Every other year, the Olympic spirit sweeps the globe and people in every country take a break from our ordinary lives to watch the extraordinary. I am personally glued to my TV or social media feed watching the top world athletes who have sacrificed and persevered in their chosen sport have their moment to compete for Olympic glory, whether their glory is atop a podium or simply just being involved in the Olympic Games.
I have to admit that I am completely addicted to the Olympics. I cannot get enough Olympic coverage and literally have to make sure and stay focused to keep up with required work and home obligations. I love the raw physiology that goes into that level of physical performance, the people and personal stories that we are exposed to through the Olympic media coverage, and getting caught up in the pure competition of the Olympics just lost in the moment while cheering on my favorite athlete or team.
Well I am not alone. Many of us here on the Neocate team are ready for the 2016 Rio Olympics, and we want to help you get your loved ones ready and in the Olympic Spirit as well. One of the best parts of the Olympics is seeing people overcome obstacles to achieve their dreams and goals. As a person or family living with food allergies, you know this same struggle well in overcoming the obstacle of food allergies to thrive and live a full life. Food allergies or dietary restrictions will not stop you from achieving your goals or perhaps nurturing your loved one to grow and have the potential to achieve any dream their heart will desire in the future. That dream may be something simple such as a successful career in their chosen field, or perhaps they have the dream to be an Olympian someday as well.
With this Olympic spirit buzzing about with the 2016 Rio Olympics, it is hard not to notice the glimmering color of gold that is shining from the top of each and every can of Neocate including Neocate Infant DHA/ARA and all varieties of Neocate Junior. This same can of Neocate can not only provide the nutrition you or your loved one needs to grow and thrive, but also the nutrition needed to compete in physical activity. Why not use that same can to create your very one Neocate “gold” medal? This can be a fun family activity together to celebrate your own Neocate champion and your success of overcoming food allergies while getting your family into the Olympic spirit.
Now if you are not skilled at crafts, do not fret. I am not talented at crafts at all myself. The craft project that follows could not be easier and only requires a few items which almost every home will have. That being said, those of you reading this who are excellent at craft projects and have creative minds, please forgive the simple and basic pictures and craft creations that follow!!
What Supplies You Will Need:
Supplies are simple. You will need some supplies to decorate your Neocate gold medal, ribbon, your favorite Neocate can lid for the Neocate goal medal material, some basic craft equipment, and a little fun and creativity. The craft equipment I used was
- Permanent black marker
- Scissors
- A fun hole punch
- Stapler
- Double sided tape
Glue dots always make basic crafts easier as well, and you can use your imagination on different ideas for decoration or other ways to personalize your Neocate gold medals for your own Neocate champion.
Ribbon Selection:
Now, I warned you that I am addicted to the Olympics. So I embraced the full Olympic obsession within me when looking for ribbon. I of course needed some patriotic ribbon, and found some red, white and blue stripped ribbon to help cheer on the USA medal count to come, as you can see in my example above.
I also wanted to be true to the 2016 Rio Olympics and Paralympics. This year the Olympic champions will have colorful green ribbons holding their hard-earned Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals. The Paralympian champions will have bright orange ribbons holding their medals. I chose ribbon to match these colors as closely as possible, and even found some festive bright red ribbon with white stars that I could not pass up!
You can choose anything really, or simply use whatever you already have lying around your home. Why not have your very own Neocate champion pick their favorite color or come with you to pick out the ribbon they would like on their Neocate gold medal?!
Step #1: Decorate your Neocate gold medal
I looked to the actual 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic medals for my decorating inspiration. I included the Olympic rings (or as close as I could replicate them when using my poor drawing skills and blunt permanent marker) and my favorite sporting events. I included the numerical name for these upcoming Olympics of XXXI Olympiad as well.
Step #2: Hole Punch
One way to attach your selected ribbon is to punch a hole or cut a slit into the Neocate gold medal. I have a few decorative hole punches, and for this project I choose a small circle. I used this to make an opening to slip the ribbon through at the top of my Neocate Gold medals.
Alternative: If you do not have a decorative hole punch, or perhaps just want another option, we have got you covered. You can also just staple the ribbon at the bottom to attach to the Neocate gold medal. This will help make your finished Neocate gold medal hang nicely around your Neocate champion.
Step #3: Attach the Ribbon
The next step is to either attach the stapled ribbon to your decorated Neocate gold medal or close the loop on the ribbon slipped through the slit that we have made to make sure it will hang around the neck of our Neocate champion. To close the loop a simple piece of double-stick tape will easily do the trick. I have also used a few pieces of double-stick tape to attach my stapled ribbon to the decorated Neocate gold medal.
You could even staple and tape the ribbon ends directly to the back of the Neocate gold medal, like this one that I made for Track and Field here.
Hot glue guns, glue dots, staples, really any adhesive will work for this project. You and your Neocate champion can use your creative imaginations!!
Step #4: Wear and Enjoy
Step 4, well that is the best part. Now you have your very own Neocate gold medal to award your Neocate champion for a job well done. Perhaps they have a favorite sport that deserves recognition, or maybe they even did something spectacular around the house or at school. Even if they deserve a medal just for being your adorable child, that is well worth the effort. And if I can do this, then surely you can as well.
How are you and your Neocate champion celebrating the 2016 Rio Olympics this year? Perhaps you have some much more creative ideas on how to make your own Neocate gold medals. Share a picture of your own Neocate champion and how they thrive on Neocate in the comments below.
– Kristin
