Browsing Category: Health and Wellness

Health and Wellness is very important to Adventures of Abby Girl. If we aren’t healthy and well, we don’t travel. If we don’t travel and have adventures, then our readers have nothing to read. A blog about sitting in the house with the sniffles might be a tad boring.

So as we learn different ways to stay healthy and well, we will pass them along to our readers so they too can stay in good health and try some of our adventures and travels too.

Happy wellness!

take-elderberry-this-germ-season
Nose Picker
This was two years ago … still picking away

Take Elderberry to keep Adventuring because it’s getting to be that time of year where the leaves are changing, temperatures are falling and cold and flu season is knocking on your door. Every booger my child picks, I wonder if that will be the booger that breaks us. Please keep in mind that the following post contains sponsored information.

I have already been sick a lot throughout the fall. To anyone, being sick is no fun and puts a cramp in your life. However, being a mom, there is really no room for major sickness. To boot, you can’t do any great traveling or adventuring if you are sick in bed. Adventures of Abby Girl would be at a standstill! I even have video evidence here and I was so sick, I didn’t even ever post part II!

So what do you do this time of year? How does one build-up an immune system? 

Elderberry!

One thing I have heard over and over again is Elderberry Syrup. Not the kind with a bunch of artificial crud in it. A real, honest to goodness, Elderberry syrup. Now I love my Elderberry gummies. So trying a syrup was a change. But, everyone kept mentioning this Mountain Witch among the local mom groups. So I did some digging or clicking on my keyboard and Mountain Witch Herbals is real and she does have elderberry syrup. She’s even on Facebook.

She offers shipping as well as a local pickup in Dutchess County, New York. Delivery and shipping charges are additional. So she’s kind of like the milkman. However, she won’t get you pregnant, just keep you healthy!

She’s located in Amenia New York. I met her on one of her routes to pick-up my bottle of Elderberry syrup. With the name, I felt like I should meet her on the outskirts of the deep wood in some Grimm Fairy tale. But no, we met in a parking lot and she drives an SUV. 

She was so nice and very knowledgeable. I love that the recipe has been passed down. It’s a family recipe and not from a kit you purchase on some website. 

Benefits-

According to Mountain Witch Herbals, the benefits of elderberry are as follows;

“Elderberry Syrup has been used for centuries as a home remedy to treat the cold and flu, both of which are caused by a virus. The syrup helps to reduce the severity and duration of the infection.. it also helps with upper respiratory and sinus infections, inflammation, and boosts the immune system. “

*With anything, consult a doctor first before trying. Results might be different for different people. Also, please obtain your Elderberry from a trained professional or known product as not all parts of the elderberry bush are edible and you can’t eat raw elderberries! In the raw form, they are poisonous

Who is the Mountain Witch?

She comes from a long line of “witches” that use herbal remedies to help heal others and animals.

“ I’m also a natural-born witch, and not what people tend to think as a scary old lady With green skin and warts.”

Elderberry Syrup

 She’s also an herbalist, currently studying to become a clinical herbalist, and has years of training. In addition,  she’s also a Reiki Master, certified crystal healer, and an ordained interfaith minister and homeschooling mom of 4 kiddos. This lady is very busy and very skilled at what she does! 

Learn more about the Mountain Witch at her Facebook page and pick-up some of her Elderberry Syrup! Boost that immune system with all-natural remedies this cold and flu season. 

Other Tips and Tricks For Germ Season (Bonus Content)-

Elderberry Benefits and other remedies
Another Great Germ and Lice Catcher

What are some other types of tips and tricks to keep you adventuring and not sniffling this germ season?

1. Vitamin C. I drink low acidic orange juice a lot and just got a grape juice that has antioxidants added. I do water down my juice and you have to watch the sugars

2. Get fresh air. Fresh air is wonderful. It’s great for the soul. Keeps you from getting crazed and keeps you away from germs.

3. Practice proper hand-washing skills and keep your hands out of your nose, eyes, and mouth. Although, I did read an article recently on the benefits of booger eating as my child eats a lot of boogers. I do not recommend it. However, there is some debate in the community about eating your boogers …

4. Try to keep up an exercise routine and eat healthily. This like many of these points should be all year round.

Here is an article from the CDC about hand-washing. Oh and if you are wondering about the whole booger debate, jump over to this Men’s Health Article

4. Bring a change of clothes if you go to a germ factory such as a children’s museum where everything is “please touch” or even those bounce places. We never leave there this time of year without some illness. So change your clothes then come home and give everyone a bath!

