ever wondered what to replace your mercury fillings with?

i have.  i know there are composites, but don't they have bpa in them?
when the mercury fillings are removed, don't you consume some?

this area can all be a little overwhelming.  mercola has a brand new article that can help us all decide what to do when we need a filling or want to have a mercury one removed and replaced.

read more here.

photo via here.

soapbox : please don't buy bp gas

please...i'm begging you.  yes, they have more money than god, and it's hard to punish them immediately, but we have to start somewhere. what they have done, and been doing, is not ok.  imagine if this was happening in your backyard.

osha statistics show bp ran up 760 "egregious, willful" safety violations in the last few years.

sunoco had 8.

conoco-phillips had 8.

citgo had 2.

exxon had 1.

photos via here.

is someone you know addicted to their computer/email/iphone/internet?

a friend (thanks, heather!) sent a link to today's nyt article about the price we pay for being hooked on gadgets.  they follow a family that is struggling with unplugging and staying present.  there is also some great info on studies that have been done on how our brains may be evolving to accommodate all of the daily info that we take in from multiple sources at once (talking on the phone while instant messaging on your laptop with the t.v. on).  really interesting--

and i don't know about you, but i feel like i have to be really conscious about the choices i make as a parent, even with a toddler, regarding my child's interaction with technology.  i would love for my son to enjoy cracking open a book vs. powering up a kindle and building a fort in the yard vs. socially networking on facebook.  dare to dream...

photo via here.

has your kid dropped your ipod into the toilet?

or, like me, have you maybe possibly leaned over and your phone just swan-dived right out of your shirt pocket into the dogs' water bowl? aww crap.  well, you may want to invest in one of these genius bheestie bags ($20).  it draws water out of electronics, so you don't have to just chuck your wet, malfunctioning phone.  of course, it's recommended that you buy the bag before you actually have the accidental run-in with the water, since the first 24 hours are crucial in reviving a small electronic device.

you'll probably have the inclination to whip out a hairdryer if you drop your phone into water (was it just me?), but DO NOT use it.  there are some great DIY tips listed here that worked for removing the water yourself immediately.

new studies on gm foods--including hair growing in mouth

gm stands for genetically modified...sound delicious?  well, ever since 1995, thousands of crops in the u.s. have been grown with seeds that are genetically modified.  they are modified, on a cellular level, in an effort to fight pests and grow "better" plants, although ultimately they have done neither.

in 1999, the european public spoke up and outlawed gmo's.  sadly, 11 years later, the united states is still using us as guinea pigs and does not have to disclose if foods are in fact genetically modified.  click here to sign a petition to ask obama to start labeling gm foods.

recent studies have shown that hamsters fed gmo soy are sterile within 3 generations.  additionally, they have an unusual abundance of hair growth inside of their mouths (bleck!!).  rats have shown in some gm studies to be infertile by the 2nd generation and have high infant mortality rates.

please read more about gmo's and your health here.

please tell your grocer, schools and politicians that you will not buy the following foods that are gm in the u.s.:

1. soy
2. corn
3. cottonseed oil
4. canola (canola oil)
5. sugar from sugar beets
6. hawaiian papaya
7. some zucchini
8. crookneck squash

oh dear, do you know how much corn is in the american diet?...not to mention soy.  corn is in cow feed (hello grass-fed beef and dairy), chicken feed, corn syrup, citric acid (ok, that's in everything, right?), chips, xanthan gum, and a bajillion other things.   your safest bet is to eat organic whole foods.

click here for a list of foods and products, including infant formulas and coke products, that may contain gm ingredients.  it also includes a list of which products are safe.

photos via here and here.

adhd linked to pesticides.

the bright side of this recent study linking adhd to pesticides, is that we realize that they have serious effects on our health and that the sooner pesticides are eliminated from a child's life, the healthier he will be.  meaning--PAY ATTENTION FOLKS!!!--you are being handed information that will help you and your children.  go organic whenever possible...and read the post below this one....

photo via here.

organic can be expensive...

i think we've all heard the whole foods nickname "whole paycheck" for a reason....it ain't cheap.  try to buy organic at your local farmer's market, trader joes, or check out this updated 2010 list of which 12 fruits and veggies are treated with the most pesticides and should only be purchased organic.  the list also tells you the top 15 that you could go non-organic on if you need to save money.

