Living Without the Microwave

Its been one month since I banished our microwave to the basement and decided not to use it any more.  There were a few moments when I actually said out loud "Why on earth did I do this to myself?".  In reality though it only took a bit of extra thought to figure out how to heat things up.  My husband thought I was a little crazy, but he has gone along with it and hasn't complained.  I asked him last night if he missed the microwave and he said that he did not.  I honestly do not miss it either and I'm rather surprised about that!

My tea kettle, toaster oven, and skillet have served me well.  We eat a lot of leftovers, but heating them has not been as hard as I thought it might be.  Here is some of what we do:

casseroles - warm in the toaster oven in a small dish (this can take a while, so plan ahead)

leftover Chinese food - heat in a skillet on the stove with a bit of extra water or oil (doesn't take long at all)

leftover spaghetti - mix sauce and noodles and bake in toaster oven

leftover noodles (the girls like noodles with butter and parmesan cheese) - boil water, dip noodles in the water for just a minute or two and then pull them out

soup - warm in a pan on the stove

heating water - use the tea kettle

leftover fajitas - heat chicken mixture in a skillet; to warm the tortilla put it over top of the pan while the mixture heats up

I have been surprised at how quickly the food heats up.  It tastes better, like real food instead of rubbery and its evenly heated.  The extra counter space is nice too.  I've had space to keep my grain mill out and have used it to try a few new things that I'll share with you soon.  Sadly though, my counter doesn't look as clean as in that photo anymore.

linked to Kichen Tip Tuesday

Its All So Important

It was September 2004, we had just confirmed at the doctor's office that we were indeed pregnant with our first baby. I called my parents in Texas and told them the news and then we headed over to Ross' parents house in town to tell them in person. Backing up a bit...

The summer before, when we had gotten our Chocolate Lab puppy, Leia, we brought her over to Ross' parents house in a cardboard box. We handed them the box with Leia inside and some towels that she was wrapped up in. They didn't know that we were getting the puppy and were surprised and loved her right away. "Grandpa" pulled out his camera and they called her their "grand-dog". They had a Black Lab as their first "child" too. Yes, it was a bit silly, but that's the back story to this.

So, a year later... we decided to wrap the pregnancy test in some towels and put it in a big box. I added a jar of applesauce for some weight. When we arrived, we handed Ross' parents the box and said "You're going to be Grandparents again." It took them several minutes of searching the box looking for another puppy until Ross' sister pulled out the pregnancy test and started hugging us. His mom realized the news soon after that, and I think his dad was still looking for the puppy for another minute. Once everyone calmed down and stopped hugging us, we decided to go out to eat for dinner and then shopping at Target for a couple of baby things to celebrate.

We chose a pacifier and a little stuffed duck, and were wandering around. I picked up the book "Consumer Reports Best Baby Products" and was paging through it. I started reading the section about pacifiers and how latex was not a good idea because of possible latex allergies and a few other reasons they gave. Silicone was a better choice. I looked down at the cart - the pacifier was latex! I was horrified, and immediately told Ross that we had to go completely across the store back to the baby section and find a different pacifier. I think at that point he thought I was a bit insane, but went along with it.

I was shocked. I never knew that there could be a "wrong" type of pacifier. It was all so important though. I was responsible for this little being and everything in its world depended on me and my decision making. From that moment on I became obsessed with researching the best baby product choices for my new little one. I spent hours reading reviews and thinking about the pros and cons of different options. Honestly, I still do.

I've learned a lot since then about product safety, toxins, and more. I not only read reviews, but research the product from a few more angles now. I enjoy sharing what I'm learning on my blog, whether its a product review or something like how to use a cloth diaper. Being pregnant with my third baby, I haven't had to do quite as much research this time around, but I did still have a list of things I wanted or needed. Of course each item had to be thoroughly thought through.

I am going to be doing a series of baby product reviews this coming month. Each of the items that I'm reviewing are things I personally chose to use with this new baby. Most of the companies are offering a giveaway item or a discount code to my readers as well. I hope you enjoy this series and find it helpful. I'm sure you'll get to see lots of cute photos of my new little one trying out the products as we go. Let me know if you have questions or thoughts about the different items, and be sure to enter the giveaways!

Nesting: Filling the Freezer

I much prefer posts with pictures, so here's a photo of a nest that Grandpa and Grandma found recently and brought over to show the girls. I'm in full "nesting" mode lately (in between naps). One thing I've been trying to do is stock up my freezer as much as possible. We have a chest freezer that we didn't have when either of the girls were babies, so this is my first time really stocking it with meals.

