How I Prepare for “Germ Season”

My son started Kindergarten this year. Within the first month, we were faced with our first wave of “sickness”. I have a feeling that won’t be the last time. Kindergarteners and kids in general share a lot of things, germs being one of them! So, I decided to be a little proactive this year and get my medicine chest in order!

Since mommas are always worried about their babies, I tend to have ample amounts of medications on hand for my kiddos, but I tend to forget about my husband and I. We too end up with a lot of the little’s germs and there is nothing worse than being hit with body aches and a fever, and nothing to feel better (while still having to be mom and dad).

So, first things first I pulled out our medicine case and took stock of what we had on hand.

Check for expired medications and dispose of them properly.

Since I don’t make it a habit of visiting our medicine case often, it’s not uncommon for these medications to expire. I found that most of mine were! Before just tossing the medications in the trash, take time to check if there are any guidelines on the packaging for safe disposal. Whether they are over the counter or prescribed, they may come with their own set of rules. Most medications can be disposed off by mixing the uncrushed pills in a substance like kitty litter and then trashing them. Full guidelines can be found on the FDA’s website here.

Stock Up!

After going through my case and seeing what I had on hand, I headed to Kroger to stock up on my essentials.

Dial® Complete Foaming Hand Wash – When one of us gets sick, I try to stop it with just one. Dial Complete is gentle enough for everyone in my family and kills 99.9% of germs. So the hand washing is plentiful!

Kleenex® Anti-Viral – I’ve mentioned in other posts that I like to have Kleenex on hand in general, but when someone is hit with a runny nose, they’re a must! They’re so soft and soothing on sore noses.

Breathe Right Extra Clear Strips – When my husband gets hit with a stuffy nose, he snores! Not only does it keep me up all night, it’s also pretty crummy to struggle to breath when you’re sleeping. Breath Right Strips are drug free and works by sticking to your nose and naturally flaring your nostrils. I prefer to use drug free measures whenever possible and they’re pretty awesome!

HALLS Honey Lemon – For as long as I can remember, when I got hit with a sore throat, I would pick up Honey Lemon HALLS. They always soothe my throat and they taste pretty darn good!

TYLENOL® Cold + Flu Severe Caplets – When those body aches, stuffy nose and headache hit you and you need something quick! TYLENOL® Cold + Flu soothes my cough and runny nose in one pill, so I can get back to “mommin”.

ExpressMax Severe Cold & Flu Caplets – Another quick option to have on hand (not to be taken in addition to Tylenol®). Theraflu is powerful relief from headaches, fever and congestion.

How To Store Your Medicine

When you have children in your home, you have to take extra precautions when it comes to medications. We keep all of our medications in a combination lock box. In addition to having the medications locked up, we also store them in a high kitchen cabinet. Sure, it stinks when I feel terrible and I have to climb a step stool to get to it (short problems) but anything to keep my babes safe!

We’re stocked and ready for any buggies that come into our home this fall and winter. Maybe we’ll get lucky and this will be one of those occasions you prepare for and never end up using!

How do you prepare for those dreaded fall and winter illnesses? Find more tips and savings here.

– Brooke

Since we’re talking medications keep these important things in mind:

Breathe Right – Read and follow label directions.
Dial – © The Dial Corporation, a Henkel company
Halls – HALLS Cough Drops temporarily soothe sore throats.
Kleenex – ® Registered Trademark of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. © KCWW.
Theraflu – Read and follow label directions.
TYLENOL© – Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. 2016
Use only as directed
The makers of TYLENOL® remind you to use only one medicine with acetaminophen at a time