Art | Resources
Vermont Bunkbeds
Sturdy, simple bunk beds, loft beds and beds with drawers beneath, made from local Vermont hardwoods. Finished in your choice of colors with Natura Zero-VOC paint or Old-Fashioned Milk Paint with Vermont Natural Coatings finish. “In shopping for bunk beds for their own children, Scott & Amy realized the need for a safer product that would hold up to the every day demands of their active boys and yet still be affordable for the everyday family. So Scott and Amy began dreaming of devoting their skills and experience to building solid wood beds that would be safe for children and affordable for parents.”
Beard Products
Simple and straightforward “high quality Beard Products priced affordably and made with the best organic ingredients. All of our products are formulated with natural components that specifically support your beard’s growth and potential.”
Floral Encounters
Certified organically grown seeds for specialty herbs and flowers, all grown and harvested on their own farm. They have a very long list of herb seeds, including seeds for harsh environments and seeds for deer resistant plants. Because they are a small farm, they sell their seed semi-cleaned. “This means that not all the plant material from around the seed is removed. Doing this is extremely time consuming and labor intensive and the main reason that seeds are as expensive as they are. So to keep the costs down we remove as much debris as possible but leave the more difficult pieces. So when you get your seeds, they won’t be pristine and just seeds; they will have other bits of plant material in with them.” I don’t mind that at all. Shows they are hand-harvested and not put through mechanical processing.
Strictly Medicinal Seeds
A large and unusual selection of organic seeds and plants for vegetables, culinary herbs, medicinal herbs, and more. Grow flax seeds, gluten-free sorghum grain, and other useful plants in your own backyard.
GMO Labeling Gaining More Support
Two weeks ago Campbell’s announced their support for mandatory national GMO labeling.
See their statement at Why We Support Mandatory National GMO Labeling
Also see Campbell’s website www.whatsinmyfood.com, an excellent model for transparency in disclosing ingredients.
Here’s an example:
While the ingredients aren’t the best, in my opinion, they are taking a step in the right direction by telling us what they are.
Then this week there was an announcement that my own state of Florida has launched three bills for Mandatory GMO labeling. Yay!
Natural Society: Florida Laundhes 3 Bills for Mandatory GMO Labeling
Reclaimed wood dresser
Question from Tania
Hi Debra,
I wanted to ask what are your thoughts about reclaimed wood. I like this dresser for my young son’s bedroom (he doesn’t have any strong sensitivities) but obviously I wouldn’t want to put something toxic in his bedroom.
Many thanks!!!
www.westelm.com/products/emmerson-3-drawer-dresser-g720/?cm_src=rel
Debra’s Answer
I think reclaimed wood is a wonderful idea for the environment, however, many reclaimed woods are toxic.
Often they don’t reveal the source of the wood, but this one does: “The reclaimed pine comes from a variety of sources, including shipping pallets and packing crates.”
Now shipping pallets and packing crates have various toxic chemicals applied, including pesticides and wood preservatives. So I wouldn’t recommend using a reclaimed wood product with these wood sources.
Good you asked about this.
Voice Over IP vs. Landline
Question from Marie
Hi Debra,
I currently have an internet and phone bundle through our local cable company. It is completely wired. Our internet is connected via an Ethernet cable and modem. Our phone is connected to a wired telephone modem as well.
Are Voice Over IP connections ok as long as they are connected with a wired modem? I don’t think we have landlines available where I live; most companies only offer phone plans that use the internet connection.
Thank you for your time!
Debra’s Answer
Here’s an article that explains what VoIP is and how it works: How Stuff Works Tech: How VoIP Works
To the best of my knowledge, it’s operating computer-to-computer.
If the modem is wired, and not wireless, it should be no different from using your computer.
If anyone knows any more about this, please comment.
I’m not an EMF expert. There’s a lot I don’t know.
Are Sequins Safe?
Question from Stacey
Hi Debra,
My 5 year old daughter loves to dress up, however, I wonder how safe some of children’s clothing is…
She loves the “frilly” skirts made of synthetic materials which I try to avoid. If I do buy her something synthetic, would an item made with a nylon tulle over cotton be okay? What about sequin? I can find a few cute clothing items made with 100% cotton fabric with sequin overlay? Would these be okay?
Thanks!
Debra’s Answer
Well, sequins are made from a variety of plastics, from PVC to PET.
The exposure is so small in comparison to other exposures that are much more toxic, that I am not particularly worried about this. I would rather you put attention on reducing pesticide exposures, for example.
But I do understand the need for the joy of pretty clothes. So if it’s important to wear sequins, any exposure to toxics from the plastic would be minimal.
Glyphosate Found in 85% of Tested GMO Cotton Personal Hygiene Products
A blog post caught my eye as it passed through my inbox.
A new study at the University of La Plata in Argentina found that about 85% of cotton products such as gauze, cotton balls, feminine products like pads and tampons, baby wipes, etc. tested positive for glyphosate. Another even more staggering finding is that 62% of the tested products had traces of AMPA, a environmental metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid that is a derivative of glyphosate and is potentially one thousand times more toxic than glyphosate.
“The results of this research are very serious. When you use cotton or gauze to heal wounds or for personal hygiene, you do this thinking that the products are sterilized, but in fact you are using products contaminated with a carcinogenic substance,” said pediatrician Vazquez Medardo Avila, part of the Network of Medical Professions of Fumigated Towns in Argentina.
It was particularly of interest to me because I’ve been told by reliable sources that by the time cotton is processed into fabric, it no longer contains residues of pesticides. It’s the raw unprocessed cotton that we need to watch out for regarding pesticide residues. Yet here researchers are finding glyphosate in processed cotton products.
When I first started wearing cotton by choice in 1978, it was just cotton and pesticides. Today almost 100% of the non-organic cotton grown in the United States is GMO cotton sprayed with glyphosate. It’s apparently still in the fabric. Furthermore, it’s not labeled GMO.
This is another reason to choose organic cotton.
Monsanto’s Chemicals Make Their Way Into 85% of Personal Hygiene Cotton Products
Always Piper
Timeless clothing, bedlinens,, home goods and accessories made mostly from linen. “Outstanding quality is achieved through fine detailing and finishes that result in items that are exclusive and promise to last for years…handmade on the coast of Maine in small batches.”
