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Move to Action

Hi Maizey Folks! This new year, I have decided that in addition to working hard to care for my corn allergic lovey in a corn based society, I will be more proactive in calling attention to corn allergy and working for change. FAAN has made such huge progress with the publicity of the Top 8. Here, however, is the problem; because FAAN really only acknowledges the Top 8, other frequently occurring food allergies get completely ignored including corn – which is in the Top 10.

Here’s what I think we should do…

1. Call, write and/or email senators, congress people, government officials and as my Dad would say, “even the dog catcher”.
2. Call, write and/or email FAAN. Be vocal! Peanut parents did a GREAT job – we need to follow their lead.
3. In your local school (if your kids attend) be loud – be vocal!
4. If you encounter a restaurant/establishment who is particularly accommodating,  write them! Write their headquarters! Email your local news network!

Let’s make this a year of pro-activity! Do you have more ideas? I LOVE COMMENTS!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2010 to You and your Niblets! May it be a safe one!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Maizey Folks! Big Poppa, Sissy and DB are all off until January 4th, and because family time is such a precious commodity, I, too, am going to take a “Christmas Vacation” until January 4th. Until the 4th, have a beautiful, blessed Christmas, always remembering that we celebrate that God gave us the gift of his one begotten son, the gift of salvation, the gift of grace that we don’t deserve.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,  Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

Corn Facts!

• An average ear of corn has 800 kernels arranged in 16 rows.
• Corn always has an even number of rows on each ear.
• There is one piece of silk per kernel of corn.
• Each tassel releases 5 million grains of pollen.
• Each corn plant is male and female. The silk is female, while the tassel is male.
• Corn is grown on every continent except for Antarctica.
• Corn is thought to have been domesticated in 6700 BC in Mexico.
• Corn consumption breaks down like this:
  • Mexico – 400 pounds annually per person.
  • USA – 160 pounds annually per person.
  • India – 15 pounds annually per person
• 2005 corn production looks like this:
  • World production – 686 million metric tons.
  • USA production – 282 million metric tons.
• One bushel of corn makes:
  • 33 pounds of sweetener
  • 32 pounds of starch OR
  • 2.5 gallons ethanol fuel.
• One bushel of corn also makes approximately 400 cans of soda.
• One bushel of corn fed to livestock produces:
  • 5.6 pounds of retail beef
  • 13 pounds of retail pork
  • 32 pounds of chicken OR
  • 28 pounds of catfish.
• Cookie Jarvis, a competitive eater, holds the record for corn on the cob. He ate 33.5 pounds ears in 12 minutes.

Quite a catch ladies, am I right? Hubba-Hubba. (This is not a picture of Cookie Jarvis).

Frugal Finds – Baking Soda

Earlier this year, I wrote a post about the many uses of hydrogen peroxide. Well, it’s time for another edition of frugal finds and this time, we are talking baking soda. So many of the cleaning products we use have toxins which are dangerous to all kids and pets. When you also consider that many of those same cleaners contain corn, you get a very hazardous condition for your corn allergic lovey.

Most of us use baking soda to freshen up the fridge and freezer, and of course several baking recipes call for baking soda, but that is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

