Cardboard moving boxes is so 2009!

If you live on the west coast and are moving, you are in luck! Spencer Brown saw a problem in Southern California - the millions of cardboard boxes we use every year for moving and then throw away. Responding to this need Brown created Rent a Green Box, providing durable plastic boxes to rent for moving, saving 50% on the cost of moving as well as reducing waste and helping the planet. The boxes, also called Recopacks, are made from recycled plastic bottles, further reducing landfill waste. It's a simple idea that makes so much sense that they have kept on growing right through the recession and are targeting national growth in the years ahead.

Page 1239 of the health care bill promotes on keeping things natural

We have a new found respect for the Obama team. They are getting some things right. And they have our salute on the page 1239 of the health care bill. For anyone that knows that health of our kids starts right from start and with their parents also knows its impact on the society as a whole.

Nursing mothers will now get additional support, thanks to page 1239 of the health care bill that President Obama recently signed into law. It requires employers to provide "a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from co-workers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk." Only companies with less than 50 employees can claim it's an undue hardship.

A recent study in the journal Pediatrics showed breastfeeding a child for the first six months of life would save nearly 1,000 lives and billions of dollars each year. That's because breastfeeding reduces the risk of certain illnesses such as pneumonia, according to the study. Much of the cost comes from excess premature deaths, the study authors said.

Major medical and health organizations agree that breast milk by itself is sufficient for newborns and infants until they are 6 months old. But a 2009 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that while 74 percent of women start breastfeeding, only 33 percent of mothers relied on breastfeeding only at three months. At six months, the numbers go down to 14 percent.

The very green Muir Woods

Our recent family trip to San Francisco was very refreshing and inspiring. Our trip to Muir Woods, just 12 miles north of SF was a real delight coming from the East Coast.

Muir Woods National Monument is a haven in the San Francisco Bay Area. You'll find redwoods, Douglas firs, maples, oaks and bay laurels in a peaceful setting about 12 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Watch butterflies and Steller's jays flying from tree to tree.

We took in a lot of fresh air and also literally inhaled the delicious food and goodies in their Cafe. Unlike most cafes at touristy locations that serve greasy pizza and hot dogs, it was a great treat to see a small menu with organic and local food options served in biodegradable and compostable ecotainers. It rounded up our visit of the glorious red wood trees perfectly.

Defending Food!

"Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are."
Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)

If we are what we eat then we are a group of genetically modified and hormone fed animals. A long time ago, before the McDonalds, Burger King and KFC age was the age of healthy home-made balanced cooking. Food didn't travel the distances it does today, fast food was not a concept and processed foods were non-existent. It seems as if we have come a full circle. Our defense should begin at the table with Slow Food. Old was good, in fact golden!
"In the name of productivity, Fast Life has changed our way of being and threatens our environment and our landscapes. So Slow Food is now the only truly progressive answer."
- Taken from the Slow Food Manifesto

Slow Food is Good Food. What Can You and Your Kids Do?

Grow some of your own food. Start a garden, or if space is tight, fill a few pots with herbs, radishes, peas, or tomatoes. Pick and enjoy food fresh from your garden — and if there is any left, bring it into the kitchen and add it to your meal. Children will appreciate the fresh and delicious flavors of foods picked at the peak of freshness. Point out the benefits of eating foods right out of the garden instead of purchasing items from the grocery story that have traveled from other countries.

In the upcoming weeks we will focus on easy slow food recipes, stay tuned!