If you heard a fellow parent say they couldn’t wait to bust open a bottle of wine later that evening, you probably wouldn’t think twice.

Wine is not just socially acceptable in white Western culture – it’s encouraged. Wine and other alcoholic beverages are practically pushed on those of us who prefer to abstain.

But tell a group of PTO moms you’re excited to head home and light up a joint or take some delta-8 THC or CBD oil for some self-care, and you might get some serious stink-eye. Even though cannabis is now legal or at least decriminalized in many states, and is proven safer than alcohol, it’s still not as socially accepted.

So why is it that alcohol is so acceptable in polite company, yet cannabis and its derivatives are so scorned? It can be easily summed up in one word: racism.

Feel free to do your own research and don’t just take my word for it. There’s no way cannabis would be illegal if it weren’t for racist, white supremacist leaders and lawmakers associating the herb with immigrants and people of color.

The facts are clear: alcohol causes about 88,000 deaths per year, while cannabis causes none . That doesn’t mean young people should smoke pot – on the contrary, before age 25, cannabis should be avoided entirely, just like tobacco (and, of course, alcohol).

But here’s my hot take: adults over 25 with fully developed brains should be free to smoke pot, take edibles or enjoy delta-8 THC in the privacy of their homes if they wish.

If you haven’t heard of it yet, delta-8 THC is a derivative of hemp or cannabis and is legal in many states. In my opinion, it should be legal in all states as it has many benefits and few drawbacks.

Does delta-8 THC get you high? Yes – but it’s a milder, smoother high than cannabis or delta-9 THC. And it certainly is not as damaging or destructive as alcohol.

I don’t know whether I feel more strongly about being pro-cannabis or anti-alcohol, but I realize both biases are coming through loud and clear in this post. And I’m okay with that!

It just seems crazy to me that one substance is praised and welcomed in our society, while the other is still somewhat ostracized despite a clear shift in public opinion in recent years.

So, dear reader, where do you land in the weed vs. alcohol debate? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or over on Instagram or Facebook.

The post Why is getting drunk okay for adults but getting high is still taboo? appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

This post is for my fellow lovers of Indian cuisine.

I enjoy all kinds of food from diverse cultures, but Indian food will always be one of my favorites. The flavors are incredible and unique, ranging from mild to very spicy depending upon your preference. There’s an abundance of vegetarian options for those who prefer meatless dining. And, Indian food is sure to warm you up even on Ohio’s coldest days.

My one complaint about Indian food in our area of northern Columbus is that the best Indian restaurants tend to be clustered up in Dublin (I’m looking at you, Bikanervala and Neehee’s). While that’s only 20 minutes away on a good day, rush hour traffic can make the drive feel intolerable for a hungry girl.

That’s why I’m so delighted we finally have not one but three truly amazing Indian food options right here in Lewis Center!

1. I’ve been a huge fan of Moon Pizza since the day it opened in the LC; in fact, I was their very first customer. I used to drive all the way down to Hilliard to their original location before they opened here. This food truck parked off Orange Rd. serves up the best Indian pizzas around, and their flavorful dipping sauces are to die for, as are their perfect fries and tasty appetizers. I’ve blogged before about how much I love Indian pizza – if you haven’t tried it, you definitely need to check out Moon Pizza (and there’s a second Indian place on Polaris called Pizzawala!)

2. I can’t believe I’ve never mentioned Rollz Rice Indian Kitchen here before, because I’ve been eating there since they opened. A small cafe on Polaris Parkway serving excellent Indian cuisine for both lunch and dinner, Rollz Rice is big on flavor and freshness. It’s Chipotle-style in that you go up to the counter and order a bowl or wrap customized with all the fixings and sauces you want. My favorite dish here is the naan taco – it can be messy to eat, but it’s the perfect size for lunch and just so tasty! Rollz Rice masala fries are also incredible.

3. This one is new to me, and the inspiration for this blog post. My bestie and I discovered a new Indian food truck off Route 23 serving up the most amazing, authentic South Indian cuisine. Sandy’s Food Mania is tucked back behind other restaurants and stores in a big empty parking lot. They have a small outdoor dining area with colorful chairs, tables and lights strung up to make it look festive. The food is out of this world! It is definitely authentic so on the spicier side, as well as very fresh and delicious. Their dosas – fried Indian crepes served plain or with various fillings tucked inside – are bigger than your head and utterly amazing.

