Most of us have aches and pains from time to time, whether we are a bit overactive in doing yard or housework or perhaps we slept a little crooked the night before.  While there are many ways to relive such maladies, a few topical products will go a long way in gaining relief.

As we get older, especially, such onsets of stiffness, muscle and joint pain can rear their ugly heads at any time.  Having a handy dose of liniment or analgesic balm handy can be a good thing.

These products work by stimulating blood flow and masking pain to the injured area.  Increased blood flow is important to bring healing cells called macrophages to the muscle to remove dead muscle cells.  Good blood flow to the area also accelerates the bringing of nutrients so the repair and regeneration of the muscle can occur.

A limited masking of pain while the area is healing allows more movement, which also increased the blood flow.  Limited movement is important in the healing process, as no movement over a period of time has shown that the muscle can atrophy, or shrink, thus lengthening the healing time.

A good rule of thumb is that if you can move the area without too much pain, then topical remedies can be very helpful.  However, if there is severe swelling or if the injury is joint related and you cannot move the area at all, you should seek further medical help.

Liniment works by utilizing camphor which ooccurs in nature in the camphor tree, an Asian evergreen related to cinnamon.  When applied to the skin, camphor produces a mild local anesthetic action (depresses some nerve endings and stimulates others). It also acts as an antipruritic, which means it relieves itching.  Watkins products markets an excellent liniment, which actually was the first product sold in 1868.

Analgesic balm contains Methyl salicylate (wintergreen), menthol and capsaicin which team up in a great muscle warm-up rub. This greaseless, stainless, deep-heating cream penetrates rapidly to relieve and relax muscle tension and soreness and provide temporary relief from minor arthritis.   This product also can be purchased from Watkins.

An ounce of prevention can go a long way in muscle and joint pain relief after that victorious bout of leaf raking, garden planting, or even vacuuming (ugh) that leaves you sore the next day.

My friend Sara came to my house the other day with a basketful of mending and  a plate of chocolate cookies.  I am fairly certain the cookies were meant to bribe me into doing the mending but instead I poured her a cup of tea and began teaching her how to sew on a button.

Sara is a busy, stay at home mother to three boys who can be really tough on clothes.  Her husband just got laid off from his job and the usual concerns about money were worrying her.  It was time to make clothes last and dollars needed to stretch further.  Here are the tips I gave her.

1.)  When sewing a four hole button sew two buttons and tie off then sew the other two holes and tie off.

2.)  Use dental floss to sew on buttons, it is a lot stronger.

3.)  Put a small dab of clear nail polish on center of button.  No one will notice and the button will stay secure.

4.)  Clothes that are beyound repair but still have the buttons.  Cut them off and save them.  Buttons are lost all the time and using a button you already have is better than paying for another one or putting another thing in a landfill.

Sara and I worked our way through the sewing, ate the cookies and drank our tea.   It’s funny how doing something pro active toward your finances and chocolate help  to calm the fear.  The friendship and laughter didn’t hurt either.

Julie Bennett

www.watkinsonline.com/juliebennett

Doesn’t it seem that the healthier we try to eat the more money we seem to spend? We all know we need to eat better, but why is eating healthy more expensive? Well…not anymore. Here are a few tips to help you feed your family nutritious meals without breaking the bank.

Plan your meals around sales. Grocery stores often have buy one item, get one free so this would be a good time to stock up for the upcoming months. Watkins often has Monthly Specials on their Natural, Organic and Gourmet foods so you can feel good about what you feed your family while saving money. If you primarily purchase sale items you will have well stocked freezer and pantry and a smaller grocery bill. Stock up on all your Natural and Organic favorites.

Do not purchase boxed foods. These foods are full of preservatives and trans fats. If you like the convenience of boxed foods try these mixes for a healthy alternative: Watkins Dessert Mixes, Watkins Soup and Gravy Mix, Dips and Spreads and easy to prepare (but good for you) Watkins Bread Mix and Pizza Crust Mix. Enjoy the convenience while giving your family something good.

