Morton Subotnick’s Pitch Painter iPad App, while being quite a mouthful, is a great app for making music! Designed for preschoolers, it’s perfect for kids with sensory issues too. It works great – Zoe loads it up every chance she gets. This app is written by Morton Subotnick, the author of the acclaimed educational CD ROM series Making Music,

The Good
If your child likes finger painting and other activities that engage sensory input on her fingers, she will love this app. Simply select your instrument set and you’re ready to start tracing musical sounds with your finger. Change up instruments to add more variety – you have your selection of instruments from Europe/N. America, West Africa, the Middle East or Asia. (NOTE: You need to turn off the Multitasking Gestures under General Settings for best results.) The kids were totally engaged with creating swirling lines and building little music pieces. When done, they can play it straight forward, or pick one of the animals in the left column to play it in reverse or upside down. They can use the eraser to “scrub” out certain lines of sound, and they can add more “lines” of music as they go.

The Bad
I had NO problem with it, but apparently my husband has delicate ears, as he couldn’t take the sound of an “untrained” instrument. So I guess the kids ever learning to play music is out of the question, lol!

Overall Opinion
What a great app for making music and getting in creative drawing skills! Fun, easy, and the kids took to it right away. The Pitch Painter App is available for iOS 5 for $3.99.

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May is Celiac Awareness Month, and as someone who’s been raising gluten-free kids for two years, I can tell you that it’s not easy! Now my children do not have celiac disease, but they do have food sensitivities, and  I can absolutely tell when they have been cross-contaminated! I have 3 friends in a very small church group that I’m in all who all suffer gluten intolerances. Said one, “I just thought that was the price to pay for eating pasta! I thought it was normal.”

Gastrointestinal reactions to pasta and bread are not normal. If you suspect you have Celiac disease or issues with glutens, here are 8 little known facts about the gluten-free life and Celiac disease in general:

1. Celiac disease is not considered a disability.

In 2009, the Americans with Disabilities Act expanded to cover issues such as eating and major bodily functions, and from my friends, I have seen how debilitating unintentionally digested gluten can be. Now, does that mean every workplace, school and public arena must offer gluten-free food? I wish it did, but sadly, that’s not what the law covers but if you are willing to wage the fight, at least the ADA is supportive.  It DOES protect you, however, from being fired due to a disability, so I hope this would cover regular issues of illness brought about by Celiac disease. About.com covers this issue in depth: “Does the Americans with Disabilities Act cover people with Celiac Disease?“

2. The only way to detect Celiac disease and gluten intolerances is with a biopsy.

For an official diagnosis, you need a blood test, then to convince your doctor for the biopsy, and then the costs and difficulty associated with that. A better route is to drop all gluten with a true elimination diet and see if you feel better, if your stools are different, if you have more gastrointestinal comfort. Be careful though – it’s tricky to get to 100% gluten-free, especially if you eat out or eat packaged foods! Then you can go to your doctor and convince him of the benefit of a test, based on your physical results.

3. There is no cure for Celiac disease.

I was shocked to discover they are developing drugs and vaccines for Celiac disease. There is a cure: stop eating glutens! It’s NOT the easy, fast, convenient symptom relief that we Americans consider a “cure,” but it’s absolutely doable. For me, it’s common sense: if your body rejects glutens, listen to your body and don’t give it any…rather than looking for a fast fix-it so you can eat anything in comfort.

These are delicious. It’s easy to be gluten-free with Udi’s.

4. Cross-contamination is not a big deal.

That depends. As of 2009, at least, gluten ratios below 20ppm was FDA regulation required for the gluten-free designation, and some people are fine with that. In this house, when the girls get glutens in their diet, by accident or when I’m laxed, I can tell. Zoe, who now is enjoying solid poops thanks to  homeopathy, will get a nasty case of the runs, and both girls will have negative behaviors off the charts. Remember, we don’t give them ANY glutens, so we know for sure that this comes about with a new product or restaurant that is laxed about cross-contamination. Udi’s makes and bakes all their baked good in a 100% dedicated gluten-free facility. Their products test at 10ppm, and they just passed their gluten inspection again, ensuring they are certified GF! My girls seem to have zero reactions with Udi’s so I suspect that is a safe limit for them.

