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We are officially moving our site to www.allergy-warriors.com. If you follow our blog or subscribe via email, you will need to sign back up on the new site. Our followers did not carry over to the new site. If you do not sign up, you will not continue getting updates from us. :0(
The new site is currently under construction, so please bare with us as we get new features and fun things set up. The look will probably change a few more times also. We are tweaking it to make it perfect. We have a new recipe card program, and will be adding tabs for recipes, amazing products, and other great things. The new recipe card allows you to save or print (in various sizes) right from the site. We are excited to bring you lots more great things as we work on the new site and add lots more great features!
The www.allergywarriors.wordpress.com site will be shut down by the end of the month, and we will not be posting on this site after that.
We want to thank everyone for supporting us in this endeavor and look forward to seeing you on the new site! Your support is greatly appreciated! If you have a minute, we would love to hear your feedback about the new site, and get your input on things you would like to see on the site!
Allergy Warrior Annie & Gluten Free Gal Lizzie
Review: Hope Paige Medical ID Marketplace
I am a firm believer that Medical Bracelets are necessary for any child with a life threatening food allergy. Any allergy doctor will tell you that, and there are so many benefits to having one. I honestly cannot think of a reason for a severely allergic child not to wear one. It is one of the only ways for people, medical or not, to be alerted to Bean’s severe peanut allergy in case she cannot speak. If, God forbid, Bean accidentally ingested something with peanuts, and had a severe reaction due to her asthma, and could not speak, she can always point to her bracelet to alert people of what is going on.
Bean will be eight years old in July, and is in second grade. She is my little fashionista. She worries about her clothes, matching outfits, wearing matching shoes, and trying to accessorize her outfits. More and more she has been asking if she HAS to wear her allergy bracelet. The type she has been wearing, since she was 18 months old, is a plain stainless steel one. As a toddler and preschooler, she loved her medical alert bracelet. It was shiny and she felt important and special wearing it. As she is getting older though, she tells me it’s ugly, doesn’t match with her outfit, or it’s boring, and she doesn’t want to wear it. I find myself constantly telling her that she MUST wear her bracelet. It is a medical bracelet, and it’s not meant to be fashionable or pretty. It is there for a specific reason, not as an accessory!
Then Hope Paige Medical ID Marketplace came along! They sent Bean a Pink Aluminum Design Bracelet to try out. Pink is Bean’s favorite color! When she first saw it, she was thrilled that it was pink, and told me she “LOVED IT!!” She asked right away to put it on. She has not complained about wearing it, and has been wearing pink every day to match it. I asked her what she likes about it, and she said, “I love the cool design on the chain. It looks like a pretty bracelet, not just a medical bracelet.”
When it arrived, the first thing I thought was that the container it came in was a great idea! It is a great place to keep her bracelet if she does have to take it off. Currently, her old bracelet is being stored in it, while she wears her new bracelet. I like that it has the Hope Paige label on the top and it is easily identifiable as a place to hold her bracelet. No throwing it on her dresser, on a counter, etc. She knows to put it in the container, if she does take it off, which is rare, and it has a secure lid, so it won’t get lost.
The clasp is a lobster claw, and I had some reservations about it getting caught on clothes, or accidentally opening, however so far, it has not opened up or gotten caught on anything. I am happily surprised. Bean went to gymnastics practice, and she is not allowed to wear her medical bracelet there, and it was so simple to get the clasp open and take off the bracelet, and put it back on when practice was done. I have told her repeatedly that although it is easy to get off, she needs to keep it on and wear it all the time. Her response was, “I know Mom. I don’t want to take it off. It’s pretty!”
The outside plate is not engraved, and just has the medical alert symbol, however the backside that sits against her wrist is engraved, and has 3 lines, with up to 22 characters per line. When looking online, the site does not specify which side of the bracelet would be engraved. I assumed it would be the front, where everyone could see. However, when it arrived, the underside that sits against her wrist was engraved. My husband pointed out, if the front were engraved it would get all scratched up and might be difficult to read, while the underside against her wrist will not.
