A Few of My Favorite Things: Top Ten Over the Counter Remedies

Two days before Thanksgiving, we had our first big "uh oh" injury in our house.  Rose was walking into her room for bedtime in a pair of fleece footsy pajamas.  She was about two feet in front of us when she suddenly lost her balance and fell head first into the door jam.  

At first I thought it was nothing.  I didn't see anything on her face, her mouth, her body.  And then all of a sudden... there was a giant swelling bruise growing out of the center of her forehead.  I kid you not, it was like a sci-fi flick.  It just got bigger and more purple as the seconds went on.  Calmly, I said to my husband, "This isn't good, Daddy.  Please go and get the Boo Boo Buddy out of the freezer."  My husband isn't the best in stressful situations, especially when it is one of his girls that gets hurt.  He ran through the house like a herd of wild elephants and was back in a flash to hand the ice pack to me.  And then proceeded to pace the floor like a silver back gorilla.

Fortunately, our landlord is an ER nurse so we had her come up and take a look at it.  She thought it was best to have it looked at, since you can never tell with face or head injuries.  Not long after that, we were rushing her to the hospital where we spent a good couple of hours for the doctor, and a father of three, to tell us it was just a really good bump.  He also said, "By the third kid you won't even notice these anymore!"  Hmm. 

This leads me to the direction I was going in with this post.  In the days after while she was healing, I liberally applied a ton of Arnica cream to her forehead.  It is a remedy that an old friend recommended to me.  She always keeps some on had for bumps and bruises for her boys.  I can't tell you how quickly the bruise subsided.  It vastly improved over the next few days and now there is no sign of it.  I was so happy I remembered her tip because it definitely helped to ease the swelling and pain... and made our Thanksgiving snapshots able to be looked at without wincing. 

Come to find out, a lot of people don't know that Arnica cream even exists!  I find it to be a staple in our household.  I had to pass that information along.  

So, fellow or future Mommies or Aunties or Children Lovers... Here are some of my favorite over the counter remedies that I count on and couldn't possibly live without.  Keep in mind I have spent countless hours and CVS Extra Bucks to figure some of these out.  So enjoy!  

A Few of My Favorite Things:  Top Ten Over the Counter Remedies

ARNICA CREAM

I find this cream to be a miracle worker.  You can use it on bruises, bumps and swelling to help speed up the healing process.  You can also take it in tablet form.  I took it after I had my daughter to help with the soreness and it worked like a charm.  You can find it at CVS, Whole Foods or any pharmacy.  At around $6 a tube, it is totally worth it!

BOO BOO BUDDIES

I love these ice packs!  They are super cute and come in all different characters and colors.  Rose actually looks forward to getting them out of the freezer when she needs one.  You can find them on Diapers.com or at any baby store.  Under $7!

CALIFORNIA BABY CALENDULA CREAM

I absolutely adore this calendula cream.  Actually, I swear by the entire California Baby line.  However, this cream is a miracle cream.  When Rose was brand new, she had a horrible case of baby acne that spread all over her face, head and neck. This was the only thing that seemed to soothe it.  I use it all the time on her dry skin or any irritation.  Most of all, I just love the smell of it!  It is $12.99 for only 2 oz, so slightly pricey.  You can find it at any baby store or Diapers.com.  A little goes a long way!

VICKS BABY RUB

This is an old family remedy.  Whenever Rose a cold or any kind of cough or decongestion, I put a bit of Vicks Baby Rub on the soles of her feet and then cover them with a pair of socks or footsie pajamas.  It helps her to sleep soundly through the night without coughing.  Works every time!  You can find it at any pharmacy.

JOHNSON'S BUDDIES EASY COMB SPRAY

My little one has curly hair.  When she gets out of the tub, there are almost always tangles in her hair.  A few spritzes of Johnson's Buddies Spray detangler, and I am able to comb right through it.  I have a bottle in our bag for swim class and even take one to the beach with us.  Love it!  Under $4.

JOHNSON'S SAFETY SWABS

The safest way to clean your baby's ears.  Now that I have a toddler, I really appreciate these.  Changing her after a bath is like wrestling an alligator.  These swabs make it a lot safer to clean her ears without harming her!  You can find these at any drug store, usually in the baby aisle.  Under $2!

BOOGIE WIPES

Boogie Wipes rule.  It is that simple.  The fresh scented wipes smell so good, that I actually use them all over Rose for a freshening up when we are heading out somewhere.  They smell so fresh and clean, I just can't get enough of them.  They are especially good for runny noses that you have to wipe a million times a day.  Little trick:  warm them in the microwave for a couple of seconds.  They feel so nice and soothing on sore noses!  I can only find them at baby supply stores or online at Diapers.Com.  They are about $4 a pack.  A must have!

DREFT STAIN SPRAY & FABRIC REFRESHER

Okay, so that's two things.  But they go hand-in-hand and you can't be without them!  The Dreft Stain Remover spray works incredibly as a pre-treater for any items that need to be washed.  It has removed virtually every stain on clothing that I can think of.  I even use it on my couch to spot clean with a few baby wipes.  Awesome!  Under $4.

Dreft Fabric Refresher works like a Febreze spray to refresh and eliminate odors, but you have that amazing trademark Dreft scent, which I can never get enough of.  I spray it on freshly washed sheets and blankets. It makes her bedroom smell incredible!  Under $4.

CVS DIAPER OINTMENT

It's only happened to me once, but I had to deal with a diaper rash that was nothing like I had ever seen.  Nothing worked on it.  I tried oatmeal baths and every ointment I could think of.  My sister-in-law told me about this cream and it worked within 24 hours to be rid of it.  The secret is that it has the highest level of zinc out of all of the creams on the market.  It worked like a charm!  Under $6 at any CVS.

A&D OINTMENT

I use this ointment after every single diaper change.  I've never had a problem with diaper rash (except for the horrible incident listed above) and I think it has a lot to do with this ointment.  It is a great skin protectant and keeps her bottom happy and healthy!  I buy the large tub because it lasts you forever.  I swear I have been on the same one for over a year.  Around $12 at any drug store.

So, there you have it!  My top ten list of my favorite over the counter items.  I hope they are as much use to you as they are to me, and make your life a lot easier!