Holiday Card Giveaway!

Our friends at Jamie's Precious Peas are hosting a fabulous giveaway for 30 holiday cards from Marmalade Ink. With so many super stylish designs to choose from, you're sure to find something perfect for this season! Giveaway ends November 17th, so don't delay!

How To Tell A Cold From H1N1 (Swine Flu)

Given the continuing saga of the spread of the H1N1 virus (Swine Flu) and the unrelenting runny noses and hacking coughs of 3 of my 4 little ones, I thought it was about time to get myself a handy reference for differentiating H1N1 from the common cold. After an exhausting search and comparison of numerous respected medical sources, I was able to compile the following chart as a personal reference. Granted, there are still many similarities between your garden variety seasonal flu and H1N1, but being able to rule in or out the common cold still goes a long way to preserving my peace of mind.

**This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the need for medical advice from a qualified practitioner. If you are experiencing any health related symptoms, seek consultation from your preferred medical provider.

Symptom	Cold	H1N1 Flu
Fever	Fever is rare with a cold.	Fever is usually present in 80% or more of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3-to-4 days is generally associated with the flu.
Coughing	A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold.	A non-productive, non-mucus producing cough is usually present with the flu. It is sometimes referred to as dry cough.
Aches	Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.	Severe aches and pains are common with the flu.
Stuffy Nose	Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.	Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu.
Chills	Chills are uncommon with a cold.	60% of people who have the flu experience chills.
Tiredness	Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.	Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu.
Sneezing	Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.	Sneezing is not common with the flu.
Sudden Symptoms	Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days.	The flu has a rapid onset within 3-to-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.
Headache	A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.	A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases.
Sore Throat	Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.	Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu.
Chest Discomfort	Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.	Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu.

The Sweet, Sweet Smell Revealed!

Da, da, da, da...and here is the fruit of yesterday's labor! What do you think? Perhaps not as refined as some, but I really like the deconstructed layers. I think they give an earthy quality to such a refined scent. Now for a name...

I could go with something as simple as "Orange Blossom" because it smells just as heavenly, but I'm looking for something with a little zip. Any suggestions? Made from a custom blend of essential oils, including neroil and soft citrus notes, this baby is a soft floral that is prominent but not overpowering. I would love to hear what some of my lovely bloggy friends have in mind for my latest creation, so please, fire away!

Ahhhh, The Sweet Smell...

...of orange blossoms! With 3 of 4 munchkins currently fighting off sniffly noses, my mind can't help but wander to thoughts of this sweet citrus fruit (I'm practically bathing them in it in order to get as much Vit C into their little bodies as possible!). This, in turn, leads to thoughts of one of my favorite scents of all time...orange blossom. I've been wanting to play with this heavenly scent in my soaping for some time now, but given how expensive neroli essential oil is, I must plead "chicken" to this point. I just couldn't stomach the possibility of botching a batch (we all know how the merciless Soap Fairy can rear her ugly head from time to time!) and wasting such a prized commodity. Well, no more! This morning I made a trial batch of this sweetly floral wonder...I can't wait to cut into it tomorrow morning and check the "fruits" of my labor (tee, hee)!

Happy Monday :)