Eveyonce in a while I come across what this or that person advises to some new soul that has just discovered paganism…sometimes the advice is good, sometimes it is fluff, and sometimes it is so freaking critical and mean it makes me wonder how anyone has a converstation with this person in the first place.

So this is my two cents…my 7 step program to becoming pagan, so to say–really, IMO, to BEING pagan, since I really don’t think you should ever stop doing any of these things…

1.  Read.  Read everything.  Read the boring academic stuff that puts you to sleep and read the fluff.  Read what other people call crap–keep in mind that sometimes you can find something useful buried in it.  Read what other people recommed, keep in mind that sometimes its crap.  Read about mythology, philosophy, other religions, neuroscience, psychology, history, biology…  Keep reading…and then use the stuff between your ears and think about it. 

2.  Think.  Think critically.  Keep a journal to keep track of your thoughts, of the things you learn and of the things you like or dislike and why, of the things you agree with or don’t and why.  Make lists of the things that interest you.  If you something interesting, research it–if you don’t find it interesting, research it anyway…its always good to know what others think and why. 

3.  Observe.  Watch nature, follow her cycles.  Learn about the place you occupy, geographically and ecologically.  People watch.  Find a group–or two—or ten that allow non-members to go to rituals, see how they do things.  Go to a pagan festival or two, or ten–just to meet and talk to people and see what they do and why…you may learn something, you may not.  

4.  Meditate.  Meditate in whatever method and manner works for you, but try new things.  Use visualization and guided imagry.  Meditate to music, meditate to silence, meditate indoors and out.  Try tai chi, or trance dance, get a drum, learn to play no matter how crappy you think you are.  Use meditation to order your thoughts and your place in the cosmos.  Be proficient in achieving a meditative state. 

5.  Practice.  Find what works for you.  If it doesn’t work the first time, try it again a few times.  If it just doesn’t work for you, find something that does.  Practice only that which follows your sense of morality and ethics.  Try new things.  Try old things in new ways.   

6.  Discuss.  Exchange ideas.  There few things that work as well for ordering thoughts and ideas and information that discussing them with others.  Find someone to talk to about what you learn, find more than just someone to exchange ideas with if you need to.  Take what everyone says with a grain of salt–for some people, you might need the whole shaker  :D… 

7.  Remember: When you think you know everything is when you are the most ignorant.

Associated deities:

 

Hathor (pregnancy, childbirth)– http://www.pantheon.org/articles/h/hathor.html

               http://www.crystalinks.com/hathor.html

               http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hathor

 

Taweret (pregnancy, childbirth)– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawaret

                 

Luperca (pregnancy)

 

Sung Tzu Niang-niang (“The lady who bestows children”)

 

Chang Hsien (for boy children)– http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/chinese-mythology.php?deity=ZHANG-XIAN

 

Juno (Lucina—for safe childbirth)–                 

                          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juno_%28mythology%29

                          http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_junolucina.htm

                          http://www.thaliatook.com/OGOD/lucina.html

 

Decima

Yemaya

Alemona (for a healthy unborn child)

 

To shape a baby in the womb—Obatala, Khnum

 

 

 

Correspondences:

Full moon

Water

Cow/hippo/burrowing owl/tadpole

Almond/hay/myrrh babies breath

 

Herbs: red raspberry leaf

 

 

Stones:

 

Lapis lazuli—healing and soothing; improves mental, physical, spiritual, pshycic and emotional health; in healing rituals, visualize the outcome (for a sick person—imagine them healthy, for a pregnancy visualize a healthy baby, ready to head out); stimulates uplifting emotions and gentleness; protective stone for children and the prevention of miscarriage

 

Bloodstone—(fire, Mars) projective; healing—especially for blood related or bleeding disorders; increases physical strength; strengthens courage, calming, relieves fear, eliminates anger; folklore suggests that when worn by farmers during planting it can increase their crop yield and when worn by women it can prevent miscarriage; also can be used to attract wealth and increase the effectiveness of spells and rituals

