B reviews,  giveaway

Mom’s Magical Headache Cure – and a giveaway!

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This year I experienced my first migraine headache. Wow. They are something else. I’ve been lucky enough to have only had two so far but boy, did they do me in. I’ve never had to actually stop my day and go to bed over a headache before. It’s terrible! My heart goes out to all of you who suffer through them regularly.

Usually when I get a headache I just drink some coffee and pop an advil and they’re gone. Maybe, if it’s really bad, I’ll close my eyes and try to imagine I’m a pat of butter melting in the sun. But lately I’ve stumbled across another trick: peppermint!

I have a friend who is an essential oil fiend. She’s got oils for everything. She even has a diffuser emitting orange peel scent in her car! I haven’t actually jumped on that bandwagon but I do love me some peppermint oil at the right time.  Like when a headache is coming on.

I won’t say that it’s a magical cure for migraines but I definitely go to it as my first line of defense. That and drinking water of course. All you have to do is put two or three drops of peppermint oil on your fingers and gently rub it into your temples, making sure not to get it too close to your eyes of course because it can sting!

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When Infinity Jars hit me up for a possible collaboration I was all over their tiny five-millimeter roller ball bottles. Aren’t they cute? Perfect for keeping in your purse for when that niggling headache shows announced!

I don’t usually go for these types of blog posts unless I’m getting paid but I was already in the market for some jars, and you know me, if there is a chance to make some packaging and then give it away to my blog readers (aka my ten friends who still loyally read) I’m all over that. I love packaging design!

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It took me a few times to get it right. I tried to make some circle labels to punch out with my handy dandy punch but these jars were too small for style of label. My big circle labels would have gone right over the lid and looked like a seal, which might have been cool if we were trying to keep things fresh but who want’s a ripped up label once you open it? Not me!

Rectangle it had to be. Next, I learned the hard way that oil and sticker paper don’t mix very well. That was a mess. Aren’t you glad I’m making all the mistakes first so you don’t have to?! In the end I figured out that regular old printer paper worked great with packing tape on top.

Now I have everything perfected so you can make some too! Wouldn’t they be perfect for stocking stuffers? Or to give to your anxious kid so she can roll some on at school when she’s feeling stressed out? These make perfect gifts. I know because I’ve already given three away and the rest are threatening to walk away but I am protesting because I plan on giving five more away to anyone lucky enough to actually read this far and comment something funny in the comments below. YES! A GIVEAWAY like old times!! Don’t you miss those days.

If you would like to make your own here is my recipe:

  • 5ml bottle (these are what I used – thank you Infinity Jars!)
  • jojoba oil (I ordered this one)
  • peppermint oil (I have no affiliation with this brand, it’s just the one my friend happened to give me)
  • cute labels! (my mom version here AND another version here where you can type your own name in here.)

Directions:

First add 5 to 10 drops of peppermint oil to each jar. Then fill to the top with your jojoba oil.

This part is tricky. I tried funnels and measuring cups with pour spouts but nothing really worked without making a mess. In the end just pouring the jojoba oil in drop by drop from the jojoba’s flip top. That seemed to make the least amount of mess.

Next I wiped everything up really well with a cloth lightly dipped in rubbing alcohol. I sealed my little jars with their roller balls by screwing the lids on tightly. The roller balls come in the lids and when you screw on the lids they sink into their position in the jar below. Then when you unscrew the lid the ball is stuck in the jar and ready to applicate! AND the best part is you can manually pull the roller ball out again when you want to refill. Then you reinsert the ball into the lid and start all over again.  So you can use these bottles forever.

Pretty cool, right? Or is it giving you a headache? Just kidding! But if you have one you should comment and see if you can win some magical medicine for free so you don’t have to make your own. :)

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Need something to comment about? How about you tell me what gives you a headache. Taxes? Hayfever? Obamacare?  Kids practicing violin? Plane rides? Lack of coffee? Lack of sleep? Polkadots? Email problems?

Inquiring blog writers want to know!

I’ll announce the winners (chosen randomly by some method I’ll come up with) next Tuesday.

*This was not a sponsored post. I received the product for free in exchange for an honest review.

44 Comments

  • Yara

    Waiting for all the paperwork so we can buy our house gives me a daily headache lately. It’s only funny because this process has been going on since May, with things falling apart left and right, but I thought it would actually be quick now. HahahaNO.

  • Ines

    Those jars are super cute. I started using lavender for anxiety and I love it. This election cycle has been giving me headaches!! ??

  • bethany actually

    I’ve been using peppermint oil for headaches for years! Had I never told you about it? Oops. :D

    Something funny, hmm…we put up our Xmas tree and stuff the other day, and Elliora went down early the next morning and put stuffed animals in all our stocking for us. It was pretty cute.

    P.S. I’m so excited for my cards to get here!!!

    • SAJ

      They should have gotten there today. I’ll check the tracking number. And YOU are the one who turned me onto peppermint I think! I should have added that in somewhere but it was before I ever had a migraine. xo

  • Jeanette

    The packaging is super sweet & I love the headache tip. Hmm…
    never-ending seasonal allergies are giving me a headache. I’ve never wished more for freezing weather.

  • Rachel

    I assume that a lack of coffee would give me a headache, but I try not to find out. I always get excited to see you have a new post up!

