When my son was born, I would not take him out of the house without a sticker on his back explaining his allergies. I used to keep a roll of stickers in the car, I had them with me at all times.

Although I would tell the children’s workers at church and such, I truly believe it was those stickers that kept everyone aware.

Now that he is older, massive stickers on his back aren’t all that fashionable. Enter AllerMates. These super cute bracelets are customizable and noticeable to other parents, teachers or caregivers.

The coolest part is that you can pick them up at CVS, Walgreens, Kmart and even Whole Foods. If you have a child with food allergies, let him/her be a part of the bracelet picking process. I have found that letting my son help me with things like this makes him more willing to wear them!

Wouldn’t you LOVE to have a spa party?!!? YES! Being a working mom, the last thing I have time for these days is pampering. Between a very busy work schedule and the kids, it seems I’m usually the last one to have a night out or some fun with the girls. Thanks to NIVEA though, a few of us moms got together for an AWESOME pampering party!

I picked up a NIVEA twin pack at Sam’s Club and called up one of my good friends who is also a massage therapist. NIVEA lotion + massage =pure happiness. I could not wait to gather some friends, grab some food and have a good time.

 What is so amazing is something as simple as a hand massage can change your entire day. You can go from stressed to relaxed in only a few minutes. With NIVEA, it is so easy so give yourself that relaxing moment at the end of a very stressful day. And of course, chatting with your friends helps out too!

It is that simple. One or two squirts of NIVEA lotion and you’ll be good to go. For us, it was all about good food and less stress. The house was packed full of people munching down on the great food trays from Sam’s Club and all of us enjoying a moment away from life for just a minute. At first, I had planned on making cute, individual snacks but you know what? That led to more stress.

I decided to skip the stress and pick up pre-made food trays of veggies and fruits. For those with food allergies, this was a great option AND it was easy on me!

NIVEA Essentially Enriched lotion  is so smooth, it is not your average lotion. It is perfect for a massage that lasts an hour or just a few minutes. If you’re like me, you probably used whatever lotion you had around your house. After using this product, I won’t go back to the ‘average’ lotion. Now, I can get that spa pampering feeling every single day.

Good food plus, a great time pampering one another at the end of the day. You can’t beat that! The next time you’re in Sam’s Club, be sure to check out NIVEA Essentially Enriched lotion.

If you would like to see more of my girlfriend pampering spa party, check out my Google+ story. You can also ‘like’ NIVEA on Facebook or follow NIVEA on twitter.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Beiersdorf for NIVEA.  #NIVEAmoments #CBias #SocialFabric. All opinions are my own.

The other day, I headed out to find a great tea for our upcoming Thanksgiving meal with the family. Only recently, I found out about Lipton Tea & Honey Pitcher Packets. These are SO easy, everything is measured perfectly to be filled into your pitcher and then set out for your guests. No more messy measuring cups!

I made sure to throw a package in my cart. I could not wait to try it out!

These will be perfect for Thanksgiving. I found this package of Lipton Tea & Honey Pitcher Packets in Peach Apricot at my local Walmart. There were several flavors to choose from but this one in particular sounded like an interesting combination to me.

Personally, I love serving tea at family events. I actually stopped by the pitcher aisle at Walmart to pick up a few pitchers for Thanksgiving as well. The tea will look beautiful in these, Throw in a few berries and you’ll be good to go!

The best part about Lipton Tea & Honey Pitcher Packets (aside from the great taste) is that it is so easy. All you have to do is pour in the packet and add water, that’s it! In less than 2 minutes, you have great tasting pitcher of tea that your family will love.

Hope you have a wonderful & tasty Thanksgiving!

 For those of you who would love to see more of this awesome product, be sure to check out LiptonTea.com and also, check out my Google+ story!  You can also follow Lipton on Twitter using hashtag #FamilyTeaTime & like  Lipton on Facebook.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Lipton #CBias #SocialFabric. However, all opinions are my own.

As a mom, I’m constantly telling my children to ‘brush their teeth.’ It’s not something they’re too thrilled with but I know it is SO important to establish healthy habits like daily brushing and flossing so they continue to do it naturally as adults.

Here’s what I didn’t know, I had no idea people with diabetes are 2x’s more likely to develop gum disease. My sister is pregnant and dealing with diabetes. She takes great care of her teeth but neither one of us had any idea that because of diabetes she could be more susceptible to gum disease which could also lead to gum recession and exposed tooth roots! WOW!

Colgate reduces 90% of plaque germs that cause gingivitis. The next time you’re at Walmart, be sure to keep an eye out for the Colgate diabetes & gingivitis display. You can pick up helpful information and grab a great coupon on the back!

