Archive for the 'Food & drink' Category

July 23, 2007 | Food & drink, Organics

Well, at least the consequences of the experiment. See, I have 2 toddlers. Toddlers and cherries do not mix.

Cherry juice doesn’t come out of clothes as easily as it slides off my laminate countertops. And a very nice Janie & Jack striped polo has become a casualty of the cherries.

As an afternote, I realized after buying (and feeding my kids) over a pound of (regular) cherries that cherries are, in fact, on the list of the worst offenders for pesticide-laden produce. Maybe I should redo the experiment with organic cherries… and leave the kids topless but fully bibbed.

July 20, 2007 | Food & drink, Pregnancy

This is one of the best giveaways I’ve seen in Bloggityville! Over at 5 Minutes for Mom they’re giving away $300 worth of Horizon organic milk! (Have you ever tasted Horizon organic milk? I warn you, you can’t just drink one glass.)

If you’re struggling with questions about whether or not to switch to organic milk, check out our post from February about organic milk. And if you’re pregnant, put down the skim milk! Miscarriage rates rise a bit in women who drink skim milk, so enjoy the creaminess of 2% until you have the little bundle in your arms!

July 19, 2007 | Food & drink, Health, Shopping

School shopping time is just around the corner. We’ll all be heading out the shops to buy pencil boxes, glue sticks, new shoes, and … cha-ching! … lunch boxes too. But as it turns out, the vinyl in many lunchboxes contains lead. Many lunchboxes use vinyl either on the inside or the outside, and a frightening - yet decreasing - number of them contain lead.

As far as I see it, any amount of lead is too much. But when some lunchboxes tested had amounts of lead 90% higher than the limit for lead paint, that’s a real problem. Here’s a PDF that tells more about it. In children, exposure to lead can to decreased IQ, stunted growth, ADD, kidney damage, along with other behavioral and developmental problems. That’s some pretty bad stuff. The younger the children, the more susceptible they are to lead poisoning. My little girl - we’ll call her Bean - has been using a potential deathtrap regular lunchbox for a year. And her little brother - Little Man - will be starting preschool this year too.

As for me, I’ll be buying a couple lead-free lunchboxes this year. Go ahead, google it. You’ll find some good choices.

July 18, 2007 | Broom Hugged, Water, Food & drink, Being Green, Lifestyle, News

Next week will be a big week here at Broom Huggers - thanks to all the negative attention bottled water has been given (see here and here), we’ll be giving away TWO SIGG reusable bottles. As featured on Oprah, Time, Elle, and over a dozen other magazines, these bottles are cool and highly durable.Broom Huggers will be giving away one adult bottle and one child’s sippy-cup SIGG. So don’t forget to come back next week and enter the drawing!

July 15, 2007 | Food & drink, Shopping

If you’re looking for a simple step toward sustainability, your coffee could very well do it for you. Go for the eco-trifecta: organic, shade-grown, and fair trade (doesn’t that just sound nice?). Organic ensures that your coffee is free of pesticides - good for you, good for the planet. Shade-grown beans mature more slowly and therefore have a fuller, richer flavor. The added plus? They ensure that rainforests weren’t destroyed for your cup of joe. And fair trade? Wouldn’t it be nice to know that the men and women who harvested your precious beans were paid a decent wage, and sent their kids to school instead of using child labor?

One of our favorites is Larry’s Beans. You can purchase just a few of their products online. But they have retailers in most major cities. Check their website to find where you can get your hands on some Larry’s Beans.

July 10, 2007 | Water, Shopping, News

Inhabitat clued us in that the US Congress plans to go carbon neutral by the end of the current term!

�Gristmill filled us in on the demographics at the Live Earth house parties in Austin this weekend. Looks like us broomhuggers are 30-something-plus. I find that odd when it looked like the concerts were geared toward a younger audience… but maybe I’m just not hip enough to get it…

One of Fast Company’s feature articles this month talks about the ins and outs of bottled water. $15 billion? Craziness. It’s definitely worth your time to read.

And to end with, a good buy over at Trade As One. They feature fair trade items, and our favorite are the recycled bags made by coops in Cambodia.

