BPA's and You

Bisphenol-a also know as bpa has been a hot topic lately.  The other day someone was telling me that they are even in canned food and receipts.  It seems like every where you look there is a new toxic substance we all have to avoid.  While I believe that plastics destroy the earth causing the pacific coast garbage patch and littering the sides of the road, I still didn't know anything really about bpa.  What kind of writer would I be if I didn't research and get the skinny on bpa?  Keep in mind I'm not a scientist, in fact most of my college science has nothing to do with so all I can do is give my opinion on any of these topics as a consumer, wife and nanny.

Dangers
Bpas have been known to cause an early puberty in female animals due to the fact that it mimics estrogen and other hormones.  Bpas being injected directly into rats suggests that it may pose cancer risks (NY Times).   While these tests are done on animals, it's up to you as a parent to decide if you want to risk your children or buy products and try to avoid exposure.  In fact, some countries like China and Canada have gone so far as to completely ban bpas from baby bottles.  Personally, I have taken some steps to avoid bpas in my home. 

Where to find bisphenol-a
Basically any and all plastics contain bpas.  It has been used for years to make hard plastics.  This means everything from your Tupperware to your frozen dinner trays contain bpas.  There have also been high traces of bpa found in the lining of canned food.  Even those that are labeled organic, it does not mean that they are bpa free.  Bpas are released when the containers are heated, and then it goes into the food that you eat.  Even those containers that say they are microwave safe, may have bpas.  Since children have a lot of plastic utensils and dishes, it makes them an easy target for exposure. 

How to avoid bpas
You best bet is to look for bpa-free labels on your plastics.  A ton of stores and companies are only carrying and making bpa-free plastics for children. If the label doesn't say bpa-free, that means it's not bpa-free, only trust what the label says and never assume. Sswitch out your plastic Tupperware for glass containers.  The best part about the glass means it can go freezer, fridge, oven and microwave without a problem.  As far as canned food goes, try to avoid it when possible.  Consider switching to frozen veggies instead of canned when you can't get fresh.  Some groups suggest that you don't wash your plastics in the dishwasher with harsh soaps, other groups say that it perfectly fine.

My Conclusion
It seems to me that there is some evidence of harmful effects of bpas. I will probably take even more care in purchasing products that are bpa-free especially for children.  There just really isn't any way of knowing how harmful or dangerous a lifetime of exposure could be until more research is done on the subject.  Until a statement comes out saying that bisphenol-a is not at all harmful, why not try to avoid bpas?  The truth is I don't think we can ever completely protect our family from all of the dangers in the world, we can just do our best.

Sources
New York Times
www.sciencedaily.com
Mayo Clinic

Why Your Children Should Have a Pet

I'm sure if you don't already have one, at some time or another your children have asked you to get a pet.  I'm not advocating that you buy something like a cat or dog, even a fish or a pet bug can have the same benefits for your children.  If you do get an animal, I suggest that you look into adoption first.  There are many wonderful animals that need a second chance in life from birds to dogs and you local humane society or any other rescue group can help you find the right animal for your family.  In fact shelter animals are some of the most healthiest animals, if they don't get sick being caged up in an area with a lot of illness and disease, chances are they won't get sick in your home.  Anyway I'm getting side-tracked about how awesome rescues are. 

Having a pet teaches a child responsibility.  You might think "How?  I'm the one that cleans the cage, baths the animal and feeds it."  Your child can assist you with all of these things.  He or she can also be the one to remind you that it is time to do those activities.  As your child gets older he or she can take over more and more of the burden of taking care of animals.  You can make charts of when and how the pet care needs to be done.  The animal now depends on that child to take care of the animal otherwise, it might get sick or even die.  This is a big responsibility for children and a great lesson in showing how we are all connected and if you are Christian about how God put us on Earth to look after all of the other creatures. 

Having a pet also teaches a child about death.  This may seem morbid to some of you, but death is an important part of life and it is something that everyone has to experience at some point in their lives. It's much easier to explain to a child that their bug has passed on and gone to a better place, or will no longer wake up again, than it is to explain a grandparent did that.  By the time, God forbid, a grandparent does die, hopefully your child will be familiar with the concept of death and able to grieve and understand what is actually happening.

If you have the right kind of pet, like a dog, it will also encourage your children to get outside and get active.  Dogs need to be walked and played with, so do kids.  Having your kids go outside and play with the dog might be just the right excuse to get your own kids outside to play.   

Most importantly, having an animal is fun.  If your child has trouble socially, or just needs a little extra love, an animal will always love their owners.  Animals are a great tool for reading.  Your child can practice reading out loud to their pet.  The pet obviously isn't going to judge them if they stutter or struggle to read, this builds confidence and builds their reading skills.  Many libraries even have a reading to fido day so even kids without pets can practice this technique. 