Use coupons. Many grocery stores now accept competitors coupons and many times will double their own coupons. But be careful to only purchase items you would normally use. Do not buy impulse items simply because you have a coupon as you might end up spending more. If the store brand is a better bargain than using a coupon for the name brand always buy the store brand. I find the quality to be just as good. Better yet, wait for an item to go on sale and then use the coupon. What a savings!

Buy produce when in season. It will taste better and typically the cost is less when in season. Try not to purchase produce already cut up. You will always pay more. Bring it home and cut, chop, dice, put in baggies and either refrigerate or freeze. This way you will always have a healthy snack ready to eat.

Make a grocery list and stick to it. Avoid temptation. We always go home with several items not on our list. Do we really need them? If it wasn’t on your list then probably not.

Shop when you are full. This might sound silly but when you are hungry and you go grocery shopping you will end up buying a lot more than if you shopped right after a good meal.

When purchasing meat think of recipes where you can get more than one meal out of it. Sprinkle your meat or chicken with Watkins Seasonings. These delicious flavors are a healthy alternative to oils and salts. Try them on chicken for dinner and save a little leftover for your salad the next day for lunch. Having these leftovers will make it easier to eat right without grabbing unhealthy foods.

Another great way to save money is to shop around. With the price of gas so high you won’t want to drive several miles just to save a couple of dollars but plan your route to be near a grocery store or discount store when some of your favorite healthy items go on sale. Always try to take advantage of great deals.

Remember you can eat healthy and save money. It might take a little planning but it’s worth it for you and your family.

For delicious recipes using some of Watkins Natural and Organic foods please visit www.VanillaGourmet.com and enjoy life…Naturally!

Most of us use baking soda for baking and to remove odors from our refrigerator, but we never think to use it for other things. Did you know that baking soda is a natural cleaner and deodorizer that’s cheap and effective?

Many cleaners use artificial scents and harsh chemicals to cover up odor. These scented chemical products can be really irritating to your skin and your respiratory system. Baking soda is a safer alternative. Instead of covering up odors, it absorbs them and locks them away. So you know it can get rid of odors in the fridge with baking soda, try putting some in your garbage cans, shoes, diaper pail, litter box, drains and garbage disposal. It is a great way to safely remove offensive odors from pretty much anywhere.

Watkins lemon all purpose cleaner

Baking soda is a great abrasive cleaner to remove dirt and anything else that might be stuck on surfaces. Just sprinkle it on a wet cloth and scrub away. You can even use baking soda to get stuck on grease off your floors, counters and even pots and pans. For more cleaning power mix baking soda with Watkins degreaser or Watkins natural all-purpose cleaner. Remember to rinse all your surfaces well after you clean them to remove any remaining residue.

While baking soda can be used for general cleaning, it’­s also a great to remove stubborn stains. Just mix with a small amount of water to turn the powder into a paste. You can then apply this to stains in your kitchen, bathroom, and even your clothes. Just let sit for a few minutes and then scrub. It will make your stainless steel sink shine. This paste is also great for cleaning your silver.

You can even use baking soda to disinfect laundry, toys and diapers or other items around your home that get handled often such as door handles, light switches, and telephones. Washable items can be soaked in baking soda and water for half an hour or so. For other things simply cover the area and let it sit for a minute before wiping it off.

These are just a few ideas for you on how to clean and deodorize with baking soda. It is such a versatile product, the possibilities are endless. So why not pull your baking soda out of the cupboard and give it a try all around your house? You may find yourself buying a lot more baking soda on your next shopping trip.

Oh my! I have just realized that some of my choices that I make for myself and family maybe placing the both of us in harms way. To clarify, what exactly do I mean by “harms way”, when I bundle up our sweaters, blouses or slacks to be sent to the dry cleaners; the cleaning process that is used to clean my items (percholorethlene) called perc for short is used by at least 85% of all cleaners.

