Free Shipping on Medical Alert Bracelets

One thing I feel is very important is a medical ID bracelet for any child with a peanut allergy. This gives the child a voice if they can't express their medical condition clearly enough to caregivers. It also gives anyone that would be around if a reaction occurred lifesaving information.

N-Style ID is a company I have chosen to recommend to my readers because they are one of the best out there. Since we all love a sale, I couldn't resist telling you about one they are running. On something that is a necessity, saving money is a big bonus.

For a short time, they are offering a $5 shipping coupon when you use the code FREESHP on orders totaling $25. The price of a child's engraved medical alert bracelet totals right around $25. This makes your entire order come to about $25. Doesn't get much better for a lifesaving device for a PA Kid!

Oh, and we are ordering this week, too. Tyler's old bracelet only lists peanuts. We have added new allergies (tree nuts) and its time for an updated bracelet.

Clearing Up Eczema: More Tips

A BIG thank you to all of my readers last week for helping me through my little eczema crisis. Tyler's skin is much better!!

I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing our family's struggles with Tyler's eczema in the last couple of months. This post will be the last of my weekly Monday posts on eczema but I will revisit this topic periodically, as it is something many of us struggle with to keep our PA kids in optimal health.

This series has been rather popular. I have heard from many of you through email about how this series is helping you. Since its a battle that never totally goes away, I thought it only appropriate to share some of your comments from last week, as well a few things I am still learning. If you would like to contribute something else about your battles and/or victories with eczema, please leave a comment!

My Thoughts

• The fall seems to be the worst time for eczema (Tyler included). When there is a flare up with the shifting weather, just know it will get better, just as the weather will.

• A friend who also struggles with eczema (that's you Jennifer C.!) told me how important it is to use 100% cotton clothing. During our battles I could not always find daytime clothing that was but I did find one pair of pajamas that were. Funny enough, they were Christmas pajamas. He kept wearing them every night, with me washing them every couple of days. Kind of funny, actually!
  

Here are what some of you shared (read the full comments on this post):

• You will need to moisturize FAR more than you did in *regular* weather....eczema is always much worse during the colder temps.

• The two main things that I feel really helped us were Milk Thistle supplements and cod liver oil. (Read the actual comment to get a full description but this very interesting!)

• We use Clorox Bleach in my son's bathwater. I put about 1/2 cup of bleach in the full tub of water. Yes, he smells like bleach after his bath, but it did wonders with clearing up his severe eczema. Our allergist told us to do this because it kills any infection in the eczema. It also helps moisturize the skin. Weird--I know, but it works!! (This does sound strange but if it works, its worth a try!)

Thanks for your help guys! There were actually a total of 12 comments and they were all really helpful.

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

We Have a Winner!!

Goodness! My "normal" weeks are generally filled with chaos. If you ever wonder why I'm not posting, just know I'm having a "normal" week! (Follow me on Facebook and you'll get the scoop!) This week my youngest child is sick with croup. So I have fallen behind on my bloggy responsibilities...again!

I am waaaaay behind on posting the winner to our "Once Upon a Peanut" book. According to random.org, the winner is comment #4.

Here's the comment:

I would love to win this book for my 2-1/2 year old Matthew. He has a peanut/tree-nut allergy, and he seems to put everything he sees into his mouth! I would love to explain his allergy to him in a story he can relate too.

Congratulations! I sent you an email letting your know that you won. You will receive your book soon!!

If you still want this book but did not win, check out Amazon. The price is very reasonable for the life-saving information it teaches your child.




My Halloween party posts are still coming but will not be all I wanted it to be. I have a couple more posts to share. But, as I was attempting to shoot my vlog on making homemade safe caramels I discovered the camera is broken {ugh}. So I will post a few more tips this week but I'm totally bummed that I can't do the video!!

Clearing Up Eczema: It's War - I Need Your Advice

Over the past several weeks, I have shared tips with you about how I cleared up Tyler's eczema over the summer. These have been very practical, natural ways to treat this infuriating skin condition that we have dealt with since Tyler was 6 weeks old.

I was in the process of winding this series down this month since I had shared nearly everything I had done. Plus, eczema had become such a none issue in our home that I was taking Tyler's clear skin for granted.

Then, it flared up again last week. Bad. Really bad.

Unlike other times where we had extreme flare ups and I had no clue what triggered it, this time I did. I knew exactly what did it.

Immunizations.

It might seem odd that Tyler is getting immunizations at four and a half. But, an egg allergy he outgrew last year made him delayed on many shots. (Yes, egg allergies make some immunizations impossible...it sounds weird, I know). Then, a surgery earlier in the year delayed some immunizations even more.

