Today I’m officially three weeks away from my due date, and on top of that, my midwives think I’m probably going to deliver our daughter a little bit early. So… I’m going to be taking an official break from the Scoop, just for a little while. I’m feeling the need to focus on getting ready for Olivia’s arrival, which could be in a couple days or a couple of weeks. Only she knows for sure.

I have missed writing regularly on this site, and I really look forward to getting back to writing once things have a chance to calm down a little bit. I’m not sure how long that will take, since I’ve never done this before, but I’m hoping that within a few weeks I’ll at least be able to post some updates here. It will most likely be a little longer until the regular posting resumes, I just want to make sure I give myself the time to adjust to the new little life in our house. I’ll be back soon, wish me luck!

Ooh, by the way… If you’d like to be friends on Facebook, which I update regularly, email me and I’ll give you the link. Thanks!

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On Monday I briefly mentioned a product called Floradix. I’ve been anemic for a long part of my pregnancy without knowing it, but now that I’m taking Floradix every day I feel amazing. My iron levels are up, my energy has returned, and the Floradix doesn’t have any associated… how shall I say… poop issues. Yes, many iron supplements can cause constipation, which is no fun. But Floradix has no such side effects, which is great.

For those of you who have certain diet restrictions, the copay also makes a yeast- and gluten-free version, seen here. I haven’t tried this one, but if it’s anything like the original version, then it tastes kind of like chewable vitamins, which isn’t gross at all. It’s almost pleasant, even.

Men can definitely have higher requirements for iron as well, but I think it’s particularly important for women to supplement iron during certain times of their lives, such as during their cycles, and definitely during pregnancy. I wish I’d known about Floradix earlier. The only thing I;d like to mention is that I haven’t done any investigation into the source or quality of the iron and herbs in the formulas. I’ll eventually look into it, but the truth is I’ve been benefitting so much from taking Floradix that I haven’t wanted to find out anything that would make my opinion of it change. Yes, that’s very ostrich-head-in-the-sand of me, and that’s not usually how I roll. So if any of you know something I don’t about the company, by all means, share it here. The company seems legit, for what it’s worth.

To find Floradix near you, here’s the link to the US store finder, and here’s the one for those of you in Canada.

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I find it strange how many people on Facebook have declared how much they loved Food, Inc. I’ve even received emails about the movie, imploring me to go see it right now. But we watched it a couple of nights ago, and honestly, it was just kind of meh. I realize that not everyone is as educated in the broad array of issues our country faces in regards to our food supply as we might be, but here’s the thing: have you read Omnivore’s Dilemma and Fast Food Nation? Then don’t waste your time with this movie.

I do think that the film would be a great starting point for those who are new to sustainability issues. It shows some basic info about several issues like CAFOs, chicken farming, unfair labor practices, environmental impact, etc. while telling stories that accompany those issues for illustration’s sake. The movie does this decently well. But I had one HUGE problem with the film, and it was this: the options presented as solutions are sorely, sorely lacking.

The only alternatives to the conventional food system presented in the film were farmer’s markets (or traveling to the actual farm) and Wal-Mart. Great. Way to discount the thousands of great community markets and co-ops in this country, not to mention Whole Foods and other alternative supermarkets. There is a large selection of alternatives in today’s marketplace, and the movie skipped over them entirely. Let’s say you’re brand new to the idea of voting with your dollars at the grocery store; does Food, Inc. really present any viable alternatives for you? Yeah, shopping at farmer’s markets is great, but frankly, it can be much more expensive than shopping at Whole Foods. And usually farmers are upfront with consumers at these markets, but I’ve been lied to before by representatives of farms, people who will tell me what I want to hear so I’ll buy their produce. I acknowledge that Whole Foods and other stores may not be a perfect solution, but these companies have the time and money to go visit these farms and make sure they’re doing what they say they’re doing.

