Sweet Sleep

If you're reading this, you probably already know that there are harmful chemicals in so many mainstream day to day items.  The ones that are most common place are the ones that seem to be overlooked the most, at least in my experience.  It seems that some items are so much a part of our daily lives that we just never stop to think about the harmful effects that they can have on our health.

One such item is your mattress.  The place your body welcomes each night as it's place to recover from the events of the day.  Did you know that the average person sleeps about 1/3 of their lifetime.  If I live to be 90, I will have slept for 30 years.  Thirty years breathing in and absorbing toxic VOCs.  Can you imagine.  Do you want to?

The good thing is that you don't have to.  There are lots of options out there.  A couple of main ones, but so many choices.

The most expensive (but effective!) option is going to be simply buying a non-toxic mattress.  Naturepedic makes wonderful safe, organic mattresses.  A set will run you around $1600, or mattress only for around $1200.  I have one of Naturepedic's crib mattresses and it is truly fantastic.  I hope to one day upgrade our bed to a Naturepedic mattress.

Purchasing a safe mattress is the preferred choice on this topic.  It will provide you with the safest environment and be the most comfortable.

The Clean Bedroom carries a great assortment of safe mattress pads.  They have some up to an inch and a half thick, which would really be a great benefit when going over the above polyethylene cover.  You can get a nice cover for a queen size starting around $150-200, going all the way up to around $400.  You could go the route of just using a safe and natural topper, but know that it alone can't block the offgassing of a mattress.

So what's so bad?  Well, that's simple, and complicated.  The simple answer is toxic chemicals.  There are lots of synthetic materials and chemicals used on today's mattresses.  Flame retardants are one danger.  If you were to purchase a mattress today, it will not contain PBDE retardants. Production of PBDE fire retardants in the United States was discontinued in 2004 and totally phased out by early 2005.  They were cause for great concern.  They have been replaced by other chemicals though that are considered 'safe'.... for now.  When will they learn?

There are a whole host of other materials used in mattresses that contain harmful chemicals. For more information about what is in mattresses and what's not in some safe mattresses, browse through these pages from Naturepedic.  What's in.  What's not.


I would also like to note that if you are concerned about your infant/toddler's mattress you can also purchase safe crib mattresses for Naturepedic (they have several models), as well as crib mattress wraps and covers.  Using safe bedding is considered to be a move in the right direction to prevent SIDS.

It's here!

The 3.0 is gone and the brand new diaper from Bum Genius has arrived.  So, what do you think?

New Features:

*Generous sizing accommodates larger babies.
*Easily accessible/replaceable elastic.
*Completely updated hook and loop closures.
*3x3 snap down design*  It could just be me, but these look like they are spaced farther apart now.
*3 new colors
AND!  It now comes in snaps!

Oh and there will be brights (the bold colors)! Date available is TBD.

Very Cool

I received a message from a friend of mine the other day.  She told me that I had been nominated for a couple of the 2010 BlogLuxe Awards.

The BlogLuxe Awards consists of 8 categories.

• CEO - Chief Executive Organizer: (sponsored by Avery): These blogs keep your life in order and offer the best in the world of organization!
• Best Eye Candy: Beautiful blogs visually, ideally with oodles of pictures that you can't keep your eyes off of!
• Funniest: Blogs that make you guffaw!
• Guilty Pleasure: You know, blogs you don't want to admit you read, but you simply can't help yourself!
• Most Provocative: Blogs that keep things on the edge!
• Tastiest: Mmmmmm...yummy food blogs.
• Blog You've Learned the Most From: You know, blogs you've learned the most from.
• Most Inspiring: Blogs that inspire you...to be better, to be grateful, to be more...

I am honored to have been nominated for Blog You've Learned the Most From and Most Inspiring.  I love writing this blog and I feel as though it's helpful, but the gauge is you, my readers.  So, thank you.

