They're Called Nut Allergies NOT "Nut Allergies"

As a writer I have a few many pet peeves when it comes to proper usage of words, grammar, and punctuation.

For example, when I see a letter from our parish that says this: There are many children registered for our program that have “nut allergies”. Because of this, we are asking that all parents send their children with “nut free” snacks.

....it makes me a bit stabby.

There is NO reason to put the words nut allergies in quotes. To do so (in my writer's mind) is to minimize the severity of said allergies. They aren't "nut allergies" or "food allergies" (just picture a smarmy person with a smug look on their face making air quotes when they say nut allergies or food allergies and maybe you can understand my ire).

No one says that someone has "cancer" or "diabetes" or "heart disease." So why do food allergies get relegated to something that is "not real" thanks to the addition of quotation marks?

And yes, I'm sure some of you out there think I'm overreacting but this really, seriously bugs me. A lot.

Why can't it just be written like this: There are many children registered for our program who have food allergies including peanuts and tree nuts. Because of this we are asking that all parents send their children with peanut and tree nut free snacks.

THAT would make it so much better and less annoying.

It's little things like the use of quotation marks around food allergies that - in my opinion - lead people to think that they aren't as serious as other diseases. With food allergies (as a whole) on the rise, it's about damn time people take them seriously and stop putting quotation marks around them.

#EndRant

Two Kids and Food Allergies

It's official.
Both girls have food allergies.

A couple weeks ago we took Emma (our 10 year old) to get tested for allergies. The reason for the testing was to determine her seasonal allergies (she's been suffering a lot over the past couple of years). We also decided to do the standard food testing too ... just in case.

Long story short:

Emma has a LOT of seasonal allergies including: alfalfa (3/5), corn pollen (3/5), wheat farm pollen (3/5), trees (3/5), grasses (3/5), and ragweed (1/5).

And....she also tested positive for foods. The numbers I'm going to type out are based on the skin testing and a scale of 0-5, with 5 being "very strong" positive.

Sesame seed: 1/5
Soybean: 1/5
Almond: 2/5
Peanut: 2/5
Walnut: 2/5

Because I always follow up with a blood test too, these are the results. Less than .34 = class 0. They only tested foods with the blood panel.

Almond: .70 - class 1, low
Hazelnut: 23.30 - class 4, very high
Peanut: 11.90 - class 3, high
Pistachio: .77 - class 2, moderate
Walnut: 9.98 - class 3, high

To say I was floored by the food allergy results would be an understatement. Our PA at the allergist's office was shocked by the blood test results. Several of the numbers are MUCH higher than Olivia's results.

I've had several people ask HOW it is that Emma hasn't had a reaction to any foods. Honestly, I'm not sure. Maybe she's had a slight reaction and we missed it. Or maybe, because she doesn't eat peanut butter (has always hated it .. she's never had a PB&J) or any kind of nuts we just didn't know.

Regardless, she now has EpiPens and we're continuing everything we already did for Olivia - avoiding ALL tree nuts and peanuts and sesame seeds.

We just keep on keepin' on.

Peanut Allergies on a Plane

Flying with peanut allergies is usually a scary thought - especially since the airline industry seems to think serving little packets of peanuts is necessary for a good flight experience.

On a recent Delta flight from Orlando to Detroit I witnessed Delta trying to do something good but stepping all over themselves in the process.

On this particular flight it was just me and my husband - the kids had stayed home. So I didn't have to worry about Liv's allergies while we flew.

But, as we boarded the plane the flight attendant stopped two rows in front of me to talk with a mom who was traveling with her two daughters - both of whom had a peanut allergy. The flight attendant asked if the mom had EpiPens ("yes, we have about 10 of them" she replied). And then notified the mom that she'd make an announcement that peanuts would NOT be served during the flight.

Score one for Delta.

Then, the woman seated in front of me (which would put her directly behind the allergy mom) said, loudly and with sarcasm: "Well darn. Now I can't eat my peanuts!" ... and then proceeded to laugh.

A few thoughts:
1. Food allergies are never funny. NEVER.
2. Your inability to eat a small package of peanuts during a 2 hour flight is a VERY small sacrifice to make.
3. Your statement makes you look and sound like a total JERK.

