What I’ve Learned From A Year of Dedicated Blogging

What I’ve Learned From A Year of Dedicated Blogging

I started my blog as a fun hobby.  In the first few years, I only made a couple of posts.  I knew I wanted to do more, especially since I was making the investment in paying for hosting.  Letting my blog sit there seemed like a waste of money.

It wasn’t until my circumstances changed that I decided to dedicate time specifically to blogging.  My health had taken a turn for the worse, I had to quit working.  I was struggling with accepting my new life and the depression that came with significant change.  I knew I needed to fill the void of work with a new hobby.

Blogging seemed like the perfect way to occupy my mind and fill my time with something positive.  Since I stopped taking professional portraits for other people, I reminded myself that I could still be a photographer, only, I would be taking images for myself.  I decided to challenge myself with something I have always wanted to do, a 52 project.  It was a lot of fun and I love the way my images turned out.  From there, it became easier to blog about things.

With the end of school nearing, I decided to add another challenge to my blogging, vlogging.  This took my blogs to a new level, as I had videos to go along with my writing.  I initially started vlogging for fun and as a challenge to warm me up to what I really wanted to do.  I wanted to do a video series on the challenges of severe, life-threatening allergies.  Along with this, I will have accompanying blogs that detail in writing the facts that go along with my videos.

Over the past 5 years of health struggles, I have done an extremely large amount of research.  Some of the things I researched had little to no information and I had to really dig in order to learn.  It was so hard to gain footing in the world of severe allergies.  Not many people are allergic to nearly the entire world, and there isn’t a handbook that goes along with it.

I knew that I wanted to help people and make their journey a little easier, by sharing my story and experiences.  I wanted to help someone avoid some of the mistakes I’d made in the beginning, or maybe find a new way to help them cope now.

I realized that I had found the purpose of my blog.  I guess you could say I found my niche.  This information isn’t only helpful for those with severe allergies.  It is beneficial for everyone.  I tell people that I am the canary in the coal mine.  If my health takes a dive because of my sensitivity to chemicals, then It can’t be very safe for other people either.  Even if they’re not having a life-threatening reaction to it.  Toxic chemicals are not beneficial to anyone.

Holistic health and nutrition can benefit everyone live a healthier, more meaningful life.  Living life without toxic chemicals reduces the risk of having cancer, heart disease, eczema, diabetes, and more.

I love sharing what I’ve learned with others.  Blogging gives me a platform so I don’t have to drive my friends and family crazy by constantly talking about the latest medical article I’ve been reading.  It allows me to share my photography.  It allows me to be creative and give me an outlet for my lack of ability to work.  Hopefully, someone out there will appreciate and enjoy my ramblings and my photography.

After a year of dedicated creating every month, I can definitely say that blogging is something I enjoy and will continue to do.  Thank you for those of you who have commented, shared, liked and followed me over this last year.  I have loved hearing that you enjoyed something I shared.  Hopefully, I’ll have more fun things for you in this coming year!

Love, Melissa

52 Project, Week 22: Self Portrait

52 Project, Week 22: Self Portrait

This is perhaps the most difficult photography project yet.  Like many of you, being in front of the lens instead of behind it makes me cringe a bit.  Attempting to photograph oneself requires more work, more equipment, and more bravery.  However, it can also be a lot of fun!

So what do you need for a self-portrait project?  Why does it require more work, and what equipment is necessary for a project like this?

More Work

Like all of my projects so far, I have usually researched the work of other artists.  I love using Google and Pinterest for this.  By using keywords for the general idea of what you’re looking for, you can find inspiration for your own project.  Plus, seeing all of the amazing things that others have come up with is great motivation!

Although, sometimes, even after all of my research, I scrap my whole idea and come up with something entirely new.  It’s all part of the process.  By finding what you don’t like about something you’ve tried, you find what you do like instead.

In the case of a self-portrait, you have to try to find ideas that can apply to a self-portrait.  Some angles and positions are tricky enough for a photographer and a subject, but for oneself, it can be next to impossible.

