Back from Disney

I have not posted in a while because I was enjoying a week in Disney! Yay!!!! I love Disney. Besides how they handle food allergies, Disney is just the best place. We had such a fun time.
Disney is top notch when it comes to food allergies. I wish that they would train other restaurants. At every meal they took extra special care of my daughter. It's so great to feel comfortable and a little relaxed. We ate at the following restaurants with ease.

1900 Park Fare-Located at the Grand Floridian and it's a buffet.We met Cinderella, Prince Charming, the Step sisters and Step Mother. Chef Laura made us feel comfortable and safe. My little one ate well and even got a Mickey Shaped brownie with chocolate sauce and sprinkles. She was able to have everything but the pizza and bread.

Pinochio's Village Haus-Located by It's a Small World in the Magic Kingdom. This is a quick service restaurant. The manager came out with a binder so that we could check all ingredients.

Crystal Palace- Located in the Magic Kingdom and it's a buffet. We met Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eyore and Piglet. The chef walked me around the buffet. She was able to have everything but the bread. Two desserts were safe, the bread pudding and apple cobbler. She didn't want either so I gave her cookies that I had with me.

Chef Mickey's- Located at the Contemporary hotel. It's a buffet, we went for breakfast. She could have everything and they even had safe donut holes. We met Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto.

Bongos-Located in Downtown Disney. Great Food and she had ice cream for dessert.

San Angel Inn-Located in Epcot. Great food and she even had churros for dessert.

Capt. Cook's-Located at the Polynesian Hotel. We did a quick service Lunch here. The manager came out, took the order, and made the food herself.

Grand Floridian Cafe-Located at the Grand Floridian. She had great food and had chocolate pudding and some of my fondue.

The Commissary-Located at Hollywood Studios. We checked the book for ingredients. It is a tree nut and peanut free facility. She even got a huge cupcake and had some of my chocolate mousse.

Hollywood and Vine- Located at Hollywood Studios. It was a buffet. She ate well and had ice cream too.

Be Our Guest-Located at the Magic Kingdom. I can not rave about this restaurant enough. The atmosphere and food were top notch! Chef Jerry came to our table and treated her like a person. He made her grilled cheese and fries. He even handed her a bowl with bread that was just for her. He made sure that she had a fantastic, safe dessert too. He really went above and beyond. Chef Jerry even made ketchup just for her! We would eat there everyday if we could!

During the week she also snacked on ice cream and pretzels at different parks.

If we could live in Disney we would! Have you been? What has your experience been like?

And then the phone rang....

OK, yesterday was not a great day. I slept horribly the night before and I am not a good sleep deprived person. Anything that could go wrong did and then the phone rang. School was on the caller id.  I instantly sprouted some more gray hairs. My little one had a stomach ache,no fever. Phew! Is that all, I can handle that. Sad isn't it? I sometimes think the school must think that I don't care but as long as they say she's breathing I do the happy dance.......

Next topic-
She's very picky. She can't eat tree nuts or raw apples. I don't send peanut butter in for obvious reasons. Any thoughts on what to pack for lunch? Healthy, easy, more fruits and veggies. I'm open to any and all ideas.
Thanks!

Changes

I absolutely believe that we have no idea what life will bring us. It can change on a dime. If you had asked me twenty years ago, where I would be and what I would be doing when I was 42, I would have said, teaching in New Jersey. Easy. Well, not so much. I am a stay at home mom in NC. Never saw that coming! I also never would have said that I would have a child with a life threatening condition. That certainly wasn't in my plans. I also never would have said that I would chair a charity event for three years. Didn't see that coming either. If you know me, you know that I am an introvert so doing a charity event brought me way out of my comfort zone. Well, after three years I have made the decision to step down. Not for any reason in particular, I just know that it's time for me to step down. It has been a lot of hard work but it's been great fun too. I have learned a lot and I have met many amazing people that I can now call friends.
We shall see what comes next.......

Thank you!

I just saw that I have over 5000 page views! Thank you for reading, I'm honored.
I hope that 2014 brings health and happiness to your home.
Keep sharing the food allergy information, it's the best way to raise awareness!

Back to school and reality

Well, two weeks went by in about 5 minutes. Our break was filled with holiday celebrations, fun, and laziness. It was perfect! I won't lie, the quiet is nice. I didn't have to jump every time the phone rang because she was sitting right next to me. Now it's back to having the phone with me all of the time. It was so great to let my brain relax for two weeks, it needed it.
We dropped off two new epi pens as the old ones expired while over break.....
Cheers to a new year and good health!
Happy 2014 everyone and thanks for reading!

Big news! FAACT is here!

So, I was sitting around being lazy yesterday. It was great! I spent way too much time on social media, especially Facebook. Suddenly, something caught my eye! A new food allergy advocacy group had been announced. FAACT, The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Connection Team. What? Wait? What's going on? I was stunned to see this. I read more about it and I found that many names sounded really familiar. I mean this team is made up of many food allergy celebrities. Authors, advocates, chefs, doctors, the list is amazing. Their website is full of great information for newbies and veterans. I see great things for the future of food allergy advocacy! There is even going to be a conference in the south later this year, so excited for that! I am going to do everything that I can to be there!
I have such hope for 2014!

Check it out-
http://www.foodallergyawareness.org/