Nut Allergy News: Nutphree's Cupcakes Sponsoring Chicago-Area Cupcake Giveaway!

Chicago readers: You could win a dozen of these delish cupcakes from Nutphree's Bakery.

Chicago-area readers: this one's for you. I have a special giveaway this week, provided by the one and only Nutphree's Cupcakes in Mount Prospect, IL.

This is a wonderful family-owned and operated bakery featuring peanut-free and tree nut-free cupcakes that are beautiful and delicious. Nutphree's Cupcakes storefront recently opened to much excitement in Chicago as they are the only nut-free cupcake bakery in the area that is a dedicated nut-free facility.

To show their appreciation to  Chicago-area Nut-Free Mom readers and to their loyal customers, Nutphree's is offering one dozen cupcakes plus delivery  to one lucky winner. This is a $45 value!!!!The only thing: you've got to live within an approximately 20-25 mile radius of their Mount Prospect bakery in order to be eligible to win.

While my giveaways are normally tailored to all readers, this one is very special because as the only nut-free cupcake bakery in Chicago with a dedicated nut-free facility, Nutphree's really stands out in my city. Don't worry if you aren't eligible for this giveaway--I'll  have more giveaways in the future!

Please note: these cupcakes are nut-free (peanut and tree nut) only.

To enter the random drawing for the Nut-Free Mom and Nutphree's cupcake giveaway, please go to Nutphree's Facebook and Twitter pages and follow and/or "like" them. Then, post a comment on this blog post giving your first name and initial, as well as your location. For example, Kerri P., Park Ridge, IL

What a great way to ring in the holidays--nut-free cupcakes. FREE nut-free cupcakes.

However, if you don't win and you live in the area, be sure to check them out either online or at their storefront. http://www.nutphrees.com

The winner will be announced this Wednesday right here on the blog! So check back then and see if you've got a dozen cupcakes coming your way.

I will also post the name of the winner on Facebook and Twitter. If the winner does not respond in 48 hours, the prize will go to another random winner. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!




Nutphree's Mount Prospect storefront. Have you been there?

Good luck to you all and thanks again to Nutphree's and the Walker family for your generosity!



Food Allergy Book Review: Marty's Nut-Free Party

Newly released: Marty's Nut-Free Party

Lots of you ask about good children's books that deal with food allergies, so I'm happy to be able to recommend a newly released children's food allergy picture book: Marty's Nut-Free Party by Katrina Roe. With both a kid-friendly story and food allergy facts and information for caregivers, this is a great addition to your peanut allergy parenting bookshelf.

Ms. Roe, a Australian writer and mom to a child with a peanut allergy, has created a charming story about a spunky little monkey named Marty. Marty has a peanut allergy and he loves parties. Unfortunately, Marty keeps running into foods that land him in the hospital. The hospital visits are not handled in a scary way, but in a way that is matter-of-fact and reinforces to children that they must avoid certain foods.

One of the things I liked best about this book (and that my daughters liked--of course they read it, too) was that it discusses the issue of how foods become cross-contaminated. At one party, Marty picks off the "peanut sprinkles" but again winds up in the hospital. Avoiding even trace amounts of food is important and is often misunderstood, so I'm glad that the author covered this aspect of peanut allergies.

Katrina Roe, left, at her book launch. Fun fact: Marty's fur was inspired by the author's wonderful red hair!

Eventually, little Marty learns to advocate for himself and decides to host his own peanut-free party. Marty's friends would rather hang out with him than eat peanuts or peanut products and I liked this aspect of the book, too. Marty worries that no one will want to come to a peanut-free party, but his fears turn out to be unfounded. I know that a lot of our kids worry that food will get in the way of friendship, so again, I'm glad the author acknowledged this issue in an upbeat way. On a personal note, I've found that most kids will want to accommodate their friends and do not mind giving up a food just for a few hours. Books like this can help non-allergic kids understand their friends' concerns, so it would be a good choice to read to a classroom.

The holidays are coming up and Marty's Nut-Free Party would make a nice gift for a young child struggling with peanut allergies. Plus, "Marty" provides parents with  a non-threatening way of opening up some good discussions about staying safe, following the doctor's rules and speaking up for yourself when you have food allergies.

Click this link for information on buying Marty's Nut-Free Party and don't forget to "like" the author's Facebook page.

And if you're looking for guidance on managing birthday parties and life in general with severe nut allergies, I hope you will check out my e-book, The New Nut-Free Mom!

