The last several years, I’ve purchased the $5 reusable chalkboards from Target with the intention to promptly remove the chalk paint that I used to personalize this year. Every spring, when it’s the last day of school and every fall, when it’s the first day of school, I realize that I broke that promise to myself AGAIN! It turns out, I have not taken off the chalk paint and its 9pm or 6am and I gotta get it off!! This usually includes Windex and a cloth or whatever the heck else I can find. Then I have to wait for it to dry and figure out my chalk paint markers again!
So this year, I decided to get smart-printable. AH-HA! So much easier! Plus, I’m a big fan of anything that is FREE! And because I love y’all, I decided to share it with you!! I hope you enjoy! Tag me on Instagram in your pics if you use it!
The fall means cooler weather, sweaters, PSLs and pumpkin patches. It also means the beginning of cold and flu season. Ugh. For a real life germaphobe, this can be very stressful to me. But I also take time every single fall, to prep my home for sickies!
I have a well stocked closet right outside my kids room which I restock at the beginning of the school year with all the things I might need. We also increase our immune boosting activities, including taking daily supplements.
What do I keep stocked?
As I mentioned above, I prepare my upstairs closet for all worst case scenarios so I can be ready at 3am when “disaster strikes”.
Of note: I’m just a regular mom, I’m not a doctor or nurse so PLEASE make sure you check with YOUR physician before using any product on your child and follow the directions.
Thermometers
I prefer the good ‘ole thermometers to take my kids temp orally or axillary (under the armpit). I find this is the best way to get accurate and consistent readings. I find the ear thermometers hard to use and the forehead scanners can be inconsistent. I do keep a forehead scanner on hand for easy to grab temps but when it matters, I always take it orally or axillary.
I personally use this Exergen Forehead Scanner when I need a quick temp. It gets great reviews and works well.
This infared forehead scanner gets great review, is rated #1 and is under $100.
I have one for each kid in case everyone is sick at the same time. I keep them in little organizer trays with extra probe covers
Fever Reducers and Anti-inflammatory
I make sure I restock our stockpile of Children’s Tylenol and Children’s Advil with extra measuring cups and syringes fully stocked. Right now, all three of my kids prefer the liquid version which makes purchasing easy!
Cough Remedy
Based on my doctor’s recommendation, I do not give my kids any over the counter cough medication. We actually use good old honey and lemon. I mix up 2 tsp of local, organic raw honey (I only give this to my kids who are OVER 12 months old) with warm water and some lemon slices. I give this to them right before bed for a natural and effective cough suppressant.
I also run a cool mist humidifier in their rooms all night. About an hour, before they head to bed, I crank the mist up to high and close the door to get the room nice and humid. For my big kids, I might run some peppermint oil and lavender oil (Note: I only use Doterra Essential Oils because of their known purity) in my oil diffuser right before bed as well!
Personal Protective Equipment
I keep a variety of personal protective equipment on hand, and yes, I did this PRE-COVID!! In order to reduce the spread of germs between me and the kids and between my kids, I take extra precautions. When dealing with vomit, I always wear a disposable gown, gloves and mask when cleaning it up or moving sheets to the laundry, to avoid it entering my mouth and to protect my clothes. If I don’t wear a gown, I usually change my shirt out so I’m not spreading germs to my other kids or to other places in the house.
So what exactly do I keep in the closet, here’s my list
I keep a small variety of cleaning products that I use when my kids are sick. I typically clean with vinegar and water, however, I can’t mess around when I’m trying to avoid the spread of germs so here’s what I keep on hand.
Clorox Medical Grade Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner might be my most favorite product on the market. I use this in place of bleach. It kills so many germs in 30 seconds such as common cold, Coronavirus, stomach flu and influenza. This product can be used on porous surfaces such as fabric and carpet so great for spraying down the couch, mattresses and carpet.
Purell Professional Surface Cleaner is another favorite cause it can be used on surfaces used to prep food, without rinsing. So this is great for kitchens! It also does not have harsh chemical smell.
Lysol Disinfecting Spray smells SO bad, but it’s great for quick disinfecting on surfaces likes doorknobs and light switches.
Immunity Boosters
Some known immunity boosters are
Healthy Diet, eating healthy which means avoiding sugar, high fat and processed foods but choose a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which contain vitamins and antioxidants.
Sleep. Read up on how much sleep our kids need at each age and stick to it. We have a pretty strict bedtime routine in order to achieve good sleep hygiene
Exercise. There are so many benefits to exercise including weight loss, but exercise is also a great immunity booster So stay active, even if that means a short walk daily to get your blood moving!
Outdoor time. Benefits of being outside include natural vitamin D and fresh air.
Elderberry Syrup has so much good medical research behind it to suggest that this is a real immune booster. We take it twice a day during cold/flu season and increase it to 4 times a day when we get a cold or the flu.
Vitamin C/Zinc/Vitamin D is a great combo for boosting immunity.
This post contains affiliate links. I earn commission, at no cost to you, on any purchases made through the links.
I’m getting ready to send my oldest off to kindergarten. The day I’ve been preparing for since before he was born. Culturally, it’s an important day, the first step out of the nest. This year, things look a little different. I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster for months now, and school has added another element. Letting him go into this big world looks a little different than it did 5 months ago, but I’m still determined to make this a special day. Part of me is so very excited, I can’t wait for him to experience all the things that a kindergartner needs to experience. And the other part of me, is sitting in the car with an aching heart, tears streaming down my face, sad to let him go into the big, scary world.
Here are some things we are doing to get ready for this wonderful, exciting “rite of passage”.
One, we talk about it, a LOT. Anytime something comes up that I can relate back to school, I talk about. I ALWAYS act excited, talking in a voice that conveys my excitement for him. From learning to read, do math, eat lunch at school and even drink from his brand new water bottle.
Second, we made school supplies shopping a fun thing to do together, a mommy and Luke “date”. We printed out the list (which is totally unnecessary but made it more fun. We grabbed cake pops from Starbucks and then walked around Target, picking out all the supplies we needed. Getting a new backpack was the icing on the cake. Here’s a list of some of my favorite backpacks.
Third, we have been reading books together about kindergarten. There are so many cute books out there that give kids the general framework about what kindergarten will look like. Here are some of my favorites.
Fourth, I usually buy him a special shirt or outfit to wear on the first day. We usually go together to pick something out that we both like (harder that it sounds). This year, he has to wear a uniform, so I got him special “back to school” pajamas to wear the night before his first day!
Fifth, I plan a special breakfast with all of his favorite foods. My buddy loves sweet things so this year, I’m thinking I’ll make sheet pan pancakes with sprinkles.
Lastly, my favorite thing, the thing that brings tears to my eyes just thinking about, is I will read this book The Kissing Hand to him the few nights leading up to school.
I got him this bracelet that says “I love you” so he can look down and be reminded that I love him, all day long. Bracelet linked here.
This year, school doesn’t look anything like we thought it might. Let me know what you’re doing this year to make it special for your kids!
