Make your own popsicles

I'm always looking for snacks and treats that are allergy free, and not loaded with preservatives and food dyes. These popsicle molds are great because we can make our own, using fresh fruit and fruit juice.

These molds are from a company called Tovolo, which sells at a lot of professional chef stores as well as Amazon. There's a funky shooting star popsicle mold, the nostalgic rocket pop mold and a groovy pop mold. You can also click and download free popsicle recipes.

Find these popsicle molds from Tavolo on Amazon.

Unsafe chemicals in sunscreen

According to the Environmental Working Group, in an investigation of nearly 1,000 brand-name sunscreen products, they found that 4 out of 5 contain chemicals that may pose health hazards or don't adequately protect skin from the sun's damaging rays. Yikes!

Leading brands were the worst offenders: None of Coppertone's 48 sunscreen products met EWG's criteria for safety and effectiveness, and only 1 of 115 products from Banana Boat and Neutrogena, the second- and third-largest manufacturers, are recommended by EWG.

Take a minute or two to check out your sunscreen's rating at cosmeticsdatabase.com. Our dermatologist recommended Blue Lizard Australian Suncream Lotion, Sensitive, SPF 30, and it got a low hazard score of 2. California Baby got really good scores too.

Custom BumpyName Labels for sippy cups

I just ordered these custom labels for both girls. They are made of rubber and stretch onto any cup or sippy cup. Rylie drinks soy milk, and Rowan only drinks rice milk, so we're constantly labeling sippy cups with masking tape and a sharpie. These labels are great because they can be used over and over. They are dishwasher and microwave safe, and made from non-toxic materials.

The one thing that bothers me is the typeface. Comic Sans, the worst typeface ever invented. I can't help but be picky about that kind of thing. Maybe I'll ask them if they can change it. They are on sale for $12.00 (4 in a set) at greenbaby.

Potential treatments for food allergies

Another article in USA Today about potential food allergy treatments.

Rylie - allergy testing update

Rylie hasn't been tested for allergies since she was 2, so today she went back to Dr. Ghory for skin-prick testing, and to review the results of her RAST (blood) test. Jamie took her and said she was not happy about the skin prick testing on her back, and she was really squirming. They were there for about 2 hours. I was glad to get a break and not have to be the one to take her - thanks Jamie.

The results are the same. Still severely allergic to peanuts, and still moderately allergic to milk and tree nuts. The peanut levels indicate that she will not outgrow this allergy. She will more than likely outgrow the milk allergy, but not anytime soon. We also found out that she is moderately allergic to shellfish.

I was hoping her milk numbers would be lower, but at least it's not life-threatening. Looks like we'll just keep doing what we're doing.

Good News

Rowan has gained 2 pounds since her last visit to Dr. Ghory. The red circles under her eyes also seem to have diminished. I think the EleCare is really helping!

Cute EpiPen Carriers

Allergy Haven has a really cute selection of EpiPen carriers.

Store your EpiPen, Benadryl and other emergency necessities in this epi-pen tote. Tote has capacity to hold 2 EpiPens and an emergency Benadryl dose. Top flap has pocket to hold any additional items like an asthma inhaler. They also have strap packs that older kids can wear around their waist.