Your Soul Is Important Too

We all go through “stuff” and that “stuff” differs for each person. Life throws at us many curves, and many opportunities to learn from. I will admit that I think I get more stuff than others, because some people do seem to live the “charmed life” but a friend of mind told me that perhaps it’s just that I didn’t learn my lesson in a past life and now I am here do it over and get it right (so to speak).

That resonated with me in a big way, and since then, I have been on a journey. This journey is very spiritual and has me doing a ton of homework in my “spare time”.

Who am I? Why do I react the way I do? Why do I wind up the same situations over and over again? What do I say to myself? What kind of energy do I bring to the table?

Soul searching is different for everyone. Some might be on a journey to help them simply get past a difficult situation and some stay on that journey for a lifetime - constantly evolving and figuring out how one works.

What I realized while going through some of this is that I really have no idea who I am or what I want but I have identified what I don’t want. But yet, I keep attracting it.

This is where things get confusing for me. There are so many different voices inside of us. We all have egos, we have an inner wounded child, we have belief systems and we have our true self. Not to mention, we have outside forces constantly telling us who we are or how we should react. The true self is really what I am trying to figure out and nurture.

How did I start my journey?

Awareness.

You first need to be aware of your feelings, what feels good, what does not, and then start to figure out why.

As people who know me can attest to, if I have a problem I look for a book. There are so so so many great books out there and I can’t tell you how many I have read but recently this book “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle has intrigued me. Understanding your ego is huge in figuring out who you are and are not.

Also, I am actively participating in Oprah’s Soul Series. These shows each have a theme premiere every night at 8pm on the OWN network and we are in day four (including tonight’s broadcast) and there is an accompanying web show that you can listen to you as you work or as you take care of the kids.

So, if you feel, like I have “what is this all about, why am I here and why do I act the way I do?”… then come on a journey with me.

Being healthy is not just about feeding your body the right foods, you also have to feed your soul.

Also, try asking yourself this “What if you weren’t afraid, then what would you do?”

Blessings.

Arsenic in Apple Juice??

I've been off the radar for a bit, enjoying the end of summer and getting the kids back to school when whammo, got hit up with this on a facebook post.

Tuesday, September 13th Dr Oz did a show about aresenic in apple juice. Apparently, when tested, levels were extremely high.

I've read their reports and the FDA of course counters it with criticizing their test methods and yadda yadda.

Point being, is that since my son hates water and milk and this is a primary fluid for him, I am going the organic route, which I do about 70 percent of the time (don't quote me) but occasionally cave and by a big bottle at BJs. Well no more! Sticking with the Trader Joe's organic brand can't do me wrong!

See Dr Oz Article by clicking here.

See FDA rebuke here.

What will you do?

Fall Centerpiece

I keep crafting and or looking for craft ideas.

See, there is this website on the internet...and if I am not careful....I will spend an entire day or night on it. I will share it with you, but I am warning you: IT IS ADDICTIVE.

Like crack.

So, here's my fall craft idea & my share with you to enter the crack website.

Good Luck.

http://pinterest.com/pin/121092778/

Beach Crafts: Part Three

Upon returning from a beautiful day on Fire Island, which if you don't know-- is part of Long Island but even more glorious-- I had a need to capture our fun day and utilize some beach shells we collected.

Two crafts came to mind, which were both FI inspired:

Craft One:

1. I took a wooden frame I bought for a dollar a long time ago at A.C. Moore

2. Meg painted it pink and blue - very beachy colors

3. After it dried, I glued the collected shells to the base of the frame

4. I wrote Fire Island Beach in script with a Sharpie

5. Printed out one of my favorite photos from that day and put it inside.

Will share that with you soon, I am bad with loading pix on the computer lately.

Craft Two:

1. Bought a wooden sign that had a built on rope "hanger" for .99 cents at Michaels

2. Painted sign ocean blue

3. Wrote saying in script that I saw on a native's front porch on our way from the Ferry to the beach

4. Hung sign on front door. Here's what it said:

<---- Beach

Work-------->

How cute???

Beach Crafts: Part Two

After we painted the beach rocks and adorned with our names....I had a lot of left over rocks that I needed to do something with.

In fact, we had a whole bag full, so I had to think of another use.

Then, it came to me.

I scoured Target and Michael's for large and cheap glass vases.

I found two for less than three dollars (one large at Target, one medium at Michaels)

The kids carefully placed the rocks inside and whalla- we now have a great dining room centerpiece that also keeps the tablecloth in place!

