My Favorite Cold Remedy

I think most people hate when they pick up a nasty cold virus, unless you are someone under age 18 who loves getting to stay home from school (like I was!), in which case getting a cold was the best thing to happen ever!  However, I'm not a school aged kid anymore, which means I really don't have time to be sick.  Also, being a singer and vocal coach I really despise that little tickle I feel in my throat, more specifically on my soft palette, that lets me know...... I'm next.

Over the years I have tried all sorts or recipes and hoodoo to keep the cold bugs at bay.  Once I even drank a 1/4 cup of cayenne pepper to heal my insides.  That was a big, burning mistake.  I basically wanted to throw my stomach against a wall and then douse it with a fire extinguisher.  I also used to flush my sinuses with a netti pot.  It feels so good!  Then I heard about a girl getting brain eating parasites in the south from her netti pot because she used tap water, not boiled water.  Ummmm.......I use tap water.  So, since I don't have the patience to boil my water first and then let it cool the netti pot got crossed off my list.

My go to drink over the years, and still is: Honey Lemon Ginger Tea.  Now, here is the catch, it all has to be fresh.  There are tons of teas like this at the grocery store.  I find, however, that it is most effective when the ingredients are fresh and the tea is made from scratch.

Ingredients:

1 lemon

1 inch ginger root, peeled

1 Tablespoon honey (local kind is the best)

hot water

Get a big mug.  Squeeze the lemon juice directly into the mug.  Then grate the ginger directly into the mug as well.  Drop the honey in.  Now pour the hot water into the mug and stir till dissolved.  Enjoy!

I really do swear by this little concoction.  It's pleasant to drink, and it honestly helps me to feel better quickly.  I'm actually drink a mug full right now, as it's a drizzly morning here in London and I've a got a bit of a cold coming on.

Cheers! 

Spirit Animals

Spirit Animals seem to be all the rage on social media among us millenials.  There will be a fierce picture on instagram with #SpiritAnimal, or perhaps two people will be posing and the tag will be something like, "finally reunited with my spirit animal."  It's not something I've ever gotten into, but lots of other people think it's cool.  There are tons of quizzes out there to find out what your spirit animal is.  I even found a "What is your Disney Spirit Animal" quiz.  I've taken a few.  I think the last one told me that a pixie was my spirit animal.  When I see posts like this I think, "What really is a spirit animal?"

I found this info on Urban Dictionary.  I guess whenever someone says 'spriti animal' I can't help but think of the patronous from Harry Potter.  I believe that the patronous is supposed to sort of represent you in some sort of way or embody some part of you.  What would your patronous be?  Sometimes I will grab a pencil or a wooden cooking spoon and wave it around while yelling out spells.  I think this is probably quite normal behavior for anyone who believes that if they just try hard enough, the muggleness will eventually wear off and finally they will receive their letter from Hogwarts.  I'm still waiting for mine.

I've been imagining what my patronous or spirt animal would be.  My favorite animal is a sloth, and though I love them and think they are beyond adorable I don't think they would make an exciting spirit animal.  Confession: They might actually be an appropriate weekend spirit animal for me.

Unicorns!  I love unicorns.  I don't know anyone that doesn't like unicorns.  And besides people evolved from unicorns right?!  Didn't you all see the movie "The Last Unicorn?"  It definitely shows a Unicorn becoming human.  I'm joking, obviously, but only about the human part.  In all seriousness, Unicorns are simply gorgeous, magnificent creatures and I would love to have it be my patronous.

The final 'animal' that I would like to be/have as a spirit animal is a mermaid.  I love how mysterious they are.  Also, they are lovely and elegant swimming around in the ocean with their long flowing hair whirling around.  Plus, they are a bit perilous and dangerous luring sailors to troubled waters with their beautiful voices.  My friend Paige and I did a Mermaid photo shoot once, because we basically just want to be mermaid princesses.

Have you ever thought about your spirit animal?  At first I thought it was silly, but I'm pretty sure every lady has thought about some sort or animal or mythical creature they would want to be or that they feel a special connection with.  I feel great when I go swimming and pretend to be a mermaid.  I will keep my legs together and either do the butterfly stroke or a modified breast stroke in order to move through the water like a mermaid.  It's so fun and I feel like a princess of the sea.  I recommend trying it at least once.  And while you are at it, think about what your spirit animal would be and why, it quite fun.