February 19, 2020 · 6:34 am

Natural Healing–Lavanda

I love the scent of lavender (la lavanda). Although I can find the plants readily enough at the viveria (plant nursery), I was surprised at how little it is used in traditional Mexican remedies. 

Lavandula angustifolia is native to the Middle East and India. It was brought to Spain by the Arabs in the seventh century. The Spanish brought it to Mexico in the 1500s along with a host of other medicinal herbs. 

There are several lavender fields that are open to the public in Mexico. One is not so very far from where I live in Mineral de Pozos, Guanajuato and the other is in Rancho San Martín, Puebla. Since we are heading to San Miguel de Allende later this year, we’ll have to see if we can stop and smell the lavender on the trip. 

The properties of lavender are fairly well known. It is antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic and antispasmodic. Used as a wash on wounds, it can reduce the chances of infection. Applied as a rub, it is useful in the treatment of headaches, muscle pain, and cramps. Mixed with vegetable oil, lavender essential oil makes an excellent natural bug repellent.

In Mexico, the leaves are brewed in a tea for indigestion.  Lavender scent has been shown to increase appetite and ingesting lavender has properties that protect against the development of gastric ulcers. 

The soothing scent has been shown to reduce tension and elevate mood. It improves sleep quality and reduces chronic pain. Massaging the scalp with a combination of thyme, rosemary, lavender, and cedarwood has been helpful in the treatment of alopecia areata. 

I have to admit that I’m not overly fond of lavender tea because it tastes too astringent to me. That is until I had the most delightful natural tea mix. It contained jamaica (Hibiscus sabdariffa), Flor de Azahar (citrus Aurantium), Flor de Tila (Ternstoemia lineata), Flor de Manita (Chiranthodendron pentadactylon), Hojas de Naranjo (Citrus aurantium), Melisa (Cedronella Mexicana), Manzanilla (Matricaria chamomilla) Pasiflora, (Passiflora Ciliata), Limon, (citrus medica), Yoloxochitl (Talauna Mexicana), Rosa de Castilla (Rosa centifolia) and Lavanda (Lavandula angustifolia). It was absolute heaven in a cup of tea!

Some of these herbs, I’ve already done some research about, while others wait to be explored. I’m quite excited about it and hope to be able to source my own tea blend with these herbs in the future. 

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Interested in natural remedies? Uncover herbal remedies from traditional Mexican sources for healing and wellness in the Exploring Traditional Herbal Remedies in Mexico series.

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February 17, 2020 · 6:57 am

A Better Mousetrap at last!

Over the course of the last year, we have been plagued with mice both inside and in the back yard. Mice, of course, bring diseases, so we’ve also had more than our fair share of animal illnesses.

Kitty isn’t interested in chasing mice, but the Puppers have caught three large rats in the last month or so. There is even an owl that uses the background as a mini-hunting ground, which totally freaks out the Puppers.

Mice were still getting in the house, however, and causing a ruckus. I tried spreading lavender around as a deterrent but the mice just pushed it out of the way and carried on. So we tried some mouse traps. 

First we tried the sticky traps. Sure enough, mice were caught. Only it was icky to dispose of them and the traps only could be used once.

Then we put out the regular old spring traps baited with peanut butter. Again, we had moderate trapping success, but it was still icky to clean up.

In desperation, I ordered these humane mouse traps from Amazon. They came four in a set. We baited them with cookie bits. The first night we caught three mice. My son took them up the hill and released them into the wild. 

The second night, we caught three more. This time my husband bashed their little heads in. He said that they just come back if you don’t. The third night, we only caught two. My son got up extra early to run them up the hill before my husband got up.

These traps work so that once the mouse enters and moseys on down the tunnel to the food, it triggers the door to close behind it. The mouse still gets to eat the cookie and seems quite content to wait until it is released. My son said that the mice often give him a side-eye stare when he releases them before scampering off. 

I’m not sure how long this mouse trapping is going to last. Or if more mice will be executed or pardoned. I guess it depends on who gets up first in the morning. However, I’m feeling better about having fewer mice leaving poop trails on the countertop. Wouldn’t you be too?

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February 14, 2020 · 7:02 am

International Book Giving Day

Today is International Book Giving Day. Of course, the idea is to get books into the hands of children, but who says adults must be left out of the literary fun! 

So I’m giving away the ebook version of A Woman’s Survival Guide to Holidays in Mexico to anyone who wants it. You can just head to Amazon and pick it up! I’d be so grateful if you would leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads if you’ve already read the book. 

Take the time to enjoy a good book today!

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