I STILL have rocks left over and after I emptied and ate a jar of artichokes, I filled up that glass jar and used for the deck tablecloth that is always blowing away.

Later that night, after looking up "beach crafts" on google.com, I found a site that simply discussed the benefits of having nature and rocks around. Apparently it's very grounding and peaceful for your mind to look at. Well... bonus!

Just a few more left over... if anyone has any other ideas let me know! Was thinking of getting yet another shape vase and putting next to my bed. Since above finding, what's better than waking up to nature??!!

Great Beach Craft

I love the beach! I also love crafts! Last summer I had clipped an article on a great beach craft, courtesy of parenting.com and was unable to use it because my beach didn't have any rocks that would fit the bill. I couldn't even buy the rocks needed at Michael's because they weren't large and flat.

Fast forward to Sunday, when the McAs arrived late - way past high tide and discovered a very rocky shore. Collecting the rocks kept the kids busy and happy, as well as the anticipation of the craft to come.

When we got home, we picked out our favorites, got down the Earth's Best Organic Alphabet Letters (I know- we aren't even eating them!) and went to work painting the letters and the rocks and then gluing it all together and the result was......personalized paper weights or just fun rocks! You can use two rocks and put them together as with Meg's idea for "I love Mommy".... was great fun for all! See photo of the finished product here! Happy crafting!

School Days... School Days...

Green school supplies are not easy to come by, so I just bite the bullet and instead go cheap.

I wanted to share my bargains with you all, since saving money is also important to this Green Mom!

Fiskar scissors - on sale this week in Target for 1.00 but cheaper in Walgreens for .79
Index cards - Target prices are great!
Composition Notebooks - Walgreens for .59 (lowest price I have found!)
Crayola Crayons - Toys R Us - .25cents EACH for 24 count (not bad!!) or 4 for a dollar - which I took advantage of!
Backpacks and lunchboxes - buy one backpack get a lunchbox for free (ten dollar value) Toys R Us
Art Smocks - 2 dollars each also at Toys R Us


Got any good deals to share with me? Comment on facebook!

Happy Back to School Shopping!

Other websites are good too!

I love discovering new information online. Bloggers and websites that help promote green and healthy living are such awesome gems on the Internet.

Here are four websites, that might be new to you and highly recommended by this green mom! Check them out when you have the time!

1. My friend April turned me on to a very smart woman who has a blog about healthy living that is also aesthetically pleasing to look at. (Me thinks I need a redesign!)
Check out Green Lemonade for tips, articles, and products that are all about healthy, organic, green living.

2. A personal favorite of mine, that I read daily via my facebook news feed is Healthy Child Healthy World, I suggest you like them on Facebook, to make it convenient for you to scan the latest!

3 & 4. Lastly, two shout outs to coupon sites that I love for various reasons:

First is a friend's site www.coupology.com(which satisfies all your coupon needs in one location!) and second is "the couponess " which just posted about a buy one get one free smoothie at McDonald's...

The McDonald's smoothies are quite good if you haven't tried one yet. I have a friend who keeps boasting about Red Mango and it's on my to do list to get to one this summer. He says "yogurt + atmosphere" is the theme here. If you've been, let me know how it is.

Enjoy your week!

New Product Alert - Hairspray!

New product alert!
Just came to my attention last week, when there was a free beauty give away at work.

TIGI puts out a product called Free UR Mind hairspray.
The packaging caught my eye- it says LOVE PEACE and the PLANET on it with a huge peace sign.

The scent is Cherry Almond (Yum) and get this.....it boasts: no parabens, no artificial colors, no synthetic fragrances AND for an extra added bonus, the bottle is made from 50 percent recycled material and made from plant proteins.

I think that is pretty responsible beauty product making.

Oh, and at the bottom of the bottle it asks "Please Rinse and Recycle Me"

What a great reminder.

Love Love.

It's time for SUNSCREEN!

The hot weather in NY came on fast and took many of us by surprise just last weekend.
I have to admit....I was unprepared and used a chemical based sunscreen. (Gasp!)

Was very excited to read this post on Daily Candy this morning and I am re-inspired to make sure I keep my kid's skin chemical free. Babo Botanicals are made from all natural, organic ingredients that grow on a farm upstate. Really, can you get any better? ;-)

Babo Botanicals - introduces a sunblock stick that is gentle for faces. They also have a shampoo/conditioner line. My only concern is that as a mom "on the go" I would love to see a natural spray of some sort.... still working on finding that. If any of my loyal readers find one of these, let me know!

