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.