What do you know about Toxic Shock Syndrome?

Did you know that anyone who uses a traditional tampon is at risk for Toxic Shock Syndrome, or TSS?
Brands like Tampax, Playtex, Kotex and OB, just to name a few, are among those to watch out for.

What is TSS, and why is there a risk with traditional tampons?
TSS is the result of the common bacteria, Staphylococcus Aureus, producing a toxin which is absorbed into the bloodstream.  It quickly takes over the body and begins to attack the major organs. It can manifest similarly to the flu, with symptoms like sore throat, achy muscles, fever, nausea, rash, confusion, dizziness, low blood pressure and diarrhea. While these symptoms might seem like a common flu, if you ever have them during your menstrual cycle, call your physician!  TSS can be fatal.

The cause for the relationship to traditional tampons is that they contain synthetic fibers which not only leave tiny abrasions in the vagina, giving direct access to the bloodstream, but also because synthetic fibers do not breathe like natural fibers.  They provide the perfect breeding grounds for bacteria, like the strain that can cause TSS.  Half of all know cases of TSS are related to tampon use.  It is also associated with diaphragm birth control methods and contraceptive sponges.

Thankfully there is an alternative.
Choosing 100% organic cotton tampons, a reusable menstrual cup or menstrual pads can eliminate the risk.  No one has ever reported TSS as the result of using a 100% cotton tampon.  Brands like Maxim Hygiene and Seventh Generation are great options.  Additionally, reusable cups like Lunette & Diva Cup offer the same claim, and are oh so friendly to your body.  I'm a total cup girl, I can't deny it.

You can read all about why you don't want to use traditional menstrual products here (and what ones to give a try!)

Want to learn more about TSS and how you can help?  Visit You-ARE-Loved.org

Who benefits from this?

I was upset by a newsletter sent home by my son's school principal last week.  The first thing I read was that our school was able to profit approximately $10,000.00 by selling cookie dough.  My first thought was WOW, that's a lot of cookie dough. My second thought was WOW, what message are we sending to our kids?

We are in a rural area with a small population, so our elementary school only has around 800 students K-8, to put into perspective the volume sold.  I fully understand the need for fundraisers, but I question this method.  With convenience foods everywhere and our nation facing a serious health crisis as a result, I have serious reservations about "cookie dough" as a method for school fundraising.  What happened to fruit sales?  Future Farmers of America continues to do citrus sales year after year - proof that healthy foods have a place in this market.  Why not choose something that benefits the school and sends a good message that supports healthy living?

Maybe I'm being sensitive, but I feel that elementary school is a place where we should be leading by example and promoting healthy living in all areas.  When our schools have contracts with soda companies, fast food restaurants and fundraise by selling an unhealthy lifestyle, I can't stand by and say nothing.

Who benefits from this?

Does your school offer a wholesome solution?  I would love to hear it, along with your thoughts on the subject!

My thoughts on The Greater Good

***By popular demand, this is going to be available until Wednesday November 9th to view for free***

I spoke to you earlier in the week about The Greater Good, a documentary about vaccines.  I want to take a moment now to share some of my impressions from the film.

What I saw from the film was a clear position that it is all about vaccine safety.  I think that any person and/or parent can appreciate that.  It's a position that I feel accurately represents me and my thoughts, feeling, fears and hopes regarding vaccines.

I am not anti-vaccinations.  I am however pro-quality and safe ingredients.  Just as I am in any and all areas of my family's life.  I care about the cleaners I use on our home's surfaces, the bath products used on our skin and the foods that go into our mouths.  It is very natural for me to have concern and scrutiny over items that will be literally injected into our bodies.  I want to know that they are safe for my children in that aspect.

I am wanting to say something here regarding the history and long length of use of vaccines and how that equates to safety, but I'm coming up short.  Just because something has been around for a long time doesn't make it safe.  I have seen that in many of the products that I fled from in my journey to a healthier life.  Many people have been vaccinated over the years, most have no ill effects, and then there are those who do.  We are living in a generation of people that have many concerns over potential effects.

My thoughts on the following portion were really inspired by this quote from Dr. Paul Offit, MD - Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  He was speaking of the Gardasil vaccine, which after just 15 months, of a planned 4 year trial, was approved for fast tracking by the FDA.  It was approved for use within six months and the trial was brought to a halt as a result.

