Fun Food

Do you ever get tired of the same old food?
I know my daughter does!
Even though it's a rule at our house that we have to eat our veggies, they actually have to be eaten first because if they aren't then it never fails that there just isn't enough room for them. The belly of a 5 year old can magically become full if every thing else is eaten and veggies are left :)
Anyway, I have noticed that if I make foods fun then it not only helps bring out the kid in me but she is excited too!
So here is a picture of how we make organic sausage and macaroni fun. Add a few cherry tomatoes and fresh green beans and you've got a fun, tasty lunch :)
Any ideas or ways to make your foods fun? Feel free to share!!

Seriously Out of Touch!

So sorry there hasn't been any activity on this blog in a while. I had a baby in July and forgot just how much time is spent with a newborn :)
Then just when I thought I had enough time (and energy,lol) my computer decides to quit working :(
Well, I think all of that has been fixed so hopefully I can start posting on a somewhat regular basis!

Our Poor, Neglected Blog :(

(Our sleeping beauty- Jillian)

I've never been really great about consistent blogging but tried to write something on a regular basis. Well now that our newest addition Jillian is here, the blog ( and numerous other things) are sooooo neglected! Guess that's what happens when you have a new baby, lol!
Sorry about that, I hope to have some posts very soon.

August 2011 Newsletter

Here is the August 2011 newsletter!

Full of good back to school information :)

http://www.healthhutch.com/common/news/store_news.asp?task=store_news&sid_store_news=66&storeID=E4BAEB362D3D435695068E7F94C474A9

Local Food

It seems like you hear more and more about buying products locally.
I think if at all possible that is a fantastic idea! I happened to have the tv on tonight and a commercial caught my attention. Most of the time I could do without commercials but this one was talking about buying local products and how it effects the local economy which as we all know, Michigan and it's citizens can use all of the help it/we can get!
I don't know much about the Michigan Land Use Institute but I did think that a website linking people to local food and other products was a great idea!
Here is what specifically caught my attention,
(from their commercial and website)

If we all spend just $10 a week
on local farm foods,our regional economy
will grow by nearly $5 million a year!
www.localdifference.org

$10 a week makes a difference of $5 million dollars a year for local economy!
Definitely seems worth trying to do!!

Here is another resource if you are interested in buying and eating local
www.localharvest.org
You can search for CSA's , farmer's markets, restaurants and more!

Be sure to check out both sites when you have a little extra time, there seems to be a lot of info :)

June 2011 Newsletter

Here is the latest newsletter!!

Lots of info to help you stay happy and healthy all summer :)

Oh! Happy Father's Day to all !!!

Vaccines And The Opinion Of A Neurologist

Whether you agree with vaccinations, are still on the fence, or have decided not to vaccinate this article is something you should read!
Dr. Russell Blaylock discusses vaccines, herd immunity, forced vaccination, and more.
It is a very, very informative so pass it on!

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2010/01/if-you-are-in-support-of-vaccinations/

May 2011 Newsletter

Check out this month's newsletter!!!

This month's newsletter is full of info on asthma and allergies.

Read more about diet, exercise, and homeopathic remedies that may bring relief

for those of you who suffer from these ailments.

Healthy Or Not?

We all know that there are no lack of diets and eating plans out there.
All of them claim to be the best for losing weight and overall health. But how do we know for sure??
Here is a blog I came across that has a write up called Pseudo-Healthy Diets.
I thought it was a great article that explained why whole grains aren't all they are cracked up to be, why low fat is something to reconsider, why you want to steer clear of artificial sweeteners, and more!

Interested in learning about how to eat healthy? It's probably completely opposite of what you've been told!
Read more here

April 2011 Newsletter

Here is our latest newsletter!

Learn all about spring cleaning, eco-friendly cleaners, and so much more!

Good Bacteria

You may have heard that good bacteria or probiotics are great for your immune system and health.

Most people have seen the commercials on tv for yogurt that makes claims such as regulating your digestive system. But did you know that this is not a reliable way to get the probiotics you are looking for? It's true, according to www.uaslabs.com, commercially available yogurts sit for days and tend to produce acids. This means that by the time you get these yogurts they will not give you what you are looking for. Not to mention that most yogurts contain way too much sugar or artificial sweetener which are terrible for your health. That's not even taking into consideration the herbicides,pesticides, hormones and other junk that is in regular cow's milk.

So as you can see yogurt is not the best option for adding probiotics. You may be asking what is the best way? Well, you can always make your own yogurt or keifer. This is another instance of homemade being so much better than store bought. This way you know that the yogurt hasn't sat on a shelf somewhere. If you use organic milk or milk from a local farm you trust you know that the cows have not fed on food that was treated with herbicides,pesticides, and you know that they are not given growth hormones or antibiotics.
If you are not quite to the point of making your own or that doesn't interest you at all you can always supplement. Supplements come in a wide variety of strains, brands, and prices.
If you are interested in learning more about probiotics, what they do, how they work and what to look for be sure to read this information from UAS Labs. It's very informative!!

www.uaslabs.com

Green Baby Shower

I just read an article called the ABC's of a Healthy and Green Baby Shower on http://www.healthychild.org/ .

Good article! I really liked some of their ideas.

I think the idea of a green baby shower is great!!

Some of their ideas might be hard for some to do but overall the message was that everyone is a different shade of green and the thought and effort is what's important.

Along with the great ideas in this article, I had a few of my own :)

First idea, Be sure to tell people if you don't mind gently used clothes, cloth diapers, bedding, and other baby/kid essentials. As fast as babies grow out of things, gently used may be a great option! Not only is it reusing and recycling but also a big money saver!!

And, number two- Along with gently used, consider homemade. These items are usually unique, very cute, and functional. And it always means more when someone put time and effort into something.

