Beaches Negril Resort Allergy Review

A few weeks ago we embarked on our first international travel since 3 kids and Roo's food allergies joined the family. In case there was any doubt, traveling with food allergies is daunting - nuts nestled  in airplane seat crevices, unfamiliar restaurants, driving 15 miles out of the way in search of a well-stocked grocery store only to discover you made a wrong turn 9 miles back...uh-huh.

Traveling out of the country can feel downright impossible. I'm here to tell you it's not. At least for us, at this point in time, with our current set of allergies (peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, and peaches) we have proved it not only possible, but dare I say...enjoyable.

We selected Beaches Negril Resort and Spa based on several positive reviews we read regarding the handling of food allergies. Beaches touts a no worries to food allergies stance and that's really great except we all know it's a big fat lie. There is always some worry with food allergies. Always. That said, Beaches Resorts have made a commitment to take food allergies seriously and are making a concerted effort to welcome and accommodate guests with special dietary needs. Rock on, Beaches!

We notified the resort several weeks in advance of our visit about Roo's allergies and received an email confirmation that they would be able to accommodate his needs. Upon check-in we reminded the staff of his allergies, which had not been notated anywhere in our reservation but turned out not to be necessary. Within a few minutes, we were meeting with the resort's head chef who gave us a rundown of allergy protocol and assured us that Roo would be able to find safe things to eat throughout the week. Nice, right?

At each resort restaurant we informed our server or a manager that we had food allergies. A few minutes later, a chef would come to our table to discuss safe options. At the buffet style Mill restaurant, a chef was available to walk us through the buffet line pointing out which items were safe and those that weren't. Overall, Roo didn't have problems finding things to eat. Special thanks to Chef Conray who went so far as to prepare delicious egg-free, nut-free, fruit-filled muffins especially for Roo which turned out to be some of the tastiest treats any of us had on the trip. Talk about going the extra mile!

Our beachfront suite was large enough for the five of us and had a mini fridge and microwave. We brought along plenty of safe snacks and microwavable foods just in case but ended up barely using any of it. Best of all, no one ever seemed inconvenienced in the least if we asked to double or triple check to make sure certain items were safe. The kids particularly loved eating at the tappenyaki style Kimono's restaurant one night where our chef was careful to avoid eggs and nuts for us as well as onions, due to another traveler's allergy.

I should point out that while the food is ample and edible, it is not gourmet. I don't know about you but on a trip when I'll be spending 70 percent of the time in my bathing suit, gourmet meals are not a huge priority anyway. 24-hour access to soft-serve ice cream at Sweeties was enough for me, thank you very much. For us, food safety and sustenance were the priorities and Beaches Negril delivered on both accounts.

We tried to be smart at the buffet and avoided areas where there was high potential for cross contamination from peanut-butter, eggs, etc. Roo enjoyed packaged cereal, bacon or sausage, cheese, and fruit for most breakfasts and there were always options available to him at lunch and dinner (pasta, chicken, quesadillas, etc.). 

The Venetian was hands down our best meal of the week though surprisingly it was the least accommodating restaurant we tried in terms of allergies. Our waiter checked with the chef regarding our allergies and we were told he would make spaghetti and meatballs for Roo. Luckily, that's what he wanted anyway but we were not provided any other options. Despite the claims to the contrary, I couldn't get past the notion that there could be egg in the meatballs so Roo skipped the meatballs, ate the pasta, marinara, and extra Parmesan. He was happy and satisfied to the point that the rest of us were able to enjoy dessert - pumpkin doughnuts, chocolate tart, and tiramisu while he sucked on a ring pop I brought along in my purse. 

Looly relaxing at The Venetian

The bottom line is be smart. Be prepared. Be gracious. Notify the resort in advance of your needs. Be specific. Remind, remind, remind - everyone and every time. Bring along several packs of epipens. The resorts are located far from the nearest hospital. Better safe than...well, better safe, okay? Express gratitude and remember names. Don't assume ingredients are the same abroad as they are at home. Bring back-up. We brought an entire suitcase packed with safe foods just in case. We ended up not using most of it, but it was so much more relaxing knowing we had it available if we needed it. 

To be fair, after reading a few complaints from other visitors to Beaches Negril, I concede the following. It's Jamaica. And it's the tropics. There is extreme poverty in many areas. There are bugs. Milk comes in a box and according to Bean tastes different than milk in the US. The driving is chaotic. It's hot and humid. The birds tend to visit the open air restaurants for their breakfast too. All true. But, guys, it's the tropics!