I encourage you to head over and browse through some of these amazing blogs and vote, even if it's not for me. There are some wonderful blogs listed.  Voting is open through July 12 and you can vote once a day.

Happy reading!

Paper towels are so yesterday!

Paper products can be terrible environmental offenders. From the use of virgin pulp, the manufacturing and the worst - the disposal. When it comes to household paper products, they are all disposable. What an awful waste of a tree.

One easy change for you (and big change for the environment!) is replacing your paper towels with fabric ones. Not only is it better for the environment, it's better for your wallet and cleaning. Cloth cleans so much better.

There are so many options when it comes to these. There are beautiful unpapertowels that many vendors sell. Some even snap together so that you can put them on a roll like traditional paper towels.  They come in a variety of colors and styles and many vendors will even make them custom to your taste.

However, if you're like me, you can't afford to outfit your kitchen with spendy paperless towels.  Not that I wouldn't love some.  It's just not something needed right now.

So what did I do?  Well, one day while at the store I spotted a huge rack of 18-count washcloths (Mainstays from Wal-Mart).  They were a measly $4 a pack.  For $8 I have 36 perfectly usable and scrubby cloths to use to tidy up my house.  They work well, wash well and I couldn't be happier with them.  Especially since they were so affordable.  I store mine under my kitchen sink for easy grabbing.


And look, even my kids like them ;)

When I'm done cleaning I toss them in with my regular laundry.  If you like to keep things a bit more tidy (or if you like accessories) you can even get one of these great kitchen wetbags to store them in until laundry day.

Regardless of what you choose to get, you'll love the switch from paper towels.

Have you made the switch?  I'd love to hear what you think and if you purchased unpaper towels, what brand you recommend.  It might help someone else choose.

Farewell Old Friend

According to an email out today from Cotton Babies (makers of Bum Genius, Flip, Econobum) the very popular Bum Genius 3.0 One-Size (pocket diapers) are being discontinued.

Yes, you heard right.  The 3.0 will be no more.  Not sure how I feel about this, as I have several and they make great night time diapers.  I'm not a huge fan of stuffing them, but it goes with the territory.  The 3.0s are a great diaper, minus the velcro issues, but their amazing warranty makes that a non-issue in my opinion.

So all of this just begs the question, what's coming next?!  Well, we don't know, and won't know for a full week.  According tot he email, the new product will be revealed on June 29th, with orders shipping July 14th.

Until then, if you like the 3.0s, or just want some good diapers at a great price, stock up with their Buy 5, Get 1 Free deal (while supplies)!  It's a great way to build a stash or at least get several night worthy diapers.

Stock up Here!

So what do you think it is??  More sizes?  New designs?  Snap?  Something else?  I'd love to hear what you think of all of this.

Stuffy nose? No problem!

Over the winter I heard a lot about a little gadget used to clean out mucus from babies noses.  At first I thought it was just some sort of bulb attached to a hose.  Then I learned that it was meant to be attached to your mouth.  Yes, you read that right.  Your mouth.  "What?!", you say.

Well, here's the thing.  Regular bulb aspirators can be a pain when it comes to getting stuff out of a nose, and if your baby is anything like all three of mine have been...  they hate them.  My youngest had some chronic boogies for a while and she would scream when I used the bulb.  I didn't want to use some elaborate battery operated device, for a myriad of reasons; using batteries seems anti-eco-friendly, they are more costly, I'd never actually been able to try one, etc. etc.

So, I thought I would give this new device a try.  I contacted the company and they were happy to help.  Just in time it seemed, as we all came down with a cold a day before it arrived.  Boy was I happy when it showed up, my daughter too!

So what is it?  It's the NoseFrida and I love it.  I would (and have) recommended it to my friends and anyone else in need.  It's a very simple device.  It is made of plastic, which is not my favorite material, but bulbs aren't any better, and at least this isn't junk and bound for the trash can.