This process is toxic in a many ways, the chemical pollutes the air, it is a probable human carcinogen and it can cause symptoms from headaches, nausea, and infertility in men and miscarriages in women and it is considered toxic waste.

Watkins lemon laundry detergent

My exposure and my families exposure to this chemical doesn’t stop when I bring the dry cleaning home. When, we go to put the garments on the chemicals can bleed thorough our skin into our systems

Just thinking about that made me want to find a solution today not next week, I had to stop the exposure to my family. What I found was a natural home care product that is plant based and non-toxic that was important to me. JR Watkins Lemon liquid laundry detergent concentrate, can be used in cold water and is easy on the budget. You only need 1 oz per load, that is about 2 tablespoons!

It is also great to use on your hand washables and baby clothes for it contains a soy-based fabric softener that leave your clothes soft and clean.

Superb Substitute

My husband and I love grilling fresh salmon. I like to let it marinate with a little olive oil, Watkins lemon pepper and Watkins Dill. Recently I had no fresh lemon to squeeze over the top. Looked in the cupboard and found some Watkins Lemon Peel, so decided to try it instead of running to the store! It tasted so good, I use it along with fresh lemon all the time now! Isn’t necessity the mother of invention!

Poor Man’s Pie

This is such a simple recipe! Mix right in the pie shellJ

1 unbaked pie shell 12 oz half and half

1 cup brown sugar 2 ½ tsp butter, cut in small bits

3 Tbsp flour Watkins Ground Cinnamon

Speck of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In pie shell place b. sugar, flour and salt. Mix with your fingers until combined well.

Pour milk over flour mixture, but do NOT stir. Dot with butter. Liberally sprinkle Watkins Ground Cinnamon over all. Bake for 50 mins or until filling bubbles up in the center. Filling may not completely set, but that is the way it is supposed to be.

I have found that when you spray some cooking spray on the grill before you use the BBQ, it is easier to clean when you are done. Of course you would use Watkins Cooking Spray.

The Homemaker helpers is having a draw to celebrate their grand re-opening and three lucky winners will receive one of the following all natural, plant-based cleaning products:

Watkins lemon furniture polish

Watkins Aloe & Green Tea All Purpose Cleaner

Lavender Window And Glass Cleaner

These three wonderful, naturally scented cleaners from Watkins will make the winning homemakers cleaning chores a delightful experience!

How To Enter the Draw

You have three ways to enter! Simply subscribe to our newsletter, leave a friendly comment on one of our articles, or tell-a-friend about our site before October 15, 2008. A valid email address must be used in all cases so we can contact you if you win!

Draw Rules And Important Stuff

There are no entry fees. A random draw of all qualified people who have subscribed, commented or referred our site will be held on October 16/2008. No multiple entries, one entry per person. Winners will be announced on this site on October 20, 2008. Winners will be notified by email and will be required to provide their mailing address and phone number within 7 days. If the winner fails to comply within the given time frame another name will be drawn.

Important Notes: This draw is open to residents of legal age in Canada or United States only. Independent Watkins associates and their families are NOT eligible to enter or win. The Homemaker Helpers reserves the right to substitute prizes for similar products of equal value.

Prizes are offer by the Gold Team of Ind Watkins associates and not Watkins Inc. or any other team.

We can hardly wait to give these cleaning products away so what are you waiting for? Enter today!

Are you living in clutter and chaos? Try this fifteen minute pickup trick to control clutter, simplify your life and banish chaos in your home. It’s common to feel that the biggest challenge to cleaning up is the sheer magnitude of the task in front of you. Is “So much mess, so little time” your motto? Do you ask yourself, “Where do I begin?”