5. If you go gluten-free, you won’t get enough fiber, grains and nutrients.

I just read that it’s dangerous to go gluten-free. This is hogwash, as far as I’m concerned. There is nothing you can get from a healthy loaf of grain-filled bread that you can’t get from gluten-free ancient grains or fiber-filled vegetables. The reality is that most of the bread and pasta products Americans eat have more in common with big fat slices of sugar-laden, butter-dripped cake than healthy fiber. Dropping glutens allows you to focus on healthy sources of fiber.

6. Being 100% gluten-free is impossible.

Being gluten-free is difficult, true, but it’s not impossible. You need to drop back going to restaurants, which frequently suffer cross-contamination, and cook more. Sandwiches can be tricky, but of course, you can always buy Udi’s Sandwich Bread. Try switching your entire family to gluten-free, or buy two toasters and store your gluten products away from the kitchen. It does mean you have to pick up and read labels all the time. One thing I love about Udi’s products is that it tells you right on the front label what allergens the product is free of – almost all are gluten-free, but some are also dairy- and soy-free.

Dairy, Soy & Nut Free, plus Gluten Free, all right on the label.

7. It’s not natural to be gluten-free.

Actually, our bodies DO NOT produce the enzyme to break down glutens, and this is the trouble for people with Celiac disease and food sensitivities. It’s probably more natural not to be eating glutens in the first place, despite how long farming has been around. That said, I believe the the increase in gluten-sensitivity disorders is likely related to how we are farming nowadays, such as unsafe GMO’s in foods. I was excited to learn that Udi’s products are verified non-GMO (yay!) and they are working towards non-GMO Project certification on many of their items. As you can see from the top photo, they’ve already received it on their granola bars and clusters.

8. Gluten-free cooking and eating tastes terrible.

No way! It takes some doing, but gluten-free cooking is a skill like any other, and you can make anything from delicious muffins to meatballs. That’s why we buy Udi’s gluten-free products when we are in the mood for a snack. I’ve loved everything I’ve tried by them, and the kids love the breads, bagels, cookies, granola, and muffins-quite a long list for my kids to like of any one brand! Cooking three meals a day for the kids and myself is time-consuming and tiring. Udi’s is a huge help when do give our kids treats, and they are a brand that is tasty and which I trust. 

Thanks, Udi’s, for making living with food sensitivities a breeze!

Products were received in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

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I HAVE BEEN THERE. IEP meeting day used to bring nothing but anger and tears, and left me feeling like my kids were not getting the quality education they deserved as Americans. I won’t say luck (or blessing) didn’t play into it, but I no longer struggle like this. Part of this is due to the school and dedication of the teachers, but even here, there have been hiccups and I’ve needed to fight at times. I’m sharing what I’ve done to get the best chances of an IEP meeting that serves my child.

