Black Friday Sale!

The Team Russcher Black Friday Sale is going on NOW at TeamRusscher.Etsy.Com!

Today only -

*DOORBUSTER Holiday Pads - 2 for $3 while supplies last!  Check out our "Holiday" section for pattern selection!

*Take 25% off your entire order* with code BLACKFRIDAY

Happy Shopping!

*Coupon can  not be used on gift certificates, "rush order" fees, or in combination with other coupon codes


Copyright 2015 Team Russcher and Melanie Russcher

Black Friday is Coming Soon!

We're working on something BIG for Black Friday - you won't want to miss it!  Be sure to follow Team Russcher on Facebook and Etsy for more information!

New TeamRusscher.com Website!

We are thrilled to announce the official launch of www.TeamRusscher.com!

Visit us on the web for information on our Team Russcher G-Tube and other Special Needs products. 

Help us celebrate our new home on the web by saving 15% on your order of $5 or more through our Etsy shop!  Just enter code NEWWEB during checkout.

But hurry!  This coupon code expires Nov 14, 2015!

HALLOWEEN FLASH SALE

Our Halloween Flash Sale is going on NOW at the Team Russcher Etsy Shop!  Stock up on Christmas G-Tube Pads, or create a custom feeding tube belt for your little ghoul.

Today only, take 20% off your entire order with code: SPOOKY

Team Russcher wishes you a Happy and Safe Halloween!

Team Russcher Gift Certificates - GTube Gifts

We are excited to offer Team Russcher Gift Certificates this holiday season - the perfect gift for your loved one to be able to custom-order their own GTube Gifts!

Team Russcher Gift Certificates can be purchased HERE!

After purchase, Please allow 3-5 business days for delivery of your digital (.pdf) gift certificate.  Gift Certificates and instructions on how to redeem them will be emailed to your email address on-file with Etsy unless you include a different email address in the purchase comments.

Please Note:
*Gift certificates expire 12 months after issued and have no cash value.  Gift certificates can not be returned.

*Team Russcher Gift Certificates can only be used in the Team Russcher shop at TeamRusscher.Etsy.Com

*Team Russcher is not responsible for lost or stolen Gift Certificates.

(c) Copyright 2015 Team Russcher and Melanie Russcher

Holiday Gift Shop - GTube Gifts

We are excited to announce the opening of the Team Russcher Holiday Gift Shop!  If you have a loved one with a G-Tube on your Christmas list, now is the perfect time to stock up on G-Tube Gifts!

This year the Team Russcher Holiday Gift Shop will be featuring Embroidered and Original Handmade G-Tube Pads in several festive prints!

I'm in LOVE with these Grinch pads!  They come in sets of two - we'll make sure you get at least on Grinch.  There's also Whos including Cindy Lou and Max, the Grinch's helper.  2 pads for $4.99 + shipping!

We are offering two different penguin print pads this year!  Our Holiday Penguins feature festive Santa hats, and our small Penguins on Green GTube Pads are a fun way to decorate your tubie throughout the winter season!  2 pads for $4.99 + shipping!

This happy Snowman is sure to be a favorite this year!  2 pads for $4.99 + shipping!

You can't see it on these pictures, but these cute Holiday Owls have glitter woven into the fabric!  Soo cute!  2 pads for $4.99 + shipping!

These cozy fleece Moose G-Tube Pads are sure to make your tubie smile!  2 pads for $4.99 + shipping!

Thank you for letting us be a part of your Holiday celebrations!  Use coupon EARLYXMAS to take 10% OFF your holiday order of $15 or more!  But hurry - this coupon expires 10/31/15! 

With Love,

Team Russcher

Be sure to follow us on Facebook!  Facebook.com/TeamRusscher

(c) Copyright 2015 Team Russcher and Melanie Russcher

Benefits of Using Coolers for G-Tube Feeds

There are two main benefits of using coolers for G-Tube feeds that every tube-feeding family should know about.  These are Food Safety and Convenience.

FOOD SAFETY

When kept at temperatures between 55-75 degrees, Abbot Nutrition provides the following guidelines on formula hang times on their website:

"Ready-to-use feedings that have been prepared using clean techniques to decant them into administration containers may be hung safely at the bedside for eight to 12 hours....
Hang time for reconstituted powdered products for use in adults should be limited to four hours.

In all cases, label instructions should be followed to ensure sanitary handling techniques."

