My KIND of bar

I don't know about you, but I am ALWAYS on the lookout for great-tasting, healthy snacks that my kids will actually eat.  The problem is, those two adjectives rarely go together when it comes to kid-friendly food.  I'm also not a fan of food dyes and HFCS, so that rules out a majority of snacks right there.

And let's not forget about the D-factor either.

So when the good people at KIND Healthy Snacks contacted me about trying some of their product, I couldn't help but be a bit skeptical.  It's been my experience that most of these types of bars taste like sawdust held together by some type of sweet goo, masquerading as honey.  But they sounded pretty good, so I thought I'd give them a try.

The verdict? So far I have been blown away by how GOOD these are.  Even their names are mouth-watering. 

Madagascar Vanilla Almond?  Yes, please!

Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt?  Yum!

Those are just a few of the tasty snack bars they offer.  Each bar falls into one of three categories; Fruit and Nut, Nuts and Spices, and Plus.  The Plus variety has the added boost of nutrients like protein, fiber, antioxidants or omega-3 fatty acids.

The day they arrived, we waited until afternoon snack to try them out.  I chose the Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt, and Elise wanted Almonds & Coconut. Both of them looked amazing and they didn't disappoint.  Elise's was a perfect blend of almonds and sweet coconut (yes, I stole a bite), and mine paired the yummy goodness of dark chocolate with just the right amount of salt to satisfy my sweet and salty craving.

Even better is how each bar has listed buzz words right on the packaging that are important to a lot of people that are concerned with what we are putting into our body.  For example:

• Non GMO
• Gluten Free
• No Sugar Alcohols
• Low Glycemic
• Dairy Free
• No Trans Fats
• Low Sodium

We were also given some granola to try, and so far I am loving the Maple Walnut Clusters.  It is the perfect breakfast with a bit of milk with a few cut-up strawberries thrown on top.  It's also great sprinkled over yogurt.

Note that the bag is open... I kinda couldn't wait to try it out!

So far the entire family has loved everything they've tried.  Now Mattias, who picked the Fruit & Nuts in Yogurt, ate about half before he lost interest.  But I chalk that up to the fact that he's two, and has rather eclectic tastes for a toddler.  He loves spring rolls and will steal them from your plate, but will sometimes refuse to eat fries.

Yes, my son wears pink, hand-me-down bibs... I'm totally cool with it

Now, you may be wondering how the bars affected Elise's BG.  The first bar she tried, Almonds & Coconut, she was at 180.  She ended up in the 300s, but that's not a fair test because I had *just* changed her pod and we are still doing battle with post pod-change highs.

The next day, she selected a Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan.  She was 70 pre-bar, and 103 a few hours later.  And she thought the bar was, "awesome-chawsome!"  I took that as a good thing.

Most bars have between 14-26g of carbs, 3-5g of fiber and 3-7g of protein.

She's a bit of a clown

So, here's my final thoughts on these bars from KIND Healthy Snacks...

All natural ingredients?  Good!

A healthy snack that won't spike Elise's BG?  Good!

Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt?  Goooooood!

If you go to their website at www.kindsnacks.com, you can find a list of where to buy them, and approximately how much they retail for. 

Check out their website.  KIND isn't just their name; it's their philosophy.  They even have a section devoted to encouraging people to go out and "do the kind thing" by partnering with KIND to help out in their community. I love doing business with companies that give back, and I can't wait to stock up my pantry with more KIND Bars.

And you can stock up too!  The kind people at KIND (see what I did there?), sent me a box of extras that I am hiding from my family, to give to one lucky reader!  To enter, just go to their website by clicking here, and scope out all the yummy goodness that they offer.  Then come back and leave a comment telling me which you think you would like the most.  I will pick the winner by a random drawing on Monday, March 4.  Good luck!

***As with all reviews, the opinions are solely mine.  While I did receive free product to review, I was not asked to write about it, and did so of my own volition.  No, I cannot be bought, even with food.***

Flowers die... Donate so a child won't

"Mama? Why do you hate flowers?"

This question was posed to me by Elise just the other day. A neighbour had brought by a vase of flowers because she and her family were going away and she didn't want them to go to waste. Elise saw them and proclaimed them to be, "absolutely so gorgeous."

Apparently she noticed my indifference, because she then asked her question. I made some off-handed remark, then distracted her with something bright and shiny.

Because really, how do you explain to a five year old that flowers are stupid because they die, without sounding like the most heartless person ever?  It's just hard for me to spend a lot of money on something that just sits there for a few days, and then... Poof! They go to the great flower bed in the sky.

Give me chocolate any day.