1. Do Your Research
   For children with special needs, the ADA and IDEA exist to protect the rights of people with disabilities – and that includes your children. For example, did you know that kids with Celiac Disease are protected under the ADA? Even if your child has not (or not yet) been diagnosed with a disability that provides them services, you should research what provisions can be made for your child’s needs. What has been done for other students in the area in the past, even if in a different school, and what can be done now? A great resource is the Wright’s Law website.
2. Hire An Advocate
   If your research has hit a wall, or your child has not been diagnosed as you believe he or she should be, or you in any way feel that you are missing something, it’s time to enlist an advocate. I don’t know if they are free in all areas, but here, we have advocacy services through the local ARC of Lehigh Valley. Find a provider like this or one that caters to any diagnosis your child might have. Meet with them – even if via phone – and ask them plenty of questions. Enlist them to come to your IEP. Advocates are amazing people – ours have dropped things in a moment’s notice to stand up for my kids’ right. JUST their presence in the room changes the entire dynamic of a meeting. While I always recommend never going to an IEP meeting alone if things are rocky, having an informed professional is your best option.
3. Know The School’s Limitations
   Budget cuts REALLY SUCK and they are deep and painful right now in PA. (PA people, remember to vote for governor next year!) There is only so much a teacher can do when aides and paraprofessionals are limited, class sizes are out of control, and teachers are laid off time and again. Add the complex issue of state testing and the disastrous No Child Left Behind that cuts schools that can’t possibly perform well, and you see the problem. I’ve heard teachers I know and care about tell horror stories that make my hair stand on end. They are being asked to do things that no human being can possibly achieve, for ridiculously low amounts of pay, and frankly, I’m surprised more of them haven’t quit. (This goes to show the depth of passion most teachers have for building the minds and character of our kids.) Please be sympathetic to this – and educated where your school lies in this wreckage of public education. You may be asking for the impossible, so stick to what you honestly think can be done better when making requests.
4. Be Involved
   Yea, I know…how dare I ask parents of kids with disabilities to be more involved. Between paperwork, doc appointments, therapists, meds/supps, special diets, money, work, and more, how on earth can you be more involved? I get it. Sometimes, though, this gig of parenting doesn’t just call for “hard choices,” it calls for impossible ones. You need to balance out EVERYTHING in your life versus what is best for your child and that includes his future. It’s not going to be easy, but if you are not very involved and don’t know what’s going on in the school day-to-day for your child, you can’t effectively advocate for him. And the truth is, parents, no matter how top-flight your advocate is, the BEST advocate for any child is their parent (or caretaker). Look at that work schedule and seriously consider ways in which you can find time to be more involved.
5. Figure Out YOUR Goals and How They Can Be Implemented
   You have goals for your child, you know you do. It may be that she will have a job one day, or go to college, or to live in a group home, or just learn how to keep herself safe. Depending on your child’s abilities and limitations, you may not know what will happen in adulthood but you do have a slim to firm grasp of where she can land in 1, or 2, or 5 years. Take those and run with them! What great thing did the teacher say about your kid that you’d like to be built upon? What’s gnawing at you that didn’t work? For example, today we discussed Spanish, something Amelia is not good at and doesn’t like – and I honestly don’t think she has a clue what it’s all about. She’d be better spending that time mastering her first language, or learning about Spanish culture and why people even speak other languages. I brought that up, and we made the change, which is more practical for her, and will make a smoother school day for her next year. If you are an involved parent, the teachers & staff will know and respect this, and be open to suggestions, especially if they make sense within the structure of the school. Remember, they want a smoother school day for your child too – it makes it easier on them.
6. Be Calm
   If you show up to the IEP meeting expecting the worse, out of breath, angry or anxious, with little sleep and no breakfast, you’ve already set the tableau for how it’s going to go. You don’t have to go in with “this time will be different,” but stop expecting “The Worst” before you even get out of the car. Make sure you have had a nutritious meal, try to sleep well the night before, calm yourself with soothing music, prayer, or deep breathing beforehand. Showing up frazzled helps no one – the staff will take one look at you and be defensive.
7. Know When to Cut and Run
   Maybe each and every time you go to an IEP meeting, there’s a voice inside telling you this will never, ever fit your child. Maybe the staff has NOTHING good to say about your child, and they scramble to even write down one “strength” on your child’s IEP. When that happens, it’s time to rethink it all. Maybe they will be served better by a charter school, a private school, a school for special needs, a cyberschool, homeschooling, or a homeschool co-op, full inclusion, less inclusion, etc. We live in a day and age when the options for children with special needs are bigger and more diverse than ever. Or maybe, you find a temporary solution until something better comes in. I have a friend who has a child with Down syndrome and another gifted child, who both struggled after a relocation. They were not served well at all by the school system and the family chose to homeschool for one year, while other options were explored for the following year. A difficult but temporary measure, this decision is not for everyone, but you need to honestly lay your cards on the table and figure out what is best for your kid.

