Mother’s Day

Well, I know that its a bit late, but first I would love to extend my Happy Mother’s Day wishes to all out there. Whether you have had kids of your own, adopted, having issues with fertility, helping raise other kids, have kids that have their angel wings, or are a Dad doing it on your own ( yes you count as mama too!!) you are doing a wonderful job!! Don’t ever take yourself for granted, and I sincerely hope that you were able to enjoy some special “just for you” time yesterday.

We had a great, but busy day. I woke up to handmade cards from my littles, who were very proud of writing their names, this time without Daddy’s help. They also told him they wanted me to have flowers! They also know how much I love my coffee. They could not be happier when they lead me into the kitchen to see my vase of beautiful flowers and a great big iced coffee right in front. Who would have thought a 3 and 4 year old could be so perceptive? Every little thing they do just makes my love grow even more.

When then got a chance to go out by my mom’s. Again, my littles had a great time. They got to see everyone and play with their little cousin and the dogs my mom has, which the kids lovingly refer to as “puppies”. We then got to come back home for a bit, and everyone got to nap before we headed over to my mom in laws for a quick bbq.

All in all it was a great day, and I loved being able to spend some much needed time with all of our family.

Hope that you guys got a chance to make your weekend special. And remember, every day that you get to spend with those you love is a special occasion!!!!

Getting Ready For The Nice Weather

YAAAAAAYYYYYY!!! Awesome weather is back… again.  And this time it seems like it wants to stay around.  We are already planning on all of the awesome things we can do.  It helps the kids get excited and be motivated to spend more time outside, and it also helps me make a nice little mental list of all the new things we will need and all of the things I need to be prepared for.

So, I would like to share with you, a quick little run down of how we prepare for summer, and hopefully it will make your summer a bit easier too.

First, we all know that the return of summer brings the return of sun, and sunburn.  Over here we are all almost clear, so we are huge fans of sunblock.  As in industrial strength SPF as high as it can possibly be, reapplied every hour sunblock.  We use Coppertone WaterBabies SPF 100+ ( see? I wasn’t kidding).  Make sure to do your research and verify that the brand you are using is gluten free.

Second, with nice weather come the bugs.  Not only the pretty and interesting ones, but those nasty, biting, stingy ones.  Don’t forget to make sure you are using some form of protection against those little brats.  Slice a lime and push some cloves in it, it helps keep the biting insects away.  Also, if you prefer to wear your protection, find a natural based safe alternative.  Gluten can hide in bug sprays too.  I have a friend that makes ours.  You can also make your own, if you are so inclined.

Third, what would nice weather be without cook outs and get togethers? Word of warning…those grills…cross contamination issue!!!  While it may not be for some, for those that are very sensitive, it can be a source of concern.  So, how to remedy that?  We went and bought one of those table top charcoal grills. They are pretty  inexpensive and easy to transport.  Any grill party that we go to we just toss it in the trunk and we are good to go.  This way, we know that there is no way bread or gluten containing meats or what have you have been near it, and we still get to have all the yummy grilled food.

And who can forget about all the great carnivals, festivals and street fairs that happen while the weather is at its best?  So… what’s the best way to navigate those potential gluten havens?  First, look for information about the fest.  More often than not, if community restaurants are going to be present at the fest, it will be listed on the flier or other paper work advertising the event.  You can then call the different places and find out what will be served and how it’s prepared to make your safe list.  If you do not see places listed, call the city or village where the event is being held.  They can give you more information about the type of vendors that will be showcased.  If you find out that there will be no safe options while you are there, pack yourself a nice picnic lunch and bring it along.  There are a lot of great fair type foods that you can make gluten free.  Look for a post containing some of those great recipes coming soon.

This is the basic way that I try to plan out our summer, and some of the tips that I have found to make our lives easier and more manageable.  Hopefully this has helped some of you. I welcome your tips as well.  And don’t forget to let me know if any of these help you out!

Gluten Free Family Outings

Yesterday my family and I had the pleasure of going to see a kid friendly musical. Bug, my 3 year old daughter and Bear, my 4 year old son were very excited as we prepared to go. I, on the other hand, was going through my typical pre outing anxiety. As anyone who lives gluten free knows, odds are high that at any given public function there will most likely not be safe foods to eat. And, if the gf gods happen to look upon you with favor that day and you DO find something….there is always the cross contamination issue. So… What in the world is a Gf family to do???

BE PREPARED!!!!

We carry a small backpack with us if we know we will be somewhere that may not have safe food options. We have a load of things in it.

Our list:
● bottled water
● snack sized containers of homemade fruit leathers and dried fruits
●fruit snacks
●yogurt drops
●sweet potato chips
●rice cakes…usually flavored
●peanut butter
●raisins
● note concerning need for specialized diet from our naturopath

From time to time I will add other things.  There are times when we will bring complete meals with us if the outing we are attending includes a lunch or dinner. But that is the typical quick grab bag for our normal trips. I replenish items as needed and do an overall inventory check once a month. Of course I slacked recently and was running around like a crazy person before yesterday’s outing. Hey welcome to life, right?

This little pack has saved our behinds more than once. Anyone with littles knows the trouble you can be in if they wind up being the least bit hungry…especially if you have nothing to offer them. So I highly suggest you consider making up a go to pack for your family as well. I will be more than happy to walk you through the steps of what to include on an individual basis if you need help with suggestions based on your family’s preferences.

I will tell you though, the absolute MOST IMPORTANT thing you must include in your bag is a note from your doctor or naturopath that explains the medical need for a specialized diet. There have been a few times that I was told we could not bring our own food into certain venues before I began carrying the note with us. Places like movie theaters and sports arenas like to give you the third degree unless you have that little piece of paper. On the positive side, since I began carrying the note with us, I have only had to use it twice. Each time, once the note was presented, the establishments left us to our own accord with our food. I would love for things to not be this way but the sad fact is that things are. But think of that note as your own personal insurance that your family stays safe.

Good luck!!

**Lizzie**