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Bubba cried when she saw that she was going to have to get a shot of epinephrine, but gave a relived ‘oh’ when she felt the thin syringe needle as compared to the higher gauge Epi-Pen she’s had before. After doing Bubba’s annual allergy testing this fall (skin prick only this time) we decided to schedule food challenges for both eggs and milk. She’s gotten an itchy throat from inhaling cheese dust during snack time at camp. Well her IgE level for casein (the allergenic milk protein that does not break down when baked) has gone down, her skin prick wheal size has gone down, and she’s been successfully eating baked milk for a year.

Today marks the first day of the Advent season and for many kids the first day of opening a special treat or receiving a special toy in an advent calendar. Last year we ordered dairy-free chocolate advent calendars from Amanda’s Own Confections and loved them. I made our own advent chocolates using dairy-free chocolate (melted with a tiny dollop of coconut oil), an adorable candy mold I found on Amazon, and a handy squeeze bottle. I wrapped the chocolates in small squares of foil and slipped them in the pouches of an old felt advent calendar we happened to have on hand (lucky for this procrastinating Mama! ).

Bean & Rice Chips until I had the chance to stop by their table at the Food Allergy Bloggers Conference last month. I stayed to chat awhile so I could keep eating (my weight in chips) and discovered that they were certified gluten-free, made from non-GMO products, produced in a nut-free facility, and free of all major allergens. Although corn is safe for us, I know it can be a challenging allergen for others and these chips are even corn-free. After I sent the folks at Beanfield’s an email telling them how much I loved their chips and to thank them for coming to the conference, they sent me a huge box of yummy chips for my family to share.

I like the hold because it prevents Bubba from seeing the Epi-Pen injection and because of how firmly I can restrain her. so I use my left hand to reach across her body and firmly hold her upper right arm. I then use my right hand to press and click the Epi-pen into her right thigh. Don’t forget to hold your Epi-Pen blue to sky, orange tip to thigh.