A simple homemade cold and sore throat remedy, made from lemons, ginger and honey to soothe your throat and cough. Plus DIY Sinus Bombs for congestion relief.  [Image]Cold and flu season is upon us and having either one is never fun. Last year over Christmas break my daughter and I had a bad case of the flu. We had our flu shots, but still got pretty sick. There isn't a whole lot you can do for the flu except help relieve the symptoms as you let the virus runs it's course.  

Growing up when my siblings and I got sick I remember my mother did things the old school way. She thought honey, lemons, homemade cough medicines, and Vicks Vapor Rub cured it all. She always took Vicks Formula 44 cough syrup, emptied the bottle into a pan and would add, honey, fresh lemon juice, and a splash of brandy. 

She would let the mixture slowly cook down a bit until it thickened, and let it cool. Once it was cooled she would pour the mixture into a jar and store it in the refrigerator. From that day on anytime any of use had a cough or cold that's what she gave us. An old fashioned remedy for sure, but it worked.  
[Image]Fast forward to today, and I use a similar mixture, but minus the cough medicine and brandy. As a Walmart mom I was asked to share my favorite homemade cough and cold remedies with my readers. A couple years back I saw this Sore Throat Concentrate online and I loved it so much that I've been using it ever since. 
This recipe isn't anything new, and it's widely known that that combination of honey and lemon are old fashioned remedies for soothing coughs and sore throats. To make this concentrate all you need is lemons, ginger, and honey.Lemons: are rich in vitamin c, and have antibacterial properties that aid in sore throat relief. Ginger:  is helpful for nausea, coughs, congestion, colds, and soothing sinus passages.  Honey:  has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory properties, and boosts your immune system. 
[Image]Once combined this concentrate will resemble a loose honey mixture as the juice is pulled from the lemons, and mixed together with the honey. This concentrate will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Whenever you're feeling a bit under the weather add 2 tablespoons of the mixture to a mug and add hot water or use in hot tea. My favorite way to enjoy this is definitely in hot tea with a couple pieces of the lemon slices.  
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[Image]Another favorite home remedy is for these DIY Sinus Bombs. This sinus relief remedy is wonderful if you're stuffed up and congested. Vicks makes vapor shower melts, but they can be hard to find, so making them yourself is not only cheaper, but you can make a ton of them for pennies.  You can use any of the following essential oils or a combination of two. 

I used eucalyptus and tea tree oil, but you can also use lavender and tea tree oil. Lavender fights inflammation and tea tree has antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Eucalyptus oil helps inflammation of respiratory tract, soothes coughs and clears nasal passages. The combination of ingredients in these sinus bombs, soothe the throat and help sinus inflammation. 
  

DIY Sinus Bombs 

1 - 16 ounce box baking soda
1/2 - cup epsom salt
4 - 5 tablespoons water 
20 - drops eucalyptus or peppermint essential oil
5 - 10 drops tea tree oil
plastic ice cube tray 
air tight container with lid

Using a medium size stainless steel or glass bowl, combine the baking soda and epsom salt; mix until combined. Add the water a tablespoon at a time and stir until you get the consistency of wet sand.  

Once you get that texture, add the essential oils and mix to combine. Spoon the mixture evenly into two plastic ice cube trays, pushing the mixture down and smoothing.

Leave the trays on the counter for 24-48 hours until hardened. When dry, remove from tray and store in an air tight container.

To use sinus bombs:
Fill your sink with very hot water. Add one sinus bomb into the water and place a towel around your head to create a barrier for the steam. Inhale the steam for relief of sinus congestion. If the sinus bomb does not melt quickly crush it between your fingers after it softens. 


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