To Bee or Not to Bee

My roommate has had a cold within the last two weeks. And the cold weather is coming and going as it likes to ebb and flow in the South. So it happened: my throat got a couple scratches and my nose thought about draining inward instead of outward. With pages and pages to write tonight and a Shakespeare test on Friday, I just might be getting (dare I speak it into existence) sick.

Right after dinner with Bryan last night we took an immediate detour to the neighborhood WD (Winn Dixie) to round up "I refuse to be sick supplies."

I'm out of Arbonne's Get Well Soon vitamins, so this is what my basket looked like:

• bottle of echinacea
• Emergen-C -never tried it, but thought it would at least ensure the drinking of liquids
• bottle of Bolthouse Farms C-Boost -tasty even when you don't feel sickly (especially when it's on sale)
• one pomegranate and mandarin orange (love these together with a little yougurt and honey)
• La Croix sparkling water (lime-flavored please)-mostly b/c I ran out, but the fizz will feel good and it's a good water option without any artificial flavors or added sugar (even though I still love the taste of a 150-calorie Vitamin water from time to time when they're on sale)
• Bee M.D. honey lemon throat drops

The throat drop decision was a bit humorous. I immediately found Bee M.D.--its brown biodegradable packaging stands out among the others and I also saw that USDA organic stamp I scan products for. Even though I was beginning to feel bad, I immediately read the product name "Bee M.D." with great enthusiasm in the aisle. Bryan picked up a package of Organix throat drops of the same flavor and asked why I would not get them; they were 8 cents cheaper. I quickly explained how a happy feeling that would help boost out my cold is worth the 8 cents. I'm not a victim of marketing--I'm aware of the marketing and highly appreciate it at this time. I mean, honestly, which of the above packages would you choose?

Then I found out more from an August article in Brandweek, a weekly American marketing trade publication:

• Proceeds from sales of Bee M.D. fund academic research to protect honeybees--one-third of the global food supply depends on pollination by bees!
• Bestsweet, Inc. puts 40% honey in its product-most other brands use about 10%

Conclusion: What's good for me is good for bees!