EpiPen Assistance
EpiPens (for those who don’t know) are the emergency epinephrine auto-injectors that those with life-threatening allergies carry with them in case of a reaction. They can save lives– if they are available when needed and used properly. We carry an EpiPen with us and have two in place on my daughter’s school campus. Having them does provide us some comfort. It’s our...
Read MoreWalk for Food Allergies
Yesterday was the Bay Area’s FAAN Walk for Food Allergies. The whole family had a great time. Autumn was really proud to have raised money for a great cause and see so many other kids like her. After registering we picked up our T-shirts and strolled through the vendor area collecting a load of allergy friendly cookies, chocolate milk and jelly beans. There were jugglers, bouncy...
Read MoreFood Rewards Follow-up
Back in July I wrote a post titled No More Food Rewards. I wrote this because I was concerned about the candy rewards and junk food parties in Autumn’s school. I sent a copy of the post to the Superintendent, the Assistant Superintendent of our school district and the Principal of our school. I wasn’t sure what I would hear back in return, but I was pleasantly surprised when they...
Read MoreFREE EpiPens for Schools
Mylan Specialty LP, the distributors of the EpiPen have created a new program that will help schools get free EpiPens. Directly from their website: The EpiPen4Schools program was created to allow qualified schools to obtain EpiPen Auto-Injectors at no-cost. This access is important because epinephrine is the only first-line treatment for life-threatening allergic reactions...
Read MoreNo More Food Rewards!
My daughter will be entering second grade at the end of the summer. She is just starting her journey through school. As a child with food allergies, it hasn’t been easy for her so far. During first grade she was excluded from activities several times a week and the constant stress of possible allergen exposure wore us all down. Despite all that, she loves school, she’s made some...
Read MoreFood Revolution Day
Today, May 19th is Food Revolution Day. This day is the dream child of Jamie Oliver, beloved chef, food activist and parent. On this global day of food education there will be dinner parties and events taking place all over the globe to teach, eat, learn, celebrate and share healthy food. Revolution literally means “a turnaround”, a fundamental change. Why do we need this...
Read MoreMorning Announcements
Food Allergy Awareness Week is May 13 – 19. The Food Allergy Education Network posted a list of morning announcements that could be read or included at your child’s elementary or middle school. I loved this idea, so I had to share it. Find this and other great ideas for Food Allergy Awareness Week at http://foodallergyednetwork.org Morning Announcements-Elementary...
Read MoreMore Health Troubles
In case you’ve been wondering where we’ve been… Recently our daughter Autumn had an asthma attack. This took us by surprise as we were not aware she had asthma. And we’re still not sure she does… Here’s the short version of what happened. It was a hot day, out of the ordinary for our beachside town. She rode horses in the morning, followed by a family trip...
Read MoreSaving on Organics
We all know organic fruits and vegetables do a body good. By buying organic you’re making a choice to lessen your exposure to pesticides and genetically modified organisms. Studies have shown that genetically modified foods may even be contributing to the food allergy epidemic we are currently experiencing. There are a multitude of reasons to buy organic, but the extra cost at the grocery...
Read MoreAllergy Friendly Easter Eggs
Easter eggs are a bright, cheerful symbol of spring – new beginnings, rebirth, a fresh start and so fun to decorate, hide and find. Each year we struggle to find a safe way for our egg-allergic child to safely take part in this fun tradition. In the past, we’ve blown out the eggs, cleaned, dyed and decorated them. While they’ve always turned out really great, they are time...
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We are a family of photographers, artists, writers, naturalists, birders, tree huggers, tennis players, gardeners, cooks... one of us has food allergies. This blog is how we aren't letting those allergies get us down. We are living with food allergies. Contact us: autumnslunchbox@gmail.com