There Ain't No Cure for the Summertime _______

 Today you have the pleasure of hearing from Aimee, a veteran MOPS mama who wants to share her stories. I think most of us can relate to this one!

Well, did you guess the word? Drum roll please….The answer is VIRUS!!! Yep, the summertime virus has struck my household. Praise God, it seems to have hit us parents the worst. I may have caught it to temper my frustration with my husband for not washing his hands or whatever else caused him to catch it from our son. I thought I was home free after two weeks. Unfortunately, I was wrong. 

I have succumbed to this nasty cold-like virus that I will spare you of the details. One thing I will tell you is that it is a stubborn little bug. Well guess what, stubborn virus? You found yourself a stubborn host(ess). When my symptoms began, I immediately jumped on the internet and did a search of natural remedies for cough suppressants, expectorants, decongestants and just general “kill the virus” stuff. Being the all or nothing person that I am, I have tried many of the remedies because I’m not patient enough to stick with just one. 

After a week of trying, well, I may be a bit better off than my husband. He’s into week three with the lingering cough. If I’m looking for a silver lining to all of this, I may have found it. I am much more prepared to handle the illnesses that come our way in a natural way with things that are easy to find around the house. Here’s a highlight of what I think has helped:
 

• Cough suppressant- Mix equal parts of lemon juice and honey and store in a small container in the refrigerator. Take one tablespoon of the mixture at onset of cough and then repeat every 2-3 hours.
• Expectorant- Mix equal parts apple cider vinegar and honey in a glass and add water to dilute. Drink several times throughout the day. I add more honey for the kids so that they’ll complain less. It is pretty strong!
• Decongestant- Vitamin C. Adults take 5000mg per day divided into 1000-2000mg with meals. Children- Take your child’s weight and divide it into 150 (average weight of an adult). Then divide the adult dose by that number. For example, if your child weighs 25 lbs, 150/25= 6. 5000/6= 833 mg. Therefore, the maximum dose for a 25 lb. child would be 833 mg per day.
• Disinfectant- Combine 2 oz. white vinegar with 32 oz. water in a spray bottle. Spray on cotton ball to clean remotes, keyboards, doorknobs, etc.
• Detox bath- Fill bathtub with warm water. Add 2 cups Epsom salts while the water is running. Climb in and relax!! This can be done 3 times per week.

*Disclaimer- These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. I am not offering this in place of medical advice. Do not give honey to infants under the age of one.*