So why the post slamming flowers? Because Thursday is Valentine's Day. And no doubt roses are in your future; either as the giver or recipient. Enter a very cool idea put forth by some very cool peeps in the DOC:

"We want to help the Life for a Child program, sponsored by the International Diabetes Federation, which aims to take “contributions from donors [to] go to established diabetes centers enabling them to provide the ongoing clinical care and diabetes education these children need to stay alive.”  Our idea was to take the typical “dozen roses,” so popular on Valentine’s Day, and save just one rose to spare the life of a child. “Spare a Rose, Save a Child” is simple:  buy one less rose this Valentine’s Day and share the value of that flower with a child with diabetes in the developing world.  Your loved one at home still gets flowers, and you both show some love to someone who needs it."

-Taken from www.sixuntilme.com

For the cost of ONE rose, you could donate to save the life of a child. Even though here in the U.S., I am able to keep my daughter alive with life-saving insulin, in developing countries, type 1 diabetes is a death sentence.

To donate, just click here.  Flowers for Valentine's Day might be nice, but saving the life of a child is even better.

The dilemma

I cannot believe it, but the time has come to start pondering kindergarten for Elise.  How did this happen? Wasn't it just yesterday that she made her grand entrance into this world? Shouldn't she still be babbling and cooing, all snuggled in my arms?

Isn't she due for a diaper change right about now?

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

Okay... Focus.

So. Kindergarten. And the dilemma. Once again I need your advice.

We are zoned for what I will call "school A". This school is about a 10 minute drive from our house. The kids in our neighbourhood take a bus (this will not be an option for Elise since there is no way I will put her on the bus at such a young age) to get there. In years past, it didn't have the best reputation, but they now have a new principal and things are turning around. My neighbour who sends her kids there says it is wonderful. A former neighbour who teaches there says the same.

"School B" is about 2 minute drive from our house. Although Elise couldn't walk there because she would need to cross two very busy streets, it is a lot quicker to get to AND right across the street from the preschool Mattias attends. It has an excellent reputation, and is an "exceptional" school (I think that's what the ranking is called). There is also a ton of parental involvement.

I was told I could petition for Elise to be sent to the closer school for medical reasons, and I so I was thinking of talking to the principals/nurses/kindergarten teachers at each school to see who I get a better vibe from.

 And this is where I ask you to help me with my dilemma.  What should I ask? What is important to know? What would ask if you were me?

I really want Elise to be in a school that will care as much about her as her preschool has (although I'm pretty sure that's impossible, her preschool rocks!). Right now I'm not leaning either way and I'm waiting to talk to each school before I form an opinion.

So if you have any pearls of wisdom, send them my way!  Please help me DOC... You're my only hope.

***At this point, if I had mad photo shopping skills, I'd include a picture of my head on Princess Leia's body.  But since I lack the talent and time, do me a favour and picture it in your head, m'kay?***

Wordless Wednesday: Three-fer

Three different BG checks.  All in the span of 6 hours, with no checks in between.

A diabetes three-fer.



My 48

So it seems everyone in the DOC is doing this 48 questions thing.  And since I've enjoyed reading them, I thought I might enjoy writing one.  Hopefully it will get me out of this writing funk I'm in.  I miss my blog...

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?

Not that I know of... however I have been told I was going to be named Heidi.  Which was our dog's name. Nice (I don't mind the name Heidi, it's just... after a dog?  Really?  Sheesh).

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

Probably within the last few days.  Sad song, post-pregnancy hormones, diabetes sucking...

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?

Sure.  Why not?

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH MEAT?

Is Prosciutto a lunch meat?

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

Three of them.  They are presently driving me crazy.  Except for Lucas.  All he does is eat and sleep.  I'm so jealous of his life.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?

If that other person was exactly like who I am, then sure, I would LOVE me!  But it would really depend on WHO that other person was, right?  I'm sure I'm not everybody's cup of tea. 

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?

Since I am probably more fluent in sarcasm than English, I'd have to say, "uhhhh, yeah!"

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?

As far as I know.  Unless someone stole them while I wasn't looking.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?

I'm not a big fan of heights, but if it were for a million bucks in a racearoundtheworld... yeah I would!

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CEREAL?

Steel cut oats.  Does that count?  If not, right now I'm loving rice krispies.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?

I mostly wear birks, or my slip on rocket dogs.  No laces required!  On the odd occasion I do wear running shoes I am far too lazy to untie.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?

Depends on which day you catch me on.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM?

I don't really like ice cream... I'm more of a sorbet kind of girl.  I'm fancy like that.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

Personality.

15. RED OR PINK?

Neither.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?

I don't forgive very easily.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?

I'd have to say my Grandma Ann.  She was always the first person I called to say Merry Christmas to because she lived in the eastern time zone.

18. WHAT IS THE TECHNIQUE THAT YOU NEED TO WORK ON THE MOST?

I don't really know what this question is asking... I suck at folding laundry.  Does that work?

