Author: Michelle

Actually, if you suffer from weed allergies, you know it’s the season. The sneezing, the itchy eyes, and the nasal drip give s it away. Ragweed season runs from mid-August through mid-October, so we are coming into the home stretch (well, we’re half-way there, and I’m an optimist). If you’ve been suffering from what you thought was a cold since Labor Day (with no fever), there’s a good chance it’s actually allergies.

I recently learned that ragweed in the US is growing stronger, and it’s growing season is lengthening in the US. A member of the daisy family (I had no idea! Daisies are one of my favorite flowers, and so unassuming.) It’s estimated that a single ragweed plant can produce 1 billion grains of pollen in one season. IT CANNOT BE AVOIDED, FRIENDS!

The Fox and I have been dosing up on our allergy meds since the first day of school. CVS carries a full line of name brand and store brand allergy medications. The Fox is good with an OTC product. Since having pneumonia, I need a prescription medication as well as an OTC one. It’s a duo that’s currently working well for me, and I’m so glad!

If you’re wondering if that cold that’s been hanging on since the swimming pools were open, swing by your local CVS Minute Clinic and see if it’s really a cold. Their staff can help you determine how to treat whatever is ailing you. It can be tricky this time of year, because not only is it allergy season, it’s also the beginning of flu season. If your symptoms have come on quickly, and you have a fever, it could very well be a bad cold or the flu.

Meds help, but I’ve also instituted my “allergy season” cleaning routines. I’m washing pillow cases and towels, washing hair, and vacuuming/sweeping on the regular. This time of year I can’t resist opening the windows, but I don’t do so between the hours of 10am – 4pm, when ragweed flies around the most. A good rain always calms things down, so I like to enjoy the outdoors after a good rain (like yesterday). Dust mites are also a likely culprit in the fall, so I’ll be changing our furnace filter and vacuuming the vents as well.

I look forward to the first hard frost more than your average person- until then, we’re thankful for CVS for keeping us healthy.

Disclosure: Thanks to CVS MinuteClinic for sponsoring today’s discussion, and for stocking everything we need to survive this season! 

Summer and swimming go hand in hand. At least most summers- this one MAY turn out to be the exception, unfortunately. My whole family loves pool afternoons, where we trek down to the neighborhood pool and hang out for hours. The only thing that would be better would be if we could have a pool in our own  backyard (we can’t, the HOA says). The towels, sunscreen and swimsuits are in constant rotation at our house- it’s a sure sign of summer.

If you’re family is full of water bugs like mine, your own above ground pooll may make a lot of sense (assuming your HOA says it’s ok).

Kayak Pools Midwest specializes in helping homeowners discover their pool personality and making the dream of a home pool a reality. Having a pool in your backyard means no schlepping all the towels, snacks, and pool noodles down the street or across town. If the thunderclouds part for thirty minutes, the kids could jump right in! Early morning and night swimming also become possibilities. You could say goodbye to swim club memberships and waterpark crowds, and your kitchen replaces the overpriced concession stand. And when a thunderstorm hits, there’s no mad dash to the car.

Right now, Kayak Pools Midwest is looking for demo homesites to show off their new, virtually “maintenance-free” award-winning swimming pools. As a demo homesite, once your pool is installed, interested customers will come look at your pool to see if it’s right for them. In return, you save thousands of dollars up front and enjoy the pool for many summers to come. Upfront savings, and payments as low as $159 a month makes the demo homesite program popular and a great value.

It’s easy to apply to be a demo homesite, but spots are filling up quickly.

Want more information about our Demo Homesite Program because you want to start your backyard vacation today? Call 877-977-4437 or complete the form here and they’ll call you!

Disclosure: Thanks to Kayak Pools Midwest for sponsoring today’s post & making beautiful backyard pools a reality!