As blogger and Diabetes 365 administrator Bernard notes over on Blogabetes, "I think one of the nice things that might come out of it is a better understanding about life with diabetes, especially for anyone who DOESN'T have it."

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Getting Ready for Halloween Fun With Diabetes

For parents of kids with diabetes, Halloween can be a real test of will and spirit. Sending your child off to trick or treat may feel a bit like letting Augustus Gloop loose in Willy Wonka's famed factory -- floating up the chocolate river without a paddle. But with a little preparation, you and your children can have a safe and happy Halloween. Find out how to prepare for Halloween fun, now!

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Diabetes and Sex: What's Your Intimacy IQ?

When diabetes enters the bedroom, things can get interesting. What if you go low when things get hot? Which intimacy aids are best, and which ones are off limits? And how do you handle a lagging libidio? Test your Intimacy IQ now and pick up some 'best practices' for more pleasure.

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Are You Stressed Out?

Stress can make your blood sugars higher and your quality of life lower. Are you stressed out? Take the dLife Stress Screening Quiz, then find out how you can relax, revive, and remain in control of your diabetes.

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Fall Into Good Control

The leaves are changing colors, wool jackets are being pulled from their summer storage bins, and the weather has that crisp, fall edge. While the seasons are changing, it’s important to remain vigilant in your diabetes care. From warm, soothing soups to the fun of Halloween, ‘tis the season to fall into good control. Find out how.

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Celebrating Religious Holidays with Diabetes

Many religious observances are challenging for people with diabetes, particularly those that involve food or fasting. We are in the midst of the Jewish high holy days, culminating in Yom Kippur this Friday. Visit Friends With Diabetes for their comprehensive series of Diabetes Guides focusing on different Jewish holidays.

FWD founder Rabbi Hirsch Meisels is looking for input from Jewish readers with type 1 diabetes who have experience with fasting:

I urgently need some feedback from type 1's who fasted in previous years. How did you (or more precisely, how did your body handle) the breaking of the fast at the end of the day? Did your BG spike? How high? What did you then do? How long did it take you to get back to normal numbers?

Comment here or contact Rabbi Meisels if you would like to contribute.

This is also the Islamic month of Ramadan, which traditionally involves dawn to dusk fasting. Diabetes UK has an excellent primer on dealing with diabetes issues during Ramadan.

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Romance and Diabetes: Tips for Couples

Combining diabetes with a romantic partnership can be a delicate balance. Living with it is one thing, but what about if you are the partner of a person with diabetes? How do couples handle the intricacies, and the intimacies, of that relationship? Read more about making diabetes a healthy part of your relationship.

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Do You Know the Signs?

Recently, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a study to determine if a school-based prevention program could help reduce students' risks of developing unhealthy food management behaviors.

Diabetes management, with its focus on eating and nutrition, has the potential to create a preoccupation with food. Sometimes this preoccupation becomes an obsession, building momentum until food is almost viewed as dangerous. Worrying about eating the wrong foods and using terms such as “cheating” are unhealthy perspectives that can contribute to the development of an eating disorder.

The combination of an eating disorder and diabetes can be deadly. Do you know the signs? Find out more, and empower yourself with information.

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dLifestyles of the Rich and Famous

Fame, fortune, and diabetes. It's not such an unlikely combination. In a world where image is everything, well-known entertainers are often hesitant to reveal their real lives with diabetes. But things have been changing in the world of movies, TV, and music. Celebrities are talking about their diabetes, screenwriters are working it into movie plots, and even the stunt animals are getting in on the action. Test your knowledge of celebrities and diabetes. We bet you'll learn a thing or two!

Related: dLife Fame Pages

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Blogabetes - Not a Care in the World

Diabetes is more than just managing numbers and lab tests - it's also about managing emotional health. Our Blogabetes writer, Michelle Kowalaski, touches upon some of her thoughts as she does the daily diabetes dance:

Not a Care in the World

I read today about a woman who boluses for every jelly bean, grape and kernel of popcorn she eats. And I can’t help but think “why?”

