Book-A-Day Giveaway for Food Allergy Awareness Week!

The BugaBees daily book giveaway is back! In honor of Food Allergy Awareness Week, we will be selecting a new winner each day May 12 thru May 18!! Winners will have their choice of either book from the BugaBees series.

To participate, simply post a comment right here on this blog to the following question:

What are you doing to promote food allergy awareness in your community?

To double and triple your points, tweet and/or share the following comment on Twitter or Facebook:

Promote #foodallergy awareness! Win a #book from the BugaBees series by @AmyRecob #FAAW #foodallergies http://thebugabees.blogspot.com/

Good luck and thanks for doing your part to create a little buzz about food allergy awareness!

Special Savings for Food Allergy Awareness

 

National Food Allergy Awareness week is fast approaching! (May 12-18, 2013). Have you given any thought to what you might do to help educate and/or appreciate those around you? Check out these awesome ideas from Caroline at Grateful Foodie. FARE also has some great suggestions and resources to use in the classroom and beyond.

 

To assist with your outreach efforts, I am pleased to offer a special discount to anyone interested in purchasing an extra book copy or two from the BugaBees series!

 

From now through the end of food allergy awareness week, buy direct from my publisher Beavers Pond Books and save $5 off retail (cheaper than Amazon pricing!)

Simply search "BugaBees" or "BugyBops" from the online store and type in coupon code "SAVE5" at checkout.

Be sure to stop back for our annual Book-A-Day giveaway starting May 12 and stay tuned for a special event announcement coming to Madison, Wisconsin residents! Happy reading ...

Recent Food Allergy Research

Have you been following all of the of news coverage on immunotherapy research lately? Like most things related to food allergies, there seem to be some opposing views on this potential new treatment.

In case you missed it, The New York Times, Today Show, and Katie Couric recently featured a new approach for children with serious allergies to several different foods. The clinical trial, led by Dr. Kari Nadeau at Stanford, involves desensitizing patients to up to five different allergens by very slowly increasing their intake over time. Several children with severely allergic food allergies are experiencing great results and seem overjoyed with the success of the research.

On the flip side, other doctors such as Wayne Shreffler M.D. of Harvard Medical School have posted cautionary commentary on the risks of this type of study, citing that more research is needed to disprove this treatment will actually do more harm than good in the long run.

Supporting this concern is a report recently shared at the AAAAI annual conference highlighting another immunotherapy study with very different outcomes. The March issue of Allergic Living magazine summarizes disappointing findings of researchers investigating oral immunotherapy in milk-allergic patients. Results showed that for a majority of patients, desensitization wasn’t holding up. In fact, three to five years after completing an OIT study, Johns Hopkins University researchers said that many participants were more reactive to cow’s milk than they had been early in the course of treatment.

So what’s a food allergy parent to think? I’m personally thrilled research is being done on this topic. I’m even more thrilled it is helping some of the families willing to sacrifice their time and safety to partake in the study. (The New York Times article mentions some risky scenarios where epinephrine was needed. Yikes.)

Given that risk factor, - for me - I can’t say this is a treatment I would feel comfortable with for my child. I personally took immunotherapy shots for my seasonal allergies for years with absolutely no positive results. Then again, many other patients did. It’s hard to look at the smiles of 10-year-old Tessa Grosso after her recent treatment and argue that it hasn’t changed her life for the better …. immensely better.

So there you have it. Medical research is just another example of how food allergies continue to be a personal journey that is different for every individual.  Even so, I believe our common and collective goal will help us find the answer in my 9 year-old daughter’s lifetime. Until then, my heartfelt gratitude goes out to the many researchers and families who are working hard every day to help find a cure!

(See my earlier blog post on FAFH-2...another food allergy research study I learned about a few years ago that I hope is still progressing!)