"That you got a vaccine and that then you developed symptoms doesn't necessarily mean that the vaccine caused the symptoms.  There is no evidence that HPV vaccine causes any of the serious side effects that it has been alleged to cause.  It's a beautiful vaccine, it's safe, effective.  It doesn't matter what people say.  It really doesn't matter what people's opinions are.  All you have to do is look at the data, and the data, I think, will tell you how one should approach a problem."

To that I say, TEST THEM!  Give us real, complete data!  Test the ingredients, one by one, in thorough trials, in doses that mimic those of the vaccine schedule, by themselves against true placebos - saline.  Then test the vaccines against true placebos*.  Without controlled studies, claims of side effects can be easily dismissed, whether related to the vaccines or not.  I think we need to document these reactions and know if there is a link or not.

*If you missed it in the movie, many vaccines are tested against placebos that are the aluminum, mercury or even a different vaccine.  Per this study that can be found at annals.org (view the full study with a paid subscription).

When we are talking about injecting chemicals into hundreds of thousands of bodies, numerous times, we need to be confident in their safety.  If they are safe, great!  We can eliminate that possible cause for the questions and concerns we have and begin to look elsewhere.  If not, we can work to improve them and make them safe.  Win - win - win.... WIN!

Don't miss your chance to see this great movie for free!  The Greater Good is available to watch, for free through the end of today at Mercola.com  In addition to being available online, you can support the film by purchasing your very own copy for just $10, information also at the link above.  I can't wait to get my copy!

When you're done, come back here and let me know your thoughts.  Thank you for watching with me!

A vaccine documentary that you must see!

For as long as I can remember, I've always felt that it was important to see all sides of an issue, even when I had my feet planted firmly on one side or another.  I feel, that to make an informed decision, on anything, we should be questioning everything.  We might end up right where we started, but what happens when those questions lead to more questions and uncertainty?

For me, it was change and a sense of empowerment.  I began going green, and writing this blog after finding out that baby shampoos and lotions, which were suppose to be safe, were anything but.  Though I spent my whole life questioning big topics, I never thought to question the little ones.  It was like the world came into focus, and I began to question everything.  I wanted to know that the things I put on, and in the bodies of my family members would do no harm.  At the very least, I wanted to know what could happen.  I wanted to make informed decisions.

I was not looking for a fight, but I wanted to know that everything I used was safe.  More than that, I wanted it proved to me.  Saying that something cannot be proved to cause one thing (or many) is not the same as it being safe.  It's a trick that many companies use, in products and in the medical field, to make us believe that a product is safe.  We've all seen it happen.

The medical community is no different, and while experts are regarded as the authority or final say, I feel that that is a flawed way of thinking.  After all, we are only as accurate at the information with which we have been provided.  Physicians are no exception.  We are all human, expert or not, and we can all continue to learn and evolve - if we allow ourselves to realize that we do not have all of the answers.

With that, I invite you to watch The Greater Good.  It is a thoughtful presentation about vaccines, or perhaps more about what is in our vaccines.  I found this movie touching (I cried!), exciting (I yelled at my monitor!) and very enriching (Lots of YEA!  Right on!).  Okay, I'm being silly now, but this is a serious topic and love the way in which this movie provokes thought and conversation.  What ever you to, make time for this movie.  Watch it while you fold laundry or clean your kitchen (I did!).  You will not be sorry!

The Greater Good is available to watch, for FREE through November 5th at Mercola.com  In addition to being available online, you can support the film by purchasing your very own copy for just $10, information also at the link above.

When you're done, come back here and let me know your thoughts.  I will be sharing mine later in the week, after I watch it again!

I have fallen in love.

When I was in junior high I played basketball and ran track.  I haven't really done much since.  My version of staying in shape is chasing kids and grocery shopping.  I'll be twenty-nine this year an I want to be healthier all around.  I make an effort in many other areas, why not this one too?  So I decided to start walking.

I went to the store and bought an amazingly comfortable pair of yoga pants, a sports bra and a tank.  I can't believe I never bought activewear before.  Do you have any idea how comfortable it is?!!  I also picked up an arm band to house my iPod and a pair of earbuds with the ear wraps.

I started walking two weeks ago now and man I love it.  I enjoy going about a half an hour after dinner.  The air feels good and there aren't as many people out.  I walk, run, jog - whatever I feel like.  I listen to my iPod and it's like the world melts away.  Last night I stopped after two laps to have a drink of water and check the time.  I opened up my passenger side car door and sat to grab my water bottle and my body broke into a sweat.  I was released from stresses and thoughts, good or bad - everything. It sounds so weird and it's hard to describe, but I was so purely happy.  I had time for a couple of more laps and so I did, a big old goofy grin on my face.

