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!

Product Review: Crunchmaster GFCF crackers

A few weeks ago, the folks at Crunchmaster asked if they could send me some gluten-free crackers to try in exchange for my review. I agreed, since I am always looking for new allergy-friendly treats for my boys. After visiting their website, I determined that we could only have a couple of different varieties due to multiple food allergies. As a result, they sent me their Sea Salt Multi-Grain crackers, which were safe for my boys to try.

The Sea Salt Multi-Grain crackers are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and vegan.

Around the time I received the crackers, I had some meetings scheduled for my nonprofit. Many people involved with my nonprofit either have children with food allergies and sensitivities, or have their own personal dietary concerns. I literally had a captive audience of people who understand gluten-free. It was a perfect opportunity for an impromptu taste test!

The general consensus was very positive and there was no hesitation with their opinions whatsoever. One comment I received was that the crackers had a very satisfying crunch. Another person said that they were good enough to eat by themselves just as a snack – you do not need dip or other toppings to enjoy them.

I took the remaining crackers home to test with my husband and my boys. We all tried them out when I prepared potato soup for dinner one night. I thought the crackers would be a perfect accompaniment, and I was right.

My boys loved them so much they finished off all of the rest of the crackers in one sitting.      

From my own taste test, I can tell you that the Crunchmaster crackers have a slightly different texture than many of the typical rice-based gluten-free crackers on the market, which is a pleasant and appreciated change. If you are familiar with what I’m talking about, those other kinds of crackers can almost have a waxy feel to them, which I do not prefer.

I also like that some of their products are verified GMO-free by the Non-GMO Project. Unfortunately, the variety I tried was not verified GMO-free. I hope that Crunchmaster continues working on getting the rest of their products verified.

Another way to make the product more desirable to families like mine is to use organic ingredients. This is very important to us and we always prefer to purchase products that are organic.

Overall, the Crunchmaster Sea Salt Multi-Grain crackers were a big hit with everyone who tried them. If you are interested in tasting them for yourself, they offer a coupon on their site that you should check out.  

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.   

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Product Review: The best GFCF dinner rolls ever!

I really mean that! The BEST ever. Do you have any idea how many different gluten-free recipes and brands I’ve used over the past several years? A lot! Do you know how many times extended family and friends have paid me fake compliments as they choke down the GFCF bread bricks that I serve fresh from my oven?

It usually starts out with me saying something like this:

“I tried another new gluten-free, casein-free, soy-free, egg-free, nut-free bread recipe! I hope it turned out okay!"

They reply back with something to the effect of:

“Well, for gluten-free they aren’t bad.”

Uh huh. Sure. Great way to dodge the fact that they taste like crumbly, heavy cardboard. I think I’ve only ever heard a truly positive remark once. It was in regard to a box mix I tried out last Christmas - Gluten Free Pantry’s french bread and pizza mix. It was decent enough. Generally speaking, we no longer go out of our way to eat bread because gluten-free varieties are always so disappointing.

But things are different now. I found the bread mix that puts all other gluten-free bread mixes to shame. I first tried it last month for Thanksgiving dinner with my parents. I made rolls again last night for an early Christmas dinner with my husband’s dad and his family. Do you want to know what the response was? It wasn’t the polite, “these rolls are better than the last ones you made” kind of remark. Oh no, indeed! We had entire conversations about how awesome these rolls were. The response was overwhelmingly positive! For Thanksgiving, we ate all the rolls in one sitting. No leftovers! That was a first! For our early Christmas dinner last night, I made a double-batch (anticipating a good response) and there were only a few left over. By golly…we have success!

I was introduced to this mix by my good friend, Granny Lala, an allergen-free baker. She is most definitely in the know! After she and I did some beta testing on some new sandwich rolls in her commercial kitchen one night, she was extremely generous and sent me home with a sample of this mix to try.

I know you’re dying to know what the brand is and where to get it. Are you ready? Go get a pencil.  

Book Review: The Way I Act

At the end of May I won a book giveaway from Age of Autism and received a copy of The Way I Act by Steve Metzger (verses) and Janan Cain (illustrations). I have been meaning to review it for quite a while, but as of yet had not taken the time…until now. Yes, it’s true. I’ve been slacking. It’s been known to happen on occasion. Besides, I've been mitigating the craziness of summer break! 

