H2Ooono

Did you know that the production and transportation of U.S. bottled water uses the equivalent of 50 million barrels of oil annually. WOW! and we complain about gas prices. So here is a good stocking stuffer idea, a reusable water bottle, I picked mine up at the health food store for $12 (All Ways Healthy in Lake Zurich) and you can find them just about anywhere now. Seriously let's take it back to the tap. Here is more info on the bottle water boycotts around the world.

how now brown cow!

VIDEO: Cutting Cows' Gas Emissions

via National Geographic News on 10/23/08

Cow's emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas, can be reduced with a more natural diet, farmers are learning. Methane is a powerful contributor to global warming.

Halloween Horrors

Slowly but surely we have been putting the garden to rest. Harvesting the last of the tomatoes, canning some sauce and salsa, apple picking and making apple sauce, and my favorite....the pumpkins are here!! Coleman is very into decorating them, we even got to pick two big green ones from our garden this year. And of course pumpkins means that halloween is right around the corner! Yeah! I do have quite a fondness for this holiday especially since Halloween and chocolate might as well be the same thing in my vocabulary. But recently I have come across an article that almost made m&m's come out my nose, it's about child labor in the cocoa industry, and how these kids work 12 hr days and don't even know what chocolate tastes like! Seriously, I knew it was important to buy Fair Trade coffee and chocolate, but I guess I just didn't realize the abuse involved. We usually don't get any trick or treaters and I end up inhaling the whole bag of Reese's cups myself, but you can bet this year my binge will be Fair Trade Certified!

Here is a defination of Fair Trade out of Gorgeously Green: "An alternate trading system that creates opportunities for farmers and artisans who are most vulnerable and disadvantaged by conventional trade." Fair Trade ensures that the farmers get a fair price and that sustainability is practiced. It also ensures that workers, especially women are empowered

here are some options for a Fair Trade Halloween:
https://www.progressivekid.com/shop/ecochocolate.aspx
http://chocosphere.com/
http://store.gxonlinestore.org/holiday2.html

oh and another article supporting this:
http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/fairtrade/trickortreat.cfm

Lowering Your Risk

I don't know how much of this is true but it makes sense, since it seems like all these products and things in the environment are possible carcinogens, but this was in a newsletter I received recently:

7 Ways to Lower Your Cancer Risk What does cancer have to do with eco-conscious living? A lot. More and more research is uncovering the links between environmental stressors and the harm they do to our bodies. It seems logical then to take as many preventative steps as possible. Weeding away the un-natural products and behaviors that our so-very-natural human systems have a hard time handling is the best place to start. In our four-part anti-cancer lifestyle series, expert Dr. David Servan-Schreiber ... himself a brain cancer survivor ... shares his tips for living a long, healthy life.

Avoid the following common household products:

• Percholoeethylene/Tetrachloro-ethylene, found in dry cleaning. Garments should be aired out for several hours before wearing.


• Cleaning products such as liquid detergents, disinfectants, and toilet bowl sanitizers that contain alkylphenols (nonoxynol, octoxynol, nonylphenol, actylphenol)


• Deodorants and antiperspirants containing aluminum.


• Cosmetics, shampoos, lotions, gels, hair color, nail polish, perfumes and sunscreen containing estrogens or placental products, or those with parabens or phthalttes.


• Chemical household pesticides and insecticides.


• Heating foods or liquids in plastic containers made with PVCs, polystyrene, or Styrofoam.


• Preparing food in scratched Teflon pans.

Clean Freak

Is anyone out there still using bleach and lysol and any other standard store bought cleaners? Here is some things to think about my friends, is your health and your kids health or your toilet bowl more important.....
• Women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than those who work away from home. The 15-year study concluded it was as a direct result of the much higher exposure rate to toxic chemicals in common household products!
-Toronto Indoor Air Conference 1990

•The toxic chemicals in household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than air pollution.
- Environmental Protection Agency report in 1985

•Of chemicals commonly found in homes, 150 have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer, and psychological abnormalities.
-Consumer Product Safety Commission

•Within 26 seconds after exposure to chemicals such as cleaning products , traces of these chemicals can be found in every organ in the body.