Over the years, I’ve become more aware of posture and angles, due to being a portrait photographer.  In the beginning, I used to catch sight of myself in a mirror and pause, refine the pose, and mentally save the idea for later.  After several thousands of subjects later, posing became second-hand nature.  The downside to this is, I hate to be repetitive.  Too much a good thing can be bland.  So I try to mix it up and try poses outside of my comfort zone.  THIS IS NOT THE PROJECT FOR THAT.  Stick to the classic, tried and true posing for yourself.

When you’re on location, you won’t be able to see yourself to make sure you’re in a good pose.  The best way to handle this, besides bringing a full body mirror and a stand for it, is to practice at home in front of a full body mirror.  Turn around a few times, wiggle, then face the mirror.  Close your eyes and try to recreate the pose you practiced.  Open your eyes.  Once you have refined the muscle memory necessary, you’re ready to go!

To summarize what you might like to do for your project:

  • Reseach keywords on Pinterest and Google image search.  Good keywords are self-portrait photography.
  • Don’t be afraid to scrap your original idea if it’s not working out.
  • Become aware of natural bends and curves.  Watch people to see the angles and tilts of their heads, the bends of joints, like elbows, wrists, waist, and knees, the positioning of arms and hands, legs and feet.
  • Practice posing in front of the mirror.

More Equipment

This leads me to what equipment is necessary for self-portrait project.  The obvious thing necessary for this project is a camera.  Almost every camera on the market has a self-timer, from iPhones to high-end DSLRs.  Not every camera has a remote option, but should yours have one, it can make the job easier.

A tripod is also extremely helpful.  Yes, you can be creative and find ways around this, but the job will be more difficult.  A classic tripod is awesome, you can raise your camera to your eye level at any location.  A portable, flexible tripod can be great for trying some of those weird angles that I was talking about earlier.  For example, if you want your camera to be higher than your head, or if you’re in a small and tight location where there isn’t room for a traditional tripod.

A mirror is also a nice thing to have on hand.  If you don’t have someone (usually the photographer’s job) to check to make sure your hair and makeup are ok, then you definitely need to check yourself.  Otherwise, you could have a lot of post editing should you have a clump of hair sticking up at a colic.

Everything else necessary is only what is necessary for every photo shoot, which I’m not going to go into detail here.  I don’t like a lot of equipment.  I like to stick with the basics.  For a self-portrait, where you are the photographer and the subject, you don’t want to carry a large amount of gear and end up crumpled and flustered. Carry what’s light and easy, so that you can focus on the task and not the gear.

To summarize what you might like to do for your project:

  • Find out how to set up the timer on your camera.  Or figure out how to work the remote for your camera.
  • Figure out if you are going to use a tripod or set your camera on a shelf.  Make sure you have all the necessary pieces for your tripod.  Mainly, the attachment for your camera.
  • Gather supplies, including a mirror.
  • Ask yourself if each item you’re bringing is necessary or excessive.

More Bravery

As for bravery, I don’t like photographs of myself.  There are very few that I do like, much less love.  The idea of being the center of attention makes me cringe.  Taking a self-portrait feels like I am baring my soul, naked to the world for critique.  I overthink it and due to that, I haven’t taken my portrait.  Seriously, months have dragged by and my project is a little behind.

Silly, I know, when I’m writing a blog.  For me, this is kind of terrifying.  I fit the classic description of an introvert.  Every time I make a post, I have a small panic attack.  What if they don’t like me?  What if they hate me?!

Being brave enough for your own self-portrait is mostly necessary during the planning phase.  I tend to overthink everything, so if I can get past the planning phase and into the action, I’m a much more laid back person.

Once I’m on location and the camera is on, I’m focused on my work, all worry erased from my mind.  I love being a photographer.  I love working with my chosen beloved tool, my camera, analyzing light, hunting and seeking the details that make it come together, creating an image, a work of art.  I look back on my work years later and I am so thankful, for all of it.

So, despite the delay, I’m going to take the plunge and post my self-portrait.  I’m choosing to be brave.

How do you feel about having your portrait taken?

