Tea and Books: How To Survive Con-Crud (Or Your Basic Cold)

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

I proudly survived con season without getting fully sick. I’d claim I was doing something to prevent it, but it was really just luck. While others kept dropping like flies, I kept on going. And now that con season is almost over? I’ve been out of commission for a week with a runny nose, cough, and all around not-good feelings. So what have I been doing to keep myself in good spirits while trying to make myself feel better? (Hint: Drinking a lot of Bigelow Tea.) Read-on for Tara’s “Con-Crud/Cold Survival Guide!”

1. Rest. 

Don’t try to work through it. You’ll just make yourself worse. Make yourself rest. Like me, and can’t stand being away from work and email? Make others tell you to rest. (Mr. Geek’s been good about that.)

2. Get Cozy.

Put on your favorite t-shirt and sweats. Get your fave stuffed animal or pillow. Set yourself up on your bed or a cozy couch, and be prepared to stay there until you feel better!

3. Catch up on your Netflix queue/”To Read” pile. 

Marathoning a tv show is a fantastic way to make yourself sit still and relax, while still entertaining yourself. In past sicknesses, I’ve marathoned Downton Abbey (great if you want to feel fancy while drinking all of your tea), and Brooklyn 99 (because sometimes you just need a silly, feel-good show). Curling up with a good book or comic is a great way to unplug and stay cozy while working through your “to-read” list. This week I did a bit more reading of “The Thousand Dollar Tan Line”, the Veronica Mars book.

4. Drink ALL the tea in your favorite mug. 

I’m a huge tea drinker anyway, and when I’m sick, it becomes all I drink. If Mr. Geek or I start to complain about feeling sick, the other one instantly starts to heat up water. So, lucky for me, the stars aligned: I recently heard a fantastic talk from the CEO of Bigelow Tea at the International Food Bloggers Conference, I heard from my in-laws about their trip to Bigelow’s beautiful tea plantation in Charleston, and I was offered the chance to write a blog post about Bigelow. TEA TIME!

Alexander and I hopped in the car and hit up Walmart to pick up some boxes of Bigelow tea. He grabbed Chamomile (his tea of choice), and I grabbed an assorted pack to keep things exciting while home sick, as well as a few other favorite flavors for everyday tea drinking.

(I’m sick, but so excited for more tea!)

Now I had the tea, and while that’s fantastic, everyone knows tea tastes better and gets you better sooner if it’s in your favorite mug. My fave mug is one I got from Downtown Disney. Look at the adorable princesses! I get a bit happier every time I use it.

The tea helped soothe my sore throat and relax me, and the variety of flavors felt like a “treat” and brought some change to the days at home. Plus, on days when I needed to buck up and head out for a meeting or errand, the green tea gave me just a bit of caffeine to help me out.

So while I continue to kick this cold in the butt, I leave you with this sick selfie toast. Cheers to you, and here’s hoping for a quick recovery!

I’m off to stay cozy with my robe and TARDIS pillow, and drink more tea while reading a bit more. What do you do to feel better when you’re home sick?

Thank you to #CollectiveBias and Bigelow Tea for helping me feel better and sponsoring this post! Want to learn more about about #AmericasTea? Check out their Facebook page, Twitter account, and Pinterest board (below)!