And I think it was completely irresponsible of the filmmakers to suggest Wal-Mart as the only other alternative mentioned in the film. Sure, it’s great that organics have gained so much momentum that Wal-Mart customers have created enough demand for them that the company’s buyers are putting those products in their stores. But the only reason Wal-Mart has done this is because there’s a demand. Wal-Mart has no ethical interest in carrying these products, their only motives are financial. I certainly don’t blame them for that, but this point was skipped over in the film. The truth is that without Whole Foods and the hundreds of visionaries who have worked for decades to build organic companies out of hopes and dreams, there wouldn’t be any demand for organics.

I think it’s odd how much of a dirty word “Whole Foods” has become. (Yes, I do have family ties to the company, and I’ve disclosed that in this site’s FAQ section. Don’t let that convince you that I’m letting that sway me, because I have also been critical of the company in the past.) If you’re a conventional farmer who wants to make the switch to growing food organically, Whole Foods can be a god-send. There are programs in place within the company to help farmers make this change, and honestly, without being able to make big sales to Whole Foods, many farmers wouldn’t have the customer base necessary to support the costs associated with changing production methods. Sure, having a nation-wide chain of stores does necessitate a lot of shipping, which definitely has a cost in fossil fuels. But the incredible reduction in pesticides and other petrochemicals caused by the organic movement has more than balanced that out. Way more. In fact, there have been studies showing that shipping organic produce from foreign countries has a significantly lower carbon footprint than growing them conventionally here in the U.S. because of the massive environmental impact of agricultural petrochemicals. But this point is never made in the film, and in spite of all of the great options that Whole Foods provides to consumers with time and financial constraints who want to shop according to their consciences, the company doesn’t get a single mention throughout the film. Not one. And yet Wal-Mart has an entire section of the film devoted to its decision to carry Stonyfield yogurt. Well, really it’s a section devoted to Stonyfield and the idea behind big organics, but Wal-Mart plays a huge role in telling the tale of how large certain organic companies have become. The potential ethical implications of what the growing and selling of these companies to corporations like Hersheys and Dannon are very, very briefly mentioned in the film, with no real point being made. So Wal-Mart is a place to buy certain organic products, sure, but this segmet of the film doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what that might mean for the future of organics.

Also, the film repeatedly made the point that our government is so in bed with Big Ag, with deep ties to companies like Monsanto and Tyson, that basically there’s nothing we can do about it. Then, at the end, the film is like, Buy Food at Farmer’s Markets! Write Your Congressman! After two hours of the crushing message that our country is in too deep to allow us to enact any real change, the three-minute graphic montage at the end is supposed to somehow give us hope that we can change something. The message I got wasn’t hope, it was complete and utter despair. Not a great message for those starting out in their quest to learn about our broken food system, is it?

Yes, shopping at farmer’s markets is great, if you’re sure of where the food is coming from and if you can afford the extra time and money involved. And writing letters to politicians is at least a step in the right direction. But the only thing that will truly make a difference in our food supply is voting with our dollars every single day. You guys already know this, and so many of you have inspired me by the things you do to promote sustainability in your own lives. I think that most of you are so far beyond what this film has to say, and I’m really proud of you for that. So who is this film for? If it’s for people who are just starting to learn about sustainability, then why is it so depressing? Why is the message so hopeless? And, for crap’s sake, why are farmer’s markets and Wal-Mart so favored as options, to the exclusion of all other alternatives so widely available to today’s consumers? I’m not sure, really. I say, save your $10, and put it toward purchasing Fast Food Nation and Omnivore’s Dilemma, if you haven’t already read them, and learn a thousand times more than you could in this film. Or, use that ten bucks to go see Up instead. It’s a lot more uplifting.