 

Moonstone—(water, the Moon/Venus) receptive, attracts protection and love; ensures restful sleep; worn during planting or watering or bury in the garden to ensure fertile and abundant growth, also buried at the roots of a tree, or tied to a branch it will encourage fruiting; protection in water and for travelers; enhances divination

 

Amber—(fire/spirit, the Sun) projective; thought to contain the life essence of deity; protective; ensures the safety and health of children; guards against negativity; strengthens spells; enhances beauty and attractiveness; increases enjoyment of pleasurable activities; promotes fertility and womb health; combats infertility in men; general protector of health and the prevention of many internal ailments; amber powder was once burned during childbirth to assist in labor and stop nose bleeds; increases strength; induces success in love and money matters

 

Coral—(water/spirit, Venus) receptive; promotes new growth; thought to contain the life essence of deity; assists in the regulation of female cycle; guards against accidents, violence, poison, theft, possession; promotes fertility; promotes life; healing—staunches bleeding, red coral supposedly pales to warn of bad health…in women it was said to brighten if menstruation was forthcoming; banishes nervousness, fear, anger, panic, depression and nightmares; promotes reason, courage, wisdom and peaceful sleep; ensures the future health of children if given as a gift; magically protects children if placed in their room; increases the yield of crops and protects them from bad weather and insects; attracts luck to the home; attracts love; protection in water

 

 

So…due to the fact that I couldn’t find one when I googled it, I have started my own forum…

http://www.phpbbplanet.com/paganparenting/

The idea is a site for discussion of topics unique to, or from a pagan family perspective…

right now I am my only member and contributor…I’d appreciate some help and input!!!

Somewhat in the theme of the previous post (in terms of saving money), is the realm of laundry and dishes and household cleaners…

I grew up in a household where we originally used a very limited set of cleaners…I’m not sure if that was ever a conscious choice for my mother, or if it was a combination of how she was raised and less variety… Either way, when I was young, we did our cleaning with baking soda, borax, washing soda and vinegar–maybe a touch of bleach or ammonia (but never together!) for the really tough jobs…and some murphy’s oil soap for the hard wood floors.   But by the time I was in high school, convienence and consumerism ran rampant—my mother was finishing her masters degree, working full time, raising a teenage daughter, breaking in a new husband, and baking a new baby; scrubbing the floor and toilet was down on the list, because antiseptic must mean clean, right?—the “cleaning closet” began to hold rolls of paper towels (instead of my old cloth diapers we used to use), and spray bottles of this, foam sprays of that, each designed for its own job–the “staples” like Windex, Pine-Sol, Comet, 409, Pledge and the like, and the “specialty cleaners” Mop’nGo for the kitchen floor, Scrubbing Bubbles for the bathtub, Lysol cleaner for the toilet…and the list could go on and on…

Anti-septic must mean clean…because germs are dirty and bad…

or not.

Germs, in fact, are not “bad”.  Some are, it is true…and too many of even good germs can be bad as well…  But in fact germs themselves are largely benign, and in many cases are essential–not just to the proper working of many bodily systems (most famously the digestive), but also to the over-all strength of our immune systems.  And all those cleaners?  Turns out they many of them are bad…the chemicals they release have been linked in numerous studies to increased incidents of asthma and allergies.  Infact, even according to the EPA, indoor spaces are generally many times more polluted that the outdoor air and can play an incredible role in influencing health (for good or ill) as we spend some 90% of our time indoors (and we wonder why our society is so thick around the middle?). 

Interestingly, my mother’s allergies, sinus problems and asthma have done nothing but get worse over the years.  Mine, with the exception of the seasonal ragweed and mold explosions here in Virginia, are almost non-existant…and my daughter (thus far) has shown no signs of allergies, asthma, brochitis, ear aches (and she wasn’t even breastfed), etc–infact, with the exception of a tummy bug that I brought home from the hospital where I work, and a cold she got at day care, she hasn’t been sick yet.  Additionally, my home is just as clean and smells just as good (if not better) than the next…and except for the occasional house guest that asks me “What brand is that?  It smells good” while I am cleaning up the kitchen after a party, no one really notices that we don’t use commercial household cleaners.

