Five Friday Faves - 10.11

'tis the season - cold/flu season

As my husband and I headed out for our weekend getaway last weekend, I couldn’t help but think back to almost exactly a year ago when we were debating whether to cancel our plans because our youngest had a stomach bug.

I tend to get a lot of anxiety around my kids’ health. When they’re sick, it throws everything off balance—work, plans, routines. It’s inevitable with kids in daycare, but it still catches me off guard. Adjusting my plans or dealing with disappointment when things don’t go as expected isn’t exactly my strong suit. I tend to spiral into worst-case scenarios when the kids start coughing or are stuffy at night, and often times it’s fine. Having tubes put in and tonsils removed has made a huge difference for us, but it still feels like we’re constantly battling illnesses and making trips to the doctor.

The summer was relatively calm for us, but it feels like we’re on a tightrope as we get into the fall. Here are the things below that we have in our house to prepare for the cold/flu season and the things that help us stay healthy.

Hope these help you and solidarity in sickness and in worrying about sickness.

Ryan and Rose Cutie Dose - My daughter had 60+ days of antibiotics due to ear infections etc. in her first year. Every time I got to the bottom of the bottle and the syringe was too short, I would get so mad. Enter the Cutie Dose. The perfectly sized syringe for getting medicine out of every type of container. I love this thing and have multiple around my house. It’s good for the motrin/ibuprophen as much as the antibiotics. HIGHLY recommend.

Deebo Care Otoscope - I recently shared this one, but if you have an ear infection-prone kid, this otoscope is a no-brainer. It helped me identify an ear infection in my son and my husband within the first two weeks of having it, and that’s not even for my daughter who’s the usual culprit. You can use code DAY15 for 15% off.

Chewables - Maybe I was late to this game, but I suffered with liquid medicine for my kids for far too long. The chewables are WAY easier, and my kids actually like how they taste. I discovered this when my son had his tonsils out, and he ended up liking the chewable for pain control more than the liquid - which was counterintuitive. If your kid is old enough, I’d definitely look into the chewable option for OTC Meds (and talk to your doctor - I’m no expert).

Med Kit - We have a “go kit” for medicine when we travel, and I rarely leave the house for a night without it. We use something like this and fill it with motrin, tylenol, (adult and kids) benedryl, claritin, cough syrup, zyrtec, extra inhalers, a small first aid kit, spare pink eye drops, and a thermometer.

Alexa - We use the Alexa to help us remember to give meds when the kids are on antibiotics. It’s so helpful to set a reminder for once or twice a day to remind us to give the kids their meds. This would work with a Google device or your phone, and it’s hard enough to remember my wallet when I leave the house, so it’s nice to have backup reminder to give the kids meds and avoid guilt from forgetting the meds.

Humidifiers - Each kid has a humidifier in their room, we have the Canopy and the CarePod. The CarePod almost works too well - it makes the room so humid, but sometimes that’s what you need. I usually use it on the lowest setting. We also love the Canopy and the filters. I love that you can put the whole thing in the dishwasher.

Boogie Wipes - We go through so many of these throughout the year, I have them in most bags, in our diaper bag etc. We love the green ones.

Welly Bandaids - Fashion or actual injury, these are our go-to’s. The kids love the patterns, and I have them in the go bag and in our kitchen. They’re always in rotation.

Your favorite link from last week - No 6. Clogs

What’s for Dinner

Sunday - Brats and Tots - My in-laws brought some delicious Brats and we were so happy to have a refill in our freezer!

Monday - Marinated Chicken and a makeshift version of Charlie Bird’s Farro Salad. I love the Honey Dijon marinated chicken from Whole Foods and it goes so well with this Charlie Bird’s salad. I made a version with just what I had in the pantry/fridge - farro, arugula, parm, olive oil, and lemon juice. It was still so good.

Tuesday - Dumpling Daughter - I love these and so do the kids. We made some of the Pork and Chive with the Roasted Pork Buns.

Wednesday - Pork with Peanuts and Celery - This Molly Baz recipe is a big hit in our house. My son said “I can’t stop eating these noodles” which is an endorsement I’ll take. And shout out to this cookbook. I have made ~15 things from it and they are all so so good.

Thursday - Out

More A Day In Her Life:

• ICYMI - This week’s episode with Jennifer from @8thdayformomonly is so so good! Jennifer is a corporate mom of three! I loved hearing how she structures her days for success, makes time for herself, and plans extracurriculars for her kids and herself. Jennifer shares how she decided to outsource and hired a house assistant. Don’t miss this one.

• One Year Ago - A Day In Her Life with Brittany Sheehan! Brittany is a sleep consultant, mom of three, and the absolute best! Brittany has helped my family in many ways and I loved hearing about how she prioritizes “Vitamin D and Me” time and her “Mom CEO” tasks.

• If you are local to the Boston/Milton area, I am hosting a mom’s group for moms on Maternity Leave starting on October 15. I am a NAPS-Certified Moms Support Group Leader and love supporting moms in the community. This group runs for 6 sessions and you can find out more here!

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