Few things can prepare you for what it will be like when you child is diagnosed with a life-threatening food allergy. Your mind whirls around, wondering how you will ever manage to keep your child safe.
For me the most important thing (besides checking food labels and other related issues) is staying organized. This does a few things for me:
- It helps me know what is coming up and when I need to have food alternatives.
- Exactly what safe foods I have in my pantry and in my deep freeze for those last minute frantic food needs.
- It gives me a feeling of control in a sometimes seemingly uncontrollable situation.
So what do I use for to stay on top of things so that I make sure that I am always prepared and able to keep Tyler safe?
Carolina Pad products! If you have never heard of them, be prepared to fall in love (as much as you can with paper products!).
They have several lines of products like notebooks, planners, binders, post-it notes, and just about everything else you can imagine that all coordinate together. They are feminine (a big deal for me since I live with all men!) and so functional.
Did I mention that I love this company??
In most areas of my life, I am very frugal. I buy most of my clothes second hand. I buy in bulk when possible and buy generics.
But...when it comes to staying organized, I only use this one brand. In fact, for Christmas my husband, who is fully aware of my crazy obsession with this company went on Amazon and bought several of their products in bulk for me. I was doing back flips when I got them and happily showed him how they matched so many of my other products. (And, he lovingly rolled his eyes!).
So, you can imagine my total excitement when the company asked me to share my experiences with their products in exchange for some samples from their new product lines and to give away some products to my readers!!
One lucky reader will receive the following fabulous products (the picture above is what the reader will receive):
- "Ideal Portfolio" (This is what I use to list my weekly goals and other upcoming events)
- 100 sheet notebook (I use this for my day to day "To Do" list)
- 100 sheet composition book
- Daily Notes Desk Calendar (one year's worth of weekly planning sheets)
- Ultra thin calculator (polka dots...my favorite!!)
- Card case (looks like a billfold but holds 24 business cards)
- Stick on Notes and Flags (similar to Post-It's but waaaaay cuter!)
If you would like to win the fabulous package above, just leave a comment. If you wish, tell us what you most challenging part of staying organized as it relates to your child's peanut allergy.
If you like Carolina Products, please join their Facebook group and follow them on Twitter.
Good luck!! The giveaway will end on February 17 at 7 a.m. EST. Please leave your email address in your comment so I know where to contact the winner.
33 comments:
Thanks for the info! I love some of their styles!! Can appreciate all the "girly" designs bcs it's all boys in my house, too! Will have to look into this some more!!
I think the hardest part of staying organized w/a PA is when I leave DS with grandparents or babysitter -- like what to make sure to bring w/us (snacks, epipens, phone #s, instructions) and what to make sure to remind them before I leave DS with them!
Great post on organizing. You're right when life throws you a curve such as food allergies or something else, there's a whole new world of information and you learn things you never thought you'd need to know.
I try to stay organized by keeping track of all upcoming events and always stocking up on any safe food items that we need to have. It can be hard, because I always have to know where all my supplies are in case something should come up unexpectedly.
Thanks,
Linda
lndmlb@aol.com
What I find hard to manage son's peanut/tree nut allergies is school! So many things to track and stay on top of. Then we have the need for a central place for communication at home for all of his caregivers. It is so important we are all on the same page not just for safety but also a united front to the outside world.
This is a fabulous Giveaway! Thanks!
kgiuliano@verizon.net
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Lucy
http://businesseshome.net
I love the look of the products. I would appreciate any help staying organized in relation to my daughters severe tree nut allergy. I do need help in organizing our allergy life in relation to special events and remembering to bring safe food.
Thank you for all of the information that you share on your blog.
I love the look of the products. I would appreciate any help staying organized in relation to my daughters severe tree nut allergy. I do need help in organizing our allergy life in relation to special events and remembering to bring safe food.
Thank you for all of the information that you share on your blog.