•The Average American Uses about 25 Gallons of toxic, hazardous chemical products per year in their home... A major portion of these can be found in household cleaning products.
-"Prosperity Without Pollution," by Joel S. Hirschorn and Kirsten V. Oldenburg, 1991

•According to the National Research Council, no toxic information is available for more than 80% of the chemicals in everyday-use products. Only 1% of toxins are required to be listed on labels, because companies classify their formulas as "trade secrets."
-Lorie Dwornick, researcher, educator and activist, 2002

•In the past 50 years more than 75,000 chemicals have been introduced into the environment. Today 300 synthetic chemicals are found in the bodies of humans. Even newborn babies have synthetic chemicals passed on from their mothers.
-REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals, a European Union program)

•In homes where aerosol sprays and air fresheners were used frequently, mothers experienced 25 percent more headaches and were 19 percent more likely to suffer from depression. Additionally, infants under six months of age had 30 percent more ear infections and 22 percent higher incidence of diarrhea.
-According to a Study Published in the magazine, NEW SCIENTIST, 1999

•Cancer rates have increased since 1901 from only 1 in 8,000 Americans, to 1 in 3 today! By the year 2010, this disease will afflict 1 of every 2 individuals!
-American Cancer Society

•Cancer rates have continued to increase every year since 1970. Brain cancer in children is up 40% in 20 years. Toxic chemicals are largely to blame.
-NY Times, September 29, 1997

More than 1.4 million Americans exposed to household chemicals were referred to poison control centers in 2001. Of these, 824,000 were children under 6 years.

A New York sanitation worker was killed in 1998 when a hazardous liquid in household trash sprayed his face and clothes.

At any given time, there is 3.36 million tons of household hazardous waste to contend with in our country.

-Chec's HealtheHouse,
the resource for Environmental Health Risks
Affecting Your Children

In 1990, more than 4,000 toddlers under age four were admitted to hospital emergency rooms as a result of household cleaner-related injuries. That same year, three-fourths of the 18,000 pesticide-related hospital emergency room admissions were children.

Over 80 percent of adults and 90 percent of children in the United States have residues of one or more harmful pesticides in their bodies.

Petrochemical cleaning products in the home are easily absorbed into the skin. Once absorbed, the toxins travel to the blood stream and are deposited in the fatty tissues where they may exist indefinitely.

-"In Harm's Way," a study by "The Clean Water Fund" and "Physicians for Social Responsibility"
May 11, 2000

More than 7 million accidental poisonings occur each year, with more than 75% involving children under age 6!
-The Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons

According to the U.S. Poison Control Centers, "A child is accidentally poisoned every 30 seconds at home..."

Unregulated air pollution has caused one in six children in the Central Valley of California to suffer from asthma. More than 5000 children in the San Joaquin Valley Air District are hospitalized each year for asthma. The death rate from respiratory diseases in the Imperial Valley -- at times more than double that of the rest of the state. Up to 2.2 million Californians suffer from asthma.
-California's State Department of Health Services

Seriously! How crazy is that!? And don't forget you can't just dump those cleaners down a drain you have to dispose of them at a hazardous waste facility! Or some towns have special days when they will take hazardous waste, I'll get you the link to that next post, for now the kids are up, gotta go!

Yes more stuff about BPA in plastics!

I am posting an e-newsletter I received that I think anyone who hasn't checked what kind of plastic cups and/or bottle your child is drinking out of(and yourself for that matter)should read, really couldn't say it better myself so I'm not even gonna try....