Start the hype -- the 2013 Gluten & Allergen Free Expos kick off next month! Thousands of attendees, vendors, presenters, bloggers and more will be joining together to share the latest in gluten-free and allergy-free products in the following cities:

• Des Moines (April 6-7)
• Chicago (April 20-21)
• New Jersey (Sept 7-8)
• Dallas (Oct 26-27)

I'm honored to be participating in the Chicago event's "author" portion of the show, signing and selling BugaBees books on Sunday, April 21st! Please join me and other great writers like Collette Martin (Learning to Bake Allergen Free) and many, many more.

Avoid long lines and buy your tickets in advance at gfafexpo.com.  Plus, see up-to-date schedules, class offerings, presentations and more on Facebook and Twitter. (Use the official hashtag #GFAFEXPO)

You won't want to miss out on this great opportunity....Hope to see you there!

March 1st is National Read Across America Day!

The National Education Association is building a nation of readers through its signature program, NEA’s Read Across America. Now in its 16th year, this year-round program focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources.

Today is the day to grab your kiddos and a good book or two! Here are some of my all time favorites (in no particular order):

1) Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman
2) All in a Day by Cynthia Rylant
3) The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
4) A Good Day by Kevin Henkes
5) Is There Really a Human Race? by Jamie Lee Curtis

And for teens and adults, I must recommend the book I just finished... An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff is the true story of an 11-year-old panhandler, a busy sales executive, and an unlikely meeting with destiny. It is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and provides clear-cut proof that kindness and generosity can do miraculous things. It will just make you want to be a better person!

Happy reading!

Hangin' with Kevin Henkes

If you have young children, odds are you have at least one Kevin Henkes book in your home. This Wisconsin native has written and illustrated over 30 books and been recognized with some of the most prestigious awards in children’s literature, including a Newbery and a Caldecott Medal.

I have been lucky enough to meet Mr. Henkes on several occasions -- the first, at a Literacy Network of Dane County fundraiser where he shared with me (among other things) that he grew up with a sibling who has food allergies! Sadly for us, this has not yet been a topic of inspiration for his writing, but so many other wonderful things have. Imagination, forgiveness, and optimism are just a few themes that all seem to have a common thread throughout many of his books.

The second time I saw Mr. Henkes was at the recent AEYC Chicago conference where he spoke a lot about perspective. He shared many humorous stories about the perspective of children, and their literal translations of various books, versus the figurative intentions of their authors. He also spoke about individual perspectives, and read two very opposing letters he received about his book, Julius Baby of the World.

The first letter was a glowing review, highly revered and lovingly written. The second letter, well…. Let’s just say it was the exact opposite. It was an interesting comparison, considering the fact they both were in regards to the same exact book!

I found his presentation to be a thoughtful and gentle reminder that, as we all know, not everyone shares the same perspective. This is a hard pill to swallow sometimes when you are a food allergy parent, and what seem so obvious to us (about the health and safety of our children), isn’t always clear to others.

Sometimes all it takes is a little kindness and understanding of each other's points of view. Sometimes, that’s not enough. Either way, I’m thankful to Kevin Henkes for reminding me that everyone’s opinion has validity, even though we may not always agree.

Check out Kevin's new book Penny and Her Marble just released this month!

Food Allergies & Bullying

Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics published a study on the prevalence of bullying towards children with food allergies. I'm sure most of us would agree, it's not hard to see how they are easy targets. Parents of food allergy kids are all too well aware of the stigma, and I'm sad to say until recently, I was one of those parents who didn't realize that my child was a direct victim among so many others. This study reveals that more than 50% of parents are in the dark about this type of bullying as well – a deeply concerning statistic that desperately needs to change.

 

The Boston Globe and CNN report bullying incidents where food allergic students have had harmful foods thrown at them and/or have been verbally ostracized for trying to eat safely. In my personal situation, the latter has been the case in my daughter's 4th grade class.... all year long apparently. It wasn't until over winter break she decided to share this with me.

 

I was heartbroken to hear that her classmates regularly express their disappointment in not being able to bring their favorite snacks or homemade birthday treats into the classroom. (All other classes allow it, as none of them are required to be allergy-free.) From eye rolls and whispers behind her back, to more direct accusations (and even an argument between a parent and teacher in front of the entire class about a cake that was not approved), my daughter has shouldered the blame and guilt about this for months.