The NoseFrida consists of a chamber to capture mucus, a hose and mouth piece from which to suck, and a filter between the two.  The filters are meant to be replaced.  I cannot bring myself to throw away things that can be reused in any form, so I wash mine, let it dry and reuse it.  When you use the NoseFrida, the mucus gets nowhere near the filter.  I've never had mucus get past the first inch to inch and a half of the chamber, which is about five inches in length.

There is a great demonstration of how fast this product is to use.  As you can see in this video from The Soft Landing, the child puts up a minor fuss, but nothing compared to what kids do with a bulb aspirator (if it weren't cruel, I'd take a video to show you), and it's much faster!






I know the idea is a bit to get use to.  I too was grossed out by it at first, but I know 100% that I'm not getting anything in my mouth and when my baby is crying and can't breathe from her nose (which is where babies naturally breathe from) I am happy to have my NoseFrida.  I am happy to have a way to fix what is going on with my baby without her ending up in a mess of cries and screams, and that's what really matters.

In addition to it being baby friendly, I think that not having batteries like similar products and simply being an effective product helps it's environmental factor, though I don't believe it's purpose was such.

If you have a little one that could use this, will have or know someone that does, I encourage you to check it out.  It's well worth the saved tears :)

Thanks to NoseFrida, I am also able to share this simple, but great product with you.

----Update! We have our winner!----

The giveaway portion is over :) Thank you to everyone that participated!

Congratulations to The Wife! Enjoy!

Here's how to win!

Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!

Tell my why you want a NoseFrida.  Include your email address (if it's not on your profile) and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow EFFBlog & NoseFrida and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "No more stuffy noses, win @nosefrida from @EFFBlog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1 #giveaway" Leave a comment with a link to your status. Tweet daily for more entries!

*Follow the blog and post letting me know that you are :)  (Google Friend Connect or Feedburner)

*Join our new email newsletter for notices on special events coming up for the blog.

*Vote for us on Top Mommy Blogs

*Put the our Blog Button on your blog sidebar or web page. Leave a link!

*Like us on Facebook, EFFBlog

*Post about this giveaway on your blog or other social media (message boards, Facebook, etc!). Leave a comment with a link.

and as always, Good Luck and Enjoy!

US Only. Giveaway ends June 28th.  I'll use random.org to pick a winner. I will email the winner. If I do not hear back within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

FCC Disclaimer: I was provided product to review for this giveaway. No money or other perks were given. All reviews are my own and honest opinions. For more information about this blog please look here. For giveaway guidelines please look here.

My Apologies

I don't have time to write up much at this moment, which is the reason for this apology.

I have so much that I can't wait to write about, so many great things to share with you.  However, my baby girl is teething terribly this round and sleeping very little.  We are finding some relief through distractions, an amber teething necklace and holding her, but it's still consuming most of my time.  She has her third tooth now and I expect a fourth any day now.  Hopefully then she'll be at peace and I can get some goodies up for you!

I would like to tease a little that there are some great things coming.  Things from The Clean Bedroom, who recently opened a new showroom.  Organic babywearing, cloth diapering, detergent help and more.

In the meantime I would love to hear from you.  I love writing the blog and I hope that you find it useful.  I would love to know if there are any topics that I could explore for you.  Something you'd like to know more about, would just like to see more of, etc.

Feel free to leave a comment, or if you prefer, you can use my handy new contact page :)

Thank you!  I look forward to hearing from you :)

All You Need Is Sun

Maybe the Beatles were onto something.  They once said that all you need is love.  I would agree with most of that.  But with the help of a solar oven and the love of food you can use the sun’s naturally energy to make dinner for your family.  I did just that for a full week and it was amazing to see the fabulous food that came out of the solar oven.  We ate very good that week…and never turned my inside oven on even once.