Then....

While I give props to Delta for trying to do the right thing, the announcement made by the flight attendant after takeoff went like this: "We have passengers with peanut allergies on this flight today and therefore we will not be serving peanuts. We apologize for the inconvenience."

Again. Not being able to snarf down a package of honey roasted peanuts during a flight is NOT an inconvenience. Please stop treating it as such.

I posted something about the whole "bitching about not being able to eat peanuts on a plane" on my Facebook page before take off and two hours later opened Facebook to find a full-blown argument happening on my FB page. Essentially one person said she "felt bad" for the person who couldn't eat nuts on the plane because it was their "RIGHT" to eat peanuts.

Um. NO.

No one has a right to eat peanuts on a plane. I checked the Bill of Rights .. says nothing about the right to eat peanuts while putting the lives of others in danger.

However kids with food allergies DO have a right to travel without fear of an allergic reaction at 39,000 feet. NO ONE will die from NOT eating peanuts on a plane. But kids with peanut allergies CAN die from exposure to peanuts.

And my child's life will always outweigh your supposed "need" to eat peanuts.
End of story.

I quickly deleted the entire Facebook thread because I honestly don't have the time or patience to deal with such blatant stupidity - in fact I was so angry that I didn't even read all the comments. I then posted: "Do NOT ever debate food allergies on my Facebook page." And the peanut sympathizer came back to post more snarky comments. So I unfriended her AND blocked her.

To this day I cannot understand how anyone thinks that they have a RIGHT to eat food that could injure or kill another person. Peanut allergies - and food allergies in general - are no laughing matter. There is nothing funny about food allergies and until people stop treating them like a joke actions like those of the passenger on the plane and the ex-Facebook friend will continue.

As I always say, replace the words "food allergies" with a life threatening illness or other serious disease and see how "funny" and "amusing" you sound then.

Keep the Food Out of the Classroom

This year Olivia has been taking 'exploratory' foreign language classes - French and Spanish. And because schools can't seem to stop bringing food into the classroom, both classes have planned a "food" day where students can eat French or Spanish food to "learn" about the culture.

The French food day happened before we knew Olivia was allergic to gluten so I (begrudgingly) sent in a baguette and some brie. I also let the teacher know about Liv's allergies so that no one questioned why she wasn't eating the macarons and other stuff.

Next week the Spanish class is hosting its food day. This time we're dealing with the gluten allergy, a newly diagnosed shellfish allergy, and the constants of peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame seeds.

Olivia has decided she wants to make me to make some grilled beef salad (seriously the recipe is HUGE, but I'll do it). That might be the only thing she'll be able to eat unless someone brings in corn chips and salsa. I don't know how likely that is.

And once again I've had to email the teacher to inform her of all Liv's allergies and to ask that she makes sure no one gives Olivia a hard time about not eating food.

Honestly, I just don't get it.
Why do we have food in the classroom at all? 

With the prevalence of food allergies today why do schools/teachers/administrators still insist on bringing food into the classroom?

The classroom is a place to LEARN not a place to EAT. You want to eat? Go to the cafeteria at lunch time. Books in the classroom, food in the cafeteria.

I know events like this add stress for Olivia - stress that she doesn't need. She doesn't want to flaunt her allergies, she just wants to live with them and be as 'normal' as possible.

It's time to get the food out of the classroom.

I'm Back! Summer Vacation Allergy Adventures Edition

Wow. Would you look at that? It appears that the blog took a summer vacation.
(That's my story and I'm sticking to it).

So, what did you do on your summer vacation? We took two trips - a Caribbean cruise and a short weekend in St. Louis.

Managing Olivia's allergies on the cruise was pretty easy - we had an amazing head waiter in the Main Dining Room (on Oasis of the Seas) and he went ABOVE AND BEYOND to make sure Olivia was safe every night at dinner. Heck, he even cut her steak each night (LOL).

