natural remedies

This creamy soup, called Anraith Oninniun in Ireland and adapted from Theodora Fitzgibbon's Traditional Irish Cooking, makes a great healthy lunch and is an amazing value for money! My mom, Granna Anna, has made this for years, as have I; it’s absolutely delicious, and the cloves of garlic are great for keeping colds at bay.

Ingredients

2 heaping tablespoons of butter

1 lb white onions, thinly sliced

2 cloves

2 heaping tablespoons of flour

pinch of powdered mace or nutmeg

1 bay leaf

2 cups chicken, pork or vegetable stock

1  cup milk

salt & pepper

fresh parsley to garnish

1/2 cup of cream or 1-3 tablespoons of grated cheese (optional)

Preparation

Heat the butter, and when foaming add the onions and the cloves. Let the onions soften but not color at all. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, and mix well and cook, stirring, for about one minute, then add the mace or nutmeg, the bay leaf and the stock. Stir constantly until it boils, making sure that it’s smooth.

Simmer until the onions are cooked, then add the milk, stirring. When that boils lift out the cloves and the bay leaf.

It can now be liquidized (use an immersion blender or a food processor) or served as is. Add cream or cheese at this stage if you’d like a more filling soup. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serves  4-6”

Enjoy!

Image Source: Courtesy of Niamh Farnon

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.

The following information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.

Trying to conceive a baby can be scary, exciting, stressful and fun! I remember long nights lying awake wondering if this was the night that I finally got pregnant. Of course, those nights were also full of feelings of fear and worry, followed by excitement again.  

I worried that having a baby would change my life too much and that I wouldn't be a good parent. I worried about the safety of various baby products. But one thing I didn't think about was what kind of lubricant I was using.

The fact of the matter was that I should have been worrying about lubricants. Conventional lubricants often contain ingredients such as propylene glycol or methylparaben or chemicals derived from petroleum. These ingredients can cause side effects ranging from skin irritation to cancer. Not only are these toxins potentially harmful, they can interfere with your ability to conceive.

Most people know that spermicidal lubricants kill sperm, but even non-spermicidal lubricants can contain ingredients that are toxic to sperm, and even natural lubricants can interfere with sperm's ability to reach the cervical mucus.  

Even worse, conventional lubricants can contain ingredients that can be harmful to your unborn child, causing problems ranging from developmental to reproductive toxicity. The effects of toxins are especially dangerous during the first few weeks of pregnancy, when you are most likely to still be trying.

Lubricant Alternatives

So if you are trying to conceive, the best idea is probably to avoid lubricants altogether. If this isn't an option (and for many women it isn't), choose lubricants made from all natural ingredients — a list of options can be found on OnePartSunshine.com.

You can even make your own lubricants using ingredients such as canola, coconut, or almond oil. Try this recipe for "love balm" from Crunchy Betty.

To be truly sure that the lubricants you are using aren't interfering with the sperm's journey to the egg, choose a product that was designed to be sperm-friendly. Yes Baby makes a fertility-friendly lubricant, and there's some evidence that canola oil is sperm-friendly.

Most importantly, have fun. And try not to worry too much!

The preceding information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.

Image Source: iStockPhoto

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.

Dread cleaning the bathroom? To help streamline your bathroom cleaning, we've rounded up five strategies from real moms on how to make the task easier. 

1. De-Clutter So There’s Less to Clean

Bathrooms all too easily become a clutter of towels, bath toys, hair products and teeth brushing supplies. As Jacinda of the blog Homemaker Hand Guide shares: "I ... minimize the clutter by not keeping a lot of items in the bathroom. Just the basics. This helps prevent dust and makes cleaning a breeze."

Ideas to try include corralling bottles and products into baskets, moving bulk supplies of toilet paper elsewhere, removing little-used bath toys, and minimizing the towels that find their way into the bathroom.

As Pam of Momma Can relays: "My newest trick to keep the clutter down is one towel for each family member and everyone has their own color. I packed away the rest of the towels and hid the extra guest towels. Oddly enough the floors and hampers have never looked so empty! We wash the towels on Wednesdays and Saturdays."

2. Keep Cleaning Supplies in the Bathroom

“The best tip for keeping the bathroom clean in my house is the bucket I keep under each sink," shares Pam of Momma Can. "It holds clean rags and a spray bottle of diluted vinegar."

