Teal Pumpkis and Halloween

No I didn't go anywhere.
Yes, life got in the way of blogging.

But I'm back! Just in time for Halloween party planning!

I'm not gonna lie - Halloween is not exactly my favorite holiday anymore. At least not when it comes to food and candy.

Honestly it can be rather stressful trying to navigate all the candy and treats and unsafe things when it comes to food allergies.

This year I'm actually HAPPY that Olivia doesn't have a classroom Halloween party - it's one less thing for me to worry about. And it's one less party where she might not be able to eat the same things as her friends.

Of course we still have another party and several chances for trick-or-treating to get through, but we'll make it. Olivia knows the drill: you can take the candy but you can't actually EAT or TOUCH anything until you come home and I sort through it all. I separate the candy into "safe" and "unsafe."

I'll let you guess which bowl ends up with more candy. ;)

This year, for the second year in a row, we'll be putting a teal pumpkin on our doorstep. Why is that, you ask?

Well let me explain.

The Teal Pumpkin Project was launched as a national campaign last year by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) as a way to raise awareness of food allergies and promote inclusion of all trick-or-treaters throughout the Halloween season.

And if you decide to participate in the program you can put a teal pumpkin on your doorstep and then purchase some non-food items (stickers, glow necklaces, bouncy balls are a few ideas) and give those to the kids who come to your house.

Of course you can also pass out candy - but just keep the candy separate from the non-food items in order to avoid any cross contact. :)

If you're interested in participating in the teal pumpkin project you can take the pledge and you can download a sign to hang at your front door. 

The Teal Pumpkin Project is one way to include kids with food allergies during a holiday season that can be fraught with peril and peanuts (and other allergens).

If you're a room parent or if you're on the school PTO, you could also incorporate a teal pumpkin into any school Halloween celebrations. Always remember to ask about kids with food allergies in the classroom and include the child, exclude the food.

And if you're looking for a list of snacks that are safe for kid with allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, and/or eggs check out the Safe Snack Guide. It's been updated for Halloween! 

Here's to a safe and Happy Halloween!

To learn more about the Teal Pumpkin Project visit the FARE website.

Just a Normal Day

OK, I know. I know.

I said I was going to TRY to post every day this month. But it WAS a holiday weekend. So I had a free pass, right? :)

Anyway...last Friday was a BUSY day around here. The girls had golf lessons in the morning, then we spent the day at the swimming pool (in the HOT sun), then we celebrated my niece's 10th birthday with a cookout and cake.

Olivia ate a lot of food. She skipped the birthday cake - I'm guessing because it was from a "new" place that she didn't feel comfortable with. But the cake was nut-free and peanut-free. Sometimes she just doesn't want to eat the safe foods.

What Olivia didn't do on Friday was drink enough fluids (as we would learn on Saturday...just wait for it).

She started complaining of a headache on Friday night and I passed it off as "too much sun."

When she got up on Saturday she said her head still hurt and she was thirsty. So she drank a glass of water. And she was hungry. So I made her pancakes (and by "made her pancakes" I mean I tossed 3 frozen pancakes in the microwave).

A few bites into her breakfast .... she throws up. All over the kitchen floor. The look of shock on her face was memorable to say the least.

My first thought? Not "Oh crap! Liv has the stomach bug!" but rather... "CRAP!!! What did she eat?? Is she having an allergic reaction to something?"

Now, even though I thought she was eating "safe" foods, "is it a reaction?" was still my first thought.

Because that's our reality.

In the end, we determined that she was dehydrated and drank too much water too fast first thing in the morning. By that night she was running through the golf course sprinklers with her cousins and eating (safe) s'mores.

Hope you all had a Happy (and allergy-free) Fourth of July.