I decided to celebrate the new baby and make a care basket full of Colgate products to encourage good oral care and of course, pass along some gifts for the baby.

After picking up the toothpaste, I also made sure to add in a few toothbrushes as well.

I picked up some products for my sister, but I also made sure to get Colgate toothpaste for kids and a super cute toothbrush for my nephew. Again, it is so important to start healthy habits early!

How cute is this? I dressed up the oral care products by putting them in this pink organizational bag! My sister is having a little girl, so I also added a pair of baby legs and a bib & burp rag. Cute stuff for the baby and much needed products for mom, can’t beat that!

I asked my son to show off his pearly whites and this is the smile he gave me. Nice, eh? There’s not many teeth in that little mouth at the moment but the ones that are there are healthy thanks to Colgate!

Here are some great tips for good oral care from Colgate:

1. Brush at least 2x’s per day with Colgate Total Toothpaste.

2. Floss regularly to remove plaque under the gumline and between teeth.

3. Have a dental checkup at least every six months or as often as indicated by your dental professional.

4. Tell your dentist or hygienist that you have diabetes or any other medical condition.

5. If you experience tooth sensitivity, try Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief toothpaste which is faster to the nerve for lasting relief.

Again, I think it is so important to start kids brushing early. And if you have diabetes, be sure to take good care of your teeth. For more information, visit Colgate.com and be sure to follow Colgate on Twitter (using the hashtag #ColgateTotal4Health) and like Colgate on Facebook.

Click here for specific information on oral care and diabetes. You can also visit my Google+ story for more awesome details!

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Colgate. #CBias #SocialFabric.

Halloween is that time of year that every parent of a child with food allergies gets the shutters. As far as treats go, we always give out Smarties and individual packages of Oreo cookies. Those are our safe snacks and who doesn’t love Oreos?

Once we finally figured out what we could hand out, we then had to figure out how to survive. My son actually has two treat bags. He goes door to door collecting candy like everyone else then we pull the switcheroo when he gets home and hand him his ‘safe’ bag full of candy he can actually eat…plus a few little toys too.

This method has always worked out well for us, especially me, since I get to eat all the goodies from the unsafe bag.

What are your tricks for surviving Halloween and making it fun with out the fear of allergic reactions?

It’s almost time for Halloween which is enough to make those of us with food allergy kids cringe. At first, Halloween was a holiday I dreaded but, thanks to allergy friendly candy like Smarties, Halloween has become a family favorite. Every single year we pass out ‘safe candy’ which always includes Smarties. Our school also has parties for our kiddos which means I usually bring an allergy friendly treat to hand out too.

I thought I would get creative this year and incorporate Smarties into our Halloween party treats. Recently, I found Birthday Cake Popcorn and I fell in love. The problem? It’s not necessarily allergy friendly. I decided I would take that oh-so-amazing recipe and make it work for my kiddos and I went a step further and added Smarties.

The result? Pure amazingness drizzled over popcorn…seriously, you can’t beat it.

{Ingredients}

1 Bag of “safe” Popcorn

Dairy Free Magic Shell (1 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips & 1 1/2 TBS Coconut Oil, simply melt & stir.)

Halloween Sprinkles

Cake Mix (I used a box allergy-friendly mix)

1 Cup of Smarties

Directions: Pop the popcorn and spread it evenly on a cookie sheet to remove any less than perfect pieces or kernels.

Add 4 teaspoons of cake mix and mix together in a bowl. Then, pour the homemade Magic Shell over the popcorn and add sprinkles and Smarties.

Place the popcorn mix into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The Magic Shell will harden, you can then break it apart in pieces and place it into cupcake holders for extra bits of cuteness. Perfect for a class party!

Congrats! You’ve just made an amazing allergy friendly snack and the cupcake holders are the perfect portion size for kiddos.  I love the look of the chocolate especially for Halloween. Next time, I’m going to add even more chocolate…because you can never have enough!

See that happy face? Yep, I would say this Halloween treat is a HIT! You can pick up some Smarties for your Halloween too simply check them out at the Smarties Store. Also, be sure to register for a Smarties Prize Pack. You could win:

1 Theater Box Smarties

1 bag Smarties in a Pouch

1 bag Smarties Candy Money

1 bag Smarties Pops

Simply enter by filling out the form below. I’ll draw a winner on Friday and ship your prize pack so you’re ready to go for Halloween.

Be sure to show Smarties some love by ‘liking’ Smarties on Facebook, following Smarties on Twitter using hashtag #IAmASmartie and checking them out on Pinterest.

