Spring may have spurng, but so have my allergies!



Hello friends...As beautiful as spring is, when everything is in bloom, how many of you out there suffer from allergies?  It seems like such a cruel joke that Mother Nature has bestowed all her beauty upon us, but for many of us, it comes with incredible suffering. 

I don't know about you, but isn't it always those of us who love the fresh air, suffer the most?  You'd think I'd learn, but as soon as spring is in the air, the windows fly open, the patio door is open to the max. so I can 'air' the house out...and replace it with dreaded pollen!  I also love, love, love to hang my laundry out on the line.  Not only is it great for the environment, saves us on electrical bills, but nothing compares to the fresh scent of line dried clothes...especially sheets!  Big NO NO for allergies sufferers.
Here are some of my tips and tricks for getting through allergy season naturally:

• Do not hang the laundry out doors

Although this is tough, fortunately I only suffer in the spring, so I don't miss out on an entire summer of line drying.

• Nasal Irrigation (using a Netti Pot...see above picture)

This is an interesting one...for several years I had been aware of  'cleaning out your nose' with a saline solution, but was soooooooo creeped out and afraid of it.  When I finally worked up the courage to give it a try (after watching several videos on You Tube), I can honestly say, that it has made a huge difference for me.  At the worst times, I will do this twice a day.



• Homeopathic medicine

This is something new I'm trying out this year...so far it actually seems to be working.  I'm still a little sceptical, as the season is early, so the true verdict is still out on this one...I'll keep you posted.

• Wash hair and clothing regularly - I'm not big on washing my hair everyday, so I'm not doing this one yet...I also have pretty short hair, so I think less pollen gets trapped in my locks.

• Put a fresh pillow case on each night - this is easy and effective.

• Close those windows and doors - not ready to give this up yet!  I try to do all of the above so that I can enjoy the fresh air.



Having said all that, when all else fails, my fall back is good old Claratin. Hopefully, I won't need it this year, but we'll see how it goes.

I'd love to hear how you allergy sufferers out there cope...any tips or tricks to share?

Welcome...What's In A Name?

Hello out there...this being my first ever post, not sure if there is anyone here yet. I am writing with the intention that someone will read this one day...So, welcome to my little slice of the blog world. Here is where I share all that inspires me, my passions, what I hope to accomplish and any useful tidbits that I have gathered along the way, that I deem useful and fun to share.

Speaking of passions, you will find posts about crochet, yoga, home life, family, books, eating, caring for the environment, design, my favourite things, lifestyle, and everything in between.

Modern Grace...the name I've chosen for my blog and my crochet shop, was inspired by my Grandmother, Grace (which is also my middle name), who was a very talented knitter and crocheter. I have some experience knitting, as a girl, but I always wanted to learn to crochet. I just thought it was so cool the way they put those holes in the piece...how did they do that? Long story short, about 6 years ago, I decided I would teach myself, with Debbie Stoller's amazing book, The Happy Hooker...could crochet really be this easy? I've never looked back, I've learned so much since and just keep learning. Crochet is so simple, with really just a few basic stitches and variations on those. Simple is so beautiful...just as my Grandmother was. Take a look at some of my creations over the past few years..