There has been a lot press about the danger of continuing to give animals antibiotics and hormones. The movie Food, Inc. talks about it, the mass media is covering it, and the internet is full of stories talking about how it is dangerous and causing us to be more and more sick.

This article was released yesterday and I think it does an amazing job explaining what the consequences are for our antibiotic usage. It is a long article, but take the time, it is important.

I am a vegetarian, which I used to think made me immune to the problem, but clearly it doesn’t. It also doesn’t because my husband eats meat, as do other family members. For my husband we buy only organic meat now, and I am going to start trying to buy local meat only where I can see and talk to the farmer. I want to ask my local butcher where they get their meat as well, and what practices do their suppliers follow.

I know organic meat is expensive, so if you can’t afford it every night try cooking more without meat, saving meat for two or three nights a week instead and buying better quality. Sometimes you can buy whole animals and the meat is much cheaper that way, find some friends or family members to split the animal and the cost with you, get it local and make sure they don’t use antibiotics or hormones.  The other thing you can do is seek out meat that is labeled “no antibiotics, or hormones”. Lastly, if you have the time and energy call your congressman and senator, write to the President. Tell them you want higher standards!

Last night I watched The Sound of Music on television for the first time in years. I forgot how much I love that movie! It brought back so many feelings from my childhood. I used to watch the movie and dream about all of the wonderful things my life would  bring me, and I believed then, as I do now that when a door closes a window opens, just as the movie says.

Last night though I caught a sentence from the Captain which gave me pause.

He said: Staying busy gives the impression of a purpose filled life.

I have been trying to find the words to explain this for years and there it was out of the Captains mouth, and into mine and the Baroness’ ears. I have been guilty of this before in my life, years ago. Now, not so much, I have purpose, but could I have more? What could this new year bring for my life, what is the purpose of 2010?

I don’t make New Years resolutions. I never have. I am a very goal driven person so I constantly have goals through out the year that I work towards, accomplish and move on. I also keep a list of 100 things I would like to do before I die and as I accomplish them I cross them off and add another. But this sentence really made me think about what I could do with my time this year to give more purpose to my life.

I am a giving person but I don’t currently volunteer.  I have been frustrated with the system of  voluteering in the past so I have done other things like knitting for needy or sick people, writing for non-profits at no charge, purchasing things for specific schools, people or organizations but I have not found an organization I donate my time to on a regular basis. I think this year I will either do that or find an organization I can knit or sew for on a regular basis.

It is important for us to have purpose in our lives, it is important for your children to have purpose as well. It is great to learn how to use our time to fulfill our desires, our dreams, to reach personal goals, or to give back. Have you thought about talking to your children about purpose and finding things they would like to learn, try or do and then helping them work towards accomplishing them this year? What about having a family goal board where you set daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals for everyone in the house and then help each other to accomplish them? Help your children recognize the small things they do everyday that make a difference in working towards their goals or helping someone else with their own goals. If we have direction we are happier, more productive, and more fulfilled. We have purpose, we accomplish, we succeed. It is HUGE for our self esteem, for our communities and our world.

What are your goals? What is your purpose? Write and tell us if you make resolutions on New Years, we would love to hear from you!

-Sheri

I know Trans Fats are bad for you. I avoid any food with trans fats and know they are being removed from food at a rapid rate. However, they do still sneak their way into our diets.

Do you know why they are bad for you? I didn’t know much, so I thought there was a chance you didn’t either.

Here are a few facts about Trans Fats:

1. Trans Fats lower the quality of breast milk. The trans fats actually affect the level of trans fats in your breast milk, and therefore in your baby.

2. There is an article by nutritionist Dr. Mary Enig which said that consuming trans fatty acids “Affects immune response by lowering effeciency of B cell response and increasing proliferation of T cells.”

3. Trans fats can increase your blood insulin level, which increases your risk for diabetes.

4. Trans fat has been found to increase the risk of heart disease by raising the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and lowering the levels of good cholesterol (HDL).

5. Diets with a high fat intake increase the risk for mascular degeneration

Where do you find it? According to the FDA trans fats are found in processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Examples are vegetable shortenings, some margarine, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, crackers, muffins, pizza doughs, hard taco shells, hamburger buns, cake mixes, chocolate drink mixes, store bought soups, premade breakfast foods such as cereal bars, toppings, dips, condiments, salad dressings, pancake mix, packaged or microwave popcorn, frozen dinners and other baked goods.

Make note that a food can contain .49 grams of trans fat and still be labeled “0 trans fat”. These “0 trans fat” foods can really add up in your diet.

(There are naturally occurring trans fats in beef, lamb and full-fat dairy products, so monitor your intake of these foods, beef once a week, full fat dairy products should be one serving per day.)

It seems our “great” food additive inventions have been doing a lot in the way of causing us to be a very ill society.