I have only really started using “old-fashioned” (as my grandma calls them), “homemade” (as the hubby calls them), “green” or “environmentally friendly” (as the eco-friendly types are starting to call them) cleaners within the past 2 1/2 years.  After my stillbirth, convinced I had done “something” wrong, I went thru a frenzy of re-evaluation of every little aspect of my life, and have since been trying to live a more “natural”, “organic”, “simple” and “frugal” life (nice buzzwods, eh? …note the key word “try”), which was always something I was interested in, but not enough to do a whole lot about (and not really in a position to anyhow).

I have never really calculated how much money I have saved…but I know that it is enough to make a difference.  I am sure other people on the web have–I think I read somewhere a homemade laundry detergent costs about 3-4 cents a load compared to 10-20 cents for a commercial one…  I can easily buy most of the things I use to clean cheaply and in bulk, and use them in far less quantity than conventional cleaners.

One of the easiest ways to reduce Brand Name consumerism, save money, safeguard the health of your family, and even feel a little bit green (in a good way) is to change how you clean, and what you clean with.  It is a simple list…and everything on it is cheap(er) than conventional cleaners…and they last longer too.

One-Stop, Multi-Purpose Cleaning Ingredient List:

• Baking Soda
• Borax
• Washing Soda
• Vinegar
• Lemon Juice or Lemons
• Liquid soap (I use Dr. Bonner’s Liquid Castile Soap)
• Essential oils (optional…I prefer citrus oils, lavender and tea tree for cleaning due to their mildly antiseptic properties)
• peroxide and rubbing alcohol (optional…but useful for a few things, and something that most people already have in the home)

Laundry

For laundry, I use a combination 1:1:1 ratio of baking soda, borax and washing soda…1/3 c for a small load, 1/2 for a medium load, and 2/3 for a large load.  For DIRTY clothes (like diapers), I soak them in borax and water first.  For whites, I add a capful or two of peroxide once the washer has started filling up. 

Instead of traditional drier sheets, buy a container of liquid softener (if you feel you *have* to have it), and put it in a spray bottle with water, spray a washcloth or rag, and toss it in the drier with your clothes…

Better yet, if you have the space, dry them outside.

I have heard of people that use baking soda alone to clean their clothes (about a cup for a large load, 1/2 for a small one), using Dr. Bonners, and I have even found several recipies for making liquid detergents on the net–one of which my grandmother knew of and had used…but to me, this is the most successful and simple recipe I have encountered and tried.  Vinegar can also be a good laundry additive in the rinse cycle–expecially for cloth diapers…just add about a 2/3 cup per load.

Dishes in the dishwasher

I am not perfect…I like convienence, I use the dishwasher.

This is a bit more tricky than finding an alternative for your laundry…people tend to be more picky about what they eat their food off of (unless you are my 15 month old, who eats cheerios wherever she finds them)…not to mention the various water types and dishwasher effciencies to factor in as variables.  We don’t own fancy china, or gold plated steak knives…

Most mixes I have seen used as dishwasher detergents include some combination of baking soda, borax and/or washing soda…some include salt, another I saw included cornstarch (supposedly makes you glass work sparkle), and some include the use of vinegar in the spot where you put the jet-dry.

From the reviews, advice, trial and error and remarks of others, it seemed that this was something I would have to play with…  and this is one of the instances where I got lucky on one of the first tries…

For me, for the water and dishwasher type here in our apartment in Virginia, our “winner” is a 1-2 tablespoons of a 1:1 ratio of baking soda and borax (be very sure that your dishwasher has a good rinse cycle if you are going to use borax…while a naturally occuring substance, it can be toxic if ingested, particularly by small children–also make sure you don’t leave it out where little ones can stick it in curious mouths!  Another option if this concerns you, is to just use baking soda or washing soda (or both) to cut your detergent, and to only use about 1/3-1/2 of the “recommended” amount).  