Dear Friends,

Just days before the California legislature will be considering passing a ban on the toxic chemical BPA in some children's products, the FDA has announced BPA is safe for human consumption. Although there are over 100 published reports by government scientists and independent research labs documenting the risks of BPA (particularly for infants and children), the FDA has relied solely on two chemical-industry funded studies that concluded BPA poses no risk to human health. At this point I would say it is entirely clear the FDA is more committed to protecting the interests of industry rather than ensuring the safety of the public.

It is important to note that the National Toxicology Program, an arm of National Institutes of Health, has produced studies that differ in their results from those that the FDA has chosen to accept. So what the FDA has chosen to do is ignore reports from within its own system in favor of those funded by special interests. A public meeting has been scheduled for September 16 to discuss issues arising from the preliminary report issued by the NIH, which expresses concern over the dangers of BPA, especially in relation to infants and children. One thing to keep in mind - and this is consistently misreported by the media - no one is saying that BPA is safe. Everyone acknowledges that it is a dangerous toxicant. The only argument is over the level required to inflict major and irreparable damage.

Please read the articles below to get a brief overview on this issue, particularly the Washington Post article titled "Studies on Chemical In Plastics Questioned: Congress Examines Role Of Industry in Regulation." This is essential reading. It is imperative that as representatives of Green to Grow you are able to answer questions such as: "But the FDA has declared BPA is safe; why should we carry a BPA-free alternative? Why should anyone care about this issue now?"

Last, two statistics for your consideration: More than 6 billion pounds of bisphenol A are produced in the U.S. each year by Dow Chemical, BASF, Bayer AG and other manufacturers. Studies indicate that 95% of us have detectable levels of BPA in our systems.

Thanks for your time and commitment to educating people about this issue. Clearly we can't rely on our government to do the right thing. It will be up to companies like Green to Grow, and those who support us, to keep the issue visible.

All the best,

Michael Ritterbrown
Shelley Aronoff
Green to Grow



Studies on Chemical In Plastics Questioned
Congress Examines Role Of Industry in Regulation
By Lyndsey Layton
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 27, 2008; A01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/26/AR2008042602126_pf.html

FDA Decision Over BPA Meant to Influence California Lawmakers?
http://www.ewg.org/node/27022
Environmental Working Group News Release, August 15, 2008
EWG is a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, DC that uses the power of information to protect human health and the environment.

FDA Says Chemical Found in Plastic Bottles is Safe
Associated Press, Matthew Perrone, August 15, 2008
http://www.ewg.org/node/27023

Parents Buying Guide

Here is another parents buying guide for products.
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguide/

I haven't been able to find much on no-tear formulas using anesthetizing ingredients. Somebody from J&J wrote in 2002 that it was just a vicious rumor by competitors and proceeded to list the ingredient list, which consisted of PEG's and Fragrance and a couple other things on the no-no list. But hey it's gentle right? Arbonne mentions it as well, so I'll try and do some more research. In the mean time if you really want to freak yourself out, read the following article...

http://healthychild.org/resources/article/do_you_know_whats_in_your_babys_mattress/

Ingredients List

Here is another link for an ingredient list to print out and put in your wallet or purse when buying products. You don't have to memorize them all, and after awhile of reading labels, you will recognize the stuff you don't want in there right away.

http://thegreenguide.com/doc/94/goodbadugly

They also have some buying guides for other products and household items, it's a good place to start your research when shopping, even for shoes :)

http://www.thegreenguide.com/products/

I'm Back!!!!

Hi everyone, yes I decided to take a summer hiatus, I'm sure everyone knows how busy things get so I don't even have to explain. But it's time to get going again, and I kicked things off with a little green party on Friday night. I think it was a big eye opener for some of you to find out what's in all those products you use everyday on yourself and on your kids. I know it's overwhelming and it seems daunting and expensive to go green, but remember it's all about baby steps and smart choices, and there is always a way to do it within your budget. I just want to thank everyone for participating Friday and here are some of the websites we discussed.