I mean, I know why, but why don’t I have that mindset? What has happened to me that I eat a handful of mini vanilla wafers without a second thought? Ok, I do give it a second thought, but I don’t use the fast-acting insulin that I have readily available. What exactly is it with me that I can’t always bring myself to use that?

I’m a grazer, and I’ve speculated that perhaps I’m afraid. Afraid that I’ll take too much or too little for my grazing, I guess. I, frankly, don’t really know what it is. It’s not like I’m afraid of needles or anything. I…I just don’t get it. I get so frustrated at myself for seeming not to care.

I posted on my blog not long ago about being high all the time and needing something to help me with the highs that just won’t budge. I emailed and practically begged my endo for a prescription for Novolog. I got it and used it almost daily for quite some time. And now I’ve stopped. And I don’t understand what’s holding me back.

I know the complications, I know about the eye problems and kidney failure and the limb amputations. I want to see my children grow up and attend dances and graduations and marriages. I don’t want to be a burden ever to my children. So, I ask perhaps rhetorically, what exactly is keeping me from doing what I know my body deserves? If I’m not going to eat right, at least I should take medicine readily available to me to counteract the crap I’m eating. Why can’t I get that to sink in?

What do you think? Tell us about it!

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Blogabetes - Getting Ready

Blogabetes bloggers have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming launch. Today's post is from Carey Potash. Enjoy!

Up a Creek

My inaugural season coaching Charlie's soccer team – The R2s – came to an end. The soccer part went well. We scored "THIS many" goals. (Holding up sticky orange fingers) The other teams scored "THIS many goals." (Holding up slightly less sticky orange fingers)

I know soccer. That part comes easy. But managing diabetes when there's 117 various obstacles working against me? Not so much. I often found myself winging it; rolling the dice; holding my breath; crossing my fingers; thanking my lucky stars; speaking in clichés.

I did a lot of research on pumping strategies for excessive activity. The more I read, the more confusing it got.

* Reduce basal rates by 50 percent 1 to 2 hours prior to activity. OK, I can do that.
* However, watch out for high blood sugars just prior to activity due to adrenaline.
* If using insulin to treat high blood sugar, use caution as activity speeds up the effect of insulin.
* Reduce basal rates by 50 percent for 6 hours post-activity to avoid delayed reaction of low blood sugars.
* Consume 15 grams of carbs for every 30-60 minutes of activity.

But then it gets a bit tricky:

In order to find your optimal basal level, multiply your estimated exertion level by your age when you lost your first tooth and divide it by your shoe size. Take that number from a well-shuffled deck of cards, put it face-down on the table and don't show anyone the card.

Elderly Armenian women wearing sun hats tend to raise blood sugars during activity. If you anticipate an Armenian spectator on the sidelines during activity, increase basal rates by 65 percent. A word of caution: Be sure she's Armenian. Women from Azerbaijan have the opposite effect on blood glucose.

If your child is playing a team with blue shirts, expect high blood sugars. The blue will remind him of the cotton candy he wasn't allowed to eat last weekend at the carnival. Thinking of this will anger him and release a stress hormone. You can only hope he sees a seagull or volcanic activity. Both have a lowering effect.

One more thing I almost forgot to mention. If an elderly Armenian woman shows up without a sun hat on her head, well that's just a horse of a different color. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. You're up a creek without a paddle. You can take that to the bank. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Blogabetes is launching soon! Get ready, and have a safe and healthy weekend.

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Twinkie Syndrome - From Blogabetes

Welcome to another post from the Blogabetes bloggers! This edition is from blogger George Simmons. Enjoy!

Being a dad with diabetes can have some affects on your family that you may have not thought about. I always show and explain as much as I can about my type 1 diabetes to my children, but there are times that my diabetes shows its ugly face in their lives.

Like this story:

I remember back to an event at our church when my son was five. It was a neighborhood fair and there were games, food, and bounce houses of every style you can think of. Each of the church members was asked to bring a dessert or casserole to share. Well, one family brought a huge box of individual wrapped Twinkies.

My son comes running over to me and asked if he can have one and of course I said okay. He grabbed a package of yellow squishy goodness and brought it over to us so we could help him get it open. As I am opening the package I can see his little eyes staring in wonderment at this very strange looking cake-like sort of thing.