An easy way to fill the freezer is to simply make double of anything you are cooking that can be frozen. We've been eating easy meals lately like spaghetti or eggs and toast which don't really need to be frozen. When I do have something on the menu like chili, soup, or a casserole, its simple enough to double it and freeze half. If I'm making a 9x13 casserole, I can either make two full pans, or make two 8x8s from the one recipe. We like having lots of leftovers, so I usually do two full pans and freeze one.

For a casserole type dish, I sometimes use disposable foil pans (that I wash and reuse). I also have a few extra glass pans that I've collected; these get covered with plastic wrap and then foil on top of that. Chili or chicken pot pie filling goes in a plastic freezer bag (after the food is cooled off). I also use canning jars and plastic lids for freezing things in. Remember to label your dishes with what's inside, the date, and simple baking instructions (350 for 35 minutes, etc). I also find it helpful to keep a list on the refrigerator door of what I currently have in the freezer.

Our freezer was already a bit full with blueberries, strawberries, diced tomatoes, and other summer produce, but I did manage to fit some meals in. If you're looking for ideas, here's what I have frozen so far:

tofu pasta shells - tofu, spinach, and lots of cheese stuffed in jumbo pasta shells and covered with spaghetti sauce and more cheese

enchiladas

chili

taco meat

cooked ground meat - I do this all the time, brown a pound of meat and then only use half of it for spaghetti and freeze the other half

chicken pot pie - freeze the filling and a shell, assemble and bake when needed

frozen pizzas from the grocery store (shhhh...)

a couple kinds of muffins

black beans - rehydrate and cook the beans and then portion out and freeze

freezer jam - this is very easy to make and the girls love it

a few casseroles my mother in law brought over

extra bread dough

I still need to make another batch of chicken stock. I divide the stock into large canning jars and put the meat right in there with the broth so that when I make soup I just have to add the veggies, noodles, and some more broth. One chicken makes 4 or 5 jars and I use those to make a large pot of soup so it goes a long way. I'll have to blog about this next time I do it, it makes the best soup.

Anything else that I cook in the next few weeks will probably get doubled and frozen if I can find the room to stuff it in there. I also freeze things like cookies, granola bars, pancakes, etc. Even after the baby comes I'll continue doubling meals and freezing them just because its nice to have something ready to go for those days I don't feel like cooking. In the summer this doesn't work as well because we eat more salads and fresh veggies, but winter foods seem to freeze well. Its also nice to have a freezer meal on hand to take to a friend if a need arises.

Do you have any other freezer tips to share? Favorite freezer meals? Ways to package frozen dishes for the freezer? Please share!

linked to Kitchen Tip Tuesdays

Toxins In Toys: Lead

This month I'm doing a series of posts called Toxins In Toys where I will be talking about toxins including lead, phthalates, BPA and more. I will also include some reviews and giveaways from our favorite safe toy stores. With Christmas approaching, its especially important to take a moment to think about the safety of toys that your children are playing with and the new things that you bring into your home.

Everyone knows that lead is a huge safety concern. Children are routinely screened for lead poisoning, and most people are aware of the dangers. Lead poisoning can cause developmental delays, poor attention span, weight loss, anemia, and more. When thinking of lead poisoning, old paint, lead pipes, and soil contamination come to mind - but what about your child's favorite Thomas the train engine or plastic Dora figure? There have been literally millions of toys recalled lately for lead issues. I'm glad they are being recalled, but is every toy out there being tested? How many toys do I have in my home that could have lead in them? What if I have a toy that is recalled? I'm left with a $5 voucher for a new toy, and a child with lead in his or her system. At the bottom of the recall notices you can read "What to do if you have a recalled toy - take the toy immediately away from your child and contact such and such company for a replacement." Really? That's all?

Recently researchers have realized that even low levels of lead can have significant effects on children. The "safe" level today is much lower than it was in the past, and recent studies have shown that there is no safe dose of lead, it is highly toxic to the body. Lead exposure is of greatest concern when children are young enough that they are putting toys in their mouths. Even an older children can ingest lead by handling a toy and then putting his hands to his mouth to eat something.

There are two types of lead - surface lead and embedded lead. Surface lead for toys is regulated by the Consumer Products Safety Commission at no more than 600 parts per million. There are no regulations for non toy products however. Embedded lead is injected into plastic or vinyl as a stabilizer and at this point I am unclear as to whether or not that is regulated with the new CPSIA laws. Lead can be found painted on wood, fabric, and plastic, or injected into plastic and vinyl. Yellow and red colors are the most likely to have lead added to them as it makes the colors brighter.