The backside says:
Severe Peanut Allergy
The most important thing to me is that she is safe, and that she wears her medical alert bracelet. Since she loves this one, I don’t have to argue or discuss why she needs to keep it on. She wants to wear it all the time, rather than she has to wear it, and that gives me peace of mind that she will keep it on.
Hope Paige Medical ID Marketplace offers several options for children, teens, and adults. They even have a design a bracelet options to make your own fashionable medical ID. They also offer Text ID which is a neat idea too! Looking for a discount? Here ya go!
Disclaimer: My daughter was provided a medical alert bracelet, in exchange for our honest opinions of their products. I was not financially compensated in any way. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.
I didn’t teach her that…
I have two girls, and people have always told me that the younger child learns from the older child. I know that is true, because I have seen Bean trying to teach Bubbles the things she is learning in 2nd grade, and getting frustrated, because she is in preschool and just not getting it. I have to remind her, a LOT, that she was little once too, and didn’t know any of these things, but had to learn them as she got older.
Recently, we were at a local event and ran into a friend from Bubble’s preschool. He was eating cotton candy, and asked if she wanted some. She immediately looked at the other mom & said, “I am lactose intolerant.” I have never taught her to tell people. And she can have milk every now and then, and it does not affect her. I found it amazing how she just picked up on it, and did it herself, without having to be told. I am sure it is from hearing me constantly tell Bean to ask if it’s safe, because she has a peanut allergy. Although, I was a little taken back by her telling them that, I was also proud that she took it upon herself to make sure the cotton candy was safe. The other mom told her that the cotton candy did not have any milk in it, and it was safe for her to have. Most children would have just dug right into the cotton candy bag. I guess having an allergic sister has made an impact on her also, and she has learned to be cautious with food also.
Review: Dr. Lucy’s Cookies
**I was provided free product in exchange for my opinions. I was not financially compensated for this review. The opinions here are all my own and have not been swayed by a third-party.**
Who doesn’t love cookies? I know my family does, but I also know that in order to keep them safe having cookies usually means quite a bit of work for me. Not that I mind, of course. But every now and then it would be nice to be able to go to the store and just grab some. That is why I was so happy to find the Dr. Lucy company. This company was started by a mom, who also happens to be an M.D. She is a mom of a child with severe allergies and was always looking for safe foods that tasted great, but had a hard time finding them. So, she created her own! And they have a ton of great bonuses. All her treats are made in their own carefully controlled bakery. They are gluten free peanut free, tree nut free, milk free and egg free. Plus, they test for trace amounts of milk, egg, gluten, peanuts, almond, and hazelnut. I love that they do all this, and I can feel confident that these are going to be safe for my family. And, just when you think that these treats could not get any better, they are also certified vegan and verified non-GMO!
Just waiting to be eaten!
While I was super excited at how allergen free these were, I was a bit skeptical on how they would taste. Based on past experiences, I know that a lot of times things that are so safe are often lacking in flavor. Luckily, I was happy to find out that this was not anywhere near the case!
Cinnamon Thins
The first ones out of the package were the Cinnamon Thins. They were fantastic! Perfectly sized and a great texture! We tried them first with a nice glass of Almond Milk and they held up great for dunking. The kids were very fond of these. I could not believe that these were free of so many allergens with how great they tasted! They had the perfect amount of cinnamon and just the right amount of sweetness. This package definitely did not last long in my house! I will be buying some more of these. These are going to be the perfect thing to use as a base for pies, with no worry! While I have not done it yet, because we ran out of cookies, it is going to be very easy. Toss the cookies in a zip top bag, smash them up ( let the kids help!) and then mix with a bit of melted butter and press into the bottom of your pie pan! Look for a blog post in the near future with the complete recipe.
Ginger Snaps
Next came the Ginger Snap cookies. Here again, I was a little hesitant, not being a huge fan of ginger. Surprisingly thought, they were not at all overbearing, like other ginger items that I have tried. They had a great ginger flavor, and just a bit of an underlying kick to the finish. Nothing spicy, just a nice burst of flavor. My daughter actually preferred these to the cinnamon thins. My son also liked these, but he said the cinnamon ones were better. My husband and I enjoyed these as well. While I am still working on a recipe that incorporates the ginger snaps, my husband gave me a great pairing. He had suggested pairing the ginger snaps with a nice cup of hot herbal tea. I prefer Tulsi tea and so I made a cup last evening. I sat down with my cup of tea and a couple of the ginger snaps. What a great combination! A little dunking into the tea, a little nibble followed by a sip of the tea…anyway I paired them was fantastic. These are a great way to wind down the day!
