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Hi! I’m Erika.

Welcome to Essence of Erika! A lifestyle blog. I'm so glad you're here!

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Holiday Gift Guide 2023: For Him
Holiday Gift Guide 2023: For Her
Erika, Where Have You Been?
Welcome to My Home: Christmas Decor
Cookie Butter Cheesecake

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Once upon a time in 2020, amid the lockdowns, four

Once upon a time in 2020, amid the lockdowns, four girls who loved @girlsgottaeatpodcast and spinning joined a Facebook GGE subgroup for @onepeloton riders. Their messenger chats about planning rides together turned into talking about their lives and relationships… then they moved to a group text, a Snapchat group, an Instagram chat, FaceTimes to catch up and during emergencies, and an annual secret Santa gift exchange. And when it was safe, one by one, the girls from Cleveland, Indianapolis, Toronto, and Tampa started to meet each other in person…

Finally, over the weekend, after nearly four years of friendship, they were all together for the first time in Cleveland to celebrate one of their weddings. I wouldn’t trade these girls or our friendship for the world, and I don’t think I would’ve survived those dark years without their love and support. Love you three to pieces 💕

Just a day of fun with my little #pumpkin … or s

Just a day of fun with my little #pumpkin … or should I say, #pupkin, at @stpetepier Fall Fest!

What are your favorite #fall activities in Florida?

Happy 2nd-ish birthday @poppygirlthepup!!! When I

Happy 2nd-ish birthday @poppygirlthepup!!!

When I rescued Poppy from @fluffanimalrescue back in March, they estimated she was about 1.5 years old, so I decided her birthday would be six months from the day I brought her home — that’s today!

Hard to believe it’s only been six months with this sweet, smart, and funny girl! I love her and all our adventures with all my heart. 💕

Swipe ⬅️ for Instagram vs. reality of trying to take cute pics 😂

Every day the sun shines, but not every day is #Na

Every day the sun shines, but not every day is #NationalCeliacAwarenessDay!

Sept. 13 is. I have been living with this invisible disease since May 2022. After almost 33 years of eating whatever I want without worrying, suddenly, my body decided #gluten was an invader.

A lot of people don’t know what #CeliacDisease is, or what gluten is, or they just think being #glutenfree is a fad or lifestyle choice — but for people with Celiac Disease — we have no choice.

Gluten is a protein in a lot of foods — namely wheat, barley, rye, and malt — and for people with Celiac Disease, our bodies think gluten is akin to a virus! So what happens when you get sick? Your immune system attacks it. Instead of digesting gluten normally, my body attacks the gluten, and I get violently ill. Not only do I have gastrointestinal issues (the most common symptom for people with CD), but I have extreme fatigue, overwhelming brain fog, and eye pain and dryness — that lasts for DAYS after my body comes into contact with gluten. It’s debilitating. This happens if I even have a tiny amount of gluten.

That means there’s no “cheating” and just having a little gluten here and there, I have to be extra careful about my food becoming cross-contaminated when I go out or get takeout — this could be as simple as my French fries getting contaminated because they were cooked in a fryer where breaded chicken tenders are cooked — or a chef not cleaning a knife they just used to cut bread before cutting into the lettuce being used for my salad. It’s HARD.

Finding places that are safe for me to eat is a feat on its own, but I still have serious anxiety when I go out to eat or get takeout, and this diagnosis puts a HUGE damper on your social life — so much of what we do for fun is centered around eating food.

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease, which means I have a genetic defect that I was born with, that runs somewhere else in my family. At any point in your life, if you have this specific genetic mutation, it can “turn on” in your body — and boom — 32 years of eating delicious bread, pizza, and pasta are down the drain. And it can happen at any age.

Even scarier? (Cont’d in comments!)

Just @poppygirlthepup in her #CapeCod era. She is

Just @poppygirlthepup in her #CapeCod era. She is getting better with my dad, obsessed with my mom, and very interested in exploring everything!

Anyone have any fun recommendations for things I can do with her on the Cape? We’re in #Dennisport / #Harwich area, and probably not making our way any further east than #Wellfleet!

Happy #NationalDogDay to my love and joy. Thank yo

Happy #NationalDogDay to my love and joy. Thank you for making me smile everyday, @poppygirlthepup 💕

#Vacay starts now. 👋🏼🎉

#Vacay starts now. 👋🏼🎉

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