When we were kids, my mom would give us a shoelace and we would tie a roll of toilet paper through it and hang it on our necks. It was like the badge of allergies. I thought it was the badge of dorkiness. Hi friends from school…see this roll of toilet around my neck?…it’s because I have so much mucus flowing from the holes in my face that I need to have bathroom toiletries at the closest location! Yes. I was a winner. It did work though. There was never a chance for my nose to do the dreaded drip-into-the-mouth-while-playing thing.
I was like a lot of folks out there…I had mild allergies. I think that is why I am excited to talk about this topic today. 3M Filtrete Filters has asked me to talk about living healthier and this is what I chose….tips on how you can battle the dreaded allergies in your home.
- Check the Weather & Sport Shades
This year we had ridiculous pollen levels. I actually saw trees in the wind that looked like the branches were dropping pollen like snow. It was unbelievable. Checking local pollen levels before stepping outside can help you decide whether that trip to the local gardening center or playing outside is a good idea or you should stick to the indoor activities. Click here to check the pollen in your area. Oh and I hear that if levels are high, sporting your sunglasses are one really easy way to keep some of those airborne allergens out of your eyes.
- Change out your air filters regularly
This is the quickest and easiest way to ward off pollen inside your home. It’s recommended to change your air filters every three to six months for the best results. We just changed ours and it was a sleeve of dust, dirt, pollen and tons of what I am sure would send me into a sneezing fit.
- Strengthen your immune system
Working out your immune system is easier than you think. It’s recommended to reduce your stress, eat antioxidants, take your vitamins, eat herbs like garlic, gingseng, butterbur and probiotics, sleep on a regular schedule, and workout in the afternoons (preferably inside when pollen counts are high). Also, keeping your pets out of your bed at night (they bring in allergens when outside!) taking frequent showers and eating local honey can all help.
- Stock your Allergies First Aid Kit
There are tons of great ways to tackle allergies and keep them at bay. I stock ours with loads of soft tissues, a Neti-pot, saline spray, eye drops, eucalyptus oil, a cool mist steam machine, green tea, and Baby Vicks Vapor Rub. I also keep my Vitamin C drops in there to suck on to boost immunities.
Of course, if you have really bad allergies, you should check with your health care provider to get professional help. What’s your first line of allergy defense? Any special tricks that I should know about?
This is a sponsored post brought to you by Filtrete Brand filters from 3M. Filtrete Filters help create a healthy home and healthier indoor air by capturing airborne dust, allergens, bacteria, and viruses. If mold spores, pollen, pet dander, smog and smoke are criminals, Filtrete filters are the crime fighters. These filters also capture ODORS! AHH! Replace yours today to fight your allergies and make your house smell good at the same time!
It took me about 5 reads of the first paragraph to fully understand what was happening. And then I died laughing. I wish I knew you as a kid. My allergies are the WORST, frequent showers are my only battle ground other than a giant cocktail of medication (to which I usually make a toast and ask people to make sure I don’t OD.)
Oh my gosh… your mom’s allergy solution is brilliant!! Haha I’m cracking up at that mental image. The pollen has been absolutely terrible here on the OBX this year so allergies are going crazy. I might have to suggest the shoelace/toilet paper trick to a few people… thanks for the other tips, too! 🙂
TP around your neck… oh my goodness! I’m trying to decide if a fanny pack of tissues would be better or worse
How can we give you credit for these sponsored posts. I know blogging takes a lot of work and I just want to help you out. I read everyday and I want to give back:)))
Love your blog! Just wanted to leave a quick comment to try a prescription of Flonase if you have really bad allergies. I swear it cured mine an I’ve suffered terribly since living in Florida.
Just by reading it helps support the blog. Every single visit is a the best way to support the unsponsored posts and the great partnerships I am forming with companies.
xo – kb
I put a tissue box in every room and also keep one in my car. I grew up this way and as an allergy person it actually drives me nuts when people don’t have them in every room lol (or at the very least in the bathroom-c’mon people!)