I would love for you guys to check out this company and see all of the other great products that they offer. I can guarantee that we will be frequent purchasers! Check them out on their website! They are also on Facebook. I would also like to give my personal thanks to Dr. Lucy Gibney for taking on a great project and helping out all of us with allergic children!
Review & Giveaway: Skeeter Snacks (peanut & tree nut free)
Meet Skeeter! He is a cute little squirrel with a nut allergy! Poor Skeeter was feeling left out by his nut loving friends, so he came up with a nut free line of snacks! His snacks were so good, all the other squirrels loved them too. Skeeter Snacks maintains a strict allergen protocol, and all of their products are made in a nut free facility! Their ingredients are carefully selected from suppliers meeting nut free standards. PLUS Skeeter also employs batch testing to further assure that Skeeter Snacks are nut free.
Anyone who has a peanut allergic child knows how difficult it is to find peanut free cookies. My girls love their cookies and milk, and there are so few choices out there that are safe when you have a nut allergy. The makers of Skeeter Snacks deliberately narrowed their focus to peanut and tree nut free snacks so they could make a safe, yummy snack, that is affordable! YES, a specialty cookie that is affordable!
Their cookies come in four varieties – Skeeter Doodle, Golden Oatmeal, Chocolate Chunk, and Chocolate 3. We were able to try all four delicious varieties. To try them for yourself, enter our giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The first one we tried was Skeeter Doodle, which is Skeeter’s version of the Snickerdoodle. They were so good. They had a rich buttery taste with just the right blend of cinnamon and sugar. It was love at first bite. My girls loved them too and gave them two thumbs up!
The next one we tried was the Chocolate Chunk cookies. They were equally as amazing. They had a crunchy outside with a softer inside, and were full of chocolate chunks. Forget those little bitty chips other cookies have. My girls loved these too. These are my younger daughter’s favorite!
Bean then chose the Golden Oatmeal cookies to try next. These oatmeal cookies had a good mixture of oatmeal and raisins. Move over grandma… these are almost as good! My husband loves oatmeal raisin cookies, and he said these were right up there on the top of his list!
We then tried the Chocolate3. It is a chocolate cookie, with chocolate chips, AND chocolate chunks. I took one bite and swore I had died and gone to chocolate heaven. These are a chocolate lovers dream! I have found my all time favorite cookie. My daughter, Bean, also said this cookie was her favorite. Makes a momma proud!
You can check to see if Skeeter Snacks are available near by clicking here and using their store locator. They are also available on Amazon! Yummy snacks delivered right to your door!
The Skeeter Snacks website has a fun “For Kids” section, a “Resources” tab with great resources for peanut or nut allergies, and a “The Nut Problem” tab that discusses peanut and nut allergies.
If Skeeter’s on the package, you will know that the yummy snack inside is totally nut-free and made in a facility that is also totally nut-free! Safe snacks for everyone to enjoy!!
Disclaimer: Skeeter Snacks provided me with a package of each of their cookies, in exchange for my honest opinions of their products. I was not financially compensated in any way. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.
Does your child wear a medical ID?
My daughter, Bean, was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy and mild egg allergy when she was 18 months old. Our allergist told us that she should be wearing a medical alert bracelet. My husband and I discussed it, and decided that it was a good idea. Not only was she very young, and unable to really understand or communicate her allergy, but also these other key reasons…
- In an emergency, when you might not be able to speak for yourself, a medical ID bracelet or necklace speaks for you.
- Symptoms of common ailments can easily be misdiagnosed. Prompt diagnosis is critical to effective treatment. A brief description of vital medical facts engraved on your medical ID ensures appropriate and timely medical care.