The one negative on our cruise was when we visited the ship's ice cream shop and the crew member told us that they "don't serve people with allergies." Um, 'scuse me? You 'don't serve' people with allergies? How about if you EDUCATE YOURSELF about food allergies and actually offer something that would be safe - or even TRY to make an effort to help passengers find an answer when it comes to allergens in the ice cream.

And then, St. Louis. We had some good and some bad. Let's do good first.

Since we were visiting St. Louis I decided we HAD to eat at Imo's Pizza - the home of the 'St. Louis-style pizza.' I emailed the company and told them we needed to avoid peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame seeds and within a couple of days I had an email in return! They assured me that the crust was safe but to avoid the sandwiches as the bread contained sesame seeds.

My review: pizza was great! We'd definitely go back - they made sure to note Olivia's allergies when we ordered.

Then the not-so-good - Angelo's Taverna in St. Louis. We decided to stop here for lunch since it was connected to our hotel. As we were being seated I noticed that the rolls were covered in sesame seeds so I knew those were off limits!

I told the waiter about the allergies - peanuts, tree nuts, and SESAME - and he assured me that he told the kitchen. We ordered calamari - but not before asking the waiter to again ask the kitchen if the breading was safe and free from allergens. He left the table and came back with an assurance that it was safe.

Olivia ate a piece of calamari and then she saw them - sesame seeds IN THE BREADING. Yes, seriously. She immediately stopped eating. When the GM stopped by our table I told him about the calamari and he said "there's no sesame in the breading." Then he checked with the kitchen and GUESS WHAT? They use their day-old bread that is COVERED IN SESAME SEEDS to make ALL the breading in the restaurant.

I told him he's lucky I didn't need to Epi-Pen my kid in the middle of the restaurant.

Seriously - train your wait staff to understand the severity and seriousness of food allergies.
Total fail for Angelo's.

On a brighter note: we also stopped at Culver's on our way to Missouri and they were WONDERFUL when it came to Liv's allergies. They actually type in the allergies as you order and Olivia was able to enjoy chicken tenders and fries. She didn't feel comfortable with the frozen custard - which was OK with me. I was just happy to find another spot that takes allergies seriously.

I hope you had a safe and allergy-free summer too!

No Nuts = NO Nuts

Over the weekend Olivia was part of a ballet production here in town.

A few days before dress rehearsal a set of production notes were sent out and in those notes was a sentence (in bright red text and all caps) that basically said do not bring any kind of nuts backstage for snacks.

This directive was due to the fact that there are a couple dancers (Olivia included) who are allergic to peanuts and/or tree nuts.

So...the first night of rehearsal I saw at least one dancer eating a peanut butter snack. 

Night two of rehearsal one of Liv's friends came running upstairs to tell me there was an open bag of almonds backstage in the dressing room. So...we told the production manager about it and she quickly went downstairs to repeat the NO NUT directive.

My one thought was: SERIOUSLY? And then I thought "Can people just not read"? ... or do they just not care? And I decided it was mostly the latter.

Parents of kids without food allergies see the "don't send nuts" directive and either choose to ignore it or think it only means PEANUTS. Or (again) maybe they're just clueless and don't care.

Over the course of the weekend I had to tell another dancer she couldn't eat a doughnut that was coated in peanuts (!!!!!) and she then threw out TWO MORE doughnuts that were swimming in nuts (WTH?) and then ANOTHER dancer said "Can I eat pistachios? They aren't peanuts."

Um....NO. You can't eat pistachios.
Or peanuts.
Or hazelnuts.
Or Nutella.
Or almonds.
Or walnuts.
Or anything that is a peanut and/or tree nut. 

Honestly people - if your child is involved in dance or theater or sports or anything where food might be involved and you get a note sent home that asks you to NOT send in any snacks that contain/might contain peanuts and/or tree nuts please FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING HOLY listen to that request and honor it.

No one is trying to deny your child's God-given right (insert eye roll here) to eat a PB&J or a bag of almonds. We're just simply requesting that it isn't done in close proximity to our kid who could get sick (or even die) from a reaction to said PB&J or bag of almonds.

You think we're kidding?
Watch this video and then reconsider sending those peanut and tree nut snacks.

If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say...

