A giveaway that was 2,000 people in the making!

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Can I just say how much I LOVE my Facebook fans?

I do. You rock.

I want to say thank you. For liking me. Somehow you guys found my Facebook page, read my blog, and yet still stick around to hang out.


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And since you are all cool like that, it's time to celebrate a momentous occasion. The Caffeinated Autism Mom Facebook page finally reached 2,000 Likes, and it has been a loooong time coming.

Thanks for showing up and letting me know that I am not alone in my often-caffeinated, autism-laced wanderings in life. It's nice to know that there are folks there who share in some of my misery, successes, confusion, brand of hilarity, mishaps, and let's face it...crazy.

My gift to you is a sweet kitchen towel and potholder set featuring the vintage coffee lady that resembles me to a certain degree.

If I can ever afford my own custom graphics for this little blog, I imagine I'll change the CAM images to look a bit more like her. After all, she's a wavy-haired brunette, just like me. Oh, and you gotta love how she rocks the pearls and the fancy cup!

Now, get on with it. Win the cool kitchen towel set already. And, don't forget that sharing is caring.

**Please Note: Some folks with Internet Explorer are not seeing the giveaway widget below. It works flawlessly in the Chrome browser, if you are having any trouble.**

It's my birthday and YOU get the present!

I found the coolest mug on Amazon last week.

 

I bought it on impulse. I couldn't resist. I thought it was cute with the thermal ink changing color when there is coffee (or other hot beverage) in your cup.

 

Click here to buy on Amazon.com.

Guess what? I bought two mugs - one for me and one for you, my dear readers! It's my birthday and you get to share in the fun!

You may recall that I announced a book giveaway last Friday, but I had some technical issues with the two widgets I used for the online giveaway entry. So, I decided to make it super simple to enter to win this mug.

All you have to do is leave a comment below, but you have to include your email address in order to be included in the giveaway.

See? Easy, right?

There is a very short window of opportunity here, since I will announce the winners of both the book and the mug at the same time on Wednesday.

You have until midnight tonight! Good luck!

Book Review & Giveaway: Easy to Love but Hard to Raise

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? Well, today I’m trying to help you out a little bit with that. I have a book that is perfect to give to your extended family members who maybe need a little insight about special needs. Or, you can keep it as a nice gift for yourself as a reminder that you are not alone.

I was contacted by DRT Press about the new book, Easy to Love but Hard to Raise: Real Parents; Challenging Kids, True Stories, edited by Kay Marner and Adrienne Ehlert Bashista. They didn’t give me a big, fat check to say nice things about them, but they did send me a shiny, new copy of this book in paperback. I was cool with that because I love books, and may even have a slight problem with them - you should see all the books in my office…

You, my friends, now have a chance to win a copy of Easy to Love but Hard to Raise for your very own! It’s like a little bit of Christmas from me to you (courtesy of DRT Press). J

The editors set the tone for the book when they gave their acknowledgements:

…to all the parents of children who are oh-so-easy to love, but so hard to raise. May you find hope, community and kindred spirits in these pages.

You know you are in for something real when you see a statement like that.

There are stories written by 32 parents that describe situations they’ve had with their children. Between these anecdotes are brief Q & A sections with 25 experts that discuss related issues. This is a unique approach and it provides a nice contrast in content.

Rather than focusing on my favorite moments from the diverse stories shared within its pages, I find myself more drawn to the intent of the book.

I really appreciated the Foreward written by Dr. Edward Hallowell. Here is an excerpt taken from page xi:

Some kids are easy to love. Some kids just sail through childhood getting love wherever and whenever they need it. But then there are the kids who live in alphabet soup. They are not so easy to love. They can be difficult, distant, disobedient, defiant, dangerous, even delusional. They can leave a parent crying herself to sleep every night, they can leave a parent feeling guilty for having negative feelings, they can leave a parent despairing that the child will ever find a way in the world, they can deplete the store of love every parent starts off with.