But let’s back up a bit.  Who am I and why am I blogging here?  I’m Amy and I usually can be found at Rumble In The Kitchen.  RITK is where I share my take on cooking for a family.  I am big on flavor and simple.  It has to be easy to prepare but it also needs to taste good.  I’m also always looking for ways to make things just a tad bit healthier and if I can add in some eco-friendly things I’m all for that too.  We recycle, compost and even have chickens to help eat out food waste.  It’s been a group effort and I’ve been very lucky to have a supportive family and friend system to taste test and help me along my quest to be better to both our bodies and our Earth.  I've blogged here in the past about the routine I used to strip my cloth diapers when we had a detergent problem.

One of my greatest influences on the eco-friendly end of things is my good friend and neighbor Kathy.  Last summer Kathy purchased a solar oven. I’ll admit I was intrigued…and a lot skeptical.  Wasn’t a solar oven some Boy Scout project?  Would it really work?

Solar oven cooking has come a long way from the boy scout project I remember seeing.  This is a serious cooking device…and one that is being used all over the world to feed hungry people.  The Solar Oven Society (the oven pictured to the left is one from them) has pictures on their website of solar ovens being used in Afghanistan and they are currently out of stock because they sent all of their in stock ovens to Haiti after the earthquake.  Grains and legumes cook so easily and perfect in a solar oven and both are healthy and cheap and can really feed the world…using only the power of the sun and a little ingenuity.

Well, this spring Minnesota got hit with a heat wave!  We are talking August type temps in May.  It was HOT.  But we still had to eat.  I had been meaning to try her solar oven anyway so I asked if I could experiment.  She was a great sport and let me have the oven to do whatever I wanted with it.  I did bribe her with yummy food…and boy did we eat good! I did a week-in-review on RITK and since then have even added more items to the list of things you can cook in a solar oven.

Basically it’s a box.  Some are more sophisticated than others, some can be be bought or you can make your own, some are pretty simple and some are pretty complex.  But this box, with the help of some black plastic or paint and some plastic and reflectors manages to get to a high enough temp to actually cook food. You can roast, braise, bake and steam.  You can even make hard boiled eggs!  Yep…we’ve tried and succeeded.  So far I haven’t found anything you can’t cook in the solar oven, some things just need to be adjusted to work.

It is a lot like cooking with a slow cooker, although unlike a slow cooker you can get your solar oven pretty darn hot.  But it all depends on the sun.  Take today for instance.  I had planned on baking a ham.  It rained.  No solar oven ham today.  Also like a slow cooker or crock pot, you have to plan ahead.  You can’t decide at 5:00 that you want a roast for dinner at 7:00.  You need to utilize the sun when it’s at its highest power, mid day.  So you will need to plan ahead and get dinner going in advance.  But with a little planning and know how you can really make very healthy and flavorful food with very little effort and hands on time.

Some things to keep in mind when cooking with your solar oven:
1.  You will need A LOT less water than you think.  Because there is no evaporation you need little to no additional water when cooking things like meats and veggies or rice and beans.  This is not true however when you are baking with the solar oven.  On that one you should really stick the the recipe.
2.  Like when using your crock pot, solar oven cooking takes some planning ahead.  Things can take a bit longer, depending on the strength of the sun and how powerful your oven is.  Using things like reflectors help a lot!  I was able to get the oven to right around 350 and hold it steady for quite a bit.
3.  It will take trial and error.  Lucky for me, I learn quick and can adapt.  But I now know that beans cook a lot faster than I thought…especially when you add a bit of baking soda.  So I made refritos instead of just the black eyed pea and zucchini cold salad that I made the night I also made the pork mole.
4.  You need to plan your cooking around when the sun is the hottest, meaning that you should really use the 10-2 time frame for cooking for best results.  Me, I pushed it and usually cooked from 12-4 or 5.  But I wouldn’t plan on putting a meatloaf in at 4 and cooking at 6.  It just ain’t gonna happen.
Now…how does the food look and taste?  Is this something you could serve to your family and expect them to eat?  YES!  You could even serve this to guests.  Easily.