Are you surprised that two of the restaurants recommended here are food trucks? Don’t be – Indian food trucks, or dhabas, often serve up some of the tastiest cuisine ever! I’m absolutely thrilled to have two of them parked so close to home.

If you know of other Indian favorites here in Lewis Center, or other types of restaurants we should try, drop me a note in the comments below or over on Instagram or Facebook. A girl’s got to eat – and this one’s also got to blog about it.

The post We found the best Indian food in Lewis Center appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

I love it when people are naturally creative gift-givers. I’ve always aspired to be one myself.

This month, I learned that my boyfriend definitely falls into that category because he got me the COOLEST experience gift for my birthday: a Turkish mosaic art workshop where we could create a gorgeous mosaic lamp together.

We had such a great time at the workshop, and the lamp we designed and decorated together will be a treasure forever.

I first fell in love with these colorful mosaic lamps at a Turkish shop in the Short North – and I also really enjoyed seeing them at a Turkish shop in Monterey, CA during our vacation a few years ago.

Another cool thing to know is that I actually saw this mosaic lamp workshop advertised on social media many months ago – long before I met Andrew. I thought it looked super cool and asked both my bestie and daughter if they’d want to do it with me, but they both declined so I put it out of my mind. I wanted to do it, but not enough to go alone.

And ultimately, thanks to my sweetheart, I didn’t have to!

The pop-up mosaic lamp workshop took place at a hotel in Dublin. We enjoyed tea and Turkish delight as we sat at tables laid out with trays of supplies for each person, design templates to use as reference, and dozens of colors of glass pieces and beads for use in the mosaics. At the front of the room, there were also several completed mosaic lamps we could look at for inspiration. Each lamp was unique and they were so beautiful!

The instructors showed us where to find printed directions in our supplies, and they also walked around and gave us tips as needed. First, we laid out colorful glass pieces into the design templates on the tray in front of us. We could use about 3 bigger designs, or more if we went with smaller designs. We were able to use color combinations they had as examples, or we could build a totally custom color scheme for our lantern.

I had so much fun building the designs in the templates they gave us and choosing colors that would work best in my home. Then, when it was time to put the glue on the lamp and re-build the designs on the glass, my sweetheart took a turn. He did a good job with all the messy parts of the project! While he attached the glass pieces to our glass lamp, I made a few custom mixes of colorful glass beads that we could use as filler in between our designs.

I’m not sure how long the workshop was; I had so much fun that I literally lost track of time. I think we were there a little under two hours? When our lamp was fully decorated with glass pieces and beads, we were given the rest of our supplies to take home and finish after the glue dried for 12 hours.

So far, we have not yet grouted our lamp, which is the final and messiest step. The lamp is honestly so pretty that it almost doesn’t seem like it needs the grout, but I know that will help to keep everything firmly in place. We’ll do it one of these days.

Our beautiful mosaic lamp is already in its place of honor on my entrance-way table. I love it so much – the colors are exquisite and it’s even more fun knowing that we made this treasure together. I highly recommend the mosaic lamp workshop if you love arts, crafts and beautiful home decor you can make yourself!

The post This mosaic art workshop rocked my world! appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

Spring is one of my favorite seasons.

The transition from Ohio’s cold winter weather to warmer days, sunshine and flowers is awe-inspiring!

I especially love the annual appearance of baby Canada geese, which always look to me like adorable little dirty tennis balls.

In fact, spring is one of the top reasons why I live here in the midwest instead of in sunny Cali with the rest of my family. I’m not sure I’d want to live in a world without springtime.

This year, the season is feeling especially spring-y for me because I’m in a new relationship. There’s just something about spring and new love that goes together as deliciously as peanut butter and chocolate.

I’ve been shopping a bit, too. Here are five curvy body approved things I’m loving this spring, which hopefully you might love, too!

1. This “milkmaid” style gingham dress from Target. I had been wanting a dress like this since they first became popular. When I saw this unique shade of gingham, I figured I’d give it a try. The dress is comfortable, flattering and there are pockets. It’s cleavage-enhancing, but I think it will still make a cute dress for church with a cardigan or denim jacket. It makes me feel like a pretty princess – two thumbs up!