Mega Blocks are one example of embedded lead - the yellow blocks were found to have lead in them. There was some controversy about the type of testing done and the blocks have not been recalled. You can read an article about this here.

Here is a good article about lead in toys from Sara's Toy Box.

Check the CPSC website for recalls and subscribe to their email list to be notified about recalls as the occur.

Healthy Stuff has tested toys, you can search their database to see if a toy you are looking for has been tested.

What struck me in looking through the recall notices is that these are toys I would buy and could easily have in my home. In later posts I will talk more about what our family has chosen to do in response to this information. In general though, we tend towards toys that are made of natural substances and from safe reputable companies. Hopefully this gets you started thinking about the toys in your home. Keep reading for more about toxins in toys.

(Note: the Dora and Elmo toys pictured in this post have both been recalled.)

Toxins In Toys

Two years ago in November, I wrote an article and posted it to my blog. It was the very first post and the reason I created this blog. Its called "Article on Toys, Lead, and Plastics" and you can find it here. I had been reading different things on the internet and kept coming across terms - BPA, phthalates, lead, and more - and was getting confused as to what all of the issues were, what was safe, and what was not. I knew that there were things in my home that could be unsafe, but couldn't figure out where to start looking for them.

One day I had a friend over visiting and she asked me if I had done anything about making changes in my home. I replied with "No, I haven't. Its all too confusing, have you?" She responded that yes, they had made some changes as far as buying safer pots and pans and eliminating some plastics from kitchen use. This inspired me to sit down and begin to figure it all out. I thought, "If she thinks this is important enough to try and figure it out and make her home safer for her family... I should too!" The article I posted back then was the beginning of our family's journey towards a safer healthier home. (Its not perfect, I misspelled phthalates in the whole article, and have learned even more about the issues since then, but it was a start and probably still worth your time to read.)

We've come a long way these past two years and have slowly made numerous changes in our home. I've become much more aware of toxins and where they hide and have been working on eliminating them. We are picky about toys and items that come into our home and try to make wise choices. I still feel overwhelmed at times and don't know how to completely eliminate certain things or am limited by cost. (I can't afford a brand new organic mattress, only organic clothing and all organic food for example.) Many of the changes I've made in our home and the research I've done, I post about here on my blog: the water filtration series, information about cloth training pants, staying healthy during pregnancy, product reviews and more.

Why do I do this? My kids. I absolutely love being a mom and am passionate about making my home as safe as I possibly can for my family. I can't change everything all at once, but I can keep learning, keep researching, keep trying and creating a safer healthier home in the process. Although there are some things that are out of my control, there are many things that I can change and steps I can take.

This month I'm going to be focusing my blogging on some of the potential toxins that can be found in toys and how this affects choices our family makes. We'll talk about lead, where it can be found, what phthalates are, and more. I will also be posting some reviews of natural toy companies throughout the month along with some giveaways and discount codes. Keep reading... hopefully some of it is helpful to you. Feel free to ask questions as we go and I will do my best to share with you what I've learned.

Snack Pack Tutorial

These little snack packs are easy to make and a great "green" replacement for plastic baggies. My girls each have one and love to carry around their snacks. We use these often to carry snacks in the diaper bag when we run errands. I made one in just a few minutes the other day and took pictures for a tutorial. Unfortunately there just weren't very many pictures because its pretty easy to do. I designed this snack pack without a seam in the bottom so that it doesn't collect as many crumbs inside.

Start with two pieces of material about 14 x 5 inches each. Sew them right sides together, leaving an opening for turning. (The size doesn't matter exactly, this one turned out a bit too big I think.)

Turn the pack right side out and top stitch over the whole thing, stitching the opening shut as well. You will have a 14 x 5 inch rectangle.

Using a piece of velcro that is about 3/4" by 1 1/2", sew one side of the velcro near the top - centered, about 1 inch down from the top seam. I use a small zig zag stitch with one side of the stitch being on the velcro and the other side being on the material. This holds the velcro securely in place and keeps it from having any scratchy edges that stick up.

Fold 6 inches of your material over, shaping it into the snack pack. Place the other side of your velcro about 1 inch down from the seam and close the pouch being sure that the two pieces are going to match up. Unfold the material and sew that second piece of velcro on. You will be sewing the velcro on the opposite side of the material this time.