19. WHAT COLOUR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?

None... we don't wear shoes inside.  It's a Canadian thing.  When I first moved to the U.S. and people would wear their shoes inside my house I thought they were horribly rude.  Then I realized it's just the norm. 

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?

A Hershey's kiss.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

My kids laughing and playing together.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE?

I'd be one of those homemade crayons that you make my melting a bunch of differently coloured crayons together.

23. FAVOURITE SMELLS?

New baby. Mountain air. Pine trees.

24. HOW IMPORTANT ARE YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS TO YOU?

I've become pretty apathetic since I moved to the U.S. and don't have the right to vote.  I have my opinions, but try not to push them onto anyone.

25. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY OR BEACH HOUSE?

It depends on my mood.  I'm not a huge fan of sand, but I love the sound of the ocean.  But I also love the smells and quiet of the mountains.  In Vancouver, I never had to choose...

26. FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH?

Hockey!  Baseball isn't bad either.

27. HAIR COLOUR?

Red

28. EYE COLOUR?

Blue

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?

Sometimes.  I'm usually too lazy though.  The last thing I want to do before I go to bed is clean my contacts.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?

Italian

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

Comedy

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?

I have no idea... Fred and I started to watch the Princess Bride the other night.  Inconceivable!

33. WHAT COLOUR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?

Still in my PJs... which are blue with ducks on a bathtub on them.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?

Depends on where I live.  Texas in the summer?  Blergh.

35. FAVOURITE DESSERT?

Strawberry Rhubarb pie.

36. STRENGTH TRAINING OR CARDIO?

Sports... which I guess is cardio.

37. COMPUTER OR TELEVISION?

Depends.  If I'm tired, definitely TV.

38. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?

Some mystery/crime book.  Can't remember the name and I'm too lazy to go find it.

39. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?

Don't have one.

40. FAVOURITE SOUND?

Silence.

41. FAVOURITE GENRE OF MUSIC?

A little bit of everything except country.  Or rap.  Or death metal.  Or regular metal, for that matter.

42. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?

Somewhere in Europe... Austria maybe?

43. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?

This is lame, but when I go grocery shopping I can tell you how much my total will be within a few dollars.  I also know when I've been overcharged for an item (which is good because our grocery store gives you the item for free when they charge you the wrong price).

44. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

Montreal.

45. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW?

Texas.

46. WHAT COLOUR IS YOUR HOUSE?

I don't know... Is that weird?  We've only lived here for a year and a half.

47. WHAT COLOUR IS YOUR CAR?

Again, I don't know.  We have one that is blue, but we just bought a minivan (kill me now) after Lucas was born.  Not sure of the colour on that one.

48. DO YOU LIKE ANSWERING 48 QUESTIONS?

Meh, it was a little long.

I've got some 'splainin to do

Oh my.

These last few months have been... tumultuous. 

I feel like I can hardly catch my breath.  Especially when it comes to diabetes.

You see, we have been seeing some crazy numbers lately. 

Highs.

Lows.

And everything in between.

Numbers that make you say, "what the frakity FRAK?"  Because nothing makes any sense.

There are no patterns.  She'll be high all night one night, then low the next two. Then high again. Then one of those feeding-her-all-night-and-not-getting-her-above-70 extravaganzas (and don't you just loooooove those?).

And because there are no discernible patterns, and my life is filled-to-the-brim full of other stuff,  I feel helpless to do anything about it. The best way I can explain it is like this:

Have you ever seen that "I Love Lucy" episode where she gets a job in a chocolate factory? She is supposed to wrap the chocolates as they come by on the conveyor belt.  Except they start coming faster and faster until she can't keep up anymore.  And hilarity ensues.  See for yourself:




I feel like Lucy, and those chocolates flying by are Elise's blood sugars.  I know I shouldn't let them pass me by without doing anything about them, but they're all coming at me too fast.  All I can do is stand there and stare at them.

Or I just end up shoving them down my shirt and in my mouth... metaphorically speaking, of course.  I pretend that they are not even there.

On the surface, it all looks okay... her PDM is showing her average BG to be around 130.  But if you were to look in my bra, you'd find a whole lot of unwrapped chocolates in there.  And I'm betting it would be a bit of a mess; all melted and gooey.

I just wish I knew what to do.  I wish I could stop the conveyor belt so I could catch my breath for a bit.  And I wish I could find a resolution in just 30 minutes (well, 22 if you count commercials).

But most of all, I wish Elise's BGs really WERE chocolates.  Because that would be kinda cool. 

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas

A little late, but better than not at all.

Merry Christmas from Fred, Joanne, Elise, Mattias and Lucas!

Things Diabetes has taught me this month... December edition

I never got around to posting November's "Things"... I know I had a bunch of them, but then I had a baby and gave birth to what was left of my brain. I'm a few days late with December, but at least I'm making the effort, right?  Here goes...

