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1.  Grist: Maine governor on BPA: ‘Worst case is that some women may have little beards’

Paul LePage, governor of Maine, is pretty confident that nothing can harm him as long as he doesn’t know sh*t about dick. Here’s his scientific assessment of the dangers of plastic additive bisphenol A:

“Quite frankly, the science that I’m looking at says there is no [problem],” LePage said. “There hasn’t been any science that identifies that there is a problem.”

LePage then added: “The only thing that I’ve heard is if you take a plastic bottle and put it in the microwave and you heat it up, it gives off a chemical similar to estrogen. So the worst case is some women may have little beards.”

2.  Hip Chick Pregnancy Guide:  A Baby Shower Alternative: Blessingways

Originally a sacred ritual given to us by the Native American Navajo Tribe, the Blessingway has branched off to be something beyond the ritual. The sacred rite was a blessing for all the major passages one goes through in a lifetime. Since the Blessingway is the term used by the Navajo, and they do not support what it has become, the Blessingway is often referred to as a Mother Blessing so as not to offend the Native Peoples.

A Blessingway is now a way to celebrate the beginning of a new life, to honor the labors of birth, the sisterhood of women together, and honor the mother in her time of pregnancy and birth. Most often than not the ceremony is a quiet, spirit-filled time with the female relatives and friends of the mother-to-be gathering for a day of retreat and sharing. Choose the guest list with wisdom and insight into who would best support the mother in this ritual. The invitation can be a standard invitation whilst mentioning the fact that the guests shouldn’t bring gifts or if you plan on an activity where you want them to bring something let them know that too. Gifts are not to be exchanged this day,nor are party games to be played.

3.  Z Recommends: Unregulated phthalate may be eight times as hazardous as the worst phthalates banned by CPSIA

The Environmental Protection Agency has released findings of a recent study indicating that a currently unregulated phthalate, dipentyl phthalate (DPeP or DPP for short), may be more hazardous than any of the phthalates permanently banned by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (DEHP, DBP, and BBP) as well as those under a temporary ban (DINP, DIDP and DnOP). Phthalates are widely used as softeners for plastics, primarily but not exclusively in PVC…

ZRecs has advised companies to avoid all phthalates in their products. Unfortunately, some companies offering products claiming to be “phthalate-free” may be referring not to all phthalates, but to those specifically banned by CPSIA.

4.  Nature Moms Blog: I Am An Urban Homesteader

I don’t know if you caught wind of the storm brewing lately in regards to those who embrace homesteading. I saw it myself last week and was absolutely flabbergasted. A well known family in California (The Dervaes) have decided to claim ownership of the term Urban Homestead(ing) and had it trademarked. Then they proceeded to send out letters to bloggers and even companies who used these terms or had them as part of their business name asking them to remove these references. Facebook pages for homestead groups and informational non-profits had their pages turned in for infringement and they were erased. This family insists that they are being vilified unfairly, yes several major newspapers and a myriad of homesteading bloggers have lambasted them, but in my opinion they are not. I myself was on the receiving end of one of their letters once and it was VERY clear that wanted me to stop using a term coined during war time America or credit them as the inspiration for my work OR face lawsuit. The response to crediting them was HELL NO. Urban Homesteading is a movement and it existed long before the Dervaes. That is why I am participating in the Urban Homesteaders Day of Action where we speak out about the fact that we ARE Urban Homesteaders and no other family, even if they do think they are the cat’s meow, gets to take credit for that.

5. Good Guide:  Candy Ratings
GoodGuide Recommendation:

A chocolate bar can have significant environmental impacts on tropical ecosystems and social impacts on farmers and laborers. Look for at least one of the recognized certifications such as Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, or Fair for Life to help promote both basic human rights and environmental protections.

Although chocolate shouldn’t be your go-to source for antiooxidants, if you want to make the most out of an indulgence, stick to whole chocolate bars with over 70% cacao, and no added ingredients. However, be careful to avoid candy bars that tout cacao percentages as most of those products contain limited chocolate. Dark chocolate with over 70% cacao will be the richest source of cacao anti-oxidants.