See my first attempt at a self-portrait project here:

 

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 21: Simplicity
Next Week:52 Project, Week 23: Green
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52 Project, Week 42: Autumn Trees

52 Project, Week 42: Autumn Trees

Autumn is my favorite season.  Autumn trees are part of why it is my favorite season.  The colors of the leaves transform the world into a breathtakingly beautiful place for a short week or two.

Here is one of my favorite autumn trees poems.  While googling the words for this poem, I found out that it is actually a song!  I might have to learn the tune so I can sing it to my kiddos next autumn.

Come Little Leaves
by George Cooper

“Come, little leaves,” said the wind one day,
“Come over the meadows with me, and play;
Put on your dresses of red and gold;
Summer is gone, and the days grow cold.”

Soon as the leaves heard the wind’s loud call,
Down they came fluttering, one and all;
Over the brown fields they danced and flew,
Singing the soft little songs they knew.

“Cricket, good-bye, we’ve been friends so long;
Little brook, sing us your farewell song-
Say you’re sorry to see us go;
Ah! you are sorry, right well we know.”

“Dear little lambs, in your fleecy fold,
Mother will keep you from harm and cold;
Fondly we’ve watched you in vale and glade;
Say, will you dream of our loving shade?”

Dancing and whirling the little leaves went;
Winter had called them and they were content-
Soon fast asleep in their earthy beds,
The snow laid a soft mantle over their heads.

52 Project, Week 42: Autumn Trees

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52 Project, Week 49: My Cup

52 Project, Week 49: My Cup

I have an obsession with adorable cups.  I love drinking tea out of cozy mugs and lemonade out of mason jar glasses.  I drink water from a glass water bottle and kombucha in a little bit of everything.

I’ve worked hard to minimize the items in my kitchen.  I find the more dishes available the bigger the mountain of dirty dishes to wash.  My family would rather get a new dish than put a dirty one in the dishwasher or empty a clean load, or handwash something delicate.  I did most of the work and it was neverending.

So I got rid of the majority of our plates, bowls, cups, and silverware.  I gave everyone one complete set and got rid of the rest.  I even gave them each their own special spot on the shelf in the cupboard.

One thing I didn’t minimize was tools for making food since I do a large amount of cooking and baking from scratch.  The other thing I didn’t minimize was my cups.

I love my cups.  I enjoy drinking from them.  They’re part of my self-care routine because they make me smile.  When I’m anxious, depressed or having a bad day, they help cheer me up and calm me down.

I also enjoy serving company tea or coffee when they come over.  I love to share my cups.  They’re usually a conversation piece and cause my guest to smile.

I heard a story once about broken cups.  All cups have a lifespan.  At some point, that life will end by being broken.  Whether it is by our own hand or that of a guest, that ending is inevitable. If we should have company, and one of our precious cups should break, the natural inclination is to exclaim in horror over the loss.  Doing so, however, might cause discomfort and the deep remorse of our friend.  Out of a desire to be a gracious and hospitable host, we should smile and immediately put their mind at ease by saying something of the like of “Oh, that old thing?  Don’t worry about it.”.  Later, after they leave and we are alone, we can mourn the loss of our cup and maybe shed a tear or two.  Yet knowing the end was inevitable, that all cups have the destiny to be broken, it makes the loss that much easier to bear.  It makes forgiveness easier to give.

So though I love my cups, I don’t save them for a special day or hide them from my company to prevent accidents.  I use them and enjoy them as much as I can.

My cups are a source of more than the ability to hold liquid.  My cups hold personality and character.  For me, they hold memories, joy, and great comfort.

Tell me about your favorite cup!

Check out my video!

Previous Week: Baking
Next Week: Natural
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52 Project, Week 25: Patterns

52 Project, Week 25: Patterns

When finding patterns for a photography project, it can be difficult to find a satisfactory subject.  At least, it was for me!  I couldn’t find anything that really spoke to me.  I have already incorporated leaves into past projects and I didn’t want to be redundant, but that would have been my first choice.

Searching in the world, there are a lot of patterns, brick walls, playground equipment, windows.  Honestly, they all seemed so overdone and boring to me.  I really wanted to try something different.