Several moms echoed her tip, including Jenn Farr of Kitchen Counter Chronicles: "Keep cleaning supplies in the bathroom. If I have to go searching for the supplies then I won't clean as often." Of course, if you have young children, make sure products are in a child-proofed area. (Related: A Quick Guide to Baby-Proofing)

3. Find Products You Love

Did you know bathroom cleaning supplies come in scents like peppermint, almond, lavender and eucalyptus? Look for products with your favorite scent to help energize you while cleaning. As AlexisAnne of Clean, Smart Simple Style shares: “Finding a product that I love (that smells clean, but in a good way, not in a chemically way) has really helped motivate me to keep the bathrooms clean.” (Related: 7 Great Cleaning Products)

4. Spot Clean Daily (or Every Other Day)

Several moms advise that spot cleaning regularly helps keep their bathroom mess manageable. "Each day I try and do a 'wipe-down' of the sink, toilet and shower with a Clorox wipe, shares Jacinda of Homemaker Hand Guide. "This takes me less than 5 minutes and prevents the bathroom from becoming unbearably dirty."

Can't fit in a daily once over? Pam of Momma Can says a three-day-per-week cleaning schedule works for her: "After I drop off little guy to school I have three designated days that I run around a spot clean the mess."

5. Multitask During Bath Time

"I tend to clean the rest of the bathroom while my kiddos are in the tub," shares AlexisAnne of Clean, Smart Simple Style. Whether you have a few minutes to spare during your child's potty training, teeth brushing or bath time, they can make a difference.

Jenn Farr of Kitchen Counter Chronicles agrees: "Wipe out the sink every night while the kids are in the bath. I like to take advantage of the time I am in the bathroom hanging out while they bathe." She wisely adds, "Multitasking is a mom's best talent."

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.

When it comes to keeping our minds and bodies feeling great, living a healthy lifestyle consisting of a well-balanced diet, plenty of H2O and sleep, regular exercise, and an abundance of playtime with friends and family is sometimes all you really need. Adopting healthy habits also does wonders for another facet of total body wellness — your sex life! That's right, taking care of yourself affects all areas of your life, especially the maintenance of a healthy libido. If your sex drive needs a bit of revving, here are some quick and natural ways to bring back the spark. Although if you feel like your low libido could be attributed to a medical issue or medications, be sure to check in with your doctor.

Keep reading for the libido enhancers!

Pesky eye twitches can come and go frequently throughout the day, sometimes lasting for about 30 seconds. The worst part about this twitch is that it can't be controlled and can be very distracting.

According to Dr. Oz, this involuntary twitching may be attributed to stress, fatigue, smoking, caffeine, or alcohol consumption. I don't smoke, get a decent amount of sleep, consume alcohol in moderation, and don't drink coffee or feel stressed. So what could it be? Other experts believe it is caused by misfiring of certain cells in one area of the brain that, in addition to the above reasons, can be aggravated by harsh light conditions.

Although annoying, these twitches — proper medical term is fasciculation — are very common and often not serious. But if it does persist over a long period of time (more than a few months), you should go see a doctor.

Here are some ways you can help alleviate twitches.

Ouch! Diaper rash is a true pain in the bum—and as common as ants at a picnic. Caused by factors that include extended wetness, diarrhea, diet, and allergies, it shows up as inflamed, bright red skin on a baby’s rear end. Thankfully, over a thousand Circle of Moms members have shared their tricks for banishing the pesky rash, and here we're sharing 7 of the best.

1. Open Airtime

“The best remedy for diaper rash is to let your little one be diaper free for a few hours throughout the day,” advises Yesenia S., one of numerous Circle of Moms members who stress that open-air playtime is the fastest way to heal diaper rash.

2. Frequent Diaper Changes

Diaper rash is commonly linked to continuously wet diapers, so frequent changes are essential to prevention and healing. As Asawari S. recommends: “Make sure you change the diaper every 3 hours as a rule. The acidity of the wet diaper will add to the rash.”

3. Ointments

Every baby is different, so it’s no surprise that moms tout many different diaper rash creams as miracle workers. Still, some products receive consistently high marks, including Melanie B.’s favorite brand: Triple Paste. "It is THE BEST on the market…Both my daughters have eczema and sensitive skin, so Triple Paste has been a lifesaver, or should I say, a butt saver.” Others agree with mother-of-two Jessica S.: “I like the Bourdreaux Butt Paste, and not just for the funny name! It works better than anything else I’ve tried, and it’s really gentle on her skin. A lot of the other ones seem to burn if she has a bad rash.” Additional popular remedies include mixtures with Maalox (to neutralize the acid in your bub’s nether regions), or good old Vaseline.

4. Baking Soda and Corn Starch

If over-the-counter ointments prove unsuccessful, consider raiding your cupboard. Many moms swear by baking soda baths, while others like Lora J. recommend corn starch: “An old remedy is corn starch straight outta the box. It coats and soothes all in one.” Note, however, that if a yeast infection is involved, corn starch will worsen the situation.

