A few years ago I wouldn’t have guessed the word “boogie” would grace the title of our blog post, but things change after you have kids. Have you ever wiped a baby’s nose? Enough said.
We were lucky this year, and the “flumaggedon” didn’t hit our household (knock on wood). The worst we saw was a two-week stretch of a constant runny nose on our baby. The kind that reappears five seconds after you wipe it away. The kind that makes you wince after you hear them sneeze, because you know it’s all over their face. It’s amazing how quickly babies learn to flee at the sight of a Kleenex approaching them.
I threw together a batch of homemade boogie wipes every few days to help her through it. We had all of the ingredients on hand and it took minutes to make. These SAVED us during that two week stretch, and while I don’t think it made her recover more quickly, it made the process much easier. Even a little pleasant, if I might say.
Homemade Boogie Wipes
(Borrowed from One Good Thing By Jillee)
1 cup hot water
A pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon of aloe vera (gel or liquid)
1 teaspoon of Vitamin E oil
3 – 4 drops of lavender essential oil (These are the oils I LOVE! I would not recommend using any other essential oils on sensitive baby’s skin)
2 teaspoons witch hazel
Cloth Wipes (I cut up an old receiving blanket)
Combine all ingredients into a small container. I chose to wet the wipes as I needed them. You could also wet all of your wipes at once, wring them out and store them in a airtight container – just make sure to use them within a few days.
Here’s what we do for our kids to keep them as healthy as possible during cold and flu season:
1) Homemade Buckwheat Honey Cough Syrup – A friend turned me on to this, and I believe it did wonders to prevent our girls from getting sick when they were on the verge. Buckwheat honey is incredibly rich in antioxidants and anti-bacterial and anti-viral substances which promote healing. Our girls love the taste, too. Read all about it here.
2) Bone Broth – Grandma knows best! There’s a reason it’s been around as a remedy forever. It works. Our kids see me sipping it and are happy to mimic me. If all else fails I put it in a special cup for them. Simple.
3) On Guard Essential Oil – I will never go without this oil. It supports a healthy immune system, and I think of it as nature’s answer to synthetic immune support products. Here are a few ways I use it:
-Diffuse it to purify the air
-Dilute it with water to make a kid-safe hand sanitizer
-Dilute it with coconut oil and rub it onto the bottoms of the girls’ feet for an immune boost
-Add it to counter top spray, cleaning products and hand wash
4) Diet – At the first sign of a cold, I clean up our diets if we’ve fallen a bit off the wagon. No refined sugars or processed foods. I make sure the girls are having plenty of fruits rich in Vitamin C and probiotics through homemade yogurt.
5) Sleep – I know, I know. You can’t make a toddler or baby sleep. But you can help them get there. I do whatever it takes to ensure they get restful sleep. Rubbing a drop of lavender oil (diluted with coconut oil) onto the bottoms of their feet makes a HUGE difference for us.
There are lots of other natural cold and flu prevention tips and remedies out there, but these are the ones that work best for us!
fig & fork 