Memorial Day: Please Do Remember

We spent Saturday morning at the local Veteran's Cemetery, planting flags on many of the 35,000 soldiers' graves there along with scout troops from all over this area.  It was really something to see so many identical stones and flags, representing just a fraction of the brave men and women who have given their lives in service to our country.  I hope that this Memorial Day everyone will take a moment or two to remember... this is not just a day for cooking out, or a day for general cemetery decorations, but a special day to pause and remember our fallen heroes.

 

Menu Plan- better late than never edition

• MONDAY: crockpot Chicken Lickin' Good Pork Chops, risotto, steamed broccoli  (didn't get to this meal on Friday last week)
• TUESDAY: skillet dinner- pasta/ chicken/ alfredo sauce, tossed salad
• WEDNESDAY:  build-your-own tostadas (beef, refried beans, veggies), mexicorn
• THURSDAY:  DH & kids on their own while I have a very rare dinner out with friends 
• FRIDAY: crockpot cube steak, mashed potatoes, green beans
• SATURDAY:  homemade pizza & maybe this new recipe: Pizza Hut Style Breadsticks, salad   *We often do homemade pizza on Saturdays.  This bread stick recipe has been on the menu plan for WEEKS now, but we never quite seem to get around to trying it!  :)

Share your own menu and get ideas from others' at Menu Plan Monday!

Life, In Spite of Me

In Life, In Spite of Me this remarkably joyful young woman shares the miracle of her survival, the agonizing aftermath of her failed suicide attempt, and the hope that has completely transformed her life, giving her a powerful purpose for living.

Her gripping story of finding joy against all odds provides a vivid and unforgettable reminder that life is a gift to be treasured. 

Kristen's true story is one that has stuck with me long after I finished reading her book.  This young woman seemed to have a perfect life, but by 17, she was so depressed that she tried to kill herself by laying down on railroad tracks.  The fact that she survived is a miracle, but the way she has touched people and the inspiring faith that she shares are yet another miracle.  

My copy of this book was provided free in return for my honest review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

Good Reads: Beguiled

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand

      Reporter Logan Woods is covering the break-ins with the hope of publishing them as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything. 

     As danger draws ever closer, Logan must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything?
 

I picked up this book one evening after supper, and found myself staying awake to finish it until 2am.  That doesn't happen very often any more, as my need for sleep usually outweighs any exciting reading.  But this story really drew me in and kept my attention.
 

This was the first collaborative project between authors Deanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand, and I hope they will write together again.   It was a nice blend of mystery and romance, with a few references to Rylee's faith thrown in from time to time.  (Though those references seemed almost an afterthought, rather than an integral part of the plot.) 

If you're looking for a light read with interesting characters, I'd recommend Beguiled!

My copy of Beguiled was provided by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

  This post contains sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  I always provide my honest opinion. You can read my policy here. 

$3 Spring Decor: Works for me Wednesday

I have a thing for birds lately... I don't know if it's just Spring, or if it's related to my new-found interest in Twitter, or what it is.  I've seen  several bloggers post about their cute & crafty bird decorations recently (one of my favorites: SongbirdTiff's book bird),  I've been wanting to add some birds somewhere around my house. 

I don't really do seasonal decorating, other than the front door, but it's always on my "someday" list.   "Someday" I'll have a stash of seasonal decorations to change out... someday I'll have time to craft again.... someday I'll decorate with all things that I make myself.  Right now, though, time and budget are very restrictive in terms of what I can do... so I find myself not changing things very often.

So when I bumped into these little guys at the dollar store, I just had to have them:

And best of all... I loved them just the way they were.  I didn't put them away in the craft room to be altered "someday"... I came home and put them out right away.

The birds are fairly big- about 5" in length- and they have more weight to them than I would have expected from a dollar store decoration.  They were $1 each, and the moss for the basket was also $1.  I plopped  them in a basket I already had, and *poof*, a little touch of Spring has arrived.