Take a piece of ribbon about 10 or 11 inches long and seal the ends over a flame so that they won't fray inside the pouch. (Hold the ribbon over a candle until the ends melt slightly and are sealed.) Fold your snack pack back up so that the velcro matches and the sides are lined up. Fold your ribbon in half and stick it into one of the sides. Sew each side of the pack shut, catching the ribbon in one side.

You're finished! The snack pack is washable, you can turn it inside out and fasten the velcro before throwing it in the wash (or just shake out the crumbs and reuse). Snacks will go stale if left in the snack pack for long periods of time so be sure and empty it out at the end of the day. Let me know if you attempt this and have any questions.

Meal For A Friend

One of my friends just had a sweet new baby boy and I signed up through our church to take her a meal today. I haven't actually prepared meals to take to other people very often so I had to do a bit of thinking. I ended up taking chicken salad, banana bread, chopped veggies and dip, and some apples. I wanted something that wasn't extremely common. Other people were taking the family meals this week too and I wasn't sure what they had already eaten, but I didn't want to make anything too strange that they might not like it. Here are a few of my thoughts on taking meals to new moms (or families with illness, etc):

-Check with the family about what food allergies or preferences they may have.

-Make a well balanced meal. Add a vegetable (even a bag of frozen veggies they can heat up), bread of some sort, and maybe a dessert. Healthy foods are best for helping new moms or sick persons recover!

-Include cooking directions if the food needs to be heated. (temperature, time, and other details)

-Including the recipe written out on a card can be helpful if the family likes the meal and wants to prepare it again themselves sometime. It also lets them know what is in the meal in case of any allergies.

-Try to package the food in containers that you will not need to have returned to you.

-Let the family know what time you plan to drop by.

-Deliver the meal in time for it to be heated. If you're bringing a frozen dish, deliver it the day before the family plans to eat it or have it already thawed. Let them know if it can be frozen for later use.

- Go for it! I wasn't sure what I was doing, but we've had meals brought to us by others and it was so touching and made us feel very cared for.

And just in case you're interested, here's the Chicken Salad recipe from my mother-in-law:

2 cups cooked, diced chicken

1 box sea shell macaroni (cooked and drained)

1 small can crushed pineapple (with juice)

1 cup chopped celery

1/4-1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup grapes (cut in half)

Mix all together and chill.

1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip

1 Tbs yellow mustard

2 Tbs pickle juice (or vinegar)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Mix well and toss with chicken salad. Chill 2-3 hours.

How about you? Have you prepared a meal for anyone lately? Do you have other tips to share? What's your favorite meal to bring someone?

Avoiding BPA - Beans

Bisphenol-A is a nasty chemical that's been in the news lately for its bad reputation and being found in baby bottles and various plastics. BPA is also found in the lining of canned goods. Although I'm glad that there is some public outrage and change occurring where baby bottles are concerned, I'm surprised that there hasn't been more of a fuss about canned goods containing BPA. I generally avoid purchasing canned foods and have come up with some easy and healthy replacements. Beans are actually fairly easy to rehydrate and freeze for later use.

I purchase a big bag of dried beans and soak them all at once, freezing them in can sized portions. My crock-pot makes this super easy to do. First, place beans in the crock-pot and cover them with plenty of water. Leave them (no heat) to soak overnight. In the morning, pour out the water, rinse, and cover with more water. Turn the crock-pot to low (or high) and cook all day until the beans are the right texture.

There isn't really a science to this, I tend to leave them too long and overcook them, but they still work just fine in my recipes. Today I had a large bag of beans and put them on low for most of the day. I checked them and they were still hard so I turned it up to high for about an hour, forgot about them and was leaving to run errands so I put them back on low. I turned the crock-pot off at dinner time and then let them cool while I got the girls in bed and came back to deal with the beans. They just need to cook a good long time until they are soft and ready to use in recipes.

I use my canning funnel to help me scoop the beans into jars. I fill each jar almost to the top with beans and add a bit of the cooking liquid. If I had enough jars I would just use the canning jars and white plastic Ball freezer lids, but I have to use some ziploc freezer bags too. To fill the freezer bags I first fill a glass jar and then dump it into the bag. I'm picky about letting the beans cool completely before I do this because I do not want to heat the plastic bag at all. I put the glass jars in the refrigerator to be sure they are completely chilled before freezing. Label your bags and jars, stick them in the freezer, and there you have it, "canned" black beans all ready to use. To use the beans in a recipe simply thaw them out in the refrigerator overnight and use them like you would a normal can of black beans (rinsing the water out before use).

