JillFlorio

There are flu shots, the flu mist and antiviral medications. These have their promise, in a limited way. The flu shot is only effective against certain flu strains, and, in some communities, is rationed. The flu mist, ditto. Antiviral medications have limited effectiveness, and best used in hospitals and dormitories - places where people are packed tightly into one breathing space. Antibiotics, which are only deadly to bacteria, are useless.

The best protection is prevention -

Avoid personal contact in general. Don’t approach the coughing vicinity of folks who are sick. Wash your hands before touching your face in public places, at work, or even around a sick family member. Don’t touch tissues that someone else has used for coughing, sneezing or nose blowing. Ask people (especially children) to cover their nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing. Do not share eating utensils, drinking glasses, towels or other personal items. Clean your hands often – with soap and water, or with an alcohol-based, waterless hand sanitizer. Try not to use public restrooms.

People at extreme risk (babies, elderly, the immunocompromised) should wear a mask when going out. Or even gloves. People who have the flu can also wear a mask, to prevent spreading those germs in public.

In the home -

Lysol should be a help. Spray your doorknobs, fridge handle, phones, remotes, computer keyboards, switch plates, sink taps - anything often touched by multiple persons. Bleach is a wonderful antibacterial cleanser for most of these surfaces.

Healthlink, at the University of Wisconsin suggests cleaning surfaces thoroughly with soap and water or another strong cleanser. They continue: “After cleaning, if you need to use a disinfectant, apply it to the area, and let it stand for a few minutes or longer, depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations. This keeps the germs in contact with the disinfectant longer. Wipe the surface with paper towels that can be thrown away or cloth towels that can be washed afterwards. Even if you use gloves, wash your hands after cleaning or disinfecting surfaces.”

The University of Vermont Center for Health and Wellbeing website offers:
“Don’t share silverware, towels, or bedding with anyone in your home until these items have been washed with soap and hot water.Clean surfaces (counter or tabletops, door knobs, bathroom fixtures, etc.) that have been contaminated by body fluids (sweat, saliva, mucous, or even vomit or urine) from the patient with a household disinfectant used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Wear disposable gloves during all cleaning activities. Throw these out when you are done. Do not reuse them.”

You can also boil your toothbrush (for just a minute in water and vinegar) or get a new one (and keep it in a separate place) if you share a bathroom with someone who has the flu.

Prevention from within -

Take this time to eat right, get enough sleep, lessen your stress levels, and make sure you are getting enough vitamins, whether in supplements or the food you buy (ie - organic is a good bet, or food fresh from a farmer’s market). Drink lots of fluids to help keep your immune system up. Be good to yourself.

The Daily Buzz recommends taking at least 250 milligrams of vitamin C, a B-complex, and vitamin E. They also mention adding garlic to your diet. Garlic contains allicin, a compound with antiviral effects.

The Alternative Medicine site at Bella also offers great tips to keep your immunity up to par this season, with this Total Immunity article.

There’s another great piece about using aromatherapy to prevent or treat flu bugs at Bella’s Fragrance topic.

Last weekend, I tied the knot - got hitched, married, joined in matrimony, etc. And I even did it “simply” - yet with style. I’m here to tell you that a nice, elegant wedding can be planned with a minimum of fuss and budget. Learn from my experience - and let your fantasies begin!

Start by envisioning what your wedding looks like, inside the corners of your mind. Are you thinking traditional - or modern? Swanky and cosmopolitan, or a classic country affair?

In spite of what the magazines say, you don’t need a professional photographer, videographer, florist’s know-how -or even a baker’s hand to set up a classy event.

Things you can think about cutting or altering:

Flowers - this was a big expense that we simply did without. Instead, we spent around $300 at our local crafts store on white twinkle lights, silk flowers, ‘candied’ fruits, lovely baskets, candles and even silver and gold christmas balls. We made our altar piece, my bouquet (a few silk calla lilies, tied in a burgundy ribbon), and each reception centerpiece from our “finds”. A plus - we got to keep all these lovely things we bought - to be re-used at Christmas!

Photographer - Invite your hobbyist friends to bring their cameras, tripods and whatnot - and let them have at it! Our pictures came out much more personable and lively than the way a stranger would have shot them. Even the “posed” shots, that my mother played “director” for!

We also placed a disposable camera on every table for guests to use and leave behind. I am excited to develop them and see what moments our guests have captured.

Videographer - Assign a friend to use his own camcorder. Your result - a great video that captures who you all REALLY are…what are you going to enjoy watching ten years later, anyway? My guess - something a little less than formal…

Music - instead of live musicians, or even a DJ, my sweetie and I burned a CD of our favorite music for the prelude, the wedding march, and recessional. A trusted friend attended the rehearsal with us, and practiced his muscial cues. Perfection - at a free price!

We also invited friends to bring their own CD’s to play during the reception, with fantastic results. We boogied all night to music we KNEW we all liked.

Paper Necessities - For my wedding, I had a Lord of the Rings theme in mind. My invitations, place settings, the wedding program and even the menu reflected this theme. I recommend messing with fonts on your computer - or enlisting a computer-savvy friend to pitch in - to create easy paper documents that reflect your style. There are fonts for every need, right in the recesses of your own word processing program.

Cake - We made huge heart-shaped brownies, frosted them with cream-cheese frosting (it’s in the Supermarket) and placed a huge bowl of fresh strawberries nearby. Everyone loved it. So don’t think you have to pay hundreds of dollars for a professional baker to create a big fancy cake with all the fondant and candied flowers you can stomach.

Other options I’ve seen at weddings: pre-made cheesecake, carrot cake, chocolate cake, ice cream cake, and even selections of bakery goodies arranged in tiers, ready for the taking. Dessert is just dessert; make it sweet and I promise no one will complain! Your friends and family will appreciate your spending the extra money on more beer and wine, in any case.

Bridemaids Dresses - these days, bridemaids can simply pick out their own basic black cocktail dress, of their own choosing, and call it done. They’ll thank you for allowing them to buy something they actually love. With today’s relaxed trends, the styles don’t even have to match.

Location - there are a lot of outdoor locations you can use for the cost of a permit, or even for free, if you are creative in your thinking. Or maybe you have a friend or family member with a big house they wouldn’t mind opening to your special event. We found a friend with a big porch, overlooking a lake and trees. Instant class.

Clergy - If you don’t have a favorite preacher or rabbi, you can go the online reverend route. We honored a family member by asking her to perform the ceremony, wrote our own very meaningful vows, and pretty much all cried with happiness throughout the ceremony. If you know someone who won’t mind being ordained online, ask them to go to and become a reverend. It’s been upheld as legal in all 50 states of the USA.