Taking care of yourself

[Hazel]

I make elderberry syrup. I take 2 tbsp twice a day. I wash my hands a lot. I drink a lot of water. I nap if I need to. I try not to do anything that will trigger my allergies (I tend to get a cold right after I've had an allergy attack).
I highly recommend elderberry. It's not expensive to make, tastes yummy and really seriously works.

[midaycare]

Okay I don't know if I buy that MN is colder than here. I live across the street from Lake Michigan - it's the east side of the state that stays warm. My area averages over 100 inches of snow per year.

I really try to get outside, but once it hits 10 degrees and windy, I'm done!

I make elderberry syrup. I take 2 tbsp twice a day. I wash my hands a lot. I drink a lot of water. I nap if I need to. I try not to do anything that will trigger my allergies (I tend to get a cold right after I've had an allergy attack).
I highly recommend elderberry. It's not expensive to make, tastes yummy and really seriously works.

How do you make it?

[midaycare]

In also curious about the B vitamin shot. Where do you get it?

[Annalee]

In also curious about the B vitamin shot. Where do you get it?

I get my B-12 shot at a local clinic for $10...you do not have to go to a doctor's office...The clinic does have my bloodwork results from the Dr because my Dr is in a neighboring county and they do not make me drive up there for a simple shot.

[Blackcat31]

Okay I don't know if I buy that MN is colder than here.

I live across the street from Lake Michigan - it's the east side of the state that stays warm. My area averages over 100 inches of snow per year.

I really try to get outside, but once it hits 10 degrees and windy, I'm done!

On the map, I live as far north as the northern most tip of the Upper Peninsula Near the northwestern side of Lake Superior.

We don't get as much snow here because of the extreme cold/temps. (Average temp when it snows is 26F.)

Our average winter temps in Jan and Dec are below zero.

Our average snow fall is around 55 inches.

You absolutely get some enormous amounts of snow but thankfully, you get to avoid the extremely frigid temperatures, which makes getting out and enjoying some of the snow we do get difficult sometimes. We just dress in layers and try not to stay out too long.

I can see how living right across the street from Lake Michigan can get windy.....
It definitely makes you chilled to the bone, plus with that much snow the air has to be so moist that it feels damp all the time. (((Brrrrr))) now I'm cold just thinking about it. ::

[SignMeUp]

Our average winter temps in Jan and Dec are below zero.

You absolutely get some enormous amounts of snow but thankfully, you get to avoid the extremely frigid temperatures, which makes getting out and enjoying some of the snow we do get difficult sometimes. We just dress in layers and try not to stay out too long.

Seriously! Does your county NOT make you abide by their stupid windchill chart? It has to be about 19 degrees windchill for us to go out.
We have one for hot and humid too

[Blackcat31]

Seriously! Does your county NOT make you abide by their stupid windchill chart? It has to be about 19 degrees windchill for us to go out.
We have one for hot and humid too

No, they really dont... Our elementary school aged kids play hockey the entire season outside. Games included. Only the high schoolers get the indoor rinks.

Basically, they leave it up to us to use our best judgement (imagine that huh?.. : our schools RARELY close for weather either.

... Its "different" up here. Not sure if its a good or bad different sometimes though..

[midaycare]

That is true here too. It has to be serious negative wind chill for our schools to close or consider indoor recess.

[Lucy]

To be perfectly honest, I do absolutely nothing.

I think you're either the type to get sick easily, or you're not.

I'm no doctor, and I don't criticize anyone taking all the vitamins and such, but I just think you're born as either the "catch everything" type, or the type that is lucky enough to survive through it all. Honestly (and again, NO offense whatsoever), I don't think what you swallow daily makes any difference. I think it's genetics.

My whole (blood related) family is the same as me -- exposed to everything, but catch nothing. One of my DC families is the total opposite. Sick ALL the time. They each get about 6 colds a year... parents AND kids. That's just their genes. They take vitamins and I don't. They are all thin, and 3/5 of my family (including me) are "fluffy", eat bad, hardly exercise, etc.

That being said, I DO encourage taking vitamins, exercising, eating right, getting good sleep, etc. They certainly can't hurt!!! Even if they help you as a placebo, they've still done their job!

I've always thought that we OVER sanitize and wash anyway. You have to expose yourself to a little bit of the ickies so that you build up immunities to them. And NO, I'm not saying I'm dirty and gross!!! I just don't over bleach, over hand wash, etc.

That's just my take, ladies. Your mileage may vary. ::

[midaycare]

To be perfectly honest, I do absolutely nothing.

I think you're either the type to get sick easily, or you're not.

