I was checking out Google news for the latest articles on homebirth, and the number one article was a recent news piece on the Homebirth Association of North Dallas, featuring our very own Laura and her family. You can view the article here.
Australian toddlers have weighed in. The results? Breastmilk is as good as chocolate and better than ice cream. I thought that was one of the sweetest quotes I’ve read in a long time. This article was part of World Breastfeeding Week’s focus this year on nursing toddlers. Many women stop nursing by one year, in spite of the World Health Oranization’s guidelines, which indicate children should be nursed until at least two years of age. I know that here in the United States, women interpret the AAP’s guidelines of “at least a year” as meaning *until* a year. So, here’s to all those women who have continued on past a year. May your nursings be as sweet as your children. (read article here)
Dozens of new products to be added to www.greenforgood.com on ongoing basis
through site that also donates portion of profits to community-based
organizations
AUGUST 2, 2005 – EDMONDS, WA – Addressing the growing popularity of
ecologically friendly products in the marketplace, Green for Good, LLC today
launched its website, www.greenforgood.com. The site features everything a
consumer needs to live a “green” lifestyle on a daily basis, including
organic food, clothing, cosmetics and beauty products as well as organic
cotton beds, pet products, house wares and more.
According to the consumer research firm Mintel, consumers in 2005 are
spending twice as much on organic food as they did in the 1990s and 44
percent of all organic foods now are being purchased at mainstream retail
outlets. ACNielsen, a leading global provider of consumer and marketplace
information recently announced that the overall organic product sector has
sustained strong product growth – up 14.4% in 2005 from the same period a
year ago.
“There is no doubt that a green wave is rolling across the consumer
marketplace,” said David R. Kaufer, President and CEO of Green for Good.
“Whether it’s the skyrocketing sales of the Toyota Prius, national shortage
of organic milk in grocery stores or increasing number organic menu options
in restaurants, consumers are demonstrating an increasing commitment to a
green lifestyle. Green for Good is addressing this demand by providing an
incredibly broad range of green, organic and eco-friendly products online
that promises to grow substantially on an ongoing basis. ”
Green for Good plans to offer the broadest range of green, organic and
eco-friendly products available online and will add dozens of new products
and categories monthly. In addition, Green for Good is committed to being an
active supporter of groups and organizations who focus on preserving and
improving the environment, individual health and local communities, by
donating a minimum of ten percent of its profits to these organizations.
Greenforgood.com features a wide variety of organic and eco-friendly
products, including baby gifts, clothing, yard and garden products, pet
products and even organic wine. “This is an ideal site for people to
purchase practical items and do a lot of green window shopping and see
unique products,” Kaufer said. “We’ve thoroughly enjoyed selecting these
products because it helped us realize how diverse the marketplace has become
and how many choices customers now have.” The site currently offers nearly
1400 products within 201 categories and displays products that are “most
popular,” “newest,” “highest rated” (based on customer votes) and “random”
(a range of products customers might not realize can be or are organic and
eco-friendly).
By offering these products through an online storefront, Green for Good
allows customers to shop for their favorite eco-friendly products in a
“green” manner. Natural resources are kept to a minimum, with no land
required for a physical retail location and gas consumption kept to a
minimum.
About Green for Good
Green for Good is a West Coast company with offices in Edmonds, Washington
and Pleasanton, California. It was started with the vision of building a
successful business that sells great products and services that support
health and well-being and contribute to a healthy lifestyle and
environment – while “doing good” with the profits. That’s why the company is
dedicated to donating at least ten percent of after tax profits to
community-based non-profit organizations that are dedicated to improving the
environment and the world we live in.
Green for Good is an official member of Co-op America, the leading business
network for green businesses and the Organic Trade Association. Businesses
displaying the Co-op America Business Seal have passed Co-op America’s
screening process for socially and environmentally responsible – or green -
businesses and have been admitted to membership in Co-op America’s Business
Network. The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based
business association for the organic industry in North America. OTA’s
mission is to encourage global sustainability through promoting and
protecting the growth of diverse organic trade.
The Sierra Club has come out in favor of an SUV– you read that correctly. Not only are they in favor of Ford’s Mercury Mariner hybrid vehicle, but they are actively helping to promote it. In addition to being more environmentally friendly (it gets 33 mpg in town and 29 mpg on the highway), the Mariner is union-made in the United States. Although it won’t appear in showrooms until the fall, it is already available on online. (read more)
Unfortunately, for my family, this SUV falls into the “completely useless” category. We drive an SUV, but that’s because we have 5 children. An SUV that seats 4 comfortably or 5 if you *squeeze* them into the backseat does us absolutely no good. Our next vehicle will have better gas mileage, but that’s because we’ll buy a minivan next. Now, why don’t they make one of those as a hybrid?
Moms: Do you really need that C-section or epidural? Registered nurse and midwife Breck Hawk, author of “Hey! Who’s Having This Baby Anyway?” reveals why these procedures are often unnecessarily prescribed during labor and shares how you can avoid them.