It might not be for everyone, but I highly recommend trying it out!  It's good for your body and it's 20-40 minutes (or more!) of time all about you!  Not home where you try to sneak a moment, but truly all about you, about being with yourself, uninterrupted.  It's about doing something good for you and having fun while you do it (jam those iPods ladies!)  I was practically dance walking, you should have seen me.  On second thought, I'm glad you didn't!

We are all busy in our own ways, moms, dads, men, women.  We all have a schedule full of things we must do.  Making time for yourself is so worth it.  I'm two weeks in and a whole lot happier.  This is my sanctuary :)

Do you walk/jog/run?  Do you do yoga?  What do you love to do for you?  I would love to hear your experiences.

Natural Tooth Whitening

I enjoy coffee, tea and a few other things that probably aren't on my teeth's favorite foods list.  I have been thinking about whitening, but the though of chemical strips has me cringing, so I thought I would do some searching for natural methods.  Here's what I've come up with to try.  If you've tried these methods I'd love to hear how they worked for you.  I plan to report back on this in a month or so.

Strawberries
I've read that strawberries can help whiten your teeth because of their acid content.  Mixed with baking soda, this is suppose to deliver a power punch of teeth whitening magic.

The Method?
I took 3 strawberries (would have been 4 but my daughter ate one) and added 2 teaspoons of baking soda.  I put them all in my mini food processor and blended until smooth.  Once I had a nice smooth paste I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth gently for about 5 minutes.  I put the remainder in the fridge to use later.  I won't lie, it did not taste good, but neither do chemical whiteners (I tried them in high school and OUCH they made my teeth sensitive!)

After I brushed my teeth with the strawberry paste I brushed them with my regular toothpaste and then rinsed with water/peroxide and then with mouthwash.

I have to say that my teeth feel really clean.

Bananas
Bananas are said to help whiten teeth because of their potassium and manganese content.  Not sure how accurate or relevant this is, but we'll see!

The Method?
Peel a nice ripe banana and rub the peel in a circular motion all over your teeth for a few minutes.  Once you're done you can wipe off what's left on your teeth and go about your day.  I'm thinking that I might need to brush, but we'll see how it goes.  I am told that you can see results in as little as two weeks, and I have seen lots of rave reviews regarding this method.  I'm headed to the store today and plan to try this out!

Straws
Ahh, straws.  This one is pretty simple.  When you drink things normally your teeth are coated in acids, colorants, sugars and whatever else might be in your drink.  The idea here is to avoid all of that contact by using a straw.  It's a simple method and I'm pretty sure your kids will think it's cool too.  If you aren't into wasting plastic straws you can try a reusable straw like these from Glass Dharma.  I haven't had the pleasure of trying these yet, but I've heard great things.

And  before you start thinking Glass=Breakage, they offer a lifetime guarantee against breakage.  According to their site: If, for any reason*, your GlassDharma Drinking Straw breaks, you may return the broken straw for repair or replacement. If we cannot restore it to its original condition, we will gladly replace it.

Have you tried another natural whitening method with great results?  I'd love to hear about it!

Teething Woes

We have three children.  We've had happy teethers and grumpy ones.  With our son, his teeth came in and no one would have been the wiser if you were paying attention just to his behavior.  It wasn't quite that easy when it came to our older daughter, and certainly not now with our youngest.  G just doesn't take to teething very well.  We spend days on end just playing with her, comforting and holding.  It doesn't really sound all that bad unless you need to go to the bathroom, shower, make dinner, take care of another child, etc.  She freaks out!  We understand completely, but it doesn't make trying to complete tasks any easier.

I had heard about using amber jewelry to ease teething pain.  I have to admit I was a little skeptic.  I wasn't sure that wearing a necklace could really help and the safety of it all had me concerned as well.

I headed over to Inspired by Finn to see what amber was all about.  They use Baltic Amber, a very special fossilized tree resin.  When this amber is worn against the skin, heat from the body unlocks and releases oils from the resin.  These oils are absorbed by your body and considered to have great healing properties.  You can read more on this at their site.

So this made sense to me.  It was similar to a topical medicine, not the cold stone like substance that I had envisioned.  Next up was my concern about putting a necklace on my baby.  I was concerned both about strangulation and choking if the beads were to come loose.  On the necklace there is a knot in the cord between each bead and it is quite sturdy.  The clasp on these is very safe.  You have the choice of a screw clasp or magnetic.  The screw clasp is non metal and is both sturdy enough to keep the necklace on your baby and giving enough to come loose with much play.  I have not tried the magnetic clasp, but I would imagine that it would also work well.

