Germs, viruses, bugs, nose goblins, boogers, sloppy kisses, etc.

Cold and flu season is upon us. Everyone in our family has taken on the first challenger: achy muscles, some nose drippyness and a chest-cough that gets you hacking like an 80-year-old, 3-pack-of-cigs-a-day smoker. Lovely. I seem to be the last contestant, and while not miserable, am really looking forward to feeling fully well again.

My husband has decreed: THERE SHALL BE NO MORE KISSING ON THE LIPS. My hope is this mostly applies to the children, those darling little petri-dish incubators of bugs and germs. Otherwise it will be a mighty cold winter, if you know what I mean. If American business has anything to say about it, they'll probably invent the disposable, anti-bacterial, individually packaged Kissy Wipe! Just wipe your lips three times after each smooch to prevent the spread of 99.9 percent of the germs causing the common cold, foot and mouth disease, mononucleosis, influenza, whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella. Hmmm. If this didn't violate everything we stand for here at EnviroMom, I'd think I had found a way to make my first million. Better go check out if KissyWipes.com is still available... (kidding!!)

Anything special you do to stop the spread of winter colds and flu? I think I'll stick to good old hand-washing with soap and water. And I'll just take my chances with the kiddo's kisses too.