Facebook group for local DoTerra oilers to share information.

Are you just trying to make money from me?

A friend introduced me to DoTerra under the guise of wanting to help with my hyperactive son…but it quickly became apparent that she was more interested in making money from me because the only time she talked with me was to push the oils. That upset me. For the next year, I did everything to avoid getting wrapped up in DoTerra. I knew the oils worked, but I wasn’t going to join this bandwagon…out of spite. But, I can’t fight it any more. They just work! It still sort of upsets me that she’s making money from my purchases, but I can’t let that get in the way of reaping the benefits for my family.

For me, I don’t want to take that approach. I really enjoy being a source of information, rather than someone trying to push a product. I made $1,000 from my website last year, so you can tell I’m not in it for the money. I just enjoy sharing information that might be able to help others. So, even if you don’t buy DoTerra, I want you to learn about oils and how they can help your family.

If you’re interested in learning more, or would like to join us for an oil chat, leave me a comment and one of us will get in touch with you…and stay tuned to The Average Parent for lots of great information to come your way.

For more ways to save at the box office, click here.

If you’re new to VitaCost, use this link to sign up and we’ll both get a $10 credit after your first purchase.

For more clever ideas like this, make sure to follow me on Pinterest.

It all started last year when Liz from Eternal Lizdom suggested we meet at Scotty’s Brewhouse in downtown Indianapolis. I had never been there, but I’m always eager to support locally owned businesses, so it sounded like a great choice to me. I fell in love right away. The service was phenomenal and my burger was out of this world. Then Liz told me how much she enjoyed following Scotty on facebook and my little obsession was born.

I’ve been following Scott for a little over a year and it’s been really interesting. It’s not just a PR team fronting their social media presence…it’s Scott himself, which is quite refreshing. I enjoy following his page because there is a nice mix of content that isn’t entirely self serving. Scott posts a lot of interesting, albeit random, links from around the web (you know I love that stuff!) along with information about Indy, the restaurant industry and his business, sprinkled in with a good dose of humor. (I also enjoy following companies that are successfully navigating social media….and I’m fully aware of the geek status behind that.)

Now, let me tell you why I love Scotty’s Brewhouse:

1. It’s a family friendly restaurant for adults. By that, I mean that if you head there for lunch or dinner with the kids, the staff is more than accommodating. In addition to offering free kids meals on Tuesday and Sunday, they’ll cut your child’s food into bite-sized pieces and offer to bring it out first if you’d like. It doesn’t stop there, though. The servers are always happy to help in any way and don’t seem to mind at all if a french fry or two (or 100) falls on the floor. But with all that family friendly attitude, it’s still a sports bar and a great place to go without the kids.

2. The menu is amazing and they use real food that is sourced locally whenever possible. You can call me a food snob if you want, but when I find a restaurant that offers a fresh burger that’s made with 100% beef, you better believe I’m going to latch on. (I particularly love the Shewman Special, which artfully combines peanut butter and jalapeños with a hand-pattied 8-ounce burger….oh, it’s so good!) It’s an added bonus that Scotty’s buys locally as much as possible and features local businesses on a regular basis.

3. They can be allergy friendly and offer selections for specialty diets. Yup, that’s right, I ordered a gluten free beer, a gluten free bun for my burger and a side of black beans and rice all from the gluten free portion of the menu. (They also have a low-calorie menu as well.) It also helps that most of their servers know exactly what’s in the food so they can answer all your questions on the spot and there’s no guess work.

4. The company is actively involved in the community. This isn’t just another restaurant to line the streets of Indy and Scotty isn’t just another fat cat business owner sitting back on his riches. Scotty’s plays an active role in local philanthropic projects by organizing meals for the homeless, collecting and delivering toys to Riley Hospital, organizing a school supply and sporting goods drive for those in need and donating a portion of their profits to disaster relief efforts in Indiana.

5. They take care of their employees. Employees get a handwritten card from Scott with cash for their anniversary. I was also impressed when I saw this quote by Scott: “I go against the grain in saying that our customers aren’t actually number one. Our employees are number one, because if they are happy, they will make our customers happy.” That says a lot about the company and it’s evident by the service you get every time you go to Scotty’s.

6. They have a pretty cool VIP program. For $10, you can sign up for this program that gives you exclusive access to tapping and tasting parties, discounts and rewards points you can use to get free stuff. Plus, you get a Kidz Klub membership for free with your VIP membership.

So, if you’re looking for a great place for your next guys night out, date night, mom’s night out or family dinner, I highly recommend Scotty’s Brewhouse. In addition to the downtown location, they have restaurants in Muncie, Bloomington, West Lafayette, and on Indy’s Northside. You can also find Scotty’s Lakehouse in Fishers, Thr3e Wise Men Brewery in Broadripple and Scotty’s Burger Joint in Columbus. (I recommend visiting The Commons in Columbus for their indoor playground, or the Kids Commons for some educational play and then hitting up Scotty’s Burger Joint for lunch. They are all within walking distance of each other.)