Field Trip to a Diary Farm

Today was a field trip to a dairy farm, with my dairy and egg allergic child....

I had asked his teacher if I could come along, not as a chaperon but as Nathan's mom/nurse to protect him from allergens at the farm.

I followed the bus to the farm and met up with Nathan, glad I did because his teacher wasn't there and there was a substitute, not sure how much she knew about Nathan's allergies.  We went on a tractor ride, walked by pigs, cows, went into a few barns, played in the hay (aaaaachhhhoooooo) pet the sheep, goats and went to see where the chickens laid eggs. It was a good thing I was there, Nathan's asthma started up after he was near the chickens and all the eggs (I knew this would probably happen because the same thing happened when we colored Easter eggs).  Every time he touched an animal I wiped his hands with wipes.

Lunch time started out fine, Nathan, a friend of his (who didn't have peanut butter) and I sat at a picnic table together. Then another class was coming to eat and then wanted us all to sit together. I had to speak up. I said "he needs a peanut-free table". They all were very understanding. I noticed that the substitute teacher pulled out a can of wipes after the children ate - props to her!!!

It was beautiful weather, glad I was able to go and he loved having me on his field trip.

Back to School Allergy Tips

As soon as back to school started, so did the colds and allergies. Fall is the time of year when most suffer from some kind of seasonal allergy or cold.
I have put together some tips for the season that has helped us with our seasonal allergies and I hope it helps you too.

1. Be sure to have Children's Claritin, the #1 pediatrician-recommended non-drowsy allergy brand, on hand!
2. Multi-vitamins are building blocks to having a strong immune system. Make taking a multi-vitamin part of your child's daily routine.
3. Let there be light! Mold doesn't like sunlight, so try to keep your curtains open during the day. Should be easy during the summer months!
4. Did you know that most pillows trap allergens, dust mites, and bacteria? Monitor the cleanliness of the pillow your child with allergies sleeps on and replace if necessary.
5. Back to school season means lots of laundry for many moms. Be sure to remove laundry from the washing machine promptly. Allowing wet clothes to sit in the washer means mold can quickly grow there.
6. Monitor pollen counts and adjust outdoor before and after school activities accordingly. Dry, windy days can be particularly high in pollen.
7. Showering or bathing at the end of the day as opposed to the morning can be helpful in removing allergens from body surfaces and hair.
8. Stay hydrated! Always send your child to school with a bottle of water. Drinking lots of clear fluids through the day can help get rid of toxins and flush out body.
9. Peak pollen production typically occurs in early morning, so try to plan outside activities at other times of the day.

Back to school also means creating fun and exciting lunch ideas. My son has so many food allergies, I make his lunch daily. I feel like I always send the same kind of lunches everyday but this year I am getting creative.

My Three Lunch Ideas:

1. Chicken Kabobs: pieces of cold chicken breasts, cold gluten free noodles, black olives and cucumbers. Layer on a stick. I also added a side of BBQ sauce for dipping.
2. Pasta Salad: cold pepperoni, gluten free noodles and veggies with a drizzle of Italian dressing.
3. Breakfast for Lunch: I put a waffle in his thermos and added some sausage and bacon with a side of fruit salad.

Hope some of these tips can be helpful to you during this Back to School and Allergy Season.


As a member of the Children's Claritin Mom Crew, I receive product samples and promotional items to share and use as I see fit. No monetary compensation has taken place and any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience.

Candy Corn with Peanuts

When I was at Target, I noticed that Brach's is now making a Candy Corn with Peanuts. These candies are so sweet and are pretty much pure sugar, I don't buy them.

I know the labels says it was manufactured in a facility where tree nuts were used but they now contain peanuts. Just be aware and remember to read ingredients.

Talking Epinephrine Auto-Injector - Auvi-Q

Auvi-Q is the first Epinephrine Auto Injector that talks you through the injection process.

I picked up a demo Auvi-Q at the FARE allergy walk back in June, it talks you through the steps on how to inject the Epinephrine, it evens counts the seconds and lets you know when the injection is complete - I know in a emergency that is VERY important.

The Auvi-Q is smaller then most smartphones so you can carry it in your back pocket.

The Auvi-Q is much shorter then a Sharpie marker.

Family and friends who haven't been trained on how to use an Epinephrine Auto-Injector will be able use this and just may save a life.

Through December 31st, 2013 you can get the Auvi-Q Talking Epinephrine Auto-Injector for $0 Co-Pay.

Visit http://www.auvi-q.com/ for more details.

I did not receive compensation or free products for this post. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Vote for Play

Today we had a play date at a playground near our house, the kids ran around and played for hours - in fact we couldn't get them to leave. 

Creative play can make kids happy and healthy but some kids don't get enough outside time or playtime. That is why Children’s Claritin, the #1 pediatrician-recommended non-drowsy allergy brand, is teaming up with the national nonprofit KaBOOM! to help bring innovative play spaces to schools in need.  Imagination Playground™ is a collection of specially-designed over-sized foam blocks that promote creativity, communication and collaboration in play. By interconnecting the components, children are able to build and rebuild their play spaces with each visit fostering creativity and critical-thinking skills.

I feel good about the park by our house, there is a sign posted in on the playground that reads: No food or drink allowed. I know not everyone follows the rules but for the most part they do - and I can feel safe that Nathan isn't exposed to food allergens. Also we take Children's Claritin, for environmental allergy relief, so Nathan can enjoy playing outdoors without the annoying allergy symptoms. 

Visit http://Facebook.com/Claritin between 8/1 – 10/31 to cast your vote for one of 12 finalist schools in need. Together, we’ll raise awareness about the importance of outdoor play for kids and increase quality play opportunities.

Puffs Fresh Faces

New Puff Fresh Faces are moist saline tissue for adults. They are similar to Boogie Wipes (made by the same company) for kids, but these are made just for teens and adults.  Puff Fresh Faces are great for after a workout, refreshing your face after a long workout, removing make-up or just when you have a mucus filled nose caused by allergies, the flu and colds.

Puff Fresh Faces are offered in a variety of scents: Fragrance Free, a touch of Vicks, Fresh Scent and a Light Lavender. 15 count packs are $1.99 and 45 count packs for $4.99

For more information visit Puff Fresh Faces.

For a $2 off coupon to redeem at Target go here.

I  received the products mentioned above for free from the blogger ambassador program I am in. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Book Review: Freddy meets Ginger - The fox who was allergic to eggs

I had the chance to review the book: Freddy meets Ginger - The fox who was allergic to eggs by Josie Warburton. I read the book to Nathan and he really enjoyed it.

I loved the book because not only did it talk about allergies, it was educational and deals with the topic of a severe food allergy and anaphylaxis in a way for children 3-6 years old can understand. It was written in a way that children will love the characters and not be frighten by food allergies or what can happen during an allergic reaction.

For more information or to purchase the book, please visit Freddy the Mouse

I  received the products mentioned above for free.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.