"A Parent's Guide to Flu Season" . . . What You May Not Know About the Flu (#MC)

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for MedImmune Specialty Care. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

For most of their childhoods, all 3 of our children received the flu mist every year.  Despite this, our family would still get hit with a bad flu each winter.  So last year, I decided to forgo getting the flu vaccine for the whole family.  I thought, since we were going to get a bad flu anyways, why bother to get the vaccine?  Was that ever a mistake!  I would say that our household got hit with a flu or stomach bug once every 3 weeks throughout the fall and winter.  Since it took 1-1/2 to 2 weeks for the bug to make it through all 5 family members, it seemed like we would get sick again just when everyone was feeling better every single time.  It was the roughest flu season we ever had.

We definitely did not make the same mistake this year.  All 5 of us have been vaccinated.  Unlike before, I would feel lucky this year if we only came down with the flu once this winter.  I think one of our biggest battles is capturing the germs.  According to A Parent's Guide to Flu Season by Elizabeth Pantley, it is ideal to capture the germs by catching them in a tissue whenever possible.  The problem is that, for the past few years, the schools have been teaching the children to cough or sneeze into their sleeves, which is not incorrect, but apparently using a tissue to catch the cough or sneeze is better.  With how quickly a flu bug spreads through one classroom (and the entire school), I think every student should have a box of tissues within arms reach, at the very least during peak flu season.  If the students threw away their used tissue right away and immediately washed or sanitized their hands, we could drastically reduce the number of absences due to flu symptoms this school year.

If you struggled with the flu last year like I did, download Elizabeth Pantley's ebooklet A Parent's Guide to Flu Season.  Did you know that children are 2 to 3 times as likely to catch the flu than an adult because their immune systems are still developing or that virus particles from a cough or a sneeze can reach a distance of up to 6 feet?  Which facts found in Pantley's ebooklet surprised you?

My Family is Recovering from Our 2nd Serious Flu/Stomach Bug This Year (#spon)

By the beginning of March this year, our family had come down with our second serious flu/stomach bug this year.  It seems to make its way around school from student to student.  Then at home, it makes its way around to each member of that student's family.  For some reason, I always seem to be the last one out of the 5 of us to get sick each time, which means I am the last one to recover.  No matter how diligently I wash my hands, it always seems to get me in the end.  I still have not decided yet which is more difficult . . . taking care of more than one sick child while I am well or taking care of more than one well child while I am sick.

Luckily, if I am immobilized by the flu, my husband can usually take a day off from work to take care of the house and the children.  However, if I have a bad cold and am feeling rundown, I am on my own until my husband gets home from work.  The children still need to get to and from the school bus stop safely, still need to be helped with their homework, still need to get picked up from their after school activities, and still need to go to their taekwondo classes.  Also, I am self-employed, so I do not have paid sick days and there is no one to fill in for me if I cannot finish all my work.  That is when I rely on over-the-counter medications to help relieve some of my symptoms, such as body aches, headaches, fever, a runny nose, and a sore throat.

I have relied on Vicks DayQuil Cold & Flu LiquiCaps many times to get me through the day.  It relieves multiple symptoms and keeps me from having to take a separate medicine for a decongestant, a fever reducer, and a pain reliever.  The first time I took the LiquiCaps, I was worried that I would have trouble swallowing them because of their size.  I was pleasantly surprised to find how easy they were to swallow after all.

Almost everyone I know swears by Vicks NyQuil Cold & Flu for getting a good night's rest while suffering from symptoms that cause discomfort throughout the night.  I have never been able to take it in liquid form because I have a strong distaste for alcohol.  I have the same problem with mouthwashes.  I usually am so exhausted after trying to keep up with my regular schedule while I'm sick that I have no problems sleeping.  If I ever needed to take NyQuil, I would need the LiquiCaps.

How is your family faring during this year's cold and flu season?

To learn more about the full line of Vick's cold and flu products or to find facts and tips about the flu, visit www.vicks.com. Remember, before trying any new medication, make sure to check with your doctor and to follow the proper recommended course of treatment.


I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Vicks DayQuil & NyQuil. I received product samples and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Silly Monkey Story: The Medical Theories of a 6 Year Old

It is only the beginning of March and our family just survived our second serious bug  this year.  That is why I missed posting a Silly Monkey Story last week.  When a flu or stomach bug goes through our family of 5, it takes about 2 weeks from the time the first person gets sick until the last person starts to feel better.  This time around, our 6 year old daughter had a fever that reached above 105 degrees.  That was a scary few hours!  Both she and her twin brother were such troopers while they were sick . . . much more so than their big brother.

