Tips for Cold and Flu Season: Because You Can’t Take a Sick Day from Being a Mom

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cold symptom forecaster

There’s an old saying, “Treat a cold and it will go away in about 7 days. Do nothing and it will last about a week.” While not everyone gets all the same symptoms, according to this Cold Symptom Forecaster, one can expect a cough, sore throat, congestion, and more symptoms to peak during the first 4 days and last about a week.

Whether you are a pet parent, have human kids, or both, most of us have someone else who is counting on us to take care of them. We tend to put our family’s needs before our own and can’t just take off 4-7 days when we get sick.

While there is not much you can do to shorten the duration a cold, there are some things you can do to prevent and treat cold or flu symptoms.

Things to help prevent getting sick in the first place:

  • Wash hands frequently with soap and water, while scrubbing for at least 20 seconds
  • Get into the habit of cleaning the stuff you share with others, such as computer keyboards, phones, remote controls, counter tops, and more, to prevent the spread of cold and flu.
  • Get enough sleep each night (easier said than done!)
  • Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet

What to do if you get sick anyway:

Ask your pharmacist for recommendations and be prepared:

Since I never know when one of us will get sick, and there’s nothing worse than having to go to the store when you’re already sick, I try to remember to stock up on tissues, cough drops and cold/flu relief products whenever I see a deal or have coupons. …especially this time of year!

medicine cabinet

If you aren’t sure what to get, ask your doctor or pharmacist for recommendations. As the #1 pharmacist recommended brand for adult cough,cold and flu relief, Vicks DayQuil can help you power through the day, and Vicks NyQuil is there to ensure you sleep through the night. There’s a reason why NyQuil is called “the night-time sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever, so-you-can rest medicine!”

nyquil

Daisy’s daddy especially relies on NyQuil to help him sleep when he’s sick, since he has to get up at 5:30am for work and every minute of sleep is essential.  I don’t know about you, but I find it especially hard to sleep when I’m sick. and the only thing worse than being sick, is being sick AND tired!

Important Info:

  • Before trying any new medication make sure to check with your doctor & follow the proper recommended course of treatment.
  • DayQuil & Nyquil is not recommended for children younger than 12. Be sure to consult your physician before giving DayQuil & NyQuil to children.
  • Always follow the usage guidelines for warnings and dosage directions.
  • Visit http://www.vicks.com for more information.

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.

Beat the Price Hike + Get 20% OFF Pawalla Box for Dogs and Cats

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What's inside a Pawalla box for dogs

Just a quick update that beginning Monday, Pawalla will be revising subscription box prices for cats and dogs. If you are a current active subscriber, your pricing won’t change, but if you have been delaying until now to subscribe or reactivate your subscription, take this last day to lock in the existing low price.

You can also save an additional 20% OFF the full-size box when you use Pawalla promo code WOOFWOOF at checkout!

Or, snag $3 OFF the brand new Pawalla Mini Box with discount code WOOFMINI when you order.

Rest assured, whichever option you choose, you pets will thank you for their Pawalla Box!

Original Pawalla Box:

  • Six or more great new products
  • Premium all-natural wet foods
  • Delicious treats,
  • Healthy supplements
  • Quality essentials and toys.
  • All food and treats are hand-selected by our pet nutritionist based on the size and age of your pet.

Pawalla Mini Box:

  • 1 treat
  • 1 toy, and
  • 1 surprise item to delight your pet
  • All items are all-natural and selected by our Pawalla Pet Nutritionist.

Nutrisystem Update Week 20: We’re Down 78 Pounds So Far!

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nutrisystem success

We’re celebrating 20 weeks and LOTS of pounds lost so far on our Nutrisystem journey! As of today, Woof Woof Papa and I have lost a combined 78.4 lbs!

In case you haven’t been following along, the hubby (Woof Woof Papa) and I started the program together back in October and have been reporting on our progress and setbacks in weekly weight loss updates here on the blog. The setbacks have been minor and the most important lesson we’ve learned from all of them is to put them behind us quickly and get right back on track.

People often ask us what the secret is to our success so far, but really there’s no big secret…just a super easy to follow program where we order and eat the Nutrisystem food and follow the meal plan by adding on our own grocery items in the recommended portions.


The big secret is to be realistic and consistent. Weight loss is a slow process and changing life-long eating habits is challenging. It’s a marathon, not a sprint…it helps to keep reminding ourselves of this and something we tell everyone. To give you a sense of what’s realistic, I’ve lost an average of 1.49 lbs per week, and the hubs is losing an average of 2.43 lbs per week. He works out 4-5 times per week at a very high intensity and has a physical job. I walk every day at a light to moderate intensity and work at my computer all day.

Things that are helping us the most:

  • Weighing-in daily and recording our weight weekly
  • Each choosing our own meal preferences, snacks and grocery add-ins
  • Enough variety to keep it interesting but enough to be overwhelming
  • Clearly defined “rules” keep us from negotiating the boundaries
  • Keeping a food journal using the Nutrisystem apps for Android and iPad
  • Sticking with it even after setbacks/weeks without losing
  • Doing the program together

So far, I’ve lost 29.8 pounds with 14.2 more to go to reach my goal, and hubby has lost 48.6 lbs with only 11.4 more to lose!

We’d love to hear from you about your own weight loss experiences, challenges and goals, so leave a comment and let us know you stopped by. We’re also happy to answer questions, so ask away!

If you missed any of our previous Nutrisystem posts, just visit the links in the table below or click here to catch up!

Weight Lost: Liz Garry
Week 1 -4.4 -10.8
Week 2 -1 -3
Week 3 -4.2 -6.8
Week 4 -1.2 -4.7
Week 5 -1.8 -2.1
Week 6 (Thanksgiving) -.6 +5
Week 7 -1.6 -6.6
Week 8 -2.6 -4.2
Week 9 -2.4 -2.4
Week 10 -.2 -4.7
Week 11 (Christmas) -1 +4.1
Week 12 (New Year’s) +.6 -.6
Week 13 -3.5 -2.4
Week 14 -1.6 -1.8
Week 15 -1.2 0
Week 16 -.6 -1.6
Week 17 -1.2 0
Week 18 0 -4
Week 19 (Margarita Day) +1.4 +2
Week 20 -2.8 -3.8
Total Weight Loss So Far: -29.8 -48.6
Starting Weight: 189 250
Current Weight: 159.2 201.4
Goal: 145 190

 

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog.

Nutrisystem

Tickle Pickle Organic Catnip Toy $9.49 w/ Free Shipping ($4.50 Off)

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tickle pickle catnip toy

Here’s a deal to keep your kitty happy! The Tickle Pickle Organic Catnip Toy is on sale for $9.49 including free shipping ($13.99). This hand-knit cat toy is stuffed with 100% organic catnip, is made in the USA, and sure to be a winner with your kitty! Choose from:

1-pack – $9.49
2-pack – $15
3-pack – $20
4-pack – $25
5-pack – $30
6-pack – $34.50

Get this and more great deals for cats and dogs by subscribing to Coupaw.com pet deals site today!

Three Angry Birds Plush Dog Toys w/ Sound Effects $20 Shipped ($41 value)

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angry birds dog toys with sound effects

Snag this super fun trio of Angry Birds dog toys while they are on sale here for more than half off! Get all three for just $20 including free shipping. They are the official characters and when you squeeze these 4” plush balls, you’ll hear them come to life with the real Angry Birds sound effects, too!

Find loads of great pet deals including Bully Sticks, Zuke’s Treats, KONG Toys and more, all with free shipping at doggyloot.com.