I ask, "Have you ever had a Twinkie?"

"No Daddy, are they good?"

"I used to like them when I was little. Try it!"

He held the cake in his hand and took a big bite. As soon as had about a third of it in his mouth I saw a face I had not seen since we tried to feed him green beans as a baby. Totally and completely grossed out. He choked down what was in his mouth and handed it over.

"I don't like it" he said out of a twisted face that looked as though he just had the most disgusting thing on the face of the earth in his mouth and ran off with the other kids.

I looked and my wife and after we stopped laughing I said, "I think I have ruined our kids." We both cracked up about it until we saw he was the only kid sitting under the tree not drinking punch. He had a Diet Pepsi.

Poor kid!

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Coming Soon ... Blogabetes!

dLife is introducing Blogabetes - a new diabetes blog featuring some of your favorite voices from the diabetes blogosphere and introducing some new voices as well! Blogabetes will highlight "real life" with diabetes. These are people making sense of a "diabetes diet." These are people wearing insulin pumps. These are the parents of children with diabetes. These are people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes telling the true stories of what it's really like to live with diabetes.

Over the next few weeks, as we prepare to launch Blogabetes, we'll be giving dLife Today readers a sneak preview from featured Blogabetes writers. Check out today's post from Michelle Kowalski:

Finding My Demon

It happened when I was giving the baby a bath on Sunday evening. It was the first time in a week. It wasn’t really a light bulb moment, just something that felt familiar. That "Oh yeah, I remember."

My four-year-old wanted to watch me, to “help” with the baby’s bath. Everything she did made me want to scream—moving the step stool closer to the sink, talking jibber jabber to the baby, touching the water to make sure it wasn’t too hot or cold. She wasn’t being annoying, she wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary, she just wanted to be involved. And all I could do was tell her to Stop! Stop! Just Stop It! I was thinking Just Leave Me Alone…I Want To Do This Myself…Alone…Get Away From Me!

And then it hit me—literally like a ton of bricks. At the airport the day before, I bought a smallish bag of M&M’s. Just a handful in the airport and that was it for Saturday. But I had a heavy lunch of Wendy’s that day—and hadn’t taken any insulin to cover it—and then an equally heavy fast food dinner, again with no insulin. Why I didn’t cover with the insulin that I had in my bag I really don’t know. A post for another day, I guess.

So on Sunday, I was recovering from the carb-heavy Saturday and then topped it off with the rest of those M&M’s, which I ate mostly in secret. Not to mention an assortment of white flour carbs in the form of pre-made sandwiches and frozen pizza. (That’s what happens when you’ve been gone for a week. You eat what you can find until you go to the store.) All of which had been essentially cleansed from my system the previous week which I had spent with my family at my parents’ house out of town. I was a good person with diabetes that week. I checked my sugar often, I took insulin to cover too many carbs, I didn’t eat sweets. Well, I ate fewer sweets. Sunday evening, though, I was high. Plain and simple.

Looking back, I felt wonderful that entire week. I didn’t get unnecessarily annoyed. I didn’t snip. I always treated my children and my husband with respect. And it took me a bag of M&Ms and a couple trips to a fast food joint to remember that.

Check in on Mondays and Fridays through August for the latest from the Blogabetes writers!

RELATED: Daily Living at dLife.com

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Fourth of July Festivities

Get ready for fireworks, fun, sand, sun...and the challenges of summer holiday blood sugar control. Enjoy your Independence Day by arming yourself with warm-weather resources from dLife.

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Jump Start Your Exercise Program

If the fact that exercise can improve your diabetes control hasn’t motivated you to get moving, maybe the arrival of swimsuit season will. Exercise physiologist Dr. Sheri Colberg-Ochs has great tips to get you out of the couch potato rut and in beach-ready shape in no time.

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Diabetes Nightlife

Meet Walt Raleigh. Although he was voted “most likely to do a keg-stand” in college, he’s slowed down significantly since discovering his diabetes doesn’t necessarily mix well with the party scene. Find out more from “The Type 2 Curmudgeon” himself.

