Top ways to keep your family healthy through cold and flu season.

     Many of you know that I have a wonderful 18 month old toddler named Madalyn. Well, Madalyn goes to daycare and comes home with all the germs she has gathered from the other wonderful toddlers. I am in law school and stuck in rooms with hundreds of other students. We all share germs. The last thing I want to do is have to take a day off of school to take care of a sick baby and if you are a stay at home mom probably the last thing you want is to be sick while having to take care of kids! So here are some tips for staying well!

1. Make sure you wash your hands plenty. I love using the Lysol Healthy Touch No Hands Soap Dispenser. This makes it easy to wash without touching and spreading germs. You should wash for at least 20 seconds or as long as it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song twice! 
2. Make sure you disinfect highly touched areas of your house. I try to spray down all door handles once a day. I make sure the counter tops are cleaned everyday with disinfecting spray. 
3. Get plenty of rest. As moms, we are always doing hundreds of things and not necessarily taking care of ourselves. I learned this well this past week. Make sure you are getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night and eating your fruits and veggies!
4. Remove your shoes as soon as you enter the house. We are lucky to have hardwood floors downstairs, but I do not want to have all the dirt from outside trapped in the carpet. We also make sure we mop the floors at least a week. 
5. If you are sick, stay home from work or school. It is easier for one person to get over sickness than for an entire class to try to get over it. It just drags out the recovery period. 
6. Get your flu shot!!!!!  Like Lysol® on Facebook and get a flu shot badge and an opportunity to receive a $5 flu shot rebate. Learn more about the flu rebate at www.lysol.com/flufree123
7. If one person in your family is sick, try to limit who is around them. If dad is sick, perhaps just mom should help him. If one child is sick, try to keep them away from other children.
8. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose. This just spreads germs more. 
9. Always use a tissue to wipe your nose. Do not continue to reuse that tissue instead throw it away as soon as you wipe your nose. 
10. Getting moderate exercise and proper nutrition are great ways to strengthen your immune system.

Keeping my family healthy and happy is one of my biggest goals as I am sure it is for most moms and dads! The best way to prevent the flu is to follow these points and make sure you have a flu vaccine. Everyone 6 months and older should have been given the immunization. 

Lysol Cold & Flu PreventionLysol Cold & Flu

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Lysol blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”