Lynne's website which has all the products(and the website I designed;))
littlegreenbooties.com

The Environmental Working Group site, which Dr. Otilia Naranjo talked about, and also the best and worst offenders as far as pesticides on food list. On the right hand bottom side is a cool little thing called more tools and resources that links you to most of the sites we talked about and some other too.
http://www.ewg.org/
http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php

Also the product ratings website
www.cosmeticsdatabase.com

Also thank you to Lindsey for the fab Arbonne presentation and footsoak and scrub, seriously was that not the best?
Arbonne.com
I think some of you seemed a bit overwhelmed with all the info, so I'm not gonna add any more...yet. But if you have any questions or concerns or want to know more, just let me know. Oh and there is also a "Little Things You Can Do to Go Green" night at the Ela Library this Wed Sept. 10th at 7pm and the woman who is doing the presentation is the owner of All Ways Healthy in Lake Zurich which I think is one of the best health food stores ever and they carry one of the largest selection of green products (ie-the natural deodorant that I think works best)
I know it's kind of a bad time but I'll see if I can get some notes.

Also if you are interested in trying to put together another Talkin' Green night, maybe next month, let me know and I'll get things going.

Here Fishy Fishy

I think everyone is sort of aware that there are certain fish you are not suppose to eat because they are over fished and at risk of becoming extinct and disrupting whole ecosystems. It's hard to know what is what thought so here is a great link from my fabulous friend Erica that breaks it down for you by eco-best, eco-okay and eco-worst. Anyway this all came about because I had too much cilantro (you know how you buy the big bunch at the store and it's always too much and goes bad) and decided to make up a salad dressing for taco salad and it turned out so good that I decided to use it as a marinade for fish, so here it is if you are so inclined to give it whirl on the grill:
Cilantro Lime Marinade or Salad Dressing
5 tbsns EVOO
3 tbsns Lime Juice
1 tbsn Vinegar (white, or really what ever you have on hand)
1 1/2 tsps Dijon mustard
1/4 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
garlic clove
salt and pepper
Toss in Magic Bullet and blend it up, or press the garlic and shake it up in a sealed container.
You might have to play with some of the proportions as we like things a bit on the vinegary side. Try with orange juice too! yummy. Let me know how you like it.

Rub a dub dub

Yes I know it's been forever, but it's summer and we have just been crazy busy. I feel like I have been learning so many new things though! For example and this is gross, almost all commercial soap is made with "fatty remains of slaughtered cows, sheep, and horses. Brains, fatty tissues, other unwanted parts of diseased or dead animals are collected into large vats and used to create "tallow." This tallow is shipped off to commercial soapmakers where it is processed into bars soaps." What!? Seriously people enough is enough. Not to mention Triclosan which is what is in all those antibacterial soaps in everyones bathrooms, it's almost hard to find a hand soap this isn't antibacterial anyway here is another quote about triclosan "Triclosan, an antibacterial chemical found in some bar soap, is a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans. It is also a chlorinated aromatic compound, similar in molecular structure to some of the most toxic chemicals on earth: dioxins, PCBs and Agent Orange. Do you really want these substances being applied intentionally to your skin?" Here is the full article about natural soaps if you would like to read for yourselves. While I have not tried the products from this company it was interesting reading none the less, and I have read about the dangers of antibacterial soaps from other sources other than a soap making company, I just thought the article was well written. Suggested by my lovely sister in law, though I'll have to ask her if she used their products I think the lotion maybe, lets see if we can get a review, shall we? So the point? Please don't use antibacterial soaps! Especially when you are washing your kids hands 50 times a day, warm water and regular soap work just as well. And while it would be great to always be able to use natural handmade soaps some are a bit pricey, but hey there is other options, Tom's of Maine Body Bar rates a 0 or 1 on the toxicity scale, and I'm sure there are other alternatives just read the ingredients, say no to Sodium Tallowate, Parfum or anything else you can't really pronounce. Besides nothing says clean in the summer like a little run through the sprinkler right? :)

Turtle Sprouts

Here is a link to a garden based activity for kids called turtle sprouts. I haven't tried it yet but maybe at my next playgroup. I think some parts I will have to do ahead to make it age appropriate for 2-3 year olds. I think they will enjoy decorating the foam turtles though.
http://www.hort.cornell.edu/gbl/planting/index.html

If you are wondering if gardening is a good activity for kids then here is a article supporting that thought. Basically let kids decide what to plant where to plant it, etc...not just the boring stuff like weeding and watering, although I gotta say I had Coleman out in the yard this morning watering my tomato plants! :)
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/254911

Hey Culligan Man!