There are enormous sparkly pools, a lazy river and water slides, breathtakingly clear azure seas, the softest coconut white sand that doesn't burn your feet even at high noon, multiple swim-up bars, fruity rum lunch, a warm, gracious, enthusiastic staff to cater to your every whim, palm trees fluttering in the breeze, and smiling, dripping, sun-exhausted kids. Relax and enjoy it.

 

Beyond Comfy Shoes: 10 Things I Learned from BlogHer Food 2013

Last weekend I packed up my blogger business cards, planted kisses on Mufasa and the KC kids and headed to Austin for the 5th annual BlogHer Food Conference. All. By. Myself.

No backpacks full of coloring books or epi-pens stuffed in my purse, just me, my camera (which I barely used by the way, hence the slew of iPhone and Instagram photos in this post) and a single carry-on bag.

On top of leaving behind the troops, I didn't know a single soul who was going to be there, unless of course you count blog stalking as "knowing." I mean, I know Jenny Rosenstrach and Joy the Baker just like I know Barack Obama and Adele. I'm relatively certain none of them are coming to my next birthday party. So liberating, yes. Terrifying? A little.

In the days leading up to the conference I scoured the web looking for reviews from other bloggers who'd attended BlogHer Food in the past and found them for the most part really helpful. And encouraging. So, I thought it only fair that as a first time semi-terrified attendee with one BlogHer Food conference officially under my belt, I should offer my own two cents.

Here's what I learned.

1. Listen more than you talk. This is especially true for newbies and small-time bloggers like me. Presumably you are there to learn. Sure the business card do-si-do is important but keep in mind you are surrounded by tons of enthusiastic, experienced bloggers who are not necessarily your target blog audience and that's totally okay. Welcome their knowledge in all areas, not only blogging. Within one 10 minute span I learned:

• The BEST use for expired epi-pens: Have caregivers, teachers, grandparents, etc. practice injecting the expired pens into an orange to make sure they know how to execute in an emergency - brilliant!
• There's a Food Allergy Bloggers Conference coming up in Las Vegas later this year
• The QuickPix app has a much smaller (and therefore superior) delay compared to the iPhone camera app. I've already made the switch. You should too.
• Simply installing Dropbox on my phone has made it so I can stop constantly emailing photos to myself for use on this blog and elsewhere.

There. My life made better in 10 minutes. Never would have happened if I'd been busy pitching my blog the whole time.

2. It's okay to be alone. Even at a big intimidating conference where everyone greets everyone like a busload of reunited summer campers (with the fortuitous addition of booze) and they're all having the best time ever. Even then.

See, here I am being alone, hiding in a bathroom stall to take a picture of myself to send to the KC kids. It's a glamorous life I lead.

Seriously, think about it. You don't constantly surround yourself with a clown car of friends during every waking moment of a regular day. And if you do they probably won't be friends much longer. Downtime in your room is okay. So is wandering around the hotel, eating a meal, or exploring a new city by yourself. No one is looking at you thinking who is that weirdo and where are all her friends? In fact they're probably not thinking that much about you at all.

3. Ask questions. Don't know what SEO is? Ask someone. That is why you're here.

4. Just because it's right in front of you doesn't mean you have to eat it. Not kidding. Your pants need to fit to get you home.

5. Suck it up and speak. No matter how intimidated you are by the famous beautiful wealthy blogger standing next to you, put on your big girl underpants and say hello. Chances are decent you aren't the biggest fool to ever make an approach. At least that's what I'm telling myself. In any event, ask for the photo. You won't regret it.

6. Make time for the expo. Get to know the sponsors. They're nice and they want to talk to you. Try new products, give compliments, enter the contests. Without them the conference wouldn't exist.

7. Say yes. Yes to samples. Yes to excursions. Yes to exchanging business cards. Yes to invitations for a drink at the bar. Yes to share a taxi. Yes to try a bite of someone's amazing pork belly taco. Yes to party invitations if you're lucky enough to get one. Just yes. You never know where it will take you. In fact, it might just get you eating hot dogs and drinking gluten-free beer with the masterminds behind FrannyCakes.com and Freedible.com at a GlutenIsMyBitch.com book party.

Or it could get you here

Maria's Taco Xpress

Or here...

Whip In, Austin

drinking one of these

So see, you just never know until you go.

8. Sleep well in the days preceding the conference. Sleep on the plane. Sleep afterward. There won't be a whole lot of sleep during the conference.