But they can’t deplete it for long. That’s what’s so amazing about these parents. They keep on going. They never give up. They give their all, and then they find more all to give. They are paragons of the best of the human spirit. And they earn this praise in the hot and dusty arena of the struggle to raise a child who can seem, at times, impossible to raise.    

Yes!

Yes. He gets it.

With the Introduction from Kay Marner, we realize the true meaning of this book. It is this intent with which I write my blog. These words could have just as easily come from me and they speak the truth of what many of us parents in the trenches seek to do by reaching out to others.

No, I’m not a parenting expert, but I am an expert on my child and the complex and contradictory emotions that come with raising her. In time I’ve learned that there’s value in sharing these emotions. Expert advice is not the only thing struggling parents need. We also need to know we’re not alone; to know that other parents are going through similar experiences, making similar mistakes, and searching for similar answers. We need something experts can’t give us: we need each other.

Absolutely.

There’s really nothing more to say, is there?

If you want to learn about how other parents are dealing with ADHD, SPD, OCD, PDD and other diagnoses, than you should definitely take some time to read this book. The parent perspective is a refreshing change from the dry, scientific “experts” that we all read in our spare time between the various daily crises, adventures and attempts to sleep.

One thing is certain, if you hadn’t already figured it out: you are not alone.

Thank you to DRT Press for giving me a chance to read this book, and also for allowing me to give away a copy to my dear readers. To learn more about this book, visit www.easytolovebut.com or www.drtpress.com.   

*UPDATE as of 11/30/12 12pm Pacific*
There have been some technical difficulties with the giveaway widget since I posted this 12 hours ago. I started out with Rafflecopter and had a couple of entries, but ultimately I had to trash that one. I have to apologize to those that entered via Rafflecopter - I have no idea who you are...sorry. You will need to re-enter with the new widget. I replaced the old widget with a new one from PunchTab that seems to be doing better, unless you are on Internet Explorer. So far, it does not appear to work in IE at all and will not get past the "loading" screen. You will need to use Chrome or some other browser to enter the giveaway. SORRY for all of the issues this time around.

I’ll announce the winner of the giveaway next week! Good luck, everyone!

Caffeinated Autism Mom for Governor?

Apparently I was written in as a candidate for Governor on a ballot! Talk about shock. Wanna know who thought I was more qualified than the other candidates?

My dad.

I guess I should take it as a compliment, although I thought it was a waste of a perfectly good vote.

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I will admit that I got a tiny bit of satisfaction thinking that some person in the Auditor's office was going to have to add me to a list of write-in candidates.

Right along with Mickey Mouse.

Well, I was almost famous for one day with my single vote for Governor.

In honor of election day and my brief stint as a candidate for Governor, I thought I would make an announcement.

I won the Best Parenting Blog in the Best of Western Washington contest that I was harrassing you about on Facebook for the better part of September and October!

If you voted for me, I really appreciate it. The contest may be a local one, but to those of us who live in the Seattle area, it's kind of a big deal and I'm very excited about winning.

One little side note:
I saw on their website that I won the contest (and even checked it twice that day out of disbelief!), but then their site went down. Now, I can't obsessively check it just to "make sure." Since then, they keep pushing out the date they will re-release the final tally. Something about technical issues. So, I won according to their site, pre-crash, and I hope it stays that way! I'm moving forward with it, and hope I don't have to eat my words later...  

You may also remember me asking begging you for your vote in the Chase Community Giving $5 million grant contest. My nonprofit was ultimately too small and unpopular to win, but I'm happy for each and every vote we got. I hope we can try again next year and do even better. I guess I can't win 'em all, right?

I found this little gem on Facebook.
Make sure my coffee is Stumptown Roasters.
Their coffee is so yummy! :-)

In honor of the one thing I did win, and as a thank you to everyone for putting up with the constant barrage of voting requests on Facebook and Twitter, I'm announcing a blog giveaway!