First of all, let me just say a huge thank you to the great folks at Age of Autism for not only having the giveaway, but somehow picking me as the lucky winner! You have no idea how exciting it is for me to receive a book in the mail. It’s like Christmas! You should have seen me when I got my author’s copy of Sensational Journeys. (For those of you who are not aware, I am a contributing author. Isn’t that super cool? I’m still doing a happy dance over that little tidbit.)

Anyway, I have a slight book problem. I love books, but I never have enough time to read them all. I continue to buy them whenever I have two pennies to rub together. I keep reminding my hubby that “it’s for the families” (meaning I will buy it for myself and then make it available in my support group’s lending library). It’s justified, right? Maybe this book obsession could even be considered honorable! OK, I’ll stop now. Getting back to the topic at hand…

The first thing I noticed when I received The Way I Act was how vibrant the colors were on the cover art. It had immediately grabbed my eye in a positive way. Prince Charming happened to be in the room when I opened the package and he caught a glimpse of it at the same time I did. Within seconds, he was at my side clamoring to look at the book. Prince Charming's reading skills have really blossomed in the past year. He is finally showing an interest in books, which I am thankful for. So, before I could even open it or read it, I handed it off to him and he climbed up into Titan’s lap and snuggled in for some reading time.

He opened the book and it captured his attention right away. He began to read the words and Titan helped him with the more difficult ones. He had great satisfaction when he could turn to the next page. When he finished the book, he asked to read it again. And he liked it. When he was done reading it the second time through, I saw him continue to flip through the pages while he looked at the illustrations. I think he really appreciated the colorful pictures.

I have to say that the illustrations are my favorite part of the book. They are captivating. My next favorite part of the book is the cadence of the verses. I think we can all agree that books are much more fun to read when they have a rhythm to the words.

The Way I Act covers 13 different ways to behave in a positive manner. As many of you are aware with autism, it’s harder for a child to grasp the “no” and the “do not” rules. They have more success when there is an example of what is “yes” and “to do” instead of only focusing on the negative behavior. Words like considerate, cooperative, and respectful are all concepts that I want my children familiar with. These words (and more) are addressed in the book with some ideas on what each of the words mean in action.

There is also a note for parents in the back of the book that provides 4 tips on how to better use the book as a teaching tool with your child.

Overall, the book is fun to look at and fun to read and it easily moves you toward discussion about the concepts presented. I have not read the previous book, The Way I Feel, but I can imagine that it would also be a worthwhile book to have. I’m sure my boys would love it.

The Way I Act is mom approved AND Prince Charming approved! It doesn’t get much better than that.

To take a look at the book more closely and read other reviews, click on the picture to the left. And, while you’re at it, visit Parenting Press to learn more about the other titles they have available.           

Guest Post & Product Review at Modern Alternative Mama

Guess what? I’m guest posting over at Modern Alternative Mama today!

Kate from Modern Alternative Mama kindly agreed to let me write a guest post for her, specifically to test and give my review of Trilight Health products. It was fun to try some herbal products for both me and my boys, but the best part was getting the opportunity to write a guest post at a blog I’ve been reading since before I started blogging.

I was excited to try Trilight’s products, because they had several items that could possibly address my boys’ “excessive energy.”

Translation: They have products that might take some of the hyper out of my always on the go children who resemble zoo animals on speed!  

If you are a regular reader here at Caffeinated Autism Mom, you are aware that my boys have multiple food allergies and finding products that are safe for them to consume is a big concern for me. I like that Trilight Health has products that are free of many things, like: alcohol, sugar, yeast, gluten, soy, milk, and egg. I had the chance to try out 3 products for my boys, as well as 3 products for me. You’ll have to click on the link to find out how things went.

If you don’t already read Modern Alternative Mama, I highly recommend you go and check out the blog and stick around to read a few posts while you’re there. Kate is writing a lot about pregnancy these days since she’s now in her third trimester. If you want to read more from her about pregnancy, you can also visit her on Babble.

Now, head over to Modern Alternative Mama and read my guest post and review of Trilight Health products. I hope you enjoy! 

