Raised in Manhattan Beach, a once sleepy suburb of Los Angeles, sustainability was never discussed so much as it was an integral part of my life and style.
I live in Los Angeles with my husband and two school aged children who never met a puddle they didn't want to jump in.
I'll thank you in advance for keeping that puddle clean.
Last week I was lucky enough to be invited by the Grain Council to join Bob Harper in a Yoga class.
Yes, I know, I won the jackpot on that one!
We had a few quiet moment with Bob before the yoga began, and he offered some very sound advice to the room. Bob is all about balance, and he talked about whole grains being an important part of everyone’s diet. I’ve never been much of a dieter, so much of the diet (to lose weight) talk is off my radar. According to Bob we should have six servings of grains a day, with at least three of them being whole grains.
Recently Nestle invited several high profile bloggers to their headquarters in Glendale, California. From their site:
Nestlé understands the importance of listening directly to parents. That’s why on September 30 and October 1, we’ve invited 20 Mom and Dad bloggers to our U.S. headquarters to learn firsthand the things that are important to them and their families, and to share a little about us and our brands. Check out what they are saying by following the conversation below from Twitter. Visit this page daily from September 23 through October 7, to learn more about them, their families, their busy lives, and to hear about their experiences at Nestlé. Check out their blogs, too
What’s interesting is that they picked a group of bloggers who would clearly support their mission, and they forgot about the others.
The others include women who believe that Nestle has a history of undermining breastfeeding in many countries. I’m not familiar with the controversy because breastfeeding was never a discussion in my home. For one child it worked for a good long time, and for another child medical reasons kept us from breastfeeding.
Here in Los Angeles kids go back to school just after the Labor Day weekend. I’m finishing up the shopping for school supplies and clothes. Shopping for lunchbox items has been a little more complicated. It’s no secret that I’m a big Tupperware fan but Tupperware doesn’t fulfill every need in this house.
The good folks at Enviro Products sent over a stainless steel food container. I was a bit skeptical at first, because my son is the only one who packs a lunch and sometimes these things are too difficult to unlatch. It turns out I had no reason to worry, the latches are firm but easy enough for an elementary school boy to maneuver and there’s no metallic taste. It’s a large container, and I’d love to see one that’s sandwich sized, because that would keep the sandwiches from flailing around and falling apart. It’s perfect for pastas grains and fruits. My kids seldom want soft skin fruits like peaches or nectarines in their lunch boxes because they’re ruined (smashed) by lunchtime.
This morning I turned on my computer and saw this video. It’s worth watching. I was one of the 1,400 women at BlogHer, and I always find an outsider’s view interesting.
I immediately sent an email off to him and it was followed up by a phone call. Michael Schott is a writer in Chicago and he was kind enough to allow me to ask five follow up questions. I’m going to publish without editorial. He’s clearly a bright man, and I’d like you to hear his voice, both on video and in print.
You absolutely must forgive me. It’s be en eons since I’ve posted here. Frankly, I’ve been busy enjoying the summer. Last week I met a couple who has an incredible infant clothing line that is all organic cottons and well thought out. The clothing is both durable and attractive and by using only organic cottons they are reducing the pesticide use worldwide.
I can’t even say the words. I can’t begin to type or tell you the discomfort I have talking to my daughter about puberty.
Why? Uh, because I’m human. If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’m fallible. I’ve talked to her. I’ve given her the facts of life, intercourse, menstruation, puberty, hair, smells… I literally cannot write in complete sentences. Every conversation is punctuated with blushing, and I refer her to Granny. “Please, ask your Granny.”
Today the email came. You know the one. It’s from the Science Teacher and it outlines the Fourth Grade Sex Ed Cirriculum. I showed it to my husband, and he just laughed, “talk to your daughter.”
Recently I was given a Thumbelina doll and DVD to review.
The DVD is lovely, it’s a great story, a classic even. Thumbelina is a fairy that lives in harmony with nature. If you have a little girl, you already know that they love faeries, and glitter, and shiny things. Some folks hate Barbie, I think she’s the ultimate feminist. She’s had almost 100 jobs, and done them all with grace.
Thumbelina is the classic tale of even the tiniest person making a difference. In this DVD Thumbelina lives in the forest, in harmony with nature. Thumbelina is instrumental in keeping the Twillerbees’ home from being demolished.
Who doesn’t love a story that kids can apply to the headlines? Overdevelopment is a very real issue in our world and if our kids have a heightened awareness of it, perhaps they will opt against it in twenty years when they have the checkbooks.
It’s a great story, much along the lines of Hoot, only it’s a magical fantasy. The Thumbelina doll that I was given to review opens up into a flower when you press a button. It’s very simple and reminds of the Barbie’s I used to play with. I love that the doll is packaged in matte recycled cardboard, but I’m sure that Thumbelina’s curviness and a short dress will not delight some. The movie is far less seductive than the doll, but still if you are wildly protective of your daughter’s modesty this is not the toy for you.
Earth Day is a fantastic holiday. I’ve heard folks say that it’s the most celebrated secular holiday ever.
This year to celebrate Earth Day Disneynature, Disney’s new independent film label, will release their first film, Earth. Earth is narrated by James Earl Jones and tells the remarkable story of three animal families and their amazing journey across the planet we all call home. Earth combines rare action, unimaginable scale and impossible locations by capturing the most intimate moments of our planet’s wildest and most elusive creatures. Directors Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, the acclaimed creative team behind the Emmy Award-winning “Planet Earth” series combine forces again to bring this epic adventure to the big screen, beginning Earth Day 2009. To celebrate the film’s theatrical release, Disneynature will be planting a tree in the endangered Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest in honor of every person who sees the film during its opening week!
In the wake of Janet Fraser’s tragic homebirth a broohaha is erupting. How safe is your homebirth? What is a home birth and who should have one? Yes, the woman who coined the term “Birthrape” to describe an emergency episiotomy has lost her child during a home birth.
Let me be very clear here, that a baby died is a horrendous tragedy. Not learning from this would be even worse.
My friend, and fellow Mom Blogger, Amber Watson Tardiff wrote a compelling piece that asks the question everyone sidesteps, is homebirthing a crime? Amber notes:
One of the great blessings of my adult life was a summer vacation spent with my husband and children at Catalina Island Camps. We spent the better part of the week learning about the ocean, our food supply and our ability to affect change.
Jean Michele Cousteau (son of Jacques Cousteau) would call himself an ambassador of the environment. I would call him a hero to us all.
Most recently Cousteau has discovered many populations of killer whales are contaminated with toxic, synthetic chemicals known as PBDEs, or flame retardants. I understand the wisdom of not wanting your children’s pajamas to catch fire, but how many of us are living in gaslight districts? At what point do we ask for change, and at what point do we demand it?
