My son, Nick
Here’s a really nice article on helping your children become for self-assured.
Three Tips for Raising Self-Confident and Spiritually Aware Kids | Crazy Sexy Life.
Last year my acupuncturist recommended that I stop taking a multivitamin. I now take only vitamin D3 and a calcium/magnesium supplement. For a while I have been wondering if letting go of the multi was the right thing to do.
Huffington Post answers my question. Should You Take A Multivitamin?.
I never paint my finger nails but I feel naked if my toes go unadorned. A number of years 
ago I was having a lot of yellowing and cracking with my toe nails. I’d read that it could be caused by the formaldehyde in the nail polish. I decided to seek out formaldehyde-free nail polish and the problem disappeared. Formaldehyde is a know irritant and allergen. Now I read there are two other ingredients that are also problems for ones health. Many nail polishes contain toluene, a solvent that is released into the air. Exposure to the fumes can effect the central nervous system and cause irritation to the nose and throat, and long-term exposure can effect the liver and kidneys. The FDA claims that the exposure from nail polish is minimal enough to pose no health risk but if I can buy polish without it, why risk it? The last is Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP). Phthalates are elasticizers and are used to give products durability. DBP has been linked to thyroid problems, reproductive problems in boys whose mothers were exposed and recently diabetes.
The good news is that you can still stay chic and stylish and not sacrifice your health. A number of companies now make nail polish that is free of formaldehyde, toluene and Dibutyl Phthalate. They are a little pricier that drug store brands, but you are worth it!
their nail polish at Whole Foods but you can also order online.Plastic is a big worry for me both from a health and ecological point of view. Plastics give 
off fumes, can leach chemicals into your food and water, can pose a serious health risk for birds and animals (they eat it and choke or get it caught in their intestines), doesn’t easily degrade in landfills and uses petroleum and a lot of energy in manufacturing. But plastic is ubiquitous. Every week my recycle bin is overflowing with plastic bottles and packaging.
A woman named Beth Terry believes we can live without plastic and tells us how to do it in her blog My Plastic-free Life. Some of her suggestions would take some real commitment like taking your own non-plastic containers to the deli counter. But others, like carrying your own shopping bags and using a stainless steel water bottle instead of plastic, are easy to do. If you are as perplexed about plastic as I am, Ms. Terry’s Plastic-free Guide is very helpful
I was walking my dog this morning and thinking about my relationship to my microwave oven. I know there are growing reasons for me to let go of it but I’m just not ready. I’ve let go of sugar and dairy and my beloved black tea and let’s face it, I’m lazy. When I think of alternative ways of heating food they always involve time and pans which means washing dishes. I found myself thinking that in a perfect world we would all be buying farm fresh produce every day and not reheating anything. But the world is far from perfect and most of us are busy, tired and looking for ease of use. And then I realized that I wanted this blog to help readers get informed and healthier in a manageable way. I admire the very disciplined people who grow their own food and cook in solar ovens. But I’m not one them. And I find I do better if I make small changes, one at a time, so I don’t become overwhelmed. So if I was just starting out of this processes of making my home healthier for me a my kids what are some reasonably easy things I would do.
huge role in inflammation which leads to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and arthritis. And sugar/high fructose corn syrup is in everything, i.e.; cereal, bread, crackers, condiments, sodas, and of course sweets. I said 98% percent because I think rigid eating leads to eating disorders. I allow my son one sweet thing a day but I also make sure we have lots of fruit and that fruit is as appealing as ice cream.
My mother-in-law gave my five year old son one of these sky balls. It is really the funnest ball I have ever played with. The balls are filled with helium so they bounce super high (hence the name sky ball). It’s great for kids who may not be able to catch a ball on the first bounce. My mother-in-law bought ours at Target. They’re also available at Amazon and Vat19.
Nick & Celeste
Nick was born into a house with our dog, Celeste, and cats, Sammy and Brice. Nick has never had an ear infection, though he did have numerous respiratory infections. This is an interesting premise to ponder.
Dogs may protect babies from some infections: study – Yahoo! News.
