Vancouver Island Vibes

  Ok so Chocolate chip cookies aren't exactly "healthy" per-se, but they are healthy for the soul, (as my mom would say, and hey, mom knows best.) so they can squeeze into the "wholesome" category of this blog. (It's my blog anyways, and I can do what I want.)   Dairy is one of those foods many of us have a problem with. Whether it's cooking for a group, for someone with a sensitivity, allergy, vegan, or just because it goes against your morals, many are skipping the milk these days. That's not to say that we have to say goodbye to all those gooey treats at the same time, we just have to adjust. So here is my favourite chewy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookie that will have you saying bye-bye to butter, and honestly, it was hard at first, but I really don't miss dairy anymore! One of the hardest parts of allergy free eating is the fact that it is so hard to indulge. (No birthday cakes, dessert plates, or ice cream for me please!) (...

Today is rare disease day.  Did you know that one in 10 people will suffer with a rare disease at some point in their lives? 50% of those people are children. (Nearly 30% of those children will not make it to their fifth birthday. :( )  These Children are often referred to as "zebra kids" because physicians are taught "if you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras." So that physicians don't go around over diagnosing a rare disease. Unfortunately, this often leads to misdiagnosis or no diagnosis at all. The average amount of time it takes to make a proper diagnosis is 8 years! Before I had Silas, I hadn't really ever heard of Epidermylosis Bullosa (EB) before. I had maybe seen a commercial or clip for a documentary on butterfly children once or twice, but I really had no idea what it was, and never in a million years would I have guessed that one of my children would be born with this condition. Upon Silas' birth, I was terrified of the unknown. I felt...

It has now been several years since I first started this blog and it has since grown stale as my life as I knew it began to change. It began as a way for me to deal with my chronic pain and focus on the positive aspects of the living world. A reminder that life can be good despite limitations.  I am going to continue to carry this blog on in the same manner, but I thought I should highlight some of the changes that have occurred in the past 5-ishis years as the content of my posts and my life has greatly changed. About 5 years ago I had many chronic health problems that resulted in me walking with a cane. I had peripheral neuropathy, digestive problems, and chronic inflammation with no causation found.  I was very discouraged with my pain and my condition and at only 20 years old, grieved the loss of my body. I said goodbye to thinking I would ever surf, ski, or do many of the other active things that I loved to do in life. So instead of giving up, I shifted focus, ...