Ep.9 – Birthday Celebrations
Main Topic(s) Birthdays with food allergies Shaun's 1st Birthday UNO Party! 12 Food Allergies at the time So many foods that we had not tried yet (barely on solid food) Shaun's first cake was actually a waffle 🙂 Creative improvisation is key! Shaun's 2nd Birthday...
Ep.8 – All About Eczema
Welcome to Episode 8! This week it's all about eczema. We dive into our journey through it, what forms it can take, and some of our tips and tactics for dealing with it. As always, we're not doctors or trained medical professionals. All of the tools and things...
Ep.7 – Allergy Q.O.L & Relationship Impact
For episode 7, we're going to be diving a bit deeper into some quality of life impacts that come from an allergy diagnosis. Specifically, we go into how it can affect your relationship with your partner/spouse. **Disclaimer** - We understand that there...
Ep.6 – Halloween & Teal Pumpkins!
Welcome to episode 6! This one is going to be about Halloween and the Teal Pumpkin Project! We know it's a bit early, but we wanted to talk about it early enough that anyone who wanted to participate this year with the Teal Pumpkin Project would have the time...
Ep.5 – Reading Labels (Pt.2)
Here is part two of our Label Reading episodes! This second part focuses on non-top-8 food allergens. Main Topic(s) What are the Top 8 (quick recap) All of these are required by law to be identified on food labels Non-top-8 Allergens are not required to...
A Love Letter From a Food Allergy Mom
Dearest friend, I write to you today because I love you! I feel hopeful that we can deepen our bond as I share with you a huge part of my life. At this point in our relationship, I believe that you have the capacity to be kind, understanding and...
Ep.4 – Label Reading (Pt.1)
Welcome back to episode 4! This is going to be part one of a two-part segment about reading labels. We're starting off here focusing primarily on the Top-8 food allergens recognized by the FDA. In part two we will go more in-depth with foods that are outside...
Ep.3 Initial Diagnosis (and Life After It)
Welcome to our 3rd Episode! This one is all about receiving an initial allergy diagnosis, and some of the emotions involved, as well as coping with new life changes and routines. Two Key Take-Aways: You're not alone! Ideas about where to start Finally...
Ep.2 Back to School!
Welcome back to episode 2! We'll be talking about some of our back to school prep, and hear some of Shaun's perspective as well. Intro Main Topic: Back to School! Our second year Our school choice (why Montessori) Pros/Cons Child-lead learning Food in the...
Allergy Friendly Back to School Snack: WowButter Oat Bars
It has been a busy week here in our little blue house on the hill! Shaun and I have spent the week savoring … Savoring our slow, playful days together before he heads to kindergarten on Wednesday. And savoring little bites of all the food we...
Meet the Art of Allergies Family: Podcast Style
Welcome to our very first episode of The Art of Allergies Podcast! Thank you all for coming on this journey with us so far, and we hope to continue putting out valuable content now in Podcast form as well 🙂 This is mine and Linda's first foray into the...
Learning to Live With No Answers
Is that a hive? Eczema? Other unspecified rash? All of the above? Having food allergies involves numerous changes to your lifestyle and approach to everything. Especially if multiple food allergies are involved. After the months it took to get...
A Skin Test Follow-Up
A little over a week ago Shaun had his summer visit to his allergist. At this point, we typically check-in 4 times a year (not including food challenges or sick visits) with the intention of looking at his allergies, asthma and eczema condition. This allows us...
How to Meal Plan and Why It Matters!
It’s 4:30 in the afternoon on my way home from work. I slow down for a red light and Shaun pipes up from the back, “mom what’s for dinner tonight?” Nothing is defrosted. I haven’t been shopping in at least a week and a half. And we are out of...
When Planning Your Beach Trip Still Falls Short
What’s that saying about “the best-laid plans”...? As an allergy momma, I understand this sentiment intimately. Vigilance and planning make it so Shaun can have happy, healthy experiences out in the world. But you see sometimes even our best-laid plans...
How to Enjoy a Beach Day with Food Allergies
With the summer here in full swing, many people find themselves at, or wanting to go to, a beach! Hot temperatures and refreshing ocean are a perfect combination, but this becomes a little less carefree when you have allergies. So here’s how to enjoy a beach day with...
How to Get the Most Out of Your Doctors Appointments
Until I had an allergy child, I didn't realize the skill and planning required to have a successful and worthwhile visit to the doctor's office. It takes time to learn the skills and understand what you need to plan before each appointment! I know, it...
Food Challenges and What to Expect
Food challenges are part of allergy living, and like most things in allergy life, it is stressful, nuanced, and rewarding all at the same time! A food challenge is considered “the gold standard” test to determine if a person is allergic or not to a specific...
A Letter to My Food Allergy Child’s First School Teacher
Ms. Jackson, A year ago today Shaun’s name was 5th on the waiting list to get into your school, CREC Montessori Magnet. He was 3.5 years old and had a list of 8 food allergies. Unlike other parents, I did not obsessively check the progress on the...
Epinephrine Shortages and What You Can Do
As of at least August 2018 (though some sources mention it as early as May of last year), there has been a shortage of available epinephrine for consumers. This is a scary situation, as epinephrine is the single most crucial remedy for an...
How to Plan a Trip to the Ballpark
“ Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the crowd, I'm allergic to peanuts and cracker jacks … “ Ahhhhh baseball, the great American pastime!! I never dreamed I would be afraid to take my child to a ballpark. But then again, I never...
BBQ & Picnics: How to Embrace Summertime Fun with Food Allergies
For anyone living with food allergies, summertime gatherings bring many stressful complications. Although BBQs and picnics are about sharing time with friends and family, they are also about good food! Here are some ideas to help you prepare and navigate...
A Story of Food Allergy Ignorance
The Story In January of 2017, Shaun accompanied me on our weekly trip to the grocery store. As we made our way through the produce section, we began our usual conversation about what foods are Shaun Safe and what foods are not. (Although Shaun was only two...
Getting Involved in Food Allergy Awareness Week!
Raising awareness about allergies doesn’t have to be hard. Here are a few simple ways that you can get involved. Wear Teal Teal is the official color for food allergy awareness! Whether you grab a teal tee shirt or go all out with an...
Food Allergies: Learn the Basics
There is a shocking level of misinformation or lack of information where food allergies are concerned. And with it being Food Allergy Awareness week it seems like a great time to start at the beginning. Today we will explore the basics of food allergies by...
How I Became an ‘Allergy Dad’ (and You Can Too!)
The short answer is, my wife had a baby (duh). But being an ‘Allergy Dad’ is not something most of us would pick. It is generally thrust upon us regardless of any other plans we’ve been making for our lives. It is scary, challenging, and frustrating among many...
Meet Shaun!!
Meet Shaun!! Our book reading, dinosaur loving, order seeking, joke telling, karate kicking, joy spreading four-year-old. Looking at him today it's hard to believe how far we have come! For some, the food allergy journey begins with eczema....
4 Ways to Love Someone with Food Allergies
My niece/nephew/cousin/friend etc. now has food allergies, and I have no experience with them. How do I help? I’m so glad you asked. A lot of people (not all, but some) will take the stance of “well it doesn’t directly affect me, so it’s not my problem” mentality....
Why “The Art of Allergies?”
John & Linda Corning here! Husband & wife, teaming up to write openly about our life with a food allergy kid! We are excited to have you join us as we share our family’s experiences. Over the past four years, we have spent countless hours learning how to...
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