Secret Santa

Our secret Santa, we started this tradition a couple of years ago and I wanted to share it with you. In one of our efforts to take the commercialism away from the holidays my husband and I decided to start a secret Santa with our kids. At thanksgiving we each pull a name and for the month of December we are that person’s secret Santa. The only rule with the secret Santa is that you have to do things for your secret Santa all month, just because. Know one knows who has who and its not about buying that person things, its about being there for that person, doing things that will be special to your secret person. Its about knowing that one person hates getting up and going out to a cold car, so someone starts their car in the morning for them, its about finding notes from your secret Santa that tell you how much they love you, its about coming home and finding your bed made the room tidy, its about getting an extra hug from someone, a foot massage when you least expect it and just learning about what makes the person who’s name you have pulled happy.

I just wanted to do my happy dance when this Thanksgiving, Nikki had all the names already in a bag to pull for our secret Santa’s and was so excited about it. It was funny to hear our sons commenting about what they did prior years, or who did what. I think I have found this to be my favorite activity during the holidays.

So take a moment and think about your special someone and surprise them with a secret note, or gesture you will be amazed at the smile it will bring to them and the hug it will give your heart.

Happy Holidays From your friends at Pump Wear

For fun creative ways to wear your insulin pump along with a growing line of diabetes awareness items visit us at www.pumpwearinc.com

Looking for the place to customize your own accessories, such as diabetes bags, packs and insulin pump accessories check out www.girlygirlstudio.com where you are the designer.

Thankful For

Thankful For

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, I just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who has touched our lives this past year. It continues to amaze me how some people come into your life and how just knowing a person can bring so many new joys.

Although I absolutely hate this disease, I truly love the people that we have been blessed to meet and know through it. You know they say always find a positive and if there was ever a positive about Diabetes it is all of you wonderful people that have touched our lives.


From Our Family To Yours we wish you a holiday season filled with friends, relatives and love and joy, and a wish for a New Year with more advances in finding a cure for diabetes.

Happy Turkey Day!

So You Think You Can Dance Contest

Congratulations to Nikki & Madden who came in first place in the "So You Think You Can Dance Contest". This contest was held at the girls school and it was held just like American Idol with 3 judges that graded each act.

The girls worked extra hard on getting their act together, doing lots of practice. Madden's mom Jen was their coach and as Nikki will tell you she worked the hard! (funny what 12 year olds consider hard). All their hard work paid off.

Nikki wasn't thrilled about being the boy but she looked so cute and Madden was beautiful, they coordinated their outfits so the ribbon on the top of Nikki's hat matched Madden's dress.

It was a wonderful evening and all of the contestants did a really great job. It takes a lot for kids to get up in front of a full crowd of their peers and dance, then be judged.

So congratulations to everyone who participated. Of course Nikki's numbers were off the chart after the event, and there was only 1 trophy but the girls are doing wonderful sharing the prize, Nikki had it and Now Madden is enjoying it. Great to see how friends can share.

Julie

Finding The Medical Alert That Works

We all struggle with getting our children to wear a medical alert. Something that they will keep on. We have run the full scope of medical alerts trying to make sure that the Adam, Patrick and Nikki keep an alert on at all times. This is not easy as I am sure most of you know, you may start with something and think that they are wearing the alert than find that they have taken it off and are not actually wearing the alert at all times. Believe me this is an ongoing battle.

I think the pump itself is a direct give away that the person wearing it has diabetes but i still struggle to keep medical alerts on the kids.

Well we have been working with a line of diabetes awareness jewelry that is really cool Dazzling, multi-faceted crystal pendants that create the perfect focal point. Really beautiful jewelry, we have been playing with putting the word diabetes on one of the necklaces and fell in love with this vertical style alert.

The first shipment came in yesterday and 12 year old Nikki (yesterday was her birthday) saw them and immediately put one on. I did not ask her to wear one or even offer it to her she saw them and just wanted one. Finally something she really likes, the only thing is that its not waterproof so she does have to remove it to shower, but she doesn't seem to mind.

I would have a picture of her wearing it but she got out of here today before i could get the picture. So watch for the updated picture when she returns.

Driving With Diabetes

Safe Driving With Diabetes

As a mom with 2 sons with diabetes who are both driving I am interested in hearing how others handle “driving with diabetes”.

The things we have done:

1. Both boys are on sensors
2. We are instilling in them the importance of testing before they turn the key even if they feel fine.
3. We have visor cases in their cars with dex 4 tablets, a cake gel and a drink box all in the cars they drive.

Although we think we are covering all the basis I would be interest in hearing what others are doing to ensure that our kids are safe on the road. Have an idea, let us know, safe driving is important and we want to keep our kids safe.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the car wouldn’t start until they tapped a drop of blood into the installed tester and if it was under 70 wouldn’t let them start the car!

Julie

New Pump Pack & Meter Case Design Center!

Design Center Has Arrived!

It’s about time we finally have the ability to totally dress up diabetes, and now we can! With the help of our friends at Girly Girl Studio www.girlygirlstudio.com we now have the ability to design our own pump cases. With a large selection of growing fabric choices you now can design our popular pump cases in fabrics and styles that you like.

Meter cases can also be designed to match your insulin pump pack then for the really fashion conscience you can design a handbag, headbands, wallets, key chains, and even t-shirts all to match! Never have we had such awesome possibilities open to us.

So check out the new website of Girly Girl Studio and create your very own original insulin pump case here http://www.girlygirlstudio.com/more-gg/pump-packs.html

Enjoy, they also have gift certificates to give your special someone for the holidays

Because you are a friend of Pump Wear enter “pumpwear” in the coupon field when ordering and they will give you a 5% discount on anything you purchase through their store.

Julie & Dawn

The Sensors don’t lie

Well today we had our first appointment since Nikki went on the sensor last month. I am totally amazed at the amount of information that we were able to obtain, analyze and study.

It was very informative to see that at lunch time Nikki doesn’t bolus or test! This was something that I have been after her about and have even told her that she was going to have to start going to the nurse so that we could make sure that she does test at lunch time. She just started doing this and I don’t know exactly why all the sudden she can’t remember to test and bolus. Now that we have all the information in front of us there’s no denying what is going on. Nikki of course wanted to say that she was testing and blousing but when you have the charts and numbers and alarm notices (oh yeah she just turns those off every 2 hours), than there is no way to deny what is truly going on. (no wonder she is hating having to wear the sensor). I for one am glad to see a clear picture of what is really happening with her blood sugars.

I need to remember that she is only 11 and “she forgets” those are her words, how you forget something that you have been doing day in and day out for the past 10 years I don’t know. I would think it would be habit at this point but I could be wrong. I suspect that it might me more of an issue with not wanting to test and bolus in school, but I don’t know for sure.

So starting tomorrow her phone has been programmed to beep at lunch time she will test and text me the blood sugar and that she has bloused. 1 Missed test or bolus and it’s off to the nurse for her!

Next one up is Patrick can’t wait to see what his reveals!