 

So what’s a parent to do (aside from feeling devastated)? For me, I quickly realized how important it is to ask direct questions of your children. My daughter and I talk often about issues related to her food allergies, but never once have I asked her if she felt as though she was being bullied. If I had done so, I have to believe she wouldn’t have suffered in silence about it for so long.

 

We all know how important it is to talk to our kids. And even more so, how important it is to get them talking to us. The silver lining to this story is now that we know the situation, we can deal with it head on. We've engaged my daughter's teacher and school guidance counselor, and I'm happy to report they have been a huge help in making her feel like she doesn't have to manage this alone.

 

If you're a parent to a food allergic child, I hope you will join me in changing these statistics for the better. Until we can eliminate bullying, I know we have the power to minimize the impact it has on our kids. For more related info on how you can help empower your children, be sure to check out this free webinar sponsored by KFA. On Tuesday, January 15, Linda Coss will be talking about "Raising a Child Who Takes Life-Threatening Food Allergies in Stride". Archived presentations will be available for those can't make the live discussion, so please, don't miss out!

Food Allergy "Education" in Schools

Hi all! So...tomorrow I will be meeting with school officials for the third time this year to review my daughter's 504 Plan. We are meeting for the third time in one month (more than we typically meet over the course of a year) to discuss something I'm sad to say I have never questioned before: the specific "education" that is being provided to teachers regarding food allergies.

To make a long story short, I realized this year that the "education of teachers" as outlined in my daughter's 504 essentially involves a 10-minute lesson on how to administer an Epi-Pen. That's it. That's all. And that's sooooo clearly not enough.

Even though my daughter is in 4th grade now, it seems like each year I think of something new I should have asked about, or been more diligent about. I'm so sorry I never thought to be specific about the actual content of the educational tools being used (or not used as it seems.)  It's so hard to anticipate every possible scenario that could be dangerous, and quite frankly, that's a scary place for most food allergy parents to go.

The National School Board Association makes it a little easier, with this great Food Allergy Resource Guide I recently found on their web site. The checklist in the back is one of the best I've ever seen. l love how it not only outlines items that should be "included" in the plan, but also distinguishes as to whether they are actually "implemented" or not. I know of many schools that have great food allergy guidelines on paper, but less-than-great follow through in adhering to the policies.

For schools that could still use a little help, Mylan has launched a new campaign that runs through November 9, 2012. "Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis" is a nationwide college scholarship opportunity aimed to help schools become more aware of and better prepared to support students with life-threatening allergies. By gathering great ideas from students, they hope to make our schools a safer environment for everyone! Kids grades 1 thru 12 have a chance to win one of several $2,000 college scholarships and best of all, promote greater awareness of food allergies in our schools.

Do you know of a school that does a great job of educating their teachers and the community at large about food allergies? If so, I would love to hear about it. What types of resources, curriculum, and training procedures are they using? With any luck, my school district will be implementing something similar in the days and years to come. Fingers crossed ...

Ebook Awesomeness

Two years ago my husband bought me a Nook Color for Christmas. I must admit, it took me awhile to figure out all of its bells and whistles. I downloaded a few novels and children’s books at first, but still resorted to my standby paperbacks, especially during beach and bathtime reading. (E-reader + water and/or sand = bad idea.)

Then one year ago, my Dad bought my kids each a Kindle Fire for Christmas. Let’s just say, it did not take them awhile to figure out all of its bells and whistles. They LOVE their Kindles and not just for games and movies, but for (who knew?) READING BOOKS. Narrated and/or interactive ebooks & apps are especially great for my 6-year-old, who enjoys a good story, but is not yet a strong, fluent reader.

Forbes magazine recently published an article that supports the consumer activity occurring in our home as of late, reporting that ebook purchases continue to outnumber traditional print. And while I will personally always prefer hard cover picture books to their electronic counterparts, I strongly believe there is a place for both. (Especially on vacation, where I recently downloaded five lengthy novels that required a miniscule amount of space in my suitcase.)

