Today I'd like to share with you my favorite skincare line - Lemongrass Spa. I interviewed Karen Smith, a skin consultant for the line on episode 55, I’d highly recommend you listen to that episode if you haven’t yet. 

I met Karen at the Nourished Festival in Denver last year and tried Healing Elements at her suggestions. She said this was the best cosmetic lotion for dry skin. I have really dry skin and have yet to find a skin cream which keeps me moisturized for 24 hours. To my surprise, Healing Elements did the trick! Additionally, I found out that not only are all their products natural and free from over 100 chemicals, the business is female-owned and all (but one) of their products are 100% gluten-free!

Traveling to London? You’re in luck! Episode 77 is targeted toward gluten-free food in London! Listen in because if you’re interested in fun, gluten-free food, London, England is the place you want to visit! You’re bound to find gluten-free in many food ethnicities when perusing London restaurants. Like fried food? No worries! London is teeming with food establishments that have dedicated fryers. I’ve eaten more than my fair share of fried food while in London, and I believe you will too!
Want to eat a delicious gluten-free dessert from a dedicated gluten-free bakery? You’ll find many dedicated bakeries, so eat pastries, doughnuts, and croissants to your heart’s content - and remember to leave space in your luggage to bring home goodies you’ve acquired from London!

Look to the CDC website for proper precautions to take to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and Coronavirus common questions and answers. Three common precautions we hear about regularly are:

• Wash your hands for 20 seconds
• ​Social distancing at least six feet apart
• Use hand sanitizer with a minimum of 60% alcohol
• 
  

You can find more precautions at the CDC website here and also learn what myths and false facts are being spread along with the disease on this page of the CDC site.

Learn about travel advice for those who must travel and the latest worldwide travel updates from the World Health Organization here on their website.

Never had the inkling to ski? Would you rather have the flu in the middle of summer than hit a snowy slope in the middle of January? Going to Salt Lake City doesn’t have to be all skiing, wiping the possibility of cultural activities off your to-do list. There aremany fun cultural and science activities to do here in Salt Lake City, especially if you love museums. From art and science to laughs and escape rooms, you’ll find something for everyone in Salt Lake City.

Art Museums
There are multiple art museums you can check out while you’re in Salt Lake City. Make sure to check hours for each art museum on their websites listed here. The Utah Museum of Fine Art is all about the history of art across the world. There are two museums that host modern art and are free and open to the public: Urban Arts Gallery and the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art.

Science and Nature Museums
From pre-historic dinosaurs to science, STEM and gardens, Salt Lake has a myriad of science and nature museums to see. See exhibits, movies, planetarium shows and IMAX shows exploring space and technology at Clarke Planetarium. Find dinosaurs lurking about, Native American cultural artifacts and learn about genetics the Natural History Museum of Utah. When you visit The Museum of Natural Curiosity you’ll get to explore over 400 different interactive exhibits — no two visits will ever be the same. For an eclectic mix of art and science, check out The Leonardo. Visit the Hogle Zoo to walk through a safari of wild animals from all over the world.

Enjoy a Great Craft Brew?
Like a refreshing pint now and then? You’ll love the 

Create a safer and more enjoyable travel experience when you are gluten-free. To find out more tips, download my free e-book on my website at Travel Gluten Free Podcast!

Tip #1
Use Apps to find GF Restaurants
There are now two apps available for finding gluten-free and celiac-friendly restaurants. One is the Find Me Gluten Free App, which gives a list of restaurants in the area which serve gluten-free options. Another app to use to find great dedicated gluten-free restaurants is 100% Gluten Free from For Gluten Sake! This app features ONLY dedicated gluten-free restaurants that do not have any gluten on their premises. This is the safest restaurant to eat at if you have an allergy to wheat, an allergy to gluten, or have celiacs disease. If you’re traveling to Philadelphia, Gluten-Free Philly now has an app that lists restaurants in Philadelphia and the surrounding area.

Tip #2
Ask for a Gluten Free Menu
Many places now have a menu in which their food is either labeled showing their GF options or they have a separate menu, which lists all their gluten-free offerings so you can easily see what options you have to eat.

