Well it’s pretty much inevitable…. The back to school colds and if you’re really “LUCKY” you’ll have to deal with ‘head lice’ at least one time around with little ones.
I’ll start with the back to school colds. It’s that time of the year where we are shifting from a sunny and mellow summer into the hectic schedules and runny noses of September… almost always paired with a cough and/or a full out cold . When I myself feel a cold coming on I run to my “oregano oil” and mix it in with some water or smoothie and drink that. I also love and swear by my “Greens” which I mix into our smoothies Every Single morning, regardless of if we are getting sick or not. (I myself use Greens from ‘It works’, they taste delicious and my kids go nuts over them. I’m not repping the company, they are just the ones that we happen to Love :)) I’m a bit of a ‘domestic diva’ and I Love to make a big pot of ‘veggie soup’ or good ol’ fashioned chicken soup when our household is hit with a cold. It makes our apartment smell delicious and it’s a Great lunch for the kids, when put in their thermoses. I also ensure that my kids and I drink plenty of fluids, (avoid dairy as they’ll just make the cough and congestion worse). And plenty of Rest, even if that means lying on the couch all day if possible. Rest is a major part of feeling better. I’ll also run a nice warm bath with epsom salts and I’ll add in some eucalyptus essential oil or lavender essential oils. Vicks vapor rub is also an essential. I rub in under the nose, on the back, chest and on the bottom of feet. Another “must have” is a diffuser. I love mine, and I have one in my and my kids’ room. When sick I use the eucalyptus oil again. If you have a humidifier it can also really help when warding off a cold. It can make breathing easier. And don’t forget good ol’ Vitamin C! Whether you’re eating an orange or mixing some ‘Emergen-C’ into your water. Vitamin C is a staple. If you want to up that water, you can also make yourself a cuppa hot water with lemon, honey, and ginger. These will help boost your immune system and are full of amazing nutrients 😀
Now… on to Lice. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy! I’ve had to deal with it a few times over the years. (Okay it was a few times in 1 Year. I nearly lost my mind 😛 ) I tried the usual ‘over the counter’ shampoos but I found that they did nothing. Lice now a days are “Super Lice”. They have adapted to these shampoo’s and they do not get killed by them anymore. I wish I would have known that before wasting my money. The methods I found to be most effective were:
Apple Cider vinegar and coconut oil! Apple cider vinegar is amazing and will dissolve the lice’s glue from the hair, and make them much easier to comb off and the coconut oil will drown those little demons 😀
First you want to rinse the hair in the apple cider vinegar. Don’t wash it out. Let it dry in there. Once the hair is dry, massage in some coconut oil. The longer you leave the coconut oil the better. 1 hour for sure, but like I mentioned, the longer the better 😀 Then after those, you can comb through the hair and get whatever’s left in there out much easier ! *Happy Dance* While you are waiting for the apple cider vinegar to dry and/or the coconut oil part you may as well get onto the laundry aspect of this nightmare. For myself and my household, I wash whatever we’ve touched in the last 2 weeks. It’s a huge pain in the butt, however, who knows where those little nitts are hiding?! I don’t usually wash the stuffed animals I just put them through on the highest temperature setting in the dryer at least once or twice. I also use the hottest water when I’m washing the bedding or clothes. This step is also very important as you don’t want to go through all the work of getting rid of them only to have them reappear. The whole process is very costly and a true nightmare, so I will write what I know about preventative measures.
Preventative Measures for Lice:
I was going so crazy by round 3 of head lice when my daughter was in grade 1, that I ended up having her put her jacket in a plastic bag when she hung it up at school. Her class had all the jackets lined up beside each other. I would also spray in her hair before school one of two sprays I found. One is called “Shield” it’s in a green bottle and the other one is called “Ladibugs Hair Care” (this one is pesticide free and smells amazing) The ‘Shield’ one is fine too but my daughter loved the ladibug one. I know that ‘Lizzy Lee & Me’ sells it and I found the ‘Shield’ one at Walmart. Also avoid sharing hair brushes (kinda obvious but hey you may not know) I also like to add a few drops of ‘Tea Tree Oil’ to our shampoo. Lice hate that stuff 😛 I really hope this blog helped you out a bit, and please let me know if I missed any crucial tips or tricks.
Also, I have friends who swear by an electric hair comb when treating lice. They ‘zap those buggers to death’. It’s a bit costly but you’ll have it on hand if lice should ever haunt you again.
