Thursday, October 2

Fight the Flu: Win a Shuffle!

Summer's out the window and with the coming changes in weather come the unwelcome flu season. No one wants to get achy, sick, and miserable, so it's time to start preventative measures now in order to remain healthy throughout the season.

According to the Global Hygiene Council, 59 percent of surfaces in the home can be contaminated with the flu virus which, surprisingly, can survive for up to 48 hours.

So how do you deal?

First off, wash your hands often and wash them properly, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It might sound simplistic, but hand washing is actually the most effective way to stay healthy, but only if done right. So use regular soap and water, scrub your hands front and back and in between and under the nails, for 20 seconds.

Also remind your kids to seeze and cough into the crux of their elbow and to keep their hands away from their eyes, nose, and mouth.

Disinfecting is also an important component in fighting the flu and staying healthy. Kids, after all, can touch and retouch more than 300 surfaces in just 30 minutes. (Scary, right?) So parents need to protect against the spread of germs by cleaning commonnly touch surfaces and objects with a disinfectant like Lysol Disenfectant Spray. And if you stay on top of cleaning and disenfecting, you stand a pretty good chance of killing any cold and flu bacteria before the germs have time to get you and your family sick.

Instead of waiting for the first sign of sniffles and body aches, make an appointment now to talk with your doctor to find out if you and your family members are good candidates for the flu vaccine (I get mine every year now that I have a daughter and young nephews!) and learn about over-the-counter medicines and (my fave) alternative remedies.

You also can stock up on items such as tissues, vitamin C, throat lozenges, hand sanitizer and disinfectant spray. Keep them in one handy place to make illness prevention even easier.

And, says Dr. Jim Sears, co-author of The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood, excercise, sufficient sleep, and good nutrition can go a log way in preventing the flu. A healthy diet packed with vitamins and nutrients and foods that boost the immune system like fish, citrus fruits and leafy veggies are highly recommended to stay healthy.

These are all great tips of course, but what busy mom doesn't need just a little bit of help? Would a designer diaper bag full of flu-fighting goodies be a welcome addition in your home? Yep, I figured as much.

To kick of Flu season, I've got one berrie sweet giveaway to announce for a Fight the Flu kit valued at $200.00!

One lucky winner will get:

* A JP Lizzy diaper bag withg a removable liner to keep kids safe on public changing tables.
* A portable disinfectant spray
* Hand sanitizer
* Vitamin C
* Digital thermometer
* iPod Shuffle and an iTunes gift card to encourage activity
* Copy of the 70-page book Looking After You and Your Baby
* Tips from pediatrician Dr. Jim Sears who is also the co-host of the new show The Doctors premiering this fall on CBS and his book “The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood”
To enter, leave me a berrie (read: comment) sharing your families traditional and alternative flu-fighting tips by midnight, EST, on October 31.

Additional extra entries are also available if you:
* subscribe to my RSS feed and comment letting me know you did so.
* Blog about the contest and link to the giveaway.
* Non-bloggers can email three of their friends about the contest and CC me on the email. Girl Scout's honor that I will never bother these sweet people. I promise!
* Grab my button and place it on your sidebar, linking to Berrie Sweet Picks. (I'll check!)
* You also can snag an extra entry by grabbing the Fight the Flu button on your blog for the duration of the contest! (I'll get the code up ASAP!)
* Follow me on Twitter! (nickname: berriesweetest)
Please note all entries MUST include a valid email address to be considered for the drawing! That means that well, all entries must include an email address to be considered valid. Simple enough, right? ;)

I'll randomly pick one name at the end of the contest and post their name to PRIZEYWinners and on my sidebar. The winner has 4 days from the announcement date to contact me, or an alternate winner will be selected.

And sorry to my international readers, but this giveaway is open only to US and Canadian entries.

Good luck and stay healthy! You also can get more flu fighting tips at Lysol.com.

427 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   401 – 427 of 427
bliss319 said...

flu shots hand washing and lysol...and chicken noodle soup, I know it is an old wives tale but for us it works

bliss319@hotmail.com

Heather B said...

lots of hand washing and hand sanitizer

Erica C. said...

