✨ VEGAS with Food Allergies— Our Allergy-Safe Itinerary with Kids (Ages 1 & 5) ✨

How This All Started: The Prize We Took Two Years to Claim

Back in 2023, Emmalee won the grand prize at the Allergic Emma Event: a 3-day, 2-night Vegas stay at South Point Hotel—complete with a 3-course allergy-safe dinner crafted by a team trained by the legendary Chef Keith Norman.

“Allergic Emma” + Emmalee in 2023 when she won at the Allergy Event

Chef Keith transformed South Point Hotel into one of the safest dining spaces for those with food allergies. Thanks to “Allergic Emma” our family got to enjoy a life-changing experience there.

I was stunned that an experience like this could even exist.

But despite how incredible it sounded...
I hesitated to plan it. For two years.

👩🏽‍💻 From Google EA to Allergy Mom CEO

After a decade at Google, planning global offsites, flights, executive meetings, travel logistics, and more—I never expected those skills to really show their worth in motherhood, especially allergy parenting.

Yet, planning this trip felt daunting.

Flying to a city we didn’t know well, in 115°F desert heat + dry wind, without the comfort of familiar relatives or grocery stores? Just the idea of eating out made my heart skip a beat.

But we did it—with a 1 yr old toddler, a 5 yr old, and food allergies in tow.

And it. Was. Worth. It. 🙌🏽

Here’s how my old role at Google helped us survive
(and thrive):

🔹 Administrative Support:

• Booking travel

• Budget management

• Planning just the right amount of [allergen-free] meals/snacks

• Coordinating with hotel/restaurant staff

🔹 Team Operations:

• Supporting my “team” (husband + kids) so we could all focus on what mattered—enjoying the experience, staying safe, and making core memories.

🔹 Clear Communication:

• Contacting restaurants/hotels in advance

• Using allergy cards consistently

• Managing expectations with both my husband & 5-year-old

🔹 Culture + Morale:

• Prioritizing fun, connection, and core memories—despite the inevitable stress

Behind the Scenes: Our Allergy-Friendly Travel Logistics

Planning Like a Pro Meant:

• Prepping effective, allergen-free sanitation measures for flight

• Knowing the ACAA/ADA laws protecting us so we can confidently ask for accommodations)

• Mapping & studying up every meal/snack

• Scheduling around naps, milk-feeds, and allergy/eczema triggers

• Navigating travel with 2 kids (who cannot walk long distances), a stroller, 2 car seats, personal belongings, and safe-food

• Confirming hotel fridge availability and safe dining options

• Hydrating the family in 110°F dry heat

• Keeping emergency snacks and allergy cards on hand always

🗓️ THE FULL ITINERARY

Friday (Day 1)

3:50PM I pre-board the flight with Emma to wipe down her seat, window, tray table, seat belt, and everything else she will touch.

We use BranchBasics Solution (effective, non-toxic, allergen-free) —
I dampen a rag with the Bathroom spray solution at home & have it stashed in my bag. Works like a charm.

✈️ 4PM Flight to Vegas

Her favorite flight snack — BKN propolis lollipop. I love it for preventing ear popping & supporting her immune system during travel.

Snack eaten at takeoff & landing to prevent ear popping:

• 5 yr old: CHOMPS beef stick, BeeKeepers Naturals lollipop (for immune support)

• 1 yr old: breastmilk + Sweet Potato “fries”

For Adults: Evian spring water + legit, clean hydration

🚌 6:45PM Shuttle to car rental @ Terminal 3
We got our first blast of dry sauna-type heat & wind here - hats helped

🥪 7:15PM Kids snack during car rental line wait
(from our cooler bag):

• Emma: turkey & pickle wraps + olives

• Enzo: avocado, baked sweet potato, olives

🥘 8:30PM Dinner + grocery shopping @ Whole Foods

• Organic rotisserie chicken, OLIPOP, spring water

• See below for full grocery list

9:45PM Check-in @ South Point Resort & Hotel

• Unpack, shower, and lights out.

Saturday (Day 2)

🍽 8AM Breakfast

• Kids @ Coronado Cafe: allergy-safe rice + Bilinski sausage (which we brought from Whole Foods) — other menu items weren’t safe from cross contamination

• My Breakfast @ Tru Bru Café: Protein Bowl*: Organic yogurt, PB, berries & an Iced Americano with a splash of coconut milk

Protein-rich & *tree-nut free = something I always need to confirm as a breastfeeding allergy mum.

A bit of tree nut in my diet means my allergic baby will struggle with eczema for a month.

Thank you @TruBruCafeLV for being patient with all my “is there gluten, almond, cashew— in that?” questions. We appreciate your patience ♡

🦈 10:30AM Shark Reef @ Mandalay Bay

• Tip: Bring stroller, prebook tickets, expect $25 all day parking fee.

The Shark-Reef Aquarium was kid-friendly and engaging. Worth it!

😴 12PM Kids Nap in the car (as we drive to lunch)

🍕 12:30PM Lunch @ St. Honore

The Pickle Pizza by Pizza Anonymous. With a side of Topo Chico.
Got the GF crust topped with ranch, parsley & pickles. It’s a must try.

• Gluten-free pickle pizza (confirmed tree nut-free & delicious)

• Note: GF donut & pizza base = Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 (confirmed)

• Emma’s lunch: True Story turkey, CHOMPS beef stick, banana, tangerine

🛍 2:30PM Chill @ Fashion Show Mall

• Free parking, kids played on indoor swings, and I hunted for legit hydration (& found a very overpriced water at the ABC Store)

🚶🏽‍♀️ 4PM Venetian Resort Walkthrough

• Gondola viewing

• We were really just here on a chocolate-finding mission…

🍫 4:30PM Dandelion Chocolate Tasting

Dandelion Chocolate LV confirmed there were no cross-contamination concerns*— the bars are single origin; made with just two-ingredients

Thanks to the Spokin App, we found Dandelion Chocolate and

• Emma had the chocolate tasting experience of her dreams. Upon tasting all the chocolates, she chose the 85% dark chocolate bar.