You can buy online at the site: http://www.babobotanicals.com/index.php?cPath=26&osCsid=hk458bdsq9ne3o83c8mpetbs30

OR

You can buy in NYC at: C.O. Bigelow Chemists, 414 Sixth Avenue, between 8th and 9th Streets

Natural Remedies for Sunburn

Yesterday I was in sunburn pain hell, combined with the fact that I was emotionally uncomfortable at work walking around as red as a lobster. I am not 17 and I should know better.

It started off innocently, I just wanted a bit of color and so I sprayed on my sunscreen AFTER I got to the beach but probably a tad too late.

We all do it and sometimes we miss a crucial spot on our kids and they get it too. Here are some good home remedies - Au natural- in case you too had a moment where you slipped back into your teen years.

Remedies:

Aloe: Take as many leaves as necessary from an aloe plant; refrigerate; peel off top layer of leaves; apply the side of the leaf with flesh exposed directly to the sunburn. Other remedies use aloe vera juice: for mild to medium sunburn, keep the affected area moist with aloe vera juice. Repeat frequently. This will reduce the pain and the amount of peeling. Aloe vera ointment works well, too, as it contains oil and will not evaporate. For a severe sunburn, keep the area moist at all times with aloe vera juice. Since aloe vera is an astringent, you may want to use aloe vera ointment or some sort of oil, such as olive or baby. Aloe is very effective in relieving pain and inflammation.

Combine aloe juice with ½ the amount of vitamin E. Dab on the sunburn. Vitamin E is a good moisturizer.

Apple cider vinegar: Apply apple cider vinegar to the burn with a cottonball, or make a cooling compress for a large area to relieve the pain. Keep the skin moistened. This remedy will prevent blistering and peeling.

Aspirin: Aspirin kills the pain and reduces inflammation and redness of a sunburn. It short-circuits the whole sunburn process. It must be taken within 24 hours of getting sunburned. Aspirin is preferable to ibuprofen or acetaminophen because it is less stressful on the liver and kidneys.

Baking soda: Dissolve some baking soda in water and make a compress using a clean cloth. Another remedy is to add 1/2 cup of baking soda to a tepid bath and soak. Instead of drying the affected area with a towel, let it air dry. Baking soda is cooling and will help the skin retain moisture.

Baths: Add 20 drops of each of lavender and chamomile essential oils to a tubful of cool water and soak for 10 minutes.

Bergamot: Add bergamot oil to cool bathwater.

Calendula: Put 20 drops of calendula tincture in four ounces of water and bathe the skin until the pain goes away. Calendula is also available in gels and salves. Calendula will help soften and heal burned skin. It is anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, and can be used long after the burn to heal the skin.

Cucumber: Rub sunburned area with fresh cucumber slices. They are very cool and will soothe the area.

Epsom salts: Dissolve epsom salts in water and make a compress using a clean cloth.
Ice Apply ice or cold water to the burned area. This will stop the burning process and cool the skin.

Lavender: Mix 20-25 drops of lavender oil in one cup of water and bathe the sunburned area.

Lemon water: Mix the juice of three lemons into two cups of cold water and sponge on the sunburn. The lemon will cool the burn, act as a disinfectant, and will promote healing of the skin.
Milk Make a compress of whole milk (or buttermilk) and apply to the burned area for 20 minutes; repeat every two to four hours. Wash the milk off so you won't smell sour! The fat content of the milk is soothing for burns.
A similar remedy suggests using a cup of skim milk and four cups of water, adding a few ice cubes, and applying as a compress as recommended above.

Oatmeal: Put some oatmeal in tepid bath water, soak for a few minutes, then air dry yourself.
Oil Cover the area with cooking oil and sprinkle powdered ginger on the oil. This will promote healing.

Onion :Bruise an onion and rub on the burn.

Peppermint: Apply peppermint oil to the sunburned skin. You can also make a mild peppermint infusion and use it as a wash to cool the sunburn.

Potato: Grate a potato and apply it to the burned area. The starch will cool and soothe the burn.
St. Johns Wort Make an ointment or salve with the essential oil of St. Johns wort for burns that have not broken the skin. It is anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial.Shower Take a warm shower to draw out the heat of your sunburn. The warm water will increase circulation to the area while hydrating it, thereby speeding the healing process.

Tea: Make some tea, cool, and apply to the burn. While any tea may be beneficial, mint tea, such as peppermint or spearmint are especially good. The teas have tannins that help the healing process.