9. Get dressed like you mean it. Sure there will be bloggers running around in jeans, sneakers, and t-shirts and that's totally fine particularly if your blog is www.icookinjeans.com and you have 3 million twitter followers, four cookbooks, and a television show. Keep in mind, however, there will also be plenty of beautiful, fit, adorable bloggers in tailored dresses, heels, and bright trendy necklaces. Go ahead and give yourself the mental boost of looking your best. It'll help tremendously as you balance your platter of croissants and bacon at the table of bubbly, young, hot, tan healthy living bloggers.

My attempt at fashion

10.Catch the keynotes if you can. It's okay not to get to every single session, chat, and event. But make time for those that catch your attention. One of the most enlightening conversations I had of the entire weekend was with Binghamton, NY city councilwoman and all around extraordinary woman, Lea Webb. She's not a blogger, doesn't have kids, heck, I don't even know if she cooks, but man, was she cool to talk to! We ended up sitting next to each other on a bus and had so much to cover I didn't want the ride to end. On the other hand, it could have been a little awkward had I missed her keynote. Just saying.

There you have it. BlogHer Food 2013 in a nutshell. Well, my nutshell anyway. If you're on the fence or feeling "too small" for a big blogging conference I'm here to tell you, you're not. Yes, Molly Wizenberg was there and Ree Drummond made an appearance at the closing party but I also met several bloggers who were just starting out...or had not even started a blog yet at all. And if you do decide to attend next year and are feeling like no one wants to talk to you...just come find me! I'll be the one hiding in the bathroom with my iPhone.

Timber Ridge Resort Lake Geneva, WI

I've run my mouth a lot in the past about our less than ideal allergy experiences at various restaurants (I'm talking to you, Bahama Breeze!) but after a recent visit to Timber Ridge Lodge and Waterpark in Lake Geneva, WI, it's time for a big shout out. Thanks, Timber Ridge, for taking food allergies seriously and making our celebration of Bean and Roo's 5th birthday so much fun!

I'm 5!

Dealing with food allergies, there's not much worse than being far from home, starving, without an Enjoy Life Chewy Bar in the backpack, faced with the dire prospect of eating at a restaurant where the apathetic staff feigns knowledge and wishes you would just leave. We've been there time and again. Thankfully, Timber Ridge Resort is a different animal.

First and foremost, Timber Ridge Resort rooms have kitchens. Full kitchens!! Note there are no ovens, which could complicate some tasks (like baking a birthday cake for instance) but there is a full size refrigerator, stove top, microwave, coffeemaker, blender, toaster, sink, dishwasher, basic pots, pans, and dishes in each and every room. With Roo's allergies, this is a godsend for us, but having a kitchen at your disposal can only simplify the lives of anyone traveling with kids, allergies or not. 

Despite the kitchen, we ate at Smokey's Bar-B-Que House and the Hungry Moose Food Court at Timber Ridge over the course of our stay and were pleasantly surprised by the staff's accommodation of allergies at both restaurants.

Smokey's offers a binder filled with ingredient lists for every item on their menu. When I asked about food allergies, the hostess was eager to help me find the answers we needed. She didn't pretend to know whether or not there are eggs in the macaroni or if the french fries are fried in peanut oil but she knew exactly how to find out and was happy to do so. Having that peace of mind allowed us to focus on what we were really there for...water park!

Not to be misconstrued, my enthusiasm over the Timber Ridge restaurant scene has far more to do with addressing allergy concerns than gourmet meals. These are not 5-star restaurants by any stretch and that's totally okay with me. If you are in the market for something more refined, however, Timber Ridge sits on the grounds of the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, which has several restaurants of its own. A free shuttle runs every few minutes between the resorts.

We had Sunday brunch at the casual Grand Cafe at the Grand Geneva and found the staff to be just as friendly and accommodating of food allergies as they were at Timber Ridge. Our waiter wasn't troubled in the least by my slew of questions and spoke to the kitchen to find all the answers we needed. Bean and Roo even got coloring books to take home in honor of their birthday.

For special celebrations it appears you can coordinate with the resort to have festive signs, balloons, and probably ponies and princesses set up in your room upon arrival. I am a bad mother and coordinated no such thing. Thankfully the water park and an ice cream breakfast were enough for Bean and Roo, despite the many other birthday kiddos we saw celebrating in full regalia.

Happy birthday, 5-year-old!

The resort is not perfect. The water park is a bit small compared to others we've visited and I fear we're on the verge of outgrowing it but overall, it was a great way to spend a 5th birthday. Everyone we encountered on staff from the water park to the arcade to the trolley driver were pleasant and helpful. The resort is not luxurious but it is well-equipped and very family-friendly. Best of all, Mufasa and I were able to relax and enjoy the trip without having to stress over where Roo's next meal would come from.