Today is the day of Kristina's (my sister) Celebration of Life. It is held at Midlocthian Civic Center from 5 to 10 PM. Please don't hesitate to come & celebrate with us. Also if you feel compelled to send some flowers, just remember that she requested that you make a donation to her name to an animal charity of your choice. Please don't hesitate to share some kind words or even a story you have of Kristina. We want to celebrate her life - especially some funny or embarassing stories.
This blog post, I wanted to talk about cleanliness. My youngest daughter & I flew down to Texas on Wednesday, despite the Coronavirus spreading. I just wanted to share a few tips to help keep yourself clean; tips that I use even when there isn't a virus spreading internationally. (Which you don't have to be a germaphobe to keep yourself clean.)
Now you don't have to follow these tips, I added some links on the bottom so you can do more research if you wish.
I know this virus is super scary but there are many resources online to keep yourself & others safe. If you must travel during this time all I ask of you is to keep yourself & the people traveling with you,safe by being smark & proactive.
1. Pack Smart! Pack some hand sanitizer, lotion/moisturizer, baby wipes/klennex wipes, water, some washclothes/napkins.
Of course bring the legal amount the airport asks you to. Handsanitizer is always a must- I usually get the kind that I just carry around in my purse & use it whenever I feel the need to. Lotion & moisturizer is a good idea to use so your skin doesn't dry out. Use it after the handsanitizer dries completely & you will feel clean & your skin will feel hydrated. Babywipes/klennex wipes are always awesome to have. You never know when you'll have a spill or sit at a particular sticky table. You can use these to clean & disenfect any area; for example a plane's drink tray-- I legit cleaned mine on the way to TX. Water- always keep yourself hydrated but also if you don't have any baby wipes/klennex wipes- just having a small water bottle & wiping down the surface with some napkins is good. Washclothes or napkins are a must. Even if the napkins are from the airport themselves, it's just good to carry around to help keep yourselves & others clean. A washcloth is a good alternative so you don't throw them away after use but can rinse off in a sink or when you get to your destination you can wash them more thorougly. Again, make sure these items are legal to carry onto an aircraft.
2. Keep yourself sane. I typically keep the above in my carry-on but I also keep some travel size deodrant, extra socks/shoes/underwear, toothbrush/toothpaste or breathmints & some lip balm/chapstick. Keeping yourself & others clean is a must but keeping yourself feeling fresh & smelling good is also a good idea. Deodrant is always awesome, keeps yourself feeling fresh. Especially if there's no AC in small airports. Extra socks/shoes/underwear- listen you never know what might happen with your underwear whether your Aunt came to visit early or the pilot took a turn to hard or that turbulance scared you just enough-- NO JUDGEMENT. Also, I can't count how many times my children have spilled something on themselves & gotten all in their socks & shoes then tracked sticky stuff all throughout every airport & plane. Just keeping extra of these in your carry on is good for your sanity & your feet/butt. Toothbrush/toothpaste/breathmints- I'm not afraid to admit I've thrown up on a few flights or after eating some airport food. Having these with you will prevent your breath from smelling bad & your airplane neighbor from smelling it ;) but also to keep yourself feeling clean. Finally some lip balm/chapstick- of course keep yourself hydrated but if your lips feel dry then having these make yourself just feel better. I always keep this stuff in my carry on- typically its all the travel size so it doesn't take too much room in my bags. For the shoes I typically do flip flops or basic walking shoes like sketchers so I can just buy some walking shoes when I leave the airport or in the airport stores. These do typically take up more room but hey! More shoes for you to wear at your destination.
3. Try to not spread germs. A lot of people seem to have issues with this. I'm sure you've read/seen a lot of this on the news but I'm also going to reiterate it because its important, even if there isn't a virus going on! If you sneeze, please try to get it into a tissue or into your arm/sleeve. Sneezing debris can launch itself up to 3 feet! Same with coughing. Find a tissue or do it in your hands or sleeve. Please for the love of everything that is holy, WASH YOUR HANDS. With soap & water. Airports are super busy & see a ton of people- if you wash your hands you can help prevent yourself from getting sick but also other people. If you see cough/sneeze debris near you- please clean it up!! Use some napkins or klennex wipes. If you vomit, get a flight attendant & they'll move you & disenfect the seat, & clean yourself up. If you throw up in the airport, find a worker & show them. Go clean yourself up & take some anti-drowsiness, motion-sickness medicaiton. Try to keep yourself as clean as possible & other should do the same. This will prevent sickness from spreading, even when there isn't a virus. Please be safe & smart during your travels. For more information on the virus, see below (1). For more informaiton on keeping yourself clean in an airport, see below (2). For information on Kristina's Celebration of Life, see below (3).
Airports/airplanes are the perfect place to get sick. You're in a flying bus with limited AC. Airports are massive & there's hundrens upon hundreds of people in there everyday. Also keep airport employees', chain stores & their employees', doctors/nurses, & people who have to work with the public during this time in your mind, heart, & prayers. They are on the front line dealing with the virus, trying to find a cure, trying to prevent spreading it as well as helping you get the supplies you need to survive this dark time. Be kind to them. Please if your flying, keep youself save & clean by researching some ideas online. Feel free to comment & share some tips on how you stay clean & healthy on flights!
