10 Must Haves for Flu Season – Creating a Flu Survival Kit

This winter has kicked our butts. HARD. It honestly seems like no matter how much we clean and prevent we have had someone sick in the house since Christmas. Having had to deal with colds, flu, stomach bugs, and a serious bout of bronchitis I am confident I have finally put together the items I don’t like being without when it comes to “Flu Season”.

I’m a semi-crunchy mama so I like to make sure we are using natural remedies as well as modern medicine when needed. One of the things that I absolutely believe we should be doing each day is taking a multi-vitamin. Both my kids and I have found one we absolutely love in Smarty Pants.

Smarty Pants vitamins are a yummy gummy vitamin (seriously – they taste great!) without any artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, or preservatives. They are also free of GMOs, synthetic colors, yeast, wheat, soy allergens, milk, egg, peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, fish allergens, shellfish, and salicylates! Honestly – that is how I found this product. When we realized D had FPIES and needed to avoid certain foods I went on the hunt and found Smarty Pants. I actually met them at an expo earlier this year and raved about their product and told them how much we loved them, and they reached out to see if we would be interested in sharing their product with my readers.

That said, you may be wondering why I am mentioning them in a post about must haves for flu season?  Well, in my opinion a multi-vitamin is not only great to have everyday, but even more important when your body is sick and fighting. The last thing you should be doing is depriving it of minerals and vitamins to help it fight back. That’s why a good multi-vitamin is 1st on my list!

Here are the 10 Must Haves for Flu Season that you will want to have on hand when you are creating a flu survival kit!

1. A GOOD Multi-Vitamin. (Obviously I recommend Smarty Pants. They taste so great, I never have to fight my kids to take them. In fact, my toddler cries that he can’t have more!) We buy ours on auto-subscription via Amazon. I also love companies that give back. Smarty Pants has a 1 for 1 program where they will make a matching nutrient grant to a child in need through their partnership with Vitamin Angels. Very cool Smarty Pants! (tugs on my mom heartstrings for real)
2. A GOOD Thermometer. I can’t tell you how many thermometers I have been through in my 6.5 years of being a mom. Personally I love a standard digital thermometer for rectal temps when they are babies, but my favorite all time non-invasive thermometer is this Safety 1st no-touch temporal thermometer. Time and time again I’m impressed. It reads out fast, quietly, and you don’t have to disturb anyone to do it.
3. Broth. Anytime we cook a turkey or a full chicken I make bone broth. I freeze it in ice cube trays and put it in a bag. Bone broth is so easy to make, naturally healing, and really just the best sick comfort food ever!  If you don’t want to make your own – don’t just buy stock. Go to a health store and pick up some bone broth – we like this brand. I love this post from the Nourished Kitchen if you want to read more about Bone Broth Benefits.
4. Epsom Salts. Epsom Salts are a very affordable and easy way to help your body recover when you get sick. As soon as you feel a cold or flu like symptoms soaking in the Epsom Salts (which is actually magnesium sulfate), will ease sore muscles and has an alkalizing effect to your body which can help rid it of toxins.
5. Heating Pad. A heating pad is also great for easing sore muscles. I find it especially helpful after prolonged periods of throwing up. Plus it’s very comforting when you have chills.
6. Bubble Water. Many people recommend soda or ginger ale. I’ve never liked all the sugar in those drinks and much prefer a lemon or citrus sparkling bubble water. It helps keep me hydrated and the natural flavor helps keep the nasty tastes associate with flu out of my mouth.
7. Tea. Another favorite flu fighter in our home is tea. Even my young boys enjoy a nice cup of warm tea when they aren’t feeling well. The herbal versions are flavorful, but also have lots of antioxidants to help your body fight off the germs.
8. Fever Reducers. It’s the middle of the night and our youngest spikes a high fever. While a cool compress and bath can help to bring it down, I also believe in Tylenol or Motrin to help reduce the fever and bring comfort so everyone can rest. I try to stock up on these when I find a coupon as opposed to running out to the store when someone is sick and I realize we have none in the house. (Lesson learned…)
9. Crackers. Crackers aren’t something we eat all the time, but the are perfect for the flu survival kit. Especially with a stomach flu, crackers are a great to help test your stomach to see if it’s ready for food. Plus the salt is helpful when you are losing electrolytes.
10. Neti Pot. The Neti Pot is something that I have a love hate relationship with, but there is no denying it’s magic when it comes to flushing out the nasal passages and helping you breath. For younger kids our Pediatrician recommended this sinus rinse as it’s a bit quicker for kids who aren’t going to hang out over the sink for a full Neti Pot rinse. We do them 30 minutes prior to bedtime or naps to help un-gunk the nose. (Both the Neti Pot and Sinus Rinse are also great for seasonal allergy relief.)

BONUS ITEMS:

I would be lying if I mention these as essentials in our flu survival kits as well. They aren’t “must-haves” per say, but they are very very helpful.

1. Netflix. Forget flipping though channels, or getting up to change movies. Now you can relax on the couch all day and never find yourself saying you wish you had something else to watch. We tend to limit screen time for our boys, but when they are sick I just want them to rest and stay still.
2. Essential Oils. I use essential oils in combination with modern medicine all the time. Peppermint for headaches/stomach issues/fevers (6+ only), Thieves to help kill the germs in the air, Lavender to calm down and settle into a good rest. Really the list goes on and on. I use Young Living oils, but I also love the NOW brand essential oils as an affordable alternative (as long as you aren’t ingesting them).

What are your must haves for Flu Season?

Do you take a multi-vitamin daily or only when you are sick?

Giveaway!

Leave me a blog comment answering one of the above questions and I will select two random winners to get a full sized bottle of Smarty Pants Vitamins!

Don’t forget to follow Smarty Pants on Facebook and Twitter! Tell them Our Knight Life sent you!

Must be 18+ and a US resident. Ends 3/14/16.

This post was sponsored by Smarty Pants. All opinions are my own.

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Emily

Emily is a wife & mom living in Las Vegas. The owner and writer at Our Knight Life, Emily loves sharing her two adorable boys and journey through motherhood. Emily has run four half marathons to date and is always training for her next big race. She also enjoys creating healthy recipes for her family and sharing family friendly product reviews.

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