Going Organic...

Well, Colin has been shopping organic for us for awhile as far as foods go. He always buys organic fruits, veggies, milk, cereal, etc. But, I started looking for organic cleaning products for the house and thanks to the Internet, stumbled onto one link after another of helpful information about the ingredients that are in most of the products we use daily. I wish I would have learned all of this when the girls were babies. At least I can try to educate them now. For example, you'd think Johnson's Baby Shampoo would be safe?? How is it the FDA allows a known cancer causing ingredient (formaldehyde) into a baby shampoo? Well, it is a small amount, so it passes, however what happens if that small amount is used daily for years??

If anyone is interested, here is a sample of some websites that I found. Most of these products can be purchased at your local grocery store or pharmacy!

Tom's Of Maine (toothpaste, deodorant, soap, mouthwash)
http://www.tomsofmaine.com/products/default.aspx

Naked Naturals (Shampoo and Conditioner)
http://nakednaturals.com/?cid=gnat1&s_kwcid=SiteTargeting|2003381929&gclid=CPPKr9SbtJgCFQJHxwodQmiiUQ

Seventh Generation (household cleaners, feminine products, baby, laundry)
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/products

Organic Cosmetics/Skincare
http://www.greenpeople.org/OrganicSkinCare.html

Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone refused to buy products that knowingly put cancer causing ingredients in them and the companies were forced to clean up their products? Wouldn't it be wonderful to never have to fear cancer for our children, our grandchildren or ourselves??

No More Magic Erasers...and more!

The list of carcinogens/Known carcinogens
The following are a few examples of the most commonly encountered carcinogenic materials. For a full list of the latest known carcinogens review the report from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report on known carcinogens.


Formaldehyde: It's the same stuff you used when you dissected the frog in seventh grade and is also commonly used as a preservative in many household products, glue in particleboard, and in plywood furniture.
Paradichlorobenzene: This probable carcinogen is found in toilet bowl cleaners and can cause harm to the central nervous system.
Perchloroethylene (or 1-1-1 trichloroethane solvents): These chemicals are commonly found in dry cleaning fluid, spot removers, and carpet cleaners.
Pesticides: Used to control bugs and other vermin, they are loaded with carcinogens, including sodium 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetate. Overexposure has been associated with lymphoma and leukemia.
Tobacco smoke: A well-known carcinogen that can harm you even if you don't smoke but are simply exposed to it.
Toronto Smog: A well-known fact that the air we breathed has numerous carcinogens.

Consumer products
Deodorant, a bar of soap, toothpaste, hair spray, detergent... All of these products can contain carcinogens and many do. While each product may only contain a small amount of cancer-causing agents, most of us use these products every day.

Making an informed, healthy choice starts by becoming aware of these products and choosing to use products made by companies that do not use harmful ingredients.

The list below consists of common consumer products that contain carcinogenic materials. This is just a start -- please add to it and share information about other products that you know of so we can all live more healthy lives.

Bath and beauty products
Dove Beauty Bar: It's 99% water, but watch out for that other 1%. It includes quaternium 15 and formaldehyde, known carcinogens, as well as irritants to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.
Johnson's Baby Shampoo: Contains carcinogens quaterium 15, FD&C RED 40, which can cause dermatitis.
Crest Tarter Control Toothpaste: This best selling toothpaste contains saccharin and phenol fluoride.
Talcum powder: Talc, the main ingredient, is a carcinogen that increases the risk of ovarian cancer. Use corn starch instead.
Cover Girl Replenishing Natural Finish Make Up (foundation): This makeup includes BHA, talc, titanium dioxide, triethanolamine. These interact with nitrites to form nitrosamines and lanolin, which is often contaminated with DDT and other carcinogenic pesticides.

Household cleaning products
Tide & Cheer Laundry Detergent: Our favorite detergent contains trisodium nitrilotriacetate, a carcinogen.

Lysol Disinfectant: While it makes the air sweet smelling, it contains the dioxin.

