A couple of months ago, I made a stupid mistake that I am sure I am destined to make again and again as time goes on: I burned myself removing a pan from the oven. Although I was trying to be safe and used a hot mitt, I still managed to grab the side of the pan with my bare fingers, burning the tips of them.
It was incredibly painful.
As per usual with me, I didn't have any over-the-counter cremes or ointments to use on the burn (I tend to not stock too much OTC products at my house in general). My husband was out and about, so I immediately thought to call him and ask him to stop at the store and buy something for me to put on the burns.
Generally I wouldn't panic over something like this, but I make my living as a massage therapist, so my fingers are very, very valuable. Almost immediately, I mentally began to assess the damage and tried to figure out the best way (if it was at all possible) to wrap my wounds so that I would be able to make it to my eight hour shift the next day.
My finger tips throbbed.
Suddenly, I remembered a book that my mother bought me a while back about home remedies. It's called: The Guide to Remedies, Homeopathy, Essential Oils, Crystals, Home Remedies by Barnes and Noble.
Instead of calling my husband, I went to the book shelf and located the home remedy guide. In the first-aid section dedicated to burns, scalds and sunburn, a few home remedies were listed for the type of first degree burn that I was experiencing.
The first remedy listed described using plain yogurt of the burn to keep it cool. Well, it just so happened that I had a tub of plain yogurt in the refrigerator, so I pulled it out and, not wanting to waste any time, I dunked my fingers straight into the carton.
The burning stopped immediately.
Huh.
I followed the instructions in the book, and not only did the pain subside immediately, but the burns never even blistered. By the next morning I couldn't even tell I had burned myself. It was wonderful. And now I know where to go the next time something unexpected happens in my house. The answer isn't always: the nearest drug store.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Alter Your Routine
Recently, my 17 month old daughter, Helen, learned how to safely ascend and descend the stairs in our tri-level home. Within a matter of days, her world suddenly expanded three fold!
While we still supervise her ferociously (this may never stop), she now has access to places and experiences that were once barricaded and blocked off from her. To her, this means new adventures, new learning experiences and, in essence, a lot more fun!
Watching her exercise her new found freedom made me think about all of the places and things that I have access to that I may not be experiencing because of my own mental barricading. With Chicago being settled in the nest of winter, it is sometimes hard to overcome the "blah" feelings that envelope me during these long, cold months of isolated, indoor activities. My schedule suddenly becomes routine and my routine eventually grows dull and boring.
I desperately needed some alternative activities to my suddenly dismal routine. So, I spent one morning a couple of weeks ago revamping my schedule. I looked into the storytime program that my local library offers and started visiting their Lapsit Storytime with my daughter on Tuesday mornings. I began taking a yoga class at LifeTime Fitness in Romeoville, IL, where I'm a member. I investigated discount days at some museums downtown and planned a date with some friends and their children. My daughter and I visited the Willowbrook Wildlife Center and the Cosley Zoo.
All of these options offer alternative activities for my family. All of them were always available to me; I just needed to take the initiative and look for them. All of them are of little or no extra cost to me.
I am writing this to urge everyone to look around themselves. Is there an activity that is available to you that you are not taking advantage of? Well, get out there and do it! If there's one thing that I learned from my daughter, it's that life is much more enjoyable when you're actually out there doing something!
While we still supervise her ferociously (this may never stop), she now has access to places and experiences that were once barricaded and blocked off from her. To her, this means new adventures, new learning experiences and, in essence, a lot more fun!
Watching her exercise her new found freedom made me think about all of the places and things that I have access to that I may not be experiencing because of my own mental barricading. With Chicago being settled in the nest of winter, it is sometimes hard to overcome the "blah" feelings that envelope me during these long, cold months of isolated, indoor activities. My schedule suddenly becomes routine and my routine eventually grows dull and boring.
I desperately needed some alternative activities to my suddenly dismal routine. So, I spent one morning a couple of weeks ago revamping my schedule. I looked into the storytime program that my local library offers and started visiting their Lapsit Storytime with my daughter on Tuesday mornings. I began taking a yoga class at LifeTime Fitness in Romeoville, IL, where I'm a member. I investigated discount days at some museums downtown and planned a date with some friends and their children. My daughter and I visited the Willowbrook Wildlife Center and the Cosley Zoo.
All of these options offer alternative activities for my family. All of them were always available to me; I just needed to take the initiative and look for them. All of them are of little or no extra cost to me.
I am writing this to urge everyone to look around themselves. Is there an activity that is available to you that you are not taking advantage of? Well, get out there and do it! If there's one thing that I learned from my daughter, it's that life is much more enjoyable when you're actually out there doing something!
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