I have been blessed with four, very healthy sons. Aside from the occasional, short-lived low-grade temp or common headache, my boys are rarely sick. Seriously… (knock-on-wood) we don’t get the flu, strep or even the common cold. But there is one thing that all four of my children have gotten a time or two, usually at the change of seasons… CROUP.

For my kids, they can be completely fine and out of nowhere, the horrid barking sound comes in the wee hours of the night. It truly is a terrible thing to experience to see your child straining for a breath. Being a nurse still never prepares me for dealing with a croupy child.

In years past I did the “mainstream” treatments recommended by many. Take the child into a bathroom with hot shower running to breath in the moist air. If that doesn’t work, take the child outside. If those don’t work, a trip to the emergency room is usually needed. We’ve done that a time or two!

But thankfully as I’ve grown in my knowledge of all-natural health and wellness, I now have discovered “the best” remedy for croup. All you need is eucalyptus oil (found at most health food stores) and a warm mist humidifier. The price of the oil is usually around $10, but keep in mind this little bottle will last you months.

Eucalyptus oil is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and decongestant in nature which makes it a good ingredient for many medicines for treating respiratory problems. There is just something about this Australian-born oil that is magical for the respiratory tracts of little ones.

Fill the humidifier with the recommended amount of water and add around 10 drops of eucalyptus oil to the main reservoir. Turn on. It is really important to make sure the door is shut so the room will fill with the warm, cleansing scent of the eucalyptus to open the child’s inflamed trachea and larynx. What I also recommend is making a chest rub (see below) with the eucalyptus oil as well. These two together make a power-packed weapon against croup.

I always rock (and pray for) my child to monitor their breathing until their respiratory tract is less constricted and breathing is not as laborious. For my peace of mind, I usually camp out on the floor to keep an “ear” out for any more problems.

I prefer a warm mist humidifier over the cool mist. Professionals recommend a cool mist humidifier because of the chance that a child could burn themselves. My children usually had croup when they were still in cribs so this was not an issue to run it through the night when croup is worse. What you can also do is buy a cool mist humidifier and fill it with hot water. If you keep the door closed the warm air seems to keep the warm moist air circulating nicely.

Croup can be a serious problem for some children. Keep in mind, if your child isn’t breathing well a trip to the ER may be the best answer. I am a registered nurse, but not a doctor. This treatment has worked great for me, but each child is different and what has worked for some, may not work for others. Use your God-given “mothering instincts” and get your child the proper care he/she needs if you feel their condition is beyond a home. 

What do you do to treat croup?

*Linked to: Homemaking Linkup, Traditional Tuesdays,Works for Me, Encourage One Another 

The post Natural Remedy for Croup {Plus an Easy Chest Rub Recipe} appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

What You Need:

1/4 cup sucanat(ground sugar cane)

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Place apples in a 2-quart baking dish.
3. Stir in coconut sugar
4. In medium bowl combine oats, sucanat, flour and cinnamon.
5. Cut in butter and stir until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
6. Sprinkle mixture over apples.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is golden.

What is your favorite apple dessert?

April is editor and author of Holistic Homemaking, a blog dedicated to intentional living and the multi-dimensional life of homemakers. She is the wife of a campus minister and the homeschooling mom of three children. Her passions are photography, herbal remedies, frugal living and the outdoors. In addition to her blog you can also find April on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

The post Guilt Free Apple Crisp appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

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So over the summer, I have been trying my best to rotate (even writing that word is painful) some meals that my family loves and have pleaded with me to make again. So being the good mom and wife that I try to be, I have found one that I now make almost every Monday night… FISH TACOS!!

While the fish is cooking, I lightly fry the corn tortillas. I also prepare the corn salsa and get all the bowls laid out. I do love my big yellow bowls for fish night… well, because it is fish night and of course, festive bowls are required!

The main ingredients to add to the tacos are shredded purple or green cabbage, corn salsa, regular salsa, avocado and a splash of lime juice. I sometimes will add a fish sauce if I have time.

 

Once you have everything set out, the magic happens… well, at least at our house, it does. My kids absolutely love filling their tortillas up. I believe there is no right or wrong way to build one’s taco. Do whatever makes sense to you! I personally go in order from bottom to top like this: fish, cabbage, corn salsa, avocado, salsa and end with the lime juice.

I hope you enjoy these tasty tacos as much as my family does! And who knows, maybe it’ll make it on your weekly rotation like it has to mine!!

Recipe: Fish Tacos 
Serves: 6-7

• 2 bags of frozen tilapia (usually there are 4-5 fillets in each bag)
• 1 T. Old Bay Seasoning
• Olive oil
• corn tortillas (10-12)
• olive oil cooking spray
• 1/2 head cabbage, thinly shredded
• 1-2 avocados, sliced
• lime wedges
• homemade or store bought salsa (we like Pace, Picante Sauce)
• corn salsa (recipe to follow)
• 2 cups of frozen corn
• 2-3 T of fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
• 2 T. lime juice
• salt, to taste

FISH

1. Preheat oven to 375. Thaw fillets; rinse and pat dry. Brush each side of fillets with olive oil then sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning.
2. Bake in preheated oven for roughly 15-20 minutes. Flip over half-way through. Fish should be flaky. Do not overcook.
3. Once done, allow to cool slightly then shred fillets with fork.

CORN TORTILLAS

1. On medium heat, spray a skillet with cooking spray.
2. Lightly fry each side of tortilla… approximately 2 minutes each side.
3. Stack on plate until ready to make.

CORN SALSA

1.  Place frozen corn in colander and run cool water over it until thawed; approximately a minute.
2. Shake colander until all the water is removed.
3. Place corn in medium mixing bowl and add lime juice, salt, cilantro and red onion; mix well.

So tell me, what is your family’s favorite meal you make over and over? 

Jenna is a happy wife to Brian and a full-time mom to 4 boys. She is a follower of Christ, a researcher and an aspiring blogger, foodie and lover of all things healthy.

Join her at Wholesome Bits and connect with her on Facebook.

The post The Only Meal I Will Make Again and Again appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

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