Category Archives: HMN Reports

Product investigations

As for Rehydration…

Shoelaces?

After the most recent McDonalds debacle, orange drink is clearly out of the question (as if it wasn’t already, but oh how I used to love it!). The latest news involves lead found in juice and packaged fruits. Wednesday the Environmental Law Foundation “filed Notices of Violation of California Proposition 65 Toxics Right to Know law, alleging the toxic chemical lead was found in a variety of children’s and baby foods. The specific food categories included apple juice, grape juice, packaged pears and peaches (including baby food), and fruit cocktail.”

The complete list of lead contaminated juices includes brands I trust like Santa Cruz Organics and Trader Joe’s. The list also includes a few non-contaminated brands.

Josie doesn’t drink much juice because it seems to make her crazy – like jump on her trampoline while Mommy counts to 75 (one count per jump) then sing the alphabet song twice without stopping kind of crazy. Have I mentioned that we have a mini-trampoline in our living room? A few months ago I met with the coolest organizer/decorator in the world. Can you see us standing around, me with my notebook in hand to take down her brilliance, her rubbing her chin with index finger and thumb (she wouldn’t do that but just play along). We move furniture, we reconfigure, we solve all the problems of the room then… Hey, you know what would look great right here? A mini-tramp, yeah, one with blue padding around the edge decorated with green frogs and a giant foam handle. Just far enough from the fireplace that if she falls, she won’t hit her head but close enough to the kitchen… Yes, right here in the center, let me just move this coffee table out of the way, OMG its perfect!

Moving on… We try to eat unprocessed whole foods and this is just one more case for that. Packaging and processing can cause all kinds of trouble. But what’s a child to drink? I’m going to put Josie on an all-water, retrieved from pure mountain streams, rehydration plan. She will drink this pure-mountain-stream water only from a stainless steel cup, scratch that, she will drink only from her cupped hands, her cupped hands washed with organic handmade soap and air dried. And the stream will be high in the mountains, no scratch that, she will drink only melted fresh mountain snow from organic-soap-washed, cupped hands. Then I will obtain a sheep and I will dress her in clothes made of wool. She will only eat lettuce from the garden. Bathing will become unnecessary. If you need me, I’ll be in the forest, gathering sticks and fallen branches to whittle into shoes.

More Dangerous than the Marshmallow Man

Nothing scary to see here.

I was getting caught up on some light blog reading about cancer treatment, chemicals in children’s medicine, and toxic sunscreens when I came across this fun story about McDonald’s voluntary recall of 12 million Shrek-decorated glasses after complaints of cadmium contamination were lodged with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Cadmium is considered more toxic than lead and even low levels have been linked to health problems including kidney damage and fragile bones. One of those complaint-lodgers was thesmartmama.com.    

Here’s how I imagine this story went down: this woman blogger, goes to McDonalds, orders a Shrek glass full of something or she gets the empty Shrek glass as a promotion, (not sure how that works) anyway, she has the Shrek glass. It’s sitting on a tray. When the guy cashier turns around to get some fries she takes a small Bond-style camera pen-like device out of her inside jacket pocket. Or, even better, she takes out a Ghost Busters PKE meter with the arms that stick out and the little red lights  (Did you know there’s a site that contains instructions on how to make all the Ghost Busters equipment at home? Of course you did.) She points the tool, which detects cadmium, at the ink on the outside of the glass and the thing goes crazy. She’s thrown back by the force of the charge (don’t cross the streams!). Someone helps her off the floor, she takes the data to the CPSC, the glasses are recalled and (spoiler alert!) and the marshmallow man is killed in the end.   

Perhaps it didn’t happen quite this way, but this part is the truth: this woman has her OWN Thermo Fisher Scientific Niton XRF analyzer. Total rock star. She tested all of the parts of the glasses herself. The worst offender: yellow lion of Puss in Boots. Like Mr. Stay Puft, I don’t think I’ll ever look at the lion the same way again.

Housekeeping

This might be my favorite picture ever.

Happy Birthday! This has become a standard greeting in our house. Josie wishes me one at least 10 times a day, sometimes with song, sometimes not. I’ve stopped explaining that mine isn’t for a few months and hers isn’t for another six months. I’m rolling with it and thought I’d share the love with you.

Also: interesting conversation in the comments section of My Love of Pockets about why conventional blueberries, which used to be on the consistently clean side of the list, are suddenly #5 on the worst list.