I have a coffee-themed gift. Several, actually. Did you expect anything less from CAM? I haven't chosen the specific item I'm going to give away for this contest, but they are all cool if you like coffee. And, you do like coffee, don't you? 

To enter, all you have to do is leave me your favorite picture, cartoon, or image related to coffee and post it on my Facebook page. Make sure to include your email address so I can reach you if you win! I will select a winner and make the announcement on Monday the 12th.

Good luck, and thank you for voting!        

Silly Creatures Giveaway

How was your Memorial Day weekend? I hope it was great! We did a lot of stuff around my house, but somehow we ended up with a bigger mess than we started with. Somehow I need to find some time to fix that problem!

I am happy to announce that today we have a giveaway! A while ago I was contact by Flor, the owner and creator of Silly Creatures. After reading her story and visiting her website, I was excited to have the opportunity to share one of her Silly Creatures with you.

I love the fact that her products are all made with eco-friendly and natural materials, like organic cotton. In addition, Flor is working toward receiving a B Corporation certification. I had no idea what this was until I learned more about it here. Certified B Corporations use “the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.” That’s pretty cool!

Even before I decided to run a nonprofit, I always felt more compelled to do business with companies who were generous. I truly appreciate that Silly Creatures gives back to the community and is making a difference for meaningful organizations and programs.

The company and concept of Silly Creatures started as a request from Flor’s son, Simon. He drew pictures of what he wanted and even gave the creatures names. Flor bought the supplies and started to make her first Silly Creature. When Simon wanted to play with the stuffing, Flor decided to create a digestive tract. A child could then pretend to feed the toy and have the “food” come out the other side.  

The K-BEU family of Silly Creatures

The Silly Creatures idea was born, and several different types are now available. Polished stones serve as the food that kids can give to the creatures, and then they can push it through the digestive tract. The creatures provide play with several functions, including learning about anatomy and also helping to develop fine motor skills.

Flor was kind enough to send me a Silly Creature to give away to you! Isn’t that great? If you have a child that you think would enjoy this toy, please take a moment and enter to win! The giveaway will be open through Saturday and then I’ll announce the winner next Monday.

Don’t forget to visit Silly Creatures on Facebook and Twitter! Good luck!  



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Autism Awareness Month 2012

Today marks the last day of Autism Awareness Month 2012. Did you do anything in particular this year to draw attention, spread awareness, or create action?

All month long I've been wearing my autism button on my jacket lapel. It says, "April is autism awareness month. Every day is autism awareness day in our home." It's been a great conversation starter for those who take the time to read it when I'm out and about.

I've also been wearing my autism t-shirts. In fact, I made a new one last week with a handy dandy iron-on transfer placed on a new white shirt.

Here is the image I put on the front of my shirt:

On the back of the shirt I added the Pyramid of Crazy. I wore the shirt to an autism awareness event that my nonprofit co-hosted with another special needs organization. The next morning I also wore the shirt to another autism fundraising event I attended. I got a lot of smiles and comments on the shirt, so I guess the idea was alright after all.

I've also been drawing attention to autism through various speaking engagements and meetings within my local community. There is a lot to talk about! Some of those events have yielded future meetings and speaking engagements. Much work is to be done, but if people in my own community can learn something about autism and be more aware and more tolerant, then it is all definitely worth the time and effort.

There are a few posts I'd like to share with you that I wrote last year that may add a little something to this, the last day of Autism Awareness Month 2012.

1. I did a Facebook project a couple of years ago where I listed 1 thing about autism each day of April for my status update. Read all about it at: Autism Awareness Tidbits

2. I wrote my take on "Welcome to Holland." Autism may not be like tiptoeing through the tulips. Read on at: Welcome to Holland. Or is it Beirut?

3. Last but not least, I like to share a brief post I wrote called, Every day is autism awareness day.

Thank you for joining me for Autism Awareness Month. I wonder what I'll do next year?

