Gah! What a week! I was all ready
to have a productive first week of fall until I woke up last Tuesday with a
terrible head cold and sinus infection. I almost never get sick—two and a half
years since my last cold—but my number was up this year. Just in case yours is
too, I've assembled a simple survival kit so you’re not running to the
store at 3am groggy-eyed and half-dressed.
{Scented candles}
There’s
something about being sick and bedbound that makes me feel restless and, uh,
not so fresh. If, like me, you’re prone to cabin fever, try opening a window
and lighting a scented candle or two. For whatever reason, fresh, fragrant air
makes me feel healthier and more energized.
{Cashmere-wrapped
hot water bottle}
I
started using hot water bottles during my college gap year in the Cotswolds,
where they’re as common in the winter as soup. Whenever I curl up with one, I’m
instantly transported back to my little stone rental in Churchill Village. *Caveat: when
it comes to buying a hot water bottle, you must go high quality, for safety
reasons. I recommend this one by Johnstons of Elgin. The cable-knit cashmere
coozie—absolutely genius, amiright?—keeps the bottle warm for hours and hides
that peculiar rubber odor. Once you use it, you’ll wonder why you didn’t buy one
sooner.
{Hot
Toddy w/ Jack Daniels}
Let me just say, long live this steamy, spicy drink! All
you need for a peaceful night’s rest is hot water, honey, lemon, some basic
spices (I used a cinnamon stick and a dash of nutmeg), and a wee bit of Jack (no more than a shot). So much better than cough syrup!
{Lemon Perrier}
Another sickbed staple I
borrow from the bar is lemon-flavored Perrier. It has the flavor and
carbonation of soda without the added sugar, plus it ticks the “drink plenty of
water” box.
{Keurig}
When you’re sick, there’s nothing worse than standing
in a cold kitchen, waiting for your tea kettle to boil. Time to invest in a Keurig, if you don’t already have
one. It’s faster than the kettle and cheaper than the drive-through.
{Burt’s Bees throat drops}
When I saw these at the drugstore last week, I had to
do a double take. Burts Bees makes throat
drops? Yes, and they’re amazing. If you think their chapstick is yummy, you'll love these. Just imagine spreading a creamy gob of honey on your tongue. Mmmm! Bonus: they actually work. They
effectively quelled my coughing without emitting a menthol vortex. I am never without a bag in my tote.
{Warm wool blanket}
When you grow up in a drafty old house, you learn to
love wool blankets. Open any closet in my parents’ 120-year-old house and
you’ll think Pendleton was robbed. To this day, I keep a stash of them in my
closet for sick days and chilly winter nights. I’m currently smitten with this striped wool throw from Gant’s new home collection that, to me, looks like winter’s
version of the Turkish towel.
{Sudafed
PE}
In my family of sinus
sufferers, taking the last Sudafed is like consuming the last of the milk on Saturday morning. Lesson of the day? Replace your go-to medicine BEFORE the
stash runs out or expires. If you suffer from any sinus related issues, you
should *always* keep a few Sudafed in your purse emergency kit. The things we learn from
watching Mary Poppins…
{Pho}
Chicken soup, schmicken soup. Behold the healing mojo
of pho. The steamy, sinus-clearing broth, the savory slices of beef, the whorl
of ramen-like noodles, the perky zing of cilantro and lime, the basil, the sprouts
— so addicting! I’ll be ordering these steamy tubs of goodness long after my
sinuses clear up.
{Warm but breathable PJs}
Lets be real: sick days mean
all-day PJs, a lazy hairdo, and no makeup. No self-reproach here! I
recently ordered two of these vintage-inspired pajama sets from J.Crew (just in
time for my cold!) and I cannot recommend them highly enough. The fabric is
soft and warm yet lightweight enough that I didn’t feel too hot sleeping under
the covers. This, combined with the piping and the color, makes them too awesome
to resist.
{Peppermint Tea + ginger}
Another drink I crave when
I’m sick is peppermint tea. Whenever I consume something infused with mint, I
feel decidedly perkier. And you mustn’t forget the fresh ginger root, which
curbs nausea and aides in digestion. Can we just skip pumpkin spice season and
start peppermint season already?
{Puffs Kleenex with Vicks}
Kleenex Puffs ticks all the boxes—soft, infused with
Vicks, includes lotion. I went through five boxes—FIVE—last week and my nose
came out unscathed.
