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!
Archive for the 'Organics' Category
Easter is coming! As per usual, I’m behind in getting started but save the info for next year if you’re already 10 steps ahead of me. 
Basket
One thing everyone can do to green up Easter is to NOT buy those throw away Easter baskets. There are many greener options available these days. For one, invest in a nice basket that will last many years. I have used the same straw Easter baskets for each of my boys for about 5 years now.
You can also buy galvanized tin paint pails at your hardware store and have your children help you paint them or you can decopage them, if you are crafty.
Another idea I found was to use an actual outdoor hanging plant basket, which might be suitable for older children or the adult in your life that likes the Easter Bunny to visit.
Grass
I still bought the Easter grass last year and was hoping to find an alternative this year. If you start a few weeks early, Creative Kids at Home offers a great instructional on growing your own real grass for your Easter baskets.
This is a great opportunity to let your kids help out with the greening up of Easter. Now more than ever, global warming is an important topic that kids want to know and do something about. So I think for this year, we will hold a “construction paper rip”event. We have tons of construction paper (who doesn’t?)….so I’ll let each child pick their colors and rip into tiny pieces. The explanation is for our house an easy one, since we’ve always told our kids that the Easter Bunny (and Santa) use the wrapping paper and supplies at each house. So they will be helping to supply the Easter Bunny with a more environmentally sound option. Perfect!
Candy
Baskets do not need to be filled to the brim with candy. Things like stickers, small games, books, balls, etc. all make wonderful additions to your child’s Easter basket. If you have any icing bags laying around, you can fill it with any orange item, add some grass to the ends and you have a homemade carrot to add to your basket.
For organic, natural and free trade chocolates and candy, here is what I found;
Jelly Belly is now offering naturally colored and flavored jelly beans.
Natural Candy Store offers natural, organic and dye free hard candies and more.
Check out Global Exchanges Fair Trade store. They have tons of Easter candy, chocolate and items for your child’s Easter basket!
Liz Lovely’s Organic Fair Trade Bakery - Kid’s Easter Treats
Sweet Earth Chocolates - Organic/Fair Trade Easter Bunnies and eggs
Vegan Divine - Organic Easter Egg Hunt packs
From Kate’s Caring Gifts, Chocolate Easter Egg Pack
World’s Finest is one chocolate company that over 40,000 schools and youth groups use for their fundraisers. At Democracy Now, you can send a free fax asking them for fair trade chocolate.
Eggs
Here’s a cool option for dying easter eggs;
This is done actually by wrapping eggs in onion skins! Learn how here at Instructables.com
If you want to dye eggs naturally, here are a few ideas for coloring eggs naturally. Or check out Martha Stewart’s step by step instructions on how to dye eggs using natural ingredients. Serious natural egg dyers will want to check out Mama Lisa’s Blog entry, How to Dye Eggs Naturally. Its an amazing egg-speriment! She takes you through her step by step eggventure in dying with photo results.
Happy Easter!
If you’re like me, there’s nothing like FREE to open up your eyes and make you sit up straight. So while purchase is necessary, its something I already buy regularly and so might you!
There’s not alot of time left so if interested, you have to get rolling. All you need to do is buy 4 of the large 2 lb organic Stonyfields yogurt tubs and collect the foil pull off tops. Then mail them to the address noted on them. That’s it! And voila, a free subscription. You only have until January 31, 2008 but if your kids are big yogurt eaters as mine are, it shouldn’t be a problem. :)
Enjoy!
Its hard to believe that there is a single soul today that hasn’t heard of the benefits of eating organicly. Or thought to go organic at some point. If one puts aside the undeniable price increase a family is burdened with if the decision to go “organic” is made, it is doubtful to me that most would choose the pesticide laden produce over the organic.
For those that have friends that have been considering buying organics, here’s a site that will get them a free starter kit (a 9 page downloadable booklet explaining the benefits of organics) if they commit to eating 10% organic. It sounds like an easy way to start.
No, this is not a joke. I’ve been stewing over this for a number of days now. I just can’t figure out who had to be asleep at the wheel for this to happen.
The Agriculture Department of Pennsylvania has deemed that milk labels that state “rBST-free” or “hormone free” are no longer permitted. Do you want to know the reasoning behind this? Hold on to your hats. Here is a direct quote from Monsanto spokesman, Michael Doane, in speaking about the hormone free label, ”implies to consumers, who may or may not be informed on these issues, that
there’s a health-and-safety difference between these two milks, that
there’s ‘good’ milk and ‘bad’ milk, and we know that’s not the case.”
And if you are wondering what Monsanto has to do with PA dairy regulations….maybe it has to do with their request to the FTC to take action against dairies using “hormone free” labels. Their request was denied. But they obviously have friends in high PA places.
Monsanto, the only manufacturer of rBST (also known as recombinant bovine growth hormone - rBGH) also sued a small Maine dairy back in 2003 due to their “hormone free” labeling practices. Monsanto claimed…guess what? The same exact claims made by the Pennsylvania Agriculture Dept. I am looking into if they won the suit or not.