Has anyone noticed that the big water cooler bottles are a #7 plastic? I'm pretty sure that's the worst one AND they are reused so the more they are used the more leaching of chemicals. What?! seriously? People do this? Anyway my sister-law's good friend took the matter into her own hands and called a bunch of drinking water supply companies to see if they cared about their customers health. From what I understand they don't. So here is a list of resources for safer water and filtration systems. This list is courtesy of Cody Chiropractic in Cary.
www.nontoxic.com
www.waterfiltercomparisons.net/WaterFilter_Comparison.cfm
www.advancedwaterfilters.com
www.aquasanastore.com
www.purwaterfilter.com
www.freedrinkingwater.com
www.waterfilter-usa.com
So you see there are some safe alternatives out there, let's vote with our dollars, shall we.

I love a rainy night

I am so excited!! I have all my tomato plants in! And my brilliant husband has installed a 500 gallon rain barrel, we got about 75 gallons in the last couple of days, what a crazy lady I am out there checking to see how much rain fell! Anyway we just need to hook up the soaker hoses and that will be the way we water our new garden this year! Like I said I'm very excited and actually feel like I'm doing something. Other than that sorry I have not been posting, but Coleman has decided that he is now gettting up at 5-5:30am so that has really cut into my research and writing time, not to mention just my mommy time. Hey I'll get up at 5am but if you don't bring me coffee(yes it's organic, fair trade and shade grown! Cage Femenino, at Trader Joes $6.99, it also supports women coffee farmers in Peru, now that's a feel good caffeine alone can't give you) then expect a grumpy mama. Okay enough about me....So I'm sure you are sick of hearing abou the plastics but here are a couple more links on BPA and another moms blog on sippy cup reviews
Also Ikea plastic is #5 and safe, if your kids have ever eaten at my house you know the multi-colored plates, bowls, and cups, I love them they are a great toddler size and super convenient.

Stinky Greenies

We all know that natural deodorants for lack of a better word...stink! I decided to conduct a little experiment today since I have been using the Tom's of Maine Lavender Deodorant and while it's probably okay for ladies that glow, it just doesn't quite do it for me. So Gorgeously Green recommends Dr Hauschka's roll on, but much as I try I just can't fork over $19.99 for something that goes in my armpit. She has a couple other recommendation that I will probably try at some point they are, Erbavia, Herbal Magic, Aubrey Organics, and Tom's of Maine for men, if you need more info on those call me. But I decided to go to the Health Food Store and just pick their brains. The very helpful lady at All Ways Healthy basically told me what I already knew...Natural deodorants just don't do the job that we have come to expect, especially since they are just deodorants, not, antiperspirants. She recommended two brands that actually have repeat purchases and those are Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Floral Deodorant and EarthScience either Lichen or Tea Tree Lavender. The Thursdays isn't totally "clean" it rates a #5 on the cosmetics database but it does not contain aluminum which is rather toxic, but it does contain "fragrance" which is why it only rates a #5, still not too bad, better than a #10. It comes in a roll-on. The Earth Science Deodorant rates a #1 (for those who haven't checked that out yet, that's very good, 0 being the lowest) and is a solid. So to test my two new purchases I applied one under each arm then hooked up the bike trailed and hauled to kids on a 27 minute bike ride to playgroup(It's ride a bike to work or play week too), ran around with the kiddies till noon, then hauled them back home, wearing a windproof jacket, did some cleaning, raked out the lettuce garden and planted some herbs and Swiss Chard, and finally put the kids to bed. I figured a day in the life was the best way to check for stink. And for the results.....(sniff sniff).....The Thursdays isn't the freshest, it's not as bad as the Tom's and probably on an average day you could get away with it, the floral scent isn't exactly exactly horrible, but kind of stale if you know what I mean. The Earth Science on the other hand I'm pleasantly surprised with, I can't smell anything, I'm tempted to ask my husband if he can, but really I can only put the poor man through so much :) Anyway I might try some others after I'm through with these, but I think I will be sticking with EarthScience for a bit, we'll see what happens in the dog days of summer. Just keep in mind this is only one girls opinion and everyones body chemistry is different, but like I said I'm not one of those lucky glow girls who don't even use deodorant! like Julia Roberts and my totally cool sister-in-law :)