The advantage of my recipe is that it is entirely useable as a laundry detergent (hoo-rah for dual purpose!).  The 1:1:1 ratio I use for laundry got them clean, but left a streaky film on some of them, leaving out the washing soda worked like a charm for the water we have here (when we move, I might have to tinker again with the recipe).  Since I prefer the addition of washing soda for my laundry detergent, I have taken to adding a wee bit of that separately into my laundry.

All-purpose cleaning Spray

I’m fairly sure I have posted this here…but I love it, so I will post it again!

1 tablespoon liquid  soap (I use Dr. Bonner’s lavender)
1/2 c lemon juice
5 drops tea tree oil
10 drops lavender oil

then fill with water and clean!!

this is a recipe I play with alot…I think the current incarnation in the bottle also has about 5 drops of grapefruit oil in it…

Lavender, lemon, and tea tree are all good disinfectants, which makes this perfect for the kitchen and bathroom where germs have a tendency to go CRAZY, and bad germs can often show up and lurk about.

It has the added benefit of smelling good and being non-toxic.

Scrubbing Power, cleaning you garbage disposal, sinks and toilets

This is where my two friends come in…baking soda and vinegar (also what the hubby and  I use instead of shampoo–but that is a whole ‘nother topic for another day!)

We keep baking soda in an re-used glade carpet deodorzer sprinkle can–I actually bought a few of them at the dollar store, just for the container, as I had searched high and low for something similar, but couldn’t find anything that didn’t cost an arm and a leg.  Not wanting to waste it, we used it…and had noxiously smelly carpets for about a month (NEVER AGAIN!).  In a spray bottle, we keep apple cider vinegar (ACV)–but whie vinegar works also–and water (about 1 part ACV-3-4 parts water)…

For sinks, ovens, and icky gross places with stuck on gunk, Just sprinkle the baking soda and scrub the gunky spots, then spray down with ACV mix, let it foam a bit, and give it another good scrub and wipe down.  The vinegar smell dissapated quickly for those that don’t like it…

You can do the same for the toilet–about a cup of baking soda, swish around, pour in enough ACV (use the jug, rather than your spray bottle!) that it foams for a bit, give it a scrub and flush.  If it is extra gross, add a 1/2 cup or so of borax and let it soak for a while before flushing and cleaning.

For drains and garbage disposals, sprinkle in some baking soda and flush down with ACV and HOT water.  If your garbage disposal is smelly, slice up a lemon (save the juice!) and send the rest of it down the disposal.

Windows

There are dozens of homemade window cleaners out there…but here is the one I prefer:

The simplest and (IMO) most effective (particulaly for windows that get gunky, like the bathroom, and the balcony doors that Sophie likes to put her grubby hands on) is vinegar, liquid soap and water.  A teaspoon of vinegar per cup of warm water and a WEEEEEEEE little squirt of soap works great…even better, you can use 1/2 and 1/2 rubbing alcohol and water instead of just water.  I don’t mind streaks too much, but if you use crumpled up newspaper to dry your windows with, you can get a streak free shine!

Carpet

To deodorize, sprinkle some baking soda, leave overnight if possible, and vaccum up the next day. 

Another option is to spray the carpet with borax dissolved in warm water an hour or so prior to steam cleaning–we have one of those cheapo mini-”steamers”, just add a couple capfuls of peroxide and dissolve some washing soda in the water and “steam” away!

OY!

