MamAnomolie

I just wanted to say what a big fan I am of the Fresh Baby food trays that I bought to make baby food! They are BPA- and phthalate-free and made in the USA. Not only that, but they are relatively inexpensive and easy to use. The lids actually do stay on (which seems to be an issue with some of the baby food freezing dishes), and they stack easily in the freezer.


I bought two of them to begin with (they come two to a pack) and have since gotten four more. I will be honest, I was worried about making Sophie's food. I don't like to cook. I want to like to cook. I like the idea of cooking. I even like the idea of finding fresh and local produce to cook my meals, but the sad truth is that right now (I'm not giving up on the dream) I don't like to cook. So, I was worried that making Sophie's food would be something that I wanted to do and liked the idea of doing but wouldn't actually happen.

I am proud to say that I have been making most of Sophie's food, and it has been going really well. I'm finally getting some good use out of the food processor we were given for our wedding, and the Fresh Baby food cube trays make it easy to make a lot of food at once and have it ready for later. So far I've made sweet potatoes, bananas, butternut squash, prunes, carrots, mangoes, avocado, pear and peaches - all organic. I've also used the trays to freeze yogurt and tofu that would have otherwise spoiled. It's been great, and all but the avocado has proved palatable.

We all want to use the safest products for our wee ones, but who has the time to research all of the products out there and find out which ones are free of BPA, PVC, and other potentially harmful chemicals? Thanks to the hard work of the folks over at SafeMama, now you don't have to!

in 2007, Kathy Scoleri was a mom like the rest of us who was totally overwhelmed by having to research safety issues for the products she was purchasing. Not only did she do her research, but she also decided to start SafeMama to help other parents who were also in search of the safest options out there. Kathy, from one mother to another, let me just say THANK YOU!

My favorite part of the SafeMama web site is the cheat sheets. They make it so easy to find all of the information you need in one place on a single topic. I wanted to get some teethers for Sophie, but didn't want her putting things in her mouth that were full of BPA or phthalates. I went to SafeMama's BPA-Free Pacifiers and Teethers Cheat Sheet and immediately had a list of available options from a source that I trust. Over the past few days, I've been checking out the cheat sheet covering dishes and utensils in preparation for Sophie beginning solid foods.

There are more than 20 cheat sheets on the SafeMama site. This is a resource, like the Cosmetic Safety Database, that I will keep going back to. You rock, SafeMama! Now, if you could just create a cheat sheet on putting babies down for a nap, all will be right with the world.

Often times it is the wildlife that is all around us that we know the least about. Take a look into the amazing life of the plastic bag. Join these bags in their journey from asphalt jungle to Pacific Ocean. A warning to the squeamish - there is one scene in which one plastic bag meets a grizzly end at the hands of one of its natural predators, a park maintenance staff member. Your heart will soar, however, as you watch a bag join its brethren in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, uniting with friends and family members.

There are some blogs that I follow simply to be inspired. Clean is one of those blogs. How can you not be inspired by what is described by the author as "your (crafty, organic, bubble-filled) happy place?" Clean is the blog from LuSa Organics, makers of baby, mama and body care products in Viroqua, Wisconsin and is written by Rachel Wolf.

Be forewarned - Rachel, like Beth Terry over at Fake Plastic Fish which I mentioned in my last post - lives a green lifestyle to the nth degree. Maybe everyone else out there is not like me and doesn't start comparing themselves and their efforts to other people, but just in case you are like me, don't compare yourself to Rachel. It will only leave you feeling uncrafty, bubbleless and sad. Instead, learn to do what I have done, and use her amazing work for your own inspiration.

Clean follows Rachel and her family on their everyday adventures. Now, "everyday adventures" could really mean anything, but these people really have adventures every day. Rachel shares her lessons as she homeschools her two children, invites us into her kitchen as she cooks, provides countless ideas and tutorials for sewing, knitting and other crafty projects, lets us tag along as she explores nature as well as her small town community. She has a way of describing her days that allow you to feel the connectedness and presentness that she fosters in her life. To be honest, the photographs that she takes and uses in her blog are reason enough to visit!