All this got me thinking though at some point, in order to make an impact and work towards a better future for our kids, we will have to sacrifice something. I am so used to having my cake and eating it too, we are just a consumer culture and really at some point it has to stop, why is it so hard for use to give up our creature comforts? When I listen to myself hem and haw about it and make excuses, I sound like my 2yr old whining for a Popsicle. Seriously though before I get on my global warming rampage, I just want to say that we have to start giving some stuff up in order to make a difference, I think that the Earth and our children's future is worth it, don't you? I know natural deodorants won't save the planet, but it's the mind set I'm talking about, I have to be willing to give up those comfortable things because in the long run they are harmful to me and to all of my friends and family, I'm not saying be a stinky Greenie, but take a look and what you consume in a day, or week or whatever, and see if there is any place to cut back. So my quote for the day....Be the Change you want to see in the world - Gandhi (courtesy of Sophie Uliano)

New Sippy's

Happy Belated Mother's Day to all!
We tried out our new stainless steel sippy cups this weekend, in a trip downtown to my moms and the Museum of Science and Industry (I think I will have to take Chris there for Father's Day without the kids :))
I got the one with handles for Ostin and the straw one for Coleman
http://www.thermos.com/SubCategoriesCatalog.aspx?CatCode=Foog&SubMenuID=0
You can get them at Target, although I got the last ones at ours.
I read some of the reviews on Target.com and Amazon, and the sippy cup does have four parts and a bit of effort is required to disassemble and put back together, but not too bad. It sounds to me like some of the reviewers didn't realize the spout came off the lid though. Anyway I haven't had them long enough to have any off the ick problems they did, but the way I clean them I don't really see how anyway. I like the fact that they are insulated especially for the summer months coming up. Plus the other Munchin insulated cup we have is BPA free as well. So far to me they were a good purchase. I'm also attaching a link where if you scroll down this page a bit you can click on most of the major brands and they will tell you if your current cup is BPA free or not. Surprisingly a good number of them already are, so don't go emptying your cupboard just yet! Another thing I want to mention about this going green thing is that at least to me, it's not about going out and making a whole bunch of new purchases, and throwing out what you already have and is okay into a landfill. It's just about making wiser decisions next time around. Yes there are a some things you need to stop using pretty much right away (Anything with: Coal Tar, Fragrance[I know this one is hard maybe just use up what you have and move on], Hydroquinone, Aluminum, Triclosan, P-Phenylenediamine, and Lead and Mercury.) This list is from my Gorgeously Green book, so I don't want to sit here and type the whole book, but check these ingedients out on the skindeep database http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/index.php?nothanks=1
Anyway those are just the most toxic ones, there are still parabens and mineral oil...but that is a whole nother blog! So my point is check your sippy's, and if you don't have to buy new stuff don't! Try the most difficult R in the three R's reduce, reuse and recycle, and to me that is Reduce! Okay I gotta go and write a letter to Panera about their styrofoam cups! and #6 plastic lids, and before I get off on another tangent!
love to all