2. Wal-Mart’s stunning light denim minidress. If you ever see me in this dress, you won’t believe for a second I got it at Wal-Mart. It is well-made, has pockets and fits like a dream. Although it’s called a minidress, it comes to the knee on me and I’ll definitely wear it for church. It’s one of my casual favorites for spring and will be perfect in all seasons with appropriate layers beneath or on top. Simply adorable!

3. These cropped barrel pants from the TikTok Shop. I got them in green with white stripes and went back for a second pair after both my daughter and boyfriend said they looked really good on me. I now also have them in brown with black stripes and love them just as much. Buy them in any and every color – they are comfortable, stretchy, fashionable and you can dress them up or down. I’m obsessed!

4. This popular spring dress from the TikTok Shop. It’s true to size, comfortable enough to be casual, and nice enough to wear to church or a wedding. Yes, of course it has pockets – and it’s made from cotton with a polyester lining. I have gotten compliments every time I’ve put my yellow dress on, and will likely get it in another color. But which one to choose?!

5. These affordable cropped fitted tees from Old Navy. They are the perfect tops to wear with any loose-fitting pants (love them with #3 above), but they are also great with skirts, shorts or layered under any kind of jacket. This tee is a basic wardrobe staple and you need it in several colors. I have it in black, white, hot pink stripe and slate blue. I probably could still use a couple more – it’s that perfect.

I know this post makes it seem like I’ve been on a shopping spree, but actually I’m trying to be really intentional about where and how I spend my money these days. These are five recent purchases that I am glad I made and feel good recommending. Alas, I’m not getting any kickbacks!

What are you wearing this spring? I’d love to hear in the comments below or over on Instagram or Facebook!

The post 5 things to love this spring appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

Last year, I wrote about how sad I was to leave our beloved cat Galaxy behind when I moved to my new condo.

It made sense for Galaxy to stay there at the time, because she had a great life and three sunny floors to explore. We didn’t think she would adjust well to living in a smaller space; cats are notorious for hating change!

But Z and I missed her a ton, which is why we agreed to foster a small abandoned kitty a few days before Christmas. Z named our foster kitty Biggie Smalls because she was tiny.

At first, we weren’t sure if Biggie was a kitten or just an undersized and malnourished cat. After a few months of eating well and being pampered like a princess, Biggie put on some weight but never grew in size. Our vet confirmed that Biggie is just a really small adult cat. And she’s not only tiny, but perfect in every way!

Biggie is sweet, affectionate, playful and a talker. She made her home in Z’s room but also enjoyed roaming the condo and spending time in my home office at night while the dogs were confined to my room. Biggie loves people, but she doesn’t care for dogs, which is why we made the tough decision to find her a dog-free home rather than keep her.

Right around the time we realized that we needed to re-home our foster kitty Biggie, my co-parent began having some issues with his newly adopted cat, Toby, that he felt might be helped by having Galaxy come live with us. In addition, he plans to move soon, which means Galaxy has a big change in her future either way.

So, this month, we found a wonderful home for Biggie with a lovely family where she will be a cherished only pet. And, now that we know a dog-loving cat can work in our condo, we are more than ready to welcome our queen, Galaxy!

I’m so happy with the way all this worked out. Zoe gets her beloved pandemic kitty back – the cat who “saved” us during the Covid lockdown in 2020. Galaxy will get to reunite with her pack – she loves Dani and Lambo, and they adore her.

And, a lovely family in Cincinnati got Breezy, the kitty of their dreams, formerly known as our little foster, Biggie Smalls. From abandoned and starving on the streets to pampered only housecat – that’s the life Biggie deserves.

Saying goodbye to Biggie after three months together was hard for both Z and I, because we really had hoped to keep her. Still, once we wiped our tears, we realized it’s truly a happy ending for everyone.

And I can’t help feeling like I manifested bringing Galaxy home to Z and I by getting my beautiful neo-traditional cat portrait of Galaxy! This is not the first time I’ve manifested great things through tattoo; tattoos have powerful magic.

And so do cats!

The post Good news! Two beloved cats are getting new homes appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

When I found myself needing a new home last summer, I decided on a condo rather than a house.