UPDATE: cnn.com did a a great piece on this topic/list a couple weeks after i originally wrote this post.

photo via here.

produce bags--if you can remember them.

that's the challenge really, isnt it? -- simply remembering to grab just 2 of those 19 reusable bags that you have by the back door before you head out to the grocery store or farmers market.  well, for those of you who have mastered it, you are ready to move on to the next level....

mesh produce bags!  if it kills you to use a plastic bag at the market (i literally pile produce in my cart to avoid it, much to the cashier's chagrin), consider investing in some cotton mesh produce bags.  they come in a few sizes, can go straight into the fridge, and of course can be used for other items like nuts, dried fruit, etc.

ecobags.com (or see amazon link in right sidebar) has a nice selection of cotton produce bags, including some that are more solid than the mesh--which are nice for bulk grains, bread, and more...

no more plastic bottles...

aren't these pvc-,phthalate-, and bpa-free glass bottles by lifefactory lovely?  they were featured on dailycandy.com today and are 25% off with discount code ILOVEGLASS.  lifefactory also makes glass baby bottles with the same cool silicone sleeves.

and for those of you that are happy to reuse a snapple bottle for some water and need the baby bottle equivalent, check out this previous post.

photo via here.

what are the emf's doing to us?

emf stands for electromagnetic frequency.  what i'm talking about here are the electric and magnetic waves that flood our lives now.  some could say they have been a threat since the invention of electricity, but those emf's are typically only mentioned in the case of high voltage power lines near homes causing health problems.   i'm not really talking about electricity in this post though...

i am talking about emf's coming from wireless phones, internet, cell phones, BABY MONITORS, etc.   for some reason, we all seem to just trust that wireless technology (that is nearly inescapable in this country) is not interfering with our health.  wifi is out of sight, out of mind, right?  certainly, cell phone companies will not be offering up any studies....nor will the wifi companies any time soon.  all i'm saying is.....ever heard of the tobacco industry?

ok, well that's not ALL i'm saying.  what i'm also saying is please be mindful about where your baby sleeps when it comes to emf waves. consider the placement of wireless baby monitors (do you really need one?), laptops, cell phones, and your wifi source (if you live in my house, there are 9 coming in from neighbors already).  consider turning all of your devices off when you go to bed if possible.

read up on emf's here and about children and emf's here.

photo via here.

kudzu bag

i have not let go, in my heart or mind, of a super-unique, cool bag that i saw at the double rl (ralph lauren) store months ago.   yes, it was too expensive....but i'm pretty sure i just found it for $20!!  it's called the nature bag.  granted, it's not indigo-dyed like the rl one, but that's ok---it's even better!

it's organic, and it's made out of kudzu by indigenous minority families of khmu in laos.

it is super strong, comes in all sizes, and ranges from solid/neutral to striped/vibrant.  it is perfect as a reusable grocery bag or kids' stash-all---or just a damn cute tote.

photos courtesy of nature bag

coolio nursery decor that cleans the air

are you at a loss for what to hang in that last spot in the nursery? well, these woolly pockets for plants (start at $49) are a great option...

they look super cool, are waterproof, and come in a few different sizes and colors.  as you may know, plants clean the air, especially spider plants, philodendron and golden pothos, so they are a wonderful addition to your baby's nursery.

photo courtesy of woollypockets.com

sorry about the ongoing poop theme, but check out this potty you can bury in the yard when you're done!

this is awwwwesome!!  a company named bECOthings has created a genius potty for potty training.  it is called the bECOpotty ($12.95), and is made from bamboo and rice husks (which are farming left-overs). when your kid is done with it, you can bury it in the yard, and it biodegrades.

am i the only one with this obvious question : do you keep the "remnants" in the buried potty to help fertilize the yard?

photo courtesy of trendykid.com

alternatives to turning your baby's dirty diapers into plastic sausage links

it's bad enough that we use nearly 10,000 disposable diapers per child---that's right 10,000!!!---but that most of them are put into a plastic bag (whether it be an individual bag or sausage link style diaper genie bag) that heads to the landfill is especially shameful.

here are some simple options to greening your diaper situation:

1. use biodegradable/organic diapers like nature babycare
2. try not to use plastic bags
3. try to get poop off diaper and into toilet, then put diaper into odor-proof trash can
4. use washable wipes
5. use cloth diapers

if you must use plastic (because you actually want to be invited over to your friends' houses again):

1.  use biodegradable plastic diaper bags like these
2.  buy a diaper dekor pail, and use their biodegradable bags

side note...we put our son's changing table on our bathroom countertop for easy access to toilet and sink, containing (infrequent) smells to one small room, and for easy night changes since we do bed-sharing.