Finally... someone who shares my affinity of office products!! LOL.. my DH jokes with me all the time, because I get excited when we need to stock the office.. ;)
I am pretty new to your blog.. my 14 month old daughter was diagnosed with peanut/egg allergies in the past couple weeks.. so I want to say thanks for your blog.. we're learning slowly and surely. I don't have any tips yet as to how to stay organized... but will look forward to some ideas. thanks again! :)
Jacqui
I agree that you have to be organized to stay on top of things! I keep a running list of what I call upcoming food allergy "challenges." I like to term it challenges rather than difficulties or burdens- it helps me maintain a positive outlook. I will list such things as social events like weddings, parties, get-togethers and even restaurants that I need to further check out. The most challenging part to me is keeping all the snacks and wipes and everything organized because I also have another baby so our diaper bag is very, very full! : )
-Lisa
I totally agree with you about being organized. I too am a little "nuts" about writing everything down and planning ahead! I love the designs/colors of the products. Thank you for this site filled with wonderful information-I am a new mom with a 3year-old son recently DX with an all-nut allergy and asthma.
mrsdag1990@gmail.com
I love office products, too! I was forced to become more organized when my now 4 year old was diagnosed with PA almost 2 1/2 years ago. Thanks so much for your blog!
Caron
(scaa@bellsouth.net)
I find it challenging to keep track of what restaurants are "safe" and to always check and double check with them prior to going and stay on top of which foods are the safest choices for my kids.
These products look wonderful. Right now I am using boring notebooks and binders to keep up with allergy related details and menus, articles, etc.
Thank you.
lkiene2002@yahoo.com
Wow, there are so many hard parts! For me I think it is organizing when school parties are, field trips, ect. and making sure that there will be something there safe for my little peanut guy to eat!
Nichole-bnjohnson34@msn.com
I remember using a beat-up spiral bound notebook in the early days when we found out about my son's multiple food allergies. He was allergic to so many things back then it was hard to figure out what was safe.
Nine years later I still have that notebook with my scribbles of safe recipes, documentation of phone calls to food manufacturers and questions for the allergist. He's still got lots of food allergies, but we've come a long way, baby!
Food Allergy Assistant
foodallergyassistant@gmail.com
www.foodallergyassistant.blogspot.
com
One of the hardest things for me is trusting anyone else with my kids who have peanut and tree nut allergies. Also remembering when all the school events are that need special attention to make them allergy-friendly. Thanks, for your blog.
Patsy
pbonnefil@aol.com
I love organizing products! Thanks for sharing.
My PA child is only 2, so we haven't had too many situations yet that I felt I wasn't ready for. But I know that will all change in the coming years.
sarakelley8 @msn.com
Well, I'm not as far along in the food allergy experience as many of the commenters. My son, at age 1, was just diagnosed with tree nut, peanut, dairy & soy allergies. Oh, and asthma. I would love this set of supplies to organize my thoughts, my notes from books, blogs, ect. Thanks for sharing, I started to read your blog the moment Miles was diagnosed.
misschryth@gmail.com
I agree with others that the hardest part is simply keeping track of the things that we need to pack an extra snack for. I also have been stuck occasionally with nothing on hand to bring. Not a fun situation!
Nicole
ngepson@gmail.com
I agree with all of the comments! It is hard to sometimes "stay on track" and remember to check labels, remind relatives of my daughter's PA, and make sure everyone at her school is careful too! My most difficult task is not so much organizing, but CONSTANT reminding! My experience with several people has been that a PA allergy is no big deal, that I'm blowing it "out of proportion", and that it is my problem to address. Thankfully, many others understand our situation, and do their best to accomodate us. The paper products would definitely help keep track of upcoming events that require a "peanut-free" treat!! (and a reminder to buy those treats if you are running low!)
LOVE this website! It has tremendously helped me deal with my daughter's allergy!