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) July 25, 2005 — Studies show birth is most common Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Is this just coincidence or is it a contrived effort by providers to control personal schedules?
Pregnant women are encouraged to welcome the chance to have their baby on a scheduled date for the convenience of their provider. But often they’re not told the risks and side effects involved. They don’t realize that some interventions – such as pain medications, epidurals, C-sections, or birthing the baby with forceps or vacuum extraction – may not only be unnecessary, but also dangerous.
“Moms-to-be may blindly trust providers, thinking everything suggested is good – but this isn’t always true,” says registered nurse and midwife Breck Hawk, author of “Hey! Who’s Having This Baby Anyway?” (Metropolis Ink, $19.95, www.HeyAnyway.com). “Unless it’s anatomically necessary, women deserve and need to be told they probably birth babies vaginally and naturally.”
Hawk has over 27 years experience as a midwife, doula, prenatal instructor, and registered nurse specializing in maternity and neonatal intensive care. She has helped hundreds of women give birth. Here she reveals how to avoid common interventions and have a successful birth.
*Hire a doula or professional labor support person.
*Exercise during pregnancy. This strengthens muscles and prepares your body for the long stress of labor.
*Consider a birth center or having a homebirth with a midwife.
*Attend childbirth classes that teach non-pharmacological methods of pain relief such as yoga, HypnoBirthing, Lamaze, and others.
*In the hospital, ask to be assigned to the nurse who is the strongest supporter of natural childbirth.
*Before taking pain medication, ask for a vaginal exam. See how far your cervical dilation has progressed. You may be further along than you thought and decide to forego the medication.
No matter what’s on your provider’s personal agenda, remember it’s your body and your baby and it’s your right to have the last word regarding your baby’s birth!
How birth-savvy are you? Take the 12 Question Quiz for Moms-to-Be or purchase your copy of “Hey! Who’s Having This Baby Anyway?” at www.HeyAnyway.com.
A private energy company has written a proposal to put up wind turbines in a National Forest in Vermont. It may take up to a year and a half before the proposal is approved. Unlike many other attempts to extract energy from National Parks and Wildlife areas, this one has met with tentative approval from environmental groups. (read more)
Unless there is a huge problem created for the wildlife in the area, this seems like a very sensible, environmentally sound idea. A few towers in exchange for powering over 15,000 homes is a bargain.
Perhaps the author meant well, but a recent article on homeschooling just makes my blood boil. Titled “How to Homeschool Without Making Your Child an Outcast”, it contains gems such as “Sports are Important” and “Let Pop Culture Into Your Home.” Blech! It makes the presumption that all homeschooled children are freaks or will be viewed as freaks without the proper “socialization.” Now I do understand that it takes special effort to get out and make friends for homeschooled children, but that’s what homeschool support groups are for. You can read the full article here.
This has got to be the worst breastfeeding in public story I’ve read to date. A mom in Colorado was actually ticketed for breastfeeding her baby by a lake, despite making rather heroic efforts to do so discreetly. She was cited with “knowingly (exposing) one’s gentials in a public place”. The ticket was thrown out by the park manager, who said that “poor judgement was used in issuing the ticket.” No kidding.
Read the whole story here
A company called Sunlight Direct has developed a system to light your home using natural lighting. A large primary mirror concentrates the sunlight into a secondary mirror, which removes UV and infrared rays and channels the visible light into a receiver. The light is then carried inside by optical fibers. A GPS microprocessor allows the mirror to track the sun across the sky for maximum light intensity.
I give credit to my geeky husband for sending me the link on this one. He found the article and wanted to know if he could be a beta tester!
You can read the whole thing here
The costs of eating organic can be intimidating, particularly if you have a large family. However, there are ways that you can trim some of the cost. From joining a co-op to growing your own produce, this article outlines 17 ways to lower your organic food budget. (read more)
This article was perfectly timed for me. I was just thinking about this very topic this evening. I have recently joined a CSA co-op, and I’m eager for that to start up in the fall. I was thinking that if I started buying beans in bulk and based meals around beans for protein and the fresh produce we’ll be getting that perhaps I could cut our astronomical food bill by at least 10-20%.
Do you live far from the nearest Whole Foods? Is getting to the health food store a major pain? Take heart! There is a new online business that can help you out. WellnessGrocer.com offers gluten free, natural, and organic products. The prices are comparable to the prices at my local grocery store, but there is more variety than I can find there. You might want to take a look and try them out.
Wal-Mart has recently opened a new store in McKinney, Texas powered largely by alternative energy sources, such as solar and wind power. (read more)
It is with very mixed feelings that I am posting this. Almost anyone who knows me knows that I am not at all a Wal-Mart fan. But I have to give credit where credit is due. This is a really cool step for a major store chain to take. Perhaps Laura can take a run over to McKinney and report back on the new Wal-Mart. So, enjoy it while you can, Wal-Mart, this is probably the only thumbs-up you’ll ever get from me (as though they care).