P.S. I want to announce our winner from the coffee giveaway I posted last week in appreciation of reaching over 1,000 likes on Facebook. The winner is Marisa! I numbered all of the comments and then had my hubby pick a random number. Hers was the winner! Marisa, I sent you an email so get in touch with me and I'll send you your coffee! I hope you enjoy it.      

  

Another giveaway! How much do I love you?

Last week we made it to a magnificent 1,000 "Likes" on Facebook! I was floored by the love from you guys, so I thought I'd send some love right back at ya!

It's time for another giveaway!

As a token of appreciation for visiting my blog's little corner on Facebook, I thought I would pick a gift for you that is near and dear to my heart.

What could it be?

Well, think about my name: Caffeinated Autism Mom.

Any guesses? It's pretty obvious, I think.

I'm giving away coffee, of course!

Up for grabs is a 12-ounce bag of Grounds for Change whole bean coffee. Their coffee is fair trade certified, organic certified, CarbonFree certified, and shade grown. Can you say awesome? It is the Nicaragua "Segovia" variety, which is a medium roast with notes of caramel apple and roasted nuts.

Sound delicous? Just writing all of that is making me want to invent a remote controlled coffee maker. Right. Now.

Now, for a confession.

I thoughtfully purchased this bag of coffee...for myself. And, I have been looking forward to opening it. I have never tried the Grounds for Change brand and I've been wanting to.

However, you may recall that recently I have been making a concerted effort to cut down on my caffeine consumption. It sucks. But, my body is happier with the change. I have learned it's okay to say, "decaf."

So, my friends, you get to reap the benefit! I figured this was a perfect way for me to say thanks for hanging out with me on Facebook.

Entering to win is easy. All you have to do is:

1. Like Caffeinated Autism Mom on Facebook.
2. Leave a comment below this post that includes:
    (a) your email address, and
    (b) your favorite coffee brand and/or favorite coffee drink.

That's it! Remember, if you don't include your email address, I can't let you know if you won! I'll accept blog comment entries all week long. The winner will be announced on Facebook next Monday, April 30th.  

By the way, my drink of choice right now is a decaf, ristretto shot latte. If I'm feeling extra indulgent, I make it a breve. Just in case you were wondering.

Before I wrap this up, I wanted to take a moment to announce the winner of the copy of Kate Winslet's book, The Golden Hat.

Drum roll, please...

The winner is: Denise Walk! Congratulations, Denise! I have already sent you an email, so I hope to hear from you soon.

Good luck to everyone with the latest giveaway! If you win, I'd love to hear how the coffee tastes. I may have to buy another bag of it to try!

Book Review & Giveaway: The Golden Hat

Last April I first shared with you about Kate Winslet’s upcoming book entitled, The Golden Hat. I was intrigued by how she became friends with an autism family following her experience of voicing the English narration of their film, A Mother’s Courage. The documentary chronicled the story of Margret and her son, Keli, a teenager with nonverbal autism.

Kate shares how she became emotionally invested in the family:

Through working on the film, I entered a new world of families with children who have autism, where the challenges they face daily are profound and overwhelming. The look on Keli’s face when he typed his first words to me touched me as a mother, and as a human being. I witnessed Margret discover her son after years of silence. As a mother of two very verbal, expressive, affectionate children, it wasn’t enough to provide this narration alone and to simply walk away.

Taking inspiration from Keli’s new ability to communicate and a poem he wrote about a magical Golden Hat. The hat that Keli described could help a boy without a voice to talk. Kate decided to send around one of her old hats and ask celebrities to take their self-portrait.  She asked that those who took a photograph while wearing the hat would think about those individuals with nonverbal autism and then express something important to them.

Margret begins her story with the following:

Imagine waking up in your bed, just as you are now, with all your mental capacity and intelligence. In your mind, you know that everything is the way it is supposed to be…except one thing. Your senses are all mixed up. You cannot see and hear at the same time. You only get a fragmented view of your environment. You have little sense of where your body is. You cannot speak. You have no voice.

