Christmas is upon us! The gifts are all purchased, the cookies are baked. The menu for the biggest meal of the year is set and you’ve even got the firewood stacked and ready for a romantic Christmas Eve. The house? It won’t take too much longer to clean up. You’re feeling pretty proud of yourself. You think you’re all kinds of ready for whatever this holiday season throws at you and then you hear it. A sniffle. A cough? Oh hell no. Someone in this house thinks they are getting sick before Christmas? Not on my watch. This is how a true germphobe prepares for the unexpected on the Holidays.
Number 1: Stock up. When you are out doing your last minute shopping don’t forget to stock up on all the flu busting remedies you’ve ever heard of; Chicken noodle soup, Gatorade, cough drops, vitamin C, cough syrup, Gravol, Tylenol and gingerale. While you’re at it, throw in some extra Puffs Facial Tissues, Band-Aids, pocket size Purell and hand soap.
Number 2: Be an Enforcer. Back at home, be “that” Mom. I’m a tyrant when it comes to washing hands. It gets so much worse this time of year. Every kid that walks in and knows they must wash their hands…immediately.
Number 3: Clean all the things! Hear that sniffle more than once? Get out the Mr. Clean and the Lysol and clean all the things! Show no mercy; clean the light switches, the door knobs, the keyboards and the phones. Those germs are tricky and will try and hide on you, so be vigilant! When you leave the house, wipe down those grocery cart handles and when you get back in the car wipe down your own steering wheel. Do you have any idea how many germs are on the cash we carry? Shiver.
Number 5: Be preventative. It’s a time of over indulgence and a time of parties. It’s so easy to eat too much junk food and not get enough sleep. Do your very best sneak some healthy food into your diet, get some fresh air and exercise with the family by taking a walk in the winter air or tobogganing, and don’t forget to get some sleep.
Number 5: Let It Go: Holidays are stressful! Big groups of family and friends all crammed into one room. Big expectations, some are hard to live up to? The need to make it all …perfect. Remember that life is not a postcard and not every holiday has a happy Hollywood ending. Sometimes kids get the sniffles, occasionally the sweater you loved for that dear daughter is a miss, often.. Mom gets a headache. It’s okay. Although Christmas comes but once a year don’t strive for perfection, you will just make yourself crazed. Aim for smiles, be happy with the giggles, and enjoy the little moments as this Christmas, like all the ones past, will be gone far too quickly.
Happy Healthy Holidays!
I get my flu shot every year because of my illness my Dr. recommends it,but i certainly pay attention to every tip that can help the winter pass through safely for me.
I think getting sick over the holidays makes you feel even worse because instead of wanting to celebrate and party, you want to curl up in bed and go to sleep. But if you are prepared with the proper medication you can at least get through the festivities without too much pain and suffering.
I have all of these products in my medicine cabinet. My boys were sick on and off all of March. Sucks!
So far, we have all been healthy this winter (knock wood) but I definitely keep an arsenal of preventive products on hand.
I keep a healthy but obsessive supply of cepacol in my cupboards during the winter.