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Are You Summer Savvy?

Summer is finally here! It's the time of year we kick back a little, soak in the sun, take a trip somewhere beachy, and focus on fun.

Don't let poor diabetes management spoil that fun. Take the dLife "Do You Have Summer Safety Savvy?" quiz to make sure you're good to go.

Related: Summer Resources

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Diabetes and the Environment

Test strips, lancets, syringes, pill bottles, product packaging....diabetes can generate a small landfill in treatment-related trash over time. dLife has some helpful advice to keep your diabetes care routine as earth-friendly as possible. Find out more now.

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A Special Spring Brunch

Many families are sharing time together this week with Passover and Easter celebrations. Make your planning easier with a spread of nutritionally analyzed recipes for a special spring brunch, and enjoy your time together.

RELATED: Diabetes and Special Occasions

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Doug Burns: The Kindness of Strangers

If you have diabetes and have an email account, chances are that someone in your network of friends and family has emailed you this story today. Doug Burns, reigning Mr. Universe (amateur division), was arrested and maced in a Redwood City, California movie theater after a low blood sugar episode Sunday evening. Security personnel and police report that Burns attacked an officer while in a state of confusion, while Burns (who has only scattered recollections of his hypoglycemic episode), says that witnesses have painted a different picture. The details are sure to emerge in the coming days.

Here are the facts that both parties seem to agree to: A security guard found Burns inside the theater with a ticket. He was unstable on his feet and unable to answer questions. Assuming he was intoxicated, the guard escorted him outside the theater, asked him to leave, and called police when Burns didn't.

It seems the situation could have easily been defused if security personnel, who deal with the public on a daily basis, were trained to recognize medical emergencies. Certainly someone suffering a heart attack or an asthmatic episode wouldn't have been escorted out of the building. Because the symptoms of a low can render some unable to communicate for themselves, it's even more imperative security personnel are trained to look for medical identification and ask if a person has diabetes.

Our Kerri Morrone perhaps says it best: "We are responsible for ourselves, but this is another example of how ignorance about diabetes can put lives in dangerous situations. Sometimes we need the kindness and help of strangers."

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Passover Help

Passover starts tonight at sundown. Prepare for "the festival of unleavened bread" with some of our delicious, diabetes-friendly Passover recipes. We also suggest you stop by and visit our friends at Friends With Diabetes for a comprehensive guide to celebrating the holiday with diabetes in mind.

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Spring Forward

Daylight savings time is upon us - earlier than ever this year as a result of a Congressional act. The time change happens officially early March 11th (Sunday) at 2 a.m. dLife has a handy checklist that will help you make sure your diabetes care stays on time as well. Check it out.

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Fit For the Road

Truck driving is a tough occupation. Long days behind the wheel with little exercise, poor eating habits from miles of truck stop dining and fast food pit stops, and erratic schedules that limit access to regular health care all contribute to a growing obesity crisis in the industry.

Nancy Younger is one of five overweight truck drivers who are participating in The Fit for the Road program, a yearlong weight-loss and fitness program customized by a dietician and medical doctor and sponsored by Trucker's News Magazine. She was selected from a pool of over 350 applicants for her motivation and commitment level. Nancy also has type 2 diabetes, and is chronicling her weight loss journey across the highways of America in a Fit 4 the Road blog. She reports: "Now, my sugars are down to the low 100's and I have shed 15 pounds since December 1, 2006."

Keep on truckin', Nancy!

RELATED: Weight Management

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Love is in the Air

Two more shopping days to Valentine's Day. If your sweetie has diabetes, there are plenty of fun ways to forego the usual high-carb chocolate tokens of affection. Check out dLife's Valentine's Day tips for young and old.

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Puppy Love

A new study out of Ireland shows that the dog may truly be man's best friend. A recent research review conducted at Queen's University, Belfast, found that people with canine companions tend to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, suffer from fewer medical problems, and recover more quickly from serious illness.

In the Independent, Deborah Wells, author of the study, explains: "It is possible that dogs can directly promote our well-being by buffering us from stress. The ownership of a dog can also lead to increases in physical activity and facilitate the development of social contacts, which may enhance physiological and psychological human health in a more indirect manner."