Would I like to have a birds everywhere... a new door wreath... all kinds of Spring decorations to put out?  Of course!  But in the meantime, these little birds are within my budget and took no time at all to arrange.  There's something very satisfying about this simple little project- I smile every time I see it.  I paired it with a giant fern (free- gifted from my parents) on the table in our entryway, and I love it.

Now I'm keeping an eye out for some turquoise eggs like The Single Nester's...      

Cheap & easy seasonal decor works for me!  Share your own tips at Works for Me Wednesday!

  

Menu Plan Monday 5/17: Quick & Easy Week

This time of year, I think each week seems busier than the last.   This week I'm working more than usual (I normally work 2-3 days, this week I'm working 5!) and we've got ball games and some family plans, too.  So, super quick and easy will be my theme- not a lot of "real" cooking here this week! 

• MONDAY: Flaky Chicken Wraps, leftover broccoli salad  (made Saturday), baby carrots
• TUESDAY: beef enchiladas (in freezer), stewed tomatoes, Mexican rice (from mix)
• WEDNESDAY:  crockpot spicy chicken subs (I use chicken breast meat), salad
• THURSDAY: BBQ Ribettes (store-bought frozen dinner), corn, salad
• FRIDAY: crockpot Chicken Lickin' Good Pork Chops, rice, steamed broccoli
• SATURDAY:  homemade pizza, new recipe: Pizza Hut Style Breadsticks, salad   *We often do homemade pizza on Saturdays.  This bread stick recipe has been on the menu plan for WEEKS now, but we never quite seem to get around to trying it!  :)

Share your own menu and get ideas from others' at Menu Plan Monday!

Diabetes Blog Week: Dreaming of a CURE

Today is the last day of  Diabetes Blog Week, the wonderful idea of Karen from  Bitter-Sweet Diabetes Blog.  Today's topic: Sunday 5/16 - Dream a little dream - life after a cure. To wrap up Diabetes Blog Week, let’s pretend a cure has been found. We are all given a tiny little pill to swallow and *poof* our pancreases are back in working order. No side effects. No more insulin resistance. No more diabetes. Tell us what your life is now like. Or take us through your first day celebrating life without the Big D.

If there was an instant cure... wow.  I honestly sat here looking at a blank screen for a bit because I haven't allowed myself to think about a cure too much.  We have insulin to treat the problem, and technology to help us do the work of her malfunctioning pancreas... but an actual cure would be a miracle!

I think we'd take her (DD, age 7, Type I) out to eat and let her get ANYTHING she wanted.  Seconds and desserts mandatory.  She'd love that.   And we would not have to scope out the menu ahead of time... we would not have to hide under the table or in the restroom to poke her finger... I wouldn't look like I was doing algebra on a restaurant napkin... we would not have to pack ice packs and insulin and glucose tabs... we would just go and eat and enjoy. 

I'd sleep.  And sleep.  And wake up out of habit for night-time checks, and then go back to sleep some more.  And then I would learn how to not wake up every morning praying that she's ok and mentally reviewing the events of the previous night.   I'd just tuck the kids in at night, sleep all night, and wake up the next morning like a "normal" family... no middle of the night visits, no force-feeding a dazed child, no blood spotted sheets.  Dare I dream?

I'd be doing a lot of praying and thanking God for this miracle cure, too.   And until this dream cure happens, I'll keep being an advocate for Juvenile Diabetes... and you can, too!

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

Snapshots: Diabetes Blog Week

I have really been enjoying Diabetes Blog Week, the wonderful idea of Karen from  Bitter-Sweet Diabetes Blog. I haven't been able to post every day, but I've been trying to read as many posts as I can. 

Today's topic: Saturday 5/15 - Diabetes snapshots. Inspired by the Diabetes 365 project, let’s snap a few d-related pictures to share today.