At 55, I knew I didn’t want to be tackling home and yard maintenance on top of my job and parenting duties. I also hoped to find a community of neighbors in similar life stages – divorcees, empty nesters, small families, etc.

And, I figured a community pool of our own would help sweeten this big lifestyle change for my teenage daughter.

When I found my Lewis Center condo, it was love at first sight for both my daughter and I. It’s a lovely ranch home in a serene setting with tons of nature and peaceful vibes.

The interior of our condo even has several unique architectural touches that remind me of my beloved former home in The Shores.

Buying a home solo for the first time was not without its challenges, but I persevered. In August 2025, this little condo became our home sweet home!

While I loved our home itself from day one, I was a little disappointed at first that our neighbors didn’t seem as friendly as I had hoped they would be. Thankfully, over time, we’ve befriended a few of our neighbors. One woman in particular has become a truly special friend to Z, our dogs and me.

But unfortunately, we’ve also experienced a particularly unkind form of neighbor harassment from our upstairs neighbors, and it’s been distressing enough at times to make me actually regret buying this beautiful home.

Before moving to a condo, I had of course considered that my daughter and I would have to learn to live at a slightly lower volume. Moving from a three-story home to one with adjacent neighbors means we can’t crank our music quite as loud as we once could! But that’s a sacrifice we were more than willing to make.

Unfortunately, as anyone with teens (especially teen daughters!) knows, there can still be loud moments in teen parenting. Once in a while, we argue – and occasionally, Z gets mad enough to yell pretty loudly. As a result, we got a noise complaint within our first several months – and two more early this year about loud yelling and dogs barking.

One of the most upsetting aspects of these noise complaints is that the complaining neighbor never once tried to address it with us or have a conversation about things. Instead, they went right to the HOA to lodge a formal complaint.

From the very first complaint, I knew immediately who had made it: our upstairs neighbors. Although we park right next to each other every day, these two women never look my way, make eye contact or wave hello in return when I say hello or good morning to them. Instead, they ignore me and look away – and they’ve doing this ever since the day we moved in.

Now, I’m not denying that Z and I can be loud at times. I wish it were not the case; it’s something I take very seriously, and we’re working on it.

But the unfriendliness, unkindness and complete lack of empathy we’ve seen from these upstairs neighbors is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I’m literally starting to worry that they’re actually evil.

After the first complaint, I hand-wrote a very kind apology letter, including my phone number and email. I implored them to call, text or come say hi so that I could both apologize in person and learn how we can be quieter and better neighbors. For example, is it louder in the evenings or in certain rooms of their condo? I was eager to reconcile so that life could be more peaceful for both our households.

Unfortunately, just as these neighbors ignore my every “hello” and “good morning,” they also disregarded my letter. They continued to file noise complaints against us, resulting in a hearing for me with our condo board and a $50 fine. Fortunately, I was allowed to speak to the board on behalf of Z and I. Although it didn’t change the outcome, I’m still glad I was able to explain our side and share about the ongoing rudeness and unkindness of our upstairs neighbors.

I wish I could say it has gotten better. The other day, while Z was crying in her room and I was trying to help her get calmed down, one of these adult women yelled right into Z’s window, “Shut the f*#$ up, I’m sick of f@%$ing hearing it.” This is not only inappropriate language with which to address a distraught child, but also completely cruel and lacking in human decency.

Please send help. The situation is desperate and dire, and I have tried everything I can think of to be kind and befriend the women upstairs. If anyone has suggestions for how to reconcile with abusive, evil neighbors – I’m all ears.

The post Moving to this condo may have been a big mistake appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

It can sometimes be difficult choosing your next TV show to watch.

Living in the golden age of television, we are “spoilt for choice” as my British parents would say.

We have so many channels and networks – and so many TV programs on each network – that it can cause analysis paralysis. We may feel overwhelmed and find ourselves unable to choose a show.

When that happens, we often end up watching the same familiar show again instead of taking a risk and trying out a brilliant new series just waiting to be discovered.

That’s why I’m sharing three exceptional, under-the-radar shows that were recently recommended to me – and which I probably wouldn’t have found on my own.