Here are just a few pics of what we ate that week:

Chicken Breasts with Savory Rhubarb Thyme Sauce


Chocolate Cobbler


Rhubarb Crumble


Moroccan Meatloaf

Killer Cornbread

But I made so much more!!!  A yummy zucchini and black eyed peas cold salad, refritos, pork mole (mo-lay),  and even whole wheat yeast bread!  Since that week I’ve made quinoa, kahl beans (which I pureed and made into a fabulous but simple curry soup) and assisted with hard boiled eggs.  I could see bread puddings and custards working very well.  I imagine just about any quick bread would work great and I’ve been told you can even cook muffins and cookies.  Although I’m not too sure about the cookies and would need to try them out first.  I’m not sure how they would brown and think they would end up being a bit pale.    My neighbor has successfully made scalloped potatoes and because of that I can see casseroles of any kind cooking up great in a solar oven.

But my favorite part wasn’t the food.  I mean that was awesome, really it was.  I loved the challenge of making fabulous food with the solar oven and that was great and all.  But my favorite part of cooking with the solar oven was the impact it had on my kids.  My youngest (just turned 2) was very hands on and thought it was fun to cook outdoors.  My oldest (just turned 7) asked all kinds of questions on why and how.  When he learned that cooking uses energy and that using energy impacts our environment he seemed to file that away and really think about it.  Maybe it’s because we have been talking about the oil spill.  Maybe it’s because he helps us recycle, compost and feed the chickens.  Whatever it is, something sunk in because recently when he asked his friend if he wanted to play and his friend wanted to play video games my Monkey replied that they could only play for a little bit because using too much energy was bad for the environment.  So they played computer for about half an hour and then spent the next two hours playing outside.  Can’t complain about that at all.

Baby steps.  We all take them.  Being eco-friendly and eating healthy is a journey.  My use of the solar oven was just one step on my journey.  It just happened to become an addiction as well.  Thanks for reading and letting me share my solar oven experiment with you here.  Make sure to check in to RITK whenever you get a chance.  I am just finishing up my first annual Rhubarb Festival and am posting new recipes all the time.  Hope to see you stop by.  Have a great day and don’t forget to stop, taste and enjoy!

~Amy

Wishy Washy

Baby tubs are generally useless in my opinion.  I find that they are often clunky and a pain to use.  I usually find myself using a sink (which isn't easy either, but at least I didn't pay extra for it, right?) or I take a bath with my baby.

I love taking a bath with baby G, but it can be hard to get her out and me out without one of us ending up in tears if my husband isn't around to help.

I was recently contacted about reviewing the Spa Baby Eco.  The design was completely new to me and I thought it was worth a shot.  Plus it looks something like a bucket and if it was horrible, at least I could still find a use for it right?

Well, I love it.  It was surprisingly easy to use, my daughter enjoyed it and I didn't end up covered in water.

There are a few thins that I love about this tub.

• It's made out of 100% recycled plastics,
• It is recyclable,
• There are no toxins (no PVC, Latex, Phthalates or BPA),
• and it uses hardly any water.  This is pretty cool, so I had to illustrate!

Before you place your baby in the tub be sure to grab your towel, baby wash and a cup.  I also had a toy and diaper.  It goes without saying, but I will anyways.  Never leave your baby unattended in this tub (or around/in any water).

Here you see my baby girl in the tub :)  She is covered plenty.  I could have put in slightly more, but I wanted it far from her face while she played.

Blow you can see the water line.  There is hardly any water in there and it was plenty to get her clean.

 

And to show you just how little water there is in this thing, I added a couple drops of food coloring and poured it into my standard sized bath tub.  There's hardly anything there!  I would image that most people use this much just washing their hands.

So do you want one of these yet?  Good, Spa Baby wants you to have one!

----Update! We have our winner!----

The giveaway portion is over :) Thank you to everyone that participated!

Congratulations to The Cummings Family! Enjoy!

Here's how to win!

Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!