We try to include beans in our diet as a healthy source of protein, fiber, and vitamins. Black Beans and Rice is one of our favorite easy meals (from Simply In Season). We use black beans in tacos, bean and corn salsa, added to spaghetti, chicken tortilla soup, homemade refried beans, and more. I got 9 "cans" of beans from my bag of dried black beans today. Its much cheaper this way, as well as being healthier for you. I've done this with Kidney beans as well and it worked just fine.

As far as avoiding other canned goods - we buy fresh or frozen vegetables, make our own soups, buy spaghetti sauce in glass jars, and I freeze fresh chopped tomatoes (in place of cans of diced tomatoes). I'm still working on cream of soup recipes that I like, but we try not to use recipes with cream of soups in them too often anyway. I just checked my pantry and I only have a couple canned items in there, we've been pretty successful at avoiding BPA in canned foods. Have you found any other tricks to avoiding canned goods that you'd like to share? (and why am I blogging about this instead of cleaning up the mess I made in the kitchen?)

For more Kitchen Tips check here.

Soup Tricks

Today was a cold and rainy day. It is actually a nice break from the hot and sticky weather we've had lately, but still a bit odd to be wearing a jacket in the middle of summer. The girls and I came home from a playdate this morning and needed a quick lunch. I made a package of soup and we had some cheese chips to go with it (put tortilla chips on a plate, shred cheddar cheese on top and microwave 25 seconds). Both girls love soup, especially my homemade chicken stock soup (which is not what we had today, lol). To help contain the mess, I put a washcloth underneath their bowl. I remember my mom doing this with my brother and I when we were little. She would also put an ice cube in our soup to help it cool down. Another tip is that I let them use a straw to drink the broth. Once the broth is gone, its easier for them to scoop the noodles with a spoon. We still had a mess afterwards, but not too bad.

(This post is linked to Kitchen Tip Tuesdays.)

Note On Product Reviews

Many companies are recognizing blogs as powerful advertising avenues.  Several websites have cropped up where you can register your blog and be contacted by manufacturers to host giveaways and product reviews.  There are entire blogs devoted to this.

My blog is not primarily a platform for product reviews, its about sharing information and research on all levels.  When I find a product that I blog about, it is because I have researched my options, reviewed the product, and chosen it for use in my own home.  I have high standards and you can be sure I've done my homework when I offer a product review or giveaway.  I do not host Google ads on my blog for the same reason- I will not vouch for something I personally have not researched.  I enjoy reading reviews on amazon, checking out books from the library, reading company websites, and all that goes into creating an informative post for my blog whether that be about the health benefits of onions or safe lead free lunch bags.  When I post a product review, discount code, or giveaway, it is because I feel that it fits within the realm of my blog and is something my readers can benefit from.  

Just wanted to be clear about that.  ;)  If there is something you'd like to see reviewed here or particular information you are looking for let me know and I will consider that for a future post.  Leave a comment here or contact me by email.  (christy.vw @ gmail)

Tip: Dicing An Onion

Everything I do lately has me thinking "I could post that on my blog!" I'm having fun with this and hope you are too. Today I'm sharing my tip for dicing an onion. A friend shared this with me and I've done it this way ever since because its so easy.

Peel your onion. Start by making slices a little more than 3/4 of the way down into the onion (but don't cut all the way through). Make your slices about 1/2 inch apart, all the way across the onion.

Turn the onion and make cuts the opposite way, being sure not to slice completely through the onion.

Now you can turn your onion on its side and slice again. You'll have nicely sized little pieces.

Once you get down to the last part that doesn't have slices, its easy enough to just lay it on the flat side and chop it up. If you don't need the whole onion you can simply store the rest in the fridge. I usually cut the whole thing up and freeze what I don't need.

There are several tricks to reducing eye irritation while chopping onions- rinse the onion in cold water, chill it in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes before chopping, or cut the root end last (it contains the highest concentration of sulfuric compounds). I've also heard that burning a candle nearby helps. If all else fails, wear goggles and tell your kids that you are super-mom!

Onions should be stored in a cool dry place, not in the refrigerator. Keep them well ventilated (not in a plastic bag) and away from potatoes - the ethelyne gas will cause them to spoil faster. Chopped or sliced onions can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to seven days.

Onions contain quercetin, a flavonoid that helps protect against cancer, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, and more. Onions have also been linked to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.
They are a good source of vitamin C, potassium, fiber, folic acid, calcium, and iron.

All about onions.

It works for me!