Margret had been told that her son, Keli, only had the capacity of a 2-year old. This obviously tempered the way she treated him. It was incredible to read about how everything she thought she knew about her son was actually incorrect, like when she learned his favorite authors were Twain and Tolkien and not Teletubbies. I can hardly imagine how she must have felt when she realized so many new things about her son. Particularly heartbreaking was her description of some medical issues her son went through. A child without speech is exceedingly difficult to diagnose!

The more I read, the more I wanted to learn about her son’s story. In fact, I added her documentary to my Netflix queue. I can’t wait to watch it! I am interested to see how Keli progressed from nonverbal to communicating through the RPM (rapid prompting method) via HALO in Austin, Texas. I actually know a local family who utilized RPM and HALO and I can’t wait to learn more about it and about Keli’s journey into communication.  

I love how Margret ends her chapter:

Now imagine going to bed. Everything is as it is supposed to be, except one thing. Your senses are all mixed up. You sense your surroundings in a fragmented way. But you are assured. You know that you are among people who care for you. People who are willing to fight for you and do their best to lend you a voice. You close your eyes, knowing that when you wake up the next morning, you have the means to communicate your desires, wants, and feelings.

Now that’s something to be grateful for.

For me, The Golden Hat: Talking Back to Autism was well worth the read even if I hadn’t seen the pictures and quotes from the various celebrities. I was enthralled by the stories from Margret and Kate, and it was really interesting to read the various emails that went back and forth between them as the book idea and The Golden Hat Foundation came into existence. I love the genuine spirit between these women and know they have forged a friendship to be cherished.

I especially love that all of the proceeds from the book will benefit The Golden Hat Foundation, which seeks to build innovative living campuses for people with autism.

The celebrity photos and quotes are just icing on the cake. The sheer number of famous people who participated in Kate’s book project is pleasantly surprising. The book gives the feel of a more substantial coffee table book, with full color photography (albeit candid self-portraits taken with a point and shoot camera). Some celebrities really took the project’s intent to heart as they provided their quote. Others? Not so much. But, the result is an eclectic mix of perspective that is fun to read through.

Some of the most touching quotes are from individuals on the autism spectrum who are nonverbal.

At the age of 14, Keli communicated, “I am real.”

In response to the question, “What have you been doing all these years?”, 19-year old Dov said, “Listening.”

The Golden Hat: Talking Back to Autism is a book that I consider a conversation starter. If we have not been personally touched by a nonverbal child with autism, this book will serve as a great place to begin thinking and talking about it. And, it’s obviously fun to see some of your favorite celebs in personal moments (not airbrushed and perfectly coiffed).

Bravo to Kate Winslet for getting involved and trying to make a difference in the autism community, and kudos to Margret and Keli for serving as inspiration to other nonverbal autism families out there.

Disclaimer: Simon & Schuster, publisher of The Golden Hat, provided me with a copy of the book at no charge in exchange for my opinion and review.

Now, here’s where it gets exciting…

Since the copy I received will be donated to my nonprofit's lending library, Simon & Schuster agreed to send me another book to give away to one of my readers! Isn't that great?

You have an opportunity to win a copy of The Golden Hat! To enter, please follow the instructions below.   

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A birthday gift for you!



These are the countdown blocks we have on our mantel.
It's 21 days to Christmas and it's my birthday!
To celebrate, I'm giving away a gift to one lucky reader today! If you wish to enter to win a coffee mug, leave a comment below this post or on the Facebook page. Please tell me about your favorite holiday decoration or tradition. AND, don't forget to include your email address so I can reach you if you win. I will choose one lucky winner after 10pm Pacific Time.
Good luck and Happy Birthday to me! :-)

A really awesome GFCF giveaway!

If you were on Facebook over the weekend, you know that I promised some big news on Monday. Are you ready? I’m doing an awesome giveaway! Really, really awesome. Like $200 awesome! Do I have your attention? Good!