- According to a published study, half of all medical errors occur because of mistakes made upon admission or discharge from the hospital. Wearing a medical ID protects against potentially harmful medical errors.
- More than 95 percent of emergency responders look for a medical ID; more than 75 percent check for a medical ID immediately upon assessing the patient. If you`re wearing a medical ID, it won`t be missed.
- Medical IDs alert people to a serious condition and can eliminate trips to the hospital, reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and prevent minor emergencies from becoming major ones. Medical IDs save lives! One day, a medical ID may save you.
I am big on what if-ing everything, and the other things that ran through my mind were, “what if we were in a car accident, and we couldn’t communicate?” “what if she ever got separated from us?” “what if she was not with us and accidentally ingested her allergen and was having trouble breathing and talking?” How would someone know? At least if she had on a medical ID, she could point to it and alert anyone of her allergy. I, personally, feel that anyone with any life threatening allergy, should wear a medical ID. It is a necessity!
So, after scouring the internet, we decided to purchase an allergy bracelet through American Medical ID. The one we purchased was a Stainless Steel Small Classic Bracelet. It offered all the options we wanted, and the price was fantastic. We were able to choose the type of bracelet, type of chain, length of chain, and the type of clasp. We loved that we could have it engraved on both sides with whatever information we wanted, and since it was stainless steel it would stand up to whatever wear and tear Bean put it through. Another huge plus was that she could wear it in the tub, pool, or playing in the water, and it dries quickly and easily.
For Bean’s first bracelet, the front was engraved to say “Allergies: Mild Egg, Severe Peanut, ER: Use Epipen & Call 911”. On the backside, that laid flat against her wrist, we included her name, birth date, and three emergency phone numbers. This backside information is kept hidden unless the bracelet is specifically flipped over to be viewed. Once she outgrew her egg allergy, we got her a new bracelet that said, “Severe Peanut Allergy, In Emergency Use Epipen, Call 911”. American Medical ID is typically running a buy one, get one 50% off special, so we took advantage of it and also purchased her Stainless Steel Classic Red Small Nylon Sportband also.
THEN we found out about her asthma, and how having asthma increases Bean’s chances for an even more severe anaphylactic reaction. The front of her current bracelet is engraved to say “Severe Peanut Allergy & Asthma, Use EpiPen, Call 911”. On the underside, it is engraved with her name, birth date, and three emergency phone numbers.
The backside of the bracelet has a lot of personal information, so I am not including a picture, however I have included a generic version of what is printed on the back. As you can see the front and back have plenty of room for all of your necessary information!
SUSIE Q
DOB: 04/13/13
MOM: 444-555-6666
DAD: 111-222-3333
DR: 222-444-6666
We chose the safety hook clasp. It is wonderful! It does not get snagged on anything or accidentally open up, and it is flat, so it’s comfortable for her to wear on her wrist. We have never lost a bracelet! Also, we leave some of the chain hanging in case of growth spurts, we can just move the clasp down a few links to make it fit her longer.
American Medical ID has several options for bracelets including leather, nylon, sterling silver, silicone, titanium, and gold. They also offer necklaces including charms, pendants, and dog tags. You can choose your chain length, and each item can be personalized with engraving. They also offer USB ID’s! Your most important information can be engraved on the surface, and the rest of your info can be stored on the USB flash drive portable personal health file.
American Medical ID also offers MyIHR. MyIHR allows you to create an Interactive Health Record that will provide emergency personnel with your name, address, emergency contacts, health insurance, conditions, medications, allergies, and more. It is available to Emergency Personnel 24 hours a day, 365 days a year via the website AND telephone.
Check out their website for lots more great things like free medical logs, polishing cloths, magnets, stickers, key chains. They are all under the accessories tab.
Don’t forget to look under their HOT DEALS tab for more great buys! I highly recommend American Medical ID for all of your medical ID needs!
Disclaimer: American Medical ID provided me with a free medical ID bracelet for my daughter, in exchange for my honest opinions of their products. I was not financially compensated in any way. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.
FARE Epipen Medication Bag Winner!
Congratulations Carol N. You are the winner in the FARE Epipen Medication Bag! Please contact me within 24 hours at allergywarriors@yahoo.com with your shipping information. Thank you for entering our giveaway!
