Rocking it out with Kleenex. Rocking the immune system that is.

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®and Kleenex but all my opinions are my own. #KleenexAllergy #pmedia http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO. "

Every year, we are faced with the same plague that hits right around this time of season. I call it a plague, but there is also another fancy name for it...allergies. Weather changes. Climate changes. Temperature changes. And the seasonal allergies hit. It seems as though for a good solid two months we are stuck battling the sneezing and runny noses.  We do okay. We figure it out, and we sure go through a lot of Kleenex along the way, but it beats a situation where we are all out cold moping on the couch complaining about not feeling well. Let me tell you about how that goes down.

Last week, I sent a text to my husband:

"Andrew, little miss got her first real sickness. She's hacking, her nose is running, and her poor eyes look sad."

We proceeded to talk back and forth about feeling bad for her, making her some of my famous homemade chicken noodle soup, and letting her snuggle up on the couch and watch cartoons all day.

I then ended the conversation by mistakenly telling my husband:

"Good thing I don't have to worry about catching the cold from her, because my immune system rocks!" He laughed, although knowing that it is {for the most part} true, he reminded me that now I was doomed to get it. I assured him that was not a possibility. Remember, "rocking" immune system. And then I ate my words...Because apparantely, it was in the cards for me. And not only did I catch the sickness, but I was out cold for two days, off work, on the couch, and feeling like a truck ran over me. Backed up, and then ran over me again, and again, and again. My nose was stuffed, I went through a box of Kleenex, and my body ached from head to toe. And of course, as soon as I get better, my poor little baby catches it too. Which means more loving from this mama. So by day 3, my daughter and I both had it and were recovered, and my son was beginning the course of the illiness. The only person that was left unwounded was my husband, and I knew for sure that he was the last person I wanted to get sick. Because let me tell you something; when he gets sick... it's the end of the world. Why is that men are that way?

We were doing fine there by day 4-5. I truly thought that my husband was going to be spared. And then by the end of day 5, he started complaining of not feeling well, which turned into a runny nose, a new box of kleenex to be opened, and a whole lot of pouting. From all of us.

By the end of the week, we were all grateful that recovery was upon us. We were grateful that the worst thing that we had to deal with were runny noses and sore bodies. We were grateful that we got to feel better, that we had a warm bed to climb into, and that most of all, we still had each other. Although during times of sickness it's hard to think of situations that are worse, people that are suffering more than us, and illnesses that are far greater, it's important to keep those sort of things in mind. It's also what helps us to get better.

I'm reminded of how not feeling well doesn't always have to turn into something bad. That the extra snuggles from the kids {and husband}, the warm soups, the hot tea {with honey or raspberry preserve}, the piles of Kleenex on my night stand, and the amount of on-demand that is watched is good for the soul. Good to sit back and appreciate the "nothings" in life. To throw tissues on the ground. To wear the same clothes for 48 hours. To eat chocolate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And to just not care about what is going on in the outside world. Briefly.

The thing about seasonal allergies is that they always have a way to creep back up on us. So does the typical cold. It's like the two are following each other around. So we try to be more prepared when that time comes. Because a the end of the day, there just is no way to get away from the environment and the triggers of our allergies. We'll continue to sneeze. We'll continue to have runny noses. We'll continue to have watery eyes. That we know for sure. Therefore, finding a product that you can trust for your allergy needs is what is most important for us.

And if you're anything like us, where when one has a household of battling allergies and sickness, then you'll need to invest in a few boxes of Kleenexes to stock up for allergy and cold season. Better yet, grab this coupon to use at Target and you can get a free wallet pack or pocket pack when you buy a 4 pack { Buy Kleenex 4pack, get free wallet pack (2-pk) or pocket pack (3-pk): http://goo.gl/186og3 } *while supplies last

Now, I'm off to go sanitize the whole house. I'm determined to keep this immune system rocking.