 

For families that bolus feed using a pump these hang times may be irrelevant - often bolus feeds are done rather quickly.  For other families, like ours, food safety was still an issue with bolus feeds. 
Allison had a very sensitive stomach, and her feedings ran for as long as 2 hours before we switched her G-Tube to a GJ-Tube and started running continuous feeds.  We experienced clumping and "browning" of formula in used tubing in as little as an hour on warm summer days. 

For all formula types, Abbot Nutrition increases these times to at least 24 hours upon refrigeration.  Cooler bags can provide a refrigerated environment with the use of ice packs and provide important protection from food spoilage.

CONVENIENCE

Rigorous feeding schedules, especially during the night, are exhausting.  For months we fed Allison 2 hours on, 1 hour off.  Our powdered formula required us to rinse the bag between feedings, refill and reprime for every feed to comply with the 4 hour hang time requirement.  It was hard.

When I made our first cooler bag our life became so much easier!  We were able to mix multiple feedings at a time and eliminate the need to rinse and prime the bag after each one.  We simply unhooked the bag tubing from her extension and tucked it up in the cooler to store in between meals.  Later, when we switched to a GJ-Tube, continuous feeds were a breeze.



Alli's first IV Pole Cooler

 

With a cooler bag, travelling was also much easier with our little tubie since we were able to mix enough food for our entire adventure at once instead of stopping while we were out.  We were also able to turn feeds on and off in the night without waking her up! 

Team Russcher cooler bags have been designed with busy tube feeding families in mind - we were one!  Our bags have a waterproof fabric on the inside to keep condensation in (and bag leaks, they happen).  A layer of insulated batting keeps heat out and cold in.  We also provide plenty of room for you to use an ice pack or two, yet our 500ml bags are small enough to stuff into a small backpack!

We offer "IV Pole Style" bags with a top hook to hang from a pole or hook, and "Car Seat Style" bags with straps to hook around a car seat, chair, or crib rung.  We also offer front pockets for an additional fee, which eliminate the need to carry a backpack for the pump!

Our coolers are machine washable.

Let us make your tube feeding journey safer and more convenient with one of our custom coolers.  You can check them out here: http://etsy.me/1sIgGJ7

Blog readers - take 10% off your custom cooler order through 10/31/15 with code: BLOGCOOLER

One Year Anniversary

Happy One Year Anniversary Team Russcher!

 

On August 11, 2014 we officially announced the creation of Team Russcher to our friends and family on Facebook!

 

Here's a look back at our first year:

 

We began making feeding tube gear for our sweet Allison Ruth while she was still in the NICU.  Over the next few months our products were tweaked as she grew and her needs changed.  In August, we launched Team Russcher to help us raise money for our trip to Johns Hopkins for Alli's treatment.  We were able to make our trip this past June!

  

Team Russcher has given our family a way to support the special needs community by providing affordable gear that makes daily life a little easier and more comfortable.  Our cute designs and popular characters bring smiles to the faces of our special friends and their caregivers, and help make their medical needs more approachable.  In one year, Team Russcher has shipped more than 125 custom orders all over the United States and Canada!  Amazing!!

 

To keep up with our orders, we've expanded our work area from a small desk in the dining room of our house to an entire room!  Since Team Russcher was created for Allison, it only made sense that we should continue our work with her room as our studio, which we lovingly refer to as the Princess Cave.  The extra space has made us much more efficient while providing room to increase our fabric offerings.

 

In the past several months, we have expanded from custom feeding tube gear to trach supplies and items to help support the breast feeding and cloth diapering communities!  We have also made adding ready-to-ship products a priority.  We are loving the variety in our shop, and we hope you are too! 

 

Team Russcher has also given me (Melanie) a way to be creative through all of the heartache of the last few months.  Tubie gear was my project with Allison - we used to sit together and work on orders every night.  We love our tubie friends, and I know she would want me to keep taking care of them! 

 

Celebrate our anniversary with us by taking 10% off your order of any amount from our Etsy shop with code: ANNIVERSARY  :)  But hurry - this offer is only good 8/11/15 - 8/14/15!

Please visit Allison's memorial foundation, the Princess Alli Foundation <3

Gotta Love a Crafting Weekend

You've gotta love a crafting weekend - time to relax (sans kids!), spend time with the girls, and CREATE! 

I have had a few projects in mind that I really wanted to work on.  I was super excited to get a chance to try them out!

