u/rosefern64

my 2yo loves Cerebelly bars, which i am perfectly happy with.

my 5yo will not eat them. for her, i've tried: GoMacro, Larabars, Clif Bars (which I know have too much sugar anyways but she won't even eat those!), Junkless, Simple Mills (Banana Bread Bars), and it feels like a thousand other bars I can't think of. doesn't like them.

the ONLY things she has liked are: Simple Truth Chocolate Chip Energy bars (Kroger), Nature's Bakery Fig Bars, Nature Valley Almond Butter Biscuits. They all have a lot of added sugar, so I don't love feeding them to her. Also, my almost-2yo is getting to the age where she will demand the same thing that I am giving her sister, so I want to find something lower sugar for her.

any ideas? i just need them to be vegan and low sugar.

*please don't tell me to make my own; i know that's an option, and i know how to find recipes if i choose to do that, but i am specifically looking for packaged bars with this specific question.

tl;dr scheduled endoscopy to test soy, but realized afterwards that i will only have 4 weeks to add back in soy (i have had 6 for the other foods)

longer version: i took a break from testing over the summer so i could travel without strict restrictions. i am vegan so i am only testing nuts, wheat, and soy. so far i have tested nuts (fine) and wheat (confirmed trigger).

as i recall, at my last appointment, my GI doc said that once i was done traveling, i would need to strictly remove wheat and soy again for 2 weeks, then continue to strictly avoid wheat while adding back in soy for 6 weeks (total of 8 weeks).

however, i just asked the office to confirm, and they said that in my notes it says:

1. Stop gluten for 4 weeks after her vacations this summer
2. At the point, introduce soy for 4-6 weeks and will proceed with EGD afterwards

so, with the date i have my follow-up endoscopy scheduled, i could do 4 weeks wheat/soy free, then 4 weeks with soy (but no wheat).

my question is, is the 4 weeks of re-introduction long enough, or should i re-schedule it so i have 6 weeks to add in soy? i see 4-6 weeks online but i'm not sure exactly what that means. i honestly don't think my doctor is that experienced with the dietary route, and the answers i get from him are not clear.

we are in the potty training stage and typically don't have any wet or dirty diapers to wash (yay!)

i have typically done laundry every 2 days (now 3 without the diapers), combining cloth diapers with other reusables like cloth wipes, hankies, napkins, and kitchen rags. pre-wash (warm, heavy soil, typically 1.5-2 hrs) and main waish (hot, heavy duty cycle, typically 1.75-2 hrs).

my question is: if i have no wet or dirty diapers, but i DO still have wipes that were used for pee/poop, can i shorten the first wash, or should i keep my routine the same?

if so, are you willing to measure the rise (crotch to front waist band) and let me know? i have the bikini ones, and i want to buy other styles, but am particular about rise.

P.S. i am so tired of having to buy period underwear and not being able to return it…. i have such an expensive (and unsustainable) graveyard of pairs that i never wear bc they are super uncomfortable for me (from other companies)

if so, are you willing to measure the rise (crotch to front waist band) and let me know? i have the bikini ones, and i want to buy other styles, but am particular about rise.

P.S. i am so tired of having to buy period underwear and not being able to return it…. i have such an expensive (and unsustainable) graveyard of pairs that i never wear bc they are super uncomfortable for me (from other companies)

i just ordered my first pair. the big toe nearly touches the end (feels good), but the other toe pockets are so long for my foot, i can't even really get my 4th and 5th toes into the pockets at all.

should i try a smaller size or is this style just not going to work for me?

bought a pair of Feelgrounds and love the fit/style, but i got foot pain just walking around my house to try them on. i had the same experience with Splay. I own a pair and can't really wear them because of it; i think it's the lack of insole and how hard it is on my feet.

i also have Flux sneakers, which are zero drop but has a thin foam insole, and can walk miles in in those with no problem.

i thought of purchasing the Feelgrounds insoles, but they are cork, which doesn't seem like it would provide as much cushion as foam, and i would need to pay $17 shipping for the $11 insole. the Feelgrounds also don't provide a lot of volume up and down (not sure if there's a term for that) so i'm worried my toe might get squished with the extra volume of the insole added.

my questions are:

- does anyone have the Feelgrounds insoles and can comment on them?

