This Cough Syrup/Decongestant has been hugely popular this spring so I thought I'd share it for anyone after a quick and natural remedy.
I find this recipe to be at least as effective as store bought cough syrups, without of course the synthetic colours, flavours and other nasties, not too mention drugs such as Pseudoephedrine, Phenylephrine Hydrochloride and Dextromethorphan, just to name a few.

With Spring well on its way it can be tempting to pull out the basket of hazardous chemicals from under the kitchen sink (food for thought - is this also where you keep your potatoes?) but when was the last time you had a look at what is actually in your favourite cleaning products and air fresheners? If its occurred to you that perhaps these aren't the sort of products you want to spray over every surface of your home, you may be interested to know that most cleaners could easily be replaced with a handful of ingredients that you probably have lying around the house. Baking soda mixed with a little water makes a great replacement for scrubs and cream cleaners, or sprinkle on carpets before vacuuming to remove odours. Use your leftover citrus peels to make an easy all purpose cleaner; cover with white vinegar and let sit for a week or two, then transfer it to a spray bottle. Vinegar also makes a great substitute for fabric softeners (minus the residue they leave), and at a fraction of the price!
Head over to Chemical Free Cleaning on Pinterest for more safe household cleaning alternatives.

There have been a few broken bones recently and so I thought I'd make public the advice I normally give to those patients.
Firstly, the acupuncture point marked in red is known as Shu Gu (which translates to "Binding Bones") and is said to help mend broken bones. To activate it simply massage the point right behind the knuckle on your little toe, preferably using a warming liniment such as Woodlock or Kwan Loong, or you can use a moxa stick (all available at the clinic).

Pins 'N' Potions has sponsored a pair of cheeks with a child between them!
Kieng is 4 years old and lives in Laos with her mother, father and brother. Her parents are farmers and she helps to care for the animals, but her favourite activity is skipping.
If you'd like to sponsor a child of your own, go to www.worldvision.com.au. Or if you'd like to contribute to Kieng's sponsorship, contact jennifer@pinsnpotions.com.au.

January is a special month. In January many people, having indulged over the Christmas - New Year break, will wake up and realise that their work pants are a little snug, there sleep patterns a little less regular, and their 8am Yoga class has been replaced with a 10am coffee break. Fortunately, a trip to the store reveals rows of fresh summer fruits and from hereon it is perfectly acceptable to bring a salad to a party instead of a bottle of wine. January is the month to make everything right again; the salad month.

Having worked with both large companies and small business, public and private, I have seen a great deal of variance in the way workplace safety is perceived and handled, even between departments. If you have worked for a large company you will, no doubt, have had to attend some kind of manual handling/no lift/equipment safety training as part of your orientation, however in many workplaces there is still little to no workplace safety policies in place and it is even frowned upon to  report minor injuries.

Migraines remain something of a mystery to medical practitioners. While the cause is often unknown and triggers vary from person to person, the most common are stress, fatigue, lighting, hormonal, dietary and environmental factors. The medical treatment options include various medications (most of which only treat the symptoms) and even surgical options! If you’re not prepared to go under the knife just yet, Traditional Chinese Medicine provides a more natural range of treatment options, including acupuncture, remedial massage, cupping, herbal supplements and dietary changes. Chinese Medicine views headaches and migraines slightly differently; generally speaking, migraines are caused by four groups of patterns:

I'm so pleased to say that the new clinic has hit the ground running. I am still amazed by how well (and how quickly) the practice has been received in Wallan and would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for passing on their recommendations. Special thanks to Lisa and the girls at Contours whose praises have spread like wildfire (even reaching the ears of my own mother in Epping). I'm currently available Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday by appointment.

Frozen shoulder, or Adhesive Capsulitis, is a thickening and hardening of the shoulder joint due to inflammation, scarring and adhesions on the connective tissue. When this occurs, movement of the shoulder joint is severely impeded, sleep can be interrupted and daily tasks, such as dressing, become difficult.

If you've ever read a research article about acupuncture, you've probably seen a lot of nonsense about control groups and 'sham acupuncture' (such as someone placing a needle 1cm away from a point and on the same meridian, where there may even be another point, and claiming any effect must be a placebo because it wasn't the exact point) but I can't help but wonder, does it even matter? A placebo effect is still an effect! If the real benefit comes from taking an hour out of your busy schedule to talk about your stresses, listen to some relaxing music and take a nap while someone else looks after you, so be it. So to anyone who has ever asked me "does acupuncture really work or is it just a placebo?" The answer is: Yes, on both counts.