5 Quick Tips: To Ease a Toothache

 

Photo Credit: Digi_Shot

I consider myself to be relatively tolerant of most minor aches and pains, but there is absolutely nothing more painful than a severe toothache.

 I recently spent three days in absolute torturous pain that felt like I was either getting hit in the face by lightning repeatedly or being shot in the face...it is a toss up between the two.

The culprit? The WORST toothache I've ever experienced!

Here are the Top 5 Things I Tried and How They Worked:

1. Gargling Warm Salt Water:

In the past I've found with minor toothaches this has always been a good general approach. If the pain is minimal it does give some relief, but for more severe situations it is not going to be the best option.

2. Gargling Hydrogen Peroxide:

Yes I know what you may be thinking, you shouldn't use this internally at full strength. Okay so here goes my PC word of warning: "Just Don't Swallow It!", see simple. I have had a lot of success in the past with this and in the most recent instance, I did find that this method gave me around 5 minutes of comfort at a time, but it was definitely not a lasting solution.

3.  Hot/Cold Therapy:

As the pain first began to creep up, I decided that I would try to soak in a hot bath to see if it helped to relieve the discomfort. I did have minimal relief from the hot water, but you could just use a hot compress as well. Later after the pain intensified I decided to apply an ice pack to the side of my jaw that was hurting and that too dulled the pain, but only minimally. 

4. Home Remedies:

Garlic/Onion-

For minor toothaches I have used garlic or onion to dull the pain. This can either be with done with raw pieces of garlic or onion placed on the affected tooth or simply mixing garlic or onion powder with room temperature water and gargling until the pain subsides. 

Vanilla-

Another home remedy that can be helpful is using vanilla extract. Dip a cotton swab into the vanilla and apply to the tooth. If you try the vanilla, be sure not to get it on your gums or tongue as it can cause a burning sensation. 

Baking Soda-

A third option that can be very helpful is to use baking soda. You'll need a cotton ball, baking soda and water. First you mix baking soda with a little water and heat it up for about 30 seconds. Be careful not to get it too hot though, that will only make things worse. After you have warmed your paste, dip your cotton ball into the mixture until well covered. Now place it over the affected tooth and leave it there until the pain stops. This does not taste especially pleasant, but it can help a lot.

5. Advil Liqui-Gels:

I had previously seen this method online, but had never tried it until this episode. One quick note, the generic versions also work just fine. In fact I had the Family Dollar version which is labeled 'Family Wellness'. Take one gel cap and poke it with a needle or thumbtack so that the medication is able to leak out and either place the full gel cap on the tooth or as I did, saturate a cotton swab with the medication and apply directly to the tooth. 

Which Method Finally Worked to Stop My Severe Pain?

It was the Ibuprofen Gel Cap for the Win!

If you find yourself in a similar situation and you try any of these methods, let us know if they helped. If you have other suggestions or proven methods, please feel free to share them in the comments. 

*NOTE: I am not a physician, nor claim to be. This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. 

How to Cope with Prepping Setbacks

 

Let’s get real for a minute…prepping costs money. I know there are dozens of people who are thinking, “yes but there are frugal ways to prep.” Those people are absolutely correct. However, life happens and sometimes there is just not enough money to go around. This is nothing new whether you are a prepper or not, at some point in time everyone hits a rough patch. Speaking from experience here!

The tough part can be not letting those rough spots cause you to just give up. It’s not uncommon to hit a brick wall once it awhile, but are you going to stand there looking at it or find a way around it? My suggestion is to get moving and don’t stop. People that stop tend to become stagnant and hardly get back after whatever they’ve begun. Don’t be that person, you’ve got potential!

Besides financial issues there are many things that can lead to having setbacks. Personal, health, and those good ol' unexpected issues. While you can’t always avoid these, there are ways to try to overcome them.

1. Realize you’re not alone, it’s true!

As mentioned above, it happens to all of us. Though ‘it’ means different things to different people, we all stumble or are forced off our path at some point. But we’re all in this together!

2. Don’t become intimidated by what’s in front of you.

Sometimes hills can look like mountains, it all depends on your perspective. Take it one step at a time, cliché I know, but seriously. Now I know this is not easy, it never is. Problems and distractions are usually temporary, and they only have the amount of control in your life …that you allow them to have. Don’t.

3. Adjust your attitude. 

That’s right, get it together. You are the master of your destiny, not the other way around. Look that problem in the eye (so to speak), and tell it to back off! (and mean it).

