Nom Nom Nom

No, I am not talking about eating something. I am talking NOMinations! Duh! ;)

Once again it is time to shine the light on awesome blog posts you’ve read this month! And this month something extra special is happening with the Best of the ‘Betes Blogs, we are having our first sponsor giveaway! Excited? Me too! Keep reading for the 411.

So the way this works if you have not checked it out before is from now until the 28^th, you can nominate blog posts you’ve read as the “Best of” for these 15 categories.

Best Use of Humor
Best Vlog
Best Recipe
Best Use of Photography
Best Advocacy
Best Reference to a D-Celebrity
Best Story of a D Meet-up
Best non-D Related Post
Best Post by a Type 1
Best Post by a Type 2
Best Post by a Type Awesome
Best Post by a LADA/ Type 1.5/ Not otherwise specified
Best story of a D-mistake
Best Motivational Post
Best Diabetes Art New category (Sept 2011) 

Send your nominations to bestbetesblogs@gmail.com. Then head on over to ww.bestbetesblogs.com to see the “best” on October 1st.

This monthly blogorama, I like to refer to as 3B, is not about “Winners” and “Losers.” It’s a way to get people to find new blogs they may have never heard of or read blog posts that they may have missed. The blog “Best of’s” and “nominators” AND all those blogs nominated are listed each month so EVERYONE WINS! Awesomesauce indeed! 

And if that is not enough awesomeness to make your head spin we are thankful to be able to take 3B to a whole new level this month.  

This month 2 winners will be chosen to receive a PAK BARA Organizer! Here's some info about the company.

PAK BARA began as a company designing a compact, lightweight, fashionable daily organizer. The mother of a child with diabetes found their product and a new connection was born. The organizer has a low-profile and comes with either a clip, arm band, or leg band so it is great for carrying your diabetes supplies during exercise. “Even before their official launch, PAK BARA served as an elite sponsor of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in 2009 and 2010 to express their support for the diabetes community and long into the future.” (source)

So when I said 2 winners, I mean one nominator will win and the other will be a blog we feature on October 1st! Two ways to win! So that's like a win/Win/WIN/WIN! 

Winners will be chosen at random so get to nominating! 

Disclosure: I have not been paid for my content. The PAK BARA organizers are a $32.99 value and will be sent directly from the company to the giveaway winners.

You Tube Tuesday #240

I love video games. Especially old school stuff. Pong may be a little too old for me but Atari 2600 and arcade games have a special place in my heart.

Nintendo is one of my favorites. Especially playing Super Mario Bros. I can't imagine how many quarters I used on that game. So awesome! In fact, I still play it on my Nintendo Wii.

Check out this video of a Video game in a box. 

Enjoy!

A Way To Spend Your Day

If you are looking for something to do today, why not head on over to the United Nations webcast to watch the meetings regarding Non-Communicable Diseases. 

I have been watching and listening this morning and I wish I could watch all day but I doubt my employer would be okay with that.

Hearing how prevalent diabetes is across the world and how quickly it is spreading is terrifying! Imagine a world where the fight against diabetes and mission to find a cure were universal? Would we find that cure faster? Would we save lives? 

Who am I? Just some nerdy self proclaimed ninja who counts on all these really smart people to figure all this stuff out. If I can point a spot light in the right direction to get some more people to pay attention than I think I have done a good thing.

So please, head on over when you can today. There are some different channels to watch other meetings happening throughout the day.

Have a happy Monday! 

Invisible Illness Week

During my morning blog reading I came across Kerri's meme post called "30 Things About My Invisible Illness: 2011." I thought this was a great idea for a post and thought I would follow suit.

Diabetes is invisible to most of the world and I think it is important to educate as many people as we can about it. The more they know, the more they will understand.

Anyhow, here goes my 30! 

1. The illness I live with is: Type 1 diabetes

2. I was diagnosed with it in the year:  1990

3. But I had symptoms since: 1988

4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: Watching what I eat. 

5. Most people assume: . That diabetes is manageable and “no big deal.” WRONG! 

6. The hardest part about mornings are: Waking up with a number that doesn’t make sense.

7. My favorite medical TV show is: Children’s Hospital. Hee hee

8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: My Pump and Dexcom.

9. The hardest part about nights are: fear of a low.

10. Each day I take 1 pill & a billion vitamins.  More like 8 pills and pump insulin 24/7.

11. Regarding alternative treatments I: Pray. Does that count?

12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose:  I kind of like that my disease is hidden when I want it to be. At other times I’ll just wear a Ninjabetic Shirt! W00t!  

13. Regarding working and career:  A career in helping PWD's would be awesome.

14. People would be surprised to know: that I love to cook.

15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: that I am going to have this forever.

16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: Remake a Beyonce song. 

17. The commercials about my illness: bug me.

18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: Being surprised when I saw my own blood. I am way to used to seeing my own blood.

19. It was really hard to have to give up: Skipping meals. I do it now but at first it was hard for me to eat 3 meals a day.

20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: Writing and advocating.

21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: Eat whatever and not think a flipping thing about it.

22. My illness has taught me: That it is much easier to deal with in a community than it is by yourself.  

23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: "Take care of yourself” Duh? You think? Really? ugh.

24. But I love it when people: are themselves. Just be you.

25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: You can do this.

26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: that they are not alone!

27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: that I have made more friends that I would have ever thought because of this disease.

28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: Someone sent me fuzzy socks because my feet were cold. How nice is that?

29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I like to steal ideas from my friend.

30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: like you care about people with diabetes!

I am not going to tag anyone but if you have diabetes, have a blog, and don't have post for today than I would suggest posting this meme with your own 30!

Have a great weekend.

Neglected

My blog was my life. For so long everything I did made we want to share it right here in my own little place on the net. 

For a long time I would blog every day about whatever was going on both diabetes wise and other. Sharing my life in the hopes of helping others is still a passion of mine but the rest of my life doesn't want to play along.

I am just too busy.

The bigger problem with that busyness and neglect are at the very core causing me to be depressed and feel down. Every Wednesday when I miss DSMA I feel awful. Every day I don't post I feel disconnected. Every blog post and story I miss from not being able to read them all makes me feel like a bad a friend.

I am just too damn busy.

The other side of the coin is that the busyness is not really by my choice. I am too nice to say no, too dumb to step down, and too lazy to make the time for me. For my brain.

Recently I was asked what my hobbies were and what I like to do just for myself. My first thought was blogging. It brings me joy to want to share about my life in hopes of helping others. The person I was speaking to thought that if my focus when I blogged was helping others, was that really something just for myself?

I thought about that a long while but didn't know how to respond. Nothing brings me more joy than helping people in need. The blessings received are unmatched. But I couldn't really say it was all about me. Although many would disagree, that is not the reason I love this place. 

My question back to this person was, "what do you consider something just for you?"

The reponse were things like going to the gym, getting a massage, going to a movie by yourself, reading a book, or even playing a round of golf. 

Wow. Nope. Nothing like that on my schedule. But am I really missing it? I think I am just missing being able to decide what I want to do and not what I have to do. Those "things" are not really anything I think I want to do. Maybe I would be better off if I did stuff like that but I already feel guilty for even considering it. 

Could it be that I am just wired differently? Some freak of nature? Honestly, I am not sure what to think.

One thing I know is that something needs to change soon because I am unhappy and that is never good. That I know for sure!