As I settle into motherhood, I am learning not to compare myself to others so much, to focus on the present and to enjoy the inspiration and joy that is all around. The Clean blog is definitely an inspirational source. I even dreamed the other night that we went to visit Viroqua and really tag along on a few adventures. In my dream we rescued baby owls, had to climb into Rachel's home through tree roots and, once inside, I was so impressed by her kitchen which had craft activities ready to go hanging on the pegboard walls. All of these things were creations of my own subconscious imagination, but Clean is full of stories and adventures with just as much whimsy, passion and charm. Check it out here!

Well, I have learned my lesson - never do my blog in installments. I end up partway through and decide that I'd rather blog about something else. And does sharing consumer guidelines that I made up make me sound preachy? I hope not. And while I ponder all of this I miss my window of opportunity while my daughter is asleep to post anything at all. So, today, you'll get not-meant-to-be-preachy guidelines #3-5 all in one wallop!

#3 - Look at the Big Picture
This is actually the guideline I was thinking of when I started writing this blog in response to the story about people who chose to not serve their kids fruits and vegetables if organic options were not available. While I think most people would agree that conventionally grown produce is better than no produce at all, many times the benefits of looking at the big picture are not so obvious. We humans tend to focus on one thing, one topic, one piece of information - it's easier that way. The truth is, though, that this is not the way the world works. You may be very passionate about organic produce, which is great, but if the only option for a certain organic fruit is to get it from halfway around the world, a non-organic local option might be better. It's easier to choose between organic vs. conventional, but chances are you can make a better decision if you take a step back and take a look at all of the options.

#4 - Don't Get Overwhelmed!
This might be the most difficult guideline to follow. It often is for me. On several occasions I have been scanning product after product in the store aisle, whether it be for BPA-free teethers or paraben-free lotion, and I'm ready to throw up my hands and give up. There are so many ingredients of concern and issues surrounding products that it's easy to get overwhelmed. And there are amazing people out there who seem to be able to do it all. Have you checked out Fake Plastic Fish before? That woman manages to live with so little plastic it's unreal! I applaud people who are taking on such challenges, but most of us won't get very far if we try and compare our efforts to what some of these folks are doing. I urge people and myself to be informed, make connections, look at the big picture...and then make the choices that are right for you that you can do right now. A friend of mine sent me a quote that I love - "don't let the perfect get in the way of the good." I'm not sure who it should be attributed to - let me know if you know the source - but I think it totally applies here. Do what you can - something is better than nothing!

#5 - Know That You Can Make a Difference
While you are standing in the cosmetics aisle at your local Target, searching for paraben-free lotion, wondering whether you should even be shopping at Target anymore and feeling a little crazy as loads of people have come and gotten what they needed and are already at the register but you're now inspecting bottle #18, it's easy to feel like your efforts may not matter at all. Why even bother - you're only one person after all. It's important to know that you can make a difference. Look at BPA, for example. Nalgene didn't get rid of the BPA in their water bottles because the government told them they had to. They did it because enough consumers were voicing their concern over it and searching for other options that it was in Nalgene's best interest. Individual consumers, who probably felt small and as though they were not making a difference, but who together got things changed. Hooray! Keep that in mind when you feel like all of your effort might not be worth it.

So, there are the rest of the five consumer guidelines. I hope they didn't sound preachy, and I hope they can be useful to you. If you have any ideas or guidelines that you use to consumer more thoughtfully I would love to hear them!

My second guideline for making informed consumer choices is to make connections. By this I mean to think beyond the product in front of you and ask yourself how it got there. What were the raw materials that went into making it? How were these raw materials obtained? Where was it made? What were the working conditions of the people who made it?

It can be difficult to make these connections, but I think they are important. If there was a picture on every package of the working conditions of the people who made the product, my guess is that many of our buying habits would change. It is the job of marketers and advertisers to make a product look as good as possible, so it's up to us to ask questions and dig deeper into company policies and practices.

