We helped my mom move into a new home today. I love my mom, but she is a few boxes short of an episode of Hoarders: Buried Alive. I’m not sure that she has fully realized yet that she moved into a smaller house with what amounts to almost 3 households worth of stuff. I was overwhelmed looking at all of it, but thanks to a house full of friends, neighbours and relatives, we were able to make some sense of a few rooms. At least we were able to set up the kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom for them. There are still 3 bedrooms, a storage room, a laundry room, a full basement and a garage full of stuff to deal with. Plus there are still several truckloads in storage.
Today was another reminder of the benefit of being a good neighbour – you have people willing to help you when you need it.
Because of my MS, I get sore easily, and though I know I should stop before that happens, it sometimes takes my body longer than it should to tell me when enough is enough. So tonight I am sore. But I did have all the ingredients on hand to mix up some sore muscle soak, so there is ibuprophen and a hot bath in my future.
The soak is a combination of a few recipes out there (like most of my recipes are) and contains epsom salts (helps to reduce inflammation, relieve aches and pains from muscle cramps, works as a muscle relaxer, helps remove toxins from your body and is apparently a natural emollient for your skin), sea salt (helps remove lactic acid build up that occurs in sore muscles) and baking soda (softens water and apparently helps you absorb the epsom salt).
I also add 3 drops each of eucalyptus and rosemary to the bath. Eucalyptus for purifying, oxygenating and energizing and rosemary for detoxifying, energizing and uplifting. Or so they claim. I like the way they smell.
I might repeat this again tomorrow night, after being dressing room mom to a group of 20 6-10 year olds for the ice skating Carnival tomorrow. That’s 4 changes of costume, each requiring removal and retying of skates. Did I mention there are 20 of them? And 3 moms.
Homemade Sore Muscle Bath Soak
- 1 Cup Epsom Salts
- 1/4 Cup Sea Salts
- 1/4 Cup Baking Soda
- 3 drops each of eucalyptus essential oil and rosemary essential oil
Mix together in a small bowl, fill bathtub with hot water and put the salt mixture in under the faucet as it is filling. Soak for at least 20 minutes, preferably with some music, a good book and the door locked so that small kids can’t enter. If you are anything like me, you will be ready to pour yourself into bed immediately afterward.
Linking to Frugally Sustainable, Six Sister’s Stuff, Natasha in Oz, Our Simple Farm, I {heart} Naptime, A Pinch of Joy, Sorta Crunchy