So, once school started and they discovered he was behind (for legitimate reasons, but behind nonetheless), they insisted I get him caught up. He was due for 6 different types of immunizations.

Call it mother's intuition but I worried about his eczema and his immune system as a whole. I knew eczema is an overreaction of the immune system. I also knew cold and flu season is starting and this little body is already fighting things off. So I wondered how that many shots would stress his little body. So I only allowed two of them this month.

Within two days of the shot (two vaccines were in one shot), his eczema flared up. I got even more vigilant about his diet. I put him on the "not a trace of high fructose corn syrup" diet in addition to my other tips I have shared.

Yet, by the end of the week, he looked like a teenager with bad acne!

I did what I hate to do, but I did 5 days of Zyrtec and 3 days of topical steroids. It appears, for now, to be under control. Today, however, I will take him off of medications and attempt to control it completely through diet and supplements.

So, here is why I need your help, dear readers. Is there anything in my tips (see them here) that I have not mentioned that has worked for your family? I am interested in natural ways to treat eczema (i.e. not a Rx). Please share in the comment section.

Tyler's skin thanks you!

(My Halloween posts will continue tomorrow!)

Just a note to let my readers know that the Halloween Party will return in a few days. I have a severe migraine this week that is preventing me from writing and recording the video I had planned. Despite two trips to the doctor and more pain meds, I am still in pain.

I just didn't want anyone to wonder what had happened to me. Thanks for your patience!

Halloween In the PA Kid Home

Pictured above: My boys and my husband celebrating Halloween at home last year

In the past couple of years, Halloween has come in our home with very little accolades. Sure, I bought candy. I bought costumes for my children. They dressed up. They ate candy. But we never left the home. Halloween just sort of "happened." I did not talk much about it until an hour or two before the obligatory "Trick or Treaters" were due to arrive. I purposely did not make a big deal of it.

Last year I was thrilled that the preschool program was not having a party. For me, it was one less battle to fight. Tyler was 3 and did not realize he was missing anything.

He's 4 now. He is a smart kid. I'm pretty sure my "avoiding the hype" days are over. In fact, my husband wants Tyler trick or treat this year so he is "just one of the kids." I understand that. Really, I do.

My husband does not have quite the comfort zone I do (some days I envy that!), yet, I knew we had to change how we did things this year. I tend to be a worrier. (Does the fact that I write a daily blog on my son's peanut allergy give that fact away?)

When you compound the fact much of the "safe" candy out there has high fructose corn syrup in it, which greatly aggravates Tyler's eczema, I'm left with little candy he can eat. Plus, all that candy (minus PA and eczema) is just not healthy.

So, we have come to a great compromise in our home. Its nothing new and many of you probably do it. But, a few moms I have mentioned it to had not thought of it and loved the idea! In truth, I think it will be our standard Halloween practice until Tyler outgrows the whole trick or treating gig.

Here is a time line of what we will do:

• On Halloween night, my boys will get dressed up just like all the other kids do. (Being "like the other kids" is so important when at all possible when you live with PA.)

• I will stay at home and hand out "safe" candy. In past years I have bought a couple of big bags of Willy Wonka candy at Sam's. This allows our home to stay safe and Tyler to have a little bit of candy to snack on (albeit with HFCS!)

• My husband will take the boys out. I will provide them with some sort of "bag" that does not keep the candy right at their fingertips (possibly a pillowcase, if my husband will not be mortified with the look of that!).

• I will take an anxiety pill when they leave (Oh, no, I am kidding...I don't have anxiety pills...but I might need them that night!!)

• My husband will watch the candy the boys are receiving and try to make sure they are not getting things that actually contain peanuts (Snickers, Butterfingers, etc). We will probably just teach the boys to say "No peanuts, please!" when they see those things.

• Oh gosh, I didn't mention this but it goes without saying, the Epi Pen and Benadryl will be with my husband at all times. He has a nut allergy, too, so there is a lot of it to go around in our home!

• When the boys arrive home, we will take their candy bags. I will provide plenty of safe candy and other treats (not too much, though!).

• More anxiety pills for me (...kidding again!...)
  

• The day after Halloween (that would be November 1, right?!?!), I will take the boys to Toys R Us and let them pick out one "Thomas the Tank Engine train" (their favorite toy). The price for their "free" train?? The bag of loot ("unsafe junk") from the night before.
  
  Anyone else do something similar to this in their home??