It's been a while since I've been here on the blog so I'm not thrilled that today is a vent rather than something useful.

But when someone says something to me and it sticks in my brain all day buzzing around, I suppose that means I have to write it down. Damn bees in my bonnet.

So today at school it was the dreaded "muffins for moms/doughnuts for dads" annual nonsense. I truly detest this event but that's a whole different post.

At the end of the event we were trying to figure out what to do with the dozens of left-over doughnuts and someone suggested saving them for the 5th graders to enjoy after their field trip.

Now, it should be noted that I had already combined the "nut free" doughnuts with the "regular" doughnuts because I assumed the whole tray was going to the teacher's lounge.

Me: Do we have any peanut or tree nut allergies in the 5th grade? Because if we do I already mixed up the doughnuts so that wouldn't work.

The responses ranged from:

"No I don't think so."

"We only have one that MUST sit at the peanut-free table and he's not in fifth grade."

"We have a few kids but they have to ingest the food to get sick." (Really? You know that for a fact, do ya?)

And then this gem from someone on staff at the school: "We don't have any issues ever since your daughter left." And then she LAUGHED.

What. The. F*ck. (Language, I know. But seriously.)

I just looked at this person - a hard stare, actually - and then walked away.

How dare you be so stupid to deem my daughter's allergies a "problem".
How dare you be so arrogant to find that funny.

There is nothing funny about food allergies. Ever.

I probably could have said something but in this case you just can't fix stupid.

Happy Almost New Year!

Yes I have been a total slacker on this blog.

Life is like that.

I still have posts to write about our dining experiences at Walt Disney World (mostly positive) and I'll get to those.

It's been crazy around here with the holidays.

Also, we think Olivia had an allergic reaction to food a few weeks ago.

Long story short: Olivia used to love the regular Krispy Kreme doughnuts (the pre-boxed doughnuts you can buy at the grocery story). The label read as if they were safe. I checked ingredients and labels online and it all seemed OK. Until about a month ago. Liv came home from ballet class feeling totally fine, ate one doughnut, and then went to bed a little bit later.

She woke up a couple hours later and had thrown up IN HER SLEEP. That's right. She threw up in her sleep. I still can't wrap my brain around that.

When she came in our room she was flushed and shaking and said she felt "weird" and dizzy. We cleaned her up, had her brush her teeth, and then she went back to bed. She was fine the next day but we kept her home from school because she was afraid of being sick again.

We have no proof that it was the doughnuts but in digging a little deeper I did discover that while Krispy Kreme says they don't knowingly add peanuts to their products they can't guarantee that the products are peanut and tree nut free because they can't guarantee that their suppliers are a peanut/tree nut free supplier and cross contact may occur.

And so...we've eliminated Krispy Kreme doughnuts from the house.

I think the episode scared Liv and she's been a bit more unsure about food lately. It makes me sad to see her stressed out about food.

Here's to an allergy safe 2016.

Muffins for Moms...But Not Kids with Food Allergies

If there is an event I dislike more than any other at school it has to be "Muffins for Moms" and "Donuts for Dads."

What is supposed to be a fun time for kids and their moms or dads is really anything but "fun" when your kids has food allergies.

Doughnuts can be full of eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and gluten. So if your kids has an allergy to any of those items there is nothing fun about it.

At Olivia's old elementary school they used to have a "peanut free" box of doughnuts (and since they were from a local bakery that we regularly use for peanut-free birthday cakes I trusted that they were safe).

Today was the first "Muffins for Moms" at her middle school. The doughnuts were from that same local bakery but the school failed to have a "peanut free" box.

I asked the principal if any of the boxes were nut free. I received a blank stare in response. And then I said "if they aren't then Olivia can't eat them, so I wanted to double check with you." [In my head I was thinking "so that we can avoid a potentially bad situation right here in the cafeteria....]

The response: "Oh my gosh. I didn't even think about that. I guess I need to start thinking about that in this day and age, don't I?"

Yes. You do.
Especially since you have many kids in your school with food allergies.

And then she says to Olivia: "You need to remind me about that next time."

