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Traveling Gluten Free ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````    When I hear the word vacation, I am just giddy inside… like yes PLEASE… sign me up!  My bags are packed in my head and we are already there… but then…   Then the second, and the third, and the fourth thoughts enter my head… can we really do this… can we go there and be gluten free... safe? How would we be safe? How would we not get glutened and still enjoy our vacation?   Do you find yourself in this rut as well? I am sure I am not alone… but this episode has been so therapeutic for me to brainstorm and draft up… As I reflect on things we have done really well and then things that WOW I wish we would have done… so stay tuned as I share my Top 11 Traveling Gluten Free Nuggets with you…   Intro-   Today we are dissecting traveling-gluten free in great detail to help you not lose your mind and actually enjoy the time away with the people you love most. You guys- I am here to say that IT IS WORTH IT! We have got to get out and LIVE the life we have always dreamed of.  Maybe we can’t just pick up our bags and go wherever the wind blows, like we used to, but guess what? The internet and technology are beautiful things… with some research and some planning, we can go to the most exotic and beautiful places around the world AND have a blast doing it!    Last month our family, all the 6 of us, went to Hawaii!  It was my kids FIRST.TIME.EVER. on a plane…that is what happens when you have 4 kids in 5 years… the only getaway I was taking was to the hospital to give birth… but for reals… anyways, you can only imagine the excitement of my 9, 8, 6 a 4 year old preparing and going on a plane and then having our destination be Hawaii!!!!    Yet I knew I would lose my mind ~ heading to Hawaii with the kids before having the chance to go and scope out how I would do this with the kids.  How would I ensure their gluten free safety?    So unselfishly (and maybe a little selfishly), last year, I went to Hawaii with my husband.  BEST. IDEA. EVER!  We scoped it all out. This way I was familiar - learned the good safe spots. Had an idea of how I can make this as stress-free as possible with kids. Cause lets face... vacationing with kids is stressful in and of itself... then you throw in celiac disease... times 3... oh forget it... haha I know my limits and so I knew I needed to have visuals in my mind before taking the little ones so I can mentally and physically prepare. Seriously... Favorite Idea of the Century!  Of course any excuse to go anywhere alone with my husband is a WIN but then to go in preparation mode was therapeutic for me. I am an organizer and a fixer so yes I want to have things mapped out and in control!     You better believe I am going to keep that tradition alive and have a trip with my husband first as I establish my comfort and safety measures before I take the kids. I highly recommend this to any of you out there!!!    So BEFORE I went to Hawaii, even the first time, I did A LOT of research.  And then this last time I went I did EVEN MORE research prior to going.  I am used to the find me gluten free app which helps me get a good idea of what restaurants and fast food places would be safe for us.  I looked on Pinterest for ideas and blog posts. I messaged Friends that I knew had been to Hawaii who are also gluten-free.  I sent messages to other bloggers that I knew had gone there as well. I packed everything super well. :) Believe it or not, I even packed my seasonings since I didn’t want to buy huge containers of seasonings that would be safe while I was there in Hawaii. Each child had a Gallon Ziploc bag and filled it with snacks and fruit and other food for the plane ride to Hawaii. Once we were there and all checked into our hotel we went to Walmart and Costco.  We loaded up on lots of groceries, snacks and safe foods. I also bought aluminum foil and paper plates. You might be thinking why foil?  Well we use aluminum foil on the bottom of the pans in the hotel so that the food never touches the pan.   Speaking of the hotel and dishes... when I got to the hotel I put all the dishes that I believe we would be using in the dishwasher and wash them in a cycle before we use a thing.  This is truly for peace of mind and a great tip Courtney from getaway Gluten Free shared with me.  It makes so much sense!  Don’t put the silverware back into the drawer because those drawers are the collection of every crumb that ever lived.  So once the utensils are washed, I put them in a cup facing up and that is where we stored everything. The hotel provided us with a new sponge in its package I knew we were safe in that regard. I did my research and decided that there were enough restaurants and we could eat out one meal a day. That would keep my sanity and my stress levels down by just eating one meal a day out.  I then cooked the rest of them in the hotel. I’m so glad We did that!   I want to go out and explore foods from other places as well, but more importantly I want to know they are safe and that no one‘s going to be sick. So mentally I knew I could handle one meal a day there. We would go and talk to the chef.  We are very thorough and we make sure that our food is gluten-free safe for us.   I have to tell you that this plan wasn’t fool proof.  I made an agenda that we used which planned out our itinerary of restaurants.  So the very first restaurant we went to when we got off the plane (which by the way we were hungry, that was a LONG flight) didn't go as planned.  