Dogs 1: Cats 0.

Have a pet that keeps you healthy? Comment below.

RELATED: Heaven Scent Paws Diabetes Service Dogs

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Resolution Solutions

Is your diabetes health on your short list of resolution "must dos"? As we enter week two of resolution season, dLife offers you some helpful tips and moral support to keep you on the path to good control.

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Diabetes in the Workplace

Today's New York Times has a thought-provoking article on the multiple legal and social issues many people with diabetes face in the workplace. Former dLifeTV guests attorney John W. Griffin Jr. and Parade magazine editor Fran Carpentier are both quoted in the story.

MORE: Diabetes in the Workplace

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Holiday Heft

Contrary to popular belief, most people don't pack on as many holiday pounds as they believe they do. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the average adult holiday weight gain is a mere 1.05 pounds (.48 kg). However, that weight gain is typically not reversed in the spring or summer months, meaning that those holiday pounds can add up over time. And those adults who do experience a holiday weight gain of five or more pounds are more likely to be overweight or obese. dLife's Lara Rondinelli, RD, has some great tips for getting through the holiday season happy and light.

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Tis the Season

Caught up in the holiday spirit...or starting to feel the holiday stress? From gift ideas to festive diabetes-friendly dishes, dLife has tips to make your season bright.

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Ready, Set, Shop!

Pack up the turkey leftovers and put on your shopping shoes - today is Black Friday, traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Whether you're giving or getting, dLife has dozens of creative holiday gift ideas to nurture physical, mental, and spiritual diabetes health.

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Turkey Day Tips

Planning on hosting a big Thanksgiving dinner? Will your house be filled with family members and fun this November? Make sure you and your diabetes are prepared for the busy holiday season. Gobble up these Turkey Day tips and articles to be informed and stay ahead of the stress!

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Kick Butt

Today is the Great American Smokeout. There's no doubt that smoking is a hard habit to break. Nicotine is arguably the most widely available, yet highly addictive and medically harmful substance in America today. An estimated 45 million adult Americans are smokers. But each year, 438,000 of these people die prematurely as a result of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.

Research tells us the health stakes are higher for people with diabetes. If you smoke, you're automatically doubling your risk of developing diabetic neuropathy. You're also increasing your risk of heart problems and kidney damage. And smoking has also been linked to poorer blood sugar control and increased insulin resistance.

Despite all this, roughly 25% of people living with diabetes continue to smoke. It starts with one day of saying no to tobacco. Why not make it today?

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Eye Candy

If you're between the ages of 13 and 22 and you have a flair for fashion, hop on over to Diabetes Teen Talk and enter their Design and Dazzle contest. Allison Blass and crew are accepting photo entries of your diabetes design creations through November 24th. The top prize is a video iPod, complete with special dLifeTV segments, so break out the Bedazzler and get moving.

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Halloween Help for Diabetes

Halloween can be a real nightmare for many parents of kids with diabetes. Remember to keep the focus on the fun tonight. dLife has the tricks and treats you need to make the day (and night) great.

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Forgiveness is Divine

If you live with diabetes-related complications and believe that they happened because you ignored past advice, forgive yourself. Some of your issues will improve if you take better care of yourself and future complications can still be avoided or delayed. You have a great life ahead of you, so try to start each day with a positive attitude. dLife columnist Janis Roszler, LD/N, CDE has some suggestions to help you do just that.

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Terms of Endearment

From acanthosis nigricans to wound care, diabetes has its own special lexicon. And like any language worth its salt, diabetes has also spawned many slang terms. dLife's Kerri Morrone talks about dotties and bouncing and nabs (oh my!).

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Diabetes Dad

Parents of children with diabetes have a particularly tough job of balancing their need to help their children with their desire to foster independence and self-reliance. Tom Karlya is dLife's newest voice from the diabetes community. He shares his views as a father as well as a diabetes advocate.