Food products
Oscar Meyer beef hot dogs: Labeled ingredients in this American favorite include nitrite, which interacts with meat amines to form nitrosamines. Tests have also found other carcinogens such as benzene hexachloride, dacthal, dieldrin, DDT, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, and lindane. If you have to eat hot dogs, look for ones without nitrates in them.
Whole milk: Certain containers contain DDT, dieldrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, recombinant bovine growth hormone and Igf-1. All of these increase the chances of getting breast, colon and prostate cancers. Look for RBGH-free organic milk.


Pet products
Zodiac flea collars: These dog collars include the labeled carcinogen propoxur. Try Trader Joe’s herbal flea collars instead.


Other products
Carpets: Some carpets are made or finished with petrolatum-based chemicals. These chemicals can "outgas" into the home. Petrolatum is believed to a human carcinogen.

See also


Prevention techniques
Healthy living
Proper nutrition
Staying positive

http://www.wikicancer.org/page/The+list+of+carcinogens?t=anon

Calling Martha Stewart!

I have to say that I have very serious doubts about my "inner Martha Stewart", so I need as much advice as I can get! I am doing some decorating (finally) and I am not convinced that I can do this on my own!

When Colin and I moved in together, it was literally two days before my scheduled induction and delivery of Christopher! Yeah, you read that correctly. We were blending two families (tweens, teens and a newborn) add to that the fact that Colin works around the clock and so, I was just basically happy if I had a working bathroom.

So, I'm starting with baby steps, but I have ALOT of big ideas! I started with curtains in the kitchen/front entry and began looking at a new living room set yesterday. My house is open concept with just a bar dividing the living room and kitchen so I have a hard time thinking of a way to make them individual rooms because I always think of matching colors.

This transition will not likely include painting as I don't want to totally overwhelm Colin! So, take a look at some pictures and advise away!

Remember, I am looking for living room furniture as well. I have an idea in my mind of an artificial fire place with a flat screen t.v. mounted on the wall above it. I was thinking of a dark wood like cherry. I like red upholstrey but Colin is not into it...

I was looking at this set yesterday:

So, I told myself that I wasn't going to watch the inauguration on Tuesday. I've made my feelings quite clear on this blog, but for those of you who weren't aware, I was one of the few who did not vote for Barak Obama. The biggest issue that I had with him was the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. So, anyway...I had just been feeling anxious about the whole thing and thinking about it way too much. Tuesday morning when I turned on the TV, it was on like channel 43 or something and Nick Jr. is channel 36.

As I clicked through the channels on the way down to 36, I got to Fox on channel 37 and saw the Obama's getting out of the limo to greet the Bush's. I thought, "I'll just stop here for a second and watch this awkward moment". Much to my surprise, there was no awkward moment. It was actually very pleasant to see how respectful and cordial they all were to one another. "Hmm." I thought. So, I sat there GLUED to my television set for the rest of the morning. It wasn't until Reverend Rick Warren walked up to the podium that I had an epiphany. If this man, who is a much better Christian than I, can befriend Obama and embrace him as our president, what is my issue?

I watched the debate between Obama and McCain in Rick Warren's church during the campaign. I heard Rick Warren ask each candidate about abortion and I know what his opinion as a pastor is. As I watched the inauguration and listened to him pray and to Obama listening to him, I thought, "maybe there is hope after all". I realized that by inviting Pastor Warren to give the prayer, Obama was extending an olive branch to those of us who had concerns and who did not vote for him. He did so despite protest from some liberals who don't agree with Pastor Warren's beliefs (ACLU).

It became clear to me that Obama is not going to just be the "patsy" for the left wing radicals and that he is willing to concede that there are those of us who worry about some of his past voting record, but Pastor Warren must have somehow touched Obama during the debate and is now part of his inner circle. I am confident that he is counseling him as well as praying for him and with him.

