Candy Free Options for Easter and Beyond With Debbie Lynn Inc, Piggy Paint, I See Me, and SafetyTat

ChiIL Mama's ChiIL Picks List for 

Candy Free Fun

Easter is hopping up fast and spring is the biggest birthday party season. Then there are summer parties, road trips and get togethers. Whether your family and friends have food allergies or sensitivities or you just want to limit the sugar laden treats, we have a list of fun, candy free picks. Check these out:

Disclosure: Thanks to Debbie Lynn Inc, Piggy Paint, I See Me, and SafetyTat for providing us samples for our feature. We were not compensated in any other way. As always, all opinions are our own.

Debbie Lynn Inc. products are sure to excite the creative critters in the family! With unique stationery items like silly animal pens, bold markers, fun erasers, and more, these Debbie Lynn items will encourage creativity and make it more fun! http://www.debbielynn.net/

Here at ChiIL Mama we're especially on board with promoting and supporting Debbie Lynn Inc. This is not only a woman owned business, but Debbie also has a toddler, and MS! My sister has MS as well, so I have first hand knowledge of just how tough this disability can be. We're thrilled to spread the word about Debbie's company, and do our part to help her excel in a business venture that enables her to juggle motherhood, making a living, and living with MS.

Piggy Paint makes painting kids’ nails fun without toxic and smelly chemicals. Natural, eco-friendly, and hypoallergenic, the line is available in an assortment of gift sets perfect for Easter, spring and summer parties and other special occasions. www.piggypaint.com 

We've been reading many disturbing articles lately about dangerous nail polish toxins seeping directly into the bloodstream. I have a 12 year old daughter who adores nail polish so this is a huge concern for me as a mother! We were thrilled to be invited to try out and review 5 of these polishes. They come in an impressive range of colors and we adore that they're natural, eco-friendly, and hypoallergenic. They are a bit more watery and less shiny than their toxic cousins, but they're easy to apply and last.

I See Me! personalized books are perfect for Easter, spring dance recitals, and of course birthday gifting! http://www.iseeme.com/

Customizable with a name and phone number, these labels are perfect for clothes, to toys, to containers, and much more! Anywhere Labels are dishwasher and washing machine safe! http://www.safetytat.com/

SafetyTat Anywhere Labels make it easy to keep track of belongings and children too. The SafetyTat Tattoos can contain as much or little info as you want. When my children were little, I had press credentials to cover many large music festivals like Lollapalooza, Riotfest and Summer Camp Music Fest. We always took the kids with us and made sure they had ear protection and were well labeled with their names and our cell phone numbers. I never lost one of them for more than a few minutes, but we had a few scares and near misses. SafetyTat can provide peace of mind when you need to navigate large crowds with small kids. 

Disclosure: Thanks to Debbie Lynn Inc, Piggy Paint, I See Me, and SafetyTat for providing us samples for our feature. We were not compensated in any other way. As always, all opinions are our own.

MODERNDAYMS.COM FEATURES #REALPEOPLEWITHMS EVERY DAY IN MARCH DURING MS AWARENESS MONTH

Campaign Illustrates Multiple Sclerosis is an Invisible Disease Affecting People You Know, Work with and Celebrate with

When this campaign hit my inbox, I was more than happy to pass it along to our readers. My sister has MS, so understanding the symptoms and struggles and helping to find a cure hit close to home for me. She was a runner and an avid traveler back in the day, and this incurable disease has robbed her of those passions, making travel tough and warm environments, athletic endeavors, and even tasks like moving to a new place overwhelming and exhausting. She's a hero of mine, for dealing as well as she does. She's been accused by past roommates and pseudo friends of "faking it" because the symptoms aren't always visible, but they can be debilitating nonetheless. I'm happy to do anything I can to educate the general public about MS, to promote understanding and empathy. Kudos to Modern Day MS for putting a real face and back story to the statistics.

Modern Day MS is featuring one Real Person with MS every day of March for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month.

Each real unique person living with MS was asked four identical questions, plus provided a quote that inspires them to stay positive despite their currently-incurable diagnosis.  Here are a few samples.

Meet Mel: "We all want a Multiple Sclerosis cure"

Meet Dean: "I am the Captain of my Fate."

Meet Rachel: "MS reminds me to really look at my son's face."

MS is a neurological disease that affects over 2.3 million people worldwide. MS is the breakdown of myelin (the substance protects nerves) allowing the body to attack itself. The word “sclerosis” refers to the scar tissue or lesions that appear as the brain and spinal cord are damaged. The unprotected nerves cannot function as they would with normal, healthy myelin.

The damaged nerves produce a wide range of symptoms that vary in severity. Symptoms include numbness and tingling, vision problems, balance and mobility issues, slurred speech, depression and many other issues. There is no such thing as a “typical” symptom of MS because each person experiences the disease differently.

The range of participants in the Modern Day MS #RealPeoplewithMS campaign range from those that run triathlons to those living life in wheelchairs. These interesting stories are from all over the world including Australia, Wales, Scotland and various regions of the United States.

Although multiple sclerosis affects more women than men, there are eight diverse men represented in this campaign.  Ages range from as young as 22 up to 65 years old.  The willing participants include some who exclusively use natural treatments and no medication to others who are dependent on a long list of medications. 

Modern Day MS was created in November 2014 by Beth Prystowsky.  Prystowsky is a mom, wife, daughter, sister, yoga teacher and writer that created the site when she was unable to find a positive, nonoverwhelming place for herself and others to learn and understand the chronic disease.  

Modern Day MS is found at www.moderndayms.com, on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.