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Hi guys, it’s been a while. Actually, I didn’t realize how long it’s been until just a few days ago. I’ve had a few things going on in the last several months, mostly health issues that took me a long time to correct. I was severely anemic for a few months, something I started correcting about a month and a half ago, and now I feel sooooo much better. I’d never been anemic before, so I wasn’t aware of how down, tired, and sick it can make you feel. For a while I didn’t feel like doing anything, and it was all I could do to finish the laundry and the dishes. So, note to the wise: take extra iron if you’re pregnant. (Floradix rules! And they have a gluten-free and yeast-free version!) Also, I’ve had a terrible case of the flu that lasted for - I kid you not - a whole month. I think what caused it to last so long was that I was still balancing my body’s iron levels out, among other things. I just had no reserves to fight the flu with, so it took me a long time.

All this is to say, I’m sorry I haven’t posted in so long. Yeah, I have some good excuses, but I’ve really missed writing and connecting with you guys. I have some stuff that’s been on my mind, and I’d love to share it with you here. In my quest for a healthy and balanced pregnancy, I’ve found some amazing products, and I can’t even begin to relay the information I’ve found on modern birth practices in our society. I feel like I’m bursting with information again, and I’m excited to be back.

Well, at least until a tiny bundle of joy once again disrupts our lives. But that will be a most welcome disruption.

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This year other’s Day falls on Sunday, May 10th (add it to your calendar!). I can tell you that going through this pregnancy has really made me appreciate everything my mom went through while she was pregnant with me, so Mom definitely deserves something thoughtful and nice this year.

Organic Bouquet has a lovely Mother’s Day selection, as always, but this year they’ve added six new Petite arrangements for $24.95 for those who want to do something thoughtful that’s still within the budget. My favorite of these is the Red Petite Bouquet, and I also really like the White version. The site says that these bouquets measure 10-12 inches in height, but I do wish they included a photo that showed the scale of the bouquet.

You can always go for the bigger bouquets and really treat your mom this year (the Sweet & Lovely Roses and the Gerbera Daisies bouquets are my favorites), but I do think the Petite bouquets are a nice addition to Organic Bouquet’s selection. And when you don’t live close enough to your mother to be able to give her flowers in person, Organic Bouquet will deliver your gift on time, and they’ll be presented in a nice vase. Plus, you can feel good knowing that the flowers were grown organically, without the gallons of pesticides used in commercial flower operations. It’s a win-win, so be sure to plan ahead and schedule a delivery of your favorite blooms to Mom this year.

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Remember the Roll Calls from last year when I asked you guys what your skin care and beauty routines were? In the skin care post, I ashamedly confessed that I was using a Kiehl’s styling product in my hair. Well, I’m not using that anymore, courtesy of one baby-on-the-way. I’ve stopped using almost all makeup and I switched deodorant and other products to be as clean as possible for our daughter’s beginnings of life, and that included eliminating yucky hair products from my bathroom.

I knew it was going to be hard to find a natural hair product that actually worked. I’ve tried almost everything that natural foods stores have to offer, so I decided to be adventurous. Last summer Ted and I tried an old-fashioned shampoo bar from a company called J.R. Liggett’s. The company claimed that I wouldn’t need any conditioner, so the first time I tried it I went sans conditioner, and I skipped the styling product as well. My hair looked like a giant poof-ball once it dried, and it was difficult to manage. So, the next day I rubbed some coconut oil through my hair before shampooing, and then I used conditioner after the shampoo bar. Bingo. I took me about a week to figure out the balance of coconut oil to shampoo that my hair needs, but once I got it down there’s been no going back.

You might be wondering if my hair looks like hippie hair now. On the contrary, it looks healthier than before I switched to the Liggett’s bar shampoo. I can blow it dry like I did before, and it looks shiny and great. Nobody knows I’ve switched at all, and I get compliments all the time. I’ve been using this shampoo for almost a year now, and the only weird thing about it is the looks I get in the gym shower… The women there must think I’m running a bar of soap through my hair. I’ve been using this shampoo for almost a year now, and I absolutely love it. If you’re going to give it a try, I would say to wait until you have a week to yourself to figure it out. That way you won’t have to show up at work looking like you stuck your finger in a socket if you don’t use enough coconut oil, or looking like your hair is oily if you use too much. After about a week of trial-and-error, you’ll be ready to use this shampoo every day.