I hope these ideas help you. Remember that the bottom line is NOT your pride, your feelings, or your anger. It’s is getting the bulk of your child’s week – school is what, 30+ hours? – in line with something productive for your child that will grow him or her into a better adult. NOTHING else is at stake. So check your feelings at the door, stride in with confidence, and do the best you can for the one of the people you love the most.

Image courtesy of girl courtesy stockimages / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Amelia enjoys Hawk Mountain on a field trip. I love this image!

Success:

At the teacher’s conference, I found out that the kids did a great job this year, but I was heartened to hear that Zoe is not just a great kid, she’s also a good friend and learning to have a heart of compassion. She was on the monkey bars one day when her best buddy in her class fell off. She jumped off the bars, ran over to where a crowd was gathering around the boy, pushed her little body through to get to her friend, then touched his face and asked, “Are you ok?”

See? Seeds of compassion laying in her heart, and I do believe that even though it’s only for a friend at this point, it’s laying down bigger roots than that.

The Learning:

(I’m NOT going to call them failures!) Either from me being more laxed with the diet, or additional rewind from the ongoing homeopathy, or some combination of the two Zoe appears to be having more behavior symptoms. Hard to explain, precisely. She’s pretty good at school, but more light meltdowns, stimming, in her own world..that kind of thing. I’m worried if I call it “autism behaviors” someone will call me prejudice, but to be honest, that’s what they are. And I’m not prejudice, it’s just that I’ve already seen with my own eyes that she doesn’t need to resort to those, because I truly feel that expressing in this manner means she’s lost the way to express whatever pain, discomfort, or disillusionment she’s feeling. On the other hand, we are back to permanent solid stools, pre-potty training readiness, and while she still doesn’t want to go to sleep, a return to sleeping through the night. As for me, now that summer camp is approaching, I have to get her completely off the bad food stuff. I’d like to find, for example, an affordable substitute for juice in a packet, but that’s been elusive. (Please share if you have ideas!)

With summer approaching, I still have to find a course of action for potty training. Good luck with that!

Amelia seems pretty status quo. Typical temperament and some tooth issues, but still fairly well behaved with some flare ups. Whether that is caused by tween-hormone stuff or whatever’s going on with her remains to be seen. Round 2 of remedies arrived this weekend, we’ll see how that goes.

The Sorrow, Curing Autism & No Time for Regrets:

If you follow me on Facebook, you’ll know that another child died this week who had autism, who wandered and who drowned.  Two children in 7 days from the exact same problem, exactly caused by their disability. Yes, yes, yes, autism is a disability. It’s an imbalance in brain chemistry and other small scale issues that cause the brain to function improperly. If you’ve seen someone who’s conquered it by healing, then you know that it’s curable. I’m sick and tired of dancing around this issue, and sick and tired of being all PC and calling this silent killer of children a good thing. Agree, disagree, I don’t care. I won’t stop remedies and healing and strict diets and therapies until my daughter is safe, and that means curing autism.

I’ve prayed for those families, and mourned those children, but I firmly believe they are in heaven and will suffer no more.  We need to keep our children safe – ALL of them, because they all have value, whether or not they can talk, or walk, whether they stim or not, whether they are healthy or sick, whether they will  intellectually grow to adult hood or remain a child or toddler all the days of their life. They deserve no less from us, the caretakers (we are, whether or not we have children).

Finally, the lesson for me this week, and it’s been show to me time and time again, is be grateful in the moment, right now, for what you have. Enjoy your family. Hold your children tightly. Love your spouse extravagantly. Be with your friends, whatever state they are in. Make peace with your family, forgive your enemies, and stop shouting at everyone. Agree to disagree and move on. Revel in the sunshine, drink in the moonlight, dance in the rain. Thank God profusely. Live, people, so you have nothing to regret when the crud hits the fan, as it surely will sooner or later.

Her favorite shirt. It took a long, LONG time for her to have one

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So this is a constant thing in my posts: failing & flailing.