thought for the day : throw out the t.v.

ok, i don't mean literally throw out your television---although, kudos if you do---assuming you don't live 5 stories above a pedestrian-heavy city block.  tv watching has come up recently a bit with fellow friends that are parents....

i have zero urge to show my 15-month-old television, and i haven't watched a show since he was 3 months old and became interested in it himself.   the up side is that it's sort of like cutting out sugar (not that i would know, but from what i've heard).....you don't miss it once it's gone.  plus, i mean, "keeping up with the kardashians"?....really?

as usual, i'm getting off point.  i remember seeing a father on the today show in the last few years talk about how he put some numbers together that showed how, since the 1970's, the rise in kids' television viewing was proportionate to the rise in autism.

done deal.  no t.v.

honestly, that type of info only helps me seal the deal.  plus, there is information from the american academy of pediatrics, who i admit are psycho when it comes to vaccination amounts, like "no television for babies under 2 years of age because the opportunities for adult-child interactions are limited."  babies need to interact with adults.

a 2007 study found that by 3 months of age, 40% of children regularly watched television, dvds, or videos----and by age 24 months, the proportion rose to 90%.  yikes!!

television viewing among infants and toddlers has been linked to irregular sleep schedules.   also, studies have shown that, "three-year-old children exposed to more tv, both directly and indirectly, are at increased risk for exhibiting aggressive behavior.

call me old fashioned, but i constantly look to how my grandparents were raised when it comes to raising my son....

above photo courtesy of nicobobinus on flickr
below photo courtesy of resourcesforlife on flickr

remember how your school looked nothing like this?

how can i not share the most beautiful (in every way) school in the whole world with you?  well, it's a close tie with the awesome local charter school my son will be attending, but the setting's a little different....just a little.  see that photo above?  it's not travel and leisure's number one on their annual top hotels list.  it's an amazing new school in bali called green school.

it is the stunning creation of former canadian jeweler john hardy and his american wife who have been in bali for 30 years...and have raised their family there.  i can personally vouch for bali being THE most incredibly beautiful place in the universe, and i am not surprised that this heavenly school exists there.

the couple opened the school in the fall of 2008, and it is a place that they built "to create a new paradigm for learning.  we want children to cultivate physical sensibilities that will enable them to adapt and be capable in the world.  we want children to develop spiritual awareness and emotional intuition, and to encourage them to be in awe of life's possibilities."

one of the reasons it's called green school is because it is built entirely out of local materials....mostly bamboo.

and, yes, that's a balinese bamboo yurt below!

please don't give your kids cell phones...

...or if you do, please tell them to keep them turned off unless they need them for an emergency.  more scary information has come out about the damaging effects of cell phones.

please read more here.  here is an excerpt:

"sadly children and teens are at an even higher risk [than adults], as their thinner skull bones allow for greater penetration of cell phone radiation.  the radiation can enter all the way into their midbrain, where tumors are more deadly.  in addition, children's cells reproduce more quickly, so they're more susceptible to aggressive cell growth.  their immune systems are also not as well developed as adults.  lastly, children face a far greater lifetime exposure."

try to minimize your own cell phone use around your kids (and yourself!!).

fda finally admits bpa is bad

ten years after leading scientists have questioned the safety of bpa (bisphenol a), the fda has finally said, this month, that it is to be of some concern for effects on the brain, behavior and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children.  read more on jennifer taggart's smartmama site.

bottom line, stay away from canned foods (nearly all have bpa in the lining) and polycarbonate plastic (marked by #7 on bottom of container).  use more glass!!  replace as much plastic as possible in your life with glass or stainless steel.

check out:

eden organic food products who have non-bpa lined canned foods. find them at whole foods or online.

non-bpa products website the soft landing.

non-plastic products at the website life without plastic.

great site for chemical info in toys and baby gear

i wish i had known about this site, healthystuff.org, when i was shopping for a car seat.  they have a thorough database of baby and children's toys, car seats, and more (including cars, adult fashion, and pet products).  for each of these items, healthy stuff lets you know what the chemical are present and what their levels are.  there is also health info on the chemicals.  check it out!

grandparents

grandparents are a wonderful thing!  may we all be so blessed to experience their amazing-ness.  came across this article "how to be a fantastic grandparent" that you may want to anonymously send to your mother-in-law if necessary.

...yep, that's the prezzie with his grammy and grampy above.