Hostess with the Mostest: Guests with Food Allergies

January 1, 2016 Red Rose & Honey2 Comments

As the holiday season comes to a close, I have been thinking more about my experiences as a dinner guest and host. I know that a food allergy or food intolerance can be stressful. It’s normal for me to put extra effort into a dinner reservation. My gluten-free life style has made dinning at restaurants a bit of a hassle. I never eat at a new restaurant spur of the moment (I always call ahead), I review the menu and search for reviews online before arriving for dinner.

On the flip side, when I’m eating at a friend or family member’s house the last thing I want to worry about is if I’m going be be able to eat. I have put this blog together to give you a few easy tips on entertaining guests with gluten-free allergies, so you can make sure all of your guests have a great time.

Think About Your Guest List

If you are hosting get-together at your house, I will venture to guess you know your guests pretty well. Before planning your menu think about your guest’s eating preferences and consider allergies. Peanut, diary, gluten and wheat allergies are very common these days. It is also important to consider vegetarian and vegan guests.

Plan Your Menu

Once you have reviewed your guest list, plan out your meals around food allergies. Try to serve dishes that don’t incorporate any common allergens, such as fruit and veggie platters for an appetizer. When preparing a salad, keep croutons, nuts and cheeses in separate bowls, so guests can choose their own toppings. This will provide your “special guests” with a safe options. At a minimum, you should make sure your all guests can eat something during each of your courses. If you are really unsure of what to make, it’s okay to ask your guests for input or ask them to bring a dish to share (this goes for guests too. If you have a food allergy and you love dessert, offer to bring a dessert).

It’s also important to pay attention to the ingredients of pre-made and packaged food. Review the ingredient labels, so you know ahead of time if something contains a common allergen. For gluten allergies, avoid packaged marinades, sauces, dressings and dips which may contain wheat and gluten. Below are some of my allergy friendly suggestions.

Veggie Platter (GF & V)
Meat & Cheese Platter – (GF – if good quality products are used. Boars Head is GF.)
Smokey Spinach & Artichoke Dip – (GF & V – Serve with Fresh Toasted Corn Tortillas)
Fresh Salsa and Guacamole – (GF & V – Serve with Fresh Toasted Corn Tortillas)
Italian Antipasto
Meat, Chicken & Seafood Main Courses – (GF – Avoid store bought marinades for your main course. Stick to olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs. Nix the bread crumb and flour)
Fruit Platters GF & V)
Homemade Ice Cream (GF & V) – (Talenti Gelato is a great store bought dessert option because this brand only contains a few ingredients)

Hope you picked up some entertaining tips!

xo Miss Alyss

Perfect Manicures: The Essentials

December 31, 2015December 2, 2020 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

I love a good manicure. There is nothing better than a fresh mani in the perfect color (and nothing worse than picking a bad polish). For years I was a huge fan of dark shades in the deep red and plum families. I still love those colors, but I always find dark colors chip faster and the chipping is much more noticeable. Dark colors also take longer to dry because they are more pigmented which leaves you at greater risk of smudging too. For the past 6 months or so I have gravitated towards pretty neutrals. Lighter shades are also easier to apply yourself for the perfect at home manicure. I find Essie polishes to be thinner than OPI polishes which makes for faster dry time. Here are my favorite Essie polishes that I think everyone should have in their collection.

Good to Go

Everyone NEEDS this quick dry polish in their collection. It dries your polish super fast and gives it a great shine. This polish costs $10, but is totally worth the splurge. I bring this with me to my nail salon and ask them to use it as my top coat. Most nail salons will charge extra for a quick dry polish. I usually keep a bottle of this polish at home and in my bag for spur of the moment mani/pedis.

Protein Base Coat

Although I am only in my mid twenties, I have noticed my nail beds becoming dry and slightly ridged. When I do my own nails I use this base coat to strengthen and smooth out my nails. It is a bit opaque which seems to serve as a good base for your polish (kind of like an eye shadow primer).