I also make sure to take my allergy meds regularly so that it builds up in my system.
Ok I always laugh at your entries because you are hilarious but the beginning of this one takes the cake! Awesome!
Katie I just died laughing at your mom’s allergy solution, what an amazing hands free solution as opposed to lugging the kleenex box around, which seems to be what I have been doing for the last few weeks!
KB- where in the rural part of jerz are you from? As a native of the garden part of the garden state, I’m totally curious 🙂
My doctor just told me to shower at night because the allergens collect in our hair all day and then we transfer them to our pillows and breath them in all night if we haven’t washed our hair.
That is so funny. I started doing that but with a belt and tying it around my waist when I was younger. I thought I invented it.
I just shared this on facebook. So funny! and we love those filters for our allergies too.
Oh, allergies are the worst. I take Zyrtec D during allergy season and it helps me quite a bit. I’ve told my hubby that we have to wait to get pregnant til after allergy sneezing or I might sneeze the baby right out of my nose….
Someday when we own our own house, I would love to try a filter like you mentioned. Until then, bring on the Zyrtec and the tissues, please!
Local honey works wonders for allergies.
DITTO! i had to read and re-read, like, wait, what is she saying. then, hysterical laughter.
the best way to get rid of allergies is to take a food intolerance test. I GUARANTEE you if you eliminate those foods…say sayonara to the allergies. (i hate that i had to look up the spelling of syaonara!)
Ok – so I’m a Northerner that has relocated south. I knew not of pollen blooms and yellow coatings on everything until the spring of 2008 – my first southern spring. OMG! I was wishing for death that year. We have black flys and no-see-ums in Michigan – not pollen! I’ve tried everything! Neti pot, nightly showers, I even wipe the pup down with a baby wipe when she comes in. 😉 I had tried every allergy drug out there -short of shots. After years, I’ve found my holy grail – Xyzal and Nasocort AQ. I have not suffered AT ALL this season – and we know it’s been a bad one!
My mom used to pin a hankie to my sleeve. Even today I always have a handkerchief under my pillow and in my purse. My life long year round battle with allergies (and now asthma) is treated with 8 years of shots and 4 Rx a day. Yippee!
Maybe I’m special, but your 3M link doesn’t seem to be working?
Completely unrelated to this post: did you know you’re featured on MyPublisher in the splash screen for Keep Shot for the iPad? I was flipping through their home page features and said “wait, I know that family” (virtually anyway). Anywho, if you didn’t know, you and “Will’s not-so-little book” are there!
The sponsor posts are getting out of hand. I get that you need to make money, but for god sake could you actually TRY and make these posts interesting. Bring back the good stuff. This post rates up there with the ombré onesie one, good god im still recovering from that terrible frog tape blast.
Today is a HORRIBLE allergy day for me. 🙁
I need a pin to pop my head and relieve some pressure!
http://happinessiscreating.com/
That is the best story ever…. I feel like you need to make Will be a little you for Halloween – complete with this look! You mom would appreciate it 🙂 Also – I know that some people give you flack for doing sponsered posts. My 2 cents – 1. You are working hard to support your family. 2. You can do whatever you want as long as it makes me laugh this hard…
Love you Katie Bower! Oh – and your new(?) picture is the top is bea-u-tiful!
Your first paragraph was hilarious! One of my friends has a mom story……… at the first sign of sickness, her mom would make that child sleep on the bathroom floor for a week! They thought it was very practical……….. 🙂
Aww thanks girl!
xo – kb
Crazy huh?
xo – kb
Okay, I was in Atlanta from April 10-15 and I would swear that your grass and pavement are both beautiful shades of yellow from all of the lovely pollen. Cars were covered so much that it would blow off when the drove down the streets… amazing!
So 3M should be having a banner month in that region!
