“Dear cross-contact, I hate your stinking guts. You make me vomit. You’re scum between my toes!” Those infamous words of the Little Rascals echo through my head every time I deal with possible cross-contact of food. If cross-contact had an actual face, I’d probably punch it. For reals.  All humor (and aggressiveness) aside, perhaps you are just now hearing the term “cross-contact” and would like to know exactly what it means. I have been there. In fact, my allergist didn’t go over this concept with me during my child’s initial diagnosis appointment.  A ..read more

“These numbers look good. That with the negative skin test is a good indicator. We’d like to bring your son in for a partially-baked milk challenge.” I didn’t know whether to feel excited or terrified. On the one hand, I was encouraged to hear the allergist say that his numbers looked good. On the other hand, I knew that this food challenge meant having him eat the very food we had been so careful to avoid over the last two years. If you’re reading this and have an upcoming food challenge, we’re here to let you know more of what to expect and offer some tips to make it easier. What Is a Food ..read more

“You really are too emotional about their food allergies. Being a helicopter mom isn’t going to help them grow up well.” That’s a nice comment for any mother to hear, isn’t it? *Insert eye roll.* Thankfully, I don’t often hear judgments like this anymore. But I certainly did when my daughter was very young and my son was just a baby. Extended family and acquaintances inundated us with unsolicited opinions, comments, thoughts, and advice. Looking back on those memories, I grieve for myself. I was a young mom, desperate to keep her babies safe from FOOD, of all things. For our family, food no ..read more

Our family loves Disney World. We love it for all the usual reasons, the charcters, the rides, the warm weather, and of course, the Disney magic. What we didn’t realize was how much we would appreciate how allergy-aware Disney is. It is one of the few places we feel comfortable dining out with our kids who both manage food allergies. This past fall was our second trip, and we learned a lot about navigating food allergies in all 4 parks. For the first trip, admittedly, I was very nervous. My husband and I have two young children (ages 4 & 2 at the time). The idea of navigating food for an ..read more

It happened. However it did, you found out that your sweet baby has a food allergy. For me, my baby was just 8 months old when we experienced our first allergic reaction. I was overwhelmed, and honestly just scared. Maybe you are too. Our pediatrician was our first phone call; we called them immediately during his reaction so they could advise us on what to do. Note: If you have not already contacted your pediatrician, this is the literal first step. From there, they should be able to provide you with a referral to an allergist to find the right next steps for your family. We were told to avo ..read more

When we first started out on the food allergy journey, I had no idea that there would be certain things that we really needed to have. Besides needing a phenomenal medical team and genuine support from others, we also need practical day-to-day items. Thankfully, many incredible websites, resources, and products for food allergy families exist! Here is our list of things our food allergy families cannot live without. And if you still need to do some last-minute holiday shopping, hopefully, this list is helpful! 1. Epinephrine Carrying Case We use this every single day. Once my son was prescrib ..read more

A few weeks ago, I was running late trying to get my oldest child to her afternoon art class. As I was buckling my kids into their carseats, I hurriedly asked them the same question I always ask when we leave our home. “Alright everyone, what do we need to have before leaving the house?” “Our epipens and safe snacks,” came the automatic reply. It’s a question that I ask multiple times a day.  It’s a question that I absolutely hate, but necessary nonetheless. As I was driving, my daughter was uncharacteristically quiet.  Glancing at her in the rearview mirror, I asked her i ..read more

“Well, I’ve always brought a dish in the past, and I will continue to bring whatever I want.” – A Very Stubborn Personality Last year, around Christmas, we attended several holiday parties. One event threw a “grinch” into our carefully crafted food allergy safety plans. It was quite a large gathering, with over 20 people present. I had politely inquired ahead of time if specific food allergens would be actively served at the party. My kiddos are allergic to eggs, peanuts, and sesame. We avoid tree nuts due to the high risk of cross-contact with peanuts in most manufacturing facilities. You c ..read more

Our food allergy family has slowly been figuring out how to do major holidays with 2 kids that are allergic to peanuts, sesame, and eggs. It’s taken five years for us to accomplish this, and it’s often felt painful. As their mother, I’ve grieved the fact that my children will not experience Halloween traditions in the same way that I did growing up. I’m sad that trick-or-treating is not a carefree, thought-free activity for my family. It just straight up sucks at times. And it’s okay to name the parts that suck. It’s okay to feel that way. Without a doubt, I know that when I’m grieving, or an ..read more

Looking for non-food items to hand out to trick-or-treaters this year? We’ve got you covered. Below is a list of 50 non-food ideas! We wanted to give you a variety of options for both the amount of trick-or-treaters you may be planning for as well as a range in cost. Each option has a link to Amazon. None of these are affiliate links. They are there to give you ideas! Enjoy! 1. Glow Sticks These were a hit when we gave them out to trick-or-treaters. It’s fun because the kids can wear them right away while they trick-or-treat! 2. Bubble Wands A classic! The link above is for ones that are Hall ..read more