Christmas Caroling

I’ve just spent 7 days in bed sick. No, not with the cold and upper-respiratory flu that’s been going around. Thank goodness, because I become a huge baby when I have a runny nose, headache, and sore throat. Still, there isn’t any “good” kind of illness and being under-the-weather always reminds me how important good health is.

I’ve always been grateful for the modern medicine we have available to us here in the US and the vast variety of medicines. While it may not be a perfect system, it’s served me and my family well. As Thanksgiving is upon us, it’s a great time to reflect on what’s important to us and for me it’s family, health, and friends. It’s certainly not stuff, I think it’s easy to forget that sometimes.

Teaching Kids Gratitude and to How to be Thankful

When our kids were little we spent family time talking about thankfulness and having a sense of gratitude – what it means, how to practice it, and why it’s important.

Decorating Bags For a Food Donation - 1990ish

Decorating Bags For a Food Donation – 1990ish

Ways we helped our kids learn to be grateful include:

  • Teaching by example – we were careful to be grateful, to appreciate our abundance, and we shared that with our kids through what we said and how we lived.
  • Giving to others as a family – the kids participated in Christmas Caroling at the Senior Center, donated clothing and shoes to kids in need, and we adopted families with foster kids for the holidays. We worked at giving to others in both spiritual and monetary ways.
  • Learning about others – we reminded the kids that not every child had access to clean water, food, and a warm place to live. We watched age-appropriate movies and read books about other cultures and talked about the differences.

I’m always working on being more grateful and even during the worst of my recent illness, when I was miserable and wondered if I’d ever feel well again, I was thankful that I was in a home with people who love and care for me. It helps.

Softness Worth Sharing

But being grateful won’t keep all of the germs away. So how do I stay healthy? Whole foods, plenty of sleep, and a peaceful home life. I also use my secret weapon during the winter months – organic antiseptic wipes. I think they’re the reason I’m able to avoid a lot of the colds and flus that are circling around.

But even with every precaution, germs can find their way in and that’s when I need a little help from my friends at Kleenex. I like the Kleenex Brand Lotion Tissues. They’re my got-a-cold-and-my-nose-is-running must have.

Kleenex’s Softness Worth Sharing initiative is a great way to show others you care. Purchase specially marked packages and redeem the code online* to send a Kleenex Brand Care Pack to someone who could use a pick-me-up.

Find out more at on the Kleenex Facebook page.

Kleenex Cares Initiative Details #KleenexCares

“Kleenex brand, America’s softest tissue, knows that the moments of unexpected thoughtfulness make all the difference.”

*While supplies last


I wrote this review while participating in an ambassador program by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of the Kleenex brand and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.