I'm no doctor, and I don't criticize anyone taking all the vitamins and such, but I just think you're born as either the "catch everything" type, or the type that is lucky enough to survive through it all. Honestly (and again, NO offense whatsoever), I don't think what you swallow daily makes any difference. I think it's genetics.

My whole (blood related) family is the same as me -- exposed to everything, but catch nothing. One of my DC families is the total opposite. Sick ALL the time. They each get about 6 colds a year... parents AND kids. That's just their genes. They take vitamins and I don't. They are all thin, and 3/5 of my family (including me) are "fluffy", eat bad, hardly exercise, etc.

That being said, I DO encourage taking vitamins, exercising, eating right, getting good sleep, etc. They certainly can't hurt!!! Even if they help you as a placebo, they've still done their job!

I've always thought that we OVER sanitize and wash anyway. You have to expose yourself to a little bit of the ickies so that you build up immunities to them. And NO, I'm not saying I'm dirty and gross!!! I just don't over bleach, over hand wash, etc.

That's just my take, ladies. Your mileage may vary. ::

I also believe we over-sanitize. I do try to keep everything really sanitized in the daycare, though.

On a side note, I get a lot less sick when I am gluten free. And when I do get sick, it doesn't last as long. I base the length on my hubby coming down with the same thing and me getting better before him. He always gets better before me, unless I'm eating gf. I'm also prone to sinus infections but get zero while gf.

[DaveA]

Jack Daniels- just pickle the bugs. Kidding

About the only change I make during the winter is our diet (I do 90% of the cooking) tends to be richer (more traditional Midwestern American/ Mexican/ Italian dishes) but smaller portions. In the summer I tend to cook Asian, Coastal US, and Mediterranean foods.

I also find I rarely get sick unless I'm stressed. Since my shop is primary stress relief I make sure to get out there a little more or at least bring in some hand tool work I can do in the garage for a few minutes.

[Annalee]

Jack Daniels- just pickle the bugs. Kidding

About the only change I make during the winter is our diet (I do 90% of the cooking) tends to be richer (more traditional Midwestern American/ Mexican/ Italian dishes) but smaller portions. In the summer I tend to cook Asian, Coastal US, and Mediterranean foods.

I also find I rarely get sick unless I'm stressed. Since my shop is primary stress relief I make sure to get out there a little more or at least bring in some hand tool work I can do in the garage for a few minutes.

I would be 100% healthy if I didn't allow stress to overtake me!

[_Dana_]

You must live somewhere warmer than I do - I can't imagine walking outside in January & February. I've never thought about the B vitamins, but heard about them. Interesting ...

I had to laugh b/c "I" make my husband take a B complex vitamin. Not necessarily for stress, immunity or anything. But when he doesn't take it, he has the WORST gas at night! As in it wakes me out of my sleep and I have to go sleep on the couch!! This vitamin is always in stock at our house!


Things we do...regular disinfect surfaces/toys/etc, wash hands a lot, teach the children to cover coughs and sneezes properly, encourage parents to keep sick kids home, and send sick kids home.

As a family to stay healthy we exercise regularly, eat well, get out of the house to visit friends, make alone time for each other, try to get good sleep, laugh and play.

[Hazel]

How do you make it?

It's actually quite easy.


2 cups fresh elderberries OR 1 cup dried elderberries
4 cups water
6 whole cloves
2 TBS fresh grated ginger (dried can be substituted but not powdered)
2 Cinnamon Sticks (not powdered)
2 cups raw honey

Step 1: Place all ingredients except for the honey in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. I then mash up the berries a bit with a spoon and heat for another 10/20 minutes.
Step 2: Strain the mixture. I place a piece of cheese cloth inside a fine mesh strainer and squeeze as much juice as I can from the cheesecloth.
Step 3: Add the honey to the juice and stir until mixed well.
Step 4: Place syrup in a glass jar and refrigerate to use daily. You may also can or freeze the syrup for later use.
For an added extra boost, if you can handle it, I have added 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar.

Dosage: As a preventative, 1 TBS per day for an adult and 1 tsp per day for a child.
When feeling sick, 1 TBS per hour for an adult, 1 tsp per hour for a child.
Obviously not recommended for children under 2 bc of the honey. Yes, the honey is heated slightly but I wouldn't risk it.

[Hazel]

I also agree with the over sanitizing issue. I only used diluted white vinegar to clean. Bleach causes major issues here with my asthma so I make citrus vinegar. I just take the peels of several oranges (usually peeled from the kids lunches) and put them in a mason jar. I cover with white vinegar and let it sit in a sunny window for a couple weeks. As I need it I'll pour it into a spray bottle and dilute with water (50/50). It works great! And less harsh