Cold sores...gross, but just read!

Yes, we're talking about those nasty blisters that pop up at the most inconvenient time.  I had my first outbreak back in high school and it was one of the most painful experiences of my life.  I won't go into the gross details, but ever since then I've gotten a cold sore almost once a month and high school was 7 years ago people, that's a lot of painful cold sores to deal with!

Now that it's summer, I've been getting that burning, itching sensation on my lips a lot.  Sun and heat are one of my biggest cold sore triggers.  I used to be on medication for them, but since we've moved, I've ran out and haven't gone to the Dr. to get it refilled.  Last month, when I felt a cold sore coming, I started doing some research online about natural ways to stop and heal cold sores.  Several of the websites I found suggested using garlic.  So I started by taking a clove of garlic, crushing it and then putting the "juices" on the site that was starting to get irritated.  It will sting like hell, I'm just warning you.  You'll think that a little bit of itching and a cold sore would be better, but just wait it out. After a minute or two, use a damp paper towel to rinse off your lips.  I could not believe that once the stinging from the garlic was gone, so was the itching and so was the cold sore.  I've done this twice and both times have resulted in it completely going away and not developing into a full blown sore.  After applying and rinsing the garlic, you might want to go wash your face cause you'll smell like a pizza or something similar.  After doing this I dabbed the area with Neosporin just for good measure.

So there you go! I'm curious if it will work for anyone else. I'm super excited that I found a way to stop these things without taking a pill every day. 

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Yesterday was good! The sun was shining for the first time in a few days and we got some really good news that I'll share soon, once everything is final.  Yesterday also marked one week until the Mann/Mass vacation starts with Becca coming a week early.  I can't wait to see them and I really can't wait to be at the river. 

Here are some things I've found lately that I've loved:

This recipe is delicious, and yes, try to let it sit for longer than 30 minutes.

This blog is full of pretty, inspiring pictures.

This video makes me want to go on a road trip and camping and hiking.

This etsy shop is super cute, I want this print for my kitchen!

Happy Thursday! One more day til' the weekend!

weekend recap

1/ Starting off the weekend right, with cheerful flowers in a pretty jar on my table.  2/ Two Apples to Apples nights this weekend, accompanied by good food and cold beers.  3/ This little girl thinks she can take my spot! They were so cute, I didn't have the heart to move her.  4/ My favorite two summer activities! Reading and soaking up the sun.  5/ Working on the bike.  If only we could get this bad boy running again.  6/ Our two children who are always cuddling.

I hope everyone had a good weekend and great Fathers Day!  I'm so very thankful for my dad.  I think he's one of the greatest men in the world and makes an even better father and husband.

Have a good week loves!

Thoughts..

Over the weekend, a young woman, passed away from acute leukemia at the age of 22.  I only had the privilege of being around Camila a handful of times, but when I was I loved her.  You can't help but love someone who is so bubbly, kind, and sweet.  I will always remember the Valentine's Day I spent with her and Corinne and her performance in Rent.  We found out about her cancer right after our wedding and it was a shock, but as her disease progressed I swear it sounded like their wasn't a negative bone in her body, she was positive and radiant about her circumstances.  

Her passing made me very sad, but also gave me a wake up call.  We might be struggling financially and things might be going wrong right and left, but we are healthy and in the huge scheme of life, our problems aren't that big.  I'll be thinking of Camila's family in the days, weeks and months to come.

Dear mosquitoes and other letters..

  

Dear mosquitoes, there is a time and a place for everything.  No one can begrudge you when you decide to make a meal out of us when we're camping, hanging out on the dock watching the sunset, grillin' out, or playing cornhole.  We're outside, in your realm of suck (literally) and if we forget bug spray, hey, go at it!  However, when I am inside and in my bed, it is not time to go have yourself a feast on my feet of all places!  This means wearing shoes in unbearable and falling asleep takes a million times longer because I can't stop wanting to claw my feet off. Stay out of my house!  

Dear rain, go away. Last weekend was perfect summer adventuring weather and this constant downpour is throwing off my mojo and fading my tan.   

Dear JD Mass, last night you cooked us dinner and put the best bacon pieces on my pizza #husbandoftheyear.  You also never fail to encourage and try to help me, you're pretty much the best thing since pre-sliced bagles.   

Dear Bec Nicole, less than 20 days until I get to see your pretty face and our house becomes a bit more livelier and a tad louder. I can't wait!

Dear family, a little over 20 days until I get to see all your faces and man, does that make me happy! Now we can have awesome face-to-face conversations, instead of hilarious group text messaging.  I swear we need our own reality show.

Dear life changes that are around the bend, I'm excited and nervous for you all at the same time.  Bring it on (no, I am not pregnant...y'all need to chill).

Dear husband, who always gets two letters, in just 42 days we celebrate our first year of marriage.  Can you believe how quickly it's gone by?  It's been one of the best and toughest years of my life and I can't wait for the next 50 or so. I love you.

10 things I wish

1.  I wish I was getting up with the sun and getting ready to go to work every day.

2.  I wish I could sit down with a pen in my hand and "bleed" words all over the paper.

3.  I wish I knew what I'm most passionate about.

4.  I wish loving my husband was a full-time, paying job...'cause I'm pretty good at it.

5.  I wish I wasn't afraid of the possibility of moving overseas.

6.  I wish I could run as far as I wanted without stopping.

7.  I wish I could go back to the time of constantly learning in a classroom.

8.  I wish I could eat whatever I wanted without thinking about gaining weight.

9.  I wish for friendships that will never die or grow faint.

10.  I wish for the ability to stop stress and anxiousness dead in its tracks.

Weekend in photos.

1/ Exploring Carthage with my love and finding this amazing abandoned house we want to fix up! 2/ Finding another abandoned building we want to turn into a restaurant and bar. We don't have big plans for our future at all!  3/ Taking a dirt road through post to get home and finding a pretty little bridge and creek.  4/ Summer storms are my absolute favorite.  5/  Watching the sun set on the back porch with this adorable face.