No, my sixth grader doesn't need to remind you. As principal your job is to think about ALL of the students, even those with food allergies and then ask for help from a food allergy parent if you need it. I'd be more than happy to help out and offer suggestions.

One of Olivia's friends - also a sixth grader - said "I can't believe they didn't have a safe box of doughnuts! There are SO MANY kids with peanut allergies in this school."

Exactly.

In this day and age with the prevalence of food allergies - peanut allergies especially - every principal needs to think about whether or not the food they are serving at a school event has a safe alternative.

As it is, I made sure Olivia ate breakfast before we went to school but I could still see that look of disappointment on her face. So instead of eating doughnuts we went to the book fair and I bought her two new books.

November

Well we made it through another Halloween.

And for the first time in a long time Olivia came home from trick-or-treating with a HUGE smile on her face.

The last house she and her friends visited was the ONLY OTHER HOUSE in our neighborhood with a teal pumpkin and the homeowner dumped the rest of the nut-free candy into Olivia's pumpkin bucket.

That made her happy.

"Mommy! Mrs. B dumped all her candy into my bucket! How cool is that?!?" 

It's the small things people.

And after witnessing someone making fun of the whole Teal Pumpkin project on Facebook yesterday it was nice to see that some people really do "get it."

Also, this is where the "happy" part of the blog post ends. 

Here's where I get all vent-y about food allergies. Don't post snarky crap on your Facebook page about what color pumpkin you should put out if all your candy is unsafe for kids with food allergies. And don't leave comments on a post like that about how it's "well-established" that people know you hate kids with food allergies.

I don't care if it was meant to be snarky or sarcastic.

There is absolutely NOTHING funny about food allergies. Like ever. So don't try to make fun of them. And if you find yourself wanting to make fun of food allergies substitute another disease for "food allergies" - you know like "well we all know you hate kids with diabetes" or "everyone knows you hate kids with cancer."

See? NOT. FUNNY. AT ALL.

Again, I don't care if you're trying to be snarky or sarcastic - there's a time and place for that and dealing with food allergies isn't that time.

OK...enough ranting.

Here's hoping your kiddos have safe candy to enjoy and that you all had a Happy Halloween!

Up next...Thanksgiving! Gobble gobble!

Trick-or-Treat!

Well it's here.

Halloween.

[sigh]

I have my teal pumpkin and a bowl of non-candy spider rings ready for trick-or-treating. I also have a bowl of candy for any kids who want a food treat rather than a non-food treat.

Tonight the kids went to their grandmother's senior living facility for trick-or-treating. Halfway through Olivia walked past me and said "well, there are about two things I can eat in my bucket." And then she sighed, shrugged, and walked away to gather more candy she can't eat.

And that my friends is what Halloween usually looks like for kids with food allergies. Great costumes and a bucket full of crap they can't eat.

Example A: Our safe and unsafe bowls -

As you can see "unsafe" beats out "safe" each year. (And while those Utz pretzels ARE peanut and tree nut free, they're processed in a facility with sesame seeds so they're off limits for Olivia).

I'll be repeating this whole safe and unsafe sorting again tomorrow night. And then I'll be sending most of the candy with my husband when he leaves for work on Monday so I'm not tempted to eat any of the chocolate. ;)

Olivia knows that Halloween is a tough holiday for her and while she loves dressing up I think she's about over the whole trick-or-treat aspect. What's the point when all you end up with is a bowl full of Skittles? I mean they're great and all but a girl can only eat so many Skittles.

I encourage you to get a teal pumpkin and support kids with food allergies this Halloween. Find some non-food treats (stickers, spider rings, bouncy balls) and give those kids a choice when they come to your house.

Believe me the kids with food allergies (and their parents) WILL appreciate it.

Happy Halloween!

Seeing the Teal Pumpkin Project in Action

Today we took the kids to the Toledo Zoo for the annual Pumpkin Path.

It's the zoo's trick-or-treating event where kids and adults can dress in costume and the kids go to stations to get candy. In years past it's been sort of a bust for Olivia since more than half the candy she would receive was unsafe.

This year she was so excited to see that the zoo was participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project - there would be a teal pumpkin at any booth that was handing out "unsafe" (not allergy friendly) treats.