Baskets (2016-2019) on Hulu is a Zach Galifianakis vehicle that is quirky, funny, whimsical and softly heartbreaking. The premise of a man failing out of French clown school did not sound attractive to me at first, but I ended up absolutely falling in love with every episode. The acting is top-tier, especially by Galifianakis, who plays two dramatically different twin brothers; Louie Anderson, who won an Emmy for his role as their long-suffering mom; and Martha Kelly, who plays their deadpan friend/love interest. This is a three-season show with subtlety, heart and humor that I will watch again and again over the years.

Detectorists (2014-2022) on Tubi is a charming British show that feels like a calm, relaxing nature walk on a sunny day. It follows the lives of two eccentrics in a small English village who are passionate about their hobby of metal detecting and yearning for buried treasure. Detectorists has a lovely, gentle pace; great (classically British) humor; and truly touching character development across its three seasons. You might recognize the actor who plays Andy from his memorable role as the one-eyed pirate in Pirates of the Caribbean, or the actress playing his mother-in-law Veronica from her legendary turn as Lady Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones – but for the most part, the actors here are not well-known in the U.S. This is another show I’ll delight in watching again.

After Life (2019-2022) on Netflix is a three-season British drama written, directed by and starring Ricky Gervais. It is darkly comedic and centers around Tony, a man drowning in grief after recently losing the love of his life to cancer. After Life is a meditation on finding meaning and purpose in life – and on building friendships, connections and community – after loss. Gervais is understated, wickedly funny and brilliant as Tony and the entire cast does a wonderful job with their roles – including the dog playing the life-saving Brandy. I should add a trigger warning here because there is significant dialogue around suicide in this show, which could be upsetting to some. I personally felt it was handled with sensitivity; the show talks about depression and suicidality and shows a path to gradually feeling better. This show made me cry more than the other two, but it was still lovely and heartwarming.

These three shows couldn’t be more different in subject matter, but all bring a touch of whimsy and emotional depth to the viewing experience. I loved all three series and am so glad that I watched them. If you watch them, I hope you’ll let me know what you think.

The post 3 TV shows full of whimsy to warm your heart appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

Would you believe that I bought a home on my own for the first time at the age of 55?

I have bought homes before with partners across two states, starting in my late 20s. But until last year, I had never gone down the home ownership road completely solo. It’s wild, let me tell you!

In particular, my last 22 years were spent with someone who is extremely handy and good at doing everything around the house.

Computers and technology? Check. Electrical and lighting? He’s on it. Plumbing and leaks? He’s all over it. You’d have a hard time coming up with something around the house that the co-parent can’t figure out or fix.

As you might imagine, that meant I didn’t have to worry about many home-ownership issues myself. And, to be honest, I still don’t have to worry too much, because he’s only a couple of miles away and pretty generous with his time and talents. Case in point, he painted the bedrooms in my new condo before I moved in. My co-parent’s painting skills are legendary and the bright colors made this place absolutely beautiful!

But I’m trying not to call him for every little thing. I learned a lot by assisting and watching him work around the house for 22 years, and I know how to use Google. I’m now trying to get my homeowner on and do some DIY-ing of my own to truly be independent and also make my mark on this place. And oh, have I made my mark.

Here are three recent DIY bungles I’ve made – but PLEASE don’t tell Z’s dad about them. Thankfully, he doesn’t read my blog.

• Nails work best pointy side down. I was super excited about decorating my place by hanging up some artwork. I was on a roll and had already hung several pieces when I noticed that I was hammering a nail and it just wasn’t going into the wall the way it should. That’s when I took a closer look and realized I was attempting to hammer it in flat side toward the wall. I flipped that little sucker around right before making an extra-large hole in my wall. Phew!

• Don’t try to peel sticky stuff off your wall. I put up a piece of art using double-sided tape, then realized I didn’t like the location. When I tried to gently pop it off the wall so I could move it, I accidentally removed a fist-sized chunk of paint and drywall. Oops. I will now hang a lovely piece of art in that spot to cover up my mistake. From now on, I’m using those super-cool command strips that you can just pull downward and they pop right off with no damage. #LiveAndLearn

• Things come in all sizes, so don’t assume. This one is my favorite blunder yet. I’ve been looking for secondhand home decor items on Facebook Marketplace and getting some great deals. I’d been looking for a cool vintage bench for my front porch and suddenly found one for a great price. It looked solid, sturdy and in great shape, so the low price was a bit of a mystery. I paid via Venmo, then swung by to pick it up… only to find out that it’s not a full-size bench, but rather a miniature version. This thing is TINY. It’s meant for a child or doll, but it’s so pretty that I will be using it to decorate my porch anyway. I’m going to lean in and use only small items on my porch; I’ll need a tiny outdoor rug, mini potted plants and a wee table. And, of course, a tiny skeleton during spooky season!