I have seen a photograph similar to this before and I thought it would be fun to try it myself.  Let me tell you, this was no easy task!  It took A LOT of matches and I ended up with a few burnt fingers.

I tried so hard to get a perfect gradient.  Did you know that matches bend when they are burning?  Or that they shoot flames out the end of the match when you get too close to the end?  Also, not much holds the head on once it’s been torched.

For the really charred ones, well, everything past the fourth match, I had to deal with warping and bending of the wood.  My remedy for this was to burn a short section, cool and then burn another section.

For the last 6 matches, I had to be really careful not to burn my fingers.  I decided to burn the butt end first, then burn the remaining sections.  This is where the flames shooting out of the end of the match became a problem.

After numerous attempts at perfection, I said “Forget about it!” and became satisfied with imperfection.  I theorized that I could fix it in photoshop in a jiffy, but I earned that imperfection with a badge of honor… or burnt fingertips anyway.

Previous Week: words
Next Week: watermelon
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Check out how I did this in my video!

52 Project, Week 31: Love

52 Project, Week 31: Love

I had been having a rough few months.  The stress of my grandfather’s failing health and death.  Regular life chaos and work.  The return of the school year.  Sending my oldest two back to school, which has always made my heart break from sadness and the beginning of homeschool work for my youngest two, which has its own amount of work and struggles.

On a regular grocery shopping trip, I stopped to smell the roses while passing by.  I always try to stop and smell the roses.  They are so beautiful and they smell so lovely.  It’s a brief moment of joy in my day.

A day later, Nate ran some errands alone.  I went to open the door for him since he had his arms full.  He asked if I could please grab something from the trunk.  I immediately went out to help and paused when my eyes caught sight of a beautiful bouquet of red roses.

I couldn’t help but laugh with joy as I hugged my flowers to my chest and took a deep breath of its fragrant perfume.  Nate knew just the way to make me feel better.

I enjoyed trimming my stems and leaves and arranging my flowers perfectly in my favorite vase.  Princess enjoyed smelling several of the flowers herself and happily played at my side as I worked.  Once my bouquet was just so, I cleaned the table well so that it was worthy of the beauty that graced it.

For the next week, I enjoyed gazing fondly at my roses as I washed the dishes or helped the children with their homework. I stopped often to smell them, enjoying the butterfly soft caress of the petals on the tip of my nose and my lips.

It wasn’t just the beauty of my lovely roses that warmed my heart.  It was the thought and love behind them.  Nate saw the joy that stopping to smell the roses brought me in the store.  He remembered it and took the effort to surprise me with some.  A grand gesture in a melancholy week.

As for love, it isn’t always big grand gestures and flowers that make love so sweet.  It is the little things, like helping carry in groceries, cooking dinner together, helping with homework, a hug, a kiss, and time well spent together.  Love makes life worth living.  Sometimes a rose is a great reminder of that.

52 Project, Week 31: Love

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Next Week: silhouette
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Check out my video with my roses:

What does love mean to you?
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52 Project, Week 29: Summer Trees

52 Project, Week 29: Summer Trees

Summer is such a brief time in Minnesota.  It’s a few short months of sunshine, warmth, and greenery.  We can temporarily shed our many layers and don clothing that exposes our skin.  We wear sandals and flip-flops or even luxuriate in wearing nothing at all and going barefoot.  We can spend a considerable amount of time outside without fear of frostbite.

June, July, August, and September.  These months we welcome weather anywhere from the 20’s to the 100’s.  June and September are prone to the occasional frost and even a chance of snow.  Yet most often, weather in the 50’s and 60’s makes these months the fairest of the year.  July and August you are most likely to find the weather in the 70’s and 80’s with an occasional few days in the 90’s or higher.

The rest of the year, all bets are off for how cold it can be.  It could be warm in the 40’s or it could drop to -60.  Usually, it is cloudy and dark.  On average, we spend those 8 months indoors, hiding from below freezing temperatures, bundling up to hide skin and protect from frostbite  It can be beautiful.  There are a lot of fun winter sports.  Overall though, most activities are inside where it is warm.