This recent post from the Healthy Child Healthy World blog (a fabulous blog which I highly recommend, by the way) reminded me of my guidelines for more responsible consumption. Basically, the post mentioned a recent study linking pesticides on produce to ADHD. Janelle Sorensen, the blog's author, went on to explain that some people were so concerned about the study results that they were not feeding their kids fresh produce at all. Sorensen shares her opinion that issues like this cannot be dealt with in a black and white only manner. Sure, if you can feed your family organic produce, that's great, but if not, feeding them fresh fruits and veggies is still great and better than no fruits and veggies at all. Use your heads, people! Sorensen was much more polite than me in her plea to parents.

It's true that all of the issues you hear about surrounding our choices as consumers can be overwhelming. It can be difficult to know what to believe and where to begin. A few years ago I came up with 5 guidelines that I think are helpful in making choices about what to buy and use. They are all pretty simple, but I still think they can be helpful, especially if you're just starting to look more critically at your own consumption habits.

So, Rule #1 is to Be Informed! I told you, these are pretty simple. Being informed means getting information, not from marketers, but from independent, science-based resources. It also is a reminder that you have the right to be informed. If you can't get an ingredient list, why not? Also, think critically about the information that you receive, and beware of greenwashing. We all feel warm and fuzzy when we see that something is labeled as "all natural." Well, arsenic is all natural. That doesn't mean it's good for you.

I've mentioned several of the resources that I go to for information on this blog before, and I'll keep sharing more. Please let me know if you have any go-to resources for learning more about the products you purchase. Oh, and Rules #2-#5 will be on their way soon!

Looking for safe toys for your little one? Want super in-depth product reviews? Curious as to what happens when someone sports synthetic urine soaked diapers on her arms in order to test the potential for skin irritation? That last one really got your attention, didn't it?

All of this and more can be found at ZRecommends. It's a great site for parents who are looking for quality consumer recommendations focusing on product health and safety. And these people are truly dedicated to the cause. The diapers on the arm thing wasn't a joke. The folks over at ZRecommends are currently testing Pampers Dry Max diapers on themselves due to complaints of the diapers causing nasty rashes.

Years of reporting on potentially harmful chemicals in children's products led to the creation of the ZRecs Guide to Safer Children's Products. The guide covers BPA, phthalates, parabens, lead and more in everything from bottles to sleepwear. The database can be searched by brand or by category.

Toy safety is of great concern to me. Sophie is growing and doing more every day. I want to get her some new toys that will help in her development and be fun to play with, but of course I'm concerned about what's in those toys, especially since it will end up in her mouth. I would love to hear about toy guides you have found that cover these topics, or toy brands you have found that are safe. Please add your comments and input!

It's the first day of summer, which means it's time to slather on the sunscreen. The problem is, some of the ingredients in those sunscreens could be unhealthy. Furthermore, many of the sunscreens on the market simply don't do a very good job of protecting your skin from the suns harmful rays.

The Food and Drug Administration began writing regulations for sunscreen in 1978....are you waiting for the rest of that sentence, because there is no more. They have yet to issue their final regulations after thirty-two years!

So, interested in which sunscreens have safe ingredients and will provide the protection you need? The Environmental Working Group has come to the rescue again with their 2010 Sunscreen Guide. Take a look at where your favorite brand ranks, and find out which sunscreens you can feel good about using on yourself and your family!

So, it's been awhile, huh? You know, I have to hand it to the mamas out there who have a baby and pretty much blog right on through. Seriously, I don't know how you do it.

My little Sophie was born at the end of March, and I am only ready to come back to the blog now...the first day of summer. I've been thinking about how I should re-enter my blog. At first I thought I needed an explanation for why I had been MIA for so long. You would think that having a baby would be explanation enough, but there are plenty of people who just keep on blogging. I am not one of those people. And I'm also not one to share all of the details of my labor or try to explain on a blog just how deeply I care about Sophie. There is nothing wrong with those kinds of blogs, in fact, I have enjoyed reading some of those blogs, but I am not one of those bloggers and this is not one of those blogs.