Busy Mom living in chaos

This is where the fifteen minute pickup trick comes in. A fifteen minute pickup is simply fifteen minutes of time that’s spent focusing on tidying up a place of your choosing. It can be a particular room or area in your house, or it could be the entire house. Here’s what you do, set a timer and get to work until the timer goes off. Then you stop and consider yourself done. You’ll probably discover that stopping is just as important as the starting. The reason for this, is no matter how busy or overwhelmed you are, you can always find time to do something for fifteen minutes. But if you feel that fifteen minutes is going to drag into a half-hour or more, then you’re not going to want to get started. You’ll find this is also true with your children and spouse. They may be happy to help out for a limited amount of time, but may resist helping in the first place because they fear the work will take too long.

The best place to start is with one general fifteen minute pickup per day. Set a regular time that fits your schedule, or maybe when you are freshest! If you have children, a good time is in the evening, just before you begin getting them ready for bed, as it provides a transition from play to bedtime, and it’s time to put the toys away. Get the entire family involved. If your child gets distracted, gently remind him or her to pick something up. You’ll be totally amazed by how your home can go from looking like a tornado ripped through it to being basically orderly after just fifteen minutes of everyone working together.

The first time you do this, you’ll most likely just be getting stuff off the floor and into the general vicinity of where they belong. However, if you keep at it every day, you will start finding time to do some sorting and be able to put things away in a more organized manner. You might even have time to do some quick vacuuming. You’ll find that each day, you’re able to clean a little deeper before that timer goes off!

Once you have gotten into the habit of doing one general fifteen minute pickup a day, you can add one or two more at different times of the day to focus on specific rooms or areas of your home that need more attention. For example, a fifteen minute cleanup of your kitchen counter can do wonders. The main thing is to institute these pickups gradually enough so that you can be consistent and get into the habit of doing them. Won’t it be nice to watch your house get clean fifteen minutes at a time, and know that you hardly spent any time at it at all? Then, you can focus your time and energy on the more fun aspects of living!

There is no better time to “Go Green” than right now. The following tips will help you achieve cleaning in an environmentally friendly way.

BUY ALL-PURPOSE CLEANERS
You do NOT need to buy a cleaner for every cleaning chore. This is simply a tactic used by manufacturers to get you to buy several different products. Try Watkins Natural All-Purpose Cleaners. These chemical-free, biodegradable products can take care of most of your cleaning chores. Safe for your family, safe for the environment.

READ THE LABELS
If a product label states “caution” or “warning” that product will have less of an impact on the environment than a label that states “danger”. Try Watkins Natural Plant-Based Home Care. These products are 100% safe for the environment.

USE COLD WATER
Whenever possible use cold water for cleaning. When washing a deck or your driveway you do not have to use hot water. Or when you are doing laundry cold water sometimes will work just as well as hot water. Try it!

NO MORE PAPER TOWELS
Try to clean with reusable products such as rags or sponges. Disposable cleaning cloths or paper towels may seem convenient but they are not good for the environment.

USE CONCENTRATED PRODUCTS
By using concentrated cleaning products you will be using less packaging. Try Watkins All-Purpose Concentrate. This earth friendly, ultra concentrated all-purpose cleaner will save you money and save the environment.

CLEAN DAILY
Don’t let dirt and dust pile up before you clean. It makes the most sense to clean daily. In the long run you will use less energy and less products than if you allowed the dirt to accumulate. Also, pick up clutter as you go through your day. You will be surprised how easy cleaning day will be.

RECYCLE
One of the most important things you can do for the environment is to recycle. It’s also one of the easiest, simply rinse and recycle. Most cities offer bins for you to recycle your plastics, glass, newspapers, etc. Check with your local city office and see what day they pick up.

USE GREEN CLEANING PRODUCTS
Whenever possible, and that should be most of the time, use eco-friendly cleaning products. Not only are they better for the environment, they will be safe for your family. These products clean great, smell great and best of all you can feel good what you use in your home. Watkins Natural Home Care is the better choice!

You don’t have make all your changes at once. Try one tip at a time until it becomes natural for you to have a “green” house.
Good Luck, Tracey
www.VanillaGourmet.com