Spoonie Sunday – Choices

Our prompt for Linda’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday was “Choices.” Which got me to thinking about spoonie choices. Now choices are something that every spoonie deals with on a daily basis, I mean really that’s pretty much the definition of a spoonie. Choices are also the bane of many spoonie’s existance. What to cook, what to wear, shower or no? yadayadayada … No relief in sight always choices, everywhere you look. It’s a huge burden for me. Maybe less (or more) for other spoonies. Partly it’s a side effect of brain fog but some days decisions or choices are just impossible for me to manage. Here are a few examples,

Spoonie Sunday – JusJoJan 19 – Gratitude and gobbledygook

For Linda’s JusJoJan prompt for January 19th, 2020, “gobbledygook.” Use the word “gobbledygook” any way you’d like. Today’s prompt is brought to us by Jim.

Spoonie Gratitude

“Gratitude is a choice I can make every day.” My dear Mother sent me a kitchen towel with that slogan on it many years ago during a particular low point in my life. Back then I was an arrogant 30-something with a career, children to raise and stuff to do. I regarded that precious slogan as a bunch of gobbledygook, nonsense meant for the weak willed.

JusJoJan Spoonie Sunday – Intentions

Today’s Just Jot It January prompt was generously supplied by Faye, of Faye’s Mystical Musings. Thank you Faye!

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 5th, 2020, is “intention.” Use the word “intention” any way you’d like. Enjoy!

Excellent prompt for today, which is also Spoonie Sunday here at Wide Eyed Wandering Spoonie.

Spoonie Sunday – Keeping Warm 3 – Layers

“Life is like an onion. You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you cry.” ~Unknown

Greetings fellow spoonies and not spoonies. Hope your holidays were/are wonderful and filled with warmth, both the huggy kind and the actual kind. In the part of the country where most of my family lives, it has been unseasonably warm this Winter. Not so here.  Today we have “wind chills” well below freezing which equates to me taking extra precautions to keep warm.

Spoonie Sunday – Keeping Warm part 2

Baby it’s cold outside! Last week I talked a little about spoonies and temperature sensitivity and ways to keep warm around the house. This week we’re going to talk about personal warmth. No, not the huggie feelie kind of personal warmth. We’re talking getting warm, inside, and keeping that body warmth. In the wintertime, we often feel cold and more dry. Our skin gets dry, our sinuses begin to dry out, and even our joints dry out. Winter is the Vata season, lots of warming foods are called for.

Spoonie Sunday – The Weather Outside is Frightful – Keeping Warm around the house

Last week we had our first blizzard of the 19/20 winter season. Winds gusting at 65mph and temps in the single digits (fahrenheit) can make for some real challenges for spoonies. Many folks with autoimmune and/or chronic illness (myself included) are profoundly sensitive to cold weather. (OK, I’m actually profoundly sensitive to all weather, cold, hot, changing, you name it, but I digress.) Today I’m going to share a few things we do around the house to keep ourselves warm.

digital pic from Pinterest by tailpic.com — every night of my life 🙂

Spoonie Sunday – Aromatherapy massage (the final chapter)

Well I guess we’ve all had about enough of aromatherapy and essential oils use but I just couldn’t go without mentioning this important aspect. I’m a big believer in massage. All massage, therapy massage, self massage, shiatsu massage, swedish massage … OK you get the idea. I’m a fan.

Spoonie Sunday – aromatherapy continued (again)

Yes, yes I know, I’m a bit obsessed with aromatherapy. There’s a reason for it though, it’s the single biggest weapon in my spoonie arsenal. I use it a LOT, I mean like daily. Today I’m going to share a little about skin application of essential oils. Now please, please, please remember the weasel words, I am not a medical professional, an aromatherapist, or expert of any kind. The recipes and ideas presented here are strictly my own personal observations and practices. Always be sure to check with your health care professional and/or certified aromatherapist before proceeding with any new program.

Spoonie Sunday – Life Toolbox – Aromatherapy – continued

In today’s toolbox I’m going to talk a little more about one of the biggest weapons in my spoonie arsenal – aromatherapy.

A word of caution – the views expressed here are not intended to be taken as any kind of medical advice. This is just what works for me, in my home, and it may not work for you. Please be sure to consult a licensed aromatherapist or medical practitioner before beginning any new health program.

I have been an aromatherapy and essential oil user since the 1980’s. Yes, they had them back then, along with dirt. The term “aromatherapy” actually originated back in the 1930’s but the use of plant essences as medicine goes back much, much farther. Depending on who you cite as reference as much as 5,000 years farther back. So that’s a good long time for the practice of using plant essences to promote good health but what about today?

Honestly, as a spoonie, a caregiver, and a woman, I use my essential oils and aromatherapy techniques on a daily basis. Essential oils don’t just add aroma to a room, they also provide numerous health benefits for the household.

