Archive for the 'Shopping' Category

January 24, 2008 | Reviews, Cleaning products, Shopping, News

SC Johnson has come up with a new ‘green’ rating system for their own products. Just days after Clorox rolled out their GreenWorks line, SC Johnson is responding with their “Greenlist.” Some of their products, including Windex, Pledge, Fantastik Orange Action, and Toilet Duck will have the Greenlist label slapped on the front. (more…)

January 21, 2008 | Being Green, Shopping, Lifestyle

Ok, I’ll confess, it was me!!

Tonight we tried out one of these Java Log Crackling Fire Logs! If you haven’t seen these yet you can check them out at your local Kroger store or online.

Here is what makes these little fire logs so amazing: (more…)

January 13, 2008 | Shopping

Want an alternative to all of those plastic grocery bags we use on our countless trips to the grocery store? Check out Targets new line of Green Bag products! When I walked by these they caught my eye because of the cool design, bright color and display price tag.

Check it out…

This handy little bag is made from 100% Non Woven Polypropylene. It is 100% recyclable, water repellent, non toxic, non corrosive, non allergenic and has the carrying capacity of 2 - 3 plastic bags!

But wait, it gets better… (more…)

January 8, 2008 | Shopping, Lifestyle

Are you tired of all the lead, date rape drugs, and other unknowns in your kids’ toys? Check out Cool Mom Picks for safer toys! They’ve got everything from organic to fair trade, to just plain safe. And don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find discount codes for some of the things they recommend! Our favorite? The Choo choo train from Camden Rose. My kiddos would go nuts over the doors that really open!

November 8, 2007 | Health, Shopping

A popular, award-winning toy, Aqua Dots, are coated with a chemical that turns into the date-rape drug when ingested. And with the size of these little dots, it’s no wonder that tons of kids have digested them.

Was lead poisoning in toys not enough?  Give me a break. Now a chemical that the human body turns into the ‘date rape’ drug? Parents with children the right age for Aqua Dots (ages 4-8) wouldn’t expect to worry about that for another 10 years. What are they going to find next? Does anyone test any of the toys being imported from China? You can find the fully story at CNN here.

An Israeli news source states that “the toys were supposed to use 1,5-pentanediol, a nontoxic compound found in glue, but instead contained the harmful 1,4-butanediol, which is widely used in cleaners and plastics. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1999 declared the chemical a Class I Health Hazard, meaning it can cause life-threatening harm.” And so I reiterate - is there no one who tests toys being imported? Especially, these days, from China?

November 1, 2007 | Shopping

With all the notices out there about certain ingredients being bad for your health, bad for your kids health, how are parents supposed to keep up with it all? The Environmental Working Group has given us a tool - just out today. Go here and print their 1 page PDF “Safety Guide to Children’s Personal Care Products.” (Or you can click the image to the left to open it and print - but we don’t want to take credit for it.) Thanks to the EWG’s campaign for cosmetic safety for developing this, and the wealth of information at their Skin Deep site.

The PDF lists ingredients to always avoid, and why. It also lists ingredients to be cautious of, and why. And it has a list of product types (toothpastes, diaper rash cremes, etc.) with recommendations for each. I’ll be printing one to keep in my car - it’s always good to have that information handy when you’re walking into the store to buy something to use on your precious kiddos.

September 11, 2007 | Reviews, Broom Hugged, Cleaning products, Shopping

We had a recent question emailed to us about microfiber cloths that I want to share.

Q: I noticed that Method has 4 different types of microfiber cloths. Are they actually specialized or can you just get one and be done with it?

A: In fact, you can find those same 4 microfiber cloths branded by several different company in different places, and so far the prices I’ve seen at Target for them are the best.

I can’t give you the scientific lowdown on it, but the one for glass is most definitely worth it. You can upkeep your mirrors and windows without any spray (unless there’s toothpaste or something) - spray will make it easier if there are a lot of spots, but the glass cloth is most certainly worth its weight in gold. And none of the others do the same job on glass.

The one for dusting does a better job at dusting than the others. It has a different weave on one side, and it catches the dust well. With a little furniture polish it gives a nice finish.

As for the other two, one is for kitchen and bath, and I don’t remember what the other is for, but I found them to be virtually interchangeable.

In short, the 4 are different, and the glass alone makes it worthwhile. I end up washing the kitchen and bath one most frequently, because when cleaning the kitchen and bath the cloth needs to be washed after (you can imagine why). But the one for dusting is probably my most frequently used - daily, or at least every other day to dust something or other.