5. Switch Baby Wipes and Diapers

“You may want to try different wipes and diapers,” suggested mother-of-three Stephanie S. “There may be an allergy issue. My LO is allergic to all but Huggies Supreme and 7th Generation.” Kim N. agreed: “Be careful about the wipes you are using during changing. If they are fragranced or infused with alcohol, they will irritate his skin even more.”

6. Check Baby's Diet—and Yours

Diaper rash often develops after a baby is introduced to solid foods, or when a breast-feeding mom eats certain foods. As Christine N. shared: “When my babies had bad nappy rash I tried to limit the amount of dairy products they ate as these tended to make them worse.” Acidic foods, such as citrus juices, are another common culprit.

7. Rule Out Other Infections

Be sure to consult your pediatrician if diaper rash lingers, spreads beyond the diaper area, or is accompanied by fever, blisters, boils, pus or weeping discharge. The rash may actually be a yeast or fungal infection, thrush or eczema.

Image Source: futurestreet via Flickr/Creative Commons

In my opinion, the only downside to consuming lots of garlic is having stinky breath. This mighty food adds an abundance of flavor to dishes and can help a variety of ailments putting it at the top of my superfood list.

Just some of garlic's healing properties include warding off colds, reducing inflammation, and boosting immunity. What's not to love? Here are a few garlic tips and tricks:

• How to eat garlic: When you consume garlic, make sure it's crushed to conserve its healthy anti-clotting compounds. You can press it with a garlic press and be sure to only cook it for 3 - 6 minutes. To make chopping a bit easier, find a garlic gadget that will cut and peel cloves into perfectly diced pieces so you can quickly add your garlic to dishes or sprinkle it on food.

Keep reading for more garlic goodness.

Ginger, the powerful herb used as a spice in many dishes, can also be used as a treatment for a variety of ailments. Whether dried, fresh, in juice form or as a powder in a pill, ginger has many therapeutic properties. Here are some to just name a few.

1. Cold Remedy: Drinking homemade ginger tea (which by the way, I'm addicted to), can help relieve congestion, that icky symptom of the common cold.
2. Soothes Sore Muscles: Two separate studies showed that participants who had sore muscles due to a variety of exercises and who took ginger supplements had a reduction in pain of almost 25 percent compared to the placebo group. This study demonstrated ginger's healing anti-inflammatory properties.
3. Motion Sickness: Put me in the back seat of a car and it's a nauseous nightmare. Several studies have found ginger to be effective against nausea from seasickness and other motion sickness related conditions. Taking just two capsules of ginger in powdered form can delay the onset of sickness about twice as long as antinausea medication. And not only that, but another study showed that ginger improved the symptoms of nausea and vomiting in pregnant women and is a low-risk effective treatment.

What else can ginger do?

Motion sickness, tummy problems, and a sore throat: is there anything ginger can't help? Not likely. A new study says that the spicy root also soothes away sore muscles that often come after working out.

In two separate studies, researchers divided 74 healthy adults into two groups — one group of participants were given a daily ginger supplement, while the other group was given a placebo. Over the course of 11 days, all participants performed a variety of exercises that led to the kind of achy, sore muscles that a good workout is prone to do. At the end on the study, the group that was taking the ginger supplements had a reduction in pain of almost 25 percent when compared to the placebo group. Researchers believe that ginger may have anti-inflammatory properties — nature's own ibuprofen! Be sure to read up on other ways to beat post-workout pain.

Whenever I have a bad cough — take the last EIGHT days for instance — I'll take a hot shower for some temporary relief. The warmth of the heat coupled with the steam helps moisturize my dry and irritated throat and helps loosen the phlegm in my chest. Because the cold I have this week is especially brutal, my friends have been offering me all sorts of remedies, like these Aura Cacia eucalyptus shower tabs ($6). You put one of these tabs on the shower floor with you and as the hot water dissolves it, your bathroom becomes turns into a eucalyptus steam room. Besides eucalyptus, there are also peppermint and lavender tabs available.

This whole process is pretty similar to making a steam bowl with essential oils, except that you get a lot more of it at once. And because eucalyptus is a natural decongestant, taking a shower with one of these tabs really helps clear up my sinuses and loosen up my cough. My only gripe is that they are ultimately pretty pricey, and don't last an incredibly long during a shower. I think I might experiment with this concept by putting a few drops of eucalyptus oil on the shower floor, or hanging a bundle of fresh eucalyptus in the shower.