It really isn’t that difficult and it doesn’t take that much more time in your day to make food from scratch. If you weigh the convenience against the long term affects on you and your family it is easy to see why making muffins, cakes, soup, pancake mix etc. is worth the extra couple of minutes you gain by opening a container and adding water. We make pancakes or waffles on the weekends. We make large batches, then freeze them to reheat during the week. I also make soup from scratch, I double the recipes and then freeze them so they are available on short notice. If you keep organic frozen fruit on hand it is easy to whip up muffins on moments notice.

If you must buy some of these items buy from reputable companies or merchants who make the choice to avoid partially hydronated vegetable oils and trans & saturated fats.

Eating healthy leads to feeling healthy, looking healthy and thinking healthy. It does change your outlook, your attitude, your energy and your quality of life. It will do the same for your children.

-Sheri

Just because baby isn’t old enough to weigh in on his/her food wishes for Christmas dinner doesn’t mean they should be forgotten as you plan your family meal.  There are so many ways to incorporate your food into your babies Christmas dinner that it is a shame not to.

For instance: Use some cooked sweet potato, mash it with breast milk, or organic whole milk yogurt, add a little maple syrup and your baby is now enjoying nutritous and delicious sweet potatoes along with the family.

At 10 months-12 months baby can start eating meat so  definitely serve small pieces of turkey along with the rest of the family, you can incorporate it into a full meal with these side dishes.

Carrots are an excellent source of vitamins so while you are roasting the turkey you can roast a handful of baby carrots in the oven. Toss them with a little olive oil, and a half clove of garlic, roast until very soft, about 35 minutes or so. Cut them into small pieces before serving.

Are you having green beans and would rather make those than carrots? Steam them either on the stove over a steamer or in the microwave. Make sure they are very soft, then sprinkle with mint or tarragon and cut into small pieces.

Mashed potatoes are a great food for baby, add a little garlic or chives or dill and your baby is getting a delicious holiday dish.

When you cook your pumpkin pie reserve a little of the pumpkin, pour it into a small ramekin or souffle dish and cook it in the oven for baby. It will not take long to cook and will turn out to be a delicious and healthy treat for baby on Christmas. The nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and ginger in the pumpkin are all great herbs for baby’s health.

Do you have any ideas for recipes for babies during the holidays? We would love to hear them! Leave us  comment.

-Sheri

We have another giveaway winner today! V. won the adorable organic onesie for her son you see pictured above. It is from Boutique Lucky Stars one of our WAHM merchants.

We asked V. why she picked this item as one on her wishlist and these are her answers:

1. ITS TOTALLY CUTE!

2. It will look AWESOME with my baby J.’s blue eyes; he will look like such a stud!

3.  ITS ORGANIC–Im sure it’s so soft!

4.  ITS FROM FRANKLIN GOOSE!

It isn’t too late to create your wishlist or organic baby registry on the site, you can start here. We will be doing random drawings through next week. You can read more about Boutique Lucky Stars in our interview here.

I hope everyone is enjoying their  holiday season!

-Sheri

I was thinking today about Christmas presents. As an adult I have had many that I love, like the one-of-a-kind pink hand knitted and felted knee length sweater jacket my sister bought for me.

There are two gifts that I get occasionally though that make me giddy like a little kid. One is when someone donates books to children on my behalf. This makes me feel so good, every time someone does it as a gift for me.

The second is my favorite, a donation to the Seva Foundation. This is the present that gives me the true spirit of Christmas, every time.

They have a sight program that is truly remarkable.

“In the past year alone, Seva-supported programs served over 500,000 people in some of the world’s poorest communities, including 30,000 people who had cataract surgery to restore their eyesight.
With partners in eight countries around the world, Seva is working to reduce avoidable blindness by helping communities develop high quality, affordable eye care services that they can sustain on their own.”

Did you know: “ Every five seconds, someone in the world goes blind — and a child goes blind every minute. Of the 45 million blind people worldwide, 90% of them live in the poorest areas of developing countries. But the most important statistic to understand is that over 75% of the world’s blind people could see again if they had access to adequate eye care services.”

The Seva Foundation works with doctors and communities to help reach the goal set by WHO and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness that aims to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020.

Flour in America is allowed to contain Potassium bromate. Flour in Europe, the UK, Canada, Sri Lanka, China, Nigeria, Brazil and Peru can not contain Potassium bromate.

So what is Potassium bromate and why do we care that so many other countries have banned it and America hasn’t? The function of Potassium bromate is to get the bread to rise higher. Ideally the Potassium bromate is completely used up in baking. This is ideally, the conditions have to be perfect in order for this to happen. Potassium bromate is considered a category 2B carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.  A category 2B carcinogen means that it is possibly carcinogenic to humans. “The primary concern regarding the use of bromates in baking is its demonstrated link to cancer in laboratory animals. It was first found to induce tumors in rats in 1982. However, since 1991, instead of banning bromate outright the FDA, with somewhat limited success, has merely encouraged bakers to voluntarily stop using it.”(from the King Arthur flour website)

I understand the word possibly is in the definition of category 2B carcinogen but I wouldn’t knowingly eat poison that could possibly kill me would you?

