Hey mama, I know as well as you do that when sickness strikes, we don’t get a day off. Is a runny nose going to make the baby change herself or make the toddler his lunch? I don’t think so. I don’t know about you but I get a serious cold about once a year, with a couple cases of the sniffles here or there- I mean, how can you not with kids in the house?? We’re coming up on the one year anniversary of the last time I was pretty sick and I’m wearing a large wooden crucifix as we speak to keep the next cold away.
Jk.
But seriously though. Did you know that about 20% of Americans will get the flu this year? 20%! (ie. the odds are not in our favor). And as common as the flu might be, it sure as heck is debilitating. Bodily fluids everywhere. You might as well sleep in the bathroom. But you can’t. Because you’re a mom. So what’s a mama to do?
Prepare and anticipate.
This isn’t your first flu season. And this year, you’ll be ready. Here are a few tips you can (literally) save for a rainy day and pull them out when a cold or the flu comes knocking on your door.
1 | Get a daily vitamin
No need to go crazy here and take 4000% times the amount of vitamin C recommended in a day. A simple multivitamin can really help to take the edge off when it feels like a cold is coming on. These are especially important to take if you plan on traveling! I always begin to feel a cold coming on after we fly but a daily multivitamin really helps to make the cold-coming-on feeling disappear.
2 | Get some sleep!
And a lot of it! Or at least as much as the kids will allow. This might mean putting the dishes off until bedtime when you’d be up anyway and using naptime to take a nap yourself. Whatever you do, don’t stay up late catching up on your new Netflix addiction. 24 hours later, you will feel something coming on and the only one you’ll have to blame is yourself. Unless the baby woke up 3 different times to nurse in the night, then you can blame her, no matter how late you were up anyway.
3 | Drink water
You know what makes drinking water throughout the day the easiest? Getting a ridiculously large water bottle with a straw. The straw is the important part here. Without one, you’ll have to put effort into unscrewing the lid or flipping it open, depending on your water bottle and honestly, we, as human beings, are so lazy. If it takes even the littlest effort to drink water, we won’t drink nearly as much as we would if all we had to do is slurp. This is true for me and it’s probably true for you too. Therefore, get yourself a huge water bottle (so you don’t have to make your lazy self refill it every hour) and slurp away!
5 | Make my mother-in-law’s amazingly strong cold & flu tea!
Here’s the recipe:
Grab a saucepan
5 cups water
4 herbal lemon tea bags
2 (ish) Tbs lemon juice
3 Tbs grated ginger root
Simmer everything in the saucepan on low with the lid on for about 15 minutes. Strain out the chunky stuff, let cool until drinkable, then consume.
Alas, if a cold or the flu does come to you or a member of your family, it’s always good to be prepared. Starting this Sunday (10/29), you can save up to $5 on medicine cabinet essentials just in time for cold and flu season when you shop at Walmart. On this date, look in the P&G brandSAVER in your local Sunday newspaper or at PGeveryday.com to find coupons for $0.50 off Puffs and $1-$3 off Vicks products including DayQuil, NyQuil, Sinex and VapoRub. This arsenal of cold and flu symptom relievers will get you and your family back to business in no time!
This conversation is sponsored by Puffs and Vicks available at Walmart. All opinions are my own.
Jessica Joachim
Flu and cold season is the worst. It is great to be prepared though. That recipe of your MIL’s sounds great, I will give it a try next time one of us gets sick.
Katrina
I’ve only just started taking multivitamins, i didn’t realise how much they can benefit you.as for the tea, i’m gonna have to save the recipe for cold & flu season!
Kayla Uimari
I for sure need to try this tea! Your other tips are really great too, i always forget that sleep helps your immune system!
Karen Morse
It pays to be healthy especially during the cold season. I make sure that I get enough sleep aside from taking vitamins everyday. I think these are awesome tips. Curious about that tea!
AnnMarie John
Loving these tips! Prevention is always better than cure, even with common colds ANd flu. I would love to try that tea recipe.
Jamie
LEMON ginger tea is so GREAT, I’ll have to try this recipe. I like to add some MAnuka honey to!
Terri Steffes
I keep nyquil very close at hand. The stuff is so good. I can manage to sleep and feel somewhat rested in the morning.
Cindy Ingalls
I always try to up my vitamin intake when cold and flu season rolls around. There is nothing worse than missing out because you are sick. That tea sounds heavenly. Lemon and Ginger really help ease cold and flu symptoms.
Cassie Tucker
I hate cold and flu season! I can never convince people that sleep is one of the most important factors to staying healthy this time of year.
Jeanine
This post is exactly what I need right now. It’s major cold and flu season up here and it seems my kids are getting some form of a cold, or bug every week!
Angela Ricardo Bethea
During flu season, one cannot be without Vicks products, Thanks for the tips and I’d love to try that tea recipe.
Lily Ashley
That’s a great tea recipe. Maybe I can try doing that for my mom. Thanks for sharing.
Heather
When your kids are sick it’s so hard. but when YOU are sick it’s just miserable. This looks like a great combo to make you feel better!
jennifer
Nyquil is always on our medicine shelf during the winter months. I am definitely going to have to try your mil’s recipe!
Susie P
Hello, Chelsea.
I usually catch flu every year. I don’t get enough sleep every day because of the nature of my work. I never tried any flu tea in the past but I really want to try one.