Tell me about your favorite bath time routines.  Include your email address (if it's not on your profile) and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow us and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "Win and wash your baby with Spa Baby Tubs & @EFFBlog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1 #giveaway" Leave a comment with a link to your status. Tweet daily for more entries!

*Follow the blog and post letting me know that you are :)  (Google Friend Connect or Feedburner)

*Join our new email newsletter for notices on special events coming up for the blog.

*Vote for us on Top Mommy Blogs

*Put the our Blog Button on your blog sidebar or web page. Leave a link!

*Like us on Facebook, EFFBlog, Spa Baby Tubs 1 entry each

*Post about this giveaway on your blog or other social media (message boards, Facebook, etc!). Leave a comment with a link.

and as always, Good Luck and Enjoy!

US Only. Giveaway ends June 21st.  I'll use random.org to pick a winner. I will email the winner. If I do not hear back within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

FCC Disclaimer: I was provided product to review for this giveaway. No money or other perks were given. All reviews are my own and honest opinions. For more information about this blog please look here. For giveaway guidelines please look here.

Life

As promised, there is more!

Prepare to say "WOW!  Oh my gosh!  That's Amazing!"

Life is the newest nature documentary out by the producers of Planet Earth and The Blue Planet.  It is packed with excitement, revelation, entertainment, and stunning screen firsts.  Four years in the making, filmed over 3000 days, across every continent and in every habitat, with breathtaking new high definition filming techniques developed since Planet Earth, Life presents 130 incredible stories from the frontiers of the natural world, 54 of which have never been filmed before.

This series beautifully archives some of the most amazing survival techniques our world has to offer.  From the smallest beings to the largest, this series will have you in awe!

They want you to have a copy!  You can enter below for a chance to win.  If you just can't wait, Life is available now on DVD.

You can find the BBC on facebook and twitter too!

----Update! We have our winners!----

The giveaway portion is over :) Thank you to everyone that participated!

Congratulations to SAPsMaMa & Stephanie @ COATW! Enjoy!

Here's how to win!

Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!

Tell me why you want a copy of Life.  Include your email address (if it's not on your profile) and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow us and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "Be wowed by Life @EFFBlog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1 #giveaway" Leave a comment with a link to your status. Tweet daily for more entries!

*Follow the blog and post letting me know that you are :)

*Join our new email newsletter for notices on special events coming up for the blog.

*Put the our Blog Button on your blog sidebar or web page. Leave a link!

*Like us on Facebook, EFFBlog

*Post about this giveaway on your blog or other social media (message boards, Facebook, etc!). Leave a comment with a link.

and as always, Good Luck and Enjoy!

US Only. Giveaway ends June 17th.  I'll use random.org to pick a winner. I will email the winner. If I do not hear back within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

FCC Disclaimer: I was provided product to review. No money or other perks were given. All reviews are my own and honest opinions. For more information about this blog please look here. For giveaway guidelines please look here.

Dust to Dust

Pondering my own mortality isn't something that I really enjoy doing, but the conversation comes up from time to time.  I was recently talking to my husband about what our plans may be for when our time comes.  I don't really have a preference when it comes to being buried or cremated.  I suppose that I'll leave that up to my children and their needs for grieving.  What concerned me most was the unnatural state of things and traditional embalming for viewing.

A few days later I saw a news story about a local funeral home that is now offering green funerals.  I decided to do a little reading.

Did you know that you can opt not to be embalmed?  You don't have to be and you can even have a viewing.  There are refrigerated caskets (used just for the viewing) and/or you can use dry ice to keep the body cool.  I even read many articles about holding the viewings in one's home.  One such story was touching about a woman and her recently passed husband.  She expressed thanks for being able to say goodnight to her love in the home they shared, as she had done her whole life.

I also came upon an alternative embalming fluid called ENIGMA that is safe, non-toxic and suitable for short term preservation.  ENIGMA is based on a complex mix of essential plant-based oils.

Beyond the viewing is the choice to be cremated or buried.  I've read some awful things about the energy and pollution related to being cremated, but of course traditional burials are also quite damaging to our planet.