I’m having loads of fun adventures as I find my way as a solo homeowner. I’ve learned to pay attention to my nails, measure twice and cut once, ask hot guys for help when I need it… and of course, double-check the size of things when shopping on Marketplace.

If you have any good DIY tips or first-time solo homeowner hacks for me, let me know!

The post Mistakes I’ve made so far as a solo homeowner appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

Netflix is always premiering new dating shows.

Their latest, Age of Attraction, centers around the concept of “ageless dating,” or dating without knowing or focusing on someone’s age.

The show’s tagline is, “Does age matter when it comes to love?”

I don’t watch many dating shows – just a select few – but I’ll admit I’ve been watching Age of Attraction as it has a certain relevance for me these days.

Age of Attraction seemed pretty polarizing with viewers right from the start. From what I could tell by reading social media posts and comments about the show, some loved the idea of pairing younger daters with older partners, while others found the whole concept offensive.

I’ll admit, before my recent foray back into the modern dating world, I had only ever dated people within about 1-2 years of my age. It seems that people are becoming far more open-minded about dating outside of their immediate age range. Age gap dating is certainly working well in my life, although it’s not something I ever intentionally sought out. The most important dating factors have nothing to do with age: for me, they are character, emotional depth and maturity, willingness and ability to communicate, chemistry, shared interests and sense of humor.

But back to this goofy TV show. The dialogue is as fake and forced as you’ll find on most dating reality shows, and the singles are just as highly groomed and coiffed. On Age of Attraction, the older singles look young and fit, while the younger singles look so polished that it’s not always easy to tell people’s ages – though usually you can guess within a 5-10 year range with a few notable exceptions.

From this group of singles ready to mingle, connect and date each other without knowing anyone’s age, one can spot two main types: those who truly don’t seem to care about the age of their partner, and those who actually admit they prefer age gap dating for one reason or another.

Here’s where I found myself being not just judgmental, but a bit hypocritical: I find the trope of older men seeking younger women to be distasteful, while I do not have that same bias against older women looking for companionship with younger men.

If shows like Age of Attraction can bring to the forefront societal trends that have been percolating beneath the surface – like the increasing prevalence of women dating younger men – then good for Netflix. As dating shows go, this one is kind of a unique concept, and it is executed well in beautiful British Columbia amidst gorgeous natural surroundings.

I haven’t watched the end of the show yet, so I don’t know if any of the couples will make it once they take their new relationships out into the real world. I’m rooting for Theresa and John, pictured above. They are one of the older women/younger men pairs who seemed to have a genuine connection and be a good fit for each other – I hope they can make it work.

I also want to shout out the hosts, podcasters Nick Viall(45) and Natalie Joy (27). They did a good job guiding participants through the age-blind dating experience, leveraging their own 18-year marital age gap to help the singles navigate new romantic connections.

If nothing else, watching Age of Attraction brings up some interesting changing societal norms and mores and can make for a good topic of discussion with friends or dates.

The post Netflix’s new “Age of Attraction” hit close to home for me appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

My teen and I just returned from a wonderful mother-daughter cruise to the Bahamas out of Miami on Norwegian Cruise Lines.

We spent one afternoon and night in downtown Miami at the CitizenM World Center, and then boarded the NCL Getaway for four days and nights with stops at Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay.

Note: if you’re interested in the travel details, skip down to “Trip Highlights” below.

We had an incredible time! The trip was even more special because it was our first vacation since Z’s diagnosis of celiac disease in May 2025.

Traveling with celiac disease is not easy. It took several months of healing and adjusting before she even wanted to try leaving home for a trip – and I don’t blame her. Celiac is no joke.

