Six years ago I went to the Allergy Show in London, overwhelmed, anxious and still recovering from my son having an anaphylactic reaction just weeks before. I soaked up everything, tasted all the free from snacks and finally felt like I was in a room full of people who got it, who has also had their worlds turned upside down by allergies too. I sat at the learning theatre and listened to an inspiring woman talk about her lifelong journey with allergies and anaphylaxis, who despite it all was eating out, travelling and leading a full and fun life. She spoke honestly, reassuringly and when I wen ..read more

How are you coping with lockdown? In many ways it’s filled with anxiety yet, in terms of food allergies, a lot of the stresses have been taken away. No school. No eating out. No social occasions. It’s been a challenge to find some safe foods, and the three item rule has been frustrating but overall, I feel like we are living in a little bubble. However, food allergies don’t disappear because of a pandemic and while you are home, there are lots of things you can do to review how you manage them. Revisit your emergency plan When the schools closed, we collected the children’s medications and eme ..read more

Looking after a new baby is exhausting, overwhelming and worrying. When you are concerned your baby may have a milk allergy, it can be difficult to know what to do. There is so much conflicting information and often symptoms can be confused with other things. I have been there, twice. I have had two babies with cow’s milk protein allergy and struggled to find the information and support I needed. It’s why I wrote my book Living With Allergies. Here is some information to help you understand more about whether your baby has one. What is a cow’s milk protetin allergy (CMPA)? Cow’s milk protein ..read more

Allergy tests are a great tool to help you understand what you are allergic to but it is important you have the right kind of allergy testing, from a reliable provider. You can get referred for food allergy testing or to check if you have a penicillin allergy or other allergies by your GP for free on the NHS, or you may choose to do this privately to speed the process up.   As a mum of two children with environmental and food allergies, and author of Living With Allergies, it is something I have researched into and experienced firsthand. Here is what you need to know: Food allergy tests vs fo ..read more

AD Has your child ever felt left out at Halloween because of their food allergies? An overwhelming 8 out of 10 families say they have, according to a recent survey* I carried out with Marty’s Universe. Halloween may be filled with ghosts and ghouls but for most people with food allergies, it’s the treats and sweets that are the scary part. 90% of parents said they worry that their child’s allergy will not be taken into consideration. J and Miss A are both now at school and excited about celebrating Halloween with their friends. J has been planning his outfit for the last month! As a parent, I ..read more

AD Imagine a party where your child can eat anything… If you’re not dealing with allergies, then that’s pretty easy but for us, it’s a dream scenario. Well, our dreams came true when I took J and Miss A along to the launch of the new allergy-friendly snack brand, Marty’s. The whole party buffet, including the cake, was top 14 friendly. Miss A literally headed straight for the cupcakes and spent the rest of the party covered in chocolate! J asked me multiple times if he could really eat all of it. It was so amazing to see them, and all the other children with allergies, enjoying the food withou ..read more

It’s that time of year again, the biggest even of the free from calendar – The LondonAllergy & Free From Show. It’s busy, hot and crazy but full of so much great information and amazing brands. This year, I’ll be there selling my book, running workshops in the family corner and manning a stand with some of my favourite free from bloggers. So, with hundreds of stands and a packed schedule of talks and demos, what should you make sure you don’t miss? Here are my recommendations: Freefrom Family Corner I’ll be running a workshop about staying safe on holiday with my lovely Allergy Travels te ..read more

It’s my blog’s 5th birthday and like any good 5 year old, we want to celebrate with lots of presents! Five years ago, I was feeling lost, scared and unsure how to keep my son safe. I started this blog as somewhere to write, share our experiences and connect with other people dealing with allergies, and I am so happy I did. It has helped me learn so much about allergies, grow in confidence and build a platform to help others. This year, the blog became something even bigger when my book was published. I have had so much amazing feedback from people who have read it and love getting messages fro ..read more

Dear Kylie You don’t know me and it may appear at first that we don’t have much in common. You are a young, international celebrity and reality star, with a glamorous life in America. I am a 30-something mum who lives down a farm track in the UK and wears wellies to walk the dog most days. However, in one area of life, I know how you feel. I saw you post about your daughter Stormi being rushed to hospital with an allergic reaction last week. I’ve been there. When my son was the same age, 15 months old, he also had a severe allergic reaction. I have watched his little face swell, his body erupt ..read more

Dear Kylie You don’t know me and it may appear at first that we don’t have much in common. You are a young, international celebrity and reality star, with a glamorous life in America. I am a 30-something mum who lives down a farm track in the UK and wears wellies to walk the dog most days. However, in one area of life, I know how you feel. I read that your daughter Stormi was rushed to hospital with an allergic reaction last week. I’ve been there. I’ve watched in terror as my daughter’s face has swelled up, a rash has spread across her body and shes’s clawed at her tongue. I’ve listened to my ..read more