The Easiest (And Fastest) Way To Beat Congestion

PLUS: A recipe for slow cooker lasagna soup, what to carry to avoid a bad breath fiasco, and more. PLUS: A recipe for slow cooker lasagna soup, what to carry to avoid a bad breath fiasco, and more. March 5, 2022 [View Online]( Good morning! Between seasonal allergies, colds, and everyday sniffles, a lot of people deal with nasal congestion this time of year. So it’s only a matter of time before the tip in Today’s Good Thing comes in handy, which makes it quick and easy to kick congestion to the curb. Also in today’s newsletter, I’ve got a recipe you may want to whip up this weekend if you’re anticipating chilly weather, because there’s nothing like a good slow cooker soup to warm you up from the inside. Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING The Easiest (And Fastest) Way To Beat Congestion [A photo of Jillee inhaling from a jar of hot water.]( When congestion is your main concern, this simple steam treatment can help you breathe easier. It seems like there's always someone in the house who has the sniffles, whether due to allergies, illness, or just a run-of-the-mill runny nose. While cold medicine would help, taking it can feel like overkill when you aren’t really dealing with any other symptoms (and it’s not exactly cheap either!) So I set myself the task of figuring out a simpler way to deal with nasal congestion so that we wouldn’t have to "pull out the big guns” every time the sniffles reared their ugly head. I eventually found the perfect solution, and it was easier than I could have hoped for! I knew that warm air humidifiers helped to loosen up mucus and phlegm, and I also knew that diffusing certain essential oils can be beneficial for congestion too. So I ended up combining the two approaches in one mason jar to make a DIY “steam inhaler jar.” This simple remedy can help lubricate your nose and throat to loosen up mucus, and the addition of a single drop of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory essential oils helps fight germs and opens airways for easier breathing. To find out how to make your own congestion-busting steam inhaler jar at home, just follow the link below. [The Easiest (And Fastest) Way To Beat Congestion ➜]( Related • [These Are The Best Essential Oils For Fighting Congestion]( • [This Is The Easiest Thing You Can Do To Stay Healthy This Winter]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • Hazy headlights can be a safety hazard, so don’t let yours go unaddressed—learn 2 easy ways to restore them here. [Read more ➜]( • If you dread having to hang frames on your own, these 4 brilliant picture-hanging tips might just change your life. [Read more ➜]( • Homemade fabric softener crystals can be a natural alternative to chemical softeners, a smart way to save money, or both. [Read more ➜]( COOKING Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup [A photo of a bowl of lasagna soup.]( Everything you love about lasagna combined with everything you love about your slow cooker. I had a great time visiting my old stomping grounds at ABC4 a few weeks ago. A few years before I started blogging, I worked there as a producer on their morning talk show Good Things Utah, and I even won an Emmy for it. (It was a regional award, but that still counts, right?) But I went to ABC4 to do more than just catch up with old friends—I was there to share a tasty slow cooker soup recipe on the air. Much like the ravioli lasagna I shared in the [February 12]( newsletter, this soup has all the flavor of lasagna in a much easier format. Give it a try—I’m sure you'll love it! Here’s how to make it: To your slow cooker, add 1 pound of cooked ground beef, 1 diced onion, 3-5 minced cloves of garlic, a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes, 4 tablespoons of tomato paste, and 6 cups of chicken broth. Add 1 teaspoon each of dried oregano and basil, and 1/2 teaspoon each of dried rosemary and thyme, plus salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine, then put the lid on and cook on High for 4 hours. After 4 hours, stir in 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese, and 6 ounces of dry campanelle pasta (or bowtie pasta). Replace the lid and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Meanwhile, combine 1 1/4 cups of shredded mozzarella, 1 cup of ricotta, and 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley. When the soup is ready to serve, ladle it into bowls and top each with a large dollop of the cheese mixture. The cheese will melt as you stir it into the soup. [See the full recipe ➜]( UNUSUAL USES 3 Practical Uses For Paper Plates [Photos of various uses for paper plates.]( Keeping a few cheap paper plates on hand can prove a lot more useful than you might think. 