This is why summer is so often looked forward to.  We try to soak up every minute of fresh air, sunlight, vitamin D and outdoor activities that we can.  In that time, the world erupts in color.

The most prominent color to be found is green.  Beautiful, bright, vibrant, rich green.  Carpets of green grass, fields of green crops, and mountains of green trees.

Trees in the summertime are the happiest of my childhood memories.  Climbing up in their strong, rough branches to heights not reached anywhere else by a small child.  Hiding behind the cover of leaves from the sun and from people.  Feasting on its fruits.  Using imagination for endless hours of fun.  Sometimes just lying below and gazing up adoringly at my friend, the tree.  I can’t think of anything happier in my memories than of the time I spent in the trees.

As an adult, trees still fill me with love, admiration, and wonder.  These gentle giants do so much for us.  They give us oxygen, shade, protection from wind, wood for our fires and to build our homes, fruits to feast upon, and beauty to behold.  They give a boring landscape character.  They fill me with wonder at the majesty of our God.

When I look at trees, I can see the wonder of creation.  Trees clean our air and give us oxygen.  They have the ability to draw water up to heights that man has been unable to replicate and or even understand.  They convert sunlight into energy!  Their leaves are mathematical works of art.  Each one is different and unique.  The bark, leaves, pine needles and even the shape of the branches are as varied as the people on this planet.  Each tree seems to have it’s own personality and temperament.

I can’t imagine living in an area void of trees, I love them so much.  Trees give me joy.  Trees fill me with hope for the future.  Knowing that a tree I plant will likely outlive me fills me with awe.  When I find a large and old tree, I wonder who has seen and loved this tree.  What stories could this tree tell?

What are your favorite tree memories?  What is your favorite thing about summer trees?

Check out our summer trees video!

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52 Project, Week 29: Summer Trees

52 Project, Week 41: Pumpkin

52 Project, Week 41: Pumpkin

I love pumpkins.  I love their shape, their color, their smell.  I love the season in which they’re harvested, autumn.  I love their twirly vines and big green leaves.  I love the way they taste, and I love using them in cooking.  I also love to use them for decorating.  Pumpkins are awesome.

I’m sure the other squashes are a bit jealous of pumpkins.  I mean, pumpkins are pretty popular.  I do love acorn, butternut and spaghetti squash too, but they don’t have the visual appeal of a pumpkin, for me at least.

Maybe it’s because I was obsessed with fairy tales as a child.  I used to pretend I was Lisserella while I was doing my chores.  I pretended my blankets and old shirts that I used for dress up would turn into a ball gown and the squirrels in our yard would whisk me away in a pumpkin to some faraway castle where I could fall in love with a prince.  I remember making my brother dance around to classical music played on my parent’s record player.  I definitely had a big imagination.

Now that I’m an adult, I know that fairy tales don’t exist.  Real life doesn’t have fairy Godmothers who can whip up a beautiful gown and a lovely carriage.  There aren’t any beautiful balls where women in skirts and men in suits swirl around the room anymore.   There is no Prince waiting to fall in love and live happily ever after.  Reality can be a bit harsh.

There is something better than a fairy Godmother though.  Jehovah God can and will do things more wonderful than dresses and pumpkins and coachmen.  After all, he created the entire earth, all of the plants and animals.  Jesus set a wonderful example of the quality of God’s love, which is better than any prince in a fairy tale.

Despite the fact that life isn’t a fairy tale, my love for pumpkins hasn’t waned.  I love getting a fresh white pumpkin for my entryway table every autumn.  I adore the tiny white and orange striped pumpkins for my center wall.  I love baking my pumpkins and creating muffins, cheesecakes, and beverages.  For me, that is so much sweeter than a carriage.

What is your favorite color of pumpkin?  White, orange, blue, green or somewhere in between?

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 40: Hands
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 42: Autumn Trees
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8 Tips to Survive Camping With Severe Allergies

8 Tips to Survive Camping With Severe Allergies

Camping with allergies can be difficult, but it’s not impossible!  Like most things with severe allergies, camping takes a lot of planning and preparing.  Knowing what to do and how to plan is one the hardest parts.  Hopefully, I can help you with that!

