Here is a great free resource from Clorox to help you and your family stay healthy at all times of the year. We pass along the following information sent to us…

Even though the “traditional cold season” is supposed to end in late winter, its important for parents to remember that your family can still catch a cold at any time of the year. According to the CDC, last year’s influenza season officially peaked the week of February 4-10. And we all know that with the fluctuation of temperatures, the germs seem to grow regardless what season it is.

To help families keep homes healthy and tackle germs on their own terms, Dr. Kelly Reynolds – a public health researcher, professor from the University of Arizona and mother of three – has partnered with The Clorox Company to launch a Help Hotline (which is live now), 1-888-MIC-MOMY.

All of us need to be reminded at times, or we can call in with our questions for this microbiologist mom to answer.

Call today – 1-888-MIC-MOMY – to listen to the useful, common sense tips as to how to keep homes healthier year around.

Lil’ Duck and I have been sick lately, so here are 13 things that help him to feel better!

1. Baby Vapo-rub – he likes to help rub it on his neck and chest, it helps him breathe easier too.
2. Warm apple juice with a little lemon and honey – he’s too young for herbal tea yet, but this helps him feel a little better and he thinks he’s getting a special treat .
3. Cool washcloths on his forehead if he is feverish – he also likes to suck on them and rub them on himself.




4. Popsicles! Not necessarily the healthiest thing but it cheers him up and gets some liquid into him. You could make homemade ones with 100% juice, we buy the Dole juice bars with the fruit chunks.
5. Chicken noodle soup – the chunky kind with the penne or the spiral noodles is easy to feed to him.
6. Children’s Tylenol Cold – a fever reducer, anti-histamine and decongestant – helps him sleep at night.
7. A warm heating pad on my chest with a blanket on top, then him lying face-down on my chest – gives him the benefit of the heating pad without exposing him to too much heat (also helps my chest too ). Only use this if they don’t have a fever, of course, and make sure it’s set on low heat.
8. Lots of books, music, and new TV shows/movies – he enjoys the Animal Channel, the Backyardigans music, and all of his books. This keeps him entertained but relatively quiet and resting.
9. Warm baths with Johnson’s Vapobath – I love it too. I like to run the shower on hot before he gets in there to create some extra steam, keeping the door shut and the air off to lock in the humidity.
10. Warm showers with Mommy and a few drops of eucalyptus oil in the air (I just put it on a cotton ball or kleenex and put it up high where he can’t get it) – similar to the vapobath idea, only he prefers showers and it helps unstuff him in the morning.
11. Sprite – not so healthy again, but he loves to steal “sips” of mine out of a straw and thinks it’s a special treat. It also helps keep him hydrated and soothes his tummy.
12. Smoothies – even when he refuses regular food, he’ll usually drink a smoothie. It’s one of the few ways to get fruit into him, and helps cool him down if he’s feverish.
13. Cuddles – lots of cuddles in a nice, warm bed, helps him feel better every time!

Lil’ Duck is sick.

I’ve tried to keep from getting in his face, keep him from kissing me on the face, been spraying down and cleaning everything I touch, but he still got my cold. I hope it goes faster for him, I’m still feverish and coughing and generally sick. I don’t think he has the fever part yet, but he was up in the middle of the night because he couldn’t breathe, poor little thing. He’s only had two real colds in his lifetime, and the last was several months ago, but I always feel so bad for him when he’s sick. Of course I’m already sick, but I’d still rather be sick than have him sick, ever. Even when he bounces around and destroys the house while I’m laying around trying to rest.

We’re giving him vapo-baths and using baby Vaporub (I love that stuff, now I use it all the time as well – the only thing is you have to hide it VERY well as if the little guy gets ahold of it, it takes forever to get out of his hair ). Thankfully he doesn’t seem too bothered yet, he’s still happy and drinking his soy milk and everything. As long as he keeps drinking, he’s fine, it’s when he gets sick enough not to want to drink or nurse that I really worry about him. We have Tylenol for him and expectorant (tho we don’t like to use it unless he’s really bad), so hopefully he just gets a bit of sniffles and not the full thing.

It’s always something – the coffee table attacked his head, his finger was eaten by the closet doors, the endless list. No matter what it is, it is invariably cured by mommy kisses (usually I have to kiss it over and over while he laughs) and an Elmo band-aid (which has to be admired for long periods of time by everyone nearby).

Now if only everything in life was this easy….

My little guy is always cutting, biting or smashing his lips/tongue/cheeks/you name it – he’s a busy little guy and always into everything. To help with the bleeding and pain, popsicles are our friends. Not only because they calm him down and because it’s probably the only way I could get ice in there, but also because the sugar helps to stop the bleeding! Learn something new every day, eh? Just don’t let them suck hard on it, as that will just make things worse…Be sure to check out the rest of the Works For Me Wednesday tips as well as the Carnival of the Vanities which is being hosted here this week, busy place, eh?