The Allergy Arsenal – Getting Well at Walgreens

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I gotta admit – I’ve NEVER been more excited to welcome spring before.  Never. Ever.  This winter was miserable.  Cold.  Dreary.  Wet. Icy.  Bleh.  Do I get a hear, hear?  On top of that add first trimester morning (or shall we call it all-day) sickness  and two children trapped inside.  There’s only so much a vitamin D pill can do to replace the feeling of being (and playing) in the sun.  Goodness gracious…. come, spring. COME!

Fortunately, down South, we’re starting to get a taste of spring.  It was 70 degrees yesterday!  The trees are starting to bud, and flowers are blooming all over town.   I’m opening up the windows to freshen up the house and spending as much time outside as humanly possible.  Did I mention how much easier it is to clean up after meals eaten outside? Hallelujah!

So, I feel quite guilty complaining, but…. spring does have it’s demons.  For my family, those demons come in the form of fierce allergies.  According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, we aren’t the only ones.  Charlotte ranks 44th out of 100 cities as one of the worst cities for seasonal allergies; practically all of the other Southern states can the same “honor.”  Sorry for all of those in Wichita – not looking good, folks.

I’m not movin’ – Charlotte’s my forever home – so our best option is to stay armed with our arsenal of allergy-fighting tools from Walgreens.  I’ve assembled the essentials, and now we’re ready to spend day (and night) outside, tissues at the ready and lollipop in hand!

The Essential Allergy Survival Kit:

Let’s start out with Captain Obvious – one can NEVER have too many tissues around during allergy season, or honestly, whenever there’s a kid within 100 feet.  Snot, drool, sticky hands… you know what I’m talking about.   I grabbed several boxes, and although quality is key (I think the Walgreens Nice! brand is just fine), the packaging is also adorable!

Then, I included the homeopathic options for a good-ol-fashioned natural route to battle the mild allergy issues:  Saline nasal spray (safe for the whole fam!), and Vitamin C lollipops (good for ages 3 and older).  Both of these are also perfectly fine for pregnant ladies, such as myself. 🙂  I feel giddy when I give the kids their after-dinner lollipops as a treat.  I ain’t telling them it’s their daily vitamin dose!

When the pollen hits hard, though, sometimes you need to bring out the big guns.  In this case, Wal-Zyr, my go-to allergy medication as it works the full 24-hours, and doesn’t seem to make anyone tired or groggy.  My OB approved this on an as-needed basis for me (pregnancy has been a bear on my nasal passages).  I give Wal-Zyr Children’s Sugar-Free Liquid to my kids.  The grape flavor was a hit with my boys.  According to the package, Wal-Zyr Children’s is appropriate for children over 2, but contact your pediatrician if you have any concern.

Finally, I made sure to sign up for a Walgreens Balance Rewards card so that as I replenish my allergy-fighting arsenal I can earn points towards rewards on my future purchases.  Don’t worry – it’s super easy to sign up for; I didn’t even have to pick up a pen!

See you at Walgreens, or in Cape Coral, FL – that’s the best city if you want to avoid suffering from allergies.  And, although I’ll still “suffer” through my Charlotte allergy-ridden-springs with the help of Well at Walgreens products, I’ll visit ya in winter!  I wonder if Walgreens has anything to help fight off the winter blues….

Enjoy Spring!

Katie

P.S. Not only will you be feeling good once you’ve tackled your fam’s allergies, you can feel good knowing that through December 31, 2014, 1¢ from the purchase of every Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness product, up to $3 million annually, will support bringing preventative wellness services to local communities through the Walgreens Way to Well Commitment®.  Hooray!

To learn more about this campaign, follow: #WellAtWalgreens #CollectiveBias