Tip #3
Tell your server gluten makes you sick.
More and more people are trying a gluten-free diet, and they may not get sick when eating gluten. I explain to my server every time that I get very ill from eating gluten, and that eating gluten is not a choice for me. If I think they don’t understand, I tell them I have a gluten allergy.

Tip #4
Find out from your server which dishes can be made gluten-free
If your server can quickly name gluten-free recipes, then they were most likely very well trained and informed. This is a considerable safety measure for a restaurant. When your server hesitates or says, “I’m pretty sure that is gluten-free,” ask them to check with the chef and restate the importance of your sickness (see #3 above).

Tip #5
BYOS: Bring Your Own Snacks
When I’m not sure if the place or city I’m going is gluten-free friendly or I’ve heard it’s not GF friendly, I’ll pack food in my backpack to eat at the restaurant or while I’m out and about enjoying a park or other quiet spot.

Tip #6
Find a Place to Stay with a Kitchen and Shop at Supermarkets
If you’re going to stay at a hotel, Air b’n’b or motel, stop at a supermarket and get gluten-free food. Research ahead of time to find out what types of supermarkets are in the area to get a feel for the variety of food you can eat.

Tip #7
Find a Produce Stand
Produce stands are always an excellent option to grab a natural and healthy gluten-free snack if you’re out and hungry. You’ll also most likely support a local family, so it’s a double win!

Are We There Yet?

The ad nauseum phrase heard more times than you've changed your baby's diaper in a week when you have a group of kiddies along for the ride. My kids are all grown up (20 and 24), so I have the option of bringing them together or going the road trip on my own. When you have small kids, you may want to 1. Only bring them if they are a minimum of seven years of age 2. make your trip kid-friendly to avoid having the boredom of children chip away at the fun of your journey and the fulfillment of your trip. Whether or not you have children with you on your tour may change the location and timing of your journey. "Kid factors" will ultimately affect the "WHERE" of your trip.

Kids and Car Trips

If you have kiddos on your trip, you will need to pick a location in which you will have more "kid friendly" stops along the way. Kid-friendly stops can be their favorite chain restaurant, a highway rest stop with facilities and picnic tables, a local, county, or state park. If possible, plan to be on the road driving while your child is napping. This will reduce the amount of stress for adults and other children in the car. I suggest wearing your kids out with a fun game of frisbee, tag, or other activity at one of your stops, such as a park or a rest stop. When kids are tired, get back into the car for them to snooze away driving time.

Select your road trip destination a bit closer to your home base to avoid burning out your children. Choose a location within 8 hours of your home if you are planning an overnight to get to your location, or 5 hours or less, if you are planning on getting your road trip completed in one day. Five hours doesn't sound like a significant amount of time until you're in a car on the road in a small space for prolonged periods.

Add Drive Time When Traveling with Kids

Add 20% to 30% to your planned driving time to get to your destination. With extra bathroom stops, an unexpected illness, and stopping to reserve adult sanity, adding this spare time to your planning will significantly reduce stress and give your family a more realistic time frame to get to your destination.

For example, say you're planning a road trip which your map app says is 4.5 hours away from your home. Adding 20% of the time, you will take 5.4 hours of actual time to get to your location when you use a 30% time factor, your total actual time 5.85 hours of transit. Adding this time gives you a buffer for the unexpected, which we all know happens with children daily, especially when you least expect it!

Make Sure to Bring Kid-Friendly Snacks

Don't rely on a gas station for snacks on the road, especially if you're gluten-free. If you've run out of food, stop at a local produce stand, or, better yet, stop at a local supermarket. Not does this give you more variety, you'll save money on buying locally at a supermarket or produce stand. Another great choice is to stop at a local health food store. Health food stores and markets will have a greater variety of gluten-free and allergy-free snacks for your road trip.

Have Car Games Exclusively for Your Car

When my kids were little, we had a foldable cube in our car, which had games. These games were reserved only for car trips - they were not allowed to bring them into the house. This may sound extreme; however, if you have "special" toys for the car, children are more likely to stay engaged for a more extended period of time.