As I continued to watch, the sense of "American Pride" began to swell up inside me and yes, I even cried at times. This was a very historic inauguration and I was part of it. And, only in America, can candidates go at it and say such terrible things about each other and then, in the end throw dinner parties for each other and exchange gifts. It's all about forgiveness, reconciliation and above all it's about hope. He is our president now.

I don't want to find myself acting like the people who say horrible things about President Bush, or booed him as he entered the inauguration. That is not "American". I want to take the high road and follow the example of Rick Warren. It's time to put the past behind us and unite as a country. God Bless America!

Comments Needed

Ok, so I go from the meaning of life to pondering an even bigger question...should I get bangs again??

Whenever I have bangs, they are driving me crazy and I want to tuck them behind my ear. Then, when they've grown out I see all these celebrities getting bangs and I think they look so cute, etc.

Woe is me. Can anyone help???

;)

The Meaning of Life

Everyone who reads my blog is probably well aware of the story of my sister-in-law, Ann-Marie's dear friend, Hope Wise who sadly passed away on January 7th at the age of 36 after a long struggle with cancer. I have mentioned her before and many of you have read her story on Ann-Marie's blog, Cooper's Corner . You can also read her story in her own words as well as the words of her husband, Jake, when you check out her blog, Hope for the Ta Ta's, .

I first learned of her story when I got to know Ann-Marie. I could never bring myself to read her blog though, because I was always too worried that I would get so sad and told myself that I didn't need to make myself worry about another thing in life. But that all changed on Hope's 36th birthday. That is when I found out that Hope had been rushed to the hospital and on her birthday she was told that doctors had done all they could for her and that the best they could offer was to make her comfortable until the inevitable happened. WHAAAT??? I was stunned. I was shocked. I was angry. But angry at whom? At God? God didn't GIVE her cancer. I just wanted an explanation. I wanted someone to tell me that she had been a heavy smoker, a drinker a drug abuser....SOMETHING. None of it made sense.

But why was I so concerned? After all, I hardly knew this person. I had met her a couple of times through Ann-Marie. She was lovely. She seemed quiet and sweet. Wasn't that enough I thought? Yes, it was. I began to read her blog. This girl deserved my attention. This girl deserved my tears and my frustration. She was here. She lived. She loved. She cared and she mattered. So, I felt I owed it to her and to whatever powers that be to learn her story and to care.

As I read her story, I could see that she and I had one major thing in common. She loved being a mom more than anything. And she was devoted to her children. She risked everything and sacrificed and suffered so much in order to LIVE. She fought so hard to live for her family. She fought breast cancer and then beat it; only to learn several years later that she had tongue cancer. What a unbelievable tragedy.

Of course, reading her blog and hearing her words in my mind, gave me a sense that I did know her somewhat. Enough to know that she did not deserve this and to admire her strength throughout all of her ordeal.

Hope Wise has taught me so much in the last couple of months. She has taught me that life is even more precious than I had told myself in the past. I began to look at life through new eyes. Whenever I found myself complaining about the little problems of everyday, I paused. I thought about how she did not have the luxury to worry about such trivial matters and I felt ashamed for complaining.

I took more time to notice the little things; like the length of my son's eyelashes or how often he crinkles his nose when he laughs. I notice more often the shape of his chubby fingers and how he holds the straw on his cup and how cute he holds his fingers when he points at something. I watch him while he is sleeping more often and focus on all of the details of his face. I've always been thankful to God for all of my children, but now, it's as if a veil has been lifted off of my eyes and I am just blown away by them and see them more clearly. When talking to my teenage (and tween) daughters, I try to listen more and judge less. I encourage them to be grateful more and complain less...to count their blessings and smell the roses.

I frequently go to Busch Gardens with Christopher. We always go to the children's play area (The Land of Dragons) There are these rope bridges that cross over the play area way up high. I attempted them once, but I do not like heights. After that time, I always refused to go and told him..."We have to wait until Daddy comes with us. Daddy will go across with you". I know he is disappointed, but he doesn't complain. I know he could sense that mommy was afraid.

