Photo from Small Town Toys

My family and I will be road-tripping it to our favorite beach town in Massachusetts this summer, and while I know it will be wonderful once we get there, I'm not looking forward to all of the inevitable car-related "fun." There will be traffic jams, a screaming, bored baby who wants out of her car seat, and the never-ending battle with Mr. Cafe Suzanne over the air conditioning. He likes the windows down; I like the AC on. But this year, I plan on winning that argument once and for all: Research shows that using the air conditioning can keep you healthy.

A young CafeMom, who wants to remain anonymous, tested positive for the swine flu last week. By now you've heard that health officials and doctors are easing up on the alarm. N1H1 is not a whole lot different from the regular flu.

To put you even further at ease about what to expect should you or someone you know contract it (heaven forbid), here's an interview with one mother (who's feeling much better, by the way):

How did the symptoms come on?

Friday afternoon I took a nap with both my boys and when we woke up my whole body just felt so worn out. About an hour later, my throat started to hurt but I thought it may be allergies.

Over on That's Fit they're talking about Elisabeth Hasselbeck's new book The G-Free Diet. Hasselbeck suffers from celiac disease, which is an intolerance to gluten (found in barley, oats, wheat and rye). I, too was diagnosed with celiac disease a few years ago. After eating certain foods, I felt tired and crampy, and I'd often get a headache. I was sad to find out that the only remedy is a gluten-free diet. The only problem is that gluten is in almost everything from salad dressing to bread and beer.

Spring is in the air and for me that means stuff is in my nose. Pollen, pet dander, dust, and who knows what else, all set off my allergies. I'm so sensitive that sometimes just playing outside with a dog (I'm a part-time dog walker) will give me a rash, watery eyes, and a runny nose (do I make you randy baby?). I take Zyrtec, Nasonex, and Benadryl as needed, but I'd never heard of nasal rinsing before. That is, until I was given a free sample.

It's generally not advisable to put things in your nose, from marbles to remote controls to illegal substances.

But there is one thing doctors--and Oprah--have been telling us to shove up nostrils: A saline rinse when you're sick.

Right now, it's flu season, and activity is high. Or maybe you're like the rest of us, and someone in your house has a runny nose.

A saline rinse or a neti pot is a totally economical and holistic way to deal with snot. Saline rinses can make you feel better whenever your nose is runny due to flu, cold, allergies or sinus infections, explains Dr. Jordan S. Josephson, director of the New York Nasal and Sinus Center.

They can relieve sore throats, moisturize irritated nasal cavities and loosen dry mucus.

Once we get a cold--and then get over it--it's gone, right?

Wrong. Very Wrong. Those of us with multiple kids see it happen all the time. During the holiday break, the common cold picked off my family members one by one. I got it first right before Christmas, then the 3-year-old, then the baby, then the other 3-year-old. By New Year's, my husband had a runny nose, sore throat, achiness and itchy eyes.

A new study confirms what we already suspect: That cold viruses linger in our homes long after we start feeling better. Here's more on the secret spots where germs lurk.

06-07mom's tissue cozy.

Unfortunately, not hanging out with children--i.e. my little germ factories--is not an option.

So I was glad to read 2 holistic tips for cold relief in the news this weekend.

This sounds like astrology: A child's likelihood of getting asthma has to do with how, when and where she is born.

Kids born in the fall--Scorpios--have a 30 percent higher risk for asthma than those born in other seasons. The finding is based on a review of birth and medical records of over 95,000 children in Tennessee, as reported in The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Cozycabinmom's Christmas tree.

Sure, your Christmas tree is green. But is it also environmentally green? Today, in Home & Garden, Cafe Sheri writes about a green Christmas.

But I'm wondering if my fake tree is better or worse for the environment. My husband is pushing for a real one like he does every year, but those bother my allergies. Hmm. Fake or real?