Mother Warriors: Review & Commentary

- I originally wrote this in November 2008 and posted it on another blog. I thought I would dust it off and recycle it in honor of all of the wonderful mother warriors out there. I hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day. - 

On a recent trip I had some quiet moments to read and I found myself engrossed by Jenny McCarthy’s latest book, Mother Warriors. I admit, I wasn’t a huge fan of her previous book, Louder than Words, but her new book spoke to me and I finished it in less than a day. Much to my surprise, I found myself in tears by the end.

No matter your opinion of Jenny McCarthy, she is one of the top vocal advocates for the autism community and is pushing nerves and helping spread the word that there’s a big problem. I am a parent of two diagnosed on the autism spectrum, and I am trying to make a difference and be vocal in my own community. Jenny can do what I cannot – give major television interviews, write best-selling books, and generally increase the national awareness about the autism epidemic. I admire her passionately stepping up to say something despite the controversy of the topic.

Chapter 2 of Mother Warriors is an extended analogy that Jenny provides about the plight of many families dealing with autism. A child appears normal and then one day something changes and the child seems to be lost (often very suddenly) to autism. Many believe that vaccines triggered their child’s autism. In the words of Francis Collins, “Genetics loads the gun and environment pulls the trigger.”

Product Review: You Bar - customized nutrition bars

Recently I purchased a Groupon for You Bar. I thought it was a neat idea to make your own customized nutrition bars. This is especially true when you’ve got kids with multiple food allergies that require more specialized ingredients. So, I gave them a try. I created a bar for my kids and I just got the box a couple of days ago. Here is what’s in the bars:

Ingredients:
Organic dates, sunflower seed butter, organic clover honey, organic rice protein, cherries, organic coconut, crunchy rice cereal, cocoa, chia seeds, hemp seeds, all-in-one vitamin infusion, cinnamon.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories                145
Fat Cal                  53
Total Fat               6g
Sat Fat                  2g
Cholest                 0mg
Sodium                 36mg
Total Carb            19g
Fiber                     4g
Sugars                  12g
Protein                 5g

I have not been compensated for this review, but You Bar, if you're willing to pay me, I'm willing to accept! Here are my impressions:

Pros

1.       It’s a really cool idea!

2.       There are lots of ingredients to choose from so you can truly make a custom creation to your liking. For instance, you can try cashew butter as a base, organic soy protein as a non-dairy form of protein, add in organic flaxseed and organic goji berries, pump it up with a fiber infusion, sweeten with organic agave nectar, and make it fun with organic cacao nibs and granola.

3.       Their ingredients have redeeming nutritional value.

4.       They’re not too sweet and they have a respectable amount of protein and fiber.

5.       They have no preservatives and are made fresh, just for you.

6.       You get to name your bar and have the name printed on the labels. I called my creation Fish Food. 

7.       As you create your bar, the nutrition information is visible with each step so you can see what effects different ingredients have on the nutrition of the bar.

8.       When you have ingredients you like, they taste good. Prince Charming loved them and Monkey thought they were just okay. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

9.       You can easily re-order your custom creation or you can sign up for their recurring order program and have the bars automatically shipped to you at specific intervals.

10.   They guarantee their products with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. They will make you a brand new order for free if you are unhappy with your bars.

Cons

1.       They are not allergy-free. It says right on the package that the bars may contain traces of milk, eggs, soy, wheat, tree nuts and peanuts. This is a big problem for lots of people. Since my boys do not have super severe allergies, we decided to give it a try anyway.

2.       They are expensive. This is why I didn’t buy these prior to using the Groupon. They are convenient and nutritious but are expensive, especially when you add in shipping costs. For example, I pulled information from their Popular Bars section to give you an idea. A medium box of their Variety Pack bars (quantity 13) costs $32.37. When I added this item to the shopping cart and put in a shipping address, the cost was $8.22 via their cheapest mode of transport. That brings a total cost per bar to $3.12. That’s a bit steep for my budgetary comfort, especially when the bars are only 35 grams in size and may have trace allergens in them.

As you can see, there are lots more positives than there are negatives. However, for me to do repeat business with them the cons would need to change significantly. If they could develop an allergy-free manufacturing process and lower the price while they were at it, I’m sure I would buy them again. At this moment, I can’t justify another purchase. It was certainly a fun experiment and was worth the reduced price that I paid. What do you think about You Bar?   

Prince Charming couldn't wait!

Monkey trying the bars.