Sickness Protocol

Around here, if someone starts getting sick we have a few things that we immediately resort to in order to keep ourselves healthy and boost our immune systems.  I recently typed this out to keep in my home organization binder so I can use it as an easy reference tool.  I feel much better doing these things rather than dosing my girls up on medicines that mask symptoms or antibiotics that upset their stomachs.  Quickly resorting to Tylenol and antibiotics takes away the body's chance to strengthen itself and fight the sickness.  Lots of rest and love, along with supporting the body's natural defense systems in these simple ways, is what we rely on to pull us through.  Of course there is also the importance of good everyday nutrition so that our bodies are able to fight off a bug when it hits.  (Don't hesitate to give your doctor a call if you feel that you  or your child is seriously ill or dehydrated!)

Sickness Protocol

lots of fluids-

water

orange juice

make smoothies

make juice popsicles

get out straws or special cups, anything that will encourage drinking more

serve strictly healthy foods-

no sugar or desserts

make chicken soup with stock and lots of garlic

fresh bread with dipping sauce (minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil)

vitamins-

take multi-vitamins (prenatals for mom, multi for dad)

Echinacea for mom and dad - 3xs a day

Sambucol for the girls - 2xs a day

Vitamin C- high doses several times a day-

Airborne for dad- 3xs a day

chewable tablets for the girls and mom

precautions-

wash hands often

wash bed sheets and hand towels

clean surfaces and doorknobs

for a cough-

steam treatments in bathroom, clapping chest and back to loosen mucous

spoonful of honey at night

Vicks Baby rub at night

for a runny nose-

saline solution and nasal aspirators often throughout the day

Boiron cold care kit includes tablets for fever, runny nose, and thick nasal discharge

fevers- 

I do not treat a fever unless its during the night and the child is too restless.

belladonna homeopathic remedy (try this first before Tylenol)

upset tummy, diarrhea, or antibiotics-

probiotics powder for the girls and pills for mom and dad (these are refrigerated)- once or twice a day for two weeks

bumps and bruises-

arnica tablets for a serious bruise or fall

arnica massage oil for backaches or bruises

calendula ointment for scrapes

earaches-

breastmilk in the ear

earache drops 

use earscope to check ears

teething-

amber teething necklace

Hyland's teething tablets

references-

Check askdrsears.com for more specific information on dehydration, etc.

We also have the book Naturally Healthy Babies and Children that we reference when needed.

I feel like I don't have a great teething remedy, my girls don't respond much to the Hyland's tablets.  They also struggle with sleeping through the night when they are little.  I'm currently trying a calcium/ magnesium supplement before bed to see if it helps them.  Any other ideas?

Pantry Storage Containers

*I* bought plastic for my cupboards, gulp.  We had trouble with moths in our pantry cupboards and since then I've been looking high and low for safe containers to put flour, sugar, and other staples in.  After considering my options, I finally bought lock and lock plastic which I feel is relatively safe.  Its made of polypropylene (much safer than polycarbonate) and has a silicone seal.  They offer a lifetime warranty on the product and I'm pleased with the sturdiness of it.  Its air and water tight, so I don't think my little moth friends will be getting in nor out of these containers.  They state that its dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe, but mine will not be put in the dishwasher or microwave.  

Meijer had these on sale last week 20% off and I finally figured out that a 16.3 cup lock and lock is the size that will hold a 5lb bag of flour/ sugar/ etc.  They sold these in a package of 3- the 16.3 cup container with two smaller ones inside.  I purchased enough of these sets to put sugar, whole wheat flour, bread flour, and a few other things in the large ones and used the smaller ones for rice, quinoa, barley, etc.  I bought a long container to keep noodles in, and a large container to hold bread that I make in my bread machine.  I used my label maker to put labels on things, but these containers are also very see through, which is great for seeing how much sugar or flour I have left.  

Overall I'm happy with the new organization of my cupboards and am happy that the moths are now under control.  We had one infestation where we had to throw away quite a bit of food and while I was putting things in my new containers I found that they had started coming back again, but I think I finally have them beat.  It did cost a bit to purchase the containers, but was worth it.  The moths can eat through plastic bags (like the bag rice comes in or a plastic ziploc bag) but they can't get through solid plastic containers like these.

Note- I had considered glass containers, but couldn't find anything with a seal.  If you can find canning jars with a wide mouth in larger gallon or 1/2 gallon sizes, you can use these white plastic lids.  I thought these jars would be too heavy and large for my small pantry, but it may be a good option for someone.  

