The Little-Known Secrets About Bleached Flour
Pretty interesting article about bleached flour and all that it’s not. 

SIGG Introduces New EcoCare Liner
I’m pumped about these new liners in the SIGG bottles! 

Natural Candy Store.com
Saw this store recommended by SafeMama. Find some better candy for Easter! 

20 Tips for Finding Your Routine With Kids
I have a pretty good routine going at our house.  This is a vey helpful article to help you start your own routine, and remind you of how to keep your time organized.

Update – Sorry I haven’t written a post in a while.  I really haven’t had anything earth shattering to share.  In the coming weeks I do hope to make an Easter Playdough Mountain, so maybe I’ll share that with you.  For now, here are a few links I like from this week.

Emotion Coaching:  One of the Most Important Parenting Practices in the History of the Universe
WOW!  This article is great!  I’ve got a little 3 year old who is always telling me he’s mad and sad when he doesn’t get his way.  I’m going to put this stuff into practice!

Easier Cold Care for Moms and Babies
I have needed this little gadget SO bad this week!  Nathaniel has had a cold and needed his nose really cleaned out. 

Dr. Bloom, Inc.
You are gonna LOVE this cool new teething jewelry!  I’ve shared another brand with you before, but these are a little different, just as safe, and have some different designs!

The Ultimate Baby Shower Gift Guide
This list has so many really neat, one-of-a kind, and great gift ideas!  Take a look!

Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides
EWG just came out with their new produce list of 47 fruits and veggies.  They’re ranked from worst to best for pesticide load.  There’s even a little guide you can download for shopping!

SC Johnson to Share Detailed Product Information, Phase Out Phthlates
WOW!  Hard to believe it’s true from such a big company!  Great news, I think!  Hopefully we’ll see some of the other larger companies following this lead!

You Asked For it: Our Thoughts On Method Baby Products
I had been wondering about these products. Thanks to SafeMama now I know!

Vaccine Studeis:  Under the Influence of Pharma
You can’t believe everything you read in mainstream media.  Here is just another example. 

Bootstrap Your Green Efforts:  10 Ways to Go Green Today
Some great tips on things you can easily change around your home.

I thought I would tell you about a few random things around our house that we really enjoy.  So, here we go!

The No-Cry Potty Training Solution – This is a very helpful book.  It helped me to know when Gabriel was ready to be potty trained.  It also has lots of helpful tips, like that kids just learning to go on the potty can do it much easier on a potty stool, rather than a seat on the regular toilet.  Many more helpful tips!

Sweet Wee Bairn Nursing Cover – I love my nursing cover.  She has lots of great fabric to choose from, and the quality is top-notch.  I really like the boning in the top that holds the cover out so I can still see my baby.

Graco Quattro Tour Duo Stroller – Oh how I love my double stoller!  I use it to walk everyday, when the weather is warm.  I’ve used it at the zoo and the mall as well.  It handles nicely in stores and isn’t too wide to get through most aisles or racks of clothing.  It turns well too – meaning you don’t have to make a large circle to go the other direction! *Helpful tip:  Before Nathaniel could walk I used our umbrella stroller in the back yard for him to ride around in as Gabriel and I played.  He was always quite happy!*

Need a new Tilty sippy cup?  Well, here’s your chance to grab one at 15% off!  We recently purcahsed this cup and REALLY like it!  It’s BPA free, dye free, and PVC free.  I got an email from the company this week encouraging me to share this code with you!

COUPON CODE:  THKU09
For all of you that can’t find a store near you selling TILTY, here is a coupon code for 15% off all orders of two double packs (12.00).  It is good until March 31, 2009.  PASS IT ON to your friends and family.  By the way, shipping on two double packs is the same as one double pack.  Good to know.  Just follow the above Tilty link to get yours!

Scared of Salmonella?  Make Your Own Peanut Butter
Hmm, sounds pretty easy and tasty!

How Cheap Food Distorts Our Choices and Makes Us Fat
Pretty interesting article…especially if buy cheap food.  Either at a restaurant or in the grocery store.

So, I’ve had this question for a while, and since I will be dealing with it sometime later this year, I thought I would let you in on a little secret….YES!!  You probably can!  

You just have to find the narrow type.  Yep, they do make narrow car seats! The best ones, and really only ones marketed for “3 across” that I’ve found are Sunshine Kids Radians.  They have great safety ratings as well.  There are two different seats available. The Radian65  is for a child 5-65 lbs. and the Radian 80 is for a child 5-80 lbs. You can read all the great ratings on Amazon.  Both of the Radians have  4.5 stars!  While these seats are a little pricey, they are definitely cheaper than a new car.

If you’re looking for a narrow infant carrier seat, Baby Cheapskate did some research and recommends the Baby Trend Flex-Loc. If you’d like to read their article on the infant carriers, search for “infant car seat guide” and choose the January 2009 article.

If you have some more questions about car seats, here are a couple of helpful sites:

Carseatdata.org

Car-safety.org

I hope this helps somebody out there!  It really wasn’t that easy for me to find information about fitting 3 car seats in a backseat.  Hopefully I did a little research for some of you out there!

10 Dangerous Everyday Things in Your Home
I ran across this list earlier in the week and thought it was a great one to share.

Fake It Till You Make It
Another good reason to smile!

How to Find Hidden MSG on Food Labels
These different names for MSG really surprised me!

 Ok, so are you thinking I’m crazy because I’ve got a filter on my bath faucet?  Well, maybe you won’t after reading this.  You see, just as the lotion and other body products you put on your body need to be safe, so does your bath water.  Because, yep, your skin is soaking it up, just like anything else you put on your body.

According to Dr. Mercola, here’s what’s in your tap water:

Tap water – High in disinfection byproducts (DBPs), chloroform, and fluoride. Chloroform and other DBPs are formed when chlorine is added to water. This is the most common form of water disinfection in the U.S. Unfortunately, chloroform can cause cancer, potential reproductive damage, birth defects, dizziness, fatigue, headache, liver and kidney damage.

Another byproduct of water chlorination is trihalomethanes (THMs), which are Cancer Group B carcinogens, meaning they’ve been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. They’ve also been linked to reproductive problems in both animals and humans.

Fluoride is another serious danger silently lurking in most people’s tap water. Fluoride alters your endocrine function, especially in your thyroid, increases your risk of bone fractures, and can lower IQ.

Filtering the water in your home (including the water in your shower) with a reverse osmosis filter is your best option here.

So, after reading that, I guess you can understand why I want a bath water filter!  If that didn’t convince you, then please look at these articles or videos as well.

Tap Water Toxins:  Is Your Water Trying to Kill You?

The Dirty Little Secret Behind the Chlorine in Your Water

The Dangers of Chlorine and Issues with Sucralose

The Negative Health Effects of Chlorine

Just as soon as we can, we will be installing a whole house Reverse Osmosis water filter so that we aren’t exposed to unfiltered tap water in our own home anymore.  In the mean time, I love that my Bath Ball will last me 1 year and that I can buy replacement filters for it.  And, Johnny is also using his shower head water filter. I hope you found this information helpful!

Hillbilly Housewife
Here’s an interesting site with lots of home cooking recipes, even how to make your own baking mix and cream soups.   Some things I wouldn’t recommend, like using margarine, but you can still find some neat stuff here.

BPA, PVC, and Phthalates in Food Processors and Blenders
Great article on what’s in your food processor and blender, with recommended brands and products at the bottom of the article.  Thanks for all of your hard work Z Recs!

Lisa Leonard Designs
This jewelery is SO cute!  Lisa’s designs are great and so special!