5. Find ways to release stress. Whether it’s yoga, a favorite piece of music, a place you go or perhaps something more aggressive-release that stress

6. Keep your house clean. I don’t clean with bleach. I’m actually so allergic to bleach that it can kill me or give me a very sexy hive rash all over my body and the Simpsons lips. So we use Vinegar or all-natural products. 

Do you have any other tips? Send them to me. I would love to add them!

Conclusion-

Germ and Flu season is here and it’s like the Big Bad Wolf. So what are you going to do? Are you going to let it knock you down or are you going to build your immune system up like a brick house? I know what I’m going to do and I will have the Mountain Witch on speed dial! A special thank you for a bottle of Elderberry Syrup for Adventures of Abby Girl to review and it is indeed Abby Girl approved! She loves taking it.

 

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norovirus-in-the-house

Norovirus in the house and now, the family must Survive Husband’s germs. It has happened. It is not even a month from spring and he brings home one of the toughest, nastiest virus there is that is currently on outbreak in our county. I like sharing … But, not this. The dreaded Norovirus in the House

It Begins-Husband’s Germs-

It started Thursday night. I was having a beautiful dream about baked goods. I was driving down the road in my dream and was just about to bite into this amazing looking brownie that magically appeared in a brown paper bag, when I was jolted awake. It was the sounds of forced, hard projectile vomiting. I hate vomit. I would spend the rest of the night, listening to him repeatedly running through the bedroom where me and my daughter sleep to the bathroom. He’s 6 ft tall and over 200 pounds. He’s not like a graceful gazelle in when he runs. He runs more like a giant ape tripping over things in the night or a bull in a China Shop or Sasquatch realizing pine needles don’t make good toilet paper.

Big Foot needs toilet paper. Surviving Husband's Germs
Need 2 ply

To add insult to injury, I was extra not amused because the night before, I had zero sleep when my daughter turned karate kid on me and kicked me repeatedly in the side ALL night long. Three days later and my side is still tender.

At one point I even got the honor of cleaning his puke can because he was not physical able. There has to be a trophy. A big honking, shiny trophy with my name on it somewhere. That was what nightmares are made of, I promise. I was dry heaving and a piece of me died inside.

Mom award. Surviving Husband's Germs
Yep.

The morning after with Husband’s N0rovirus-

The next morning, not knowing what he had, I went around spraying Lysol and wiping everything. Abby girl kept repeating, daddy’s sick and spraying Lysol everywhere. My husband kept telling me he had food poisoning. I did not believe him. He told me the can of soup was bad and maybe I didn’t check the expiration date. Thank you Google for telling me all he could get was botulism. He had no neuro signs, just excessive loss of bodily stuff, so my mommy-sense went off like an alarm.

He was grumpy and sick. So I hurried to complete my office work in the early AM and gathered my daughter for an escape. I wasn’t sure if it was the flu, food poisoning, or him spawning an alien. All I knew was to get out of there, and fast. No man left behind is out the window in this situation and survival mode was on like Donkey Kong.

Attempted Escape-Surviving-Norovirus

Neurovirus in the House
Surviving Husband’s germs

We were not exactly home free yet though. He in his illness was crying out for a bagel. There are no bagel stores anywhere near us. My blood sugar was getting low and I was getting cranky. Abby and I ran to our local supermarket and got him a bagel. I knew this was a dumb choice but of course, none of the practical suggestions sounded good to him. But, what my man wants is what he gets. Mom’s are all about teaching lessons.

At the store, several women sympathized with me about my plight. As Abby and I were leaving, Abby wanted to get daddy reading material. She picked him up the wedding guide and an issue of Hudson Valley Parent. We got home and literally threw the stuff at him from as far away as possible and left.

Destination One-

So, Me and Abby’s first destination was the bagel store. We stopped and had a rainbow bagel together and a big pile of bacon. Maury Povich was on the one television. Not exactly educational, but it better than being at home with Mr. Pukey Pants. We all know how men get when they are sick. Sorry men that are reading this, because I speak the truth.