In Ohio, there is an amazing nature preserve cemetery called Foxfield Preserve.  This is not your typical manicured lawn cemetery.  It is first and foremost a nature preserve.  After reading through their FAQ, I am sold.  I don't want to think of myself being gone, but when the time comes, it would be nice to leave this world into nature, like this preserve.  A natural setting, no chemicals and a biodegradable casket.

Traditional cemeteries place 1,000 plots per acre.  Foxfield Preserve will only place 100-200 per acre.  Additionally you will not find huge, costly and wasteful head stones.  They must be flat and not much larger than a sheet of paper (max 12"x18").  It is intended that markers will also serve an ecological function.  If you don't want a stone, that's fine too.  They are optional and detailed records are kept to keep the locations of plots.

I encourage you to browse their site, or find a preserve and/or participating provider near you.  To do so, start by trying this database on the Green Burial Council's website.

In my search for more information, I found this video from an Ohio news station about Foxfield Preserve.  The view of the fields is just beautiful.  I would imagine feeling as though my love one was laid to rest respectfully in such a location.

I would like to thank WTAP (my local news station) for running this story and Leavitt Funeral Homes for bringing this option to our area.  I am happy to see these sorts of stories and changes in my area.  Kudos to them!

Sneak Peek!

Life is the newest nature documentary out by the producers of Planet Earth and The Blue Planet.  It is packed with excitement, revelation, entertainment, and stunning screen firsts.  Four years in the making, filmed over 3000 days, across every continent and in every habitat, with breathtaking new high definition filming techniques developed since Planet Earth, Life presents 130 incredible stories from the frontiers of the natural world, 54 of which have never been filmed before.


Life is available now on DVD, but if you can wait, check back with me and I just might have something to share with you ;)

For now, check out this amazing creation video and then a snippet form the series.

Oil Spill Perspective

Check out this link and put in your zip code

When looking at these photos and the amount of oil spilled, keep in mind that it is only about an hour's worth of what we use in our country.

That is sobering to me.

I think this picture speaks for itself.

That's me there by the darkest spot on the spill (by Parkersburg & the 77 sign).

Showers of Gifts

I had a great time doing the Mother's Day Event and I am pleased to finally have the winners of all of the wonderful gifts.

If you missed the event, I encourage you to check out the round up.  It's a great baby gift guide.  All sorts of useful (and safe) baby and mommy products.  It's a great guide to plan registries, buy for baby showers or just because.

Congratulations [LJT], You were drawn for Day 1 and will receive a HAPPYBABY Gift Basket, YoBaby trail coupons, growth chart and an amazing ERGObaby Organic Carrier.

Congratulations Jenn, You were drawn for Day 2 and will receive a Children's Orchard Gift Card, a copy of Raising Baby Green compliments of Wiley Publishers and an amazing organic diaper bag by Danielle Elizabeth Designs.

Congratulations Melissa, You were drawn for Day 3 and will receive a Sleepy Wrap Organic, Angel Baby Kit, huge gift set from Thirsties, amazing hemp inserts from Artsy Fartsy Foo Foo and a beautiful sheer, organic swaddle wrap from Solana.

Congratulations SAPsMaMa, You were drawn for Day 4 and will receive a baby friendly nursing cover from BabyBond, my favorite Milk Maids from Artsy Fartsy Foo Foo, a super comfy nursing cami from Medela, a beautiful boutique style blanket from Ty and Lumi Organics, and a copy of Feeding Baby Green, courtesy of Wiley Publishers.

Congratulations The Wife, You were drawn for Day 5 and will receive a Naturepedic organic crib mattress!!!

Congratulations 4stemmes, You were drawn for Day 6 and will receive a beautiful hand made bracelet from Kokomele.

Thank you again to all of the companies involved here.  You make safe products that work, and it is so truly appreciated.  I am thrilled to have worked with you and happy to share your products and companies with my readers.