Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!  I pray everone is safe and healthy all year too!!

Parents night out!!

Yeah tonight is parents night out at our local daycare do Mario and I are finally getting to go see Harry Potter!!! Yey!!!

Help the world, help yourself!!!

Hey everyone!!  I can't believe it's almost Christmas!!  I wanted to let everyone know about some great documentary's to watch.  One is Tapped the other is Blue Gold.  Both are great on teaching how bad bottled water is for this world and also how we are running out of water.  Also another great documentary is The World According to Monsanto.  This shows how bad GMO (genetically modified food) is for you.  It is proven to cause your cells to reproduce over and over rapidly and uncontrollably...also known as cancer!!!  Unfortunitly thanks to the government dipping there claws into the financial gain of us eating poisionus GMO's it is in litterly everything that is not organic!!  Your vegetable oil, peanut butter, bread, everything, so another reason again to stress only eat organic!!!  Organic food is safe food!!  Safe for us, safe for the planet, safe for our future and future generations!!  And for those of you who say it is too expensive you obviously never shopped at Trader Joe's!!   Whole foods does have 3x's marked up prices.  At Trader Joe's you have  normal or cheaper then crappy Jewel prices!!  Your not just what you eat, but your world is and everything in it too, when you eat pesticides, herbicides, and  fungicides laden food you world because contaimed with pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides.  When it rains water runs off the land and brings the chemicals into the water supply where fish and other aquatic life eat it, it also contaminates are drinking water.  The chemicals are also released in the air and so on and so on. Watch The World According to Monsanto.  If you want to borrow  a  copy just let me know I will get it too you.  Also bottled water never breaks down, so it always goes somewhere, plasticis not good for our earth, but that is another posting.
P.S. I CAN'T WAIT FOR MY CHEMICAL FREE 100% ORGANIC LATEX MATTRESS COMING THIS TUESDAY!!

My favorite site now!!!

Hey everyone I have just found the best site on the net!  So for years, and years, and years, I have been saying fumes such as perfume and laundry detergent and laundry dryer sheets make me sick, they chock me and give me a instant headache and make me plan old miserable.  Well first of I'd like to say this is called: MCS Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.  But more importantly I have found a site that not only sells everything you could imagine to clean up your toxic enviroment.  From non-toxic beds, bedding, water filters, carpeting, I mean everything, look for yourself!


Well They also sell these dryer sheets they are $20 for 2.  Each sheet is reusable for 500 washes so they last you at least 2 years for $20~!!

Here is what is in the dryer sheets your using now: (Notice our wonderfully friendly government allows this?!?)

WHAT’S IN YOUR USUAL FABRIC SOFTENER AND DRYER SHEETS?

US. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Identification of Polar Volatile Organic Compounds in Consumer Products and Common Microenvironment, 1991 reference: Lance Wallace, EPA; Phone 703.648.4287 and Polar Organic Compounds in Fragrances of Consumer Products Symptoms of exposure are taken from industry-generated Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).

These chemicals are in the approved E.P.A. dryer sheets
Alpha-terpineol causes CNS disorders and is highly irritating to mucus membranes “Aspiration into the lungs can produce pneumonia or even fatal edema.” Can also cause “excitement, ataxia (loss of muscular coordination), hypothermia, CNS and respiratory depression, and headache.” “Prevent repeated or prolonged skin contact
”BENZYL ACETATE—Carcinogenic (linked to pancreatic cancer). “From vapors: irritating to eyes and respiratory passages, exciting cough.” “In mice: hyperemia of the lungs.” “Can be absorbed through the skin causing systemic effects.” “Do not flush to sewer.” Does this mean its ok for you to put all over skin if it’s too dangerous to flush down the toilet?
BENZYL ALCOHOL—Causes CNS disorders.  It is irritating to the upper respiratory tract” causing “headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drop in blood pressure, CNS depression, and death in severe cases due to respiratory failure.”
CAMPHOR—Causes CNS disorders. This product is on EPA’s Hazardous Waste list. Symptoms: “local irritant and CNS stimulant” readily absorbed through body tissues causing irritation of eyes, nose and throat”, dizziness, confusion, nausea, twitching muscles and convulsions.” “Avoid inhalation of vapors.
CHLOROFORM is toxic. It is an anesthetic and carcinogenic.. It is on EPA’s Hazardous Waste list. “Avoid contact with eyes, skin, clothing. Do not breathe vapors. Inhalation of vapors may cause headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, irritation of respiratory tract and loss of consciousness.” “Inhalation can be fatal.” “Chronic effects of overexposure may include kidney and/or liver damage.” “Medical conditions generally aggravated by exposure: kidney disorders, liver disorders, heart disorders, skin disorders.”ETHYL ACETATE—Narcotic. This product is on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list. Irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract”...”may cause headache and narcosis (stupor and may cause anemia with leukocytosis and damage to liver and kidneys” “Wash thoroughly after handling.” Strange as it supposed to be applied to face?
LIMONENE is indeed Carcinogenic. “Prevent its contact with skin or eyes because it is an irritant and sensitizer.” “Always wash thoroughly after using this material and before eating, drinking, and applying cosmetics. Do not inhale limonene vapor.” But it’s in my essential oils! Help!
LINALOOL is a Narcotic. Causes DNS disorder, respiratory disturbances” ... “Attracts bees.” “In animal tests: ataxic gait, reduced spontaneous motor activity and depression, depressed heart activity development of respiratory disturbances leading to death.”
PENTANE—“Danger—Harmful if inhaled; extremely flammable. Keep away from heat Avoid breathing vapor.” “Inhalation of vapors may cause headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, irritation of respiratory tract and loss of consciousness. Contact can cause eye irritation. Prolonged exposure may cause dermatitis (skin rash).