And I’m loving the thought of the teepee around the neck! LOL Might have to do that for the kidlets up here… they keep taking it from room to room with them, leaving it, and starting a new snotrag roll in another room. We never have any in the room that it’s actually designed for! grrr
Katie, I love your blog and I truly don’t mind any sponsored posts.This is a job, and you deserve to get paid for it. That said, I know there are some people who truly don’t like to read sponsored posts. I would like to suggest that, in addition to the disclosure at the end of the post, you also put a sentence right at the beginning that identifies it as a sponsored post. I’ve seen a number of blogs do this (usually an italicized sentence between the post title and the post itself, saying something like “This post was sponsored by 3M.”). Readers seem to like it because they can skip the sponsored posts if they choose (when it’s at the end, they don’t know it’s sponsored until they start reading). Just a thought!
I just read that in a recap post of a bloggers conference and I think it’s an awesome idea! I will definitely be doing that in the future…either in the title of the post or in the first sentence 🙂 Thanks for the reminder!
xo – kb
I was born in Mt Holly and lived in Pemberton and Tabernacle 🙂
xo – kb
Oh. I did try. That was a lot of research for me to make this article. I thought it would be helpful to those struggling and wanting to go the natural route with allergies (like us)…but I guess you disagree. sorry you don’t like it.
xo – kb
I don’t comment on posts frequently, and I’ve never replied to comments like this, but I am beginning to have some real problems with the way people treat others on the Internet.
Don’t like it? Then don’t read it.
Katie’s post was obviously helpful to others, as evidenced by the other comments here thanking her for it. She doesn’t write exclusively to your tastes, nor do any of the other bloggers you follow. And many of us appreciate the fact that these posts are necessary to support a blog (including the posts you DO like to read) and a family.
So don’t be rude. If you don’t have something nice to say. Don’t say it.
Wow! Maybe just don’t read this one and wait for another post? Rather than be very rude to Katie. Some people, I tell ya! As you can see by the comments, this post did help some people (like myself – who sounds like Rudolph during allergy months). You are not the only reader!
Nina, I was going to reply the same exact thing! I have never commented before, Katie, but for this I must. I was very interested to read about your natural remedies and really appreciated this post.
Lindsey, if you don’t like it, move on! There is no need to leave such a nasty and non-constructive comment. I hope you realize that the only person you’re really hurting with such negativity is yourself.
We love the 3M filters, we always use them in our home. The last month I bought a different brand and could definitely tell a difference, our area has awful pine pollen and we were all losing the battle. First I thing I did on pay day was go get a new filter. I had no clue that building your immune system could help with allergies! Thanks!
Katie,
I appreciate that you tackled allergies from a natural perspective and to recognize that there is not only symptom relief/treatement but ways to help prevent/reduce the severity of allergies. I’m happy to say that I’m allergy free! 🙂 I hope that your efforts to boost your family’s immune system pays off in this area and so many others. A great way to boost your immune system is Juice Plus+. I’m sure living in the Atlanta area you’ve heard of it, but in case you need someone to reaffirm the benefits–it’s GREAT! The chewables are great for the kideepoos too. Well, Weston’s a bit young for his own dose. 😉 Anyway, happy, healthy, allergy free spring to you!
Oh yes!
xo – kb
Done, done and done. I do everything that you mentioned in your post except that we change our filters once a month. And I use my neti-pot once a week to flush everything out. My doc told me it is best to use it when I’m not sick with allergies to prevent getting sick with allergies. She was totally right! Ever since I started using my neti-pot on a weekly basis I have been medicine free for about three years now. I shower at night too and and I use an all natural saline spray for my kids called Ocean. I think that is the name.
OOoh good suggestions! Thanks Debbie!
xo – kb
I know this is an old post, but it reminded me that I needed to order some filters. Thanks.
If you have a big problem with allergies from airborne allergens, I suggest trying nasal screens. I started using them and they work great.