Archive for December, 2007

December 12, 2007 | News

Christmas lights have been found to have somewhat alarming amounts of lead. But with so many toys being pulled off the shelves for the same reason, are we really surprised?

The moral of the story is that parents (and grandparents) should hang the Christmas lights out of reach of children, or leave them off the tree entirely. The problem is in the coating of the wires. Lead is a good insulator and gives the wires a higher level of fire-proofing. But unfortunately 4 of the major brands of Christmas lights tested for surface lead - in other words, you touch the strand and it leaves lead residue on your hands. That lead can be absorbed into the skin, just like anything else, or you can quicken its entry into your body by putting your hand to your face, or eating something.

Read the full report at CNN.

December 11, 2007 | Outdoors, Health, Organics, Pregnancy

The December issue of Environmental Health Perspectives has an interesting article that links childhood cancers - Acute Leukemia and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma - to the mother’s use of or exposure to pesticides and insecticides during pregnancy.

It’s based on a study done in France that looked at non-agricultural families. This is the first study to test the effects of pesticides and insecticides used in domestic situations, and it found startling results. Even moms who only used pesticides or insecticides once during their pregnancy have children with increased rates of leukemia and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. In fact, the rate increases two-fold. That’s right, children whose mothers used insecticides inside or outside the home during pregnancy were twice as likely to develop hematopoietic cancers.

What qualifies as pesticides or insecticides? Any chemical-based application of insecticide to rid the home, pets, or garden of crawling or flying pests, any herbicidal ‘weed-killer,’ or any fungicide to get rid of mold. The conclusion therein is that pregnant mommies avoid such products both during the pregnancy and preferably while nursing an infant as well. We might draw similar conclusions that if those chemicals are harmful to the developing fetus, they might also cause due harm on anyone with a suppressed immune system - the elderly, children, or the infirm.

Just another reason to take steps toward the organic side of life.

Note: When I googled hematopoietic cancers, I also came across studies linking these specific cancers to pregnant mommies’ use of chemical hair dyes, consumption of aspartame sweetener, and exposure to ethylene oxide (a sterilizing agent).

December 10, 2007 | Food & drink, Kitchen

I have not purchased new kitchenware in years. In fact, most of what we have now was given to us for our wedding 4 ½ years ago or passed down from other family. That is a lot of meals my pots, pans, bakeware and utensils have been through. I have decided that it is time to replace a good amount of it. I am the cook in the family so I get to choose the new stuff. Since I do a lot of baking and it is what I enjoy the most I decided to start with researching different types of bakeware. What cought my eye is the silicone bakeware that is very popular right now. My first thought is “Can that really be safe?”. It prompted me to do some research…

Silicones are made by combining silicon (from common sand) and oxygen. While these are both naturally occurring substances the combination does not occur in nature. Other synthetics are added to make different types of silicones. This is a completely manmade product but it is said that it will not transfer to foods which is currently a big concern with non-stick coatings. Silicone bakeware is coating free, easily stored and also flexible, claiming to make it easy to remove your baked goods. It also comes in plenty of different, eye catching colors. Here is the catch: It’s potential health effects are unknown. Silicone can have other additives that do not have to be disclosed on labels, therefore consumers never know what exactly the bakeware contains. There is also the potential for melting and fumes since silicone products can melt at temperatures as low as 428 degrees F. Most ovens can be set to 500 degrees F. and many recipes call for a temperature of 450 degrees F. While Silicone is long lasting, non-stick finish free and eliminates the need for parchment paper and aluminum foil, the lack of health information leads me to think that bakers might want to err on the side of caution and opt for some of the proven safe pans including glass, cast iron, stainless steel, aluminum and ceramic (purchasing a branded ceramic is recommended).

Company news

Broom Huggers has been swamped with business lately, and that’s nothing to complain about. But it does mean that upkeep of the blog has fallen to posting weekly as opposed to daily - as I’d like to. Add to that the fact that I’m a real person with a family and all the things that come with that (in-laws, holidays, illnesses, all 3 wrapped up into one…), and suddenly it’s not so strange that I haven’t been able to post as frequently as I’d like. I’m still recovering from Thanksgiving…

But I’ve found a kindred spirit - who happens to also be a Broom Huggers client - to help me out. You’ll be seeing upcoming posts from Jeana. She’s mom to a lively toddler who keeps her on her toes, she’s been moving into the ‘greener side’ with swift steps, and she also happens to be an awesome photographer and great researcher. So I’ll still be around, posting as often as life and business allow. And I’ll still be responding to your email and comments. But Broom Huggers is so excited to be welcoming Jeana aboard. As Piglet would say, “Everything is easier with two.” Jeana will bring a new dimension to the blog here, and I hope you love it as much as I do. I have to warn you though - her pictures will make you hungry…

December 4, 2007 | Cleaning tips

Anybody out there use Fly Lady? I love her ideas (I can’t handle all her emails though). In case you’re not familiar with it, it’s the idea of splitting your house up and cleaning a portion of it each day. That way you stay on top of things and the task is never too big (assuming you don’t live in the Biltmore).

I’m finding that there’s finesse required when planning your cleaning tasks though. I used to start the week with the downstairs and move upstairs later in the week. I seemed to have a better sense of accomplishment if the downstairs was cleaned right after the weekend. But I had an Aha! moment this weekend.

When we have guests, they usually come at the end of the week or on the weekend. That’s when we entertain. Strategically speaking, the rooms we use for entertaining should be the ones cleaned closest to the weekend. Other rooms can be done early in the week. I also put the kitchen on the schedule for the day before trash pick-up. That way I can clean out the refrigerator and know that all the food will be picked up the following day. With that in mind, here’s my schedule for home cleaning:

Monday: Master bedroom and bath

Tuesday: Other bedrooms and bath upstairs (including hallway and stairs). The guest room gets done Tuesdays too, because it isn’t used frequently enough to get dirty again between Tuesday and guests’ arrival on the weekend.

Wednesday: Kitchen and breakfast area (and all trash is taken out that night for pick-up the next morning)

Thursday: Living room and dining room

Friday: Family room

December 3, 2007 | Lifestyle

Head over to Free Rice, and test your vocabulary level to earn some free rice to help end world hunger.

My vocab level was 40. Can you beat that?  I also donated 1320 grains of rice. I think that adds up to something like 3/4 cup. It also adds up to too much time in front of the computer screen! But hey, every little bit helps (with the rice, that is. Not the computer time).

December 1, 2007 | Food & drink, Health, Pregnancy

A new study by the Johns Hopkins Blomberg School of Public Health links non-stick cookware to low birthweight in babies. Additionally, a 2004 study they conducted found PFOA (a carcinogen released when the non-stick cookware is heated) in the umblilical chords of 99% of the 300 babies they tested. (Scary, no?) This could be one contributing factor to the sky-rocketing cancer rates in young children.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Environmental Working Group (EWG) have suggested that manufacturers remove PFOA from their products by 2015. In the meantime, we should all take steps to avoid PFOA cookware, and pregnant mommies should be extra careful.

If you have cookware that uses PFOA (Teflon, Calphalon, Scanpan, and All Clad), you can avoid some of the dangers by using your cookware at low to moderate heat, and by replacing it every 2 years. The Green Guide has some good suggestions for alternatives in their recent article, Outfitting the Green Kitchen. Another diamond in the rough is Green Pan cookware, as reviewed by Sprig.