Ugh.

I am not eating right, drinking right, too much coffee, not sleeping right or enough, sore, in pain, crampy..

OK, I didn’t mean to write a list of complaints, I’m sorry! The deal is I’m just completely overwhelmed. I have no idea how to get from here (feeling like crap) to there (fit and feeling good) with my schedule, and I’m very much burnt out. Thing is, I suspect it will be a few weeks until I adjust to my new workload, figure out the kids’ summer, and still I have yet to discover what Chris’ schedule and availability will be.

So it’s not getting better any time soon

That said, I’ve got too much on my plate. I had planned to eat right, but had a bagel for breakfast (I have to scarf through the goodies I got for a campaign.) Then 2 cups of coffee (with milk & xylitol) because I was THAT tired. Then hubby came home with Dunkin Donuts, and I inhaled one so fast that HE freaked out.

Never EVER tell your husband you have donut coupons or you will find yourself inhaling these in a moment of weakness.

I never EVER do that.

So, yea, I got a little bit of stress (by which I mean, a ton of it). I hear you when you say exercise will help, but I’ve got my mind set that sleep will help more.

Anyway, tomorrow’s another day.  I’d say in a week or two, I will hopefully be in a good rhythm, and yes, just in time for vacation and school’s out.

Oh. Well. Anyway, the lesson for this week has been: be thankful for what you have. And while I’m not in good shape, I’m not obese, and my jeans still fit even if they’re kind of painfully tight this morning. Kids are good, and husband is no longer infected with the awful virus he had this weekend, so that’s a relief. And despite the IEP and summer paperwork, this week is sandwiched between 2 respite cares, and a new sitter starts next weekend. That’s a big yay, and somewhere between here & there, I’ll get the food thing down.

Peace to you all..have a better Monday than me!

Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane  / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Well, in a week full of crummy news, an online friend lost her husband to cancer, and I found out that my dear friend Katrina lost one of her few local writer pals in a battle with cancer.

There is no other way to put it: cancer sucks.

I know a few survivors, but nothing hit harder for me than watching my Aunt Ro die when I was 20.  She was such a lovely woman. She had no kids of her own, and married a man who had 3 older sons, but she always wanted a daughter.  For various & sundry reasons, we only visited them annually and she doted on me when we did. I was in her wedding when I was 5, though my memory of that is long gone.

Aunt Ro was Dad’s only sibling and I wish I had had the courage to be closer. I was afraid of her husband and uncomfortable with the boys, so despite the fact that I would have loved to visit her, I didn’t. When we came to see her in the hospital that last time, the frail woman with the short, white hair was not someone I recognized. My aunt was vibrant, busy, well-coiffed, alway beautifully dressed and made up, not flashy, just reserved and attractive. She had a deep smile and always wore long sleeves to hide the blown up arm she had from chemo for as long as I can remember.

My regret is that I didn’t take the chance when she was alive.  My friend, too, has similar regrets. If you love someone with cancer -be they in the hospital, in remission, or somewhere in between- get over yourself, make the choice, and get off your butt and visit them. Build your friendship and show you are there for them.  There no time for regrets when they are gone, and cancer can strike any time.

The American Cancer Society is celebrating it’s 100th birthday on May 22nd. While I honestly believe that a nontoxic life with optimized nutrition can reduce your chances of cancer, I also know that the survivors I’m friends with are here because of the work of The American Cancer Society. Since their existence, there has been a 20% decline in U.S. cancer deaths since the early 1990s, and they helped lead the charge to reduce smoking – which has declined by 50% since the ’60s. (You DID see that episode of  Mad Men, didn’t you?)

The American Cancer Society continues to fund lifesaving research and is now creating a new study to understand and prevent cancer. They are hoping to enroll a diverse selection of 300,000 adults to fuel this study. They also support people with cancer with resources, information, transportation, and a free place to stay.

Let’s make this happen:

I invite you: if you’ve lost someone you love to cancer, honor them by sharing what was so great in the comments.