Bagel Store Fun instead of surviving husband's germs
Bagel Store. Ladies that Brunch

Still stalling on going home …

The next stop we made was to the mall. I went to take Abby out of carseat and her shoes were completely missing even after tossing stuff everywhere like a mom tornado. This fear came over me that she tossed them out the window at someone like the time she took my hiking pole, rolled down the window, went all medieval and tried jousting someone from the car like two horses passing each other. I seriously thought the pole wasn’t in her reach. The day I realized she could go Houdini in her carseat.

Poughkeepsie Galleria. Surviving Husband's Germs
Crazy times at the mall

I needed to pee bad and couldn’t take her in a restroom with no shoes. Gross. We stopped in Payless and had to pay eighteen dollars for a pair of sneakers she didn’t need. The minute they were on and we paid, she was off and running. We ran and ran and ran and ran some more. I was reminded of Forest Gump when he said “I just kept runnin and runnin. They were my magic shoes …” We stopped running for a brief snack. Then were off again. We spent time in Five Below and the playhouse in Target. Fun trick, I put a stuffed animal on the roof and it kept her occupied for like five whole minutes while she tried to get it.

A final stall tactic-

Playing at Target in our Mall. Mom hack. Stuffed toy on playhouse roof. Surviving Husband's Germs
Stuffed toy on roof. Mom hack.

Our third stop was the grocery store. We spent a lot of time here and way over spent our budget. But, it kept us out of the house. That was all that matter. No pictures as my phone decided to run out of battery juice.

The Return Home (we thought)

We eventually returned home. After getting comfortable, the dreaded words, “aren’t you taking me to the doctor?” In 12.5 years, he has never let me drive as for some reason, my driving makes him nervous. So I put Abby back in the car, cracked the windows and drove Ms. Daisy, I mean my husband, to the doctor. Listening to his little backseat driver comments in his sick little voice. My mom asked me why I didn’t put him on a bus.

The Dropoff-

I dropped him at front entrance and left. No way I was going in and facing God knows what other germs. Images of germs jumping on us laughing maniacally as they climb down our nasal passages. So me and Abby headed to the next adventure, grocery store.

Neurovirus in the House
Surviving Husband’s Germs

At store we ran into someone Brian works with and at first I didn’t recognize this man and he kept appearing. This slightly grizzly man made me a little nervous. But, then I finally recognized him and he was very nice. He told me to get Brian Gatorade. After, we got our stuff, and more cleaner, we headed back to get the Obi One Germy One.

When he eventually returned to the car, I find out he is pre-diabetic which has nothing to do with this story and he has something called Noro Virus aka the cruise ship illness. It’s a stomach virus and worse than the flu in my opinion. It is no Love Boat at our house right now.

The Take Away-

What did I learn? All the products I was using and purchasing are ineffective toward NoroVirus. Think heavily armed germs with a protective layer. They have a layer that is resistant to pretty much anything but bleach and peroxide. Bleach is the most effective. Sadly, I am deathly allergic to bleach and don’t feel like having a severe allergic reaction trying to avoid my husband’s nasty virus. My luck, that would be my final demise. Death by allergic reaction to bleach avoiding man germs. Fun fact, I noticed today, my excessive hand washing has dried out my hands so bad that they cracked open in one spot. I won’t even touch the moisturizer because he touched it.

Furthermore, This virus is supposedly strongest for around three days but a person can be a carrier for up to two weeks. So there will be no daddy, mommy “alone” time for a very long period of time. Mom, I know you read this blog sorry for the TMI. Again, no love boat over here.

Neurovirus in the House
No love boat here.

Light At End of Tunnel?

Today Abby and I chanced hanging out with him in his bedroom. We found some peroxide cleaner yesterday and he saturated everything with it. However, I’m not sure if that was the smart decision or not to be in there. We are heading into the fourth day tomorrow. Fingers crossed. Bad enough dealing with a sick man in the house. This is a whole adventure I never want to revisit. Worst is the ruined donut dream!

Click here to see the survival guide every mom, wife should have to protect themselves when the man falls ill. My sister in law said “booze, headphones and something to knock him out.” If you have anything to add, please comment!

If you would like to learn more about Noro-Virus jump over to the CDC website. The people on the page look way to happy to be inflicted with Noro Virus. There is even a video!

General Stuff-

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