And! In the ongoing quest to find organic BPA-free tomatoes we have a new provider, or at least we will soon. To get caught up on the other sources you can read the comments on this post Hey Everyone Let’s Panic and the next follow up Suspense (and BPA-Free canned tomatoes!). And Muir Glen just announced that with the next tomato harvest they’ll be using BPA-free can liners. Oh gluten-free joy!

My Love of Pockets

Stuff that grows on docks (not really) part VII

I guess I have a thing for pockets. I was mining my notebook for nuggets of entertainment, humor or trivia (slim, very slim) when I came across this little bit about things I carry in my pockets (Elmo undies, sleep caps, dog poop bags, tissue).

A Pocket for Corduroy was my favorite book as a child (so glad I could solve that little mystery for you).

There are times in life when pocket space is at a particular premium, like when I travel. When Paul and I were on our 8-month, round-the-world honeymoon, my pockets were always stuffed. In hot climates I carried a sweat rag. I carried room keys, luggage locks, bits of paper with addresses and locations, translations for cab drivers, bus tickets. The most valuable tool was the compass that Paul carried. We both have a terrible sense of direction. We got very good at reading maps, retracing our steps and communicating with locals in hand gestures and puppetry when all else failed (little games of charades all over the world!). Anyway, where was I?

Yes, parenthood is another one of those times when pocket space is at a premium. There are snacks to carry and sippy cups, barrettes and beads that are pulled out of hair on long car rides. There are little toys, mini monkeys that little girls get from coin machines at diners where their daddies take them. There is lip balm for the chapped-lip types like myself. There are napkins and used bandages and some unstuck stickers in case a certain little girl uses the potty. You get the idea. There’s a lot of stuff to carry but that’s not my point. There’s another point I’m getting to here…

The most valuable pocket tool of all time: the Environmental Working Group’s list of the “dirtiest” and “cleanest” conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. The top of the list contains produce that, even when grown conventionally, doesn’t carry a heavy load of pesticides. The bottom of the list contains the most pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables. You can lower your pesticide intake by 4/5ths if you avoid the conventionally-grown versions of the 12 most contaminated items on this list.

Take a look. Do you see peaches, apples, strawberries and blueberries at the bottom? Berry season is here and the peaches, the peaches are coming. Print it off. You don’t really have to carry it in your pocket but I would recommend carrying it in your purse, or your wallet, or wherever else you carry things because it’s important.

A Story for Wednesday

No! Not this cute girl.

So let’s say there’s this toddler, a sweet little thing with braids held in place with multi-colored flower clips, who walks up to her little friend at preschool, grabs her by the collar and pushes her to the floor. No words are exchanged; there is no fight over a toy, just bam. Smack-down.

Then let’s say, a day later, the mother and daughter make a cake. The toddler is standing on a chair and while they’re holding the beater, this same toddler slips her arm around her mother’s waist, looks up and says “I wuv you Mommy.” Sweet as pie.

Yes, this child is two-and-a-half. Yes, she is a force of nature. Her mother knows these things, but she still can’t help but wonder what causes her sweet child with the braids and flowered clips and all to decide she’s a WWF wrestling super-star. Was she tired? Coming down with the flu? Had she eaten something that didn’t agree with her, had she had too much sugar, too little sugar, too much exercise or not enough exercise, too much time with other toddlers, not enough, too many hunks of cheese, raisins, granola bars or things that stick in her teeth or don’t, she must need more things that stick in her teeth or maybe it’s that new toothpaste with the fluoride or the fact that she isn’t flossing or or or… Picture this mother holding out the ends of her hair going “ACK!” like Andy Samberg playing Cathy from the comic strip on Saturday Night Live. Sweat drops, sweat drops, sweat drops.

Let’s just say this mother is always looking for causes, triggers, patterns, consequences. She knows sometimes she takes the speculation too far, but she also knows what she puts in her child does affect her child’s behavior.

The big health news this week is about a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics that shows kids with above average amounts of organophosphate pesticides in their urine are twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD.

“Detectable levels of pesticides are present in a large number of fruits and vegetables sold in the U.S., according to a 2008 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited in the study. In a representative sample of produce tested by the agency, 28 percent of frozen blueberries, 20 percent of celery, and 25 percent of strawberries contained traces of one type of organophosphate. Other types of organophosphates were found in 27 percent of green beans, 17 percent of peaches, and 8 percent of broccoli.”