I will say that when my hair is really oily, I don’t put any coconut oil in before I shower. Also, if my hair has been flat lately, I won’t use much (or any) conditioner. I like using Aubrey Organics’ Honeysuckle Rose conditioner with this shampoo, the smell is complimentary and I’m keeping the chemicals out of our bathroom. But I’m going to have to switch to something less heavy for the summer, like their Glycogen Protein Balancing Conditioner, or maybe even their Egyptian Henna Cream Rinse. Pregnancy has given me a nice full head of hair, but it certainly doesn’t need any help in the shininess department.

Give J.R. Liggett’s shampoo a shot, it certainly can’t hurt and it might help to reduce the chemicals in your routine even further. Ted loves this shampoo, being a typical male he uses only the shampoo bar and soap during his showers. I have really frizzy, problematic hair, so if this product works for me, it will probably work for you too. Give it a week and see what you think. Good luck!

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I received an email today from New Leaf Paper that included news of its partnership with Office Depot on a line of notebooks for sale in their stores. I checked on Office Depot’s website and see four products, which range from a $2.39 composition book (30% post-consumer recycled content) to a cute-covered $5.99 college ruled notebook (100% post-consumer content).

I’m partial to the Recycled Fashion Notebook. The “fashion” designation cracks me up, since it must have been given that title because it comes in… wait for it… four different colors. I’m a fan of simplicity, so these notebooks are appealing to me. Their post-consumer recycled content is 40%, so I could do better by buying one of the company’s 100% post-consumer content notebooks. But at $3.29, my favorite ones are a good buy, and they’re much better than the typical notebooks sold elsewhere.

The email also mentioned some of New Leaf’s products being sold for a limited time at Target in honor of Earth Day, but a search of Target’s site gave me no results. You may have to go into Target to find the products, and I’m not sure whether or not all Target stores are carrying them. Still, it’s worth a shot, especially since it reaffirms to these large chain stores that their customers care about the environment. Plus, you get cute notebooks. It’s a win/win.

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As you guys know, I’m a Late July fan. At Expo, they were debuting their new Mini-Cookies, which come in Milk and White chocolate.* I tried both, and while I wasn’t wowed by the Milk chocolate version, the White chocolate cookies were amazing. They’re a little different than the full-sized cookies from the company, so you should give the Minis a shot regardless of whether or not you like the larger ones.

These cookies would also be a perfect addition to kids’ lunches. They’re a new product, and the Late July blog says they’ll be rolling out in stores during the next few weeks. So, if you’d like to buy these Mini-cookies, ask someone at your favorite natural foods store to carry them.

The best part about these Mini cookies is that Late July is giving 10% of their profits from this product line to the Jane Goodall Institute. The new Minis also have the Jane Goodall stamp off approval, with each package proudly displaying the “Good for All” seal given by the Jane Goodall Institute to ethically produced products. The Institute partners with a handful of brands, like Theo Chocolate and Green Mountain Coffee, and I think that Late July is a good match for the Institute.

In other, sadder news, I’d like to say I’m sorry about the passing away of Nicole Dawes’ father, Stephen Bernard. They founded Late July together in 2003, and he succumbed to cancer last week. You can read Nicole’s tribute to her father on her blog. Here is what Nicole says about her father’s wishes:

In lieu of flowers, it was his desire that you make a donation to the Jimmy Fund (www.jimmyfund.org), his favorite charity, and that you go out and make a sizable purchase from your favorite small food business.

So, I’m going to buy a case of product from a couple of companies I love today, and I’m going to ask the grocery buyer at my local Whole Foods to carry the new Late July Mini-Cookies in their store. Hopefully you guys will do the same…

*Okay, so the samples I received at the show say “Dark chocolate” and “Vanilla Bean.” I’m sending an email to the company for clarification, and I’ll let you guys know what the deal is.

