A sick girl's best friend

I have spent the weekend trying not to hack up a lung.  Seriously, I thought I felt one about to spew forth during one particularly violent coughing bout on Sunday, but I think I got it back into place.  It could go at any minute though.

My best friend when I'm feeling like this is good old Vicks VapoRub.  Is there anything better in the entire world?  I think not.

I perused the internet this weekend looking for home remedies and came across one that swears if you slather Vicks on your feet at night and then put on socks, it will stop you from coughing.  I am not ashamed to admit I tried this....I was desperate...and my family was starting to look at me like they might stuff a pillow over my face if I didn't stop the coughing madness...and either it worked, or the other home remedy...a tbsp of Vodka mixed with a tbsp of honey...worked.

Either way, the combo of Vicks slathered feet and my vodka/honey shooter stopped me from coughing long enough to at least get to sleep. 

But I digress...back to my "Ode to Vicks".  Not only do those soothing, medicated vapors help relieve coughing and congestion (I sound like a commercial here, don't I?), but the mere smell brings back so many childhood memories.

I remember at the first sign of sniffles, my mom would slather me up with Vicks VapoRub (I still reel from the time she put a dab under my nose and it burned like fire for what seemed like a week...I still bare the emotional scars of that debacle),  haul out the electric steam vaporizer, pour in some Vicks VapoSteam liquid, set it up beside my bed, shut the door, and I'd be out for the night, surrounded by the heavenly aroma of mentholyptus. 

Now, this would never pass muster for today's children.  First, it was HOT water...beside the bed, or...gasp...on the dresser where it could be pulled down and scald a child...all very valid safety concerns, but somehow we managed to survive these deathtraps.  I even used the very same deathtrap vaporizer when my own girls were small.  Guessing I'm probably not "Mother of the Year" material.

So, the next time you get the sniffles, grab that trusty blue jar of Vicks, slather it on, and relive the "wonderful" memories of childhood.  Oh, and if that doesn't work, there's always the vodka/honey cocktail.

A case of the deep south winter blahs.



This is how I feel...like something tropical, surrounded by ice.

Sorry I haven't been around much.  Apparently, I've gone into hybernation mode with this nasty cold weather.  I know you Yankees won't have much sympathy for me, whining about temps in the 50's, or even 30's, but I just can't stand it. 

If it's below 70 degrees, it's winter to me.



This at least gives me hope that spring is near.



I'm one of those freaks of nature that loves heat and humidity.  I don't even complain in August, and if you've ever experienced August in New Orleans, that's saying something, believe me.  I want my flip flops and tank tops, not boots and sweaters.  I'm sick of wearing winter clothes, sick of eating winter food, sick of having the heater on, sick of flannel sheets (okay, maybe not 'cause I do love my flannel sheets), sick of covering plants, sick of coming home from work in the dark....sick, sick, sick of winter.  And here's a disclaimer...these photos weren't even taken this winter.  It hasn't been THAT cold this winter.  These are from a few years ago, but I guess the misery of that kind of cold has seeped into my bones.  I have no hope of thawing out until April.

There, I'm finished complaining....for today.  Pity Party over.  

Now where are my gloves and scarf?

Kindle love

Yep, that's right...after months of lusting, I finally bit the bullet and bought a Kindle.  I hemmed and hawed, agonized over the many choices (Kindle, Nook, Sony, iPad, which size, blah, blah, blah), should I wait for a Kindle color.  Finally, after playing with Meg's (DD#1) Kindle for a few weeks, I was hooked.  Still, I procrastinated.  I gingerly perused the Amazon website....placed it in my cart...finger hovering over the purchase button... press...press...no...close tab.  I did this for days and then one day...I did it...I hit the "one click purchase" button and it was done.  Two days later, I was in reading Heaven.

I love the feeling of a book in my hands, and thought that would be the thing I'd miss most, but I gotta tell you, I ain't missing that one little bit.   I bought the "Official Kindle" cover shown below (got the snazzy apple green) and once you slip the Kindle in there, it opens up just like a book and you get that same feeling.