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Air Travel and Insulin

On Thursday, August 10th, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security raised the national security level to High (Orange) for all U.S. commercial flights. In addition, new travel restrictions have been put in place – including a ban of all liquids, gels, lotions, and creams of any kind in carry-on luggage. According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), all necessary medications, including insulin, are exempt from this ban. Prescription medications should be labeled as such, and the name on the label must match the name on the passenger ticket.

To ensure a smooth passage through airport security, keep insulin vials and pens in their original packaging and let security personnel know you have diabetes and are carrying insulin and testing supplies. Give yourself adequate time to get through security (as of this evening the TSA is suggesting three hours in advance of your flight) and call your airline before traveling to check on any additional restrictions that may be imposed at the carrier level.

RELATED: Travel and Diabetes

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Forgive Yourself

Bad diabetes habits can do more than hurt your physical health. The emotional quicksand of anger and guilt can prevent you from forgiving yourself enough to change things. Janis Roszler, RD, CDE, LD/N shows you how to turn the page on the past and start taking better care of your body and soul.

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Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Hitting the road this Independence Day weekend? Don't leave home without preparing yourself for safe diabetes travel. And for those of you sticking close to home, maximize your fun in the sun with these diabetes tips.

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Summer School

Summer is just starting, but if you have a child with diabetes who is going off to college this fall, there are steps you should take right now to ensure a smooth transition, such as lining up a doctor near campus and shopping for a diabetes-friendly dorm room. Joe Solowiejczyk, RN, MSW, CDE, explains.

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Diabetes Can Be a Day at the Beach

In this month's "Generation D," Kerri Morrone answers the age-old question of where to put your pump when you're in a bikini (or any other swimwear).

RELATED: Diabetes Summer Safety

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Long, Lazy Weekend

Memorial Day weekend has finally arrived, which means the 'unofficial' start of summer is here. Heat, travel, and Aunt Fanny's potato salad can take a toll on diabetes control, so take it easy this weekend and enjoy yourself. You've got the whole season ahead of you.

For great tips on staying happy and healthy while you enjoy all that fun in the sun, visit dLife's Summer Resource Center.

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Typecasting

In part two of their latest series on diabetes, The New York Times delves into differences -- and divides -- between the type 1 and type 2 diabetes communities. Not much new in that those with type 1 are still frustrated that their disease is often confused or lumped in with type 2 diabetes and that the public comprehends little about it, an understandable reaction.

The NYT also touches on a less-talked-about phenomenon that those with type 2 diabetes face, the public perception that "they inflict the problem on themselves." This stigma is one that has grown over the years in direct proportion to media attention on the American obesity crisis. One parent quoted in the piece laments that she would be thrilled if "all my kid had to do was eat healthy, lose weight and exercise....I don't want to seem resentful, but for us, there's no choice."

Yes, over 80% of the type 2 population is overweight. But what is often forgotten is that type 2 diabetes has a very strong genetic component to it - much stronger, in fact, then type 1. We know that weight distribution (i.e., apple shape) is a factor in type 2 diabetes, and is also genetically determined. While no one denies that regular exercise and a healthy diet can help delay or possibly even prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes in those at risk, the idea of "diabetes by choice" is a myth. No one wants this disease. Let's use our common voices, time, and resources where everyone with (type 1 and type 2) diabetes does have a choice -- in making smart decisions about controlling diabetes and preventing complications.

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Diabetes, Piercing, and Tattoos

Contemplating how cute a belly button ring would look on you? Torn about getting a tattoo? dLife columnist Amy Tenderich has the scoop on diabetes and body art.

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Pampering Mom

Still shopping for the perfect Mother's Day gift? The clock is winding down, so if you'd like to get Mom something special to make her diabetes life a little brighter, check out our gift ideas for people with diabetes.

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Spring Into Fresh Flavors

Take advantage of nature’s healthy treats this season. dLife columnist and registered dietitian Lara Rondinelli has fresh spring flavors that won't hurt your blood sugar control. Get a taste here.

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Pick of the Week

If you have diabetes you've probably had one or more close encounters with ignorance about the disease. Couple that with a blood sugar low and you have a truly dangerous situation. One of the best d-bloggers out there is Kerri Morrone, and this week at Six Until Me she shares a story that had us fighting mad (and reaching for the Kleenex). Don't miss it.