Another reason to buy organic produce. All this stuff that goes into this mother’s body and this child’s body… It does matter.

Turns out this particular toddler had a virus and two canker sores in the back of her mouth. As far as her mother can tell, her WWF-style take down had nothing to do with organophosphates and everything to do with being miserable. But this mother can never be too sure.

I can't keep my lips off those cheeks!

The Plan

Too sick to go to school, but too healthy to stay home.

After the last meal-related post a friend told me that she wanted to eat more vegetables and she wanted to feed her family better but she just didn’t know how. She thought she should take a cooking class. She seemed to think that at the end of the day she should be able to come home and take whatever staples, leftovers, condiments and spices were available and throw something together.

Dude, it’s not like you’re on Top Chef. There’s this place with tables and shelves and aisles filled with food. All kinds of food. It’s called a supermarket or a grocery store or a co-op. Whatever. Go there.

Here’s what I told her to do:

  1. Get a few good cookbooks, favorite recipe website or cooking magazine.
  2. Over the weekend sit down with them and your calendar.
  3. Choose 3 recipes with lots of veggies. Don’t skimp on the butter, olive oil, cheese, whatever it takes to make those veggies taste good.
  4. Make a grocery list and plan to buy enough food to feed your family for at least two nights. If it’s freezable (like soup or stew), cook extra extra and put it in a glass canning jar in the freezer.
  5. Look at your schedule and plan what nights you’ll cook and what nights you’ll have leftovers.
  6. Go to the store or order groceries online and have them delivered.
  7. Cook. Eat. Sleep.

Now, lest you think I’m a total, perfect, know-it-all blogger, I’m going to take a minute to tell you all the things I don’t do well. I do not clean bathtubs. When Paul used my bathroom while we were dating and accidentally looked in my shower, he was horrified. He says now that it was a jungle filled with monkeys swinging on vines. I barely keep my few houseplants alive (just ask my mother). I do not knit, quilt, sew or scrapbook. I do not make any pretty or thoughtful presents for my friends and family when they are ill or have babies. There are many other things I do not do well, but I think that’s enough for today. Oh, and I’m totally tone deaf.

I know some of you are organizational marvels who quilt and bake and have bags of homemade meatballs and soups in the freezer just waiting to be eaten. You know who you are. Will you share some of your tips?

And even if you aren’t an organizational marvel what are your favorite tricks for getting food on the table? (Did I REALLY just write that last sentence? I sincerely apologize. When did I step off the set of Mad Men? If I’m going to have to cook this dinner, someone better bring me a high-ball full of bourbon and a cigarette, pronto!).

Good News for the Hystericals

Stuff that grows on docks (or doesn't anymore) part IV.

Breaking news: John Oliver of the Daily Show reports chilly neck breezes to be the leading killer of British people.

I could write a post about the importance of scarves or, as John Oliver argued, ascots, for everyone, not just the British. Some days it seems like almost anything can be proven hazardous or healthful if the right study is conducted by the right (or wrong) people.

But I’m not going to write that post because I can write about this: last week, President Obama’s cancer panel  filed a report stating that the contribution of chemicals and pollutants to the growing rate of cancers has been “grossly underestimated.” New hope and validation in the land of the hysterical.

The report also said that “With the growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the unacceptable burden of cancer resulting from environmental and occupational exposures that could have been prevented through appropriate national action.” Appropriate national action… That would be so awesome.

This from a Washington Post article: “Children are particularly vulnerable because they are smaller and are developing faster than adults, the panel found. The report noted unexplained rising rates of some cancers in children, and it referred to recent studies that have found industrial chemicals in umbilical-cord blood, which supplies nutrients to fetuses. ‘To a disturbing extent, babies are born ‘pre-polluted,’ the panel wrote.”

The end result was a recommendation that the government overhaul the laws regulating the chemical industry. Wouldn’t that be something? 

Murky at Best

It's even brighter in real life.

On Tuesday our tiny, jail cell of a powder room was painted. It’s navy blue stripes with matte and gloss finishes except for an apple green ceiling and accent wall. It’s awesome. I’ve been snickering to myself, like I have a secret, all week. I have an apple green wall. It’s not a big one but it’s bright green. I’m so clever, artistic, daring. I’m so damn pleased with myself.