Welcome to the PA Kid Halloween Party!

Welcome to the Peanut Allergy Kid Halloween party! I realize its a few weeks early. But, as we all know, preparation is key in keeping PA kids safe. This week, all week, we will be talking about how to have a "Happy and Reaction Free Halloween."

Yes, its OK to chuckle at that little mantra.

Of all the holidays that revolve around food, Halloween has got to be the one that causes me the most anxiety. I try not live my life fearing peanuts lurking around every corner but Halloween is a time I admit that I do. I will probably say the same thing come Christmas time, though.

This week, at our little virtual party, you can look forward to posts on the following Halloween topics:

• What our family has done during past and what we are doing differently this year (and how I'm handing the anxiety this change is bringing!!)

• Ways to stay safe without being a "party pooper"

• Alternatives to traditional Halloween
  

• Plus, as a fun treat, on Friday, I will have a video of how to make safe caramels easily in your own kitchen. After all, how can you celebrate Halloween without caramel? (Oh wait, that may just be me!)

So, in good "virtual party fashion," enjoy a fresh pumpkin muffin with my favorite recipe here (you will have to bake it yourself since we're just having a virtual party!), grab some safe candy (here's some things I have given Tyler in the past), and then we can carve a pumpkin (ideas here).

The only thing I love more than good party food is good conversation!! Let's chat in the comment section today (or any day this week) about how your family celebrates Halloween and tips to help other readers. We would also love to hear how any fears that you have and how you are handling those.

I will be back tomorrow to talk about Halloweens past and future (this year) in our home. Again, I invite you to share in the comments section today!


For those of you that are looking for my "Clearing Up Eczema" series, I will return with that next week.

Photo courtesy of abbietabbie

Review of "Once Upon a Peanut" & a Giveaway!

One thing I have tried to instill in both of my children is a love of books. So, when we read a book about peanut allergies, Tyler absolutely loves it!

Recently one of the readers of this blog sent me a copy of her book "Once Upon a Peanut...: A true story..." that she wrote about her own daughter's peanut allergy. When we got it in the mail, both of my children were so excited! (My youngest doesn't even have PA!) They insisted the wanted to read it as soon as possible.

That night we read it and we all loved it. The story went right along the lines of many of the conversations we have about Tyler's peanut allergy.

The big question when we read something like this is always, "Did Tyler like it?" In a word, "Yes!" In fact, he thanked God for the book during his nighttime prayers that night. To me, that says it all!

A Synopsis of the Story:

The story starts out with the narrator's diagnosis of a peanut allergy in first grade. It goes in depth, on a child's level, about the symptoms a peanut allergy brings. She talks about taking her own treats to parties. In fact, she even enjoys that part!

In the end, the story talks about how the peanut allergy does not limit her from everyday life. She still rides her bike and acts in the school play. It is just one aspect of her life that makes her special.


My Analysis
The story is told in the first person so it makes it easy for any child to easily be able to relate. The "I" and "me" are so important in this allergy.

Her description of bringing her own treats to to parties, "It's really turned out to be pretty neat" was priceless. Bringing your own treats can be a good thing (better food!) and this quote shows that.

Amazon states this book is for 9-12 year old children. I disagree with that. Tyler is 4 and he understood the book completely. The only thing that was a little unsettling was talking about "vomiting." While it is a bit "gross," it must be mentioned because it is a very real part of the allergy.

In addition, there is also a special 4 page section at the end of the book for parents and caregivers. It has invaluable advice for anyone new to the allergy. Sort of a PA101 that everyone needs to know, whether you live with PA or not.

I encourage every peanut allergic child to have at least a few books in their library about their allergy. It not only helps them feel "special" but also is an avenue for educating others. This book is a great choice. For others I have reviewed that this can be paired with, click here.



Giveaway!!
Author, Marlene Whelahan, has agreed to give one of my readers a signed copy of this book! To enter in the contest, please leave a comment telling me why you want to win. Also, leave your email address so I know where to contact you in case you win.

For additional entries, promote this giveaway on Facebook or "tweet" about it on Twitter. When you do this, please come back and leave an additional comment telling me where you promoted it. That will give you an extra entry and an even better chance at winning this great book!

The giveaway will end at midnight on Monday, October 19. The winner will be chosen by random.org and will be announced on Tuesday, October 20.

Surf Sweets - Nut and HFCS Free!!

I do not normally devote an entire post during a weekday to just promote a product, but when I received an email from a marketing company yesterday, I could not resist. With Halloween fast approaching, candy is on every PA moms mind.