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Palate Pleasers for Passover

Passover begins this evening at sundown, and dLife has a variety of nutritionally-analyzed, kosher, diabetes-friendly recipes for your passover celebrations. While you're planning your menu, stop by and visit Friends With Diabetes to download one of their Pesach, or Passover, guides to enjoying the holiday when you have diabetes.

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Get Your Irish Up

Happy St. Patty's Day! From corned beef and cabbage to green beer, dLife has the information you need to make your celebration fun, healthy, and safe.

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Funny Stuff

Diabetes isn't fun and games, but let's face it -- sometimes you just have to laugh. And studies have shown that laughter may actually be good for diabetes control.

So in that spirit, here are a few of our favorite funny spots that deal with the lighter side of diabetes:

• From the best twenty-something Aussie site around, Reality Check, we get Lambo's weekly top 7 list (don't miss "Top 7 Dumb Things Said While Having a Hypo").

• Award-winning CDE and author Theresa Garnero, who is also a dLife columnist, is a gifted cartoonist. Check out her diabetes cartoons.

• For a little poetic fun, read "Dr. Seuss's Fun with Diabetes" by the always insightful and inspired Amy Tenderich of Diabetes Mine. (Amy also authors "Straight Up With Amy" here at dLife.com.)

• From Diabetes Monitor, a little tongue-in-cheek humor that debuted on April Fool's Day a few years back: "Managed Care Finds Cure for Diabetes."

Have a favorite diabetes site that makes you smile or a story of your own to share? Let's hear your comments!

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Making Valentine's Day Special

Looking for ways to celebrate Valentine's Day with the special people in your life? dLife has sweet gift and date ideas that will make them smile without raising their blood sugar.

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Hello 2006!!

It's a brand new year and a perfect opportunity for starting healthy new habits that will improve your diabetes control.

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Happy Holidays

From all of us at dLife, our very best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season. As our gift to you, we offer these resources for making the season sensational:

• Diabetes-Friendly Holiday Menus
  
• Top Picks in Diabetes Gift Ideas
  
• Nicole Johnson Baker on "What to Do About the Holidays"
  
• Winterize Your Diabetes
  

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Healthy Holidays

Holiday celebrations mean food temptations. dLife columnist Lara Rondinelli, RD, CDE, LDN has healthy holiday tips
to make your special spread delicious and diabetes-friendly.

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Beyond the Turkey

Still trying to round out your Thanksgiving spread with some healthy options? Check out the dLife Recipe Box for great tasting side dishes, desserts, and more — all with full nutritional analysis.

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Getting Kids Moving

From the "why didn't we think of that?" file...a great concept for increasing activity and health in our children. At one elementary school in Germany, kids take a different kind of transportation to and from classes - the Walking Bus. American educators, take note.

Operating within a one-mile radius around the Margarethenschule in Paderborn, Germany, the "Walking Bus" is operated by adult volunteers, who pick up children on foot at several bus stops and accompany them on their walk to school. The process is reversed after school.

In addition to the obvious health benefits of the morning and afternoon walks, school officials have noted that the children have learned traffic safety rules faster through the activity. In addition, teachers report improved concentration and behavior among the walking bus participants. The school plans a formal study of these benefits of the Walking Bus later this month. At a time when childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes are at record highs, the Walking Bus makes sense for everyone. Why not pass along the idea to your local school district today?

RELATED: Type 2 Diabetes Increasing In Children Worldwide

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Diabetes Anniversaries

How do you observe your "diabetes anniversary," or the day you were diagnosed, each year? dLife's Jim Turner shares his ritual with you.

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Diabetes: A Family Affair

Do you make diabetes a family affair? The always-insightful Amy Tenderich offers tips to help you help loved ones understand your needs in Straight Up With Amy.

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Religious Holidays and Diabetes

October is a month of many religious holidays, from the start of Ramadan to the Jewish holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The fasting and foodstuffs involved with some religious observances can pose challenges for people with diabetes. Fortunately there are some good resources online to help guide you: