Your Choices Increase as You Learn More (Links to Learn)

Be sure the products you are using are free of the potentially cancer causing and toxic ingredients.

You know, on this planet we have no choice but to 

• breathe the air
• eat the food
• drink the water

But we DO have a choice about what we put on our skin and what products we have in our homes. There ARE products out there that do not contain dangerous chemicals. And, they work superbly, smell wonderful and are quite affordable.

Now you are probably asking yourself, "What are some cancer causing and toxic ingredients?"

A good place to start learning is with the following list. And, you can request detailed information at my business website.
An *asterisk indicates a chemical common in household items:

*Triclosan and Triclocarban (Antibacterials)  are often listed among the ingredients of personal-care products. (Good news) Melaleuca has fabulous products with NO harsh chemicals!

*Phthalates cosmetic and personal-care products (including fragrances and nail polish) and much more. (Good news) Melaleuca has fabulous products with NO harsh chemicals!

          *Lindane   is used in prescription shampoos and topical treatments for head lice & scabies. (Good news) Melaleuca has a great solution for lice with NO harsh chemicals!

Atrazine    most commonly detected pesticide in U.S. waters

Bisphenol A (BPA)  one reason why you should try to buy organic fruits and veggies!

Carbaryl   another reason why you should try to buy organic fruits and veggies! 

Chlorpyrifos   another reason why you should try to buy organic fruits and veggies! 

Endosulfan  ditto above

Lead test your water, be careful when buying toys, costume jewelry . . . follow link for more info

Mercury too much to summarize (follow the link) some fish, vaccines, certain types of  dental fillings, button batteries

Propoxur (Flea and Tick Pesticide) used in pet flea and tick collars. Flea and tick collars can leave a high level of pesticide residue on a pet’s fur, posing a health risk to adults and children who play with the pet.

Tetrachlorvinphos (Flea and Tick Pesticide)   same as above!

          Chemical Index

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 source: http://www.simplesteps.org/chemicals

Crib Recall - Warning for Parents

Play Video ABC News 

Govt issues record 2.1M recall for dropside cribs 

By JENNIFER C. KERR, Associated Press Writer Jennifer C. Kerr, Associated Press Writer – 

 

WASHINGTON –
More than 2.1 million drop-side cribs by Stork Craft Manufacturing are being recalled, the biggest crib recall in U.S history, following reports of four infant suffocations.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said late Monday the recall involves 1.2 million cribs in the United States and almost 1 million in Canada, where Stork Craft is based. Sales of the cribs being recalled go back to 1993.

Nearly 150,000 of the cribs carry the Fisher-Price logo.

The CPSC said it is aware of four infants who suffocated in the drop-side cribs, which have a side that moves up and down to allow parents to lift children from the cribs more easily.
The Stork Craft cribs have had problems with their hardware, which can break, deform or become missing after years. CPSC said there can also be problems with assembly mistakes by the crib owner. These problems can cause the drop-side to detach, creating a dangerous space between the drop-side and the crib mattress, where a child can become trapped.
The commission is urging parents to stop using the cribs until receiving a free repair kit from Stork Craft.

The cribs, which were manufactured and distributed between January 1993 and October 2009, were sold at major retailers including BJ's Wholesale Club, Sears and Wal-Mart stores and online through Target and Costco. They sold for between $100 and $400, and were made in Canada, China and Indonesia.

Consumer advocates have complained for years about drop-side cribs. More than 5 million of them have been recalled over the past two years alone — recalls that were associated with the deaths of a dozen young children.

ASTM International, an organization that sets voluntary industry safety standards for everything from toys to the steel used in commercial buildings, approved a new standard last week that requires four immovable, or fixed, sides for full-size cribs — essentially eliminating the manufacture of drop-side cribs.

CPSC is also considering new rules for making cribs safer and could adopt the ASTM voluntary standard as a mandatory one, outright banning the cribs.

Toys"R"Us started phasing out drop-side cribs earlier this year and will no longer carry them next month.

In the Stork Craft recall, the manufacture date, model number, crib name, country of origin, and the firm's name, address and contact information are located on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board. The firm's insignia "storkcraft baby" or "storkling" is inscribed on the drop-side teething rail of some cribs.

Consumers can contact the company, 877-274-0277, to order the free repair kit, or log on to http://www.storkcraft.com.

• Play Video Video:CPSC Recalls Massive Number Of Dropdown Side Cribs CBS 2 New York
• Play Video Video:Largest Crib Recall In U.S. History CBS 2 Chicago

On the Net:
Consumer Product Safety Commission: http://www.cpsc.gov

Bake @ 350

My friend, Bridget, makes the MOST amazing cookies. She is as much an artist as a baker.
Here are some cookies she created recently:

Bun in the Oven cookies!