This post is sponsored by the American Cancer Society. All thoughts & opinions are my own but I wanted to share my story as part of the American Cancer Society’s 100th Birthday Celebration.

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This is a common tragedy, sadly, for parents of children with autism. Mikaela was severely developmentally disabled, having the cognitive ability of a one year old, and was alone with her brother who was, I believe, younger. He went inside the house and she left the yard.

It only took a short time from the  news of her death for an accusatory piece written by someone who has CLEARLY never raised a child with a disability or autism, nastily scolding the parents for their culpability AND the rest of ur parents who best do our duty so as not have “missing kids”.

To the writer of that piece, I’m not linking your article because you obviously made to publish it as SOON AS YOU COULD for attention, traffic, and shock value.  Instead, I’m going to give you a lesson on what it’s like to raise a child with autism, elopement issues and a developmental disability.

My Typical Day, 4 Years Ago
You wake up.   You wonder, FIRST THING, if she’s still in her room. Sure, you’ve put up a gate, but she mastered climbing over that a month after you got it so you scramble out of bed and sigh with relief that she’s still in bed.

You get your children ready for school, and peek out to see the school van is there to pick them up.  You grab child #1, while the cat you want to keep in runs out, and you have a momentary sh** pickle wondering where the HELL YOUR KID IS. Oh, ok, she’s right there, in the back of the playroom buried in toys.

You buckle her into the van and pray for the next 6 hours solid that no one will EVER TAKE THEIR EYES OFF HER AT SCHOOL. She could become one of those missing kids while you’re not looking. You jump every time the phone rings, and at 3:30, she returns home safely. You Thank The Lord.  You get the kids in but the bus driver still has her thermos and you turn…OH CRAP WHERE DID SHE RUN TO?  Oh, wait, there she is in the bushes. Whew!  You bring her inside.

It’s a lovely day, but you don’t ever use your backyard, because you are terrified that your kids will run in opposite directions and it’ll be the one day someone drives doing 50 down the road behind your house. Or she’ll fall into the 9′ deep stone-lined easement behind your house.  So you pump up the AC and make them play until you can’t take them begging anymore and put on a movie.

You’ve got the house locked up like Fort Knox so you decide to tackle the washing, again cursing yourself for being so stupid as to buy as house with an upstairs laundry room. You come down after 15 frantic minutes of shuffling dirty and clean clothes and do a head count.  One.  Crap. You have 2 kids… WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?  Check the door – maybe the alarm is off?  You call and call and call.  You ask your other child if she’s seen her – she has no idea.  You start The Hunt.

The Hunt can be over in 5 minutes or it can last a full 20 minutes. Your fear is that she got out by some trick of the door or window alarms not sounding, or she’s in the house and has somehow suffocated or drowned or electrocuted or swallowed glass in your COMPLETELY baby-proofed-still home, that’s not even remotely baby-proof for a child who can walk, climb, and drag furniture. Your fears continue to mount – crap, if only she’d answer! she’d answer, even if she’s nonverbal, if she knew how frantic I was! right?  – your voice pitches higher & higher.  Your heart is in your throat, racing, and your stomach feels like it’s encased in ice, and you’re sure she’s hurt, and Oh God WHERE IS SHE!?? Then you pull open the linen closet door and she’s curled up on a shelf, sucking her thumb, smiling at you.  You wonder why you ever thought a linen closet was a “good” idea.

Your husband comes home in the midst of this and rolls his eyes at you.

You pass the “watcher” reigns on to him as you cook, clean, get ready for tomorrow, and put the kids to bed.  You relax for a bit, then go to bed.  You’re just drifting off when you hear a thud.  You realize it’s the middle of the night, husband is snoring, and you run like hell into the hall to see if she’s made it down the stairs yet.  She’s outside her bedroom door, deciding where to go.

You tuck her in between you and your husband, who grumbles, and spend half the night getting kicked and the other half reaching over making sure she’s still there until husband decides he’s had and puts a sleeping child back in her bed…round about dawn.