The other day I was there and once again, he looked at the rope bridge and then at me as if to say "Can we?". I started to give him my usual response, then thought about Hope. I thought about how much it must have broken her heart to know that she would never play with those boys again or watch them grow, and I said "C'mon Christopher. Mommy will go across the bridge with you". He was so cute walking ahead of me saying "Don't look down mommy! Don't look down". I pushed my fear aside and walked across that bridge with my son because I have been given this opportunity and I am not going to waste one more minute of my life. It doesn't have to cost alot of money to make a memory that will last a lifetime. Sometimes, it just means letting go of some fear or resentment or grudge. Just get out there and live life to the fullest each and every day.

One thought that does keep coming back to me though is this. We are all so sad to hear a story such as this; a beautiful young woman, taken in the prime of her life with loved ones left behind, heartbroken. But, what if Hope is looking down on all those whom she loved, thinking how sad she is for them, here; in this "valley of tears", in essence "exiled" from God, while she walks in His light, feels no pain, only perpetual joy...Maybe the irony is that God takes the good ones because their reward is eternal bliss with Him.

Christmas2008

Christopher and I are adjusting to being back in Florida. The house is quiet. There are no more family meals with everyone talking at once or frequent bursts of laughter. There are no more kids to tug at and invite to play. There are no more snowflakes blowing outside the window in the blustering winds. Just mama and baby with the sounds of the fountain in the pond behind our home, ducks quacking, an occasional ambulance siren and lawn mowers. We have been to the park twice; once on Sunday and then again yesterday. It was near 80 degrees, families were playing volleyball or tossing around the football. The smell of BBQ filled the air. I was back in my tank top and denim cut-off jeans. Ahhh. If only I could have all of this AND my family too... :(

I took Christopher to see a movie on Monday night out of sheer boredom. I had little expectation that he would last the entire movie, but alas, we did...barely. We saw The Tale of Despereaux. It was a pretty cute movie. We watched the trailers on youtube first to see if it even sparked an interest in him. When he asked to watch it "again, again", I decided to give it a shot. When I got to the ticket window and said "Two for Despereaux", Christopher stood on tippey toe with his chin barely touching the counter and chimed in "I wanna watch Despereaux" he exclaimed. The clerk was cheerful and responded. I said "We've been watching it on youtube today" to which Christopher added "I watch it on my tube". The clerk and I both laughed.

We're Baaack!

We arrived home last night around 8:30 PM. Christopher and I had a wonderful visit in New Hampshire. When I left Tampa it was 78 degrees. When I stepped out of Manchester airport, I went into a state of shock. It was like about 10 degrees and my face instantly went numb. By the time we made it to the car in the parking lot, I was just about to have some kind of seizure.

It was so nice to spend a full week with the girls. We got to see Taylor cheer at a basketball game as well as Hope play in one. Of course, they both had to be on the same night! We were dashing in and out of schools and racing around town, but we got it done and I have the video footage to prove it!


We flew out of Manchester to Toronto on Monday morning which was a story in itself! The plane was one of those little "puddle jumpers" that sat 20 people. Christopher was pretty impressed with that. I thought it was "kinda neat" myself, especially as we flew over Niagara Falls. That would have made an AMAZING picture. (Of course I used up the last of my camera's battery juice video taping Christopher's reaction to being on such a small plane.) He was so great on the plane. I had been very anxious when I found out we would be on this plane. I had visions of him wanting to get up or being nervous. He just relaxed, ate his snacks and rested.

I am so pleased to say that Christopher was perfectly charming while in Toronto. He was cheerful and polite and not one melt-down. Thank you Jesus! Everyone commented on how well behaved and especially polite he was. That helped ensure that mommy had a terrific visit and a very happy New Year celebration!

I'm working on a new slide show, but it is time consuming and I have a little boy who is itching to do something. Here are a few pictures for now!