-Always be prepared when it comes to D. Heck, when it comes to ANYTHING. But ESPECIALLY when it comes to D. I haven't shared much about Lucas's birth, but I went into labour while we were an hour away and had to drive straight to the hospital. I walked into L&D with nothing but the clothes on my back. There wasn't even a bag prepared at home for Fred to get. We had nothing ready for the baby either... The bassinet wasn't set up, we had no newborn diapers, no car seat... The only thing I had done was wash his clothes. But worst of all, we had to fly by the seat of our pants with Elise. We had no one to take care of her in the days following Lucas's birth.  Her care manual was still a few pages away from being done. We were lucky to have insulin and an extra pod with us the night Lucas was born.

-Have a back-up plan to your back-up plan. And another plan just in case. We weren't totally unprepared when it came to Elise's care. In the event Lucas came early, we  had approached a few friends that had an inkling of how to care for Elise to see if they were comfortable staying in the waiting room while Fred was in the OR with me. Unfortunately, friend #1 was out of town. Because it was getting late, friend #2 took Mattias to his house. Thankfully, friend #3 was able to get up to the hospital about 30 minutes after I went into surgery.

-Nurses are the bomb-diggity.  I was seriously in a panic about what to do with Elise. If Lucas had waited until his due date, my mom would have been here to look after the kids. But the doc wanted me to get into surgery ASAP and our friend couldn't be get there right away. The amazing nurses in L&D stepped up and offered to care for Elise until B could get there. One even stayed past the end of her shift. And as I quickly went over her pump,CGM and the glucagon with them, I wasn't met with blank or confused looks.  Love those ladies! And what better place for Elise to be, right?

-Sometimes D has to take a backseat. This last month has been coo-coo bananas. Lets review:

• Lucas was born a month early
• He spent 9 days in NICU
• My mom couldn't fly in until 2 days after he was born
• Mattias got sick
• Elise got sick
• Fred got sick
• Fred and I had to split our time between the NICU and home. The kids started acting out and crying every time we tried to even leave the room
• My mom got sick and ended up in the hospital with pneumonia
• I got sick
• I got pink eye in one of my eyes
• Lucas came down with some sort of funk
• At one point I had three doctors appointments in one day, making it a grand total of five for the week.
• I got pink eye in the other eye.

During all this, diabetes was being a jerk. And I feel awful saying this, but I had no time or energy to try and fix it. It really took its toll on poor Elise.


-I am so thankful for the pump.  We were still on MDI when Mattias was born and it was hard.  I think it would be almost impossible this time around.  I am still trying to learn time management with three kiddos, and dinner time is HARD. I had planned on preparing some meals and freezing them for Lucas's arrival, but I never got around to it. Now that my mom has left, things are still so crazy that dinner time sneaks up on me and I don't have anything made. Needless to say, we've been getting a lot of take-out.  I just need to figure out a rhythm to this three kids thing. Or hire a professional chef.  Anyway, I'm thankful that the pump makes mealtime a little less stressful.
 
Whew... That was a long one. And I'm pretty sure I forgot some stuff. As long as this was, it's probably a good thing I did.

My blogging hiatus

And the reason...

Welcome to the world, Lucas Andre... you sure were in a hurry to get here.

But I'm awfully glad to see you.

Lucas was born Saturday, December 8th, after a frantic 60 minute, 100 mph drive to the hospital.  I told Fred that if I had a baby in a car on the side of a road I would kill him.

Lucas came a month early and because of premature lungs, he is still in the NICU.  We are hoping to bring him home today.

Need I say that we are hopelessly in love?

We have a winner!

Sorry I'm a day late... I've been a bit busy feeling sorry for myself.  You see, I'm 35 weeks pregnant, uncomfortable, AND it's been 80 degrees here the last few days.  It's December for the love of all that's holy.  DECEMBER!  Today our church had live Christmas music after service, as well as tables laid out with cookies and hot chocolate to enjoy while listening to said music. 

Did I mention that it's 80 freaking degrees?  This is not natural.  And to all those reading this who live in colder climates and are saying to themselves, "what an ungrateful cow!  I would give anything for some nice, warm weather in December!"  Let me assure you... no, you wouldn't.  It would be okay for about 30 seconds, and then the tiny life you are incubating inside you would make you feel as if you are going to burst into flames at any moment. 

Now that 've had my hormonal rage for today, onto happier things!  Like drawing the winner of the WDD Hope sign...

Mixing up the numbers... we're a high tech household.

She took her job as number picker very seriously...

And the winner is.... comment #4!  Sarah from the Ethan & Issac Show!

Congrats Sarah, just email me your address by clicking the "contact me" link, and we'll get the sign sent out to you.  Or maybe I'll just come up there and hand deliver it.  I could use some rain right about now.