Gas prices suck!  Grocery prices suck!  And for the first time since those early months of just married, we are flat-assed broke with a week to go til payday.  On the plus side…all the bills are paid, we have enough groceries to make it till next week, and (hopefull) enough gas in the car to make it to and from work for another week…

I fully admit…this little blip in accounting is my fault…I miscalculated a wee bit, largely forgetting that this was what we refer to as the 3 weekend payday, (since the government pays out on the 1st and the 15th, or the preceeding Friday of either date, every few months there is a several day longer than usual stretch between paychecks).  I had also bought new glasses and (finally!) a pair of prescription sunglasses (I don’t like the transition lense thingys) and miscalculated what we owed the babysitter… And we had recently fried the savings to fix the car, so we don’t have that as a cushion right now.  I hate being broke.

But…shit happens.  And we are far better off than many in the world, and even this country.  Sometimes (as much as I hate when things like this happen) I like when things like this happen…  It gives you something to appreciate, and something to be thankful for. 

We are lucky enough to have full cupboards.  We are lucky enough to be able to afford a decent apartment in a nice neighborhood.  We are lucky enough to (generally) have a surplus amount of money so that we CAN have a savings available when we need it.  We are lucky enough that we have enough money that we have a retirement fund, and savings and bonds for Sophie (and for Baby v2.0).  We are lucky enough to have a vehicle, to have jobs, to have clothing, to be comfortable.  We are lucky enough that we have very little debt to pay off, and that all of our belongings are ours, rather than our creditors.

There are many people in far worse straits than ours right now.

And for that…I am blessed—even if I am broke!

I  have a 14 month old, I’m pregnant (and hi-risk) and I’m in the military (as is my husband) and work long, bizarre hours, we are often strapped for money, time and everything else…and, like just about everyone else in our society, I’m stressed…

I almost wonder if there isn’t some grand conspiracy of business, government and media to keep us that way, in the interests of making money off of us…I read a book that discusses that the more insecure women are made thru advertising (in the discussion of the book, about their periods), the more money they spend on feminine hygene products–I have seen this idea echoed in other articles and such, and I believe it whole heartedly—just look at the diet industry, the make-up industry, the fashion industry (to name a few).

I have had to work on decreasing my stress level, as well as some of my normal habits and actions…it is quite difficult for me to relax…  Clinically speaking, I have some hypervigilance issues, which tend to manifest as trigger point pain and a wee touch of OCD (the military loves that trait–but my family does NOT). 

Other than the tips below, the best thing I have done thus far has been to create an environment designed to relax and recharge, to welcome and make one feel secure…reducing clutter, creating a cleaning schedule, embracing the imperfect, soothing colors, scents, as well as cleansing and blessing the home can all go along way to achieving this.

Natural Remedies for Tension and StressThe best treatment for anxiety, tension and stress is to identify and eliminate or reduce stressors and to identify negative coping patterns and replace them with positive coping strategies.

*Keep your body healthy with proper nutrition and exercise.
*Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, sugar and refined foods.
*Nutritional supplements such as calcium (1,000 mg per day), magnesium (400 to 600 mg per day), and B complex vitamins (50 to 100 mg per day can help support the nervous system and minimize the effects of stress. 
*Relaxation techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing, biofeedback, meditation, and self-hypnosis can be effective in relieving tension, stress and anxiety. 

For those times when stress is unavoidable but manageable, consider the following:

*One 8 oz cup of chamomile or lavender or a chamomile and lavender combination tea can be taken to reduce anxiety, nervousness and tension.
*Herbs useful for reducing anxiety and stress include passionflower, valerian, kava, as well as most of the mint family, including varieties such as catnip and lemon balm.
*Aromatherapy can be excellent for reducing anxiety and environmental stressors and promoting a relaxing environment.  Lavender is especially good for this.  Put some essential oil on a cotton ball in your room, burn a lavender candle or put a cup of lavender flowers in a muslin/cheese cloth bag and put in your bath water.
*Other essential oils that are useful for promoting relaxation and relieving anxiety are bergamot, cypress, geranium, jasmine, lemon balm, neroli, rose, sandalwood, and ylang-ylang.
*Massage is a great stress reducer.  The following points can helprelieve anxiety, tension and stress.


