This week's tip sheet topic comes to me as I slowly emerge from the fog of a nasty, flu-like virus that has been pummeling our household. For the kids this time, it mostly took the form of a bad cold, but it knocked their doddering parents on their backs with fever, chills and major headaches.

And it's not even the sick season. But it occurs to me that people with young kids are always trying to dodge the germs. And no matter how hard you try to wipe everything down with disinfectants and not share towels, those germs seem to find you sometimes.

Also, I must admit it's hard to keep from having those little ones hug and kiss you when they're sick.

So post your tips. How do you keep the germs at bay? And when a virus does enter the house, how do the rest of you avoid it?