There is a step by step tutorial on how she created these over at her website.

She also ships right to your front door!




Check out the details here.

Here are the cookies she made for a recent baby shower . . . . but to REALLY appreciate these you have to see the invitation to the shower.

This gal's creativity astounds me!

I am still trying to get the basic sugar cookie recipe down. I mean, my cookies stick or crumble or taste just terrible.

I have always made great chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies and sugar and spice balls . . . but the whole cookie cutting throws me for a loop.

I digress. Take a look at the invitation that inspired the pickles and ice cream cookies!

Maybe I have saved the best (to date) for last. The baby announcement cookies . . . . . Of course, these could also be used for a baby shower.

Bridget's Etsy Shop is here

THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER

We know that eating right during pregnancy is important.

We know that exercise is important, as is rest.
But what about prayer?

When God's miracle of life is growing in the womb . . . how perfect a time to pray with your baby!
If you do not already have a special prayer time, create one . . . . NOW . . . . . today! :-)
And make it a habit.

Give that time to God and praise Him, lay your worries at His feet and/or simply LISTEN. Treasure each minute you and your baby spend in prayer while you are pregnant.

I have a prayer for you, attributed to Pope Clement XI. It is called The Universal Prayer. It is a good way to begin . . . .

Lord, I believe in you: increase my faith.
I trust in you: strengthen my trust.
I love you: let me love you more and more.
I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.

I worship you as my first beginning,
I long for you as my last end,
I praise you as my constant helper,
And call on you as my loving protector.

Guide me by your wisdom,
Correct me with your justice,
Comfort me with your mercy,
Protect me with your power.

I offer you, Lord, my thoughts:
to be fixed on you;
My words: to have you for their theme;
My actions: to reflect my love for you;
My sufferings:
to be endured for your greater glory.

I want to do what you ask of me:
In the way you ask,
For as long as you ask,
Because you ask it.

Lord, enlighten my understanding,
Strengthen my will,
Purify my heart,
and make me holy.

Help me to repent of my past sins
And to resist temptation in the future.
Help me to rise above my human
weaknesses
And to grow stronger as a Christian.

Let me love you, my Lord and my God,
And see myself as I really am:
A pilgrim in this world,
A Christian called to respect and love
All whose lives I touch,
Those under my authority,
My friends and my enemies.

Help me to conquer anger with gentleness,
Greed by generosity,
Apathy by fervor.
Help me to forget myself
And reach out toward others.

Make me prudent in planning,
Courageous in taking risks.
Make me patient in suffering,
unassuming in prosperity.

Keep me, Lord, attentive at prayer,
Temperate in food and drink,
Diligent in my work,
Firm in my good intentions.

Let my conscience be clear,
My conduct without fault,
My speech blameless,
My life well-ordered.

Put me on guard against my human
weaknesses.
Let me cherish your love for me,
Keep your law,
And come at last to your salvation.

Teach me to realize that
this world is passing,
That my true future
is the happiness of heaven,
That life on earth is short,
And the life to come eternal.

Help me to prepare for death
With a proper fear of judgment,
But a greater trust in your goodness.
Lead me safely through death
To the endless joy of heaven.

Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

"Non-Toxic" Makes us Feel Safe

Products that kill 50% of lab animals can still be called "non-toxic".

That is really the important fact in a nutshell! For the full post and source- click here. Here is the complete quote:

"The government has very limited power to regulate manufacturers . . . in fact, one of their criteria is that products that kill 50% of lab animals through ingestion or inhalation can still receive the federal regulatory designation ‘non-toxic’. "

"Non-toxic" makes us feel safe. This could very well be a false sense of security! Find companies you can trust and learn to read labels.

We can all take one step at a time towards better health and wellness - towards protecting our families and our children.

Feel free to email PegyCortez@ yahoo.com for ideas on ways to take one healthier step at a time! & Feel free to share your ideas!

85,000 chemicals

There are more than 85,000 chemicals that are currently licensed for use in North America. Less than half have ever been tested for human health risk and even fewer for potential environmental impacts. Remember that babies (born and unborn), children and pregnant moms are at the greatest risk.
Just one more reason to buy from a company with health as its first priority - get out of the habit of trusting products on those store shelves! Need more information on how to make simple changes to take better care of yourself, your family and our environment?

Just ask! Peggy 832 766 2172
OR Visit: How Safe is Your Home?

source: TorontoStar June13th, 2005

SOURCE ARTICLE: What's causing cancer? by Mitchell Anderson