Thank you, Smarties for making Halloween fun for kids with food allergies.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Smarties. #CBias #SocialFabric However, all opinions are my own.

What?!!? Did this just happen? My son has longed for Goldfish crackers since he was a toddler. In fact, he saw my other son eating them one day and he burst into tears. I can’t tell you how excited I was to stumble upon this Vegan Goldfish Crackers recipe!

I can’t wait to try it! Plus, you can easily substitute the flour for gluten-free flour too. Enjoy!

Oh, wow. I’ve been looking for a good cinnamon bun recipe for YEARS and it looks like this one is it. Check out Perfect Cinnamon Buns on VeganYumYum.com. These look amazing and actually easy to make. I have tried multiple times to make these for our family but they came out with a ‘half done’ feel. From what I can see, this one looks GREAT. Give it a try and let us know what you think!

This Labor Day, our family had a blast with Tyson Chicken Nuggets, Heinz Ketchup, Ore-Ida Fries & some great Hasbro games. Just because my son has food allergies doesn’t mean he has to skip out on fun activities, it only means those activities have to be carefully thought out and made special just for him.

I planned out our Labor Day of fun to include dairy & nut free Tyson Chicken Nuggets, Ore-Idea Crinkle Fries & Heinz ketchup. All of these are safe for my son (of course, everyone has different food allergies so be sure to read the labels).

No family game night is complete without the games, right? I made a quick dash to the game aisle and found a few games that were perfect for both of my boys.

When you purchase eligible products like Tyson Chicken Nuggets, Heinz Ketchup or Ore-Ida fries, you can visit DipDipHooray.com, type in the UPCs and unlock online games! You can also enter to win a $1,000 Hasbro Game Night package!

Our family game night included my boys, grandma and a cousin. It was a blast! Of course, each one of the boys had their own set of rules which gave us some real excitement!

My youngest was not too thrilled with his cousin. He wasn’t about to let that little guy win! Let the games begin!

After Memory, we also played Battleship. My oldest and I battled it out, I won, of course. Thanks to Dip Dip Hooray, we had a great family Labor Day with safe foods & awesome games. Can’t beat that!

The best part about DipDipHooray.com are the online games and like I mentioned before, you simply enter your UPCs and start playing! Be sure to visit back each day to enter the sweepstakes, I would just LOVE to find out one of our readers won the contest!

To see more of my shopping experience, be sure to visit the Food Allergy Eats Google+ story.  Do you want to rock a family game night? Then, be sure to follow Tyson on Twitter & Heinz on Twitter as well. You can also ‘like’ Tyson on Facebook, Heinz and Ore-Ida.

Have fun and be sure to register for DipDipHooray.com!

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ Tyson and Heinz #CBias #SocialFabric However, all opinions are my own.

School is back in session and earning money for our schools it top priority. Most parents are familiar with Box Tops 4 Education but did you know there is an app that will help you not only earn Box Tops but cash as well? Before you hit the store, download Jingit and start earning!

Signing up for Jingit is easy, you can log in with your Facebook account and simply select your school.  It’s that easy. Once you are logged in, you will be able to check-in with your favorite products.

When you arrive at the store, simply check-in and your earning options will be automatically loaded. You can find your favorite eligible items throughout the store, check-in and earn cash plus bonus Box Tops.

Jingit makes earning Box Tops easy especially for those of us who use our phones to keep track of grocery lists, coupons, etc. If you’re like me, I shop with my phone right by my side so I can just pick up my products, scan and I’m on my way!

I found “safe snacks” for my son which were included in the Box Tops 4 Education program and Jingit. I earned bonus Box Tops plus .50 in cash just for scanning the bar code. Plus, I had two very happy kiddos.

My youngest son does not have food allergies, so I picked up a few Lunchables and GoGurt for him while my oldest was thrilled to get the Scooby Doo snacks. And, because of Box Tops 4 Education and Jingit, our school will benefit from my purchases!

It was so easy to find participating products and thanks to the app, I simply scan the bar code and I’m good to go. My children attend private school which means we depend on donations and programs such as Box Tops 4 Education in order to purchase much needed supplies and equipment.

I’m excited to spread the word about Jingit, now there is no excuse to not earn those Box Tops! Jingit makes it SO easy plus, you earn cash too for the products you scan and by watching ads. It’s a win-win!

Be sure to check out the rest of the pics of my shopping experience in the Food Allergy Eats Google+ Album. It’s time to start earning. Sign up for Jingit today, download the Jingit app and start earning those Box Tops for your school! Also, you can follow Jingit on Twitter and ‘like’ Jingit on Facebook.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Jingit #CBias #SocialFabric however, all opinions are my own.