*For some other ideas, try http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/47/123.cfm

Infused oils integrate herbs (generally dried) into a carrier oil…there are slow or quick methods to do this, depending on your time frame in which you wish to use it and what you want to use it for.

Magickal oils are often made using the slower method, matching the timing to moon phases, holidays, etc.  Often the oil is kept on an altar, or might be blessed or charged before use, and can be and especially effective medium for protective spells and shielding.

I frequently (almost constantly) have a jar or two (or three or four) infusing away…unless I need something last minute, I rarely use any of the crockpot or other “speedy” methods for infusions.  Probably my most frequently used infusion the stuff my hubby calls it the “baby butt stuff” which is the main ingredient in my daughter’s diaper salve and we also use the oil from this recipie in a spritz bottle as the oil for baby massage time, after the evening bath.

Sophie’s Soft Skin Salve

1 part lavender
1 part chamomile flowers
1 part yarrow
1 part calendula

Infuse herbs in equal parts sunflower and grapeseed oil. 

Once oil is infused, using a double broiler, melt equal parts beeswax and cocoa butter into oil.   Exact ratios depend on desired consistency, so add beeswax and cocoa butter slowly, testing the consistency of the cooled mixture.  Add about 5-10 drops of tea tree oil (per aproximate cup) to the finished product before cooling to prevent and treat mild cases of diaper rash caused by a yeast infection  (the small amount of tea tree oil in the salve also has a cooling and pain releaving effect on an ouchy baby butt). 

*this is also great if you add a bit of infused rose oil

There are several reasons that I ended up being a babywearing fan…

First off, its good for the baby (and what is good for baby is great for mama)…

Babies who are carried cry and fuss less than babies who spend most of their days out of physical contact with their parents. In Hunziker and Barr’s (1986) study of increased carrying and its affect on infant crying it was shown that increased carrying throughout the day reduces both the duration and the quality of infant crying. In this study, which included 99 mother-infant pairs, the experimental group (49 pairs) was provided with soft infant carriers and asked to carry their children for a minimum of three non-crying, non-feeding hours a day for eight weeks. It was found that at six weeks of age, the time of normal peak crying for infants in Western society, the supplemented carrying group of infants cried and fussed 43% less than the control group; this was about one hour less of crying per day. These children also fed more frequently, though not for increased duration, and were quiet and alert for more time each day than the control group of babies. This quiet and alert period is typically regarded by child developmentalists and pediatricians as the time when a baby is most capable of learning (Sears, 1995a; Sears & Sears, 1993).
     The development of attachment is also affected by infant carrying, as shown in a study of mother-infant dyads by Anisfeld, Casper, Nozyce, and Cunningham (1990). In contrast to the Honziker and Barr (1986) study which enlisted middle-class Canadian mothers, this study was conducted with the participation of lower socioeconomic mothers of minority ethnic backgrounds in a large city of the United States. The Anisfeld et al. study consisted of 49 participating pairs. The study sought to prove that mothers who carried their infants in soft carriers in the first three months of life would be more sensitive and responsive toward their babies after 90 days than mothers who toted their babies in plastic seats and, further, that this responsive behavior would be related to the child’s security of attachment at 13 months. Indeed the authors’ hypotheses were proven correct. Not only were the cloth carrier moms more responsive towards their babies in infancy, but 83% of their children were securely attached to them at 13 months of age. This was compared to the control group in which only 38% of the children were securely attached to their mothers. Curiously, within the control group, four of the mothers used a soft baby carrier in addition to using the car seat-type carrier and three out of those four mothers and babies had secure attachments. The authors also noted that a high percentage of avoidant relationships within the control group (38.5%) was consistent with existing data on mother-infant attachment for similar inner-city, low-SES populations. It was clear that the increased carrying of the infants in a soft front-pack carrier improved considerably the chances of the mother-infant pairs having a securely attached relationship and was a worthy intervention to be tried with high-risk populations.