Feel free to leave us a note and share some of your favorite green baby shower ideas!!

Good Reasons To Consider Cloth Diapers

We've all heard our parents, grandparents or others saying how easy we have it now because we have disposable diapers and how much time they spent diapering and cleaning but that was all they had was cloth.

Well you may be surprised to learn that cloth diapering is making a come back in a big way!

Why you ask? Well, different people will probably give you different answers.

We're expecting our second baby in July and I've been seriously considering cloth diapers for a few reasons.

First, diapers contain chemicals that I don't want on my baby's skin. We try to keep as chemical free of a lifestyle as possible so it makes sense to consider a less toxic option.

Second, disposable diapers are not very eco-friendly. I don't like that you throw them away and they sit in a landfill somewhere.

Third, after the initial investment you can actually save money! Who wouldn't like that?

After looking at all of the options, and there are quite a few, I still don't know what diapers we will go with for sure but I know that the more I look at them and learn the more I really like the idea!!

Here is a website that answers the question, Why Choose Cloth?

I really liked the cost comparison too :)

http://www.ecobuns.com/Why-Choose-Cloth_ep_67.html

Do Kids Watch Too Much TV?

I don't know many kids that don't watch tv and it seems kids are watching more tv and shows that may not be really appropriate.
According to an article I read recently, preschoolers are watching an average of 4 hours of tv a day! I know everybody likes a good cartoon now and again but 4 hours of tv?! I remember watching tv as a young kid and the cartoons were the ones that came on Saturday mornings. I don't even know if that was 4 hours per week. I realize that may not be the case now. There are cartoons on 24/7 on some channels. But does that mean that we should let our kids watch tv just because it's there and something to do?
Personally, I think every thing in moderation. A cartoon or two a day maybe, but 4 hours is a lot! I like to see my daughter play, look at books, use her imagination, and run around outside instead of sitting indoors hooked on the latest cartoon/show.
Want to read a little more about this?
Any thoughts on the subject?
Here is the article that got me thinking about this today
http://www.naturalnews.com/031402_preschoolers_television.html

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope that everyone has a great day full of love (which is the best gift to give or get by the way) whether it's from a partner/spouse, children, friends or someone else, it's great to know you're loved!

And just so you know..... we love all of our customers :)

Thank you and hopefully you enjoy this day and every day.

How To Eat Well Without Breaking The Bank

Everyone knows how important it is to eat well but for a lot of us organic food just doesn't seem to fit into an already tight budget.

Well, I came across an article today that gives some ideas on how to be able to afford more organic foods on a realistic budget and just thought I should share :)

Hope you find some ideas that work for you!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robyn-o/how-real-people-on-real-b_b_645936.html

Urinary Tract Infection :(

Anybody who has had a urinary tract infection knows what a pain (literally) that can be. This week my 4 year old got one :(

Over the last few days it seems like every where we went she said she had to go to the bathroom. I wasn't sure if she just wanted to see all of the bathrooms, sometimes that happens, or she really felt she had to go but I didn't want to tell her no if she really did have to go. Well, after a few days of that she said her belly and her back hurt and I noticed she was going to the bathroom even more. Then it hit me that she probably had a UTI.

Not being too fond of antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, I started giving her part of a cranberry capsule and a homeopathic for bladder irritation and can see a definite difference in one day!

If you are interested in a non antibiotic way to deal with those irritating UTI's you should definitely stop in and check out cranberry, homeopathic remedies, and other products we carry that could help give you relief!!

Just Me Thinking.....

I heard on the news and have seen many stories on the internet about new recommendations of fluoride levels. Now some are saying that we are getting too much fluoride and it's causing problems. Well..... here's my thinking, if you are getting fluoride from your water, toothpaste, mouth wash, and that's not including fluoride from food you are eating (yep, from our food including infant formula), it would make sense that you are more than likely getting way too much. http://www.fluoridealert.org/f-sources.htm
But here's another thought, is fluoride something that your body is deficient in??? I don't think so. If it's not something our body is deficient in then why are we adding it? Our body works wonderfully if we give it what it needs. I am by no means a doctor or dentist this is just a thought that popped into my head the other day while reading a news story about how the fluoride levels should be lowered. I have however read why fluoride is so bad for you and why people really should stay away from it so although it is maybe a step in the right direction to lower levels, I do think we should just stay away from it.
Want to know why I think we should buy fluoride free toothpaste, mouth wash, filter our water, etc? Look at this website
http://www.fluoridealert.org/fluoride-facts.htm

On the topic of substances our body is deficient in, can you think of anything else we add to our bodies that is supposed to be helpful but may not be????
I can think of a few! (Vaccines, certain pharmaceuticals,etc)
Maybe we should be thinking about things in a little different way. Maybe before taking or using something we should ask ourselves if it is something we are deficient in and is it going to work with our body in a gentle and effective way. If not maybe we should reconsider and look for a better alternative :)
~Amy

Hand Sanitizers

I read an article about hand sanitizers today. It was saying that numerous environmental organizations wanted to ban a common ingredient, triclosan. You can read the article here

http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/health/82-environmental-organizations-seek-ban-on-hand-sanitizer/

Triclosan is found in everything from children's toys, household items, antibacterial soap, and more and is bad for many reasons from being harmful to the environment to being linked to cancer.

So what's a person to do, especially during cold and flu season???

Plain soap and water and good hand washing practices are best.

But there are times when soap and water isn't available and I still really want to feel like my hands are clean so for those times I personally use a natural hand spray or hand wipe.

These are usually a blend of oils that are antibacterial and work just as well as non natural sprays but with the natural sprays or wipes are safe for kids!!

Want to learn more about a more natural option?

Look at http://www.cleanwelltoday.com/ and if you're interested stop in and check it out :)