Dena
KJMJ1011@verizon.net
Hi,
I love the look of these! Anyway I find it most challenging when we go away to visit family with my child's P/N/E allergies. You depend on there hospitality and the hope they really understand what is safe or not safe. Thanks for your good work, I enjoy getting your email
lbbrown@shaw.ca
These look great! I really need to work on my organizational skills in general. As far as the peanut allergy, my PA son is almost 2, home up to now but in September he will start daycare. So I anticipate a greater need for keeping on top of things once that happens. For now, keeping track of safe/unsafe foods at restaurants (here in Spain, for example, McNuggets are may contains...)
What great organizational tools. I need help with organizing the allergy free recipes I have and also having simple instructions for my son's medication treatments and keeping track of the websites I order allergy items from.
Colleen D
These products look wonderful!
For me, it's super important to stay organized because both of my girls have multiple food allergies. My husband and I both work and we have a sitter that comes to our house. All food has to be labeled and I have papers and charts all over the house for safe foods, instructions, food allergy action plans, etc. I also need help organizing recipes, etc.
I get so frustrated dealing with eating out. It's hard to remember where and what is safe. I think I need to start keeping a record of all our experiences.
Thank you for the give-away!
My hardest part of being organized is dealing with a busy 2 year old boy who doesn't know he's allergic. It's difficult to go places or church or playdates because I know he can't care for himself...and will eat anything anyone gives him. It scares me to death.
Thanks...Kristen
kcpiano@yahoo.com
I would love some help in staying on top of our food allergy issues. I really need to record MG's food & symptoms daily and this set of products would be a great help!
my two year old was officially diagnosed with peanut allergy a week ago. We've had our suspicions about it since he had a reaction to a peanut butter cup. We love to go out, and we love to travel, and those two things, partnered with me working as a teacher, make it so hard to think of everything we need to have on hand. I truly could use help getting organized and staying prepared for my son's sake. Thank you for this opportunity, and this blog. It has been a Godsend as I come to grips with this.
Jennifer Keltner -
I am new to the peanut allergy world, my 9 month old daughter was just diagnosed a couple weeks ago, so I don't have a lot of tips to share, but I love lists and lists of lists!!
Thank-you for your blog, it has been so helpful.
Great post!
My biggest challenge is waiting until the last minute to get the alternative foods together.
Now that Alex is in school he doesn't know when birthday treats are going to come in so he just uses Keebler bagged cookies.
This means that I don't have frozen cupcakes in the freezer because I don't make them that often. Then when I need one for a get-together I am scrambling to get a few made.
Thanks again for the great post and the chance to win!
Amy
nopeanutsplease@live.com
I LOVE the look of these! If I don't get picked I'm gonna go pick up some of my own!
For me the hardest part of staying organized is the simply INSANE amount of doctor appointments we have right now. We are in the beggining stages of my son's allegy journey. On top of that my 20 month old has hearing loss due to ear infections and so we are getting ready for tubes surgery. (hopefully that will clear up his hearing loss!) And to top that all off I'm pregnant!
So on any given week we could have any amount of appointments (1-7 at the most) and it's just so hard to keep them all straight! I've gotten to the point where I have to program them into my phone and try to fit in what paperwork I need for where! LOL not easy with limited space!
I have been SO lucky with my son's school, friends, their parents, my sitter and my family...The MAJOR pain is my journey is my ex-husband and his girlfriend...I CAN NOT seem to get through to them how important it is to ask or read about ingredients...The number of times I have heard from them "They don't put peanuts in ..." They are my orginizational challenge...I send my son with his backpack everytime he goes ANYWHERE with them, he has wipes, his epi-pen, benadryl spoons and snacks...He is 8 and I am sad that HE is the one that has to be reponsible all the time especially when he is with his father...
Shannon
the_millers@sympatico.ca
It's probably too late to enter for your giveaway, but I wanted to tell you what a good idea it is to keep things organized. Would you share your system of keeping organized regarding PA?
Thanks for your insight into PA - I love to check up on your blog and see how other parents deal with food allergies. My little girl is 3 years old and I am paranoid about leaving her with babysitters. It's great to know I'm not the only one out there who is just as cautious as I am about PA!
Thanks again, melis.sue@gmail.com
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