Here's how it went....

First booth with a teal pumpkin was great - Olivia asked for a "teal pumpkin treat" and they immediately gave it to her. Score one for the zoo.

Next booth with a teal pumpkin was handing out Cracker Jack. You know, caramel popcorn with peanuts. Olivia says "I'd like a teal pumpkin treat" and the volunteer says "OK" and proceeds to put TWO bags of Cracker Jack in Olivia's bucket. I grabbed the bags, looked at the woman and said "She has a peanut allergy and CAN'T EAT THESE." Her response: Oh.

We had to find the RIGHT PERSON to get the safe treat - which they had HIDING BEHIND THE BOOTH for some unknown reason.

Third booth - handing out Milky Way which aren't safe for peanut/tree nut allergies. Olivia again says "I'd like a teal pumpkin treat" and the volunteer PUTS TWO CANDY BARS in her bucket. Again, NO.

After that it did get better.
But seriously. 

I commend the zoo for participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project but the groups that were passing out candy needed a bit more education on the point of the project.

Olivia did come away with a fun stash of stuff:

But at the same time she seemed a bit sad about the whole experience. I suppose Halloween just isn't as fun when you're a kid with food allergies. I asked her what was wrong and she said "I just wish they were all teal pumpkins." I think she still felt left out - even though she was getting fun "stuff" it wasn't the same as what the other kids were getting. Special stuff sure, but still different because of the food allergies.

Sigh.

Halloween can't be over soon enough.

Are you participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project this year? You can learn more about it here.

Happy Friday!

Seriously you guys?
It's August 14 and I'm such a blogging slacker.

This week has been all about back-to-school MADNESS (more on school and food allergies in an upcoming post)!

But today I just have to share some super exciting news!

Today you need to check out the YoDish Blog because yours truly is a guest blogger!

What's YoDish, you ask? Well, it's a super cool new app for your phone that gives you all the details you're looking for about restaurants in your area. It's a great new tool to look up and even share your food allergy, gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan dining successes (and even the failures).

I was playing around with the app recently and when I looked up Five Guys it gave me the waring "peanuts everywhere!" ... because I have my profile set at watching for peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame seeds.

Seriously, you need to check out this app! (No one asked me to talk about the app, I'm simply sharing it because it is that cool).

Happy weekend everyone!

The End of July

Yes, I know.
I was supposed to blog every single day this month.
But things happen.
Like being on crutches for the past three weeks...which somehow rendered me incapable of blogging.

Yep.
That's my excuse.

Anyway...here we are at the end of July.
This means school starts again IN THREE WEEKS.

How is that even possible? I swear summer break just started.

Anyway, I'm doing my best to "remain calm" about Olivia starting junior high (or as I like to call it 6th grade) in just a few weeks. She'll have her EpiPens with her at all times as the kids at the junior high are allowed to carry them!

And, based on a conversation I had today she might not be the only kid with food allergies in her grade. I had to call the school today regarding a snack that will be served at orientation in three weeks and the school secretary told me I was the "third or fourth" parent to call about peanut allergies in the 6th grade.

Now, I don't want to say this makes me happy - because it doesn't. Food allergies SUCK and I'd never wish them on anyone. But when I told Olivia about it she said "oh good!" ... I think she's hoping to connect with some other kids who have the same issues with food. Ever since second grade she's been one of only two kids in her grade with food allergies.

And I can guarantee I was the only vocal parent when it came to food allergies in her grade.

Me? I'm just eager (and a bit anxious) to see how the junior high handles food allergies. Here's hoping it won't be a battle at every turn.

Let Her Eat Cake

Ah, birthday cake. Something that seems so simple but can be so complicated when you're dealing with food allergies.

I actually dread birthday party invitations - when Olivia gets invited to a birthday party I know that there's a really good chance she won't be able to eat the birthday cake. Granted there are a couple of parents who go out of their way to (1) bake a safe cake so, or (2) order a safe cake. But that's more of an exception than the rule.