Back to School with Food Allergies: Taking that Leap of Faith

Since my daughter with severe food allergies is beginning middle school this year, I've been quite nostalgic lately thinking back to her first day of kindergarten and what that was like for us. In a word: scary. Let me explain.

The year before kindergarten, my daughter experienced her first anaphylactic reaction to a peanut butter sandwich. Then she was diagnosed with a tree nut allergy. A few months later, she started experiencing asthma due to seasonal allergies. It felt like a triple threat, and a lot to absorb.

 At the time my daughter first entered school, I felt like I still had a lot of unanswered questions and unknowns that I was facing. I had been fortunate to find a nut-free preschool for her to attend, but elementary school was an entirely new world. It was a place where many of her allergens would be present each day, in one way or another.

Once you start heading down the slippery slope of "what ifs?" you can find yourself in for some serious stress. For example, I wondered if my daughter was going to be exposed to constant allergy triggers and possible reactions. I wondered: How much allergen in the environment would be too much? Then I started projecting into the future: As her school career went on, would she be able to participate in birthday parties, extracurricular activities and play dates? Would her school life be a happy one or one filled with allergic reactions and stress? Would today be the day I get "the call" telling me there was a reaction?

I look at old pictures of my daughter back in kindergarten and I think to myself: How did I let that little face out of my sight? She looks so small, so vulnerable, especially when I look at her now, so grown-up and poised.  I imagine that many of you are thinking similar things about your kids, as you send them off to school carrying backpacks that are nearly bigger than they are. It's not easy to hand over care of your child to others when they deal with serious food allergies, especially when they are very young.

This is one reason why I believe so strongly in teaching kids to be their own best advocates. As parents, we do our best to be informed about everything, but sometimes that is impossible. If you teach your child to question foods and refuse anything that isn't approved by you, that is a huge step in keeping them safe. Of course you must work with the school, too--that's absolutely crucial. However, teaching kids to stand up for themselves and self-manage can never begin too early in my opinion. I've found that this approach has definitely helped my daughter throughout elementary school.

And now comes the really hard part. Once we've taken care of our must-haves for school (like our medical forms, formal written health plans for our kids, communication with school staff and the like), then what?

Eventually, there comes a time to do the most uncomfortable thing of all -- taking that leap of faith that you have taught your kids well, communicated with your school and that it will be OK. It can feel like a very scary leap. In fact, I still feel like I take "the leap" each year and we've been dealing with this for 8 years. Don't beat yourself up if you feel uncertain or unsure. But if you know you've taken all the safety steps you can, it's good to feel happy and excited for your kids, too.

I wish all of you the very best for a wonderful school year whether your child is just beginning school, starting a new school or just starting a new grade. Let us know how it goes for you! We are all in this together.

Food Allergies and Family Balance: Non-Allergic Sibs

I have two daughters, one with food allergies and one without. Sometimes it feels like I've got one foot in two worlds. The one child can't have many things that the other one can. This sometimes creates awkward situations. We don't bring peanut or tree nut products into our home and as a family out and about together, we avoid high-risk places like ice cream shops, doughnut shops and Thai food (which my youngest loves.)

Sometimes brother(s) or sister(s) can feel deprived if they are not getting the chance to enjoy the things that they can eat and do, even though their food-allergic sibling can't.

If you have kids both with food allergies and without, you know exactly what I mean. Our entire family empathizes with our oldest daughter and the fact that she can't enjoy the same foods that we can, at times. Still, we want our youngest to be able to partake of, say, an ice cream cone at an ice cream shop.

To make sure everybody gets their fair share, I've begun taking my youngest daughter to a place that's usually off-limits and I shoot for once a week. For example, last week we went to Dunkin Donuts. You would have thought I just gave the kid a million dollars; she beamed the whole time. We're going back this week and then going to a Halloween store (already!!!!) to look around.

This is special time together for the two of us, but it also lets my youngest be free of food allergy restraints that are imposed on her for the sake of her sister.

My oldest isn't left out, either. I also make a point to go out and do a non-food related (or safe food-related, sometimes) activity with her. We like to look at resale an antique shops together or go to the bookstore or library or even a movie that is "too old" for her younger sister.

It's hard to balance the needs of the allergic kids from the non-allergic. The kids without allergies don't always understand that the reason we sometimes give extra attention to the others is because of health and safety. They may just see it as extra attention, period, so I've found that it's really important to show them equal time.

If you have both non-allergic and allergic kids in your family, how do you balance their needs?