The most important part of celiac travel is doing a lot of research in advance so you know where to find gluten-free food and snacks in the area. It’s also critical to pack lots of GF snacks for those times when you may not be able to find safe food or snacks.

We were fortunate to find restaurants near our hotel with good gluten-free options – as well as a CVS where Z could stock up on her favorite GF snacks for the room. Our favorite celiac-friendly place in Miami was a little cafe called Stephanie’s Crepes that was a dedicated gluten-free establishment and so good! It was our first time having crepes since her diagnosis and we went a little nuts.

Then, once we got on board the NCL Getaway, there were loads of gluten-free food items available at the buffet, as well as several GF meals available at the fine dining restaurants each day. However, there was one thing I wish we had known ahead of time.

It turns out that on all NCL cruises, you can request a custom GF meal 24 hours in advance for breakfast, lunch or dinner – but you can’t just walk into one of the restaurants and expect them to have what you want. You must make that reservation 24 hours ahead.

Once we learned this tip, we had no further issues and Z was happy with every subsequent meal. But for the first two days, no one had told us this important tidbit so we were riding the struggle bus and Z was starting to panic a little.

For example, the GF meals on the dining room menus often included meat, vegetables and potatoes but rarely included things like GF bread or pasta. To get the latter, you had to make the request 24 hours in advance. And Z is a girl who has a selective palate and REALLY likes to have her familiar “safe” foods at most meals… so you can imagine our relief when we found out that yes, this would be possible on the cruise. Phew!

You might be wondering if I had called NCL in advance to ask about gluten-free options on the cruise, and of course I had. The person I spoke with told me that there would be “plenty of GF options available at all the restaurants” – and that was true. But I still wish I had known about the ability to reserve custom GF meals that exactly meet Z’s preferences! That was terrific info and that’s why I’m sharing it now; I would love to see NCL make this more widely known as it would greatly help many other folks with celiac disease, especially kids and parents.

Trip Details

Celiac considerations aside, this 4-day Bahamas cruise and our day in Miami were the perfect getaway for a mother and teen duo like us. Miami is a glamorous and exciting city with great food, ocean views and amazing culture. We really liked the CitizenM hotel, which is Marriott’s brand for young, hip travelers featuring a rooftop pool, cool lounges and lots of modern and pop-style art.

We were also delighted to find that downtown Miami is home to dozens of free-range chickens and roosters, much as our beloved islands of Kauai and Maui are. This was such a fun surprise and Z had fun making friends with many roosters, hens and baby chicks!

We didn’t have time on this trip to head over to Miami Beach; both Z and I agreed we would have liked one more day in Miami to explore, walk along Ocean Drive and check out the gorgeous beaches. Next time for sure.

As much as we loved Miami, we were thrilled to get onboard on our embarkation day. The Norwegian facility at the port in Miami is gorgeous, and boarding was smooth and fast. This was Z’s third cruise with Norwegian and my fourth. Although we hadn’t been on the NCL Getaway before, there were enough familiar aspects to make it feel like home.

Both Z and I adore cruises! We love being at sea, feeling the ship move gently on the waves and seeing those forever ocean views. We always splurge on a balcony cabin – it is 100% worth it.

This was our first cruise where Z was able to make use of the teen center, Entourage, which was a great way to meet other teens. She made some friends on day one and then spent the entire cruise having fun with them. There were actually some teary goodbyes on the day we disembarked!

We enjoyed both of our port stops in the Bahamas: Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay. In Nassau, the weather was quite hot, so we just walked around a bit in town and then went back onto the ship where food and drinks are free. Next time, I would probably opt for a shore excursion to hopefully see more of Nassau.

In Great Stirrup Cay, we did a shore excursion where Z got to swim with both pigs and stingrays. That was a definite trip highlight and got two thumbs up from both of us. The Treasure Island staff were kind and friendly, the pigs were adorable and well cared for, and best of all, we got to hold tiny baby piglets!

I was tempted to book our next cruise while we were still on board, as that is known as the best time to get good deals on future trips, but I opted not to… only to promptly book once we were back at home and missing the ocean. Doh – I’ll remember that for next time!

Have you taken a cruise lately with NCL or another cruise line, and do you have any fabulous tips to share? I’d love to hear them in the comments below or over on Instagram or Facebook.

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