Our story today is about our 6 year old son Luke.  He, just like most other children, always try to make sense of things by coming up with possible explanations for them.  While our son was sick with the stomach bug, he had a fever and some wooziness.  I'm pretty sure that he was feeling dizzy because he had an inner ear imbalance from only laying down on his left side for almost 3 days straight.  Well, it turned out that our son had his own theory on the cause of his dizziness.  One afternoon he asked me out of the blue . . .

"MumMum, am I dizzy because my brain is rolling around inside my head?"

Click here to read all our Silly Monkey Stories!

Silly Monkey Stories: I See The What?

A very mild flu went through our house Thanksgiving week.  Each child took turns have an upset stomach and a slight fever.  It did not last more than 48 hours for each child for the most part.  It seemed like we were giving fever reducers to at least one child everyday that week.

One evening, my husband asked our oldest to go grab the acetaminophen from the bathroom so that my husband could treat our youngest son's fever.  Then our 5-1/2 year old daughter began trying to pronounce the word acetaminophen.  Eventually she did get it.  I must say, I was quite impressed.  Then her twin brother gave it a shot.  The closest he could come to acetaminophen was "I see the medicine!"

(Click photo to enlarge)

Click here to read all our Silly Monkey Stories!

Silly Monkey Stories: A Phone Call from Teacher

Last week's was the first Silly Monkey Story I've missed in four years!  The reason why I had to skip posting one was because the whole family got hit with the flu.  To keep with the theme, this week's story will be a flu-related one . . .

I was at A.C. Moore last Monday picking up some yarn for my oldest son's school project when my phone rang.  I saw that it was the preschool, so I was immediately concerned.  It turned out to be one of the twins' teachers and she explained to me that our son Luke had thrown up quite a bit.  When I asked about whether he was a mess and if the clothes in his emergency stash was sufficient, she gave me the most puzzling reply.  She said that Luke was currently wearing his underpants and another pair of underpants that look like boxer shorts over those as shorts.  Well, this raised some questions in my head, such as . . .

"What happened to the pants I sent in for his emergency clothing?"

"I know I didn't put boxers with his emergency clothes, so is my son wearing some other child's boxer shorts?"

"Is my son going to be in therapy until he's 30 because he's walking around school wearing some other child's boxers as shorts?"

Anyways, I rushed over to the school and brought in a pair of pants from the car sickness kit I kept in the car.  When I got there, Luke was wearing pants.  It turns out that, when Luke had gotten dressed that morning, he had forgotten to take off his short jammie bottoms.  So, he put on his long pants over his short pajama pants which were over his underpants.  What a confusing morning!  I suppose in the end, I was just glad that he wasn't wearing someone else's underpants.

Click here to read all my Silly Monkey Stories

Silly Monkey Stories: If Only We Were At the Beach

Not too long ago, all 3 children came down with a nasty stomach bug.  Our 7 year old son had the most severe case and even ended up going to the emergency room due to being so dehydrated.  Our 4 year old daughter seemed to get over it the fastest.  Since her big brother threw up on her pillow, I took her to Target to buy a new one.  She said she was a little tired, but wanted to go anyways.  I figured a quick trip wouldn't be too exhausting for her . . . just a ride in the car and a ride in the shopping cart.

After I parked the car, we were walking hand-in-hand towards the store when she said to me . . .

"I wish I had a bucket."

Well, those are words I would not mind hearing if we were at the beach or fishing on a pier.  Standing in a Target parking lot, those were not the ideal words to hear.  So, she threw up right in the middle of the parking lot and then felt fine again.  We ended up going inside to buy a pillow quickly and I grabbed a large bowl from the dollar section for the ride home just in case there was a repeat performance.

Click here to learn how to participate in Silly Monkey Stories.

Click here to read all my Silly Monkey Stories!

If you have a Silly Monkey Story to share, sign Mr. Linky below with the link to your blog post (not the link to your main blog page). Please do not forget to visit the other participants and leave them comments to let them know you stopped by!