Inspired by Finn was kind enough to send me a 12 1/2 inch butter round necklace with screw clasp.  I can't begin to tell you what an immediate and wonderful difference this made with our daughter's teething issues.  When she wears the necklace during teething she has more of her natural happiness, as opposed to the times when I can't set her down no matter what I do.  She really pays no attention to the necklace.  I thought perhaps she would want to take it off, nope - she does just fine.  I do however have a 2 1/2 year old little girl that wants her own.  We'll have to see what Santa can do about that.

As I was preparing this review I heard from a woman who had also tried amber from Finn and I just had to share her story.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Submission by Nikki: 
Three people in my life now had positive results with amber which has been such a pleasant surprise to me. It all started with a great promotion that Inspired by Finn was having for those that had never tried amber before. My dad has had chronic back pain for as long as I can remember. With his birthday coming up, I thought I would order him one as well as one for my little 10 month teether who was having a terrbile time of it.

Within 2 days of wearing his necklace, my dad had his first day without pain medication that he had in a very long time. He is recovering still from major back surgery so he still has bad days but he thinks his necklace has definitely helped increased his good days.

My little guy Evan has been having a much harder time teething than his older brother Eli ever did. After starting to sleep through the night around 2 months old, once the teething started he gave that up for months. Until he got his amber necklace. Since then he has been sleeping through the night again from the very first night of wearing. He has since added three more teeth, and I have really not seen any evidence of his teething other than the actual teeth.

After our quick successes with the necklaces, my mom decided to give a bracelet a try to help aid with her carpal tunnel. I've always known how much she hates wearing bracelets and now she never takes her amber bracelet off. Between the amber, chiropractic adjustments, and sleeping brace, she has had a major decrease in her tingling, numbness, and pain from her carpel tunnel.

I just can't tell you how happy I am that I found Inspired by Finn and took a chance on placing that first order. I'm working on picking out a necklace for my husband's grandmother next!

If you haven't yet had the pleasure of trying Baltic Amber, now is your chance!
Inspired by Finn has generously offered one of you the chance to win any one 16 inch or smaller, in stock amber item.  In addition to the giveaway, they have offered a great discount code.

Use Code: Amanda25 at Insipred by Finn to receive 25% off of your order!

----Update! We have our winner!----

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

Congratulations to Good Life! I hope this helps your little one!

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!

Visit Inspired by Finn and tell me which item you would love.  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 and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "Say goodbye to teething pain with a Baltic Amber necklace from Inspired by Finn & @EFFBloghttp://bit.ly/1jtGb1 #giveaway" Leave a comment with a link to your status. Tweet daily for more entries!

*Like us on Facebook, The Eco-Friendly Family & Inspired by Finn 

(look for great discounts here too!)

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

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

*Post about this giveaway on your blog or other social media (message boards, Facebook, etc!). Leave a comment with a link. One entry for each way you share!

and as always, Good Luck and Enjoy!

US Only. Giveaway ends December 9th.  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.

Eco Conscious Shopping

“In other environmental issues we tell people to stop something, reduce their impact, reduce their damage,” states US Ecologist Gary Nabhan in a recent interview. Nabhan is a ethnobotanist/gardener whose promotion of biodiversity has caught the attention of many over the years. He is known for his work in biodiversity as an ethnobotanist.

Since Coming Home to Eat was published in 2001, the local food movement has ignited, causing a worldwide green epidemic. Over the past few years there has been a dramatic rise in the number of organizations and businesses that have contributed to the promotion of sustainability through conservation. The Earth Day Network has been playing a large part in bringing conservationist and green enthusiasts together to share ideas and discuss new ways to support the planet. Other large organizations and non-profits like Doug Band and the CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) have been working on successful emission reduction projects in the San Francisco Bay area. As climate control has continued to worsen, collaborative and individual acts are vital for any successful green campaign. As human beings, we’re constantly told to reduce our carbon footprint, consume less unhealthy foods, and air dry clothes instead of using a dryer! But let’s take a minute to step back and look at this from a different perspective; one that Gary Nabhan (author of Coming Home to Eat) strongly suggests.
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization confirms, only about a quarter of crop diversity is left and that a dozen species now give 90% of the animal protein eaten globally. In accordance, just 4 crop species supply half of plant based calories in the human diet.

