In my last post, I shared the signs of toxic mold we missed and in this post, you’ll learn the mold remediation mistakes we made so you can avoid them. This past spring, we stopped using our HVAC during that sweet time when we didn’t need heating or cooling. However, I started having some mouth […]
Home Mold Remediation Mistakes I Made and How You Can Avoid Them Read More »
This guest post was written by Nicky Schauder of Permaculture Gardens. In today’s fast-paced world, finding a moment of peace can often seem like a herculean task. Yet, amid the chaos, nature always allows us to slow down, to reconnect with ourselves and the divine. This is never more true than in the garden. For
Finding God in the Garden | Meditations in the Garden Read More »
Have you taught your kids how to identify strange behavior? It’s an important life skill you don’t want to miss. Growing up, I was taught about stranger danger. My parents and teachers dutifully told me to be aware of the maleficent motives of adults that I didn’t know. However, according to the CDC, “Someone known
Strange Behavior: Teaching Our Kids Important Life Skills Read More »
Going back to school in 2020 raises a whole lot of questions! Will our kids be going into the actual school building at all? Will they have to stay in the same room all day? How will teachers get through the daily routine without anybody breathing on anybody? It’s all very complicated! Katie heard a
Do Disposable Back to School Lunches Keep Kids Safe? Read More »
Not long ago, we had a conversation on the Kitchen Stewardship® Facebook page about whether food stamps (actually called SNAP benefits) should be used for non-essentials, specifically soda. The article I shared was about a statistic that soda is purchased more than any other category of food with SNAP benefits. I get the impression that
Potential or (Soda) Pop: What’s the Future of Food Pantries? Read More »
Is your baby’s colon worth having pretty eyelashes? Would you trade your child’s ability to poop for a pretty smelling shampoo? Let’s make a deal: You get convenient spray sunscreen, your newborn gets bowel surgery. Sound like a plan? This is the trade-off pregnant women using conventional beauty products may be making every day because
I get it. Consumer Reports is widely respected and well-known for really knowing how to do reviews and being very thorough. I’m just a mom who has spent the last nearly-decade testing over 100 natural sunscreens on her family in a mostly organized but sometimes haphazard way. I don’t have a testing lab. I don’t
Why I Won’t Listen to Consumer Reports on Sunscreen Read More »
For years I understood that using aluminum in my cooking and personal products was going to increase my risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. I avoided it almost religiously with some exceptions and even made homemade deodorant even though I’m not normally a DIY personal products kind of girl. I have to tell you – I was
Why I STILL Don’t Use Aluminum Foil (even though it probably doesn’t cause Alzheimer’s) Read More »
Is pressure cooking healthy? Are Instant Pots safe? Set your mind at ease – here’s the research, logic, and a video to explain it all. If you finally got an Instant Pot but were hesitant because you heard that pressure cooking is unhealthy because of the high temps, high pressure, and the speed at which
Is Pressure Cooking Too Hot, Too Fast, or Too New to be Healthy and Safe? Read More »
Would there be an uproar if parents found out the school had passed around cigarettes – only one per kid, mind you – at the elementary school track-and-field day or the fundraiser run? Advertisement for run: “All children who finish get a T-shirt and a cigarette at the end of the race!!” Um. Seriously? Of
Aerosolized and spray sunscreens will never be found in my house. Read on to find out why I will not use spray sunscreen, not even spray on mineral sunscreen or spray sunscreen with zinc oxide. Here is what you need to know about sunscreen spray on safety. Spray Sunscreen Is spray sunscreen dangerous? The FDA
3 Reasons You Should Never Touch Spray Sunscreen Read More »
Does sunscreen cause cancer? Like almost any topic in the field of health and wellness, it seems there is a tangled web of research and opinions when it comes to cancer, sun exposure and sunscreen ingredients. Should we wear SPF 50 sunscreen for our walk from the house to the mailbox, or should we shun
Sun, Sunscreen, Skin Cancer, and Safety: How Much Do You Need? Read More »
Take your pick: pill, drops, or rays? What’s the best way to get adequate Vitamin D? Could that sunshine (gasp) be healthy for you?? The issue can be a thorny one: This is a good time to hop in and remind you that I’m just a mom researching health for my family and sharing what
Vitamin D: Why Your Levels Didn’t Go Up After Supplementing Read More »
I’ve been fascinated with bacteria and how our bodies interact with them ever since I did an experiment in college about hand-washing and learned how ineffective (and dangerous) antibacterial soaps are. And today I’ve been wearing my science geek hat again and digging into the question of whether essential oils are a helpful tool in
“How did I get myself into this? What am I doing?” my mind kept asking. Nervously, I glanced in the rear view mirror of my SUV and my fears were confirmed. My foot pressed down hard on the accelerator. If only I could make it home, I would be safe. I opened all the windows
A man drove his car into that pond next to a busy downtown road nine years ago. Last fall, someone finally noticed his car. He was still in it. Now every time I walk or drive by that pond (which is daily since it’s at the end of my street!) I marvel at how many
Just because everyone is doing it doesn’t mean it’s right. Generations of parents have known, understood, and parroted this fact to teenagers with raging hormones who didn’t want to hear the old adage one more time. But for some reason, when it comes to hormones in 10-year-old girls, doctors aren’t getting it. They decided that
They say parenting changes you. And they aren’t kidding. I remember looking down at our firstborn when she was a tiny little bundle. Such a cute nose. And big, innocent eyes. And adorable smile. And… Oh no! I’m now responsible for this little human! Cue the parental panic. Around the time that our first was
Why I’m Tempted to Ditch the Organic Foods Movement Read More »
As I sat down to write this post on how to cook eggs without using a teflon-like nonstick pan, I kept having a twisted version of Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham running through my head… “Do you cook them here or there? Do you cook them anywhere? How do you cook them Sam I
How To Cook Eggs Without Using Nonstick (And Answers to FAQs About Enameled Cast Iron) Read More »
I’ve been reading foodie blogs for close to seven years now. I’ve seen the medium change, grow, entertain certain fads, and inspire. These blogs have really helped me to analyze what our family eats and learn valuable skills, like making yogurt, making bread, using a whole chicken, and menu planning. I’ve also learned more about the
Nonstick Cookware Controversy: Our Family’s Journey to Natural Cookware Read More »