The weather was so nice over the weekend, I was able to take it outside, slip into a lounge chair and test out the nonglare factor....man does it work.  It was bright and sunny, and it felt just like I was reading ink on paper...no glare at all.

Now I just need to pace myself, or nothing will get done...no laundry, no cooking, no work....I've had it for less than 4 days and am on my second book...easy does it old girl.

I can't breathe...the story of me and the Neti pot



Neti pot



Isn't that a cute little pot?  Almost looks like you could rub it and have a genie pop out and grant your every wish.  Or maybe you could put flowers in it and use it as a centerpiece.  Uh no....not quite....you see, this little ceramic miracle is what I use each and every morning to flush my sinuses.  That's right....flush my sinuses.  I'll give you a minute to compose yourself. 

It's called a Neti pot and it could become your best friend.

I suffer from year round sinus and allergy issues, and can't take sinus meds.  So every morning, I heat up a cup of distilled water, add 1/4 tsp of Kosher salt, pour it in this baby and proceed to tilting my head and pouring it into my nostril.  It goes in one nostril, and out the other.  Really, calm down...it's not nearly as bad as it sounds.  I thought about making a video to show y'all (and believe me, there are plenty of them on youtube), but I somehow didn't think y'all would appreciate seeing me cleanse my sinus cavities.  You can thank me later.

It's not a miracle fix.  I still suffer, but I guess not as much; and I can definitely say I haven't had nearly as many colds since I started using this over 6 years ago.  Guess the daily flushing helps keep those pesky little germs from getting in there and taking root. 

It's that time of year when everyone seems to be suffering.  You might want to give the old Neti pot a try.

It's Carnival time!!

That's right!!  Today is 12th Night, King's Day, Epiphany...the official end of the Christmas Season and the beginning of Carnival. 

You know what that means, don't ya?  Just 6 days into 2011 and it's already time to forget about those New Year's Resolutions to lose those last few baby pounds (so what if the baby is in college....and don't feel bad...see my earlier post about Pajama Jeans...those'll work for ya) and start eating King Cakes.  It's a dirty job,
but somebody's gotta do it, might as well be us.

And here's the kicker.  Mardi Gras is late this year....March 8th, so pace yourselves.  That's a whole lotta king cake time. 

Ah well, there's always Lent, right?

Lose weight? Now you don't have to! Pajama Jeans are here!

That's right!  I know we've all eaten our way through the holidays...and by holidays I mean beginning with Thanksgiving and going right through...well...infinity and beyond.  The endless fudge, pralines, egg nog, cookies..and if you live here in NOLA...now it's king cake season, which will lead to Easter and well.....it's all sure to make your jeans a little snug.   Well, have no fear!  Now you don't have to diet....just buy some Pajama Jeans. (and I hesitate to even include this link, hence someone mistake this for an endorsement of any kind...let's be clear...THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT!)

Is this the most riduculous thing you've ever seen?  I mean seriously, PAJAMA JEANS!  What is this world coming to?  Another step in the steep slope of American decline  "Pajamas to live in.  Jeans to sleep in"....seriously?  Have we gotten so lazy that we can't change into clothes once we wake up and want to leave the house?  No, don't answer that question.  I've been to WalMart....I see what passes for clothes these days.  And while I'm on this subject, this new phenomenon will certainly lead to quite a few good "People of WalMart" pictures....use your imagination here...imagine the endless possibilities.

I'm pretty sure Jerry Seinfeld summed this up best in his conversation with George as it related to sweatpants...the same holds true for Pajama Jeans in my humble opinion.

"Again with the sweatpants?"

"What? I'm comfortable."

"You know the message you're sending out to the world with these sweatpants? You're telling the world, 'I give up. I can't compete in normal society. I'm miserable, so I might as well be comfortable.'"

- Jerry and George, in "The Pilot"