- is there a different insole i could buy that might work for them?

- are there other shoe brands that might work well for me?

i'll also accept advice on how to strengthen my feet so this doesn't happen, but i would also like a pair of shoes that i can wear NOW comfortably :)

i recently discovered i can't consume wheat for medical reasons (like, it was tested and told to me by my specialist that i can't consume it). but cross-contamination is not an issue for my personal medical issue.

i am not bothered by avoiding wheat based products, but it is really frustrating to figure out how to handle it with regard to family meals. we eat a lot of bread, bagels, pasta, etc. i feel like a lot of the gluten-free alternatives have less nutrition, so i don't really want to switch my whole family to GF when they don't need to be.

one issue is, if i make myself a GF alternative, they'll ask me for it simply because it's "special" or different. for example, we wanted to put couscous on the meal plan this week. i am certain if we all were served couscous, the kids would eat it. but if i served myself rice or quinoa, the kids would ask for rice or quinoa instead because they are more used to those foods and they see me eating it.

another issue is that it is honestly just so annoying to have to create 2 versions of meals. yesterday i made homemade mac'n'cheese and used GF pasta so we could all eat it, but like i said, i don't necessarily want to limit them to GF foods. but i also don't want to have to cook 2 pastas every time, and then have more dishes because of it 🫠

any other parents with food restrictions and how do you handle it when meal planning and prepping?!

First thing's first, the boxers: my partner loves these boxer-briefs from Hanes. However, we were hesitant to re-order after noticing the language: "MOISTURE WICKING - Cool Comfort® fabric releases moisture off your skin to help you stay cool and comfortable." After some digging, I'm pretty sure it means the fabric receives a treatment that basically coats it in PFAS even though it is labeled as "cotton" 🫠 Does anyone have recs for a similar product that doesn't contain moisture-wicking technology? 100% cotton or a slight % of spandex is fine, Bonus if GOTS but not necessary. Oeko-tex would be good too.

Second, my daughter loves these Hane's socks. I actually don't have a problem with the fabric, as far as I can tell it's good. "82% Cotton/16% Polyester/2% Spandex" and made with organic cotton. BUT she's about to grow out of the largest size, and all the larger Hanes' socks seem to be 100% polyester, which I am not ok with.

She already has socks from: Q for Quinn, Hanna Andersson, and Primary. She does not like them as much as the Hanes socks. The Hanes ones seem shorter (but not no-show), thicker fabric, more of a plush material. I can see why she likes them. Any recs for similar socks?

Again, GOTS and/or Oeko-tex would be great but not necessary, just a high % of cotton and no obvious fabric treatments like moisture wicking etc.

we lost the original drip pan (actually we had cleaners and they threw it out for some reason?????) and it is seemingly out of stock indefinitely on their website.

does anyone have a recommendation for what to use instead? we tried a lid from a small plastic storage bin, but the lip around the edge collected water and got mildewy soooo fast, i don’t want to have to keep up with cleaning that.

do you cut out barley and rye long-term too? or just wheat?

i avoided all wheat, barley, and rye when i was doing my elimination diet, mainly to avoid cross contamination. but now that im done with the test, im wondering what i should do.

(i will ask my doc but to be honest he has not been helpful in the slightest with any food or nutrition recommendations and has already given me conflicting advice 🤷‍♀️)

we have 2 kids, 1.5 and 5 years old and will be staying in a hotel. since they rarely have vegan options for breakfast, i'm thinking of packing something that we can have for breakfast. but i can't think of any good options that don't require a kitchen. i thought maybe a box of cheerios and some plant based milk, but i feel like it's hit or miss if there is even a mini fridge that can fit milk in it (and whether it even keeps it cold enough to be safe or is just a beverage cooling fridge).

what would you bring? we usually eat bagels, fruit, oatmeal, etc. and we will be driving so we can pack something, but i'm not sure yet if we will have space for a cooler. the drive is over 8 hours, so i don't want to bring anything that necessarily NEEDS to remain refrigerated either way.

thoughts or opinions on the brand?

i had heard of it vaguely a while ago, but have been shopping for some dresses recently and decided to take a closer look. i LOVE the style, and they are mostly 100% organic and regenerative cotton.

however, i noticed many, many styles were sold out. and when i started checking their social media, i realized that they seem to operate by releasing limited "drops" that they super hype up, and sell out quickly. everything is offered first on their app, before being released to their website.

on the one hand, offering limited runs in a sustainable fabric is good. but on the other hand, aren't they encouraging impulse buys with this business model? it seems like there is a cult following of people who are obsessed with the brand.