Easy enough.  Here's the "Diabetes Command Center" in our kitchen:

log book, meter & supplies, glucose tablets, folder with extra lunch slips for school, Calorie King book for counting carbs, pen, calculator, and whatever other random things get stuffed into the basket (right now: 3 notepads, white-out, and an extra meter with case)

This little counter in the kitchen always looks pretty much as you see it above... although I did remove the wadded up napkin from the right corner for your viewing comfort- LOL!  We leave the log book out and open on the counter for easy access, since we log everything she eats and every BG reading throughout the day.   There also used to be a food scale in front of the fruit basket, but it broke and I haven't replaced it yet.  (Suggestions on a good, but inexpensive, food scale are welcomed!)  Keeping everything out on the counter like this works great for us-- DD, age 7, can reach everything she needs to do her own checks, and we have the log book right there where it's hard to forget about it.

The rest of the D supplies are in a cabinet a few steps away:

Supplies that don't fit here are out in the garage, on the shelves with our stockpile of groceries.

Share your own D snapshots or just enjoy others' today during Diabetes Blog Week!
This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

Fun Books for Kids- Deal

Now through the end of the month, ISeeMe.com is offering a great deal on personalized children's books -- free shipping, AND the book will be personally signed to your child from the author!.  What a special gift!  You can even take a Virtual Tour of one of their new books, "Who Loves Me?". To get this great deal, use code FSW875 at check-out. 

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

How do you "make the low go"?

This week is Diabetes Blog Week, the wonderful idea of Karen from  Bitter-Sweet Diabetes Blog.  Each day there is a topic related to Diabetes, and bloggers will be sharing their posts related to that topic.  

Today's topic:  Making the low go. Tell us about your favorite way to treat a low. 

My favorite ways to take care of my seven year-old daughter's lows are plain and simple: glucose tablets or juice boxes.  She willingly takes both, they're easy to carry with us, they're easy to store (no refrigeration needed), and there's no brain work involved-- just chew or drink and be done.    If she's especially low, or it's bedtime, or I have a momma-bear gut feeling, I always try to talk her into the glucose tablets.   She'll usually take them, but if she's not feeling too bad, sometimes she tries to talk me into something else.  Those are the most consistent at keeping her steady later-- juice will "burn off" quicker, meaning sometimes it works and sometimes she needs something else to keep her numbers up.  I can count on the glucose tablets to take her up and keep her up.

There are glucose tablets hidden everywhere in our world.  I have tubes of them tucked into my coat pockets, her meter cases, the cars,  her backpack, etc.  We also have big bottles of them stashed in her bedroom, our bedroom, the kitchen.  There are three things I pretty much always have on my person: my  Blackberry, a Matchbox car for DS (age 3), and glucose tablets for DD.   

Her favorite way to treat a low, if it's during the daytime: a sweet snack, such as a 100-calorie cookie pack , a kids' yogurt, regular pudding, or some gummy fruit snacks.  (I veto those if she's really low & needs to come up quick-- then her choices are juice or glucose tablets, period.)  She likes juice boxes, too, but she gets tired of them, so if she can choose, she'll usually choose a snack.

 
This post may contain affiliate links.  You can read my policy here.

P.S.  I just found this stuff: Glucose RapidSpray on Amazon.  I've never heard of it before.  If you've tried it I'd love to hear how it worked and what you think of it!

Menu Plan Monday 5/10

You'll notice a lot of tomatoes on my menu this week.... that's because I got the "grape tomatoes" at Aldi's yesterday for only $.59 a box!  I picked up three boxes, because my kids absolutely love them.  (My son once ate an entire box himself!)   

• MONDAY: our favorite meatball subs in the crockpot, roasted potato wedges, baby carrots & tomatoes  (Tip: I add in a can of crushed tomatoes with the sauce to sneak in more veggies!)
• TUESDAY:  *new recipe* Savory Sweet Crockpot Chicken, pasta, steamed mixed veggies
• WEDNESDAY: broiled pork chops, macaroni & cheese, peas
• THURSDAY: buffalo chicken sandwiches (from frozen breaded tenders) for adults, chicken nuggets for kids, tossed salad, tomatoes  (Very quick dinner night- I'll have only a very short time between work & DD's softball game!)
• FRIDAY: *new recipe* Spanish Hamburger Casserole, corn, tomatoes
• SATURDAY: usually homemade pizza night at our house

Menu Plan Monday is a great place to check out other people's menus for inspiration and to share your own!

