I caught it. That dreaded awful bug I thought I could evade. But it found me. It came crawling right over my cubicle wall where I was trying to hide from it. And now I'm home with a cold - sore throat, stuffy AND runny nose (how is that even possible?), and itchy eyes. [caption id="attachment_2876" align="aligncenter" width="374"] Chamomile tea with honey and lemon is one of my go-to cold cures.[/caption] I don't really like to take medication, unless absolutely necessary. So when I'm suffering from a run-of-the-mill cold, there are a few home remedies I like to use: 1. Chamomile tea with honey and lemon I've heard the chamomile contains properties that help fight off infection. But to tell you the truth, I've never really looked into it. My mother often made me a cup of chamomile tea with honey and lemon whenever I was sick. She was a very smart lady so I believe she made that for a reason. Now when I'm sick I make a cup of tea for myself. It always soothes my throat, helps loosen up mucus (ew!) and just feels right! 2. Napping When my body is busy fighting off germs I am exhausted! I don't expect it to provide me with much energy when doing so, so I generally succumb to tiredness. Taking a nap or heading to be extra early when I have a cold almost always makes me feel better the next day. 3. Hot water bottle When you get a cold do you usually find you are chilled to the bone? I do. Sitting with a hot water bottle on my lap, or having one close by me in bed is always comforting. And it usually does the trick of warming me up. 4. Soup Yet another cure from my mother. Whenever we were under the weather she w0uld make us pastina in brodo - an Italian cure all. It's perfect for when you don't really have much of an appetite or when you need something warm and comforting in your belly. All you need is broth of your choice (chicken, turkey, beef or vegetable). Homemade tastes best, but I've definitely used store-bought stock when needed and it does the trick just fine. Bring about 1.5 cups of broth to a boil and add about 1/4 cup of pastina (teeny tiny pasta) and cook for the amount of time indicated on the package. I like to top it off with a little bit of grated fresh Parmesan cheese. This always makes me feel better. 5. Sweatpants This is a weird one, and I'm not sure that sweatpants contribute to curing me of my cold, but they sure are comfortable. And warm. And cozy. I believe no one should be forced to put on jeans while fighting off a cold. I swear by Roots Original Sweatpants. They are the best for any occasion! I strongly urge you to get yourself a pair ASAP. Now tell me: How do you fight off a cold?