Homemade Toys

I posted already about The Great Toy Replacement Project going on at our house. So far I've sold quite a few things on Craigslist (nothing recalled, just things we are choosing not to have in our home) and am saving the money to buy replacement toys. Not that my kids are hurting for toys! Julia got several Haba things for Christmas that we really like the quality of and feel safe giving her to play with and suck on. Lucy got a Plan Toys dollhouse I found on ebay and some of the furniture sets from Great Grandma for Christmas. She took the Plan Toys doll family to go play in her plastic broken $10 garage sale monstrosity that I have no idea how I'm going to take from her.

I also made quite a few things for both girls for Christmas. I am proud of how they turned out and spent months planning, sewing, crocheting, etc. In the homemade by mama category Julia got a crocheted baby doll, set of four soft blocks, soft shoes, a bottle filled with beads and corn syrup to watch, and a cloth bag filled with little pillows made of all different texture materials. Lucy got soft matching slippers, an I-spy bag, an apron, felt cupcakes, felt sandwich toppings, playsilks dyed by me, leg warmers, and little bean bags. We bought other things like books, art supplies and Haba toys, but I am happy with the handmade loot too.

We are also making the girls a set of wooden animals - much like the expensive Holztiger animals for sale online at various toy shops. My father in law has a band saw and DH and he have been working on them. I absolutely adore the little creatures and know they will be treasured for ages to come! There is just something so cool about having handmade toys for the girls rather than mass produced plastic. Its got me thinking up more things to make and pulls me even further from the plastic laden shelves of the local stores. Not that I mind.

More in the Kitchen

Here are a few things we've done lately...

- got stainless steel measuring spoons and cups from Bed Bath and Beyond
-donated to ewg.org and got their holiday bag including a cast iron pan and Kleen Kanteen! The pan is a Lodge Preseasoned (which you can get for a decent price on amazon) and its worked well the first time I used it, much better even than my expensive nonstick Calphalon. I'm thinking of buying more. I haven't used the KK yet but I know I will use it constantly this summer. I need to buy the girls each one.
-found a new Pampered Chef stoneware pizza pan on Craigslist - love it! I want another one and then I'll toss all my cookie sheets.
-got a small bamboo cutting board at Meijer for $3 or so
-dishes- we bought a large set of Pfaltzgraff off Craigslist and got rid of everything else. We really like the set and it feels like an upgrade from what we had so we're happy.
-slow cooker - we had a very old Rival brand (which contains lead) we tossed and got a new Hamilton Beach for Christmas (they state they do not use lead or cadmium in their slow cookers)
-glass storage - I bought the Anchor Hocking set of 8 or so glass containers with the plastic lids and a small set of 5 with lids and we love them! Even if it weren't for the sake of not using plastic, I'd still recommend them to anyone. They dont hold food smells like plastic, are so much easier to wash and just look and feel much nicer. You can reheat foods in them without worrying.

And here's what we still have to do:

-find a safe muffin tin, either stainless steel, stoneware, or cast iron
-find child size silverware
-get another stoneware pan or stainless steel cookie sheets
-get more Kleen Kanteens for DH and the girls
-find a replacement for plastic spatulas/cooking utensils??? can you use stainless steel ones on stainless steel pans? right now we have plastic
-get a stainless steel collander to replace the plastic one
-figure out how to freeze food without using plastic?? Our glass storage stuff was to expensive to replace all the freezer containers with.

Thats all I can think of. I'm really enjoying using my new things and safetyfying the kitchen.

What About The Kitchen?

Ok, so here's what we're doing in the kitchen so far...

We tossed the plastic cutting board, we have a glass one but I would like to buy a wooden one (Who ever thought of using glass for a cutting board? It makes a loud noise to cut on it.)

I went through all the baby cups, sippies, etc and according to the ZRecommends site, we have "safe" plastic now, but I'd still like to trade it out for non plastic options. I'm trying to find info on my Gerber bowls, spoons, and some other misc items. I purchased some Anchor Hocking glass juice cups that are just the right size for Lucy, but after 2 days of use she already broke the first one. Good thing they are cheap and I can get them locally at the Pfalzgraph outlet. I'm not sure how well they are going to work, we'll see how many more she breaks I guess. I'm looking for some child sized silverware to replace our plastic and melamine ones. Oneida makes some, I just have to go to some of the big department stores to see if they carry the child size.

I have an Avent pump and bottles that I've used a few times with Lucy. Thankfully I rarely have to pump, so I'm keeping the pump and one or two bottles to pump into, but I'm getting rid of the rest. If we need bottles I would buy glass ones and just pump and pour it into the bottles right away. I have some Gerber breastmilk freezer storage bags which are "safe" plastic, but I'm not sure if I'd be comfortable using them.