July 28, 2007 | Health, Shopping

Walk down the hand-soap aisle of your supermarket and see how many you can spot that are not anti-bacterial. I went to my grocery store trying to buy soap that wasn’t anti-bacterial, and of the probably 40+ varieties on the shelf, I was only able to find one that wasn’t anti-bacterial. A marketplace study in 2000 found that over 75% of liquid soaps and nearly 30% of bar soaps are anti-bacterial.

But there’s been a lot of talk about anti-bacterial soaps not being as effective as once thought. They’re great in places like hospitals where germs run wild, but in homes they can be counter-productive. According to the CDC, anti-bacterial soaps can be to blame for childhood allergies and asthma. As it turns out, the brain needs a work-out as much as your muscles do, and exposure to different bacteria is actually good for the body. When anti-bacterial soaps remove all the bacteria, the brain loses its ability to differentiate between good and bad bacteria.

Also according to the CDC, the prevalent use of anti-bacterials is a major cause of drug-resistant strains of diseases, like E-coli. It seems that there is such a thing as too clean. What does the CDC recommend to keep hands clean? Regular washing with soap and warm water (unless you’re in a hospital - then anti-bacterials are worthwhile).

A study of over 200 households found that those who used anti-bacterials had no reduced risk of symptoms for viral infections. They’re just not effective. Other countries have issued statements warning consumers about anti-bacterials. In fact, the Danish EPA issued a joint statement with the National Board of Health stating that anti-bacterial soaps are not only unnecessary, but also toxic to marine life. Six Finnish public authorities also issued similar statements urging consumers not to purchase anti-bacterials because they are unnecessary and their growing use increases the risk of spreading antibiotic resistance in microbial populations.

What can you do? Purchase regular soap that isn’t anti-bacterial. Encourage your grocery store to stock more soaps that aren’t anti-bacterial. And tune in for part 2 on anti-bacterials - if you think this is bad, just wait…

July 23, 2007 | Reviews, Broom Hugged, Being Green, Shopping

I’ve checked out every book my library system has on ‘green cleaning’ and ‘green living.’ Each had its pros and cons - useful for some things, not so useful for others. But I just came across Green Clean by Linda Mason Hunter and Mikki Halpin. It’s your go-to book for most situations, filled with a wealth of information about the importance of green cleaning and innovative ways to green your life.

Some things I learned - dishwashing liquid is the most frequent cause of childhood poisoning. (Wow!) Or a great idea, start a neighborhood curbside compost and sell it to local farmers - everyone wins! I love this stuff. And what else? The book is water and stain resistant! (well, maybe that’s just a marketing ploy) But how cool is it that I can use it on my cherry-juice covered countertops and not worry about the book! Or take it out with me while I’m working on that compost… I have to say, it’s a nice marketing ploy.

We like it (and no, I’m not getting paid to say that - it’s all me, honest and true). But we like it more for newbie greens or people who are ever so gradually making green changes. If you’re already there, you’ll want to look elsewhere for great ideas to keep you going.

July 19, 2007 | Health, Shopping

You bet! I found a report in the Parenting magazine that showed up in my mailbox today about I,4-dioxane. This is a probable human carcinogen, and it’s in my kids’ shampoo! In fact, I went to Skin Deep, where you can check your personal use products (cosmetics, soaps, lotions, etc.) for toxicity information and I found that the Gerber Grins & Giggles (Oatmeal) I’ve been using is known to contain formaldehyde (with its own score of problems), I,4-dioxane, and ingredients linked to the following:

• Cancer
• Developmental and reproductive toxicity
• Allergies and immunotoxicity

EEK! Now, it would be easy to jump off the deep end and get rid of anything with a Skin Deep toxicity rating above, say, 1 (out of 10 - and my Gerber Grins & Giggles is a 5) but that wouldn’t be practical. Let’s face it. A lot of what they’re testing for is suspected carcinogens, and even sunlight can be deemed a carcinogen. So let’s not throw out the baby with the bath water (ha! or the baby with the carcinogenic bath wash!). But, take a look at the Skin Deep website and see what it says about what you’re using - it’s run by EWG, a non-profit advocacy group and they’re goal is to help consumers. Unfortunately my preferred baby wash isn’t listed there (Bath Junkie - it’s truly awesome, but now I’m afraid…).It pays to be an informed consumer, so that at the very least you can weigh the risks against the price and convenience of the products you purchase.