Probably the best newborn tricks I learned working at the hospital include kangaroo care (which, if you can’t breastfeed, minimizes all but the nutritional difference between breastmilk and formula–but don’t let the milk nazis hear you say that one) and swaddling…combined with babywearing, it seems to ease the transition for the baby between in the womb and “oh shit, big wide world!” 

I think about it this way…baby bakes at 98.6 degrees F for 9 months in a dark, squished place where it sways around with whatever motion mommy makes…it hears mommy’s heartbeat, mommy’s voice, mommy’s tummy gurgling (most estimates of what it sounds like invitro, compare it to a vaccum cleaner in volume)—and then, it gets yanked out into the big wide world , let loose into bright lights, strange noises, cold (hey, 98.6 is downright HOT), and SPACE…swaddling provides security, babywearing provides the same motion and some of the same noises and a wee bit of the coziness and darkness that it had in the womb…

Second of all, its convienent…wearing a baby is HANDS FREE!!!  Strollers are big and bulky–especially if you are going to go shopping (unless, of course, you are going to be trying on clothes), and a sling is FAR easier than lugging around a baby carrier… some carriers even come with pockets or clips to attatch a pouch to hold a diaper, bottle, etc…  A friend of mine’s mother is a seamstress and made her an adjustable sling that has a zippered pocket sewn in and snaps that attatch to a big fleece blankie that can be wrapped around and tossed over baby in the sling

Third of all (this is so shallow)…it looks cool——-AND you can coordinate with your outfits.  (my hubby even has his own sling—its black  )…and it covers that baby bulge that takes a while to go away…

for more info on baby slings and other carrieres, try here.

My daughter likes Sesame Street…yes, I know, TV is evil–but it makes cooking dinner easier…if my day today was sponsored by a letter and number, I think it would be the number 15, and the letter ‘P’.  15 because today I start the 15th week of pregnancy and I start my last 15 months in the navy…and the letter ‘P’ for puking, pregnancy, procrastinate, popcorn and pickles.

 Since biting insects can harbor disease (malaria, west nile, lyme disease, etc)—and its annoying to be scratching anyhow, it is better to simply avoid getting bit in the fist place. 

Around the home, eliminate places where mosquitoes can breed, make sure that screens are in good condition, and plant plants that pests dislike.  In areas where this is difficult, protective clothing should be worn.  Chemical insect repellants can also be used, or there are herbal alternatives.

*Pest repellent plants for the garden include basil which deters mosquitoes and flies (and it tastes and grows well with tomato as a companion plant), henbit which is a general insect repellant, the mole plant which doesn’t deter bugs but will deter moles and mice, tansy deters ants and flies, peppermint deters flies, mosquitoes and ants (and also rats), and pennyroyal deters fleas (but is not meant to be ingested, so keep away from where kids and pets can ingest it). 

*Essential oils citronella and its cousin lemongrass, eucalyptus, bay laurel, lavender, thyme, geranium, and mint family plants (catnip, peppermint, etc) can be diluted in a carrier oil (you can also try infused oils of these plants), or added to aloe vera gel or witch hazel as a spray to repel insects.

*Real vanilla extract (as opposed to the flavoring) is reported to deter mosquitoes.  Real vanilla extract is also expensive…not sure the effectiveness of this, much less if it works in dilution (but at least it smells yummy…and is baby safe)

*Bentonite clay and echinacea tincture or powdered echinacea and lavender essential oil combined to form a paste/plaster to apply to insect bites and stings to relieve itching.

*Fresh leaf poultices can be made from plantain, chickweed, witch hazel or willow and applied to bites (to make a fresh leaf poultice, be certain you have identified plant properly, pick leaf, chew, apply to bite, cover with band-aid if needed to hold in place).
*Apply witch hazel to a cotton ball and cover with a band-aid to hold in place as a sort of mini compress to bug bites.