Friday, May 24, 2013

A side venture - From Our Home To Yours

Oh, I forgot to mention the other reason for my scarce posts!

I've started making and selling Bandana Bibs using Facebook and Ebay - From Our Home To Yours

Come and check out my bandana bibs - they are great for babies and young children who dribble a lot, especially when they are teething. Or just wear them as an accessory, especially in the cooler months :-)

I'm enjoying the sense of achievement when I can see the product of my efforts. I also love the feel of natural fabrics, so scouring the shops for lovely designs is also a lovely past time. Plus, with two boys, I haven't had the chance to express my own girlyness hiding within... what with lego, transformers and Star Wars ... until now!
 
Love, care and warm wishes, From Our Home To Yours.


Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Allergy Networks - An essential after allergy testing results

I cannot believe that it is already May. When I started writing this blog, I aimed for 2 posts a month. Then it dwindled to 1 post a month after our second son was born. Now, I have not written a post since January this year! If you read that post, you will be happy to know that I am feeling much better about life in general. Our allergies are still with us, but I have been finding new ways of dealing with it, mainly through the internet!

I remember when our first son was diagnosed with anaphylaxis to 8 of the top 9 foods allergens, I was completely dumbfounded. I searched the internet for blogs, for resources, but hardly found any. I thought we were the only ones suffering. That was one of the reasons for starting this blog. Fast forward 3 years, and I am amazed at the number of blogs out there now. When I check the details, many of them have been started in the last 3 years. I recently found a support group on facebook for others suffering from anaphylaxis. Again, this is less than 3 years old. I read quite a few blogs now, written by other food allergy mums and it is encouraging to read about other families going through similar things, and how they handle life in general. Some posts bring smiles, some bring tears, and some bring more questions.
 

One of the best things I've experienced this year is the support I've found in starting up a facebook group for allergy mums in our local area. It all happened by chance. I've been checking out a local facebook group for selling second hand children's items when another mum posted a question about allergies. It was totally unrelated to what the site is for, but suddenly lots of allergy mums came out of the woodwork offering advice and support. Thus, our allergy facebook group started and we continue to get new members each month. It differs from a blog because each person is able to voice their ideas and experience for everyone to read. There is a lot of discussion that goes on, thanks to smart phones, 4G, all the technological stuff! We've even had people put out calls for help when there is a shortage of specialty baby milk formula, and others come to the rescue. What a wonderful community we've created.

Amazing isn't it, how technology has enabled us to reach out and touch the lives of so many more. For me, being able to encourage others who travel a similar road to us with multiple food allergies, brings some meaning and purpose to the path we have had to take.

So if you haven't checked out what is available to help you lately, I'd encourage you to put it on your TO DO list. Facebook, blogs, Pinterest - all full of recipe ideas, other people tackling similar issues, and other people looking to hear from you.