The state of California requires that a warning label be used whenever bromated flour is in the food. That seems like the least we can get, it is better than nothing but really, why is it that we in America can not expect the same food safety as other countries? I grew up thinking we were leaders and instead it seems we tolerate more things that are bad for us than any other large country.

Here is what you can do:

1. Buy flour that is unbromated. (King Arthur is a great choice).

2. Ask wherever you buy baked goods what type of flour they use, if it is not unbromated ask them to consider switching.

3. Request your grocery store offer unbromated flour, if they don’t already.

4. Call the FDA or write to them and request they act on this matter quickly.

5. Call your state government and ask them to follow California in requiring warning labels on food containing potassium bromate.

If enough people ask and demand then we can get changes made.

-Sheri

I found this link, to letssaythanks.com on the  Coupon Mommy blog today.

Xerox has started a campaign where you can go to this link, pick a postcard design from their large selection of children’s designed postcards. You then give your name and city and pick one of several available messages for your postcard. Xerox will then print it and send it to a member of our armed forces serving in Iraq. All for free!

I was so excited to see this! I am a strong believer that no matter how you feel about the wars we have going on we still have members of our country who have agreed to sacrifice their lives, their time with their families and friends and their safety in order to protect us, and others. It is an incredibly self-less job they do everyday and one that changes who they are forever. Everytime I see a way to reach out and say thank you to anyone in the military I have to do it, it is the least I can do.

Xerox is so awesome for sponsoring this program! Take the 2 or 3 minutes today and participate. Doing so will send a message to other companies to get involved. It will also boost the morale of our soldiers who deserve it!

-Sheri

This morning I found Miracle Diapers. I am not sure if you know about them but I certainly didn’t.

Miracle diapers is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization which accepts gently used cloth diapers donations and loans them out to families in need to help them build their own cloth diaper supply. In 2005 Miracle Diapers began their program and over the last four years they have expanded to three chapters, with a goal of continuing that expansion next year. They accept donations through the mail and at drop off sites in California, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachussetts, New York, Oregon, Texas, & Washington.

They state that often the tax deduction is worth more financially than if you resell the diapers. I think it is worth more to know that you have helped another family in need, and helped protect a child from the chemicals, rashes etc. that come along with disposable diapers, rather than selling the diapers. (I am pretty sure Mother Nature would thank you as well for helping to keep more disposables out of landfills.)

Please visit their website to get information about how to donate, and help to spread the word by telling your cloth diapering friends and family about Mircacle Diapers.

-Sheri

I was in a discussion this weekend with a friend that sparked a whole process of thinking for me. I wanted to get your opinions.

There are a lot of people blogging about not cutting down Christmas trees for Christmas. They talk about non-plastic tree alternatives and give a lot  of advice to use live trees etc.

I started thinking about it and wondering if live trees are  really as bad for the environment as everyone is assuming they are.

Clearly from an environmental stand point using a live tree is the best choice. But for some people that isn’t a good or available option. So that would leave the dilemma of real tree vs. fake tree. I have to vote real, organic or at least locally grown. If you can get an organic tree then it is great, you avoid the whole pesticide arguement. If you can’t  try to buy local or cut your own with your family and use it as a chance to teach your children about agriculture, or traditions.  Real trees are regenerated each year by the tree farmers so there is no loss of trees to society also, Christmas trees capture carbon dioxide. They typically require no irrigation water. And they’re raised in their natural region.
A Christmas tree’s growing cycle lasts from five to 10 years, far longer than the annual crops that would be grown on the agricultural land they occupy. That means fewer pesticide applications, the farmers say, and less tillage, which exposes soil to erosion.  Once the season is over you can recycle your tree by having it ground into mulch either for you or to be donated. You can also search for composting alternatives in your community.

Fake trees are made from PVC, they contain lead, and other additives that are then in your home, exposing your family to more chemicals. The Children’s Health Environmental Coalition warns that fake trees “may shed lead-laced dust, which may cover branches or shower gifts and the floor below the tree.” Also, 85% of our fake trees in North America come from China.  Once you are done with your fake tree it is probably not recyclable which means more landfill waste. I go out of my way everyday to avoid plastic at home and at work, why would I put it up as a decoration in my home?

People are making alternatives to Christmas trees now out of recycled aluminum but I just can’t see convincing my family that is the family Christmas tree. I live as organically and environmentally as possible (I even save my cooking water for watering my plants) but I can’t give up my Christmas tree. I look forward to it all year long. I choose to be responsible with the disposal of the tree rather than sacrifice the tradition that means so much to my family. I also feel good knowing I haven’t contributed to adding chemicals to our planet, and supporting questionable labor laws by purchasing a tree made in China.

How do you feel about the Christmas tree dilemma? Are organic trees easy for you to find? What about buying local?

-Sheri