The Seated View

I should have these giveaways more often – I’m having a blast. What about you? There was a lot of excitement about this week's prize, the beautiful adaptive Integrale cutlery. Thank you so much again to Heubl for donating a set to give away. And the winner is…. Tony Kitchell, who left a comment on the blog saying "This cutlery would finally make it so that I won't have to wince in pain just to butter toast. I can eat without putting on splints."   Congratulations, Tony! Please email me at leneATyourlifewithraDOTcom to claim your prize. Tune in tomorrow for Giveaway #3!   

Does your disability or chronic illness make it difficult for you to use using regular cutlery when you eat? Then do I ever have a great giveaway for you! Isabel Heubl created Integrale because adaptive cutlery “wasn’t only ugly, but didn’t fulfil all the functional aspects needed either.” She worked with a large group of people whose chronic conditions and disabilities affected their ability to use their hands to develop something that was not just functional, but also beautiful. “The users were the ones telling me what they needed and wanted and I was simply the one that put it into a shape.” Integrale has been on the market in Europe for two years now and Isabel often receives notes from people whose lives have been changed by using the cutlery. “I t is so practical and I use it all the time. It allows me to eat the way I used to be able to eat. It sits so well in my hand” – Edith from Hamburg “dinner out with our children and their spouses yesterday,...

I’ve loved Advent calendar since I was a little girl. Opening a small gift every day for the month of December is such a wonderful way to build anticipation while temporarily calming down the excitement  so you don’t explode by the time Christmas arrives. It’s one of the reasons I wrote Chronic Christmas: Surviving the Holidays with a Chronic Illness as Advent calendar, sharing a daily tip for how you can make the holidays manageable and how those who love you can lend a helping hand. So when I started thinking about ways to help you enjoy the holidays without overdoing it, an Advent calendar was foremost in my mind. And then, to wildly paraphrase a certain green gentleman who shows up around this time of year, I got an idea. An amazing, wonderful idea. For the next month, I’ll be hosting weekly giveaways with helpful and cool prizes! In the tradition of Advent calendars, I’m not going to tell you what they are. You'll just have to come back to “unwrap” them. ...