I simply didn't want to blog for the past three months, and if it's alright with everyone, I'm just going to continue on from here as though I were with you all along with no good explanation at all :)

We have been so fortunate to receive so many hand-me-down items for our soon-to-arrive baby girl. We have a closet full of clothes ready to go. I expected that some of the items we received may not be things we would have chosen, but what I didn't expect was to receive items that we couldn't even identify.

That is what happened when we pulled out a certain pink and white piece of fabric with openings and velcro that made us certain it had a specific intended use. We just had no idea what it was. Jonathan quickly decided that it was for next Halloween for which he would dress up as Dumb Donald from Fat Albert.

Take a look - the similarities are quite striking. The color is even right, and I must say, Jonathan is pretty good with his impersonations. We actually had to ask around to figure out what we had received. It turns out that it's a grocery shopping cart cover...because evidently everybody needs these because grocery carts are disgusting.

I know that everybody has their thing...I spend way too much time looking up ingredient information on personal products, which I'm sure many people just roll their eyes at. Jonathan and I are the kinds of people who think that there is such a thing as too clean and that a little bit of dirt and germs are good for kids to be exposed to. I did start to wonder, though, just how germy are grocery carts?

And just like that, my question was answered. Healthy Child Healthy World had a blog post titled Which Has More Germs - A Restaurant Tray or a Park Sandbox? Part of me was excited and a bit smug after reading it because it turns out that the shopping cart has the least amount of germs compared with every other item mentioned. Another part of me was bummed that the people in my family (who shall remain nameless) who use a paper towel to turn off the faucet in public restrooms now have some hard data to justify their actions.

I think the post is important in that it shows people that what we perceive as being germy is not necessarily as bad as we think, and vice versa. Take, for example, the fact that a toilet seat has fewer germs than a reusable cafeteria tray. The article also brings up the important, and often overlooked, fact that most germs are benign and live peacefully with us all the time. It basically comes down to the fact that germs are a normal part of life, and normal hand washing is generally enough to protect you and your little ones from any bad germs out there. So, Jonathan, you're free to be Dumb Donald for Halloween.

It is February 1st, and many of you know what that means... It's time for one of my favorite Tom Robbins quotes!

I share this quote with friends each February, and I find it to be so true year after year. I have a feeling that this particular year, sitting at 33 weeks pregnant as I greet the month, it will be even more fitting.

So, here goes...

"They say that February is the shortest month, but you know they could be wrong.

Compared, calendar page against calendar page, it looks to be the shortest, all right. Spread between January and March like lard on bread, it fails to reach the crust on either slice. In its galoshes - and you'll never catch February in stocking feet - it's a full head shorter than December, although in leap years, when it has growth spurts, it comes up to April's nose.

However more abbreviated than its cousins it may look, February feels longer than any of them. It is the meanest moon of winter, all the more cruel because it will masquerade as spring, occasionally for hours at a time, only to rip off its mask with a sadistic laugh and spit icicles into every gullible face, behavior that grows quickly old.

February is pitiless, and it is boring. That parade of red numerals on its page adds up to zero: birthdays of politicians, a holiday reserved for rodents, what kind of celebrations are those? The only bubble in the flat champagne of February is Valentine's Day. It was no accident that our ancestors pinned Valentine's Day on February's shirt: he or she lucky enough to have a lover in frigid, antsy February has cause for celebration, indeed.

Except to the extent that it 'tints the buds and swells the leaves within,' February is as useless as the extra r in its name. It behaves like an obstacle, a wedge of slush and mud and ennui, holding both progress and contentment at bay.

James Joyce was born in February, as was Charles Dickens and Victor Hugo, which goes to show that writers are poor at beginnings, although worse at knowing when to stop.

If February is the color of lard on rye, its aroma is that of wet wool trousers. As for sound, it is an abstract melody played on a squeaky violin, the petty whine of a shrew with cabin fever. O February, you may be little but you're small! Were you twice your tiresome length, few of us would survive to greet the merry month of May."

