If you sit at a computer monitor for any period of time, you start to notice that your head kind of hurts. Then ... Wham! ... the pain escalates, you lose all rational thought and you begin hatching a plan to track down your grammar school nurse so that she can write a note for your boss.

"Dear Corporate Boss and Rest of the Adult World,

Please excuse my former sort-of-patient. She has a headache.

Sincerely,

School Nurse"

Well, at least I do. And yeah, it's a dumb idea...Although better than getting your mother to write said note.

Fortunately, one day my coworker handed me a much more convenient, pleasant smelling and basically better headache fighting plan. Clear My Head herbal care products makes a roll-on inhalation that can nip my headaches in the bud. The inhalation, called Clear My Head Ache, is a mixture of peppermint and lavender essential oils in jojoba oil. You can dab it on your temples and at the base of your neck, but I just open and sniff from time to time.

A bit of essential oil can be just as useful (just remember to dilute it if you apply to your skin), if you happen to have it around.

Happy Computering, Herbies!

It's early summer and we have weddings on the brain here at The Herb Companion headquarters. A certain nameless editor (who is my boss) is counting down the days to her daughter's sure-to-be-beautiful wedding. As for me, I was a bridesmaid recently.

The sheer number of decisions involved in a wedding stagger me. But my amazing married-and-therefore-subject-to-wedding-planning-by-fire friends (sum total 2; Although another is a newly engaged, as of last weekend!) did it without batting an eye. There were exactly zero dithering phone calls.

Proof positive is an example of the bouquet pictured below from my friend Ellie's wedding in April -- It's gorgeous! I just don't know how they did it. Selecting the flowers alone would send me to the phone in a rambling mess ...

If you are involved in a wedding bouquet dilemma, here's what I learned from my friends:

1) Explain. It sounds simple, but prepare to explain what you have in mind. You know what you want, so speak up. Even if you don't know the Latin name of the bloom or the technical term for the shape of the bouquet, I'm betting you can describe your vision. 

2) Less is more. It's true. At the last minute a florist may try to convice you that you don't really want sprigs of rosemary in your bouquet, you want rhinestones glued onto the flowers. He may tell you it will "really pop" and that "people need visual cues," but let's face it; You know the difference between professional advice that actually is helpful and stuff you just don't want.

3) Prepare. It's not a mid-term, but do a bit of homework. You'll need to make a list (mental or otherwise) of flowers you like/are appropriate/in-season/within your budget etc. The list will quickly narrow itself.

Happy Wedding Season!