Olivia recently went to a friend's party where the cake was from an "unsafe" bakery and she couldn't have it. She said she was OK about not eating the cake, but I could tell she was a bit sad too.

[Now this is the point where some people will say, "you should have sent her with something to eat!" to which I would respond "Yes, I could have. But I didn't because I didn't think I would need to based on other parties at this house. And that failure is totally on me." So don't judge until you're in MY shoes.]

At that party Olivia was able to enjoy all the other food (including the vanilla ice cream) and she kept insisting that she wasn't too upset about the cake. Me? I would have liked to talk with the parent before the party to know what was being served. But I don't always get what I want.

As difficult at "friend parties" are, when it comes to birthday parties at our house (or within the family) we have two local bakeries where we get our cakes.

The first bakery is Brieschke's Bakery here in Sylvania. They have a "peanut-free and nut-free" area in the kitchen where they prepare cakes in a safe spot. And the peanut/tree nut-free cakes are kept away from the other "unsafe" cakes in the pickup area. This is my favorite spot to get cakes.

Another safe place is Sautter's Markets (again in Sylvania). I ordered safe sugar cookies from here for Olivia's end-of-year party at school. And we've had a few cakes from here too - all peanut/tree nut-free.

That cake? Well that's Olivia's dad's birthday cake - a nut-free red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. YUM!

If we're ordering cakes (or cupcakes) those are the bakeries we're using. Of course I also love to make box cake mixes (or "homemade" cakes ... ha!) ... and for the most part we've found that Betty Crocker cakes are great for peanut/tree nut-free options. (One exception is a Blue Velvet cake mix from good ol' Betty - it has a nut warning right on the label!)

The funny thing about cakes is sometimes - even when we know the cake is safe - Olivia won't eat it. I'm not sure if this is because she's 11-going-on-15 and she's being moody or if she's afraid the cake really isn't safe.

(An aside: I can't imagine what it's like to be afraid to eat something. It makes me sad to know this is Olivia's life right now).

So here's my tip for cakes: If you are hosting a birthday party and inviting kids with food allergies, call those parents and talk to them. If it's possible to get a nut-free and peanut-free cake (if the child in question has those allergies), do it. No one will know the difference (unless of course your kid loves German Chocolate Cake...then there's nothing you can do).

If the cake isn't going to be safe for the kids with food allergies you can either (1) have a safe alternative or (2) CALL THE PARENTS and let them know so that a safe alternative can be sent for their child.

I'll say this again - kids with food allergies shouldn't be left out simply because of their food allergies. If there is a way to include them when it comes to birthday party treats, please do so. You have no idea how much that means to the parents of those kids.

Now, if you'll excuse me I'm off to enjoy a slice of that nut-free and peanut-free red velvet cake. 

Wordless Wednesday - Ice Cream

Finding safe ice cream for Olivia isn't always easy. But last year in the Outer Banks we found Scammell's Corner - an ice cream store and surf shop that has SAFE ice cream! It's our go-to spot in Nags Head for ice cream. This year we visited 4 or 5 times. And the best part - other than the nut-free CASE OF ICE CREAM - is that they sing to you as they scoop your sweet treat.

Baseball Games and Food Allergies

Yesterday we made our annual trek to Progressive Field in Cleveland to watch the Indians play.

Baseball games are a fun tradition but they're also very stressful for kids with peanut allergies.

Normally when we go to the game Olivia will get a hot dog and that's about it. She can't eat the ice cream. Or Dippin' Dots. Or the popcorn.

Yesterday though we were in the "club" level which meant unlimited food and beverages (talk about the best way to see a baseball game!).

Olivia was very excited about the hot dog stand - and the buns were safe too! (Buns are one of those 'must-always-check' items because sometimes sesame seeds are listed). And the buffet in the club lounge had salad, which is one of her favorites. And one of the other food stands was a "make your own" snow cone so Liv made THREE snow cones during the game.

The one thing about baseball games that isn't fun is the overwhelming presence of peanuts. And on the club level at Progressive Field there were BARRELS of peanuts - all self-serve. Fill a bag with peanuts as many times as you wanted and drop the shells everywhere.

To say this stressed Liv out would be an understatement.