 

1. Make a Schedule

I try to make a rough outline of not only each day of my camping trip but also the weeks before it.  This helps me to leave enough time on the schedule to make sure I didn’t forget anything.  With a normal camping trip, if you forget something, you can run to the nearest store.  With severe allergies, that’s not always possible, as most stores do not carry the necessary specialty items.

My schedule is usually outlined in a notebook like this:

  • 4-12 Months Before Camping: Pick and Reserve Date for Camping
  • 10-8 Weeks Before Camping: Research Area-Food and Water Sources, Activities, Medical Care
  • 4-6 Weeks Before Camping: Plan Schedule and Menu, Mail Order Necessary Food, Check Medical Supplies To Order New Or Low Items, Vehicle Maintenance, Set Up Pet Sitter, Mail Grabber and Plant Waterer
  • Week Before Camping: Food Prep, Home Absence Prep, Verify Pet Sitter, Plant Sitter, and Mail Grabber, Pack Non-Food Items, Wash & Pack Clothes, Clean Out Fridge
  • 2nd Day Before Camping: Charge Camera Batteries, Pack Remaining Items, Remaining Food Prep, Check Medical Supplies, Pack Non-Perishable Food
  • Day Before Camping: Fully Charge Phones, Bathe Children, Pack Remaining Non-Perishable Items, Load Vehicle, Water Plants, Leave Money and Thank You Note for House Sitter/Plant Waterer/Pet Sitter
  • Camping, Day 1: Shower, Quick Breakfast, Add Perishables to Cooler, Pack Remaining Items, Load Remaining Items, Double Check House, Double Check Medical Supplies, Drive To Camping Spot, Eat Easy Snacks or Packed Lunch on the Way, Set Up Tent, Scope Area, Dinner, Campfire, Bed
  • Camping, Day 2: Breakfast, Activity, Lunch, Activity, Dinner, Campfire, Bed
  • Camping, Day 3: Breakfast, Activity, Lunch, Activity, Dinner, Campfire, Bed
  • Camping, Day 4: Breakfast, Activity, Smorgasborg Lunch, Activity, Smorgasborg Dinner, Use Up Remaining Wood in Campfire, Bed
  • Camping, Day 5: Breakfast, Shower, Pack, Load, Lunch On The Road, Drive Home, Dinner

2. Make A Menu

Menu planning is probably the most important activity.  Finding safe food locations around home usually takes a few months to years with a lot of food trials.  Camping is not a great time to trial food, as you don’t want to be sick while camping.  It is the most time-consuming task of your camping prep, but it’s worth the work.  At least, that’s what I tell my self when I’m up to my elbows in massive food prep operations.

It’s usually the food concerns that give me the most camping related anxiety and stress.  It’s expensive, it’s time-consuming, it’s stressful.  I usually freak out during my week countdown to camping.  Since most of my food is prepared from scratch, it must be made directly before camping to prevent spoilage.  Once we are on the road, I finally relax and breathe a sigh of relief.  Everything is prepped, now it’s time to relax!

I try to make food prep fun by involving the kids so that they can learn some useful skills, and also lend poor old Mom a hand.  Some of their foods are not safe for me to eat, but they are safe enough for me to be around.  I usually make two batches of whatever food is safe for me vs safe for them, because my safe food can be more expensive.

I usually go a little overboard in making sure I have enough safe food for the entire trip.  Most of my safe food is what would be considered snacks.  That is kind of my normal routine though.  I generally don’t eat breakfast or lunch unless it’s a special occasion.  I’m not a big meal person.  I provide food for my entire family for these meals since they seem to enjoy them.

Dinner is the one meal I always put a lot of work and effort into.  We all sit down together and enjoy a meal.  It’s one of my favorite parts of the day.  Camping is a reflection of what we do at home.  We eat snack-like things throughout the entire day, but I still schedule breakfast and lunch so I can make sure my kids are fed.  Dinner is our time to relax and hang out around the campfire after an adventurous day.