The rBST hormone has been approved in the US since 1994 but is is banned in the European Union, Canada, Australia and Japan. Under FDA policy, food companies are allowed to make claims on labels that they do not use rBST, as long they do not “mislead consumers” to believe milk from cows without rBST is safer or of higher quality.
So Monsanto is sleeping with the PA government. It is said that Ohio is also looking into a similar ban. Please contact your representatives and let them know that if THEY too sleep with Monsanto, that you will not support them!
This is too hysterical not to share. Aside from some darn amusing tactics, you are joining hands with a good cause and a number of groups that support true organic practices in the dairy industry. Without our support and involvement, organic practices will be allowed to erode.
So join our bovine sisters for free and get your posters and blog badges, as well as your map sticky.
Yikes, how did it get to be October already?? I swore last year that I’d have my fair trade organic chocolates early “next” year. Right. Well, its too hot where we are in NC right now to order anything chocolate unless you do overnight delivery - so there’s still time for procrastinators like you and me. 
If buying Fair Trade chocolate hasn’t weighed heavily on your mind, you might want to think about it this year. As far back as Summer 2001, it was reported that the cocoa industry was using child slave labor to pick the cocoa beans on the farms. The number of children slaves forced to work in terrible conditions is around 300,000. The chocolate giants admitted to such and vowed to end the practices but years later, nothing has been done and nothing has been demanded of the chocolate corporations who are still profiting from child slave labor.
It is imperative that we send a message to the chocolate industry that we will not stand for this. Please make sure the chocolate you buy this year is FAIR TRADE! Here is a table of chocolate that is slave free. And if you have the time, send a note to Nestle, M&M and whoever else will listen telling them WHY you won’t purchase their products.
Organic and Fair Trade Halloween Candy
Thompson Candy has organic halloween colored chocolate coins and halloween chocolate pops. Call to order; 1(800)648-4058
They sell retail only through their retail outlet factory store.
College Farm Organic Candies offers a nice assortment of hard candies in many flavors including; vanilla caramel, strawberry cream and their favorite “Naturepops”. You can find where to buy on their site on or try Amazon and veganessentials but they also now have their own online store and a 50count Halloween Lollipop bag (on sale for $5.95 right now);
Peanut Butter cats and Chocolate Bat Cookies by Dancing Deer. Great for if you’re planning on making your own little goodie bags. 28 cookies costs $25 or you can buy them wrapped in pairs; 12 pairs for $20. Some new gifts, including “candy corn” sugar cookies.
Sunspire Sundrops (like M&Ms). You can get a box of 24 individual serving bags for $24.00..same price as last year. Sweetened with cane juice and no dyes (beet juice, etc…used for coloring)
Sweet Earth Chocolates
Organic and Fair Traded chocolate coins in wrapped in halloween colors.
Milk chocolate or 65% bittersweet….100pc bag at $22
Global Exchange’s Fair Trade Halloween Store
Some chocolate coins and a few other halloween treats.
Equal Exchange
Organic fair trade chocolate bars. Ships UPS (so temperature must be below 75 degrees to get delivery)
Endangered Species ChocolateSpecializing in natural, ethically traded sweets, donating 10 percent of its net profits to “help support species, habitat and humanity.”
A Greater Gift.org is selling Divine Chocolate. A case of 30 bars for $24.50.
Divine Chocolate is a farmer owned fair trade company; http://www.divinechocolateusa.com/about
On top of the children’s slave trade issue, remember that there’s GMOs to contend with. Nestle has admitted to using GMO ingredients in such common items as toll house chocolate chips and Kit Kat bars.
http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/71/nestle
Cool Halloween Stuff
The Yard Haunter
A cool site teaching you how to haunt your yard properly.
Pumpkin Recipes (including Vegan Pumpkin Pie)
Free Pumpkin Carving Templates/Patterns
Extensive Listing of Halloween Crafts
Homemade halloween treat ideas
Homemade VEGAN Candy Corn Recipe
Do you have any healthy, organic or fair trade Halloween tips and/or links? Please share them!
Many of us already know to look for the “9″ on produce stickers that indicates ORGANIC! But what I didn’t realize is that we can also use this sticker to know if the item is Genetically Modified. Instead of a 9, GMO foods are prefaced with an “8″. Here is an example of what to look for;
For example, a conventionally grown banana would be: 4011
an organic banana would be: 94011
a genetically engineered (GE or GMO) banana would be: 84011
YEAH! Its strawberry season! One of my favorite times of year. We get a quart of freshly picked strawberries in our CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) box each week. My son looks forward to it, as do I.Â
Here is some fabulous information about how wonderfully healthy strawberries are (but please buy organic, they are one of the most heavily sprayed crops);
The EU (European Union) has done it! They have proven via studies including scientists from across Europe that organic tomatoes, apples and peaches are better for you than their conventional counterparts.  Read about it;