Urtica urens: Put 20 drops of urtica urens tincture in four ounces of water and bathe the skin. This remedy is good for itchy, prickly skin.

Vinegar: See Apple Cider Vinegar remedy above.

Witch hazel :Make a decoction of witch hazel and apply with a compress.

Yarrow Native Americans used an infusion of ground yarrow as a wash.

Yogurt:Apply plain yogurt with live cultures, let it stand for a few minutes, then rinse off under cool water.
Another remedy using yogurt is to mix equal parts of yogurt and mashed strawberries and apply to the sunburned area for 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water.


Caution! You may have sun poisoning if you experience chills, fever, or get blisters or a rash. See your physician!

Source: http://www.health911.com/sunburn

Healthy Cereals

Hello Moms and Faithful Readers!

Today I came across a great article that I wanted to share with you and it's all about cereal.
Though I try to make whole wheat pancakes and eggs as much as I can, by Thurs and Friday cereal is where it's at!

Since the usual kids brands are packed with sugar and other chemicals, I am always looking for healthy alternatives.

Real Simple (click here) has a great article here on good choices with no high fructose corn syrup. You have to look a bit closer at the boxes to see which ones have other chemicals absent but it's definitely a start!

Also, as a side note, since my kids LOVE marshmallows... I followed up on this brand: Three Sisters Marshmallow Oaties. Sold at Whole Foods, it claims to be all natural with no dyes!
I will be making a trip there this week to try this claim out.

Also a few of the brands are environmentally friendly and are packaged in re-sealable bags cutting down on the excess cardboard. (Note to all cereal companies - this is BRILLIANT and you should adapt at once. Anyone remember how CDs used to be packaged?? Member those???)

No More Waity Katie

In honor of the Royal Wedding, which I kid will be playing on continuous loop in my house for at least 48 hours, Butter of London has several chemical free make up and skin care items that honor the princess in waiting.

"No More Waity Katie" is a shade of nail polish that boasts no formaldehyde, no dbp and no toluene which all translate into no carcinogens of any type.

They also have a companion, "No More Waity Katie" lip color, which is also chemical free.

To view the full site, click here.

Also sold in Ricky's through NYC.

Brilliant!

Au Natural Way to Dye Easter Eggs

I can't believe that Easter is this Sunday! Some people color eggs early but I like to do it the night before.

When purchasing my Paas kit, I gave a quick thought to the dyes and chemicals that were probably in those little tablets, but I tried not to think about it.

Later that night I found this story on Healthy Child Healthy World about how to dye Easter eggs the natural way.

When I read the title, I was excited.

When I read the article, I was tired.

It's complicated!!

Although I think I'll pass on trying it this year, I did want to share with all of you and maybe hear some stories on other "tricks" from my readers.

Feel free to comment here or on Facebook.

Here are the instructions:

Instructions

1. Hard boil 1 dozen eggs and allow them to cool in the refrigerator.

2. Decide how many colors you want to make and take out the appropriate number of pots.

3. To each pot, add: 1 quart of water and 2 tablespoons white vinegar

4. Add the following ingredients to each pot:

* Red: 2 cups Cranberry juice and 8 cups red onion peels (Your grocer will gladly give you their discarded peels.)

* Red-Orange: 3-4 tablespoons chili powder

* Mahogany: 10-12 cups brown onion skins (Your grocer will gladly give you their discarded peels.)

* Yellow: 3-4 tablespoons tumeric

* Blue: ½—¾ head chopped red cabbage

5. Bring each of the pots to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow them to simmer for 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, prepare your eggs by wrapping them in rubber bands or putting on stickers (which will leave behind white stripes or patterns).

7. Pour the dyes through a strainer and return them to the pot or a clean bowl.

8. Gently lower some of the hard boiled eggs into each of the hot dyes.

9. The color will deepen the longer they stay in the dye, but an hour should do the trick. If you wish to keep them submerged for longer, you should pour the dyes into containers that fit into your refrigerator, and let the eggs soak in there.

ONE HOUR??!! Per EGG???!!!

Next year this might have to be a month long project. And does anyone have a grocer? Ha!

Let me know how you all do!

Full article is here!

Sprinkle a little flaxseed into your day!

Q: What the heck is flaxseed and how will I ever get this past my kids?
A: A very nutritional natural product that has Omega3s, fiber and other good stuff that very easily goes into pancake mix and virtually has no flavor or otherwise identifiable qualities and has been easily sneaked into my kids meals.