4. Take the initiative to develop a plan.

Outline a plan that will work for you. This will vary based upon your situation, but here’s a quick example:

Problem – Financial (basic example)

Week 1: Pay rent/mortgage & insurance

Week 2: Pay car payment & budget $25-$50 on preps

Week 3: Pay cell phone, electric, and budget $25-50 on preps

Week 4: Pay remaining monthly bills

Remember this is not a detailed budget. If you can only spend small amounts on preps (even $25-$50 a month) then do the best you can, with what you have. Besides, you’d be surprised with how fast $50 a month in preps can add up!

5. Get moving.

Okay you know: you’re not alone in this, not to become intimated by a problem, adjust your attitude, develop a plan, and finally...just get moving. You can do this! 

 

Another related article that may help: How to Overcome a Lack of Motivation to Prepare

Container Gardening and Fertilizing Methods

Listen to the Show Here: Container Gardening and Fertilizer Methods

Today we are going to look into container gardening and discuss fertilizing methods to ensure the success of your plants. One of the best ways to grow vegetables if you have limited space, is through the use of containers. But how do you know what type of container to choose? And what types of fertilizing methods can you use? For new gardeners this can seem a bit confusing, but today we will help to show you how simple it can be to grow your own food regardless of how much space you have to work with.

Some examples of good containers include clay, pottery, wood, plastic, or you can make your own out of items you find around your home and re-purpose them.

Choosing the right container is pretty simple, you just need to make sure that it holds soil and has drainage holes in the bottom. If you have a container that does not already have holes for drainage such as a tote, you can easily drill them yourself. An important note is to make sure that whichever type of container you choose that it provides adequate space for the roots.

The next step, which is very important, is making sure you are using a good soil mixture. First you need to make sure that the soil need is well aerated and well drained, but yet is able to retain enough moisture for your plants.

Different plants have different needs, so remember to research their needs prior to planting. Garden soil for instance generally should never be used by itself. This is because when you put it in a container the aeration and drainage are already severely impeded and using garden soil alone may cause your plants to grow poorly.

Instead look for specific soils that are made specifically for container gardening. These often include peat, bark, coir fiber (ground coconut hulls), and vermiculite.

If garden soil is used, it is recommended to mix one part of the soil, and one part peat moss, and one part per-lite and make sure to slightly moisten the soil mixture prior to planting.
When I do my containers, I also put either straw in the bottom of the containers to help with aeration and drainage or I ball up old newspaper and use that.

As with any type of gardening, you have to consider the environmental factors, for instance making sure you situate your plants in an area that is well lite; especially, if the plant requires a lot of light. One benefit to using containers is that they are obviously portable. If you’re growing something that only requires a few hours of light for instance, then you can easily move it into shade later in the day. Make sure you are aware if the plants you are growing are heat tolerable.

Here in Oklahoma we can have some really hot summers and go for days without rain. So, keeping the plants at a comfortable temperature is vital. Where we specifically live, it is very open so another thing we have to keep in mind is the wind.

Make sure you locate your containers are in a spot where they will not blow right over. And remember, if you choose a container that is a dark color, it will absorb more heat. This is important to consider as some plants will not tolerate it very well.

When watering your container plants there is no absolute rules, however remember to regularly check the soil. If the first inch of soil is dry, then you know it needs water. Give the plants enough water so that you see a few drips come out of the drainage holes. This helps you also know that you have gotten some leaching of the soil. Leaching moves away any harmful buildup of soluble salts in the soil; which often comes from fertilizers and water sources.

Regular watering can also cause the nutrients to leach out. To help prevent this, you may need to add in additional nutrients back to the soil. One way most people do this is from using fertilizers. You can purchase slow release or liquid versions of these, generally reapplying every two weeks. Make sure that you use the appropriate type for the plants or vegetables you are growing.

An example of this is that plants need a fertilizer with high nitrogen sources, while vegetables need lower amount of nitrogen and higher phosphorous types. If you prefer to use organic methods to fertilize the soil you can use compost, rock powders along with compost, manures, worm castings, manure teas, or fish emulsion fertilizer.



 

Let’s look into each of these for some clarification:



First let’s talk about compost.

You can make your own compost using a bin or a compost container, which can be either purchased or homemade.  All you do is add in green material such as food scraps like fruit and veggie scraps, (no grease, bones or meat), egg shells, grass trimmings, tea bags, coffee grounds and filters, sawdust or wood shavings (untreated), dryer lint and manure. You should also use a mix of brown material like leaves, shredded paper and cardboard, and hay.

Keep this mixture moist, turning every 7-10 days. Turning it also allows you to check the moisture level. There are some people who don’t think that it needs turned, but it is said to speed up the decomposition process.