Surf Sweets is a new type of candy that is like a dream come true! They are made in a dedicated nut free facility (Amazon does not state this but all of their promotional lit and website does) and they are free of high fructose corn syrup.

What's even better is they have things like gummy bears and gummy worms that I have never seen to be safe for those with a nut allergy. So, if you are like me and struggle to find safe candy that does not contain HFCS that triggers eczema, you will definitely want to check these out here.

The company also says they are available in many grocery stores, as well as natural foods stores. To find one near you, click here.

PA Kid Now on Twitter!

OK, I swore I would never use Twitter. I spend way too much time online as it is. I didn't know how to Twitter and I didn't want to take any more time away from family than I already do.

Then, I had some people tell me they heard about "Project: Food Allergy Friendship" through my "tweets." Huh? I didn't tweet. But, after some coaxing from Peanut Allergy Dad (a.k.a. known as my husband), I set up an account. And started tweeting.

And you know what, its not hard at all! I still have a ton to learn, but this is just another avenue I can use to help other parents with food allergies. So for that, I am on board.

Want to follow my tweets?

If you ever wonder what I'm up to in the Peanut Allergy Kid home and you are not on Twitter, check out my right sidebar. You will learn way more about me that you ever cared to do.

Oh, and if you have any tips on the whole "Twitter," "tweets," and "who knows what else I've gotten myself into" issue, leave me a comment!


Get Follow Me Buttons

Clearing Up Eczema: Choose the Right Soap

Did you know that many soaps can make eczema worse? If you have lived with this issue long, you have probably gone through several kinds in an attempt to find one that does not aggravate the condition worse.

Until recently I used Cetaphil. I talk to many moms who use this soap as a delicate cleanser for their child's ultra sensitive skin. This option in not a bad one. However, my own observations of Tyler's eczema is that chemicals seem to trigger it.

Have you ever read the ingredients of what you are using? For me, Cetaphil was full of things I could not pronounce. My rule is becoming, "If I can't pronounce it, it will probably trigger a flare up."

Since we deal with a coconut allergy, it complicated matters tremendously for me. When I started going down a more natural route, everything I saw had coconut oil. For a couple months that was all I found.

I considered making something myself but it sounded way too complicated. I love making things myself but soap was where I drew the limit!

After a lot of research, I finally found something I am happy with. "Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Soap." I found my first bar at Whole Foods. The ingredients are: Saponified Olive Oil, Water, Sodium Chloride (salt). That's it! And it works great! Amazon carries for about the same price Whole Foods.

We love this soap and I think it has improved his eczema even more!

A special word about ordering on Amazon: Some grocery and toiletry items (including this soap) on Amazon are eligible for "Subscribe & Save." This wonderful feature allows you to agree to receive this item on a regular basis and get a 15% discount. (You can unsubscribe at any time, even right after your first order and still receive the discount. Read more here.)

We order many of our groceries this way and these diapers, for our youngest, that we love. The best thing is that all of these things are delivered right to our doorstep. No shopping. No fighting crowds. I love it!!

Another great thing is that, by purchasing things on Amazon through links on this blog, you support this blog and a fellow PA mom! It's a win - win for both of us!

Weekend Discussion: Do you let your children have PB substitutes? Why or why not?

I am little late posting this for the weekend. When I had it planned, the Internet was down and then it just plain slipped my my mind!

Anyway, I would love to know if you do allow your child to eat things like Sunbutter or Soynut butter? I just started allowing Tyler to do this because I am confident he knows the difference between these & PB. But I would love know what you do!!

"Mommy, Why Do I Have a Peanut Allergy?"

A conversation in my home yesterday:

PA Son: "Mommy, why do I have a peanut allergy?"

Me: "Baby, that's how God made you."

PA Son: "Why did He want me to have a peanut allergy?"

Me: {gulp} We all have something in life we have to deal with. Mommy has migraine headaches. Dylan (his brother) has problems with his eyes. You have a peanut allergy. There are other children that have things much worse than a peanut allergy.

PA Son: "But why did God do that?"

Me: "God gives us all different things in life so that we learn to depend on Him to help us with it."

PA Son: "Oh."

You know those conversations you have with your children where you feel like you will emotionally scar them for life if you say the wrong thing? Well, this was one of those conversations. In the end, however, I think he understood his allergy a little more on some level.

Faith is very important to us in our home. So, the ability for Tyler to begin to emotionally process his allergy and understand our faith was certainly a teachable moment for me.

But, I have to admit, I don't really want to have conversations like that everyday!