Read more about its benefits - from fighting breast cancer to heart disease here.

Which brand? I personally like this one since it's ground up and easy to get into things:
Bog's Red Mill Organic Flaxseed Meal.

I bought my bag at Trader Joe's but have seen it at most major supermarkets.
Don't forget to refrigerate!

Food Dye Linked To ADHD

There have been several major news stories about food dyes and hyperactivity this week.
The reports, although inconclusive, are saying that they "believe dyes to be safe". I've read about this for years now, and I do not believe everything the government or the FDA tells us.

We've gone dye free for awhile now in my house. The truth of the matter is, if it has dye in it - it isn't good for you anyway. Take a look at the examples of food with dye in it listed in this article - Cheetos, Sodas, Candy, etc. Kids shouldn't be eating those anyway!

There are easy things you can do to make a transition.
Instead of:
M & M's --> Rasinettes
Cheetos --> Baked Lays
Eggo Waffles (surprise!!) --> Van's or Trader Joe's waffles
Orange Soda --> Orange Juice
Dum Dum Lollipops --> Trader Joe's Organic Pops
Colored Goldfish --> Baked cheddar Goldfish
Nutrigrain Bars (yes, these have dye!!) --> Trader Joe's Bars (So this..... walked into a bar...)

Bottom line is, read your labels, there are healthy swaps you can make and tell your kids why you are making them.
I tell my kids all the time, if it grew in nature, it's not that bad for you!

Link to full news article is here.

Why Hello Mellow!

New brand alert!
All natural.
Smells good.
Good for you.

Check it out: http://www.hellomellow.com/products

Dangers of Triclosan (Found in antibacterial products)

I watch channel 2 news at 11pm every night. Cannot sleep without watching it and part of the reason is their “feature” of the night.
Lately, it’s been right up my alley reporting on dangers and poisons found in every day items.

Several nights ago Triclosan was the topic. Oh Triclosan and I go way back…. I’ve known about it for as long as I’ve known about parabens. It’s a bad one!

What is Triclosan? Triclosan is a harmful chemical that is found in anti-bacterial and anti-fungal soap. It is a pesticide. It kills human cells. Its safety is under review with the FDA. Are you still using this? Are you still letting your kids use this? If you think that perhaps the small usage is has will not harm you or your children consider that you are polluting the environment with it, and that it’s polluting our waters and hurting the Earth.

Bath and Body Works is a huge offender of using this chemical in their products. If you shop there, I recommend you stop at once.

Do not fear, you can still be clean. Soap and water do the trick just fine, as well as alcohol based cleansers and my personal favorite product that I keep in my bag and at my desk – Clean Well. “Like” it on facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/cleanwell
Find out more info from their website here: http://www.cleanwelltoday.com/

You can buy Clean Well at Target, Whole Foods and Drugstore.com

Fish Oil and ADHD

This is a post close to my heart.

My daughter might have ADHD or be ADHD, I don't even know the correct term for it.
She also just might be a sassy-pain-in-the-ass who doesn't care what you think.

The jury is still out on that one.

But since I am a known figure at the school and in the psychiatrist's office, I do take her behavior and restlessness quite serious.
Recently I came across several articles online and in print about the benefits of fish oil and it's direct affect on ADHD symptoms.

I ran this by my BFF, who I run all things past - and my asks to her run the gamut (i.e. should I run away from my family while they sleep? or should I buy red shoes?) - and she concurred that this might be some solid advice.

I shared with her a link I found on amazon.com about yummy tasting gummy fish oil supplements.
She replied (oh how I love her) - Trader Joe's has a version for half the price.

Don't they really just have EVERYTHING one would need????

So, off I went to TJ's (always looking for an excuse) and I purchased some gummies for 8.99 and my daughter likes them and takes them with pride. She tells her sitter "they help me focus".

Might take three months to see the results, but improving at the end of second grade is better than NOTHING.

Real Food for Real Moms

If you are like me, and located on the East Coast, you probably woke up to something you thought you never wanted to see again - SNOW!
Haven't we had enough???

I spent this lazy morning in my pjs doing some food research and looking for something healthy to make. I love baking on mornings like this.

I decided to try a recipe I had posted on my bulletin board for healthy chocolate chip cookies! (Yes, there is such a thing!)
The recipe was courtesy of realfoodmoms (found in Parenting Mag) - so as the cookies were baking, I ran and checked out the site and their blog and was pleasantly surprised.

Real food moms also have a cookbook out and recipes on their blog - for those who need ideas for TONIGHT.
I am loving their use of beans.