Sadly when we got there we were told that they ran out of the oil that they needed to cook us fresh gluten-free foods in their designated fryer. Bummer! Literally we were all SO EXCITED to go to eat this fried chicken and french fries and literally we couldn’t eat anything there... nothing was safe. I didn’t account for that in my planning and I had no idea where to eat. By this time we were all REALLY HUNGRY. But I decided I wasn’t going to make that a big deal. I’m so glad I didn’t. Because my kids feed off of my body language (and I know that) so I need to be positive myself.  So I told the kids we are going to find something... and something fast. We then called California Pizza Kitchen that was a few miles away and ordered our food to go. I explain the severity of our need for safe gluten-free foods and they assured me that they would be safe and take all precautions for us. What a great back up plan I didn’t have that on our agenda but we were able to adapt. I truly believe that it wasn’t even a big deal because I didn’t allow it to be a big deal in my mind and in my heart and even in my stomach which that’s the hardest part.    Sometimes we have to run with the punches.  Sometimes it’s not exciting news. Sometimes it’s an inconvenience.  Sometimes pain is involved. Sometimes frustrations boil. But WE get to decide how we show up. Remember we didn’t go on vacation for the food. :)  We went on the vacation to make fun memories with my family.  An interesting fact to note: when we went to Hawaii we were able to take fruit on the plane, on the way back we were not. You cannot bring anything agricultural back to the states from Hawaii. I learned that the hard way. So I’m letting you know so you don’t make the same mistake. You’re welcome!    Preparation is key!!! It’s going to take some time… and a lot of planning. But the beauty of it is… there is A TON of gluten free research that has already been done for us. There are sooooo many locations and destinations around the world ~ its insane.    SO I want to give you the step by step guide to planning your dream vacation. And also share my latest trip AND tips with you.   You guys, I am so excited to share with you the tips that will help to ensure your safety which will ease your mind while planning your next family vacation.  Hopefully it will be an exciting process for you!  I’ve narrowed it down to 11 amazing tips to help you have the best vacation (the best gluten-free vacation) your family has ever had.  Here they are:   Pinterest. I search for the place I am dreaming of and add the word gluten free. I know its basic right… but really- don’t skip this step. You will be linked to so many amazing blog posts and resources that will start getting you excited and motivated. DON'T be discouraged though if where you are headed isn’t posted about a ton or even at all… that does not mean that you can not go.  Gluten Free guides. My favorite resources come from a few of my good celiac friends. Do you follow @getawayglutenfree or @forglutensakes on Instagram? They both are incredible and have poured their heart and soul into creating legit guides for us to places literally all around the world. Both are like a gold mine! Once you have found the destination start looking for hotels. Now I love staying at Marriott resorts. And this is not a sponsored shout out for them… (although it should be) I love the fact that they have full kitchens. Now this may seem just like a good perk for the average person… but for us gluten free eaters and especially celiacs this is a gold mine. I mean really… being able to cook your own food to ensure it’s safety is music to my gluten free ears. I will be dissecting how I recently made my trip to Hawaii with my husband and all four kids (3 of us have celiac disease) and it was a serious success staying at a marriott resort in Hawaii. Airbnb is also another good option. Not my first… but it is a good option.  I say it is not my first just because you never truly know the cleanliness/safety of a home until you get there. If you are at a hotel… they can switch you rooms or get a housekeeper to come to your aid.  But I would way rather have a kitchen than not.. so airbnb is still a really good option. Read reviews and ratings! Look for surrounding grocery stores and markets. You want to be sure that safe food is easily accessible and within your budget. I actually find that cooking myself saves us soooo much money. But while traveling it is still fun to explore restaurants as well.  Finding good safe restaurants is everything. Like Christmas morning!!! A lot of times you can find amazing options on blog posts and especially on the guides I was talking about earlier from Courtney @getaway gluten free and Carrie from @forglutensakes but I also love the Findmeglutenfree app. Now you can not take every recommendation for face value. There are all kinds of people rating  these restaurants… there can be reviews from extremely negative people trying to find fault in anyone and everyone(I know we all know someone like that) and then there are also people rating this app that eat gf as a health benefit and not for survival. Now don’t get me wrong, I love anyone trying to make better choices for them and their bodies. But when you are talking about safety precautions for cross contamination they may not be as strict as we have to be… so just remember that. I look for restaurants with multiple reviews like 10+ and that have high ratings. Especially when I am taking my kids with me, I will call ahead to