Seasonal Ick...

Everyone around me is really excited about the weather getting cooler but I have not found joy in the lower temperatures yet.  Every year I get sick the first time the temperature starts to drop significantly.  I'm not sure if it is allergies or something else.  Other than this time of year, I am typically fairly healthy.  Even when I do get sick it usually isn't bad enough to miss work.  That is pretty amazing for a teacher!  I'm also very gifted about putting off being sick until weekends or holidays.  I start feeling bad on a Thursday or Friday and am over it Monday morning.  (Note to the people I saw at the Halloween party on Saturday: I checked my temperature and it was 97.5 so I didn't endanger anyone...not with my germs at least.)  As I continue watching Mike do all the chores, I would like to give a shout out to all my favorite remedies.
This is our favorite soup!  It is the kind my parents made when I was sick.  They also gave me lemon-lime Gatorade.  Isn't funny how the soup makes me happy but the Gatorade makes me want to throw up?  One of the ways Mike and I knew we were meant to be together was when we discovered I like the broth the best and he prefers the noodles.  A few weeks ago we tried a new recipe for a modern spicy Asian chicken soup and it was so good.  I don't think it is a good idea to eat it when you don't feel well because it has some serious flavor that could be upsetting to a sick stomach.  It would definitely clear out your sinuses though.  We have a bunch of really great soup recipes...that could be an entirely different blog post on its own...hmmm....Even though we don't have kids, Goldfish crackers are still a staple.  I introduced Mike to the idea of floating the crackers in the hot soup.  You have to catch and eat them before they get to soft.  This is probably the point when I usually start feeling better since I'm playing with my food.
I am definitely willing to admit that I am typically a brand conscious girl.  I don't take it to a ridiculous level but there are just some that I gravitate to.  Typically we buy Kleenex brand facial tissues but my raw nose needed a little relief.  My choice was to purchase the Puffs brand tissues with lotion in front of me or continue searching for other options.  My nose is currently soft and smooth.
Even though I don't drink sodas I should drink more water everyday.  Usually when I am sick I hibernate and end up dehydrated which makes me worse.  This time I was able to drink plenty of water and I think it definitely helped me get better faster.
My family always had really awful tasting cough drops so I was amazed when my college roommate introduced me to Fruit Breezers.  They don't taste bad at all.  In fact, they taste like candy.  Better than that, I can feel them working right away.  They soothe my throat and even help clear out my nose a little.
Mike and I try not to take medication very often.  When I have to take something to make it through the day I take Tylenol.  The Rapid Release Gels are amazing when you have a headache because they work so fast.  Sometimes it seems almost instantaneous.  The Tylenol cold products are pretty amazing too.  They manage to make a sick day at school very tolerable.  I'm so busy I forget that I am sick...until it is time for another dose.

If I have time to be sick you'll find me on the coach with my pillow and favorite penguin blanket.  I am blessed to have a very comfy sofa.  (Picture Note: this isn't my sofa or my living room...I'm sick and there are dirty tissues all over the place.)

Though I love napping on my couch I do relocate to my real bed at night.  It is also really comfortable.  When Mike and I bought our mattress we made sure to get a good one!  (Picture Note: you are correct...this isn't my bed or my bedroom.)
Finally, the only good thing about being sick is having my dear sweet husband take care of me!  Most of the time he makes me homemade chicken soup.  I can usually even convince him to give me a massage, put my socks on my feet, and tuck me in.  I think he ends up getting less sleep than I do when I am sick and restless.  I do my best to take care of him when he isn't feeling well.  Luckily, we aren't sick very often and it is even more rare that we are sick at the same time.