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While I was at Expo, I got so caught up talking to several wonderful people that I totally failed on by goal of blogging from the show floor. Also, my poor feet were so swollen after walking the show that I had to plant my pregnant ass in a nearby hotel lobby for two hours while I put my feet up. Not an excuse, but still.

We have been on vacation for the last several days, and we return home tomorrow. I’ll have plenty to say about the show, so check back!

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Greetings from Anaheim, California. I’m here to attend ExpoWest, a large trade show focused around natural and organic products. I’m writing from my iPhone, which is pretty cool but has a few limitations. I can’t link, which is annoying… But I can add photos, so hopefully you guys can expect to see a few shots throughout tomorrow.

We’ll see how it goes, I’m excited to try this out. Mostly I’m looking forward to seeing familiar faces at my favorite companies, and finding new stuff to share with all of you. I’ll keep you posted!

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Here’s a fun quiz if you’re needing a little distraction today: How much of your body could be recycled?

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One of the side effects of being pregnant that I was NOT prepared for is the constant hunger. That, and I can only eat about two thirds of what I used to consider a normal portion size at a time. As a result, I’ve been grazing my way through the last four months. This wasn’t easy to adjust to since I’d been a strict three-meals-a-day person before. It’s not unlike being a sloth: if I’m not busy sleeping, I’m guaranteed to be munching on something.

You’d think that constant snacking wouldn’t be that bad, but believe me, you get really sick of certain foods very quickly. For instance, I’m sick of toast. Who gets sick of toast? And if I never see another soda cracker, I’d be perfectly happy. I’m also unbelievably tired of yogurt, but it’s one of those foods that keeps me going, so I continue to eat it. I can’t just not eat; the hunger I feel is a deep, animal hunger that makes me crazy if I don’t eat something before I go into the red zone. It’s become a game of keeping as wide a variety of snacks in the house as possible. This way I don’t get as bored with the selection, and I avoid getting crazed with hunger and shoving the first cheeseburger I can find into my face.

When an American hears the term “snack foods,” they typically think of chips, pretzels, candy, cookies, and the like. Besides lacking any nutrition, these foods aren’t exactly great for my growing waistline. I’ve been creative about finding healthy snacks because, let’s be honest, veggie sticks aren’t the most appealing option out there. Here are some of the things I’ve been snacking on:

-plain yogurt with agave nectar
-dried mango slices
-roasted sunflower seeds
-fruit (bananas, pears, apples, citrus)
-trail mix
-prunes (yes, prunes)
-celery sticks and peanut butter
-bread and cheese
-grape tomatoes
-baby carrots and Ranch dressing or hummus

I’ll also cop to eating the occasional cookie with milk, and sometimes I’ll have a little chocolate pudding after lunch. I’m not being perfect all the time. What would be the fun of being pregnant if I didn’t indulge now and then? But I’m trying to manage the weight gain, because apparently I’m not one of those women who can eat whatever they want and look completely non-pregnant until they turn to the side. No, you can definitely tell there’s something going on with me from ANY angle. So I stick to the healthier list for the most part, and I’m trying to be good.

Eating this way has made me think about how humans eat in general. I mean, this grazing habit is probably more akin to the way our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate. You find some berries, you snack on them. There’s no burger joint down on the corner when you’re living in nature, so you eat when you find food, right? And when you at this way, you eat smaller amounts of things, but you eat such a wide variety of foods throughout the day. Though I don’t think I’ll keep up the grazing habit once this is over, I would like to incorporate the idea of smaller amounts of a larger variety of foods, and I think this can be done for all three meals each day. I’m looking forward to trying it out. But for now, I’ll just keep on fending off my burger cravings the best way I can.

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Since my posting has been admittedly spotty for the last few months, I figure I should share the reason why: I’m pregnant. While that’s not really a reason in itself, it was the morning sickness in the beginning that made it nearly impossible to look at a screen for too long. I’m not going to share details, so I’ll just say that I’m feeling much, much better now that I’m four months along.

