Christmas Flu: and a hack to stay sane and healthy

Jan 02, 2026 10:21 pm

Hi friends,

The holidays were a little quieter than usual this year. My daughter came down with Influenza A over Christmas break, which meant lots of hand washing and her staying mostly in her room.

We got her started on Tamiflu early, which helped shorten the illness, but it was definitely no fun during the holidays.

I was pretty sad to skip out on helping with the new grandbaby but we wanted to keep him safe.

We just had a delayed family Christmas gathering last Sunday and and it was such a blessing to visit with all my family to share gifts and love.

Hopefully all of us can avoid too many illnesses with the new year. But, if you'd like to do a little preparation ahead of time, read below for details on an illness kit that can really help.

Quick writing update: I just sent Triumphant Dawn off to JS Arquin to get started recording the audiobook. So excited for this finale to the series!

And here are a few books that help support this newsletter if you would like to check then out:

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They Came from the Trees by Christopher Francis

Free Review Copy!

They are infecting the strong and healthy, leaving the rest of the population to rot.

Tons of New SFF Stories!

Mercy Rising by DC Little

On Amazon! (Free in KU)

Mercy is no savior, though that’s exactly what her people expect. Trained to hunt and fight, she’s spent her life preparing for an enemy she’s never seen—until now.

Looking for Excellent KU Sci-fi Fantasy ebooks?

The Survivors by Richard Rminington

FREE eBook!

A struggle for the fate of humanity!

Looking for FREE CLEAN reads for the New Year?

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Prepper Tip #31: Sick Room Survival Kit

Whether utilities have gone out, you have an unexpected illness while away from home, a friend or family member is sick, this simple kit is helpful to have ready in an emergency.

You can keep one in your car, a go bag, and a kitchen cupboard.

Pack an assortment of the following, depending on what you expect to use the kit for:

Bottle of hand sanitizer and/or disinfecting wipes. (remember that stomach flu will survive these and requires soap or bleach-based cleaners to kill)
Tissues
Small thermometer
Extra trash bags and/or vomit bags (very useful in the car)
Basic over-the-counter meds, including some or all of the following: fever/pain reducers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, decongestants like pseudoephedrine, anti-inflammatories like diphenhydramine.
Cough drops and chapstick can help with comfort
Water bottles with electrolyte powder or tablets to add for rehydration
Shelf-stable snacks that are easy to digest

Once an illness hits, you can pull out this kit and set up a station in or near the sick person's room with everything they need.

This is handy to keep them quarantined or make things easier for you, especially when you might be bleary with a late-night wake-up.

Even better, this kit can be a life saver when an unexpected illness hits while on the road or away from home.

Hopefully, you'll put a couple of these kits together and then never need them! :)