In light of this growing new trend, I am extremely excited to be bringing The BugaBees to the eUniverse very soon! We have been working hard to bring Cricket and the gang to life for both iPad and Android users alike. Traditional ebook and interactive apps based on the book are now in production which means a downloadable version of The BugaBees is in your near future. My kids love the beta (and not just because their cute little voices are part of the narration!) I hope yours will love the app too. Stay tuned for when it becomes available!

Food Allergy Awareness Week Book Giveaway

What better way to spread a little awareness than to read a copy of the new "BugyBops: Friends for All Time" this week ?!? I've already shared this story with my son's Kindergarten class, as well as a group of families (not all of them familiar with food allergies) at our big book launch on May 12th. I love it when I can see the wheels turning in their heads or when they say to me "I never knew that!"

Now it's your turn to share some know-how. Join in on our Book-A-Day-Giveaway for food allergy awareness by simply answering the following question:

What are you doing to help promote food allergy awareness this week?

Please comment to win a free copy of “The BugyBops: Friends for All Time”. Double or triple your chances by sharing on Facebook or tweeting on Twitter the following statement:

Win a copy of “The BugaBees” #book sequel “The BugyBops: Friends for All Time” by @AmyRecob #FAAW #foodallergies 

Winners selected daily!

Sunday's Winner: Jeanette - Mom to Allergy Kid
Monday's Winner:  Linda Trinklein
Tuesday's Winner: hsw
Wednesday's Winner: Paulette M.L. Ricardo
Thursday's Winner: Alicia
Friday's Winner: Jacque Kunin 
Saturday's Winner: ERIKAANN

If you see your name posted, please contact me at amyrecob@gmail.com to redeem your prize!

Important note to this week’s past participants: We love our social media partners for promoting this contest, but have run into a little snafu with posting links! Instead of linking new entries to the current “Question of the Day” it seems that many people are coming to this first kick-off post only.

To make things easy, we are modifying the contest to simply include this one post. You may continue to make comments daily and earn extra entries for posting on FaceBook and Twitter. Many apologies for the confusion! Please know that even though your Monday and Tuesday posts don’t appear here, they have been duly noted and entered in the drawing at www.random.org!

The Book-A-Day Giveaway Contest is Coming!

In honor of Food Allergy Awareness Week, a winner will be selected each day starting May 13 thru May 19th to receive a free copy of the newly released children's book: The BugyBops: Friends for All Time!


To participate, stop back regularly and post a comment right here on this blog to each Question of the Day. To double and triple your points, tweet and/or share the following comment on Twitter or Facebook:


Win a copy of "The BugaBees" #book sequel: "The BugyBops: Friends for All Time" by @AmyRecob #FAAW #foodallergy thebugabees.blogspot.com


Good luck and thanks for doing your part to create a little buzz about food allergy awareness!

Listen to Your Mother!

If you have not yet heard of the Mother's Day Phenomenon that is sweeping the nation, please allow me to enlighten you! For the past two years, women in select cities around the U.S. have been celebrating Mother’s Day by heading to the theater with local writers to share the joys, trials, and occasional absurdities of motherhood at Listen To Your Mother shows. If you have not yet been to a LTYM show, I promise, you will not want to miss out on another year of this inspiring series. 

Created by incredibly smart and talented friend, Ann Imig, LTYM has expanded performances to 10 cities across the country this year! As part of the cast in 2010, and part of the audience in 2011, I can personally guarantee that any level of participation in these shows will leave you uplifted, heart-broken, giddy, grateful and forever changed by the stories you hear. Best of all, a portion of the proceeds from all 10 productions go to local charitable causes that support mothers and families. What more can I say? It's brilliant.

Tickets are selling out so do not delay! I will be the first in line to the Madison show on May 13th.