Tom Robbins - "Jitterbug Perfume"

It is only February first, and it is already so true. There is slush outside. The beautiful snow that fell the last days of January is going to be replaced with cold rain this week. I've been warned so many times to be careful on the ice since I'm pregnant that I'm now scared to step outside. I guess that makes me the "shrew with cabin fever!" Thank goodness it's not a leap year!

There are a lot of things that we know are better for the environment and for environmental health, but they are hard to do or take a lot of time. Or maybe we're not sure about the alternative products to use to replace the non-healthy, non-environmental ones. Or maybe there is a high cost associated with making the change.

Here's something you can do that is pretty straightforward - quit using non-stick cookware. Non-stick pots and pans are coated with polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE. The brand name that most people are familiar with is Teflon. The problem with non-stick coatings occur when they are heated (something you're obviously going to do to your pots and pans). The coating breaks down and emits harmful chemicals.

The question has been, "At what temperature does Teflon and other PTFEs begin to break down?" It depends on whether you ask DuPont (the makers of Teflon), or independent researchers. Now, I am a big believer in scientific research and not jumping to conclusions, but I also tend to abide by the precautionary principle - if something is suspected of causing harm, even if the exact cause and effect is not fully understood, it's best to try and avoid it. Oh, and one other thing that makes me lean toward avoiding non-stick pots and pans? People who own birds cannot cook with non-stick cookware because THEIR BIRDS WILL DIE! Yeah, kind of like the canary in the coal mine, except it's in your kitchen, which I would like to think is much safer than a coal mine.

I'd rather have a few things stick to the pan than worry about what toxic fumes my family might be breathing in.

Check out EWG's wealth of information on the toxicity of Teflon.

I have to admit that one of my guilty pleasures is Cadbury creme eggs. I chalk it up to the fact that, growing up in a Jewish home, I was deprived of their super sugary creamy goodness and have never fully recovered. Easter might be the one holiday when I'm not annoyed by stores decorating and selling holiday-related items months early. It just means more Cadbury creme eggs for me!

I can partially justify this guilty pleasure due to the fact that the Cadbury company is one of the only large chocolate companies that has been embracing fair trade cacao. In the Better World Shopping Guide, Cadbury is graded a B-, above Hershey's, Dove, Russell Stover and Nestle.

So, I was disheartened to hear that Kraft Foods will be buying Cadbury. Based on their overall social and environmental record, Kraft is rated by the Better World Shopping Guide as the #2 worst company on the planet. Ouch. I can't say that I have no Kraft products in my home, but I do keep a list with me when I shop of the worst companies and the not-so-bad companies and avoid the worst when I can. Kraft has not shown any interest in fair trade before, so it is still unclear what will happen to Cadbury's commitment to fair trade chocolate.

All of this brings up an interesting question - who owns your favorite organic brands? What about your vegetarian products? Much of the pacakging of natural foods, vegetarian items and organic products make us think that the companies behind them are small, family-owned businesses. The fact of the matter is that most of these brands are owned by huge food processors like Kraft, Coca-Cola, etc. Many family-owned brands that once had a recognizable face behind them have been bought out by large companies. Toms of Maine is now owned by Colgate Palmolive, and Burts Bees was purchased by Clorox. Take a look at The Good Human's post about this issue to learn more about who owns what, or look at Philip Howard's graphics of the organic food industry to get a better picture of the issue.

This is just another example of the need to step back and look at the big picture. Buying organic is great, but it's important to know what company those dollars are supporting. Boca and Morningstar provide similar veggie options, but they are not owned by similar companies. Do a little digging and you'll be able to shop smarter and more in line with your values. Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to do come Easter.

When you are pregnant, you'll find that friends, acquaintances and even complete strangers will offer you advice on pregnancy and parenting. People seem to feel comfortable saying things that they would not normally think is appropriate. Like when a woman who works in my building told me that I was becoming "S-shaped."