While I’d like to keep this blog from becoming completely baby-centric, there will be more baby- and child-related posts coming through. It’s what’s on my mind, so it’s what I’m going to write about. Of course, it’s not the only thing on my mind, so don’t fear if you’re less than enamored with the idea of baby products.

While I may have babies on the brain, it’s made me even more particular about what I put in and on my body. I’m also thinking more about the kind of world we’re living in and what doing my part requires. My thinking has begun to shift in all the stereotypical, predictable ways that parents talk about, and I couldn’t be happier. Bringing a new little person into the world is a great reminder about why I strive to make the best decisions I can, and it’s really making me want to be a better person. (See? Stereotypical.) I couldn’t be happier about the changes in my life right now (well, the weight gain isn’t all that exciting) and I hope that by sharing some of what I’m thinking here it will only enrich my goal with the site, which is to share every resource I have about living sustainably with the world at large.

Thanks for continuing to read the site for what has almost been three years, I’m excited to continue this journey together!

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I’ve been hearing about this for a few days now, but today I decided to see for myself what PETA’S Save the Sea Kittens campaign is all about. What are Sea Kittens, you ask? Fish. They’re fish. Regular old fish.

In yet another ill-advised and ridiculous attempt to get people to reconsider eating animals, they’re trying to rename fish as “sea kittens.” Do they seriously believe that this campaign will do any good? Sure, it’s getting them attention. I’m writing about it, and so are a lot of other people. But does attention like this ever translate into effectiveness? My feeling is that they’re being counter-productive by making themselves look silly.

Besides, have you ever seen a fish? I mean, have you ever really stared a live fish in the eye? If you’ve ever been fishing, you know what I mean. While goldfish are cute and everything, a bigger fish is pretty damn ugly, if we’re being real. Their eyes are gross, and some of them have these weird whisker-type things on their face. Also, scales are incredibly nasty.

Do you remember Sea-Monkeys? I may be dating myself as a child of the 80’s here, but they were advertised as these cute little sea-dwelling creatures that were playful and happy. Naturally, we ordered some, and do you know what they were? Brine shrimp. Definitely NOT cute. In fact, after about a week, they started eating each other until just a handful of fat Sea-Monkeys were left in the container, burping up little bits of Sea-Monkey now and then. It was horrible. THIS is what I think of when I hear the term “Sea Kittens.”

If you’re vegan, I completely respect your choice and think it’s great. Ted and I did a stint as vegans, so I can appreciate how difficult it is, and even now we eat mainly vegetarian foods. But fish is the main staple of diets around the world in various cultures, and somehow I doubt that using cute Japanese-style illustrations of fish will make the Japanese (or anyone else) stop eating fish. There are also a lot of pescatarians who opt to eat fish rather than meat proteins because of their love of animals. Veganism isn’t for everybody, despite what PETA says, and I think that trying to sway fish-eaters is a waste of marketing dollars. There are still a lot of mistreated animals who need better living conditions. While I agree that the way is which fish are raised commercially has several problems, this stupid “Sea Kittens” campaign says nothing about that.

The Sea Kittens page is trying so hard to make fish cute, and it’s just not working. They have a “Bedtime Stories” section that’s a pointless exercise in anthropomorphism, and their Create Your Own Sea Kitten feature is dumb. Really. Does dressing a fish animation in a pink dress and a tiara really make people care? And why does PETA keep talking about fish litter boxes? Are they insane?

As an organization known for its childish antics and condescending attitude, the Sea Kittens stunt will do nothing to change public opinion of the organization, and I just don’t see how it could possibly change anyone’s mind. Fish are ugly, and they’re delicious. Why not choose an animal that’s actually cute to begin with? I have to classify this campaign as yet another of PETA’s horrible ideas.

Hmm, maybe I’ll have fish for dinner. Sea Kittens are delicious!

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