make sure I am feeling confident enough to bring them. If I go to a restaurant with just my husband and I, and I don’t feel safe then I simply won’t eat and I will wait to go somewhere else later, Have a snack from my purse to tide me over and I am good to go. BUt when my kids are present, I don’t expect my 4 year old to understand that she has to wait til everyone else has eaten til we find something safe for her. SO yes, I am more thorough to ensure safety prior to going when my kids are involved. Call ahead, does the person answering the phone seem knowledgable? DO they understand what gluten is? DO they know what celiac disease is? When you mention cross contamination are they giving your the precautions they take to ensure your foods saftey or are they confused and have no idea what you are talking about? If  they just aren’t too educated in gluten free safety precautions ask to speak to a manager and ask the same questions. See if you feel confident. If you don’t- DON’T RISK IT!   Make a tentative schedule with days- activities- and FOOD you will eat. I try to eat out once a day to help my husband feel excited… food is seriously the way to his heart and I totally understand… so finding safe restaurants is a priority. Now if there aren’t many safe options around I send him and my son on a little date together and I make something extra special for dinner to eat with my girls. Its a pretty great set up… we make it work. We have found ways to enjoy the vacation and not let  food restrictions be a problem at all!  But scheduling out the days and the activities helps me to map out what restaurants are near by and safe or what foods we will need to prepare before hand. Transportation: Flight: If you are going on plane, you can call the airline ahead of time to see if they have any safe gluten free options, is there a charge? How do they ensure no cross contamination… if you are suspicious… bring your own food. It is liquids they are worried about… so fill a water bottle up after passing inspections or buy a water in the airport… and your flight attendants should be giving out beverages throughput the flight anyways.  Roadtrip: if your taking a road trip… knowing the amount of time it will take will be key… then road map any safe restaurants and or bring enough food. Pack a cooler full of sandwiches, fruit, trail mix, beef jerky, chips, something sweet. Make it so fun and exciting you don’t get depressed every time you pass a fast food or restaurant. I am really just trying to set you up for success here…  Stay Positive- Be excited - and remember, food is not why you are going on vacation… you are going to make memories, your are going to spend quality time with those you love the most- so as you go throughout your vacation… coach yourself through hunger pains or food frustrations… you will get through it!  Document it. Take pictures, jot down the food places you loved, jot down what worked and what didn’t so that the next time you go there or somewhere else, you remember!  Isn’t crazy how quickly we forget things… do you have this problem too? I tend to forget the hard times and remember the good… which is sooo awesome but then I forget to prevent situations from happening again… that lack of preparation will  Really most important note of all: Be one step ahead…you know yourself- you know your family… think of what sets off each person into negative thinking or having a negative attitude. Such as dad gets angry when he’s hungry… what we call hangry or maybe Johnnie gets sad that they can’t eat at a fast food place… well then create solutions before you go. Bring food that is more exciting than any fast food joint to them… what are Johnnies favorite treats?  And then make sure you have enough protein and filler foods for dad. Do you see how being prepared is everything. I mean really this principle is true for every person in this world not just gluten free eaters… it is just when food is limited because of restrictions… we need to be ultra prepared and sensitive to those we are with… cause lets face it… family vacations are a bit draining and taxing on everyone… so lets help brighten up everyones experience by doing some extra preparations.   So lets recap: Head to Pinterest. Gluten Free guides. Searching for hotel with kitchen. Air BNB. Grocery stores and markets near by hotel. Safe Restaurants. Outline daily schedule. Plan flight or transportation and what foods you will need to prep. Stay positiive. Document it. Be one step ahead of every activity or outing you go on!   You guys, going to Hawaii was one of my very favorite family vacations to date. I have to tell you we been on a few others amazing vacations that have been incredible and safe. I actually have a blog post sharing one of my easiest vacations ever and also one of the cheapest. And if your like me and want easy and cheap go check out my blog post I’m going to link to it in the bottom in the show notes of our RV camping trip. I know that might sound silly but it really was an incredible time. We literally pulled the rv up to our house loaded it with all of our safe pans, utensils and food and we had the best time. I break down all the details, how I prepped food, what we ate,  and costs of it all. SO that is definitely a good read if you are looking for ideas for this summer that won’t break the bank or your sanity!   Happy planning and travels this summer!!! And remember, you don’t have to be a hermit. Get out and live your best life even with celiac disease - especially with celiac disease   Link to RV camping