Rock fertilizers provide trace elements to the soil as they break down slowly. They should be applied with the compost because they do not supply any nitrogen and last 5 to 10 years.Manure is also a good natural fertilizer to use and the most widely available. There are five basic manure types that are used. These are cow, hog, sheep, poultry, and horse. Cow and hog manure is considered cold manure because it has high water content and ferments slowly.

Sheep, poultry, and horse manure is known as hot manure. It is richer in nitrogen and ferments more easily. Manure should only be added after it has decomposed properly, because of the bacteria’s it contains.  Using manure to make a tea for your garden or plants is also a great method to fertilize.
Worm castings are an excellent fertilizer because one tablespoon provides enough organic nutrients to feed a 6” potted plant for more than two months. They stimulate growth, and are absorbed easily by plants. They also help the soil retain water and inhibits diseases like root rot. Worm castings also contain more than 50% more humus than what is found in topsoil.

Some of you may or may not have ever heard of fertilizing with fish emulsion. This can be purchased or you can make your own pretty easily. You can use either fresh fish, or fresh or dried kelp or seaweed. Basically how this works is you take the fish parts and put them in a 5 gallon bucket that is filled half full with sawdust, leaves, or straw and then add in some un-sulfured molasses or dry molasses powder; either one and then seal up the bucket. You let this all rot of 1-2 weeks, but be sure to open and stir daily or every other day. The molasses will help to speed up the process and control some of the odors. After the 2 weeks, dump this mixture into your compost pile. Never apply it to the plants.

If you opt to use dried seaweed or kelp you can use it to make a tea, just put it in a bucket, cover with water, and let it brew for a week and stir every few days. By the end of the week it should have a yeast smell and foamy top.  To apply you need to dilute this in a 1:5 ratio, one part tea to 5 parts water, and drench the soil near plant roots.

So now you know that container gardening is so easy to do. Just choose an appropriate container, make sure you have the right soil type, remember to consider climate and environmental factors to the placement of your containers, and choose a method for fertilizing.

Container gardening is a great method for those of us who are growing in small spaces. Even if you live in an apartment or high-rise, there are ways to be able to grow your own food. Maybe it’s not the big garden you dream about, but it is a start and you can take pride in knowing that you are making efforts toward becoming more self-sufficient.

How To Live and Prep For Under $1500 a Month

While many people think that discussing personal finances publicly is not only wrong, some would probably be mortified to do so. I on the other hand, decided to write this to show you that you don't have to be rich to begin prepping. Our family manages to live on a monthly net income that is under $1500. While to some that number may seem low, you learn to work with what you have! We know  that there are many other families like us out there, who are trying to live and prep on small incomes too. We hope that these tips will be helpful.

 Remember it's not about amassing unreasonable amounts of supplies; it's about doing what you can, with what you have!

Five Tips To Help

1. Appreciate What You Have

In today's society we live in a world where instant gratification and the power of the dollar is everything. I am here to assure you... it's not ! If we don't learn to appreciate and be thankful for what we have now, do we really deserve to be blessed with more? Learn to appreciate the little things. If you have a roof over your head, food in your fridge, and a loving family... then you have more then some people out there. Never take those for granted and don't forget being broke is not the same as being poor.

2. Don't Spend, What You Don't Have!

If you don't keep track of where your money goes each month, it is easy to lose track of it all together. Create a budget of some sort that helps you to track your expenses. This can help you watch those pennies at work! Ditch the credit cards they are only hurting you further. Even if you are making those monthly payments the interest alone is putting you in debt. Instead try to pay for things in cash, that way when it's gone you're done. Never, never, get yourself into more debt to prep! Bills and necessities come first, then and only then use a portion of the left over money to purchase your supplies. Notice I said portion, not all. The last thing you need to do is to spend whatever you actually have left over and something unexpectedly comes up and you have no way to take care of it.

 

 

 

 

3. Live Frugally

There are many ways to stretch those dollars by living frugally. A couple of examples of this is to make your own cleaning and hygiene products. One way we do this is to make our own laundry soaps. The initial investment  is around $10-$15 and with that we can make a years worth of detergent. Think of how much that could save your family, and that's just making one product. We also make our own fabric softener, dryer sheets, dish washer cubes, and all purpose cleaning spray. Another way to save money is to coupon, but learn to do it correctly. If you just clip one or two here and there you will not see the benefit. However, if you find out what stores double coupons, their limits for 'like' coupons (meaning the same coupon), and go on sites like Consumer Queen or The Krazy Coupon Lady to use their store match-ups you can save hundreds. They also have sections on their sites to teach you how to coupon if you would like to get further information. In my experience I have learned to spend $80 in a shopping trip and save up to $300 !  (See one of my own hauls Here) Another way to be frugal is to learn to grow your own food! Yes, gardening can save you hundreds and potentially thousands if you use standard or heirloom seeds (not hybrids) then grow your own food and save the seeds for future planting. Also learn to preserve those garden goodies through methods like canning, dehydrating, and freezing. For meats check into local butcher shops or buy in bulk. Just like vegetables and fruits, meats can also be canned, froze, or dehydrated for long term storage. By the way, you can also save tons of money by cooking and eating at home.

