The Healthy Parenting Blog

Mispronounced Words…

crack me up.  How many times has your child come to you with a serious face and a mispronounced word or saying? Keeping a straight face isn’t always easy.

We’ve grinned and beared it through “appletite”, “marriage-go-round”, “teethpicks” and “boyly” but the best so far happened just the other day.  My 6 year old came to me very serious and told me that the little girl across the street had something he really wanted.  He did his typical starting his sentence over and over again as he stumbled over trying to get his thoughts across and finally spit it out.

He wants a “diarrhea book”.  A what?  I said, you want a “diarrhea book?”  “Yep, a diarrhea book” was the answer.

It took me a second to realize he was asking for a diary to write his thoughts in.  lol.

NJites have a chance to ban Bisphenol A!

Please pass this on to ALL your friends and family in NJ!  There is currently a bill in the works to ban bisphenol A.  The more folks that know about this, the better for NJ.  Maybe we can do this state by state? 

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=23858

Organic Label Lawsuit

An old friend to this gal, Dr. Bronner’s is pushing change in the coolest way.  This company that produces liquid soaps that I’ve used since I was 15, has brought about a lawsuit in conjunction with the OCA (Organc Consumer Association) against a list of so called “natural” companies using not so natural and often carcinogenic ingredients.  The gruesome list of offenders can be found on the press release below.  Its time we hold these companies using the term “Organic” on their labels, accountable!

Read the press release.

Sign the petition to hold these companies accountable!

Fish Expert on NPR

I listened to a very informative interesting show on NPR yesterday. We all know the hazards of some fish.  Most of us have probably printed out the little charts telling us which fish is high in mercury, etc.  But this Fresh Air segment provides some very informative information about fish that I never knew.  Many of the fish in stores are named with made up names!  Chilean Sea Bass, for instance is just a nice name made up because the real name of the fish is much less aesthetic. 

The marine scientist also shares information about farm raised fish and why some of it is less than desirable.  He also addresses which fish are bad for the environIf you have time, its worth listening to.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89807877

Bisphenol A Ban in Canada!

GO CANADA!!! This was shared last Friday by a commenter on my blog.
http://www.cbc. ca/canada/story/2008/04/18/bisphenol-a.html

For the whole story on this toxic chemical that babies are exposed to daily,
check out the Bisphenol A category.

Electronic Recycling

How very cool! Costco has teamed up with Greensight Technologies to offer an electronic recycling program. You can actually get a rebate for turning in your old electronics, depending upon its condition. What an amazing idea! Get an estimate at the link for your computer, printer, fax, camera, game system or MP3 player. Even if you don’t qualify for a rebate, they will still take the electronic in for recycling.

Buying Natural Personal Care and Vitamins

I’ve been buying from online shops for awhile now and am constantly
checking for new places. I was using (and recommended here previously)
A1Nutrition for awhile and was happy with them but they’ve since gone
WAYYY downhill with me having to cancel my last order AFTER they took
my money and then 2 weeks later nothing (only to find out that everything
was on backorder…when did they plan to tell me?) This happens from time
to time from these discount places but figured I’d share my current favorites.

I’m currently splitting my orders between Vitaglo.com and Vitaminlife.com
You really have to continually check pricing. For instance, I order
MegaFood Essentials Mini Tabs for the kids..most places online are selling
this for around $27.00 (for 270) but I found it at VitaminLife the cheapest, at
$18.00.

VitaGlo.com had the cheapest Aubrey Organics, except for some Mens
Aubrey that my dh uses, I found VitaminLife to have the better price there. Weleda
toothpaste (2.99) was the cheapest I’ve found at Vitaglo.

Shipping is really decent with being around $5-9.

Wordless Wednesday

Walmart: Is it Really Worth the Savings?

A fabulous article that is a must read for anyone who shops at Walmart or knows someone who shops at Walmart.
How Walmart is Remaking our World by Jim Hightower

Top 10 Wal-Mart Worst Actions

From Walmartwatch.com

1. A judge fined Wal-Mart $18 million because the company provided incomplete and false evidence in a lawsuit brought by a woman who had been abducted in a Wal-Mart parking lot.
2. Upholding a $2.3 million verdict awarded to two women sexually harassed by a Wal-Mart manager, the judge said, the manager’s conduct was “outrageous and apparently Wal-Mart was aware of this, since his conduct was witnessed high-level [supervisors].
3. Federal judges in three states have fined Wal-Mart–as much as $120,000–for destroying evidence, withholding documents, and other violations in cases where Wal-Mart shoppers were either injured or a crime victim at a Wal-Mart store.
4. A jury found that Wal-Mart fired a white female employee because she was dating a black man, in a 1998 case.
5. A 14-year Wal-Mart worker was awarded $2.75 million after a jury decided store officials wrongly accused her of stealing.
6. Three existing community jobs are destroyed for every two new jobs at Wal-Mart.
7. Wal-Mart, the company that wrapped itself in the American Flag, is so patriotic it runs a Buy Mexican campaign.
8. Wal-Mart sold fake Tommy Hilfiger apparel to consumers after a judged ordered the company to stop.
9. Only 38% of Wal-Mart employees have company provided health insurance–compared to a national average that shows 60% of employees are covered by company plans.
10. After the FTC charged Wal-Mart with not identifying the country of origin on apparel items listed on its Internet sales site, Wal-Mart removed the items, apparently preferring not to disclose where the clothing was made.

More GREAT Articles

The Wal-Mart You Don’t Know
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html

FrontLine’s piece on Walmart
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/

WalMart Watch: A site keeping track of their injustices
http://www.walmartwatch.com/

Another watch dog site;
http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/

Congress report on Walmart
http://www.againstthewal.com/studies/millerwalmartreport.htm

Fox News and Walmart: It’s a Love Story
http://www.newshounds.us/2005/01/14/fox_news_and_walmart_its_a_love_story.php

Healthcare and Walmart
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/507169?src=mp

Do you shop at Wal-Mart? Wouldn’t you like to shop there knowing that Wal-Mart
follows U.S. child labor laws and refuses to profit from overseas child labor abuses?
Unfortunately, this is not the case.
http://go.care2.com/e/R2ZR/b9qg/vDLt

Think Walmart is organic? Think again!
http://cornucopia.org/index.php/wal-mart-white-paper/

Grist’s Blog on Why Walmart is Evil
http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2004/11/22/umbra-walmart/

Another Reason not to Shop at Walmart

This is yet another reason why we don’t step foot in Walmart. Remember this company profits over 2 billion dollars per quarter. Over 60% of its workers have no health insurance (or get it in other ways). And now taking money away from poor families that need it.

Walmart Sues Permanently Injured Employee

Excerpt:

Employers grab accident victims’ cash

Wal-Mart’s health plan sued an ex-worker, brain-damaged in a crash, to collect money from a settlement she’d received. It’s part of a trend in which companies aggressively try to recoup insurance costs.

By The Wall Street JournalA collision with a tractor-trailer seven years ago left 52-year-old Deborah Shank permanently brain-damaged and in a wheelchair. Her husband, Jim, and three sons found a small source of solace: a $700,000 accident settlement from the trucking company involved.

After legal fees and other expenses, the remaining $417,000 was put in a special trust. It was to be used for Deborah Shank’s care.

Instead, all of it is now slated to go to Deborah’s former employer, Wal-Mart Stores.

Read the above link for more on the story and you can also donate to the family at Walmart Watch.