Favorite Light Shades

Shop Till I Drop – A sheer coral

Spaghetti Strap – A light bubble gum pink

Vanity Fairest – A light pink/white with a touch of shimmer

East Hampton Cottage – A light, shimmery white with a touch of pink

Ballet Slippers – A very pale pink; good for French manicures

Sand Tropez – (Not pictured) A light beige with a hint of lilac and grey

Hubby for Dessert – (Pictured Below) A beautiful sheer lilac

Chiffon My Mind – OPI (Not pictured) A pearly semi-sheer white

DIY Mani/Pedi Tips

I love getting my nails done. Sometimes I don’t have the time to stop at the salon or when I am trying to watch my spending I skip salon manicures. Here are a few tips for a great DIY mani/pedi.

Do not leave your nail polish on for longer than a week.
Regularly moisturize your hands and cuticles. I love using extra virgin organic coconut oil and OPI Avojuice lotion. I keep both on my desk at work.
Do not cut your cuticles regularly. Cutting causes your cuticles to become thick. Instead, keep them moisturized and push them back. I will get my cuticles cut once a month or once every other month.
Use a nail file more than a nail clipper. As my nails have gotten more dry, they have also become a bit weak. I find that nail clippers sometimes put too much pressure on my nail better causing white, horizontal bruising. I try to spend the time filing my nails.
Exfoliate your feet in the shower with a pumice stone, apply heavy moisturizer and socks before bed.
Use one a lighter shade for quick, neat application.
Eat healthy and take your vitamins! I have found that taking biotin and multi vitamins daily have greatly improved my nail health. Also, I noticed a HUGE improvement in my nail health when I stopped taking prescription acid reflux medicine.

What are you favorite polish colors?

xo Miss Alyss

Glowing Skin All Year Long

November 3, 2015December 2, 2020 Red Rose & Honey2 Comments

Who doesn’t love a healthy summer glow? In the summer I like my makeup routine to be a little quicker and lighter. Once the cooler weather rolls in, my entire skincare routine takes a little longer. Achieving the perfect glow requires the the right combination of tanned skin, bronzer and shimmer. I look for light weight products with SPF and a touch of shimmer to give my skin a sun kissed look.

I am a big advocate of skin protection and always try my best to wear SPF. My biggest (and only) regret is having gone tanning for my high school Jr. Prom. I do not know what I was thinking! The following year my mom was diagnosed with basil cell skin cancer. Her diagnosis along with a little more wisdom made me realize that tanning is not safe or beneficial to my life. For the last 8 year or so, I have been much more careful in the sun. I wear SPF, sometimes a hat and try to limit my time sitting in the sun for no reason. My routine is not perfect and sometimes I do get a little sunburn (luckily I didn’t get 1 sunburn this year). Although I am conscience of the sun I do not hide from it. I like to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather while I can. I just think it is important that everyone try their best to protect their skin on a regular basis. I definitely do not tan as well as I use to, but I am okay with that. The thought of developing wrinkles and/or skin cancer because I wanted darker skin for a few months is terrifying! I always say, “a tan will fade, wrinkles and skin cancer won’t!”

There are a lot of great self-tanning products on the market. I use at home sunless tanners and have used Mystic booths (check out my previous post). At home self-tanning definitely requires trial and error and usually a little patience.

I recently found the perfect combination of makeup products for glowing skin. This face routine is quick and leaves me with a pretty sun kissed look. After applying a light weight moisturizer and primer, I apply Clinique’s Moisture Surge CC Cream with my fingers. This product is so light and creamy. I love the way it feels and how it evens out my skin tone. I actually think this is going to be a great fall/winter product when my skin starts to lose moisture. Next, I apply Clinique’s True Bronze Pressed Powder in Sunkissed to my cheek bones, bridge of my nose, forehead and a touch on my jaw line. I have been using this bronzer for months and can’t get enough of it. Last, I apply Clinique’s Cheek Pop in Melon Pop to the apples of my cheeks. I also like this bronzer and blush combo over my BareMinerals Original foundation.

xo Miss Alyss