I was over at Earth Monkey Moms the other day (you remember my Extreme Makeover Home Edition friend) and they were doing a giveaway that was super cool. They were giving away 10 spots in an upcoming live online dietary coaching program on how to start the GFCF diet for your kids. As it turns out, the consultant that offered up the prizes was someone I wrote a guest post for back in September. You can read that post at the Apples to Oranges blog here.

Anyway, I left a comment on the EMM blog that day, mentioning that if they picked me as a winner that I would happily forfeit it to someone else. After all, I do talks and meetings all the time about the GFCF diet through my support group and nonprofit organization. I don’t really need this kind of class when so many others out there could really use the info so much more than me!

Guess what? I ended up being one of the winners. And guess what else? Lindsay at EMM told me to keep the prize! And guess what I’m doing with that prize? I’m giving it away to one of you, my dear readers!

Can I just reiterate how awesome this prize is? I'm doing a little happy dance for you right now! Do you like that visual? Anyway....sorry. I'm just a teeny bit excited. 

I can tell you from my own experience that when you first start dealing with dietary restrictions it can be very overwhelming and scary. So, how cool would it be to have someone hold your hand through the process?

The dietary coach and fellow mother warrior is Lori Brienesse-Frank, and she is the gal behind Apples to Oranges Consulting. She will take you through everything you need to know about the GFCF diet in the 8-week live webinar series, which will begin in January.  

Christmas is coming early for one lucky reader this week! Would you like to know how to win? The only mandatory requirement is to leave a comment below this post, but please use the widget I’ve included below. The rest of the items listed will give you bonus entries if you complete them. So, fill in the little blanks and check the little boxes and you are done, my friends.  

I can’t think of a better way to start the New Year, than with some professional guidance from a dietary coach like Lori. You only have a few days to enter, so get moving! Good luck!

The Big Giveaway!

A couple of weeks ago, I put out a challenge to my lovely Facebook friends. If we could increase our numbers to 200 on the Caffeinated Autism Mom Facebook page by the end of August, I promised to do a giveaway. Well, the blog was shared, people found the page and clicked “Like,” and little by little our numbers increased. We met and exceeded the goal by the deadline! I’m so proud of my caffeinated peeps! You guys rock.

You may recall my post from one month ago, “Call me Author.” In that post, I shared with you that I had my story published in Hartley Steiner’s new book, Sensational Journeys: 48 Personal Stories of Sensory Processing Disorder. Today is the day that the book officially becomes available!

Can you imagine how I would like to celebrate this momentous occasion? A giveaway, of course!    

So, here is the deal. I’m going to give away 1 copy of the book, Sensational Journeys. And, if the winner would like, I'll even sign it. (Wow, that's weird for me to think about!) Anyway, your job is super easy.

This is all you have to do to enter:

1.       "Like" Caffeinated Autism Mom on Facebook. If you already like the blog on Facebook, then go immediately to step 2!

2.       Leave a comment at the bottom of this post. In your comment, please share why you would like the book and also list your name as it appears on Facebook.

Comments left on Facebook are always appreciated, but they will not be considered entries for this contest. Only comments left below this post will count. One entry/comment per person.

Once you have Liked the blog’s Facebook page AND left a comment, you are entered to win! It’s that easy!

The giveaway will be open from 9/1/11 through 9/15/11, ending at 10pm Pacific Time.

I will read all of your comments and select the winner. I reserve the right to ask my hubby for help and/or have my kids choose one randomly if I am stumped by your collective awesomeness. J

The winner will be announced on Monday, 9/19/11.

Depending on the response we get to this contest, I may elect to have a second contest in the near future. We’ll just have to see…

Good luck to everyone and thank you for reading Caffeinated Autism Mom!

Oh! And by the way, even if you don’t win the book, I hope you have a chance to read Sensational Journeys. Feel free to check it out by clicking on the picture below.