You drift off just as the alarm goes off, and start it all over again.

Things Are Better Today
This is not our life today, and I share it not to complain or fuss, or sensationalize, or get readership. It’s merely to inform people what it’s like. None of the above is exaggeration; this was YEARS AND YEARS of our life.  I kid you not, after we did lose Zoe once, day and night was like this. And we did EVERYTHING RIGHT when she snuck out of our resort condo at age 3, it’s just that we didn’t go over the top – so we changed that.

It’s been years of peeing with the door open, listening to every peep and twice as hard to silence, and a hot, stuffy indoor life. At 7, she is far more mature, and rarely runs…sometimes she gets distracted and will wander. We got the fence and go out now, however, Zoe can now reach the bolts and slide locks so that alarm better not ever die. This is not something that we’ve ever gone through with Amelia, so I blame autism, thank you very much.

Did the Lynch’s make a mistake? Maybe.  Or maybe they went to the bathroom, or slammed a toe in a door, or found something broken that needed to be cleaned right away.  It takes an instant, and if she was like my kid, she was FAST.  No attention-seeking “journalist” can ever make those parents feel worse than they do right now, but thanks, lady, for giving it your best shot. I’ll remember that fact-packed article about how not to be a negligent autism mama when I hear what sounds like a lock  opening in the middle of the night. I’m sure it will help.

Meanwhile, please pray for the Lynch family and all the missing kids who can’t help themselves, and if you can, donate to charities that use the money to help families like ours, like TACA and NAA.

More Information
The NAA has ALSO weighed in on this terrible article (and also graciously did not provide a link).  Read:

The Wrong Questions are Beng Asked About Mikaela Lynch

The post Farewell, Mikaela Lynch – Missing Kids & the Peril of Autism appeared first on Mom-Blog.

Beauty helping to save the environment and made in America? What could be better?  And what fun it would be meeting for drinks on Girls Night Out, trying to figure out which ad campaign is on YOUR purse!

The look and style of this bag is gorgeous and it’s sizable enough to fit all your stuff, and it’s  wonderfully unique piece to have in your collection.  I’d want to use this bag for every night out!

This product is endorsed by the USA Love List, a site whose mission is to share the best in American-made products.  Check them out too, and help support our economy.

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In fact, it’s directly changed every single item that lines my pantry and fridge.

About 2 years ago, we started on this so-called “autism diet” journey.  I hate calling it that, because I only have one child with autism and yet we nearly all eat like this.  To start, it’s simple: first remove caseins, which pretty much means any and all dairy products, then glutens, then soy, then anything else you think affect your kids.  We just thought it would be easier to put both children on the diet, even though Amelia does not have autism.

We did that, and within a week or two, Zoe, who at age 5 had not slept through a solid night since birth, was peacefully sleeping 8 or more hours in a row.  And bonus: my OTHER daughter’s focus, attention, and academic success improved. I know this because about 3 or so weeks later, I started getting comments like, “Wow! Amelia’s doing better than ever on (INSERT SKILL HERE)” from her teachers, without any prompting or questions from me.

Eventually we removed gluten, and it’s taken years to refine that removal.  We experimented with different things like low phenols or Failsafe Diet.  We removed toxic cookware & containers.  We switched to ONLY organic meat.  We dropped MSG, GMOs, corn, soy, dyes, preservatives, sugar, we nearly eliminated rice.  We changed brands and eventually dropped just about everything that comes in a package except bread and the occasion bags of chips or cookies.  I switched to coconut oil for 90% of my cooking, sunflower oil  for most else, and occasionally use olive oil. I baked a ton, and then less, and then more again, experimenting with everything from gluten-free flour to coconut flour.  We permanently switched from peanut butter to sunbutter.

