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oct 10

Lurking Lead in the Home

I couldn't believe it, a recall letter from the Land of Nod. That antique white dresser that I bought from their cute catalogue for my baby daughter's room had to go. The paint was found to contain high levels of lead. What's this? I thought the US banned lead paint back in the seventies? Even low levels led to reduced IQ, learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders in young kids. Naturally, I freaked out. I called the company to ask for an explanation. The furniture had been manufactured in Mexico, assembled and, yes, painted. Overseas oversight, or lack of, has been in the news a lot lately. Toys, bibs, furniture...and I was lucky I was sent a recall notice. 

Yikes... Where else in my home lurks this wretched lead?

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oct 03

Fresh from Your Faucet

Toss the bottled water and filter your own. Tap water is more carefully regulated than bottled water but isn't free of contaminants. So what does that plastic water pitcher filter out?

Most countertop and faucet water filters are activated carbon filters, which will get rid of bad tastes and odors as well as many impurities, including chlorine.

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sep 18

Hidden Hazards of Air Fresheners

Could the floral scent of your air freshener contain toxic chemicals known to cause birth defects? NRDC recently tested 14 different air fresheners and found that 12 contained chemicals called phthalates (pronounced thal-ates), chemicals that can cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects and reproductive problems. Even air fresheners marketed as "all-natural" or "unscented" contained the hazardous chemicals.
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sep 26

What's in Your Tap Water?

You already know that bottled water isn't any cleaner or safer than tap water so let's turn our attention to the tap. Millions of Americans get sick from contaminated tap water every year. How is it possible that every home in America doesn't have fresh, pure water flowing from every tap?

The quality of the water in your home depends on the purity of the water source, the maintenance of hundreds of miles of pipes and the construction of better treatment facilities.

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aug 23

Dangers of the Sippy Cup?

I keep hearing about "bad" plastics. Creepy toxic chemicals of unpronounceable words like phthalates and bisphenol-A that leach into food or drink, especially when heated in a microwave or put in a freezer. But even surface scratches in sippy cups and toys can undermine the safety of your family.

What I understand from the science is that these unpronounceable toxics that can end up in our food and drink can lead to elevated estrogen levels. So does what does that mean for my boys? And my girls? ......I can't even go there! Where are these toxic substances found and how can I protect my toddlers from them?

Where are these substances found? In my toddler's sippy cups! And baby bottles! And who knows where else?

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