As for the advice, a good friend of mine and mother of a one-year-old told me that it's best to just say, "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," even if you vehemently disagree. I have found this to be a very useful phrase, and have even used it on her from time to time. Overall, I have been enjoying hearing people's perspectives and ideas.

So, for you pregnant ladies out there, although I know you're being bombarded with advice, I thought I would share a few resources that I found recently and thought were helpful. The first is from the folks at the Environmental Working Group. They actually sent it to me in a comment to one of my previous blogs about their work. I was (a) flabbergasted that someone else was reading this and (b) impressed that they took the time to write and share more resources. I thought their 10 Healthy Pregnancy Tips were great. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the number of things you have to worry about when you're pregnant, but this list seemed manageable. It also provided a lot of resources to help you act should you so choose. Thanks, EWG!

The second resource comes from Rachel Wolf of LuSa Organics and her blog, Clean. I met Rachel once a LONG time ago when I was in graduate school in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. She is one of those amazing people who live a life that I admire but know I could never emulate. I love reading her blog, and figure if I can take away just a smidgen of the organic, handmade, non-consumeristic vibe and apply it to my own life I'm doing well.

A friend of mine who introduced me to her blog told me about the New Baby Checklist that had been posted and said it had a good list of what newborns and new mamas really needed. I must admit, the first thing out of my mouth was, "It doesn't tell me to grow and collect almonds to grind into my own homemade postpartum belly paste, does it?" She promised that it did not. I checked out the checklist, and I suggest all you pregnant people out there check it out as well. It was created for a wide audience. It may lack some things that you think are must-haves, but when you are overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that is out there for new babies and new parents, it's great to see a scaled down list of what you really need. It's worth taking a look, and the Clean blog is definitely a great source of inspiration for anyone!

Greenpeace has released their most recent Guide to Greener Electronics. It ranks companies on whether they are eliminating hazardous substances from their products, whether they take back their products for recycling and how well they are reducing the climate impacts of their operations and products. In this, their 14th edition of the guide, they have also taken into account whether companies are lobbying for industry-wide rules that would prevent the use of environmentally damaging materials.

The great thing about this guide is that, because it gets updated so frequently (14 editions since August 2006), it allows the consumer to see not only where companies rank, but also whether they are improving or sliding back. Take a look for yourself at the latest ratings!

What if fashion was updated as infrequently as the Toxic Substances Control Act? That's right, check out those bell bottoms!

Unfortunately, the law put in place to protect consumers from harmful chemicals is from 1976. It would be one thing if it was an effective law to begin with, but it wasn't, and things have only gotten worse.

The amazing folks at the Environmental Working Group just released a report entitled Off the Books: Industry's Secret Chemicals. The report explains how, buy simply claiming that certain information is a "trade secret," the chemical industry does not allow the public to access information about 17,000 of the more than 83,000 chemicals used in products. From 1990 to 2005, the number of confidential chemicals has more than quadrupled. It's not just small amounts of these chemicals being produced, either, but hundreds of thousands of tons.

Click here for more information on our major lack of information. Thanks, EWG!

I have had varying degrees of success with making my own cleaning products, but I want to share a super easy recipe that I found for dish soap that works great. I credit the lovely (and also pregnant) Sayward at Bonzai Aphrodite for this recipe. It's so easy, and even better, it looks pretty to keep your dish soap in an oil dispenser. Here's the recipe:
- 1 cup of liquid castille soap (I used Dr. Bronners)
- 3 tablespoons water
- A few drops of essential oil (I used eucalyptus - it's an antibacterial)
Combine ingredients in any container and mix...that's all!

I have a bunch of essential oils from making personal care products, but if you don't have them and want your dish cleaner scented, you can always get Dr. Bronners castille soap that comes with a scent. Most natural food stores sell essential oils, and a tiny bottle goes a long way. We had lots of dishes to do this evening after my wonderful husband made venison spaghetti, and the new dish soap did the job. It's a little less viscous than most store-bought dish soap, so be careful pouring, but a little goes a long way. Give it a try - you can be clean and crafty all at once!