3.Inventory Stock

It’s always a good idea to have an inventory of your food supplies.  Planning ahead and being prepared is one of the best ways to avoid exposing yourself to dangerous foods.  If you run out of safe food, you’re more likely eat whatever is nearest to you, regardless of its safety.  Or, if you have self-control, you might have only limited foods to eat and end up going hungry till your next shipment comes in.

If you don’t regularly keep inventory, then at least make a menu for the week prior to camping and the period of time you’ll be gone.  Make a complete list of every item you’ll need and start ordering at least a couple of weeks before you have to go.

Waiting until the last minute is not a good idea.  Items can take longer to ship, get held up for any reason, or get lost.  If you give yourself a reasonable amount of time for error, then you’ll be well prepared ahead of time.  Unlike non-allergy people, those with severe allergies cannot get food on the go or at the location.  If your order doesn’t show up, this means your trip might be delayed or even canceled.

Also, don’t forget to plan for the meals you’ll be eating when you get home!  If you use up all of your safe supplies for camping, you might be out of food when you arrive back home.  This is where keeping a regular inventory and planning ahead come in handy.

4.Double Check Medical Supplies

Double or even triple check your medical supplies.  Make sure you have what you regularly use and a backup.  Make sure you have emergency paperwork printed out.  I keep mine in my purse all the time, but sometimes it’s good to have a backup in your camping supplies, should your purse or bag get stolen.

It’s always a good idea to have any prescriptions regularly up to date.  You can keep a printed prescription refill in your supplies in case of an emergency.  I had an emergency incident where I was having an asthma attack and I went to refill my inhaler prescription at a pharmacy.  My prescription had just expired and the pharmacy couldn’t get hold of my doctor and refused to give me an inhaler without it.  I had a full asthma attack and started turning blue.  Thankfully, my Dad arrived and had someone call an ambulance.  It’s always good to have backups and backups for your backups!  If my parents hadn’t been able to rush to me with an emergency inhaler, I might have died in front of an audience, sitting right next to the pharmacy.

I always keep my inhaler, epi-pen, and medical emergency paperwork in my purse now.  I never go anywhere without my purse.  This has saved my life on more occasions than I can count.
See what’s in my bag.

If you compose a medical folder, you can include these things:

  • Local Map with Medical Locations Highlighted
  • ER Paperwork
  • Medical History
  • Back up Prescriptions

5.Find Local Emergency Health Services

No matter how much planning is done, there is always the risk of having a medical emergency.  It’s best to have a general idea of where the nearest emergency room, pharmacy, or local medical services are.

Either print out the information of the location or save the info under the contacts on your phone.   You could do both if you’re assembling a medical folder to bring with.

You can download google maps, of the area you’ll be in, ahead of time if you’ll be in an area where there is little to no service.

6. Find Local Safe Food as Backup

Every place I’ve camped, I’ve researched local health food stores or farmers markets available ahead of time.  Should I run out of food, lose food to wildlife or have an unforeseen accident, I want to be sure I have a backup so I don’t have to go home early.

This year, there was a farmers market in Ely that we visited.  We were able to get some organic, spray free carrots for Princess and me to snack on and some fermented veggies and kombucha for the family.  I also found a guy who was selling pure, maple syrup with no defoamer added.

Last year, there was a health food store in Grand Marais that carried a few of the foods I can safely eat.  I was able to pick up a couple things to supplement my normal food.

7.Learn About Local Foods to Forage

This is kind of a lifetime thing to learn.  Foraging for foods should now be on your new “normal” list of things to do.  If you’re new to this, it might sound strange.
“You mean, you can find food outside?  On the ground?  In the woods?”

The answer is yes!  People have been doing this since the beginning of time! Foraging has only recently become less common due to the convenience of packaged foods.  We have become disconnected from our food source, the Earth!  Food doesn’t originate in the store, as though it popped up overnight in perfectly arranged and identical boxes and bags.  It grew outside, from the ground.  It’s time to skip the middleman.