Using a room diffuser is probably the easiest way to dispense these benefits into the air to improve your health, boost your energy and promote good sleep, to name a few. Diffusers provide a natural and safer alternative to air fresheners, especially if you want to take a more active role in your own health. They can fill a room with the natural fragrance from oils that freshens up your home while promoting overall wellness.

So today I’m going to give you a brief rundown on the various types of room diffusers, some pros and cons and personal experience.

Yet another brief word of caution. If you suffer from lung disease or any type of autoimmune issues please proceed with caution and the advice of trusted medical professionals. Although diffusers disburse essential oils in tiny amounts, allergies can and do still occur! For example, I do not use chamomile in any form. Not in a massage oil, not in a lotion, not in a diffuser, not in a tea. Why? I’m allergic to ragweed and chamomile is in the same plant family. I have asthma and allergies and I have reacted to it, so I substitute, usually lavender or bergamot in any recipes that call for chamomile.

Anyway back to the diffusers. First off there is the heat diffuser, i.e. candle diffusers (those little pots with a candle under them), lamp rings (self explanatory) and steam diffusers (think vaporizers). The heat causes the essential oils to evaporate into the atmosphere. This type of diffuser is generally cost effective and does give off a stronger scent. Unfortunately, it is less effective for the health benefits of aromatherapy as heat tends to alter the chemical compounds in essential oils, reducing the therapeutic affect.

Evaporative diffusers i.e. reed diffusers, terra cotta discs, fan/pad combos, aromatherapy jewelry, all expose essential oils into the air, causing them to evaporate and disperse naturally. It works by placing a drop on items like a tissue, cotton ball or other porous materials which will diffuse the oil into the air as the molecules evaporate from their surfaces. It is a great alternative to chemical air fresheners in relatively small areas but is not as effective in larger rooms. I use a small evaporative diffuser in the bedroom close to my bed at night. It consists of a tiny terra cotta saucer with a cotton disk (cosmetic pad) in it. I place a couple drops of my preferred bedtime mix and breathe in the goodness overnight. It does dry out fairly quickly and you need to change the pad pretty much daily (which is fine because they’re like cheap).

Ultrasonic diffuser, my personal preference, uses water and ultrasonic vibrations to disperse molecules of the essential oil into the air through a fine mist that can be inhaled. It can function as a humidifier as well, allowing you to get double benefits. However, because the device uses water for the solution, the concentration may not be as strong or potent for air freshners. Please consult your user manual as some say not to use citrus oil and other resinous oils in them. I’ve not had any problems using basic citrus or frankenscense in small (2-3 drop) amounts but I empty and clean my diffuser daily.

Nebulizer Diffuser, this diffuser works by using an atomizer to create fine and absorbent airborne particles of essential oils and disperse them into the air. It is sometimes regarded as the most effective device for aromatherapy since it provides you with a high concentration of essential oil. The downside to this diffuser is that it is quite costly and difficult to clean. Moreover, since the concentration of the oil is quite strong and potent, the oil runs out faster, and there is, in my opinion, a greater chance of reaction.

There you have the run down. Next week I’ll talk more about the uses of aromatherapy in our spoonie household.

Til next time ~May the spoons be ever in your favor ~JPP

Spoonie Sunday – Life Toolbox – continued

Photo from Pixabay

You know, one of the things about being a Spoonie that I am very aware of and yet always seem to forget is how quickly life can go sideways on you. That’s true of everybody but since the topic of this post is Spoonie Life, I’ll stick to those experiences.

I started this series out by talking about my morning routine, and, sure enough, the very next week life went sideways tossing said routines right out the window. Things are looking up in our dual spoonie household. I’m going to tell you a little bit today about one of the techniques we use in our daily health battles, Aromatherapy, specifically diffuser blends

Always remember that these are my opinions ONLY and what works in our house may not work in yours. Always, always, consult a physician, certified aromatherapist, or other health practitioner before starting any new regimen.

When you suffer from autoimmune issues, there are certain oils you should NOT use. This article from our friends at Plant Therapy has some great info.

I use oils in my diffuser pretty much daily. Today I have a mixture of “Energy” a Plant Therapy synergy oil, grapefruit oil and wintergreen oil. 3 drops of each which leaves the rooms nicely scented and makes me feel better. Here are a few of my favorite diffuser “recipes” from the folks at Aromatools.com picture from Pinterest.

A quick google or pinterest search will bring you lots more diffuser blend recipes than I could ever present here so have at it. Also, while Plant Therapy has in no way sponsored or endorsed this post, their website has great information and aromatherapists you can chat with, the blog has lots of great ideas.

Til next time ~Peace ~JPP