We haven't had any problems as long as we wash our hands a lot and stay out of the cold as much as possible!

Brooke said...

Traditional: We purell our hands when we know that the flu going around.

Alternative: Chicken Soup

Anonymous said...

we try to wash hands and drink plently of fluids... and sleep.... Yet here I am sick as a dog because I'm not getting enough sleep.. so REMBEMBER to get sleep.. wiicked13 [at] yahoo [dot] com

Steph said...

Flu fighting tips for my family...wash your hands, eat right and take supplements.

Momnerd said...

It's been great to read all of the suggestions. I wish I'd seen this blog a few weeks ago before I got strep throat. I teach preschool out of my home and so I'm disinfecting constantly, I have strict washing instructions and sanitizer everywhere. (which I'm actually not sure is that good for you) Obviously I haven't been doing things quite good enough for myself though. I'm pretty sure it's a lack of sleep.

Rachel said...

we do our best to wash hands and eat healthy foods

Xenia said...

We definitely do as much hand washing as possible around here as well as stocking up on vitamins and getting our flu shots.

Thanks!
xpsundell(at)gmail(dot)com

sheriamore said...

flu shots, hand washing, and getting exersise

Anonymous said...

We ALWAYS wash our hands!

theyyyguy@yahoo.com

sheriamore said...

Your button is on my blog
sheriamore@gmail.com
http://coffeetalkblog.blogspot.com/

sheriamore said...

I have your flu button on my blog

www.coffeetalkblog.blogspot.com

sheriamore@gmail.com

sheriamore said...

I blogged here
http://coffeetalkblog.blogspot.com/

NASCAR Race Mom said...

Our family follows the rule of plenty of rest and fluids. Chicken soup and orange juice are our man weapons!

Unknown said...

To avoid getting it, wash your hands often, eat properly, get your sleep, take your vitamins, don't share eating utensils or glasses. If the precautions don't work, drink fluids, get rest, and keep away from the rest of us! Tomato soup with toast "croutons" and orange sherbet are comfort foods from my childhood that always make me feel better.

arvard said...

I get a flu shot every year.

Anonymous said...

Traditional - chicken soup and a comforter. Alternative - alka seltzer plus cold and vicks vapor rub :)

mcj4tlj@comcast.net

LadyJemima said...

My remedy for the flu is:

1. Rest, rest, rest!
2. Eat healthy, no sugar or deep fried foods!
3. I take a supplement of Echinacea which is a wonderful immune-boosting alternative to the flu shot.

lilacflowers180 AT yahoo DOT com

Tammy said...

Lots of soup and lots of TLC

Anonymous said...

We wash our hands as much as possible, use hand sanitizer when we can't, eat healthy foods, drink plenty of water and natural juices, exercise and get lots of fresh air and sunshine.
lrussel1@rochester.rr.com

Anonymous said...

Gloves when going out, Vicks save up the nose and gargle with warm salt water; stay away from crowds during the daytime hours.;

Rockin' Mama said...

We start by protecting ourselves with a flu shot. Then we do everything as natural and holistic as possible...good hand hygiene, Emergen C, etc.

jasonncaryn at yahoo dot com

Anonymous said...

Lots of vegetables to eat, lots of corange juice to drink, and no sharing of drinks with anyone.

metrofmcat(aol)dotcom

flared0ne said...

Handwashing, of course, and getting enough food and water and sleep -- but the one that always threw me as a child was my father's insistence on dosing us with a good hot toddy with lots of honey and lemon juice at the first strong sign of a fever. Nice -- hadn't thought about that in a long time...

Mollie G. said...

Vitamin C was always a big favorite at our house. And the humidifier -- at times it seemed like we were at more risk from fungus (and moss) than from the original cold... Oh, oh, oh, and the Vicks Vapor-Rub. STILL works to clear my head.

Anonymous said...

We go to normally crowded places (ex. grocery store or mall) during off peak hours to avoid the masses. Avoidance of germs works!
-Erica
acirerica81[at]gmail[dot]com

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