AND we did almost all of this for the kids exclusively, focusing on making the “autism diet” part of our life.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the kitchen, lol…

I can’t eat things that I used to anymore. It’s not just that soda tastes weird now, it actually tastes like poison. Chinese food?  Ugh.  My husband brought me home a burger against my wishes last week from a fast food change that features a clown, it tasted and felt like LEAD.  My water is now flouridated and tastes horrible. I can tell when the meat’s not organic and grass fed, and it sucks.  Deep frying gives me the willies – this from the girl who adores fried mushrooms in horseradish.  It would probably make me sick now.

Last week, I tried a slice of deli cheese. I ALMOST BARFED.  I was shocked that I can’t even eat that anymore.

Far from upsetting me, though, I feel like I’ve finally reached a “good place to be.”  At the ripe old age of 47, I’ve discovered healthy eating, thanks to the autism diet.  I don’t always buy organic produce, but I take what I do know and avoid the worst of the worst while still getting my fruits and veggies in daily, if possible.  I’ve officially divorced pizza, and yes, it was exactly like a bad break up. I actually feel bad if I haven’t done my fruits and veggies, and drinking water is something I’m trying to increase.

So a great big thank to you my children, for your food sensitivities have made me a champion of healthy, clean food, and that has slimmed me, made me feel better, boosted my energy, regulated my body, and sharpened my brain. Not only THAT, but I’m far more schooled in what’s healthy, how my body works and processes things, and which nutrients and food choices trump others.

And best of all, know what I learned? That food that is GOOD for you really tastes good. The closer to nature you can get it, the better it feels, the more savory it is, the nicer it cooks. Yes, it’s more difficult to find and getting these foods at a good price is a challenge – but a worthy one that made me feel good when I realized that cooking more cuts your budget by quite a lot! I wouldn’t go back for the world, and I honestly believe that eating like this will reduce my chances of getting a nasty disease or aging ungraciously.

Thanks, girls, you’ve made me smarter!

Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The post What My Kids – and The Autism Diet – Have Taught Me About Eating Well appeared first on Mom-Blog.

Tomato Bacon Chicken with Gluten Free Pasta, adapted from recipe on Viviana’s Blog

Taste
This pasta is delicious!  When you are cooking gluten-free, you know it is very difficult to find pasta that tastes right, or that you don’t have to fuss over.  Actually, the first batch I made I served straight out of the colander…I didn’t see the instruction to rinse, and it was perfect!  As if that weren’t enough, my  husband, who to date has rejected ALL gluten-free pastas, told me he really liked this one. Score!

It’s a bonus too that Viviana’s gluten free pasta come in flavors, in addition to plain.  Our sample was Garlic Toasted Onion, a true comfort food flavor, but I’d be excited to try Lemon Garlic Orzo, Wild Mushroom Linguini, or Sweet Potato Fettuccine!

Quality
Obviously, this pasta is high quality, you can tell by the taste and the ease  of cooking it.  They use a completely gluten-free facility, as well as dairy, nut, and soy-free, meaning no cross-contamination is possible.  They state they are gluten-free certified with the Gluten Intolerance Group as of October, 2012 after testing below 5ppm.

Nutrition
Garlic Toasted Onion Fettuccine ingredients are white & brown rice flour, eggs (whole & whites), xantham gum, garlic, onion, and olive oil.  Rich and filling, a serving has around 183 calories and 63 g of sodium, so keep that in mind while cooking!

Overall Opinion
Amazing gluten free pasta priced at $7.99 for an 8 ounce bag (4 servings), this pasta is worthy to be sold in Whole Market or Whole Foods, which I hope is in the works!  I didn’t see any local place to buy as of yet, but   Right now, check out their blog, they are offering free shipping for the month of May, 2013, in honor of Celiac Awareness Month.

Recipe
This recipe from Viviana blog was easy.  My adaptation was to saute nitrate-free turkey bacon & chicken in olive oil in my cast iron pan.  Once chicken was browned, I added campari tomatoes and water, and simmered until cooked, season with sea salt to taste, then served over the Viviana gluten free pasta.  You can add balsamic vinegar too but I forgot!  Delish

I received a package of pasta to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

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