1. Protect Dishes During A Move. Paper plates can be a big help when you’re moving, especially when it comes to packing up your kitchen. You can layer paper plates between your dinner plates, bowls, pans, and other dishes to cushion them in transit, and they’ll prevent the dishes from scratching each other up. 2. Hand Mixer Splatter Guard. Use a paper plate to prevent splatters the next time you use your hand mixer. Just punch a couple of holes near the center of a plate, feed the beaters through, and attach them to your mixer. It’s an easy way to keep wet ingredients contained while you mix and prevent messes. 3. Microwave Splatter Guard. And speaking of splatters, you can also use a paper plate as a splatter guard in your microwave. Just place a paper plate over the top of the dish you want to microwave, and it will absorb any food splatters that may try to escape during cooking and keep your microwave sparkling. JILLEE'S PICK Mini Toothbrushes, No Water Required [An image of 6 packages of Crest Scope Minibrushes.]( Whether you’re boarding an overnight flight or have an appointment after lunch, you might wonder whether you should keep your toothbrush with you just in case. But it's not always the most practical option, mainly because you need a sink in order to brush properly. But you won't need a sink (or water, for that matter) if you have a [Crest Scope Minibrush]( with you. These little brushes are loaded with beads of breath-freshening mint liquid that works as well as gum or mints, but they're even better because you can scrub your teeth clean too. I keep a pack in the glove compartment of my car so I can go into meetings or appointments feeling confident about the state of my breath and teeth. I think they’d be perfect for long-haul travel too—I'd much rather hit the ground running with clean teeth and fresh breath instead of stopping to dig my toothbrush out of my luggage! [See Crest Scope Minibrushes on Amazon ➜]( REMEMBER WHEN Bodysuits [A photo of a vintage ad for body suits. ]( They have indeed made a comeback in recent years, but many young people might be surprised to learn that we were rocking bodysuits way back in the ‘70s. Despite having been around for two decades then, it took the sleek, slim-fitting clothing of the '70s for bodysuits to really take off. To achieve that perfectly sleek and slender look, it wasn't enough to simply tuck your shirt into your pants or skirt. (And risk looking rumpled or bunched up? No way!) And even if you did tuck your shirt in, there was nothing stopping it from coming untucked and exposing your underwear and/or butt to the person behind you. Apparently the mere threats of bunchy shirts and exposed cracks were reason enough for us to embrace bodysuits (or "body shirts," as they were sometimes called). The bottom portion of bodysuits were inspired by leotards, but were often held together by snap closures in the crotch area to make it easier to use the restroom. I have a vivid memory from junior high of leaving my bodysuit unsnapped after a trip to the restroom because it had been giving me the worst wedgie. It wasn't until the end of the school day that I noticed that the flap was sticking out of the back of my pants, and probably had been for some time. Yikes. Eventually, I was forced to accept that most bodysuits would never fit me properly because I was too tall and and my torso too long. Did you ever wear bodysuits back in the day? A FEW MORE THINGS... Snack Of The Day: March 5 is National Cheese Doodle Day, and whether you prefer to call them cheese doodles, curls, or puffs, they’re all more or less the same thing—a puffed cornmeal snack covered in cheese-flavored powder. So grab a handful of your favorite puffed, cheesy snack and enjoy these [51 seconds of cheese puff “trick shots”]( from a 2009 episode of The Office. Words Of Wisdom: "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." - Nelson Mandela 🤔 Wordle: [Solve today's 5-letter word](. What did you think of today's email? [Not good]( | [Just okay]( | [Loved it!]( 🏠[Visit the By Jillee Shop]( 🤗 [Join OGT Free]( Let's connect! [facebook]( [instagram]( [pinterest]( [youtube]( If you have thoughts, comments, questions or a tip or trick you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you! My inbox is always open, so just hit "reply" and let me know what's on your mind. See you tomorrow! Sending you bright ideas and simple solutions to help you create a home and life you love. My mailing address is: One Good Thing by Jillee 841 S. Main St. Heber City, UT 84032 If you're not happy please reply to this email to tell me why. Update your email preferences or [unsubscribe]( [here](. View our privacy policy [here](.