Dishes - we have a set made by Gibson (the company at fault in the Utah news story) that we are selling. I'm researching better options and we'll use the money towards a better set and then get rid of our Corelle dishes once we have a safer option.

Melamine kids dishes? Can't find good info on these. I've seen the finish on these get old and crack and peel, so they dont seem safe to me, plus they aren't micowavable, so what about when you put hot food on them? Seems like it might not be safe. I won't buy it, but we do have a cute set I'm keeping and wont use for hot foods.

I got rid of a Nalgene water bottle and a Princess cup, both #7. Plastic utensils and styrofoam cups had to go as well. I'm not sure what we'll do if we have a party? Say "Bring your own silverware?", maybe.

I'm hoping to replace my tupperware/ gladware/ etc with glass dishes. They do have plastic covers, but at least it doesnt touch the food much. I emailed Anchor Hocking about their lids. They are #7, but not polycarbonate.
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The code #7 on the plastic storageware lids refers to the recycling code. The plastic lids are made from a combination of LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) and a material called POE (Poly Olefin Ester). Both materials are Federal Drug Administration (FDA) acceptable. Since more than one resin is used, the only category we could assign, and stay within the labeling guidelines, was the code #7. Please refer to the following website for information regarding the recycling labeling code system:

http://www.americanplasticscouncil.org/s_apc/sec.asp?TRACKID=&CID=313&DID=931

You will note code #7 states; use of this code indicates the package in question is made with a resin other then the six listed above, or is made of more than one resin listed above, and used in a multi-layer combination.

Again because Low Density Polyethylene and Poly Olefin Ester are used and are two different resins the recycling code #7 must be used.

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I'll come back and edit this post later, this is still a huge work in progress. I'm still trying to figure out my pots and pans, tupperware measuring cups, etc.

More on the Practical Side- Toys

Here are some of the things we are doing as a result of the research published below. I'm using my best judgement as a mama and trying to figure out how to implement what I've learned in my own home. I'm not implying that you need to follow these same exact steps, but I know that it helps to have a practical picture to look at sometimes.

Toys-

We are getting rid of all plastic baby (infant) toys. I wrote to Sassy about the toys that we own and they replied letting me know that several of them were made with polycarbonate (leaches BPA), I'll post that correspondence separately. I decided that I don't want plastic in my baby's mouth anyway, so we're getting rid of all of them. Julia is getting some Haba toys for Christmas and I have a few organic cloth dolls that I've picked up for her. I am much more comfortable with these options and have a little woven basket I bought just to keep them all in. Viola! Natural baby. If only the rest of it were all that easy....

I'm getting rid of our Mega Blocks, because they contain embedded lead. Even though Lucy doesn't put toys in her mouth, I'm not comfortable with knowing specifically that this toy contains lead. We have plenty of Duplos and as per Sara's Toy Box info, Lego is a company that I respect. So, we're keeping the Duplos, ditching the Mega Blocks.

I went through my two year old's kitchen and pulled out the plastic stuff and am selling a set of dishes but letting her keep some of the baby feeding things she enjoys playing with. She got a nice wooden kitchen for her birthday that came with food and dishes so she's mostly set, I'm looking for a nice tea set to get her for Christmas. (this entails emailing several companies and trying to find a "safe" one... again, probably a seperate post on that)

I'm selling a lot of plastic toys on Craigslist that we had stored in our basement and using the money to buy a few quality things. For fun, I'll add the list of replacement toys I want later. Part of this is just the whole "less is more" and "our house is way to small for all this stuff" idea. I guess all this research and the recalls have made the plastic toys lose their appeal and I'm just ready to get rid of it.

Bath toys - I got rid of some pvc bath books and squirt toys, although I did keep the rubber duckies (what are they made of??). I am ok with the Sassy bath toys since the dont use pthalates. I have a little wooden bath toy boat on my wish list for the girls. I'm not sure about foam yet, like the letters that stick on the wall?

Wooden blocks - we have a large tub of older wooden blocks that I'm getting rid of and going to buy new ones I know are safe. These are such a multi-purpose fun toy to have around that I want to have some safe ones.

So... limiting the plastic we have, no plastic for babies, and buying natural toys from here on out is our game plan. We do still have plastic - Little People, fridge magnets, etc. As far as replacement toys or new toys that we are buying, I am being extremely picky. Melissa and Doug is in question right now as some mamas on MDC seem to have found lead in their toys, they're made in China, and the paint chips off easily. We have the slicing food and puzzles, but I dont think I would buy more of it.