Nabhan suggests that eating foods that are home-grown will have a greater impact on sustainability for our planet as a whole. Otherwise known as “eat what you conserve,” is a well-established theory in that by eating the fruits and vegetables that we are attempting to conserve/save, we’re promoting the granular dissemination of various plant species.

Agriculturist Marco Contiero also mentions that “biodiversity is an essential characteristic of any sustainable agricultural system, especially in the context of climate change.”[1] According to Conterio’s theory, this would suggest that as individuals we tend our own crops/plants, and should make sure to purchase localized farm products at supermarkets and groceries. In the end, this condenses export/import reliance, thus reducing our carbon footprint.

Both Nabhan and Contiero’s theories rely profoundly on an action oriented approach at conservation and sustainability. With an abundance of green movements following Earth Day 2010, organizations and individuals have taken a stronger following to expert opinions like the ones demonstrated by both of these highly influential agriculturalists. So remember be sure to visit your local farmers markets and apple orchids to purchase your fresh fruits and vegetables. Promoting biodiversity and localized farming is a crucial piece of the conservation puzzle.

Article Submitted by Kori Bubnack
Image from Cubit's Organics

Don't dump your pills!

Turn them in.  This weekend - September 25, 2010 - the DEA is organizing a National Take-Back Initiative.  From 10:00 am to 2:00pm, at locations all over the country (find yours here!) people can anonymously turn in outdated or unused medications for destruction.

Solid dosage medications (tablets/capsules/etc.) are being accepted.  No intra-venous solutions, injectables or needles.  In addition, illicit substances are not part of this effort.

Now that we have the specifics out of the way, let's talk for a moment about how fantastic this is.  Did you know that when New Jersey did this, they came away with 4.5 TONS! of pills?!  That's 4.5 tons of medication not in our water supply (please don't flush your pills!).  9,000 pounds of medication that won't end up in a landfill.  3.5 million pills out of the reach of children, teenagers and other vulnerable persons.  Need I say more?

If you can't make it out Saturday, don't worry.  Call your physician's office and/or local pharmacies - some accept unused medications.

I think I may be ill.

The other night, my husband and I were relaxing and watching a little television.  A commercial break came and there was a healthy looking man walking in a corn field with a sweet little girl.  Admittedly I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention until it reached the end and said that "sugar is sugar" and splashed a cornsugar.com logo on my screen.  Mouth agape, I looked at my husband and he looked at me.

Corn sugar?  Really?

According to Corn.org
"CORN REFINERS PETITION FDA FOR USE OF “CORN SUGAR” AS ALTERNATE NAME FOR HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

ELIMINATING CONSUMER CONFUSION IS THE GOAL"

As my husband said, why not "corn vitamins" or something else as ridiculous.  Uh, yea.  I think we, the consumer, understand just fine.  They say they want to "eliminate consumer confusion";  I think they want to rid themselves of the negative connotation that comes with HFCS and to create confusion so that people unaware of a change and trying to avoid HFCS will purchase products containing it.

In case anyone would like a refresher course in all things HFCS, read this.

So what do you think about this news?  Do you think the FDA will see through the corn refiners' petition and stand up for the consumer?  I'd love to hear your take on this.

Healthy from the Start

If you want to raise happy and healthy children you want to get them eating right from the start.  Instilling a love for healthy foods is essential.  Children can learn early on to love flavors and colors and appreciate trying new things.  Start early and you won't be sorry!

I was recently introduced to a new book called Organically Raised: Conscious Cooking for Babies and Toddlers by Anni Daulter.  This book is such an amazing and beautiful resource.  It offers a loving and practical approach to introducing your children to healthy foods. 

Organically Raised is full of amazing, delicious and colorful (beautiful!) dishes from simple first foods to complex dishes and sinfully nutritious deserts!  The imagery in this book doesn't hurt either.  It is quite inspiring for even the busiest cook.  I have three little ones and can't wait to make more of these for my family.

What's so wonderful about these recipes is that they aren't just great for babies and kids, they are great for the whole family.  I love this approach to feeding kids and nurturing their love for colorful, flavorful healthy foods.  This book is a must have for any parent who cares about what goes into their child's body.

You can pick up a copy of Organically Raised on Amazon.  You will be so happy that you did and as it will fast become one of your favorite recipe books

Do your little ones have any favorite healthy recipes?  Any tips or tricks to getting your little one to try new things and eat well?  Please share!  I would love to hear them, and I'm sure others would as well.

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.

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.