Cool Book Trailers

It was an amazing day at the Annual Writers' Institute at UW-Madison! I thoroughly enjoyed signing books, attending workshops, and meeting other authors this weekend where I was introduced to (among many things) the super cool concept of creating a book trailer. Of course, this form of marketing makes a lot of sense, and thanks to Youtube, Vimeo and other online platforms, you don't need to spend thousands of dollars in air time for these mini commercials to promote your book.

If you want to get really fancy though, you could easily spend that in pure production costs, which what some of these authors (and one book council) decided to do for our enjoyment. Check these out with many thanks to writer and producer Susan Reetz for bringing these to our attention! My top three favorites are:

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman

New Zealand Book Council promo (pardon the distracting political ad beforehand - just skip it if you can!)

While it's probably difficult to accurately measure the full return on investment for these trailers, I can verify through my own personal focus group (involving one person, that being me), I find them to be highly effective and inspiring. I do believe I will be purchasing copies of both of these books at my earliest convenience. And who knows, maybe a trip to New Zealand is in my future too!

Have you seen any interesting book promos or trailers online? If so, please do share.

At long last -- the sequel to "The BugaBees: Friends with Food Allergies" is finally in production!

"The BugyBops: Friends for All Time" is dedicated to my youngest child, Max, and all the wonderful kids like him who do not have food allergies themselves, but try to help make life just a little bit easier for those who do.

From washing hands to reading labels, BugyBops show how a few simple steps can help prevent serious allergic reactions to foods like peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, milk, soy, eggs, and wheat. With more amazing illustrations from 64 Colors, this next book in the BugaBees series also introduces young readers to important concepts related to cross-contamination, Epipens, and the physical signs of an allergic reaction. Follow the BugyBops to learn how their kindness and compassion help their friends with food allergies stay safe, happy, and healthy.

Books will be available just in time for Food Allergy Awareness Week 2012 (May 13-19). Pre-order your copy today at www.BeaversPondBooks.com or look for ways to win online in the the coming weeks!

Heartache + Hope

This Valentine's Day, I'm hugging my kids a little tighter as my heart goes out to the family of Ammaria Johnson who died earlier this year from an allergic reaction to peanuts. While it's been just a few short months since her death, I remain hopeful that this tragic event has sparked a movement to provide more protection for the millions of kids just like her.

Since today is all about love, I'm sending out a special dose to the parents of Ammaria, and the friends and families of other young lives lost to food allergies, such as Katelyn Carlson, Megan Ayotte Lefort, and Sabrina Shannon. While the heartache of their loss remains, the hope they continue to give to the world lives on.

Wishing you all a safe and happy Valentine's Day....

If you haven't already done so, please sign the petition at www.change.org to support legislation requiring all schools to stock life-saving EpiPens. You can help make a difference!

The Thought That Counts

As 2011 comes to a close, I am filled with gratitude for yet another year of good health and well-being – for myself, my husband, our friends and family, but most of all, for the health and well-being of our children.

Food allergies are certainly a challenge every day of the year. And it comes as no surprise that with all the joys of the season, also come increased opportunities for accidental exposures and reactions. Through what seems like an endless supply of goodie bags, party treats, cookie platters and more, I feel extremely fortunate that we have been able to navigate our way through yet another magical holiday with the help of some very special people.

To our wonderful grandparents, aunts & uncles, neighbors, classmates, teachers, friends and family, we thank you for all your kind and caring ways of providing fun and festive options that keep our daughter Mollie safe! At 8 years old, she may not fully realize that it’s not really about the special nut-free treats you take the time to prepare and plan ahead for her…. it’s ultimately about the fact that she matters. And that her safety is priority. And that her happiness is important.

When it comes to receiving gifts, I have always been taught it is the thought that counts. This sentiment could not be more true, and its meaning extends well beyond any wrapped trinket or toy she could ever receive.

So on behalf of Mollie, and food allergic kids everywhere, this is a special thank you… to anyone who has been thoughtful enough to read a label, make the effort, and find the extra time it takes to bring a smile to a special child’s face. I promise you, those are the kind of gifts that will be forever appreciated … throughout the holidays and always. Wishing you peace, health and happiness in 2012!