• Cocoa fruit juice = my pick - so refreshing!

• Frozen mocha = husband’s fave.

• *Allergy Note: the pastries & drinks are not allergen-free

🥩 6:30PM 3-Course Allergy-Safe Family Dinner @ Silverado Steakhouse (South Point)

We never thought a meal like this could exist for a family like ours…

For Allergic Emmalee

• Appetizer: Burgundy Sautéed Mushrooms (with garlic & EVOO)

• Steak: New York Strip (hand selected, custom cut)

• Dessert: Berries (in a glass goblet. She could have gotten Passion Fruit Sorbet too but this she says is her “favorite” dessert)

  For Adults

• Appetizer: Oysters on the Half Shell w/ Horseradish & Tabasco

• Steak: Filet Mignon & Blackened Rib Eye

• Dessert: Berries (to-go for Emma to enjoy the next day)

• Wine: white, red, and champagne from Italy

10:30PM Back at South Point Resort & Casino

Friendly Reminder: bring your own allergen-free, non-toxic body care
(allergens are sometimes present in the public / hotel products)

Our “whole family” hotel line up (L to R):

- Branch Basics Hand/Body Soap (code MUMWITHABUN)
we use this throughout the trip, and at the end of the trip, I drench a towel with water + leftover solution to wipe our area for the return flight

- Under Luna Shampoo

- Skin Repair Spray for Kids (code JANE15) this is my solution for eczema rashes caused by heat

- Toups & Co tallow balm for moiturizing w/ eczema prone skin in mind

- FYGG toothpaste (for age 0-99) because gut health begins in the mouth & nobody needs fluoride/neurotoxins in the toothpaste, amirite?

• Allergy-safe shower + super late bedtime routine

• I snuck a GF donut from St. Honore when the kids went down.

It was so pretty. The flavor was… just… o.k. though ^^”

Sunday (Day 3)

🥩 8AM Kids Breakfast (in-room)

• Leftover Silverado steak & mushrooms, Bilinski sausage, berries, sparkling water

🥣 9AM Adult breakfast @ Tru Bru (takeout)

• Protein bowl (again, subbed out almond granola for peanut butter) + coconut milk matcha + iced americano (mine) & breakfast burrito + cold brew (his)

🏊🏽 10-11AM Hotel Pool @ South Point

Shaded areas + free life vests = big win

🧳 12PM Checkout (via text message)

• Packed perishables in ice filled cooler bag (got ice from hotel machine at checkout)

• Tipped valet

🍴 1PM Lunch @ CRAFT Kitchen (Takeout we ate in the car)

• Brisket + potatoes (me), chicken egg sandwich (him)

🛒 1:30PM Sprouts Market

• Airplane/travel-safe snacks: true food turkey, EPIC chicharrones

🚗 Return rental car, airport shuttle, board plane

✈️ 4PM Flight Home

• Snacks at takeoff & landing to prevent ear popping:

• 5 yr old: chicharrones, BeeKeepers Naturals lollipop (for immune support)

• 1 yr old: breastmilk + Sweet Potato “fries” + tangerines

🌟 Unexpected Wins in Vegas

✅ Kid-friendly activities:

• Shark Reef scavenger hunt, stingray petting, prizes, face-painting.

• Kid-Friendly pools at South Point Hotel

✅ Surprisingly many allergy-friendly restaurant options
(check out the Spokin App - this is how we found some of our eats!)

✅ Vegas hospitality industry is highly trained in dietary accommodations because of:

• International clientele

• Celebrity chefs

• Competitive standards

🧳 Allergy/Eczema Travel Tips

🔹 Print multiple laminated allergy cards
🔹 Always have safe food staples

• As soon as we landed, we bought the following at Whole Foods:

  • True Food turkey, Blinkski Organic sausage, Organic rotisserie chicken, OLIPOP, EPIC chicharrones, spring water, bananas, and tangerines (easy to peel & eat as we won’t have decent fruit washing options while traveling)

• We brought the following with us on our flight to Vegas & it helped throughout the trip:

  • 3 CHOMPS beef sticks, 3 packs of olives, avocado, sweet potato, Pickle-Turkey wraps (that’s literally what it is: pickle wrapped in true food turkey), BeeKeepers Naturals Propolis Lollipops, water + electrolytes.

🔹 Call ahead to your hotel

• Will they really have a fridge? Or is it only a mini fridge for products they sell?

• Which on-site restaurants open late?

• What groceries are nearby?

• Do pools have life jackets for kids?

🔹 Pack like a pro:
things you might not think to pack, but you should—

• 2 epinephrine injectors always (first one doesn’t always work)

• A temperature regulating, insulated epi case (always protect epinephrine from heat as it can render the medicine ineffective)

• Blanket washed in your own detergent (prevents flare-ups)

• Long PJs (barrier from hotel sheets for eczema/allergy prone skin)

• Refillable water bottles + quality electrolytes (code MUMWITHABUN)

• Your own soap / body care (you never know what allergens are present in the public dispensers / hotel products)

• Skin repair spray (code JANE15) + tallow balm because travel dries out the skin & triggers eczema/rashes)

• Hats & lip balm for protection from desert wind

Your Turn

What are your must-bring allergy-friendly travel essentials?
Drop them below—I’ll keep updating this guide with your recs! ♡