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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Summer Camps for Kids With Food Allergies- CLICK HERE!

A Day In the Life Of A Child with Life Threatening Food Allergies

Written by Carol Kalvelage- mother of child with anaphylaxsis dairy allery, along with egg and sulfa (medicine) allergy

Here's the deal. Straight up- life threatening food allergies in children are becoming a public health concern. According to FAAN: The Food & Anaphylaxsis Network, more than 12 million Americans have food allergies. One in 25, or if you're a math whiz, 4% of the popluation. The incidence of food allergy is highest in young children- one in 17 among those under three. And, about 3 million children in the U.S. have food allergies.

Those are the facts. Indisputable. However, as a parent of a 4 1/2 year old child with life threatening food allergies, I have come to learn that other parents are unaware of these statistics. And rightly so-- If I did not have a food allergic child, I don't think that I would know these stats either.

Sure, most of us heard a version of the infamous "peanut kiss", which increased awareness, along with fear and panic, of the peanut allergy. However, when a dairy or gluten or wheat allergy is brought to the table, most people respond politely with an "Oh, yes......" and then fade away. Again, I do not blame the other people. I most likely would have had the same reaction.

I personally do not believe that it is the other peoples job to delve into a deep discussion of my child's food allergies. I believe it is my responsiblity, as a parent of a food allergic child, to keep schools, caregivers, babysitter, family members, shop owners and anyone else who comes in contact with food, informed of my childs allergy. I hope as she gets older, she will do the same.

However, it is extremely refreshing when someone else does take the time to discuss and take some action on their own, without my prodding, poking and hint dropping such as

"Uh- yes, she can go into anaphylaxis and die if she ingests dairy."
Or- "after administering the Epi pen you MUST call 911 because another reaction can occur, even is she seems fine then".... or
"No, it's not lactose intolerance...... she will break out in hives and her throat will close.... then she will get diarreha."
Or my personal best and all time favorite, which I use everywhere ( We recently went on a cruise out of country and I learned how to do this in any language"- OH, FOR GOD'S SAKE, JUST GIVE ME THE PACKAGE AND LET ME READ THE INGREDIENTS.............

I'm glad to be able to write that there are such places on this earth that are very aware of food allergies. A few of them happen to be in my city, Rochester Hills. KiddieKlub is one place that is allergy friendly and has an owner and staff dedicated to keeping all kids safe. KiddieKlub just went Peanut Free on June 15, and owner Jodi Partlo is taking part of the allergy movement by hosting an event on Friday, June 19 that will help benefit FAAN. I am an advocate of the KiddieKlub not just because I work with Jodi and her staff, but also because I have single handedly watched this woman build a childcare and entertainment complex that has virtually everything that a parent would wish for in a state of the art childcare center. KiddieKlub just celebrated its one year anniversary at the end of April, and its clients rave about the quality of care. Summer camps are being held weekly at KiddieKlub- please visit website for more information.

In addition to KiddieKlub's summer camps, I recently discovered that the RARA's Camp Rocky Road counselor went above and beyond the call of duty for food allergies. Imagine their surprise when I pulled in yesterday with my daughter, her camp bag (for all of 4 hours) and the following kit I take with me everywhere:

2 Epi-Pens
4 pre packaged Benedryls
Predinose (just in case of attack)
All food prepared in home so as not to cross contaminate
Benedryl lotion, cream, gel for hives
Written instructions on who to call in case of emergency- pediatric allergist, pediatrician, preferred hospital, my cell, my husband's cell.

I breathlessley ran into the building, gave them my standard 5 minute explanation of dairy allergies, anaphylaxis, what could happen, what most likely won't happen,....... asked who administers medication, are they trained???? then, being satisfied with the answers and handing off of the allergy emergency kit saying "o.k. thanks....goodbye......she'll be fine." The camp counselor seemed a little frazzled at first, but then she was good.