Here's the blog for reading on this snowy President's Day.

And the recipe, if you are still in your pjs looking for a fun mom/kid activity is as follows:

2 cup of whole wheat flower
1 tsp of baking soda
1/4 cup of rolled oats
pinch of salt

- Blend above together
- For extra health-appeal, add some ground flax seed! A new staple in our house!

In a separate bowl, mix a stick of butter until creamy.
Add two eggs, one at a time
Add a tsp of vanilla
Add 1 1/2 cup of brown sugar.

Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet and then mix together. When blended, throw in semi-sweet chocolate chips OR some dark chocolate chunks.

Spoon out on non greased cookie sheet not too much and bake for 10-12 minutes.
I made two sheets but do not make the lumps too large - that was my first mistake!

Enjoy your day off, and your cookies, and find something healthy to make for dinner tonight.
I am off to see the Justin Bieber movie with two seven year old girls.
Help!

For the Mamas (& kids by default) : Great Book Reviews

Taking a break today from the healthy eating and habits topic to discuss emotional well-being. We have kids, we yell. We have friends, we get upset. We have sisters/brothers/inlaws that all irk us from time to time....so whether or not you have children THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU.

It's definitely a hard concept to grasp and the book is a bit repetitive - but the theory is this:

If you let your kids know that you understand how they feel, if you give them a chance to express those feelings of frustration, anger and other raw emotions - and you reflect that back to them, they will diffuse much quicker and there will be no need for screaming. (You can also try this with your mother in law- it works!)

What are these magic books?

My favorite is How to Talk so Your Kids Will Listen & Listen So Your Kids Will Talk

Best price I found online is at amazon.com.

This is sold at all major book stores if you are the brick and mortar type.

A great runner up and the original work the above book is based on is: Between Parent and Child.

To be green - I borrowed and read both of these from my local library but I think it might be wise to own one so that you can refer back to it.

Nothing will change over night but these are good skill sets to learn.

Happy reading!

Shopping Green

If you've been reading this blog, you might be wondering "Green, Healthy, Organic Mom - how do I shop for green products? I am short on time and need to have this info at my finger tips!"

Well today's post is dedicated to cosmetic and body product shopping.

Here are some tips.
If you can afford it, I personally like Target and Fairway for organic products such as body soap, shampoo, conditioner, creams, etc. Burt's Bees is sold at most drug stores and is an excellent brand for kids.

Now, if you are looking for yourself - look no further than your local T.J. Maxx and Marshalls because wowser, they have a ton. I found paraben-free exfoliant for three dollars, hand creams, shampoos, hand soaps and household cleaning items for way under ten dollars each (and sometimes under five!)

Also, I love Sephora's site for easy shopping - they brand their items with the "Naturally Organic" green seal.

Check back tomorrow for an updated post on "how to shop in the supermarket". What are you talking about Green Mom - is there an actual method? Why yes, there is.....

Pregnant Women - Take Note

I was just watching the 11o'clock news, which my parents instilled in me and I do EVERY NIGHT unless sick or OUT (the latter being very rare) when I heard a segment that lasted 30 seconds and was rushed and jammed into the newscast.

Apparently, a test for pesticides and other harmful illegal chemicals was done on American pregnant women - and the results were frightening.

The full article is here.

The quick conclusion was to eat organic, stay away from make up with harmful chemicals in it - and probably stay away from non-stick cookware- which is just begging for some research and a dedicated blog post from me.

Check back soon to see what you should be cooking with.

Now tell me, isn't this scary?? And we wonder why childhood cancers and autism is so high!

Do you take your shoes off?

Seems even Dr. Oz agrees that taking off your shoes in your home prevents unwanted chemicals and other disgusting waste from entering that can make you and your family ill.

Here is some back up research. Now take those shoes off and buy your tooties some slippers!

Full Article is Here.

The proof for the pudding is here:
3. Your shoes: Do you keep your shoes on in your house? Yes, this is a controversial issue -- those who like to keep their shoes on, thankyouverymuch, may take offense to rhetoric about removing shoes at the door. But, there has been a mounting amount of research in the past years indicating that what we track in on the bottom of our souls could be making us sick -- from chemicals lingering on sidewalks and roads to the microbes you picked up in the public restroom. In fact, some health experts consider taking shoes off in your home as a way that anyone can improve their health. Even the super-doc Dr. Mehmet Oz suggested this year that it was on his top-5 list of things he'd recommend people do. So take those shoes off, darlings!