The Healthy Parenting Blog

A Christmas Song Favorite!

Dear Santa…

I found this in my email box this morning and it is cute enough to share…..

Dear Santa,
 
I’ve been a good mom all year. I’ve fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor’s office more than my doctor and sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son’s red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I’ll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.
 
Here are my Christmas wishes:
  Read the rest of this entry »

Free Range Eggs are More Nutritious!

Mother Earth News has tested free range in comparison to conventional eggs and the results are amazing.  The test, originally done in 2005, was redone recently with similar results. 

Free range eggs have;
• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene
than their conventional counterparts.  Now that’s ALOT to think about! 

Toxic Toys - Finally a solution

I’m sure that most can agree that the lead (and other plastic toxins) in toys is disheartening.  What is even more disheartening is the feeling of helplessness as one sits around waiting for the next recall, wondering if its something your child is sucking on at the moment.  

Finally, a solution brought to you by a partnership of environmental research groups across the nation

Healthy Toys          

This groups has tons of information that really shouldn’t be missed by any parent.  They maintain and are growing a database of toys which they are testing for lead and other toxins. These are toys ON THE SHELVES!  These are toys your children could be playing with. You can also ask for a toy to be tested. There are currently over 1,200 toys in the database.

Please please please share this site with your friends and family who have children.  This is information that should not be known only in alternative/natural circles.

“LED” the Way! A Green Christmas

Last year we started gradually changing over our incandescent christmas lights to the newer, and BETTER LED christmas lights.  This year, we’re just about done with only some white incandescent light wrapped garland that we use on our front porch left to change over.  We’ll be waiting until Christmas is over and all things Christmas go on sale to get the last of our LED lights. 

If you haven’t looked into LED, there’s a world of good in having them.  They burn tons less energy (TONS), last MUCH longer (200,000 hours compared to 2,000), do not heat up (fire risk), have no glass (its a nearly indestructible epoxy lens) and much more.

The colored mini lights are bright and cheerful.  The white lights take a little getting used to and you can not string them next to incandescent white as the glow is completely different.  But on their own, they are not bad at all.  We bought ours for a deal at Costco but if you want to learn everything there is to know about LED Christmas lights, I have the site for you!

Get with Green’s; Holiday Lights - 100+ Best Places and Best Reasons to Purchase LED Lights 

And going on now (only for another week or so) at HolidayLEDs  is a Christmas Light recycling program that can earn you some discounts on LED lights. 

I’ve emailed HolidayLEDs to see if they will continue the much needed recycling program after the discount period ends on Dec 20th.  Will update.

Also, keep in mind that there are other ways you can help to make this a green Christmas.  If you are going to send out Christmas cards,  please use recycled paper (we haven’t sent them out at all, the past couple of years).  Try newspaper comics or old maps for wrapping gifts or use reusable gift bags.  You can even contact local newspapers to see if they will give you the extra paper left at the end of the newspaper rolls after printing.

Also, keep in mind that ALL green wiring in holiday decorations does contain lead so be sure to wash your hands and keep your little ones away!  Another thing to keep in mind, is that if you are just plain done with your old decorations and ready for new ones, Freecycle is the way to go to keep unnecessary stuff out of our landfills.

Its that time - Teacher Gift Ideas

This is going to be short and sweet. 

There’s so many things that I’m sure a teacher would appreciate but we’ve always just given gift certificates.  Either to Barnes & Noble, Target or just a Mastercard/Visa gift card.  I’d much rather our favorite teachers be able to buy what they truly want or need than picking something out.  They can then choose to use it in the classroom or on themselves/their family. 

We will sometimes bake and send the giftcard in with some goodies.  Don’t forget the folks in the office who work hard, we will usually try to buy or make a plate for them as well.  Any other good ideas?

Conversation with a 5 Year Old

Sometimes I think my brain shuts down and runs on automatic, at least when it comes to things that “I” say to my kids, usually in response to their myriad of questions. Here is a conversation I had last week with my 5 year old son after reading his bedtime story.

O:  Where do people come from?

Me:  They grow in their mommies bellys made from love from the mommy and the daddy.

O:  But where do the mommies come from?

Me:  They grow in THEIR mommy’s bellys.

O:  Sighs.  (not satisfied with the answers but moves on)  Okay well, whaty’re these?  Note that he’s lifted his PJ top and has each pointer finger on a nipple. 

Me:  Those are your nipples.

O:  Whaty’re they for?

Me:  They’re for decoration.  lol.

He, of course, didn’t believe me but I’m still laughing at myself…lol. 

Free Organic Gardening Subscription

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!

Mission: Organic

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.

Mission: Organic

Hormone Free Milk Labels BANNED!

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!