FAHF-2

I was in Minneapolis last weekend attending AFAA’s annual conference and was so excited to meet their Keynote Speaker Dr. Xiu-Min Li. She shared some very inspiring news about the research she’s conducting at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York involving the use of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for the treatment of food allergies.

Dr. Li explained that while TCM has a long history of human use in China and other Eastern Asia countries as part of mainstream medicine, the United States has not been as quick to follow --- until now. After a number of preliminary studies and testing phases, a new botanical drug called FAHF-2 (Food Allergy Herbal Formula – 2) is currently in Phase II clinical human trials. Containing 9 different herbs, FAHF-2 is proving to block peanut allergy anaphylaxis in an extremely safe and effective manner. Hurray!!Food Allergy Initiative is helping to fund this research, which has already been featured and revered in a wide variety of medical journals.

Additional research and regulation is required before FAHF-2 is widely available. Until that time, we have a very good reason to remain hopeful for the future of food allergy treatment and prevention!! Thank you Dr. Li and your awesome team of researchers and medical professionals.

Take the Time

After learning to manage my daughter's food allergies for many years now, I have to admit, I'm still surprised by the crazy places food allergen warnings pop up on labels.

This weekend it was on a package of carrots and ranch dip at the Target snack bar. It had been a long day of running errands and I was trying to find for something remotely healthy to feed the kids on the go. I actually bought the item first, but then thankfully remembered to check before we opened it. Sure enough, processed in a plant that also process peanuts. Wow! We also recently had a close call with some mango sorbet one of my most diligent friends brought over for a cookout. And the Culver's burgers we have been eating for years just recently popped up with a tree nut warning on their food allergen menu. That was a sad day for sure!!

If you're like me, with a million and one things to keep track of, it can be easy to forget to check ingredients from time to time. So while I am thanking my lucky stars we managed to stay safe on all of these occasions, and wanted to share this little reminder with others. When you're racing around trying to keep up with life, please remember to TAKE THE TIME. Read labels. Ask the waiter. Plan ahead. Keep your kids safe.

One of my favorite children's books of all time shares this universal message. "Is There Really a Human Race" by Jamie Lee Curtis reminds us all to SLOW DOWN and remember what's most important in life.

Sometimes it's better not to go fast.

There are beautiful sights to see when you're last.

Shouldn't it be that you just try your best?

And that's more important than beating the rest?

Shouldn't it be looking back at the end

that you judge your own race by the help that you lend?

Right on, Jamie. Thanks for helping remind me that time is precious and meant to be used well. I think I'll set some aside to read this story to my beautiful children tonight. :)

Fun with FAAW

Thanks to my friends at Food Allergy Association of Wisconsin for organizing a very fun event last Saturday with the Madison Mallards! Our family had a fabulous time at the baseball game and appreciated the extra steps taken by FAAW staff to create an allergy-friendly area for all to enjoy.

FAAW advocates on behalf of Madison and Dane County families with food allergies, holding events and coordinating educational efforts all throughout the year. The nonprofit organization's annual Food Allergy Awareness Walk is coming up Saturday, August 13th at Warner Park in Madison so mark your calendars!

Enjoy Life!

What better way to wrap up a fun week of food allergy awareness than with a tour of the Enjoy Life Foods facility!?! Like the BugaBees, the folks at Enjoy Life know how to stay safe and still have lots of fun! And their products make is so much easier for those of us living with food allergies and intolerances to do so.

May I just say, the new Crunchy Sugar Crisp and Chocolate Granola products pose some serious competition for our current family favorites, Snickerdoodle and Gingerbread Spice cookies. Luckily, we have enough shelf space in out pantry for all of them!

A special note to all my mates in Australia ... Enjoy Life is now being distributed in your corner of the world. Be sure to check out their Boom Choco Boom bars and other great products. I promise, you won't be disappointed!

Thanks so much to Joel, Kasey, Alina, Linsey and all the ELFers for your hospitality and dedication to making delicious products that so many of us can eat freely and enjoy!