Cold Season Survival Tips from a Toddler Mom

Cold season is upon us and we have definitely had our fair share of illnesses so far.  McKinlee and Madi have had a few colds already, McKinlee had hand/foot/mouth, I've had bronchitis, Ryan has had a cold, and I'm sure I've left off a few.  With the girls in daycare two days a week and McKinlee in pre-school, the germs are abundant!  I've tried my best to prevent illness, but sometimes there really isn't anything you can do but try to survive.  I try my best to have all necessities stocked up, but sometimes you just end up missing something.  We have recently discovered Walmart's two day shipping option, and it's been a life savor so we don't have to leave the house.  Who wants to take two toddlers shopping if they can avoid it?  Not me!

OMG I can't handle her little toes! 

Their fave spot when they're sick, while watching Frozen

Cold Season Survival Items

We try our best to keep the staples stocked up in our house.  These all seem pretty obvious, but when you suddenly come down with a sickness and you are missing a staple, it's no fun!  Here is our list of necessities:

• Kleenex. We've been without Kleenex when a sickness hits and noses can get really raw when you are trying to wipe with something else.  We love that Kleenex tissues have a moisture activated blue dot layer with special anti viral formula which kills cold and flu viruses.  I also try to keep a travel pack in my diaper bag to wipe runny noses on the go.
• Medicine.  It's a real bummer to be without pain medication for your little one when they wake up at 2AM with a fever!  Make sure to buy extra to have on hand just in case.
• Ingredients for chicken noodle soup.  Soup seems to be the only thing that sounds good when you're sick.  It might be a good idea to make some chicken noodle soup ahead of time and freeze it.  When you're in a pinch, we also love the good old boxed noodle soup!  We also love saltine crackers and try to always keep an extra box around.
• An electrolyte drink.  My girls have never really taken to the traditional Pedialyte, so we usually have some sort of sports drink on hand for them to make sure they're hydrated.  You can also make popsicles out of them which seem to work well.
• Acitivty.  Keep a coloring book/game/puzzle that your kids haven't used before and pull it out when they are sick as something new to do.
• Humidifier.  When we were first time parents, we didn't think to buy a humidifier.  We needed one really badly when McKinlee got her first cold and had to run out to the store to get one which was a pain.
• Thermometer (or two).  I swear we can never find our thermometer when we need it, so we have two (one for upstairs and one for downstairs).  If you end up calling the advice nurse or doctor to get in, they'll always wanted to know if your child has a temperature.
• Essential Oil Blends.  We've recently gotten into essential oils, and we love using a blend of On Guard, Meleluca, Oregano, and Frankincense.  When the girls are sick or are coming down with something we will swipe some on their feet and spine.

Kleenex makes a fun toy too (hey, anything to keep them occupied for more than 3 minutes right?!)

Stocking Up

Unfortunately when you're a parent, you really don't have time to be sick.  But when you are, it's nice to know you have options to get items to you quickly.  We tried out Walmarts two day shipping recently and loved it!  Shipping is free when your order is over $35.  They also offer a shop online and pick up in store option.  We placed our order a few days before the holidays to get a few essentials shipped to us so that we didn't have to go out to the store.  We were low on Kleenex, so we made sure to stock up on a few boxes.  We also needed some diaper rash cream, stain remover, and laundry detergent.  You can pretty much get anything you need or think of!  Our order actually showed up a day early.  Hooray!

Kleenex - Not Just for Cold Season

As I mentioned above, Kleenex is obviously a staple for anyone to have around during cold season but it really is great to keep stock in all year long!  Kleenex kills 99.9% of cold and flu viruses in the tissue, so it will actually help stop the spread of germs.  Kids always tend to have snotty noses (even in the summer!), so I love having it around to wipe their nose and face.  It's also great to have around during allergy season for watery eyes.

Make sure to head to your nearest Walmart to stock up on Kleenex and other cold/flu staples to stay ahead of the game!  Shop online with two day shipping or in store pick up to make your life that much easier!

Thank you as always for reading!

XO-Chelsee