A pet is a wonderful addition to any family.  Just make sure that you do the research to figure out what pet is the best option for your family.  Even if you pick the right pet, make sure you pick the right breed for your family.  When you find the right pet, it can enrich your child's life and make your home a happier place.  Your pet can bring love and teach your children many lessons that cannot be taught in school, and all they ask for in return is a couple of meals and lots of love. 

Reasons to Support Your Local Farmers Market

I have been counting the days until my local farmers market starts.  I love farmers markets and go to my local one every week spring through fall.  I can find everything from organic meat to artwork at the market.  Why would I shop in a freezing store with artificial light when I could be walking around in the sunshine?  There are hundreds of reasons to shop at a farmers market but here are some of the few I find most important. 

1. Know where your food is coming from
Shopping at a farmers market allows you to actually meet the people that are growing and making your food.  They can tell you exactly what the difference is between different types of plums are and most likely allow you to sample all of the different types.  When I buy meat they can tell me exactly what the animal ate so I know what I'm getting. 

2. Supporting local businesses
Stores only pay a few cents per pound to the farmers for their produce.  When you buy from a farmers market all of that money goes to the farmer so the prices are normally cheaper for you and the farmer still gets more money per pound for produce.  Farmers markets also have a ton of local artists, restaurants and other local businesses.  Shopping from them is supporting your local economy, in addition you get to meet the people in your community. 

3. Eating seasonally and locally
There have been many articles on the benefits of eating seasonally.  When you shop at farmers markets you are only eating fruits that have been grown locally and are in season.  When you eat locally the food is fresher.  The produced sold at the market has normally been picked that day, as opposed to the grocery store where it's picked before it's ripe and sits in the store for days.  There has been some recent controversy over which is actually more eco-friendly, but the produce traveling less of a distance to the market means less energy used to get the food to you.  Why pay to have something shipped 2,000 miles when you can buy the same food locally?  Eating seasonally and locally is a more sustainable way of eating and living. 

4. It's fun
Going to the farmers market is an afternoon or evening out for me.  I walk around, shop, catch up with friends, listen to music and have dinner all at the market.  When I leave I have bread, meat, produce and maybe a few other things I need for the week.  You would never get that kind of experience from a grocery store, even those that are organic or offer locally grown produce.  Take your entire family and make it a fun experience for everyone! 

There are a ton of websites dedicated to helping you find a farmers market in your area.  Find one to go to this week.  Feel free to post in the comments the local farmers markets you visit and share with the rest of us!

Further reading
http://www.sustainabletable.org/shop/seasonal/
10 reasons to shop are your local farmers market

Grow Your Own Food No Matter Where You Live

Spring is the perfect time of year to start growing your own food.  It is warm enough that you can plant in beds outside instead of just pots around the house.  If you take a chunk of your lawn and turn it into a garden it also means less grass that you have to mow.

There are advantages to growing your own food.  You can save money if you grow the right food.  You know exactly where your food is coming from and what kind of chemicals you used or didn't use on your food.  I find that food I grow myself always tastes best, even better than organic or from a farmers' market.  There is something about picking food right out of the sun and eating it that makes it taste amazing.  You also might get your children interested in eating veggies that they grow on their own. 

Think practically before you plant your garden.  Pick foods that you will actually eat or know a friend or family member will enjoy.  There is no point in planting foods that are just going to rot in your garden.  Also think about what food will give the most reward if you are looking to save money.  You can buy a fruit tree for under $20 and it will give you pounds and pounds of fruit over the years.  You will get the most reward for a small amount of money.  Blueberry bushes, strawberries and pumpkins are other good choices.  Look at the price of the plants, check if they are annuals or perennials, and then see how much the food costs to buy in the store.  This will give you a good idea if the food you are planting is practical money-wise.

If outside space isn't an option, you can always grow food inside your house.  For a long time I had a potted lemon tree to remind me of living in Arizona.  It eventually died when my dogs decided they liked the taste of lemon branches, but that didn't stop me from growing food.  You can also keep an herb garden in your house year round.  This way whenever you are cooking you can just snip off some live herbs and add them to your cooking.  You can also choose to dry them and store them in spice jars.  I almost always have a pot of basil and rosemary sitting on my kitchen windowsill.  You can even buy live basil from the grocery store and all you have to do is put the roots in a glass of water and it will last for several weeks.  Green onions will do the same thing if you put the roots in water after you chop off the greens.  I get two or three batches worth of green onions from one set I buy from the store.  That calculates out to 3 dollars worth of onions for 1 dollar.