  • Courtney

    Of course we still read!

    I’m so sorry that you’ve experienced a migraine. I’ve had them since I was a teen and they suck! I even went on prescription medication for them but I got all the nasty side effects (forgetting things and words, tingling feet, losing my sense of taste) but not the one “good” side effect of losing weight. Oh well :(

    I’m glad peppermint oil has worked for you! I’ll have to try it!

  • Tressa

    Current headache derives from plotting college costs for 5 more kids, ACA premium cost for 2017?, the vasciillating surge of ?peri-menopausal hormones, bracing for the monthly hormones of 3 young ladies, and retrieving my little rat-dog from various locals around the hood as she escapes daily!! But the tree is up! The furnace works! And coffee is ever abundant! ?

  • MMB

    Sounds weird, but sleeping gives me headaches. A few times per week, I wake up in the middle of the night with a splitting headache. I take some pain reliever, go back to bed and cross my fingers that it will be gone by the time I wake up!

  • Michelle

    I didn’t realize you could buy reusable roller ball jars – LOVE this!!!

    The jack-hammering going on outside my office window ALL day gave me a really bad headache I didn’t even realize I had until I walked out of the office. A stealth headache – who knew???

  • Tamara Lang

    Lack of sleep and my job are giving me headaches these day (have one today as a matter of fact.) And look, more than 10 readers :) Now I want to make these things for everyone this year.

  • Carlie

    Hey there we are not friends in real life but I have been reading your blog since bug was a lot smaller!! Loyal reader and instagram follower over here hey-o! I used to get migraines they were awful, haven’t had one in years though. Lately my headaches have been from lack of sleep (infant baby boy) and/or this dang windy weather.

  • Jillian

    I’ve been toying around with getting on the essential oil bandwagon. I have some lavender oil that works amazingly to calm the dogs down. A few drops in my hand, rub it around and rub it on their neck and shoulders. The change in their behavior is amazing!

    I get a headache when my husband starts talking about finances. I used to handle all my own finances and a little 3 ring binder worked just fine thankyouverymuch. And then Storm came in with his color coded, categorized spreadsheet and I just shook my head and said have at it. Now when he shows me the spreadsheet I can just feel a headache starting.

  • Jennifer Krause

    Winter driving is my headache-inducer ( I live in Minnesota).

    PS: You’ve got a bunch of loyal readers–including me, who dates back to your pre-Paris visit days!

  • Gingermog

    Hi, I think I will give your recipe a try. Both Matt and I suffer from migraines I get the psychedelic, trippy aura with some pain variety but they are usually over in a few hours, but Matt has to go to bed for the whole day and feel nauseous and pain variety. Meh. ;m never sure if coffee is good for migraines or not. I know I’m more liable to get them if I’m dehydrated or have lower back pain.

  • Gingermog

    P.s. I have to avoid flickering/strobing lights even the ticker tape ones that go round a stadium have been known to trigger off a migraine if my brain is in the mood for one.

  • Elaine C. B.

    I get headaches from lack of sleep. Kind of a boring trigger, but a very direct one. I love peppermint tea in the evenings so maybe this would be a nice complement!

  • Helena

    Hey! Am I one of those special ten?

    My fibroids are giving me a headache these days – at least for 4-6 days a month…

    And, I’ve got nothing funny.

    2017 SAJ Calendar!? I know I’m always the first one to nag you about this…

  • S

    Clutter, malls, crazy loud music, tv shows like gravity falls playing in my house…wow I sound like a cranky old person!! Peppermint oil sounds interesting but chocolate is my cure of choice (of course I don’t get migraines as I am sure chocolate would make them worse…but I empathize with all who suffer that pain)

  • Steph

    I have bought myself lots of gifts this year but I still want more. :) These sound amazing! A diffuser and peppermint oil are still on my list…I’d love to try this. Thanks!

  • redzils

    My headaches are all tied to sleep deprivation. My kid finally sleeps through the night – hurray! Now if only I could convince him that the day doesn’t begin at 4:45 am…

  • Stacey

    I don’t know what caused yesterday’s migraine (it’s usually caused by lack of sleep or hunger), but I went to sleep with it and it was still there this morning…UGH!

  • Tara

    Since my daughters diagnosis with leukemia I have basically had a migraine daily. For 21 months I have found that accupuncture is the only thing that helps. It is the best thing ever. Also helps with anxiety which also adds to the headaches. This could be a cheaper solution!!! I read a lot about the oils but can’t decide if I’m ready to buy into it. I could start with peppermint though! I have been reading your blog for years. Never commmented :)

  • Evilisa

    My baby sister gets such terrible migraines I would love to give her one of these. I’ve never had a headache in my 52 years, some weird cosmic joke that she gets ALL the headaches and I get none.

  • heather

    this post is exactly what I needed today. I have been battling migraine/severe headache for a week now. on my way to buy peppermint oil after work. for now I will just suck on a candy cane! thank you for the tip;! :)

  • Heather

    Obviously, I need to get my feedreader up and going again because I LOVE this stuff and missed my opportunity. And I DO get migraines. Wow. Very cool, Brenda.

    Also? THANK YOU for the Christmas card. Such a beautiful family. It is decorating my hutch with a few of my other loved ones’ cards. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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