June 12, 2007 | Water, Reviews, Broom Hugged, Food & drink, Being Green, Shopping

Did you know that in most cities the municipal water supply goes through much greater scrutiny than bottled waters? That means your tap water may be healthier than bottled water. And frankly, the plastic used in bottled waters is atrocious for the environment. Really, if you’re drinking bottled water - especially from those little throw-away single use bottles - consider switching to something a little more earth friendly. Either get yourself a water cooler if you’re too cool for tap water, or if you just don’t like the taste, get a decent filter for your tap. And spend the money you would have used on bottled water to get yourself a nice reusable bottle to keep with you on the go. It wouldn’t hurt if it was pretty too, right?

Klean Kanteen has sippy adapters now for use with toddlers and preschoolers. Turn your stainless steel Klean Kanteen into your child’s spill-proof sippy, and you won’t have to worry about the carcinogenic hazards of poor quality plastics leeching into little Johnny’s juice. They’re on sale now at Reusable Bags. And while you’re there, pick up a tote bag for your groceries. Save us from plastic-bag-dependency!

May 23, 2007 | Food & drink, Health, Organics, Pregnancy, News

Joni Mitchell said it best, “…Hey, farmer, farmer, put away that DDT now. Give me spots on my apples, just leave me the birds and the bees, please!…” Now we can add to the birds and the bees line, babies and brains too!

News this week? Babies conceived in the summer months don’t do as well in school as those conceived at other times of the year. Neonatologist Paul Winchester analyzed the scores on standardized tests and found that children who were conceived in June, July, and August were significantly less proficient in language and math. He attributes the effect to high levels of environmental pesticides during the most crucial months of nervous system development. “The pesticides we use to control pests in fields and in our homes and the nitrate we use to fertilize crops and even our lawns are at their highest level in summer,” Winchester says. He suspects that pesticides are causing higher rates of hypothyroidism in pregnant women, a condition known to affect brain development in growing babies. Not only that, pesticides and fertilizers are also blamed for premature and preterm birth.

So, no more makin’ whoopie in the summer time! Well, scratch that. But if you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant this summer, I’d say it’s high time to start buying organic produce, and limiting the chemicals you use in and around your home. Switch to natural cleaning products (or a natural maid service, like… need I say? Broom Huggers!), see if you can manage your lawn and indoor pest control without pesticides and fertilizers. And most definitely, buy yourself some organic 2% milk (miscarriage rates rise a bit in women who drink skim), and limit your beef intake.

May 9, 2007 | Water, Reviews, Broom Hugged, Food & drink, Being Green, Shopping

Here it is. Featured on Oprah. Called the toughest water bottle by Backpacker Magazine.

Sigg water bottles are a great looking, fully-functional way to tote your water and be kind to the earth. They keep your water tasting like water and don’t allow particles to seep into it.

They’re dishwasher safe. And the rest of the good news? After 10-15 uses, it pays for itself! Yes, your tap water is most likely perfectly safe and clean, and if you filter it well you can be sure it is. In fact, it’s probably cleaner than most bottled waters. And… no more putting plastic water bottles in the landfills. Check it out here!

April 23, 2007 | Being Green, Water, Health, Cleaning products, Shopping, News

Oprah had a great show on Friday about making environmentally-friendly choices. The goal of the show was to show viewers small things they can be doing in their every day lives to help the environment. A few highlights -

• Paper or plastic? Neither! Bring your own reusable bags when you shop. The plastic bags take eons to biodegrade, and paper bags use a staggering amount of trees every year. So, BYOB! Bring your own Bag!
• Water - one liter of bottled water takes 5 liters of water to produce. Use tap water - filter it if you feel the need, and buy a reusable aluminum bottle.
• “Fake” Clean: Clean doesn’t smell like pine or lemon. Clean doesn’t smell! The chemicals in regular cleaners aren’t healthy for people, animals, or the earth. Use natural cleaners and a natural cleaning company (need we say, like Broom Huggers!)
• Did you know that appliances and electronics still use 40% of their power when they’re not in use? Your toaster, lamps, tv - they all use 40% of their power as long as they’re plugged in, on “standby.” The solution? Use a Smart Power Strip. Turn of the power strip and it’ll keep those appliances from sucking energy. Also, it groups your electronics in ‘clusters,’ so that when you turn off your TV, it also turns off your DVD player and surround sound too. Clever!

There are some awesome resources at Oprah’s website, along with some video feed. Check it out!