Posted on

Hopefully Healthy Holidays

One of the things that’s been on my mind (read: that I’ve been having ridiculous anxiety over) is how to keep my family healthy over the holidays.  I will completely freak out if any of the kids are sick and have to miss any of the family festivities!  I remember a few years ago when Joshua was a baby, I myself got the flu and had to miss a family Christmas. It was not cool!

So. How do I keep them healthy??  Since I am a Vicks Blogger, I decided to go to their website to see if they had anything to add to this healthy-for-the-holidays scheme.   Here are a few tips I picked up:

  • Get outdoors if you can!  Spending more time indoors breathing germy air is part of the reason we get sick more often in the winter.  So put on your coats and spend a little time outside if it’s sunny and dry.
  • Cover those coughs and sneezes!  I know this seems basic, but I’ve been drilling the “cough into your elbow” thing into my kids and it’s helped SO MUCH.  And I know it’s cutting down on them spreading the germs around to each other that they bring home from their respective schools.
  • Detail those remotes! Something my kids touch all the time are the TV remote and Wii controllers, and I NEVER thought to clean them, until now.  From now on I will be wiping them down daily at least!
  • Add humidity!  I hate humidity in the summer, but it’s a good thing in the winter.  Consider using a Vicks humidifier to keep the air in your home moist – cold viruses thrive in dry air.

Now if my little boogers DO get sick (and totally RUIN Christmas!!) at least I know how to treat their coughs & colds – with my favorite Vicks VapoRub and Vicks Vaporizer with VapoSteam to keep them as comfortable and soothed as possible.  To keep updated on how Vicks Products can help your family this cold & flu season, check out their Facebook page.

What measures are you taking to keep your family healthy this holiday season?

_______________

I am being compensated for my role as a Vicks Blogger. All opinions about Vicks Products are my own.

Post to Twitter

Posted on

I’m way too old for this

I can remember a time when I would exhaustedly say to Bobby, “Getting Sophie dressed is the absolute worst part of my day.”

And I can remember a time when I would say to Bobby with a look of hopelessness in my eye, “Getting Jonah dressed is the absolute worst part of my day.”

Because it was THIS MORNING.

Joshua, the perfectly compliant firstborn child, just LAID THERE whenever I changed his clothes or diaper.  Sophie, not so much, and Jonah, well, I pretty much feel like I’ve run a marathon after changing him. In fact, now that it’s getting colder, I will leave him in his footie PJs ALL DAY if I can get away with it, because changing his clothes is such an ordeal, a wrestling match, a physical confrontation.

And diapering? Don’t even get me STARTED.  It’s pretty sad when a routine diaper change fills you with dread, but that’s where I am at with my Wiggle Worm.  To quote a friend who also has a wiggly little guy, “Diapering a greased pig would be easier.”   Two days ago, Jonah had an explosive poop and he would NOT be still for me.  The resulting diaper conflagration ended in us both crying and both covered in poop.

So yeah.  Do they make short-lasting baby tranquilizers just for diaper and clothes changes?  Because right now I feel like I need to hire a diaper nanny just to have an extra set of arms to help me get this get clothed!

How did you deal with a wiggly baby at changing time?  I need HALP!

Post to Twitter

Posted on

Slightly Obsessed

With sweet potatoes. I am obsessed with sweet potatoes – this is a new low.

But they’re not just any sweet potatoes, they are the Pioneer Woman’s Soul Sweet ‘Taters and they are quite possibly the best things I’ve ever made.

Photo from the Pioneer Woman on Flickr

A delicious concoction of sweet potatoes, milk, eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, sugar, pecans, butter, flour, and salt.

Amazing.

Make them for Christmas, you will not regret it. I know, I know, you don’t like sweet potatoes. Well, friends, these are not your grandma’s syrupy, marshmallow-laden canned yams. They are heaven on a plate.

Make them. And then invite me over.

And while you’re at it, whip up some of these pumpkin pie cupcakes:

Photo from Une-deux senses

White cupcakes with a graham cracker crust, iced with pumpkin pie. Yum. My I-don’t-like-sweet-stuff diabetic husband ate four.

It’s no wonder I gained 40 pounds this weekend.

Did you discover any amazing recipes this Thanksgiving? If so, share them in the comments!

Post to Twitter