Marci Komssi
Products, Resources
People are often surprised that beauty products may contain allergens. Started by a fellow allergy mom whose child had a reaction to her lipstick, Kiss Freely offers products free of the top eight allergens and more. In our house, we all use and love their lip balm.
Whether you're new to food allergies or an old-timer like me, Food ASC is a great place to go for the latest products and resources. As they say on their website, “If you're looking for a community that embraces the possibility of living a robust lifestyle that includes food allergies and sensitivities, look no further.”
Looking for a summer camp that can handle every food allergy and accepts campers from all over the world? Camps Kenwood and Evergreen, located in the New Hampshire mountains, have as their goal "to create the most welcoming, inclusive overnight camp community possible, and that includes during meals, snacks, or any other time that we eat food together. Our counselors know that inclusion is the key, so that everyone feels safe and valued."
Tasterie is a company that “gets” food allergies and is one step ahead of many grocery stores. Let them know your allergies and they will customize a delicious treat box for you and deliver it monthly. Most products are full size, not tiny little samples. Their OMG Box is created specifically for families new to the world of food allergies.
If you have a young child living with food allergies, I highly recommend picking up a copy of the video Kyle Dine & Friends: Allergy Awareness with Songs, Puppets, and Games, made specifically for children ages 4-11. Your child will love Kyle’s songs that actually make food allergies fun. Pick up a copy for your local library or school too and help spread the word that “Food Allergies Rock!”
Have you run out of ideas for fun safe lunches for your little one? Fortunately, Keeley McGuire has a list of ideas that will last you the school year and beyond. Although Keeley is far more creative (and patient) than I am, her ideas are safe for most, delicious, and let's face it, adorable.
What happens when two food allergy experts, one a former special education teacher and the other an attorney, come together? They write a great book on food allergy management for preschools called Preschool Food Allergy Handbook. This book is not only helpful for schools but for parents sending their food-allergic child to school for the first time. Visit the authors at http://foodallergyconsulting.com.
Dining out with food allergies can be difficult. Thankfully, there's an app for that! Download the AllergyEats app (from iTunes and Google Play), plug in your allergens, and magically you will be provided with a list of restaurants in your area that include reviews from other families with your same allergies! We don’t use it locally often, but when we travel, we use it for almost every meal.
A list of food allergy resources wouldn’t be complete without FARE (Food Allergy Resource and Education, www.foodallergy.org), FAACT (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Connection Team, www.foodallergyawareness.org) and 
AAFA (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America www.aafa.org). These are resources every allergy family relies on at some point in their journey. They are packed with useful information from local support groups and recipes to resources for educators and school nurses.
There you have it! One allergy mom’s top 10 list of products and resources. I also have to give a shout-out to my own company, www.allerware.com. Our goal is to raise awareness while helping to protect your child. Stop by and check out our unique and very handy products and use code Friendship for 20% off your entire order.
10 Food Allergy Friendly Products and Services to Try
I've been a food allergy mom for over thirteen years now, and each day I'm amazed by the increase in resources and products available for food allergy families. Thirteen years ago, nothing was labeled. There were one or two food allergy organizations, and their online resources were limited. Cookbooks were few and far between, and companies offering products to make life a little safer just didn’t exist. Jump ahead to 2017, and there are so many helpful organizations and companies that have our kids' best interest in mind. As an owner of a food allergy awareness business, I have had the opportunity to get to know my fellow “allergy-preneurs,” learn their stories, and try their products or services. There are so many great resources, it's hard to choose just ten!
1. Kiss Freely: Allergy and Gluten-Free Cosmetics
People are often surprised that beauty products may contain allergens. Started by a fellow allergy mom whose child had a reaction to her lipstick, Kiss Freely offers products free of the top eight allergens and more. In our house, we all use and love their lip balm.
2. Free to Enjoy Baseball: Information on Peanut-Free Games
Living with peanut allergies and attending baseball games usually don’t mix (visualize those shells all over the stadium). Thanks to another food allergy mom and FoodAllergyBuzz blogger, you can now go to www.peanutfreebaseball.com to find games that are entirely peanut-free or offer peanut-free seating. You and your family can attend local games or even plan a baseball road trip, minus the peanuts and CrackerJacks.3. Food ASC: Allergy and Sensitivity Circle
Whether you're new to food allergies or an old-timer like me, Food ASC is a great place to go for the latest products and resources. As they say on their website, “If you're looking for a community that embraces the possibility of living a robust lifestyle that includes food allergies and sensitivities, look no further.”
4. Camps Kernwood and Evergreen: Food Allergy Friendly Summer Camp
Looking for a summer camp that can handle every food allergy and accepts campers from all over the world? Camps Kenwood and Evergreen, located in the New Hampshire mountains, have as their goal "to create the most welcoming, inclusive overnight camp community possible, and that includes during meals, snacks, or any other time that we eat food together. Our counselors know that inclusion is the key, so that everyone feels safe and valued."
5. Tasterie: Allergy-Free Subscription Boxes
Tasterie is a company that “gets” food allergies and is one step ahead of many grocery stores. Let them know your allergies and they will customize a delicious treat box for you and deliver it monthly. Most products are full size, not tiny little samples. Their OMG Box is created specifically for families new to the world of food allergies.
6. Kyle Dine: The Food Allergy Rocker
If you have a young child living with food allergies, I highly recommend picking up a copy of the video Kyle Dine & Friends: Allergy Awareness with Songs, Puppets, and Games, made specifically for children ages 4-11. Your child will love Kyle’s songs that actually make food allergies fun. Pick up a copy for your local library or school too and help spread the word that “Food Allergies Rock!”
7. Keeley McGuire: Allergy Friendly Lunch Boxes
Have you run out of ideas for fun safe lunches for your little one? Fortunately, Keeley McGuire has a list of ideas that will last you the school year and beyond. Although Keeley is far more creative (and patient) than I am, her ideas are safe for most, delicious, and let's face it, adorable.
8. Preschool Food Allergy Handbook
What happens when two food allergy experts, one a former special education teacher and the other an attorney, come together? They write a great book on food allergy management for preschools called Preschool Food Allergy Handbook. This book is not only helpful for schools but for parents sending their food-allergic child to school for the first time. Visit the authors at http://foodallergyconsulting.com.
9. AllergyEats App
Dining out with food allergies can be difficult. Thankfully, there's an app for that! Download the AllergyEats app (from iTunes and Google Play), plug in your allergens, and magically you will be provided with a list of restaurants in your area that include reviews from other families with your same allergies! We don’t use it locally often, but when we travel, we use it for almost every meal.
10. Food Allergy Organizations
A list of food allergy resources wouldn’t be complete without FARE (Food Allergy Resource and Education, www.foodallergy.org), FAACT (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Connection Team, www.foodallergyawareness.org) and AAFA (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America www.aafa.org). These are resources every allergy family relies on at some point in their journey. They are packed with useful information from local support groups and recipes to resources for educators and school nurses.
There you have it! One allergy mom’s top 10 list of products and resources. I also have to give a shout-out to my own company, www.allerware.com. Our goal is to raise awareness while helping to protect your child. Stop by and check out our unique and very handy products and use code Friendship for 20% off your entire order. 