1. Shampoo! It’s natural and works great.
2. Deodorant (apply with a powder puff).
3. Facial scrub (bye-bye blackheads).
4. Toothpaste (either by itself or make a paste with hydrogen peroxide).
5. Add ½ c. to bathwater to soften skin.
6. Soothe bug bites.
7. Soothe sunburn and windburn.
8. Soothe poison ivy.
9. Bathe baby in a bath with baking soda to relieve diaper rash.
10. Antacid (1 tsp. baking soda in a half glass of water).
11. Relieve canker sores.
12. Draw venom out of jellyfish sting.
13. Draw venom out of bee sting.
14. Add a teaspoon to a vaporizer to relieve a stuffy nose.
15. Take the funk out of dishrags.
16. Sprinkle in trash can to alleviate stinky garbage syndrome.
17. Sprinkle on a sponge to gently clean marble, stainless steel.
18. Use it to clean the bathroom (sink, faucet, tub, toilet outside and in).
19. Remove crayon from walls.
20. Soak combs and brushes in it.
21. Clean coolers and water bottles with it to alleviate stale smells.
22. Run through coffee pot to clean.
23. Run through dishwasher to clean.
24. Add a teaspoon to the water in your vase to keep the flowers fresh longer.
25. Put in ashtray to alleviate smell and control smoldering.
26. Sprinkle in shoes to get rid of the funk.
27. Put on a windshield and rub inside and out to repel rain.
28. Put around your flowerbeds to keep rabbits from a smorgasbord.
29. Wash fruits and veggies! (The store bought stuff has lots of corn.)
30. While soaking dried beans, add soda to mute the fruit.
31. Put 1/2 c. in wash machine with each wash to deodorize and brighten.
32. Pour on greasy spots on garage floor to clean.
33. Soak pans with burned on food for 10 minutes to ease cleaning.
34. Clean retainers and dentures.
35. Soak and wash cloth diapers.
36. Clean the grill grate.
37. Polish silver.
38. Mix with toothpaste for a cheap spackle.
39. Take scratches out of CDs (NOT DVDs) – take a wet paper towel and dip in baking soda- rub CD gently.
40. Put 1 tsp. soda and 1 pint water in a spray bottle to douse grill flare ups.
41. Clean and deodorize fishing gear.
42. Remove porcupine quills from the dog. Mix 1 tsp. soda with 1 c. vinegar – apply and let sit for 10 minutes. Reapply and wait another 10 minutes, the quills should come out easily.
43. Remove skunk smell from Fido.
44. Deodorize the dog between baths – sprinkle with soda and comb thoroughly.
45. Deodorize a mattress after an “accident”.
46. Sprinkle on icy stairs and walkways.
47. Clean stuffed animals. Place 1 c. soda in plastic bag, put animal in and shake well. Wait 15 minutes, then use hairbrush to remove soda.
48. Clogged drain? Pour in 1/2 c. soda, then put in 1 c. vinegar. Let foam for 10 minutes, then follow with very hot water.

Do you have other uses for baking soda? Please share!

There's Corn in That?

Yes, Virginia, there IS corn in that...
1.   Aspirin
2.   Disposable diapers
3.   Splenda

Conditioner? I hardly knew her!

Hello Maizey Folks!

I am sorry it has been so long since I last posted, I have been trying to finish my Christmas knitting. On the upside, I have done so much knitting I can crack a walnut with my bare hands (you know, probably).

Sissy has been having a terrible time with skin sensitivities as a result of her corn allergy. Because of that, I wanted to keep her bathwater completely free of any chemicals, so I have been washing her hair with baking soda. Like you, I am addicted to my "Organic Pomegranate Shampoo Infused with......." but to be perfectly honest, the baking soda works really well. Her hair is quite clean and soft and there isn't the typical shampoo/conditioner build up that can occur. We've done this for about a month and not only is her hair shiny and soft, her skin issues have cleared up and we are all much happier!

Do you have any chemical free bathtime tips? We would love to hear them!

Happy to be back give-away!

I have three Mabel's Labels magnets to give away! Tell me two things - your favorite "Label out Loud" motif (you can find it here) and a topic you would like me to address in the upcoming blogs! I will pick three winners randomly at 9 p.m. MST on Thursday.

Good luck, Maizey Folks!

I'm Back!

More accurately, Talulah is back! She came home today - I am so happy! So I will be posting again within the next couple days!

Snack Attack

Hi folks, I wrestled my husband's laptop out of his hands long enough to put up a quick post! I am hoping my laptop, Talulah, comes back soon - I miss her. Sniff.

Sometimes snacks are difficult to procure for a little person with a corn allergy or food allergies in general. On that note, a great friend, Mary, sent me an email about a product she found that I wanted to share with you.

Brother's All Natural Fruit Crisps

There are a variety of flavors including, Fuji Apple, Strawberry-banana, Pineapple, Banana, Asian Pear, White and Yellow Peach and Strawberry. Mary found them at Costco. I checked the website, http://www.brothersallnatural.com/ they are also available at: Whole Foods, Walmart, 7-11, Toys-R-Us, Amazon.com, Walgreens, CVS and Rite-Aid.

Check out the website, and check out some for your little niblet - and a big thank you to Mary to keeping her eyes open and her willingness to share what she found. As always, if you come across a product you love, let us know!

Blogging Break

Hello Maizey Friends. My computer has developed a serious case of dead - so it is going for a vacation to India to see if they can do anything. Until it returns, I will be blogging fairly infrequently, but please keep checking back - as soon as my computer comes back we will be back on track!

Sale at The Maizey Store

If you order before midnight today and receive *UP TO 50% off your order. Just use code CAPSLOCKDAY9

Enjoy!

There's Corn in That?

The theme for this episode is dedicated to Ethyl Alcohol. Ethyl Alcohol you ask while adding that we talk corn not alcohol. There is one thing that Ethyl Alcohol is made from - #2 Yellow Dent Corn!