Vegetable gardens are a good way to get kids interested in their food.  They get to take a hands on approach to what they eat.  They also get to learn where their food comes from and how much effort goes into each vegetable they buy at the store.  Growing your own food can be rewarding for any person at any age.  Get on your garden gloves and get out there and plant!

Spring Cleaning Checklist

This is my spring cleaning checklist.  I saw a cute idea on an article on theknot.com where points are assigned to each chore depending on difficulty and time it takes to do the chore.  Then you compete with your significant other or your entire family and see who can earn the most cleaning points. Not every house is the same so your list might be different from mine, but this is a good list with some tips to help you get started on your cleaning.  If I forgot anything please feel free to leave a comment and add it to the list!

Don't be a crazy person and try tackle all of this in one day, pick and choose one or two chores to do in a day.  Think about maybe making simple or quick and easy dinners for days you decide to clean so you don't have to clean all day and then cook all night.

While your working on a room try to at least open the windows in that room if not the entire house.  The fresh air is going to get rid of that stale smell.  Fresh air has also been known to reduce illness and asthma.  The other reason to open windows is to ventilate if you are using any chemicals. 

First off clutter cleaning is the most important.  One of the quickest ways to make the house look cleaner is to remove the clutter.  Consider donating the items you no longer need, some places like St. Vincent de Paul will even send a truck to your house and give you a receipt for tax purposes.  Look for outgrown clothes, old toys and gadgets when you are sorting through your house.  Removing these items will put you on your way to a clutter free house.

Living Room

• Wipe down all walls and knock down any cobwebs
• Dust ceiling fan and wipe it down with a cloth dampened with vinegar
• Turn off gas to fireplace and dust under the fireplace (I have 4 dogs so it gets dirty)
• Wipe down every blind with a cloth damped with vinegar
• Dust off tv and wipe down all wires behind the tv
• Vacuum under all couch cushions
• Vacuum dust off bookcase and dust by hand
• Steam mop floors

Bedrooms

• Wipe down all walls and knock down any cobwebs
• Dust ceiling fan and wipe it down with vinegar
• remove winter sheets, wash them, and put them away
• Freshen the bed by sprinkling with baking soda and then vacuuming off after a few minutes
• Put spring sheets on the bed
• Remove any unwanted clothes from the closet
• Bring spring clothes to the front of the closet
• Dust off nightstands and dressers
• Remove aluminum blinds and wash them in a bath tub making sure to dry them off

Kitchen

• Wipe down walls
• Remove aluminum blinds and wash them in bathtub
• Throw out all expired food from fridge and wipe down all shelves and drawers
• Defrost freezer
• Throw out that tv dinner or whatever else that nobody in your family is going to eat ever
• Organize pantry by putting your oldest cans in the front, tossing expired food and donating the food your family will never eat
• Deep Clean oven
• Wipe down all drawers and shelves
• Clean out that pesky junk drawer
• Put ice down the garbage disposal to sharpen blades
• Put orange peels and baking soda down garbage disposal to give it a fresh clean scent
• Wipe down all appliances that sit on the counter

Bathrooms

• Scrub shower with vinegar and baking soda
• Clean off mirrors
• Knock down cobwebs and wipe down walls
• Replace or wash shower liner with a towel in the washing machine if you have one
• Scrub down toilets, sinks and trash cans
• Steam mop the floors

Office

• Dust down everything
• Wipe down walls and knock down cobwebs
• Toss out old files and papers (Shred them first!)
• Wipe down the wires
• Freshen the sheets on the guest bed by washing them

Outside

• Weed all garden beds
• Power wash sidewalks and driveway
• Sweep out garage and make sure everything is organized
• Wash screens with soap and water

Time to celebrate because your house is clean!  Have a glass of wine and order some Chinese food for dinner tonight.  The person that collected the least amount of points has to order, pick-up and/or pay!

Spring Cleaning Supplies

No matter what I used I couldn't get my shower clean. I spent a lot of time and money on chemicals that didn't do anything to my shower. One night last winter out of frustration I grabbed a scrub brush and vinegar and my shower is now cleaner than when I moved in to the house. I am not lying when I say give it a try and it will change the way you clean forever!

It is that time of year to start your spring cleaning.  This year I've decided I'm tired of headaches from chemical cleaners and have decided to use more natural cleaners for my cleaning.  I now use vinegar, baking soda and warm water for most of my cleaning.  Many people suggest putting oranges or lemons into their vinegar to give it a more pleasing scent.  It is okay to do this but you must be careful depending on what you are cleaning.  The acidity from these oils can erode some of the things you clean.

I bought my own spray bottle and fill it 1/3 tap water and 2/3 vinegar.  This has replaced bathtub, toilet, window, sink, wall and a couple other cleaners.  If it's a really tough mess I will sprinkle some baking soda onto a brush or the surface before I scrub the area.