4. Barter, Side Work, and Sell Your Junk!

One good practice to use now is bartering. People have been bartering and trading since the beginning of time. You can barter for items or services to help you further in your prepping. You could also make a little extra money through finding side work if your able. Whether it is through family, friends, posting flyers, or through just simply checking out online resources for labor help on sites like craigslist. Another great way to make some extra money is by organizing your home, garage, or storage shed and selling what you don't use. We all have extra stuff just sitting around, so why not turn that stuff into cash! Facebook has many online garage sell sites that allow you to post items and let the buyers come to you. You can also check out your local craigslist and post the stuff to sell for free.

5. Choose Quality Investments

So what do I mean by quality investments? I'm specifically talking about survival tools and supplies that you will purchase for your prepping. While it would be nice to have the funds to buy the survival store out, it's simply not feasible. Make sure that you are using your money wisely and buying products that are of good quality. Do the research and read the reviews, they matter. In the event of a crisis the supplies you have, ultimately may need to save your life so don't take chances! Comparison shop and read the details of each product. Search for information and videos of the products in action. Once you find a good quality product and are comfortable with your research, go for it! This may sound obvious, but next learn how to use it properly now while you have the time. Remember, knowledge is power and when the shtf it will especially be live-saving!

 We Welcome Your Questions and Comments!

(I receive no compensation for the links included in this article, only including them as a resource)

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Author Information:

 

Sharon Pannell is a self proclaimed "Prepsteader", both prepper and homesteader. She authors the blog The Trailer Park Homesteader where she teaches others about the importance of disaster preparedness and self-sufficiency. Sharon believes everyday the stuff can hit the fan, it is not one big epic event necessarily and it only takes one set back to create a hardship; so big or small prepare for it all ! Along with her blog, Sharon can also be found managing her other social media sites including her Facebook Page The Trailer Park Homesteader, TTPH Pinterest Page, and TTPH Twitter Page.



Making a Preparedness Plan

Whether you want to prepare for the short or long-term, it all begins with a plan!

Some people only prepare for certain seasons such as tornado, hurricane, or tropical storms. Other people prepare for more long-term situations and this requires more preparations. Whether you are a short-term or long-term prepper, beginning somewhere is vital.

Here are a couple helpful links:

Emergency Supply Checklist

Citizen Preparedness Guide

Steps to Help You:

1. Choose a Situation or Situations (as plans may vary based on these)
2. Have a Good Ol' Fashioned Family Sit-down
3. Where You Would Go in The Event of a Disaster?
4. How Long Might You Have to Be Gone?
5. Be Realistic in Your Plan & Preparedness Budget!!!
6. What Supplies Do You Need?
7. What Skills or Training Might You Need?
8. Assess Everyone's Concerns!!!
9. Iron Out All Details & Write it Out!
10. If Evacuating to a Family Members Home, Plan Ahead with Them!

Stay CALM & Practice, Practice, Practice Your Plan Regularly!

Practice This Plan at Least Twice a Month.

 Have Emergency Bags (also called B.O.B. aka Bug Out Bags) Ready to Go. This is a HUGE Help and Will Help You Leave ASAP. (we'll explore these more later)

As a Family, Take First Aid, CPR, These Are Skills Everyone Should Know Regardless of any Situation.

 Also if offered in your area, take  Survival/Wilderness Classes. This will help all members to know how to build shelters, make fire, purify water, recognize wild plants and edibles. Kids will enjoy these activities, because let's face it; to them it's like camping. This may also help them to take an interest in Boy or Girl Scouts, where they will continue to learn helpful information and build their social skills. Perhaps also look into taking self-defense, tactical and weapons training as a family...?

The Fact of the Matter is...

Nothing Bad May Ever Happen...but IF it Does, 

Wouldn't You Rather Be Prepared, Than Not?

Involve Others By Talking to Them and Encouraging Them to Plan and Prepare for Their Families. The More People Around You That Prepare, the Stronger Your Community Will Be.