Giveaway & Review: Achooz Saline Nose Wipes for Adults [CLOSED]

We have used Boogie Wipes in the past for little kid runny noses, so I was happy to try Achooz Saline Nose Wipes for us adults, made by the same company. When you get a cold or have allergies, blowing and wiping your nose all the time can be, quite literally, a pain. With Achooz wipes, you can make your nose happy and avoid the ugly, dry, itchy, and pain that comes with a runny nose. Achooz's teams of doctors and chemists created their unique, non-medicated formula to break down mucus and soothe your nose while wiping. It’s the same gentle, patent-pending mix of saline, vitamin E, and aloe as their Boogie Wipes and is available in Cool Menthol and Fragrance Free to suit anyone’s stuffy nose.

I haven’t had a cold recently (knock on wood), so my allergy-ridden friend, Jenny, tried them out for me. She really loved how soft, yet durable they were and felt the menthol scent was an added bonus and really helped break up the mucus. I was pleased with how thick and cottony they were also, and I really liked the menthol scent as well.

You can learn more about Achooz on their website, www.achooz.com. There you can find their Facebook and Twitter links, find a retailer, and learn how to get a $0.50 off coupon for a pack of Achooz for yourself.

Thank you to Achooz for sending us a complimentary product sample to base this review upon and for providing additional product for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive an Achooz Gift Pack.

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Leave a comment telling me at which Achooz retailer you would most likely shop. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1)  For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.


2)  For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3)  For 10 extra entries, sign up to receive Achooz Newz. Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments telling me you did.

4)  For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5)  For 1 extra entry each, follow Achooz on Twitter and/or "Like" Achooz on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.


6)  Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)  Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)  Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)  Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, March 7th, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

For Better or For Worse: What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

Since we've been married, my husband and I have gotten through some difficult situations together.  The past two days have been one of the toughest we have had to face in awhile.  You see, in the middle of the night on Saturday, I woke up feeling very sick.  My husband also said he was not feeling very well, leading me to believe that we perhaps had food poisoning.  We did share a steak tip dinner the evening before.

By morning, we were sure we had food poisoning.  Here we were sick as dogs with three active children in our care.  Then our nearly 4 year old daughter became sick and after dinner that evening our 7 year old son became sick.  So it turned out not to be food poisoning at all, but rather a severe stomach flu.  We were kidding ourselves when we thought nothing could be more difficult than having two sick adults with three active children.  We found out it was much more difficult to have two sick adults, two sick children, and one active preschooler, who could not understand why nobody could play with him.

After our oldest threw up his dinner on the upstairs landing, every time my husband or myself tried to get near it to clean it up, we would both start to feel ourselves getting sick.  Looking back now, it was almost funny, but it definitely was not at the time.  After several attempts and an hour and a half later, my husband managed to clean it up in stages, even after it made him sick once.  Then, all day today, when everyone seemed to be feeling a little better except for me, he took care of the kids all day even though he wasn't 100% better himself, just so I could rest in bed.  My hero!!

Help Classrooms Take the "Save the Sleeve" Pledge with Boogie Wipes

Our household just began round #3 of colds this fall. We are only one third of the way through October! This does not bode well for the upcoming winter. We are not the only family who is experiencing this. I have heard parents complaining locally and online about cold symptoms making their way through each member of their families, as well. I even had a parent ask me back in August about whether my children have had their flu shots yet. It is clear that germ prevention is on every parent's mind.

Mindee Doney and Julie Pickens, the founders of Boogie Wipes, a company that offers a saline wipe as a solution for crusty stuffy noses, have begun the Save the Sleeve movement. This well thought out program, encourages children to take the Save the Sleeve Pledge and to become an official "Boogie Kid." All your child needs to do to become a Boogie Kid is to enter the secret code under the tab of any 30ct pack of Boogie Wipes at SaveTheSleeve.com . Your child will even receive an official Boogie Kid badge in the mail

For the holidays, instead of buying your child's teacher yet another tree ornament, why not gift Boogie Wipes and other classroom essentials instead? You can buy Boogie Wipes online or find them at your local retailer of health and beauty products. You can even order a Boogie Wipes Classroom Kit and have it sent to your child's classroom with a personal note card included. Boogie Wipes was nice enough to send 50 Boogie Wipes singles for both our twins' preschool classroom and our 1st grader's classroom to help our children's classmates start to "Save the Sleeve". The teachers were so happy to receive these products and would like to extend a big thank you to Boogie Wipes for being so generous.

Although I did not receive any compensation for sharing this information with my readers, Boogie Wipes did donate product to my children's classrooms.