Epipen/Medicine Bag Review & Giveaway
In honor of Allergy Awareness week, I want to share with you what we use for my daughter’s Epipen and medications. We purchased it through FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education). If you have never checked out their site, it is full of great allergy info! The bag is small enough it fits in a purse or diaper bag, or can be hooked on a belt loop. It fits EVERYTHING we need to keep my daughter safe, including two Epipens, a bottle of Benadryl, an inhaler, AND her allergyactionform (gread downloadable free form) plus we keep a DVD in there on how to use an Epipen. We keep that in there in case someone does not know how to use an Epipen or needs a refresher course.
This is the best bag, and is the perfect size, AND it’s only $6 through FARE (plus shipping $4.50 for two bags)! We keep one bag for when Bean goes to a friend’s house, sitter, or if we go on a family outing. We have another that Bean takes to school to keep in the nurse’s office. The one for school we wrote her name and “SEVERE PEANUT ALLERGY & ASTHMA” on the front. Her school nurse says she loves that if she ever needs anything for Bean, all she has to do is quickly get out her bag. We have had both bags for 5 years now. It has been all over the place and they are still is in excellent shape.
FARE’s online store is currently not active, because they just revamped their site, however you can view the FARE Order Form and call them to place your order at 800-929-4040.
ORRRR you can win one! Several ways to gain entries to win the fantastic bag.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
**Disclaimer: I was in no way compensated or given anything free in order to do this review. I just think it’s such a great product that I wanted to share it with you. FARE is sending out a free bag to one winner though for the giveaway. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.
Book Review: The Girl Who Cannot Eat Peanut Butter
Having a child with a severe peanut allergy can be difficult and terrifying. I am always afraid that Bean will accidentally eat something containing peanuts, while she is away from my husband or myself. I also worry about what her peanut allergy does to her emotionally. Does she feel different because she has to sit at the peanut free table? Does she feel left out or get teased? I hope not, but you never know what’s going through a child’s mind.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of THE GIRL WHO CANNOT EAT PEANUT BUTTER to review, however the thoughts and opinions posted here are my own, and were in no way influenced.
Book Review: The Princess and the Peanut Allergy
The Princess and the Peanut Allergy is a book written by Wendy McClure. It is a wonderful story of a little girl named Paula who has a peanut allergy. Her best friend, Regina, is having a princess birthday party with a beautiful birthday cake… that contains peanuts. Regina and Paula both get upset and have some hurt feelings at first, but the ending is very sweet and heart warming.
The Princess and the Peanut Allergy is a very cute book with a fairy-tale, birthday party, and princess story line – all a young girls favorite. It has a realistic situation, that any little girl with a peanut allergy could run into.
My daughter, Bean, loved this book!
I asked her for her what she thought about it, and she said, “I like it because I am just like Paula. I couldn’t eat the cake either, and would feel sad too.” She identified with the character and the situation. She liked it so much that she wrote about it in her journal on Friday at school, and her teacher suggested that she read it in front of the entire class on Monday. Friday night my parents kept my girls overnight, so we could go out for our 11th anniversary. She took the book with her and read it to her grandparents too. Then, on Monday she read it to her class. She said she was nervous at first, but then “took a deep breath” and read it. She said everyone clapped, and the teacher allowed the children to ask her some questions about her peanut allergy. A few children did ask questions. I love how this allowed the other children to get a little better understanding about peanut allergies and how very serious they are.
It has colorful, and cute illustrations, and a good story line. The Princess and the Peanut Allergy effectively addresses some of the social issues that children with food allergies face. “You’re not invited to my birthday party,” is the most painful words a young child can hear from a friend. These two girls figure out a way to get past this though. I did find it odd that Paula’s best friend, didn’t know she had a peanut allergy. However, it didn’t seem to make any difference to my daughter. She didn’t question it at all. She liked the book so much that she made a The Princess and the Peanut Allergy book mark!
It can be purchased here online at Amazon.com
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own and my daughters, and were in no way influenced by anyone else.
Allergy Warriors & Gluten Free Living 