Syringe Roll

Of course no weekend would be complete without working on a new idea for my special needs friends.  Check out this new syringe roll!

I love this thing.  It's lightly insulated to protect medicine from extreme temperatures while on the go.  It's wide enough to accommodate fully-loaded syringes up to 10ml but small enough to fold or roll-up and toss in a small bag or cooler.  And it's washable - which is a must.

I've added this cute green paisley ready-to-ship syringe roll to my Etsy, and have made a listing for custom orders! 

Flannel Wipes

Flannel wipes are widely popular in the cloth diapering world, and for good reason!  They are super soft and economical! 

With little kids in the house we use wipes for EVERYTHING.  Disposable wipes can be a lifesaver, but the cost really adds up fast.  These flannel wipes are single-ply, and at 6" are large enough to tackle diaper duty, runny noses, or spaghetti faces.  The edges have been serged to keep them from fraying, so they can be washed over, and over, and over...

Need some?  Find them here.

Unpaper Towels

Have you seen these things!?  I've wanted to make a set of unpaper towels for myself for several weeks now, and finally took the time to do it!  I'm in love.

This set of towels is made out of a single layer of {SUPER CUTE} cotton print backed with soft terry I repurposed.  The edges are serged together, making them strong and sturdy.  Snaps keep them hooked together so they can be rolled up and stuck on a paper towel dispenser or set by the sink.

I can tell these are going to be popular in my kitchen!  I'm hoping to find a good deal on terry so I can add these towels to my shop soon!

Extra Large Wet Bag

We're potty training at our house, and while we've so far been lucky and had no accidents while we are out and about the threat is real!  We never leave the house without an extra change of clothes (including shoes!) in a plastic bag, but that isn't very fun.

Enter this extra large wet bag.  Big enough for all of our just-in-case clothing plus a pack of wipes, hand sanitizer, and the take-along potty seat.  It's made with a water-proof PUL lining to keep yuck in and is fully washable.  A cute little handle with a snap makes it easy to hang on a doorknob or stroller handle.

These bags would be perfect for cloth diapering, extra clothes for tubie accidents, or even wet bathing suits! 

I will be adding custom wet bags to the Etsy page soon, in this extra large size and also in a smaller size (or two!). 

I hope you had as great of a weekend as I had!  Thanks for stopping by!

Melanie 

Be sure to check out Alli's Memorial Foundation at www.PrincessAlliFoundation.org

Copyright 2015 - Team Russcher

Princess Alli

Allison Ruth Russcher was born on March 12, 2014, with IUGR, Loeys-Dietz Syndrome, cleft palate, and CHD. She was the bravest girl we have ever known, and won the hearts of everyone she met.

Alli earned her angel wings on January 29, 2015, after suffering complications from RSV. She took our hearts when she went, but left us with a mission to spread the word about connective tissue disorders like LDS to ensure the disease does not go undiagnosed and untreated.

What is Loeys-Dietz Syndrome?
Loeys-Dietz Syndrome, or LDS, is a connective tissue disorder similar to Marfan Syndrome that can affect several of the body’s systems, but is characterized by cardiac complications such as aggressive aneurysms. It requires frequent screening via MRI or CT to reduce the risk of complications. There is no cure, only management of the symptoms.

Why is awareness important?
Left undiagnosed, LDS patients can develop life-threatening aneurysms. Since LDS patients can develop aneurysms at a very young age, and in more areas of the body than Marfan patients, it is essential that medical professionals be educated so that LDS patients receive accurate diagnosis and are put on the correct screening regimen.

 

Visit the Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation’s website for more information.

 

(c) 2015 Team Russcher

Team Russcher

Welcome to the new home of Team Russcher on the internet!  We are excited to have all of our product information in one spot!

Team Russcher was founded in 2014 by the Russcher family in order to provide cute tubie gear for our daughter, Allison Ruth.  We are happy to offer our products to help make medical gear more approachable and fun!  We love our tubie friends <3

We are also proud to offer products to help support breastfeeding, trach pads, and other fun gifts. 

We are currently using Etsy's selling platform for most of our product sales.  However, there are a few items that we **Flash sale** on our Facebook page!  Make sure you LIKE us on Facebook to get new product information, info on our flash sales, and COUPON CODES!

Please check out Allison's memorial foundation, The Princess Alli Foundation, at www.PrincessAlliFoundation.org