1. Rocket Fuel
2. Whiskey (There's some whiskey that could double as rocket fuel)
3. Hand Sanitizer

Extreme Blog Makeover

My previous layout was really dark so, thanks to the Template Mama I have a new and improved look. Come on in, look around, tell me what you think!

Book Report

I am a book junkie, a word nerd, a bibliophile - Big Poppa calls me an addict, but I can stop at any time, it's just a social thing.... Alright, between you and me I am an ADDICT. When Sissy was first diagnosed as having a corn allergy I went looking for books. I found a few that were very helpful so I want to share them with you. Please know I am not getting paid to endorse these books, I just found them really helpful. They now take a prominent place on my overrun bookshelves - having been run over with high-lighters, notes in the margins, dog ears and flags. I am hoping that some of the things I found helpful will help you as well.

1.) Food Allergies For Dummies

While I may not be the biggest fan of the name, the information provided is second to none. The book contains a tear out sheet with a food label crib sheet, symptom check list and reaction response plan. There are chapters on what to do when you are first faced with a diagnosis as well as how to live well with food allergies. There are helpful items for sending kids to school, camp and Nana's house. The last section is dedicated to "The Part of Tens"; which are top ten lists that are really helpful and very on topic.

2.) Food Allergy Field Guide : A Lifestyle Manual for Families

I really like this book because first of all it includes corn allergies, which can be hard to find, but also, there are a ton of recipes that I have had really good success with. It includes how to deal with family members that don't get it. We all have those family members who say, "Well in my day, there was no such thing as food allergies. These kids just don't want to finish their plate" - or some other such nonsense. That's why I appreciate a chapter subtitled, "Grandma's Not Trying to Kill you, She Just Doesn't Know".

3.) One Of The Gang: Nurturing the Souls of Children with Food Allergies

This is one to read to the little people in your lives who have food allergies. It's great. It contains help with the grief and sadness of it all as well as famous and successful people who also have food allergies.

 

Do you have books that you have found helpful? Please share!

Update

Tracee Sioux, over at one of my favorite websites The Girl Revolution informed me that my comment section was having issues. It has been fixed and you can comment away!

Also! I have new products at the Maizey Store - click the link at the right!

Halloween!

With Halloween coming up soon, I was wondering what you do to help your food allergic kiddo celebrate! Please share your ideas and comments! We could all use the ideas!

Frugal Find

Part of the difficulty of managing a corn allergy is the incredible expense. You can not find very many things that are generic because those items contain corn. That's pretty hard on the average family, however. So in that vein, I am going to feature a frugal find. Watch for more frugal finds in the weeks to come!

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE  

I think most everyone has hydrogen peroxide lurking around in their medicine cabinet. You can usually find 16 ounces for under a dollar. We all know to pour it on a cut or sore to disinfect it, but there are hundreds of uses for peroxide around the house. Other than the family friendly price point, there is no corn in peroxide so it is safe.

1. Pour a cup into a washer full of white clothes to whiten your laundry.
2. Make a 50/50 peroxide and water mixture and keep in a spray bottle to use as sanitizer for cutting boards, kitchen counters, bathroom surfaces, etc.
3. Soak fungus riddled finger and toe nails in a 50/50 peroxide/water mixture twice every day.
4. Dab liberally onto acne with a cotton ball at least a couple times a day to clear up acne.
5. Sanitize toothbrushes by soaking for ten minutes in peroxide.
6. Produce wash! (The stuff they sell at the store contains corn)
7. Remove blood from clothing by soaking in peroxide for ten minutes, rub together and rinse with cold water. Repeat as needed.
8. Use as a window cleaner.
9. Whiten teeth by swishing in mouth 5 to 10 minutes every day.
10. If your dog eats poison give her 2 teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting.
11. Fill a spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide and spray your tile grout. Let set for 15 minutes clean with a toothbrush dipped in peroxide, repeat the spray and rinse off.
12. Kill mold. With a spray bottle filled with h2o2
13. Add 2 ounces (2 tablespoons) of peroxide to the dishwasher to make those glasses sparkle!

Do you have a use for peroxide that you want to share? We LOVE comments!

Genius Product

Have you heard of Mabel's Labels? They are a Canadian company of moms who really understand the need for good labels.

My favorite is the package of safety labels. They are dishwasher and microwave safe as well as UV resistant. Sissy takes a water bottle to school, church, shopping - everywhere. I have a safety label on her water bottle. The plate and lid combo in which I take Sissy's meals with us is decorated with one on the top and one on the bottom. I cannot recommend them highly enough!

I love them. They are bright red with a cute icon, your kiddos name and allergy. Hop on over to Mabel's Labels to check out their products! I am not getting paid to endorse Mabel's Labels; I just REALLY love them!