Thank you Treehouse Vitamins
for providing me with products to review, free of charge.
These are my own honest opinions.

Colds, runny noses, pink eye, sore throats… during the winter, it’s hard to avoid all these bugs. Before I had kids, I was barely ever sick but now it seems that we – and I mean every single person in this household – catch it. It’s a real challenge and this year I am making conscious efforts to fight back and stay as healthy as possible.

I find that by making simple changes, we can either avoid being sick or at least reduce the length of our illnesses. How do I do it? First, I focus on making sure that germs and microbes that enter our house have as few chances as possible to spread which means we wash our hands a lot and I clean doorknobs, tables, counters with effective eco-friendly cleaning products.

Then, I try to boost our immune system by eating healthy. I find many ‘winter’ recipes such as stews and soups are very hearty and filling and can contain lots of veggies. I make sure to always have lots of fresh fruit and healthy snacks on hand. Whenever possible, I ask my daughter to join me in the kitchen because she loves to help out when I cook and I think she’ll learn to love cook and develop healthy eating habits that way.

I have also included vitamins to make sure we get all the nutrients and minerals that we need. I give to my daugther Treehouse Vitamins. She takes the Multi Vitamins, Vitamin C and Vitamin D3. There are also other kids like Multi Vitamins with Mineral, Probiotic Powder, etc.

I like this particular brand of vitamins because they are made with natural ingredients, even the colors are created by using natural dies. The flavours come from fruit and they contain no preservatives nor aspartame. They contain no fillers and are easy to take: they come in chewable tablets, and in the case of Vitamin D3, you can either get it in tablets or in liquid.

The tablets are shaped like Franklin and Ruby and Max which make them appealing for young kids. My daughther even requests them every day because of their taste and their shape (she can be somewhat picky sometimes). The D3 drops are also easy to take. It’s way better to be pro-active and have her take vitamins that she likes than to have to fight with her to take some medicine that makes her gag (been there, done that!)

I also have books and DVDs of Frankin and Max and Ruby so my daughter recognizes them and associates with them. She likes the characters and she thinks it’s funny that her vitamins look like them. I think the key is just to make it part of the routine and not have it a chore to take supplements.

The other important part of being healthy in the winter is to stay active. Now, I live in Canada so I know that spending time outside every day isn’t always possible, especially when it’s -30 outside. When I can’t find it in me to bundle the girls up to go for a walk, I try to do other things. Look for mommy/baby classes in your area. Ask around to find out if your community has a place where parents and kids can gather to chat, play, and run around together. Look for a gym that offer free babysitting. There are also many fitness videos online if you’d rather workout at home. Heck, I’ve even gone to the mall, not because I wanted to shop but because I wanted to walk and malls have great long alleys and lots of colorful displays to keep my daughters entertained for a while.

I think staying healthy during the winter doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s about implementing a few things in your routine: washing your hands and your kids’ regularly, staying active, eating heatlhy, and including supplements like Treehouse Vitamins to make sure your children get all the nutrients they need to fight back winter bugs.

Buy It: Head over to Treehouse Vitamins to see for yourself the great selection on supplements they offer.

Connect: Don’t forget to like Treehouse Vitamins on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and subscribe to their YouTube channel for all the latest news and promotions. The Kid’s Corner on their website also has fun coloring pages to print out.

Rachel