That's a Wrap

Mother's Day is coming up and I was just thinking about wrapping, and how much waste wrapping paper and bows and ribbons and all that packaging stuff creates. I know it looks nice but really everyone just rips it all off in like 2 seconds and off into a landfill it goes. So I got this tip from Sierra Club on Furoshiki, which are a type of traditional Japanese wrapping cloth that were frequently used to transport clothes, gifts, or other goods. (wikipedia)
furoshiki.com/techniques.php#basic_wrap

Anyway looks interesting and I'm willing to give it a try maybe with some organic cotton napkins, or scarves, or baby blankets, tableclothes, um bandanas or something. I've been looking for a way to address the issue of the boys birthdays coming up and the bags and bags of garbage we throw out afterwards, so this sounds like some creative problem solving!

I can hear some of your eyeballs rolling in the back of your heads, thinking I'm a nut and so much work, blah blah blah, well I said I would try it and well see how it goes. :) Anyone have a better suggestion?

Crazy Lady

I forgot to tell you that I was at the store yesterday and I think the fish guy thought I was so crazy because I didn't want the little styrofoam tray for the fish, I just wanted him to wrap it up! It was pretty funny, I had to really explain what I wanted a couple of times, oh well, was it worth the effort, I don't know, but it felt good. Maybe I should write the manager.....hmmmm....I'm sure he'd love the blog! So speaking of packaging, I thought I had done so good at the store and then I came home and realized that there is still so much packaging I am going to end up throwing away. I know that it's hard to fix everything and at some point you will end up using a plastic bag and it can be overwhelming and frustrating that all the conveniences that we so depend on end up in the landfill. But maybe this is where it starts, by being the crazy lady and refusing the styrofoam tray, I haven't gotten to the point of bringing my own containers to the deli yet, but I'm close!!! Oh and those veggie bags? I think I have to try and reuse them, anyone have any other ideas? Aside from the fact that soon I will be having delicious home grown veggies!! Oh and a crop share from http://www.angelicorganics.com/.
It breaks down to $32.50 a week for organic veggies, and considering that the prices of groceries are only going to go up, it was worth it for us. Seriously veggies grown locally and organically, now that is what I call making a difference!!! Till next time my friends
much love
The crazy lady at the store!

Yes Plastics again

This is a quickie. This whole BPA thing is so disturbing to me, I found a site that has started a petition to all major producers of kids and babies plastic products that contain BPA, take a look, decide if you would like to sign for your self.
http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/sign_the_petition_to_the_ceos_of_baby_bottle_manufacturers_to_get_bpa_out_o/

Plastics, the what and why

First let me apologize for not keeping up this week! Bad blogger mommy! We are putting in a new veggie garden, yeah!!!! 10'x40', so that's been keeping us quite busy, not to mention all the usual day to day stuff, my kitchen is a disaster!!!!, Anyway down to business.

So my fabulous friend Erica sent me two links about the what and why of plastic usage and baby and kids. As a mom you've probably noticed that everything your child eats or drinks off of or out of is plastic. So you might want to get the facts, because most plastics contain Bisphenol A (BPA) which a a hormone disruptor that can mimic chemicals in your body and has been linked to obesity, prostate cancer and breast cancer. You can't really avoid it, but the less you expose yourself and your kids to it the better. Anyway here are those links, I'm about to order some new sippy cups for the kids, although we are trying to break Coleman of the habit cause my dentist said they are bad for the back of the teeth (the juice or whatever squirts directly at the back of the teeth and that spot isn't that easy for kids or mommies to brush) And I've been trying to get Ostin not even started on the habit, but you can't deny their convenience for travel, etc. Anyway here are those links for real this time.....
http://www.ewg. org/babysafe
http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2008/02/z-report-on-bpa-in-infant-care-products.html

ps-If you have not read Gorgeously Green by Sophi Uliano yet, check it out!! It has really become one of my inspirations and a resource I go back to quite often, not to mention her website which has some quick clips of green products you can get at Target, among other things
http://gorgeouslygreen.com