Did she really misspell Fact (as Facet)?

I took quite a long time figuring out what to name this blog.

They say, "Know your why. Find your niche."

And the truth is, sharing my experience has been pulling at my soul for some time.

The hard part in narrowing this down, is how unique my experiences are.

I don't want to box myself in to one particular audience...& my desire, is to help others.

I really feel at our core, we all want the same thing- to have fun, to feel excited, to explore new things.

As someone who started her career in Hospitality, in her hometown of San Diego, America's finest city, I have always had a love for finding unique restaurants, coffee shops, theme parks, & attractions.

Helping share places that are worth your while, is a huge focal point for me, & a motivational driver in my life

Yet....

Life is all about perspective.

Whether it's the Food Allergy life, the Chef Wife life, or the life of a Group Fitness Instructor, I am here to help share my experience on life, through these lenses.

---

Let's start with digging into how all of these topics intertwine.

At the center of all of these topics, is Food.

For Food Allergy families, that means really vetting what you eat.

For Chef Wives, that means your partner is a pro with Food, but it also means them feeding the world, many times takes precedence over your family time, & directs both of your lives.

Us having Mothers day Brunch with Hubby years ago...of course he was working that day! Intercontinental hotel, Century City

As a Group Fitness instructor, it means having the knowledge of which foods fuel you.

Food-it's all connected.

Which places offer the best food & service, is where my Hospitality hat comes in.

In a sense, you can consider me your personal Food & Fun concierge.

---

So why Facet?

Let's get real for a sec.

Sharing our unique Food Allergy experiences.

It's a huge part of why i'm here.

I'm about 10 years on this journey with Food Allergies, and even more than that with other allergies of my own.

And yet-with the amount of Food Allergies growing, with the spread of awareness on social media, with facade of "growing popularity", I found myself empty handed after searching for dining establishments that truly do "get it."

The kicker, was when visiting Oregon for the first time, I tried a few "Food Allergy Finder" websites and apps-one even with fees, that was a complete ripoff.

They simply listed all places to eat in the area, including places that HAD our allergens, & labeled them as safe.

I reached out to the one with fees in particular, & expressed how irresponsible I thought this was.

I got a refund...& the drive to advocate even more, how to explore safely.

Society mocks Allergies in Comedy specials, (which as a fan of comedy, annoys me but doesn't floor me) people with platforms use the word "allergic" to describe things they simply don't like.

Movies encapsulate an anaphylactic reaction in a 30 second scene, when in reality a reaction can include hospitalization, a week of flare ups, coma, or even a loss of life-even after the Epi.

Facet-

By definition a Facet is:

fac·et

/ˈfasət/

noun

1. one side of something many-sided, especially of a cut gem.

Sure, I could have gone with Food Allergy Facts.

But, that would be misleading.

As someone who has grown ever so frustrated, coming across endless sites & blogs that show their Food Allergy knowledge as Facts, but are very lacking of, I want to be clear-

These are the finds, the stories, the laughter, the travels, of OUR life.

The life of Food Allergies, is many sided.

It is not black & white, or one size fits all.

Many people feel if they have a friend with allergies, they know about them,...as if it's the same for everyone.

Although what is fact for us, will not be a fact for everyone, the steps we take to stay safe are not only based on our health history-but on actual facts from sites vetted by Allergists, specialists, & other families who have been through this journey before us.

All that being said, as the wife of an Executive Chef, & as the advocate for someone who's allergy is more severe than most, I can confidently saw I do have valuable and unique insight.

However, these things are true for me-for us, and our family.

If you manage Food Allergies, these tips will help you dine out & travel, confidently & freely.

But, we may not have the same Allergies as you.

Like a diamond, we are all valuable even under pressure.

However, there are SO MANY different FACETS to living a life with Allergies, that many don't understand. This is a big drive to why I started this blog.

My mission here isn't to say what's right, or what's wrong for you-

It's to educate you on what we've learned to save you steps, entertain you with our funny stories,

And hopefully help you relate to your own stories or even help your family get a peek into the unique perspective of Food Allergy life.

The biggest frustration for me, is that there really aren't enough stories out there accurately portraying what living with severe Food Allergies is like.

Many forget, children are at the center of allot of this. They look up to us, as adults. How we speak of them, treat them, & consider them.

We can live a full, happy, life.

Many think we overexaggerate, live in a bubble, or frankly, just want attention.

This is not true. We just want respect, equal access, happiness & peace. The same as anyone.

Nutrition:

It's also a big part of why I'm here.

I even have had my own journey of learning how some of my allergies have evolved over time & how I have had to balance limiting foods, while still getting all the right nutrients.

I know Group Fitness Instructors, may find this especially interesting.

So whether you have allergies yourself, have a new diagnosis for your loved one, want to understand your friend of family member, or want to find fun new places to go, I hope you can tune in, keep an open mind, & peek into the many Facets of life with Food Allergies, being a Chef's wife, & working in Group Fitness.

Welcome. I hope these tips & tales help you feel more confident dinning out, attending social events, & living your life fully and freely, on your terms.