by Jennifer Lance on February 8, 2010 · 1 comment
Photo by
sonyaseattle
Stop the erectile dysfunction commercials!
Ugh, it happened…after years of seeing erectile dysfunction (ED) commercials on TV, my eight-year-old daughter finally asked, “What was the commercial about?” I told her to ask her father, but he wasn’t home, so I was stuck. I’ve always been honest, so I told her it had to do with penis problems (not bathtubs). She went, “Eewww,” and that was that. I was lucky she didn’t ask me what kind of penis problems. Really, I’m surprised she hasn’t asked before now with how prevalent the commercials are on TV.
Beyond personal annoyance at seeing men talk about their penis problems daily on TV, I think it is really inappropriate these commercials are not limited to adult programing or late night. In fact, why do we think it is ok for our children to be confronted with any pharmaceutical commercials? [read the full article...]
by Jennifer Lance on January 20, 2010 · 1 comment
This updated version for kids of the classic 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth is a handy reference for any child looking for small steps they can take to live a greener life. The layout is user friendly and appealing, and it is a great resource for the classroom and home. Not only does this book include tips, such as “plant a tree” but it includes “eco-experiments”, such as making your own recycled paper. As you would expect, this book is printed on “certified chain of custody” recycled paper with soy inks.
Would I buy this product? Probably not. My experience with these sort of books is they sit on shelves, good ideas or not, without much use. Besides, most of the information can be found on the 50 Simple Kids website for free.
[read the full article...]
by Jennifer Lance on December 16, 2009 · 5 comments
Photo by
Steve & Jemma Copley
BPA-Free Kids Act would ban the hormone disrupter from kids' products.
Could the BPA era of chemically altering our children finally be over? Oh, how we have ranted over the years! From autism to erectile dysfunction, BPA has been linked to many harmful health effects. Hopefully that is all about to end thanks to Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, who have introduced the BPA-Free Kids Act.
The Epoch Times reports many reasons why BPA should be banned:
- BPA poses major health risks that affect reproduction and neural development because the chemical mimics estrogen.
- Infants and toddlers have the highest risk because they have the highest level of exposure at a time when risks to reproduction and neural development are greatest.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that 95 percent of Americans tested have BPA levels at or above levels that cause abnormalities in animals.
- Studies on lab animals and BPA have shown a link between obesity, infertility, behavioral changes, miscarriages, prostrate problems, and cancer.
[read the full article...]
Looking for great eco-friendly gifts that won’t bust your budget? Then check out some of these great kids’ gifts- all for under $30 a piece. [read the full article...]
As the holiday season approaches we’re all looking for quality toys for our children. Readers of this blog, and increasingly the world at large are seeking toys that are eco friendly and inexpensive too.
That’s why Eco Childs Play agreed to team up with Goddard Systems, Inc, one of the largest child care providers in the country, to seek out the best green toys we could find for under $30.00.
After a national call for submissions, the Toy Test Committee, consisting of Eco Child`s Play representatives and Goddard educators, evaluated entrants based on a number of criteria, including:
* Affordable price range ($30 and under)
* Appropriate for preschoolers and early elementary school-age children
* Creative, social or engaging
* Eco-friendly
* Interactive, child-initiated play focus
We’re happy to announce the 10 finalists today!
The Top 10 Eco-Friendly Toys are as follows (in alphabetical order): [read the full article...]
Being a lighthearted child in a grown-up body, I have to admit that I still like lunch pails, and my band new Yubo lunchbox happens to be my favorite one of all time because it’s:
- BPA Free
- Recyclable
- Antimicrobial
- Dishwasher Safe
Yubo bpa free lunchwear started with two concerned parents frustrated with the amount of plastic baggies used every day. Explaining:
“The typical store bought lunchboxes we owned were impossible to clean, they collected crumbs and foul old-food odors. Worst of all, our kids were over the novelty of their lunchboxes less than a week after buying them! That was the start of our journey to re-invent the lunchbox. We knew there had to be a better way. We set out to balance our passion for the environment with our kids’ passion for having fun.”
[read the full article...]
by Jennifer Lance on October 15, 2009 · 0 comments
Thank you Citizenpup for sponsoring our Green Lunch Giveway, and congratulations to Sonya of Sanity is for Those Without Children (love the name!) for winning. Sonya wrote, “My kids love edamame and lots of veggies!” My kids love edamame too, and I promise to grow the beans in my garden next year. If you do buy edamame, shop carefully to avoid beans grown in China. Many of the frozen organic varieties of edamame originate in China.
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