AND, if you have pieces from there, do you consider it "worthwhile"? i know it is a STEEP price tag, so not everyone will be able to afford it in the first place. i can, BUT it needs to be worth it if i'm going to pay that much.

my child is 41 inches tall. she does great with her woom 14 inch pedal bike (no training wheels) and is interested in a 2-wheeled scooter.

i was looking at Razor brand, but they have so many models that are labeled ages 5+ and they don't have any guide to the differences. A, A2, S, A3..... does anyone have insight into this and what might work best?!

i have a 5 year old who is obsessed with sophie mouse, and she has latched onto the idea of making paint colors out of different leaves/flowers/berries etc. which is done in the books.

super cute idea, but…. how would you go about it with this age? has anyone done it? if she uses it to paint, would the paintings eventually get moldy or go bad….?

i am in the midst of the 6FED diet. well, for me it's 3fed because i'm vegan and i won't be testing milk, eggs, or fish (haven't had them in 13 years).

i tested nuts and it was not a trigger. recently i have been testing wheat, and had an endoscopy today to see if that is the trigger. next i will test soy. my doctor has told me to continue with my current diet (keep wheat, cut soy) until i get the results of my endoscopy back. does anyone know why that would be the case? the next scope won't be scheduled out until 6 weeks after i get the results anyways. i don't really understand why i wouldn't add soy back in now.

i also asked if i could "take a break" from the diet and then resume it at a later date, but he said i would need to re-complete the ENTIRE 6FED, including eliminating things i've already tested and shown are not a trigger, before i could go back to the stage i am at now. like, i would need to do 6 weeks free of nuts, soy, and wheat, and then ANOTHER 6 weeks with soy added in (and wheat in or out depending on the results of today's scope). that just made no sense to me. am i missing something?

idk if this is too niche, but my children (5 and 1) absolutely LOVE fake candles.... just the little tea lights. but after seeing one fall to the ground and pop open with the coin battery COMPLETELY accessible, there is no way i'm letting the little one near them!

are there any that have the battery compartment screwed shut or something like that? i've tried googling it, but it's not really something that brands advertise in the product description, haha.

i’m looking for an outdoor folding chair that is fabric but doesn’t contain flame retardants or PFAS. most items i see online don’t say anything about PFAS but DO say “water resistant” or something to that effect, which makes me think PFAS.

im ok with a polypropylene fabric that will be durable and inherently water repellent, as long as it does not contain any water/stain repellent chemicals or flame retardants. i would also be OK with cotton or something that is just not water proof.

anyone know where to find one? budget not an issue

and please don’t reply if you’re just going to tell me not to worry about it 🥲 i know a lot of people would not, and that is fine. i like to be very thorough when i am purchasing something new and get exactly what i want. i currently have zero folding chairs, and have had several instances where i have needed one, so it’s not like im throwing out an old chair just because it contains PFAS.

i'm in the 6fed process and have an endoscopy next week (wednesday morning).

however, i have some horrible virus (haven't tested so i'm not sure what) that my kids gave me. i have had a very painful sore throat for the whole week, i lost my voice, and i have a cough, congestion, headache, and overall feel crappy. my family all had it first, and (including my husband) still have symptoms 2 weeks since onset of symptoms. they also all had fevers at some point. i haven't had a fever yet.

i'm inclined to try to reschedule my endoscopy. the clinic is adamant that you can get an endoscopy while sick as long as you don't CURRENTLY have a fever. but i just feel like this will make my recovery harder, especially given how awful the sore throat is that i have been dealing with! what would you do?