Now, you do need to be educated about foraging.  Get a few books, watch a couple youtube videos, take a class, grow some of your own in your garden, get real hands-on experience.  You can’t just go out into the woods and expect the food to beckon to you.

Once you start learning about foraging, you’ll start finding food everywhere you go!  Although, since you’re also battling severe allergies, you need to be in tune with your body to know what is safe and what isn’t for you.  So if asparagus is growing in a ditch next to a cornfield, and you’re allergic to corn, you might want to skip it.  If you’re in the middle of the woods, hours away from civilization and you find some fresh raspberries, then you’re good to go!  As a general rule, even if I 100% believe the food to be safe, it’s always good to be educated about plants that look similar to safe foods but are toxic.  For example, mushrooms and berries have a lot of variation, some safe mushrooms look similar to toxic mushrooms.  If you are not an expert, it’s best to avoid them altogether.  Berries are a little on the safer side, but there are still toxic berries out there.  Many lettuces and leafy plants are safe, but you still want to steer far from poison ivy or poison oak while you’re searching.

8. Look for Local Springs

I love spring water.  Spring water from up north is the cleanest, most delicious water I’ve ever had.  I want to move near it just so I can have fresh, clean, and safe water all the time.

For someone with severe corn or chemical allergies, finding a safe source of water can be difficult.  Bottled water usually has corny additives and is purified and treated with chemicals.  The bottles can be made from plastic made from corn or chemicals that are toxic.  Tap water is full of chemicals used to sterilize germs and bacteria, chemicals to remove discoloration and it even has toxic chemicals like fluoride added to it.  In addition, a lot of things are not filtered out at water treatment plants, things like pesticides, birth control, antidepressants, and other prescription drugs.  Some water tests have even found levels of illegal drugs.  Almost everything I’ve just listed was produced with corn or was directly derived from corn, which is why it is extra toxic to someone with corn allergies.

Spring water is not always completely pure from contaminants, but it’s usually a significantly lesser amount than water found anywhere else.  In addition, there is usually beneficial minerals from the underground natural filtration systems of rocks and sand.  It also has a significantly low PH level which is beneficial for a healthy body.

You can look online to see if there is a spring near you at the website Find A Spring  There was an artesian well at one of the State Parks that we stayed at that is not located on the list, so it’s always a good idea to call the office and ask about locals springs or wells in the area.

I hope that by sharing what I do to prepare for vacation helps inspire you to be able to go camping yourself!  Going camping with severe allergies can be difficult, but we need a break from the stress of daily allergy-free lifestyle every once and awhile.  Enjoying the great outdoors with fresh air and sunshine is something I look forward to every year.

Do you have a medical condition that you work around so that you can enjoy camping?  I’d love to hear about it!  Please tell me what you do in the comments.

52 Project, Week 23: Green

52 Project, Week 23: Green

I love the color green!  It’s thrilling when the sun warms the earth in spring and everything seems to pop with green overnight.  The world comes alive with energy and excitement.

When I see garden centers set up outside local stores, I feel like a kid in a candy store.  I always want to stop and peer into their shady depths to see what treasures lie within.  I fall in love with all of the things growing around me.  Usually, choosing just one thing is difficult.  During the end of the season sales, I end up splurging on a variety of plants, trying new things that have caught my eye.

A few years ago, an asparagus fern was one of these purchases.  I knew nothing about it other than the fact that it was a cute little fern.  I put it in a pot and it survived my brown thumb days.

My little fern has grown up quite tall and is beautiful.  I’ve learned a few things through experience.  Asparagus ferns have thorns like roses and must be navigated carefully.  It loves to be watered and will start to die if it dries out.  If part of it dies, all of the soft feathery “leaves” turn into a million sharp needles.  Out of personal safety, I opt to always take especially good care in watering it frequently.

I have had great fun photographing all of my plants this year.  One of my favorite all-green images is my asparagus fern.  It might be an acquired taste to love, but I truly adore my plant.   It’s got a feisty personality and I have a soft spot for feisty things.

Do you have an asparagus fern you love?  What is your favorite green thing?

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Cat’s 52 Project, Week 23: Green