Sunburn Remedy!

We’ve all done it … somehow by either not putting on enough sunscreen, a strong enough sunscreen, missing a spot or two with the sunscreen or just plan being stupid and not using any at all.  SUNBURN!

Well during my lifetime I’ve been burned many times … especially as a child and then as a teen when back then we used Baby Oil and Iodine!!!  AND often laying on the roof of our house or one someone’s black trampoline … to attract the sun’s rays.  WHAT WERE WE THINKING?  Cooking ourselves … literally!

If you’re like me and you’ve been BURNED … you too have tried many of the products out there for sunburn relief: Solarcaine, Aloe and as a child I even took baths in Vinegar or Baking Soda … eeeeew!  Relief, yes … temporary, yes … peeling, itchy skin a few days later, yes! 

Well a few summers ago while on a trip with some friends to Myrtle Beach, I apparently missed covering a couple large spots on my shins with sunscreen … well I missed my shins entirely, if you want to be truthful.  BURNED so badly I could hardly walk without pain.  I had the old standby of Aloe … the one with Lidocaine and kept applying it every few minutes with no relief.  It was so bad I was even taking an OTC pain reliever for pain … to no avail.

Well my friend, Kevin, says … “Alcohol” … I’m like “yea a drink would probably make me forget about the pain” LOL … he’s like “no, I mean Rubbing Alcohol”.  I told him he was crazy … absolutely nuts!  Rubbing alcohol?  Now that would burn it all over again … wouldn’t it?  Well a short while later I was willing to try anything … ANYTHING … so on went the Rubbing Alcohol … applied with a tissue … and very gently, I might add.  IT WORKED!  Relief was unbelievable and instant.  Now I had to re-apply it often for the first few hours and then after that … complete relief.  I’m talking COMPLETE RELIEF! Nothing but a cooling sensation!  No burning, no itchy skin later and best of all NO peeling skin!

Now, unfortunately I’ve had the opportunity to use Rubbing Alcohol several times since then … BURNED … and have even recommended it to family and friends who are also convinced that it works.  Cheap and easy and best of all … IT WORKS!  Someone should package it in a spray bottle, maybe give it a better scent or something and market it because I’m telling ya’ll … IT WORKS!

Deer Repellent

Do you have problems with deer eating your beautiful foliage?  Well, I do!  It took me five years to realize that certain plants weren’t doing well, not because of some strange disease, but rather because the deer were chewing on them.  One year they completely mowed down my day lilies … to the ground!!!  I knew they ate flowers but never knew they loved Euonymus or Indian Hawthorne but they do.  Oh and I’m surprised I even have any Spider Wart left … it certainly hasn’t multiplied like it normally does.  I originally brought some from my house in Albany back in 1999 and then again moved some to this house from our last house here in Cobb County.  They are still relatively small.

I’ve tried quite a few ‘deer repellent’ products that you can get in Lowes or Home Depot to no avail … they just keep chomping away!  Oh don’t get me wrong I love the creatures … I’m always running to grab my camera when they stroll through the yard or stop and lay down for a nap … I’ve not yet caught them in the act of chomping on my beloved landscaping though.  I would prefer they eat the many weeds or baby pine trees that pop up like crazy but I suppose they aren’t very tasty lol.  

A couple years ago, a neighbor told me that she uses Ivory Soap.  I’m like, huh?  Soap?  Yep, what you do is shave it with a cheese grater all around the plants that the deer love and they hate it.  Not sure if only Ivory Soap works or if its just soap in general but since Ivory is pure soap that must be what deters them.

IT WORKS!

Now the only problem is you have to be diligent about reapplying the shavings after every rain storm (which I’ve not gotten too good at).  Other than that … IT WORKS!  And believe me we have deer in our yard every day, always doe and/or fawns, I’ve yet to see a buck.  I’m looking forward to seeing some babies this Spring!  But the Ivory Soap shavings will be out … sorry my deer friends!

Fake Foods

When will it stop?  The Government messing with our food supplies … are they eating this crap too?

First we have Fruits and Veggies that are Genetically Modified or sometimes called Genetically Engineered that hit our markets in 1994 (or there about) and have been shown to be linked to all kinds of health problems in Americans … from cancer to lupus to headaches. 

Then we have Chicken Breast being injected with water to increase their size.  Oh sure water is healthy but, why I ask, is it necessary to fake the size of Chicken Breasts?

And we have Beef and Chicken full of steroids and antibiotics, which has been shown to be affecting us in a way that we are becoming resistant to antibiotics and Lord knows what the steroids do to us … I’ve heard everything from making our children larger to creating those fat tummies everyone tries so hard to get rid of.

Now, they just reported on ABC News that the USDA approved using what’s known as “Pink Slim” to be added to our ground Hamburger meat, especially the lower fat content ground meats.  What is “Pink Slim”?  Its where they take the fat cuttings from the butcher room floors, heat it up and then essentially suck the fat out and what’s left is “Pink Slim”.  Oh and I forgot to add … it’s then sprayed with ammonia to kill bacteria.  Finally, its formed into bricks and flash frozen …then sent to the grocery stores to be added to our ground Hamburger meat.  Its not even meat since it’s been processed out of fat.  More like what’s in hot dogs and we all know that is pretty disgusting.

And be careful of that term “organic” … there’s no regulations on who can claim their food is organic.  The ONLY way to know is to purchase your fruits and veggies from local farms and buy your meats from ranchers who raise cattle and fowl that are steroid and antibiotic free.

The more I learn the more I want to become a farmer … don’t laugh … more and more people are doing just that! 

Now don’t take my word for it … do your own research.  There’s lots of reputable websites with articles confirming what I’ve said here.

Something to think about when you’re cooking dinner for your family tonight!!!