We ended up sitting at the top row of our section (due to the fact that I'm currently on crutches) and she actually said "Mommy, I love sitting here because no one can eat peanuts behind us and throw the shells on the floor."

Eventually though we had to move to our "regular" seats further down in the section which immediately stressed Liv out. As soon as we sat down she saw the guy behind us shoving peanuts in his face throwing the shells all over the ground and she burst into tears.

She was seriously scared.

And then we saw the backs of the seats were coated in little bits and pieces of peanut shells, including on the cup holders. This meant Liv couldn't put her beverage in the cup holder without risking touching peanut shells.

We didn't stay in those seats very long. I wasn't going to make Liv sit there and be scared.

Whether an allergic reaction was going to happen or not isn't the issue. My kid was scared and that was enough to make us move back inside the lounge.

I just wish that baseball stadiums - major and minor league - had a designated "nut free" zone for families dealing with food allergies. Sure some of the teams have "nut free" nights but one or two nights during a season just isn't enough when the rest of game are full of peanuts and shells all over the ground.

I'd really like to see these stadiums work with food allergy families and national organizations to develop safe zones for kids and adults with peanut allergies.

Wordless Wednesday - A Cupcake

This is one happy girl! A peanut and tree-nut free cupcake for dessert at Be Our Guest at the Magic Kingdom! When you aren't able to eat dessert at most restaurants it's a pretty BIG DEAL when you find a safe option. And the fact that it's a chocolate cupcake makes it that much better!

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.

What I'm Trying To Say

So since this is my new blog I decided to challenge myself to try and write a post a day this entire month. It's part of the NaBloPoMo series with BlogHer. The theme for July is "Connect" which seems perfect for this blog since that's what I'm trying to do.

Today's writing prompt is sort of perfect: "Do people generally understand what you're trying to say?"

Um. No.

I don't think that most people do "get" what I'm trying to say when it comes to food allergies. Oh sure, there are a select few who "get it" - my family, some friends, and well that's about it.

When Olivia was first diagnosed with her food allergies someone actually posted on Facebook "It's not the end of the world."

No, it's not. And I never said back in 2011 that her food allergies were the end of the world. But they were the end of the way things were. Gone were the days of eating out wherever we wanted or grabbing a package of those "break-and-bake" cookies at the store. In one day everything about how Olivia ate was changed.

Fast forward a few years and as I become a louder advocate for my child and her food allergies I have found that many people choose to only hear what they want. Or they just don't listen at all.

I had a country club manager tell me last summer that food labels were only "created by lawyers" to protect companies.

Yeah. No.

I have been told to "step up" by other parents at Olivia's former elementary school when I pushed back on why everything has to revolve around food at school. I have been accused of wanting to create a nut-free school when in reality all I was asking for was some cooperation from other parents.

So you see, not everyone understands what I'm tying to say.

When I ask for a nut-free alternative at school events - for all kids with peanut and/or tree nut allergies, NOT just for my daughter - I'm not trying to be difficult or start an argument. I'm advocating for the safety of kids with food allergies. I'm doing my best to make sure that those kids aren't singled out for their food allergies but are instead invited to participate with all the other kids.

When I push back and demand to be heard it's not because I'm trying to be a bitch. It's because I want other parents to understand that it really does take a village to keep kids with food allergies safe. It's about inclusion not exclusion.

When I talk about food allergies at school it's not because I want a peanut-free school (although I wouldn't complain one bit if classrooms with food allergy kids banned cupcakes and cookies for parties and birthdays), it's because I want people to understand the seriousness of the issue. (And because I would like to see the end of birthday cupcakes and events centered around food.)

And when I hear other parents say things like "well that's not fair to the other kids" or "my child can ONLY eat peanut butter so too bad for you" I know that they aren't understanding the big picture.

Which is why I started this blog. To talk about that big picture. To talk about food allergies and how it's very likely that your child WILL have a classmate (or four) with some kind of food allergy. To talk about how great it is when people are supportive and protective of my child.

So hopefully people will understand what I'm trying to say here and are willing to listen. Because food allergies aren't going away. And neither am I.