It’s a good thing my bathroom is making me so happy because every time I turn on the news and listen to the reports of the oil spilling into the gulf, I have to hold back sobs. And this Tylenol recall business… Hey, Johnson & Johnson, what the hell is going on over there?

In April, FDA inspectors stopped by the manufacturing plant for Children’s Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl and Zyrtec for a routine inspection and found problems with “quality-control methods and manufacturing processes, including a failure to track customer complaints and spot trends that may signal systemic problems, a lack of written procedures and a failure to adequately train employees.” A routine inspection? You’d think they’d get things in order for the inspectors; you know, tidy the place up and make it look real nice. Maybe they did, maybe this was the plant looking its best. 

Also this: “Federal investigators found that raw materials had ‘known contamination’ with unspecified bacteria and ‘were approved for use to manufacture several finished lots of Children’s and Infant’s Tylenol drug products.’”

Apparently they’ve been receiving complaints about a moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor, murkiness and complaints of nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea since 2008. “The company said the smell was caused by a chemical called ‘2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA),’ which is applied to wooden pallets that are used to transport and store packaging materials.” Super.

Here’s what all this means: (1) throw away all your infant and children’s Motrin, Tylenol, Benadryl and Zyrtec. It’s all been recalled. (2) It’s time to hoard generic children’s pain reliever. Buy some while you can because who knows when J&J will get their act together and start manufacturing again. For more info…

If anyone needs me, I’ll be in my happy place.

My Reign of Terror

It was a really nice weekend.

I’ve been on a bit of a home improvement tear lately, doing a little nesting. One of the things on my list is to get an area rug for our bedroom, but I have some very specific needs. Since it’s in the bedroom, where we spend so much time breathing (and some of us whistling), I want to make sure it doesn’t off-gas. Also, I do a little stretching and yoga-like business on the floor in the morning so I’d like to be sure it isn’t treated with flame retardants or stain resistant chemicals.

I go into the carpet store and tell the guy what I am looking for. I can tell by the blank expression this is not going to go well, and unfortunately he does not prove me wrong. I’m talking about colors and textures and he asks if I’m “allergic or something.” I ignore the question and continue with what I was saying (bulldozer). He asks again. Sigh. No, I’m not allergic; I’m just cra-zy! I tell him that I had cancer once upon a time and now I try to limit my exposure to toxins.

If I’d been at my desk with an internet connection, this is what I would have said about off-gassing.

Off-gassing (also called out-gassing) is the slow release of gas that is trapped, frozen or absorbed in a material. Formaldehyde is a frequent culprit because it is used in many of the glues that hold household products together, the foam pads that go under the carpet, furniture made of particle board or medium density fiberboard (bits of wood pressed together with glue). Medium density fiberboard contains higher glue to wood ration than any other pressed wood product. The EPA recognizes it as the highest emitter of formaldehyde and recommends limiting exposure. They’re currently researching the topic to evaluate the extent of the risk of pressed wood products.

Formaldehyde off-gassing has been shown to cause cancer in lab animals and is suspected of causing cancer in humans. The EPA has classified it as “a probable human carcinogen under conditions of unusually high or prolonged exposure.”

After a few more minutes at the carpet store, I decide I won’t be able to find what I’m looking for. Thus, my reign of terror continues its sweep through the world of home improvement and a few days later I pop into another store. I find a salesperson who helps me navigate to a lovely brown and tan speckled wool remnant with a wool (non-off-gassing pad). She also tells me most carpets aren’t treated with flame retardants and the off-gassing comes from some carpet pads that are bits of foam glued together.

On my way out of the store, feeling much less hysterical, a beautiful thing happens. A couple comes in with their 5 year old daughter looking for carpet made entirely of non-off-gassing recycled material. Oh gluten-free joy! (I know, not appropriate, but I do love to say it.) I’m not the only crazy one!

PS – I ended up ordering an 8’x8’ section of wool carpet and a wool pad to keep the carpet from scratching the floor. They cut the rug to size and finished the edges.

If you’re in the market for a rug here are the things to look for: (1.) a natural fiber (like wool) (2.) not treated with stain resistant chemicals (3.) a pad that isn’t made of bits of foam glued together.

Go to Bed

I give the people what they want - stuff that grows on docks part III.

I was thinking about my last update when I came across this New York Times post reporting that people who sleep more eat less. Specifically: when a group of men slept 8 hours they consumed 22% fewer calories than they slept only 4 hours. In case you weren’t already inspired enough.

I’m going to bed now.  You should too.