In fact, she was so good that she called ahead to Cooks Dairy Farm to find out about how they handle dairy allergic children that visit on field trips. ( I may have forgot to mention that my daughters camp field trip is to Cooks Dairy Farm.. only me). When I picked up my daughter today at camp, the counselor told me that she called Cooks and that they have popsicles available for dairy allergic kids. I almost cried. Seriously, when someone takes the time to help your child like that, I get weepy and remember that there are angels on earth.

So, living with life threatening food allergies is difficult, but doable. A little--- no really, a lot of perserverance, alot of advocacy, alot of information, alot of worry and anxiety.....and places like KiddieKlub, RARA, and Cooks Dairy Farm help me and my daugher find a way to have fun, enjoy life and keep provide a safe haven for kids who have life threatening conditions.

posted by Kimba # 2:22 PM 0 Comments

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Bonsai Trees - it's an Art and Horticultural- CLICK HERE!

Bonsai is actually two words, "Bon", and "Sai".

The word "Bon" means "tray" and "Sai", "growing" or "planting". The two words put together give you a translation of "tray growing" or "tray planting". But when you say the word, "Bonsai" to anyone, they usually think of a type of tree.

I Love Bonsai

Bonsai require more precise care than any other plant you are likely to have. It is very important to understand the care needed before spending the money on a Bonsai Tree and/or before giving a tree as a gift.

Clean the Bonsai Tree with a small brush on a weekly basis. Do not leave any plant debris on the soil after you've finished pruning the bonsai. Leaving soil on the Bonsai will decompose and lead to the growth of fungal diseases or moss.
Because Bonsai Trees are watered often to keep them humid, the humidity will attract pests such as aphids (aka greenfly), caterpillars, ants and red spider mites. Treat any pests with a pesticide.
Watch for diseases on your tree. Powdery mildew is the most widespread fungus disease. If you see a white, floury layer on the shoots and leaves of your tree, it's powdery mildew.

If you were interested in trying your hand at bonsai, the first thing you need to do is find an excellent resource for soil, fertilizer, water, pots, trees and bonsai accessories.

In addition, you want to set yourself up for success from the beginning by choosing the right type of tree. To help get you started, we suggest Bonsai Boy for your first bonsai tree.

posted by The MBD # 11:21 AM 0 Comments

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Gift Cards for Graduates and Dads- CLICK HERE!

Well, you've done it! Father's Day is approaching fast and you have invites to three graduation parties in the next couple of weeks and there is absolutely no time available to go out and get a gift.

If you have enough time, you can order online at some of your favorite stores (and save a bit of money also). Here are a few of our favorites:

American Eagle Outfitters Coupons
Altrec Outdoor Gear Coupons
Armani Exchange Coupons
Pictured to the right is a great idea for Dad: the Solo Portable Spreader for all garden jobs

If there is absolutely no time left at all and you'd like to get Dad or Grad a great gift card that is just not like the rest, visit our Gift Card Page for some great ideas like these:

Skinit Pin Card - Prepaid Laptop Skin (great gift for a Grad to personalize thier laptop)
Skinit Pin Cards lets your recipient pick out their personal favorites from hundreds of exciting designs - or even create their own!

$50 Gift Certificate to All Educational Software

Family Rec Room - $10 Gift Cards Gift Cards at FamilyRecRoom.com - a great gift for Dad this year!

Here are a few HOT deals for Dad's Day:

A Gift Personalized - Fathers Day Special 10% discount on any order. No minimum. Coupon Code: Dad10off - Expiration: 06/18/2009

Threadsmith - Dads & Grads - Great Gifts for Dads & Grads at Threadsmith - Take $10 off all orders of $40 or more! Coupon Code: DADS10 - Expiration: 06/19/2009

BackyardStyle.com - Outdoor gifts for Dad: Save $5.00 on all orders > $75 Use coupon code: michbiz

Labels: Fathers Day Gifts, Graduate Gifts