Ah-Choo!!! Oh My Gawd - It's Allergy Season!
June 07, 2011
I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Clever Girls Collective on behalf of Claritin®. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program.
Here's the thing about allergies - while they make you miserable, they shouldn't prevent you from doing the things you love. I learned that the hard way - by locking myself in my house and avoiding the out of doors at all costs. Until... I decided I'd had enough! I was going to power through.
Yes, my allergist told me to get rid of my drapes and my carpets and my pets and... I was okay with the drapes and carpets, not so much the pets. So, I sneezed (and still sneeze) up a storm during April, May, June, July, August, September - well, you get the drift.
THEN... I started watching HGTV and I learned a whole lot more about how to make my home allergy-free AND pretty! Tom laughs at me a lot about the "pretty" part but don't we all want our homes to look nice? I want furniture the reflects my style - but won't cause my eyes to water and my nose to twitch. So, I have a faux leather sofa. And, no drapes. And, I hope to get rid of my carpets soon. Hardwood floors are just so much nicer, don't you think?
Sabrina Soto, from HGTV, has some great advice on the Claritin page on Facebook. I was just over there looking at her tips on keeping an allergen free home and garden. She mentions that pollen is highest in the morning so do your gardening in the afternoon.
She also mentions that Gladiolas and Peonies are good flowers to use - low-allergy plants, she calls them. That's good to know cause we still have to work on sprucing up our backyard and I would not have a CLUE about what plants to use. Mind you, I'm not big on the out of doors, but I could be. I could actually, maybe, enjoy being outdoors if only I didn't always end up being miserable!
[these are my pups - they love lying by the sliding glass doors in the sun; how could any Dr think I would get rid of them?]
Back in the day, before the Claritin products, it really was hard to go outside during the summer. Now, I take allergy medication and I manage not to be too miserable when I'm out. I really like that Claritin is taking this a step further by working with HGTV (MY FAV CHANNEL) and Sabrina, to help homeowners and Moms learn how to have an allergy-free house and garden.
My family will not believe this but I hope I can learn to manage my allergies better so I can spend more time outdoors. I'd even like to have a vegetable garden. We had one when I was a kid. My step-dad took care of it and fresh tomatoes are the bomb! Plus, having your food right at hand, not stuck in a bin at the grocery store, is too kewl! And tasty!
So, I'm paying attention here. Sabrina... I'm listening!
For tips on making your home and garden more beautiful, functional and allergy-friendly visit www.Facebook.com/Claritin. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
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