Updated Dirty Dozen

The Environmental Working Group offers a handy printable guide that lists the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 fruits and vegetables, ranked by pesticide load after washing and or pealing (as each item would typically be eaten).

The news here is that there has been an UPDATE!  Spinach, Potatoes and Blueberries have made their way onto the list, as well as some ranking shuffles in the top 12.

Click here for a PDF guide to the Dirty Dozen & Clean 15.

If you are interested, the full list of 47 fruits & veggies is here.  This has not yet been updated, but will give you a great 'big picture'.

The Shopper's Guide to Pesticides ranks pesticide contamination for 47 popular fruits and vegetables based on an analysis of 87,000 tests for pesticides on these foods, conducted from 2000 to 2007 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. Nearly all the studies used to create the list test produce after it has been rinsed or peeled. Contamination was measured in six different ways and crops were ranked based on a composite score from all categories.
The six measures of contamination we used were:

• Percent of the samples tested with detectable pesticides
• Percent of the samples with two or more pesticides
• Average number of pesticides found on a sample
• Average amount (level in parts per million) of all pesticides found
• Maximum number of pesticides found on a single sample
• Number of pesticides found on the commodity in total"

*This methodology explanation is directly from their site. Click to learn more.

We've been hit!

Colds are rare here, but we've managed to pick one up.  It started with our son and then knocked out me and our daughters last night.  My husband is the only one left standing.  Let's hope that he makes it through this without it :)

I have been drinking tea with honey & eating bits of honey to sooth my scratchy throat.  Chicken noodle soup was a little help as well.  I have given my older two honey, but can't for my youngest (she's 6 1/2 months).

I am not a pro at dealing with colds so I thought I would put my questions to you.  I would love any home remedies that you use, have tried, know of, etc. for both adults and children.

Thank you for sharing with me.  My family thanks you too.

Now I've done it

Our home went caffeine free.

Yes, you read that right. Caffeine Free! Well for the most part. We switched our coffee to decaff, our tea doesn't have it and we don't drink much soda. This isn't to say that we won't on occasion have it, it just means that we have removed it from our regular diet :)

We are on our fourth day of no caffeine and it's mostly good. I absolutely notice a drop in energy, but I figure that's par for the course. We have had a cup of coffee every morning for most of our adult lives, it's bound to leave us a little sluggish until our bodies work themselves back to normal :)

As a fun note, check out these images from a NASA study. On the left is the web of a spider in it's normal, non-drugged state. On the right is the web of a spider who has been exposed to caffeine.
Have you dropped caffeine from your life? I would love to hear how others have done this and how they felt/feel afterward :)

Do your body a favor. Avoid HFCS.

I started this post as a review of the SodaStream soda maker. I started talking about why it was nice to be able to make my own soda with out using high fructose corn syrup. It is great and I will do that review, but I got sidetracked thinking and writing about HFCS and because it concerns me so much, I would like to go ahead and finish those thoughts. Here they are.

The commercials claiming that HFCS is just fine make me sad.

Even *if* it were indeed fine in moderation, as the commercials claim, the problem is that it is in nearly everything that we buy to consume, or at least it seems that way. If you haven't, take a look some time, even in your own cabinets.

Did you know that it's in most breads? It is so hard to find bread that doesn't have it in it. It drives me nuts when my brand is out and I have to search through label after label to find a replacement. Sometimes, depending on the store, I can't find a brand without it.

HFCS is in almost all sodas, ketchup, barbecue sauce, salad dressings, yogurt, cookies, artificial maple syrups, cereals, frozen treats, breakfast bars, stuffing, juice blends, etc. I could go on and on. Here is a partial list of items (read the comments for more). Also look here for a list of fast food items containing it.

Because it is in so many things that people eat on a daily basis. How can it possibly be considered used in moderation for the average person?

I have even seen articles showing studies that show levels of mercury in some HFCS samples. Check out these articles from Washington Post , U.S. News and Google it for more!

This is what gets me. HFCS is made, created in a lab, made. Something I didn't know before writing this is that DNA cannot be detected in measurable amounts in high fructose corn syrup.

That's a wake up call for me. I've avoided it and we eat healthy and eat organic when we can, but that shakes me. The thought of allowing my children to consume it unsettles me. Even more than that, the amounts that so many children in our country consume on a daily basis.

I encourage you to check out this article about HFCS. It is hugely informative and in an incredibly easy to read format.

In addition to the above a study was recently done at Princeton.  Their findings were quite interesting showing the difference between HFCS and sugar on the body (as tested on rats).   

Thanks for listening to me :)