DIY Heated Neck/Back/Chest Pillow

I'm in such a DIY mood!  I am sick, and pretty miserable.  I don't really get sick often... almost never.  I remember when I was in high school I got a cold (or flu, or whatever people get from mass exposure to other sick people).  I thought I was dying.  I was this close to giving away my possessions and saying goodbye to loved ones.  It was unbelievable to me that most people went through this every year, if not every season.

I get sick about once a year now, sometimes every other year.  I was a teacher for almost five years, and that ensures you get sick.  Now I spend at least 5 days a week with several toddlers and their parents.  I might as well get used to this stuff.

Anyway, my neck is sore and I used to have this great heated neck pillow thing that I would put in the microwave and then lay on my neck.  It was the kind of thing that you get at some girly shoppe (yes, a shoppe with an extra p and an e) for more than it would cost to make ten of your own.  I made one of my own because the good old gift one has disappeared.

There are many tutorials for this online, and if I had an ounce of energy I would have at least fired up the sewing machine, but this is bare bones simple for anyone else who might be sick and in need of a quick fix.

What you need:
1 old sock, the longer the better
about 2 cups of rice (I used the small bag of rice that my husband used to dry his cellphone in after our daughter put it in the toilet.  He put it BACK IN THE CUPBOARD like it hadn't been used to leach toilet water, so this was a good use for it instead of a revenge dinner for him.)
1 rubber band
optional: tea bag of chamomile, dried lavender, etc. (I used a bag of Tension Tamer by Celestial Seasonings).

Put rice and contents of tea bag in sock, secure open end of sock with rubber band.  Microwave for about 1- 1.5 minutes and you have a nice warm neck pillow.  The tea bag helps offer some calming aromatherapy to the mix.  Sure, you might feel dirty using microwave aromatherapy, but when you are sick you make exceptions.