 

A Day in the Life: First Grade with Diabetes

This week is Diabetes Blog Week, the wonderful idea of Karen from  Bitter-Sweet Diabetes Blog.  Each day there is a topic related to Diabetes, and bloggers around the world will be sharing their posts related to that topic.  I love this idea- what a great way to connect and share with others who don't live in d-world!

Today's topic: A day in the life . . . with diabetes. Take us through a quick rundown of an average day and all the ways in which diabetes touches it. 

A typical school day in the life of my seven year old daughter, a Type I Diabetic:

• 6:30-7am:  Wake up.  Shower.... unless she feels low or if Mommy or Daddy thinks she looks especially pale, in which case we check her blood sugar first.  Treat if needed.  Then shower & get dressed.
• Come downstairs, poke finger, eat breakfast, finish getting ready for school.  Help count carbs, Mom or Dad figures out insulin dose, receive shot.  Debate with Mommy over the nutritional benefits of whatever {crap} the school is serving that day and negotiate on which  two days we will buy a  nutritious hot lunch at school; Mommy will pack lunches the other three days.   Go to the bus stop & off to school.
• 10:30am: have a snack at school, same as the rest of the class
• 12:25pm: leave for lunch five minutes before the rest of the class, go to the clinic, poke finger.  Eat lunch in cafeteria with friends.  When dismissed for recess, run upstairs to the clinic to receive insulin shot, then go back downstairs to join friends for the remainder of recess.  Hope that the clinic lady is ready and doesn't waste too much recess time. 
• any time at school she feels low: walk to clinic, poke finger, possibly have juice, wait 15 minutes, poke again, return to class
• 3:10pm: get on the bus to come home.  Go either home or to the babysitter's around the corner.  Poke finger, have a snack.
• 6pm-ish: Poke finger, have supper, receive insulin shot.
• 7pm: Softball practice.  Bring monitor, supplies, glucose tablets, and water in addition to softball gear.
• 8:30pm: bedtime.  Poke finger, maybe have a snack, depending on blood sugar results.  Go to bed.  Monitor, supplies, tissues, glucose tablets, and water bottle are all within reach on bedside table.
• 10:15pm:  Mommy or Daddy comes in to give another shot (Lantus, a different type of insulin) and poke finger again if there have been highs or lows this evening.  May receive a second insulin shot depending on results. 
• 3-4am: Mommy might come poke finger again if she's had lows during the evening.

So, there you have it.... a pretty typical day in my daughter's life.  For those of you with diabetic children, this probably looks pretty normal to you.  And for those of you who don't live with this disease, you've probably noticed the number of times a day she is poked with needles.  The sheer number of pokes she receives in a day, between blood sugar checks and shots, always stands out to me if I let myself think about it.... so, I try not to.  She shrugs her shoulders, it's not big deal.  But to me, watching my baby girl endure that every day, it IS a big deal.

Share your own diabetes-related day or read others at Bitter-Sweet Diabetes Blog.

 

WFMW: Potty training?

This week's edition of WFMW is backwards.... meaning that I get to ask YOU for some advice!

Here's the thing: my 3 year-old son was pretty much potty trained last month. It was not easy, but he did it- even taking himself to the bathroom when needed most of the time.   Now, in the last two weeks, we're back to tantrums when asked to potty and he's needing diapers (pull-ups leak, and the "natural"  method is not for us).  We were using a reward system at first (candy) and had gotten to the point where it was phased out.  There was no traumatic potty event, and when asked, he cheerfully answers that he will use the potty next time... but he doesn't.   He just won't do it anymore.  And he has to do it... preschool starts in August, and they won't let him attend unless he is fully potty trained.

So..... please share your tips and tricks to get him back on track.   And to answer more questions or ask your own, link up to Works for me Wednesday.