Yummy in My Tummy! For Will Cookies!

Here is another awesome allergy product. I'm always tickled pink whenever I find another food allergy friendly product. When your kid can go anywhere and eat anything, I don't think you really have a full appreciation for that; it's so easy to take for granted. But, when you have a kid that has been left out of a special treat, even when you try to plan ahead, well, it breaks your heart in a way I can't describe.

At any rate, I stumbled across these food allergy friendly cookies, while on vacation, today in Kalamazoo, MI. The fam and I decided to head to the Farmer's Market and lo and behold, a booth with food allergy friendly cookies!!! At a Farmer's Market!!!! In Kalamazoo!!!!! Well, of course we had to buy some. Wowza! They are so good. My mom, husband, and I all snuck a piece of Caden's star cookie. I thought I had gotten good at tweaking recipes to make them food allergy friendly.... well, I've evidently still got a way to go :)

If you get the opportunity, please check out (and order) some For Will Cookies. She ships and can cut them into a variety of shapes and decorations. And even if you don't have food allergies, I guarantee you, you'll be eating some of these on the sly. These cookies do have wheat and soy lecithin, but they are free of other top allergens.

http://www.forwillfoods.com/

Finding a direction for this blog

When I initially started, I had intended this to be almost solely about my professional experiences as a resident director. Sadly, I've been rather dry on topics, other than my gripes about my (normally loveable) students. I'd like to have a rather firm topic to discuss, but like my mind and my interests, I think I'm going to try to blog more regularly on a variety of topics, once the fall hits and my break officially ends.

I'm sure August will bring some great stories about my new students, but I want to include recipes I really enjoy, product reviews for allergy products, musings on parenting, general natural living topics, etc. So, if you're coming along for the ride, let's see where my brain takes me... I'm sure it'll be rather (un) thrilling.

New Allergy Product: Coming Soon

Turtle Mountain announced the other day their newest product: coconut milk kefir! I think its going to be available in three flavors, but I cannot remember what they are at the moment. Word is, they expect it to be on store shelves (and in my belly) in about 3-4 weeks.

I am so thrilled for this! It'll be a great way for Caden (and other dairy/soy allergics) to get his probiotics, and I will probably introduce this to Jon in the next couple months too. I'm a bit gun shy about introducing dairy to him, but want to get him on some good probiotics before winter hits. Gotta boost that immune system!

Well, once again, Turtle Mountain makes my day. Wish I could move out to Oregon and work for this company.

Summer Time!

I've been busy with end of semester happenings (move outs, fundraisers, reservations, summer residents, etc). And reveling a bit in quiet. No doors slamming in the hallway at 2 am. No balls bouncing in the hallways. No yelling coming from the lobby. Bliss.

The summer residents are either busy doing their own thing or they're tired from working their summer jobs, which makes for a very peaceful residence hall.

I intend to update the blog periodically throughout the summer, as the mood strikes me. I have a serious case of writers block right now, so I hope it passes soon.

Food is the way into a college student's heart

It's true. If you had to live on cafeteria food every day, wouldn't you appreciate something home made? You know you would.

I had my first meeting with my summer RA staff today. They're necessary to keep the rowdy summer residents in line. I wrote their job descriptions out this week and realized I needed to sweeten them up with something. So I did. I gave one RA some.... very laid back (by the way of cleanliness) suite mates, and decided he needed sweetened up the most. I made his favorite strawberry lemonade.

You will need water, lemon juice, sugar, and a bag of frozen fruit (not the huge bags, mind you, just the normal sized ones).

Start by boiling one cup of hot water and two cups of sugar until its all dissolved and the water is clear. Add two cups of lemon juice to that (if you're feeling really ambitious you can squeeze it fresh, but I'm a lazy RD, I am. Meanwhile, put 7 cups of cold water into a pitcher and a handful of ice cubes for kicks and giggles. Mix your lemon juice/sugar mix into the cold water and add your frozen fruit. Let it sit in the fridge for a while. I like to mash up my strawberries a bit to really get the juice out of it. I've used this recipe with blueberries (I only use about half bag of those). I bet peaches and raspberries would be divine as well.

P.S. No one whined about the job description. Score!

Bwah! It's April!

It's crunch time. April (and August) are my two months where I feel like the dog chasing its tail. We have our RA appreciation banquet coming up, the end of the year cook out for the residents, move outs, meetings, summer residents, so much to do!

I hope I'll be able to breath again before the middle of May, but I kinda doubt it.

I'm SO thrilled to finally agree with the AAP on something

I've never agreed with the minimum recommendations to keep a toddler rear facing ONLY until age 1. Nothing magical happens at day 365 of a child's life. Their necks aren't suddenly stronger, they aren't suddenly less fragile. The AAP just changed its minimum recommendations of rear facing for one year to a minimum of two years, preferably until they outgrow their convertibles rear facing recommendations by height OR weight: http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/30/4/12-a

Britax is one of the higher weight convertibles. Caden, at 3 years 1 month, is only just 35 lbs, and he's heavy for his age. Normal weight kids could probably be rear facing in their Britaxes until closer to age 4 or later.

Car accidents are the leading cause of death of toddlers. I hope that these new recommendations are followed by all parents and lower the death rate for toddlers.

Did you know that Britain requires kids under 4ft 5 inches, up the age of 12 be in a booster seat? Did you know that in Sweden, they recommend car seats be rear facing until the age of 4? I hope that the US follows quickly behind in these recommendations, and that car seat manufacturers provide more seats with higher rear facing weight limits.