CAN FABRIC SOFTENERS MAKE YOU SICK?

Exposure can result from the gases leaving the laundry room dryers vents or the vented dryers of your neighbors and friends. Are you able to walk safely in your neighborhood or do you feel sick from the toxic fumes in your air? Do you get a numb feeling in the side of your face—and the doctors can’t find the reason?  Do you get a sudden onset of dizziness, headache, asthma, attack or allergies when a person using these toxic dryer sheets or detergents with added chemicals is near you? Are you unable to open a window in case the fumes from these toxic chemical pollute your outside air.  Are most of your friends feeling tired and dizzy and don’t know why?
Fabric softeners, like other fragrant products, contain petrochemicals, used in untested combination. These chemicals can adversely affect the central nervous system (CNS) -- your brain and spine.  CNS exposure symptoms include: aphasia, blurred vision, disorientation, dizziness, headaches, hunger, memory loss, numbness in face, pain in neck and spine. CNS disorders include: Alzheimer’s Disease, Attention Deficit Disorder, Dementia, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Seizures, Strokes, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), learning and focus disabilities, agitation and anger. 

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STOP USING THESE IMMMEDITLY!!!  HERE IS THE LINK TO NEW SAFE ONES:http://www.nontoxic.com/nontoxic/toxicfreedryersheets.html

ONE LAST NOTE I WILL POST WHAT THESE DO:

This re-usable dryer sheet and fabric softener has all the advantages of traditional dryer sheets, without chemicals. The dryer sheet system eliminates static, softens fabric and eliminates wrinkles and lint in your dryer load without leaving a chemical residue on your family's clothing. This environmentally safe health conscious dryer sheet and fabric softener is worry-free on the most delicate of fabrics. This non toxic dryer sheet is used with any fabric, synthetics , silks and satins, without worrying that your clothes will be ruined with blotches of chemical residue that refuse to come out he chemical free dryer sheet is safe to use in any dryer. New dryers on the market now sometimes come with a warning NOT to use dryer sheets with your laundry load, or a clause in the use and care manual stating that use of chemical based dryer sheets will void the dryer's warranty. This chemical free product, can be used in any dryer without leaving a residue or clogging up the dryer's vents. This environmentally safe non hazardous dryer sheet will not inhibit the effectiveness of your dryer, or void the warranty. This non toxic fragrance free hyper allergenic laundry softener is also perfect for allergy sufferers and infants -the patented dryer sheet is 100% hypoallergenic, and gentle on infant's skin and clothes.

BIRTHDAY UPDATE!!

For Emilio's birthday since he has so much toys here is what he really needs:
 -Clothes size 3t and up
  -Bowls that stick to his tray that he can't pick up and throw
-Socks size 24months and up
-Striderite shoes size 6.5 and up
-Boots (I think my Mom is already getting him these though?)
-Baby fork and spoon set
-Gerber sippy cups
-He dosen't have any wooden puzzles or wood blocks so maybe some of those would be good.
-He's really into books right now too, ones with hard carboard pages(He loves, loves, loves, books!!!)
  If I think of anything else I will add it.

Awsome, Awsome day!!

Today Emilio and I walked to the park together and we as usual had a blast.  Then at night for the first time every Emilio went to a day care (Kiddie Junction)  they were having parents night out and were watching the kids from 6pm - 11pm.  So Mario and I went to a haunted house together. It was so so so so scary, I mean crying scary.  I will never ever ever go to a haunted house agian!!  Then we went to Texas de Brazil together.  The food was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!  I'm talking super-d-dupper delish!!!  Then we went to pick up Emilio whom we were worried about cause he's never been away from us like that before, and he was so busy playing and having fun he didn't even realize I was there.  Even when I started to call him!  Usually he starts crying and clinging to my leg the second he hears me but he was playing so much he was zoned out! It was great for all of us!  Emilio met some great new friends too.  For now on once a month is date night!!

The Kindle is here!!

Hey I just wanted to say to anyone that reads, run as fast as you can to get the new kindle!!  Not only is it green, since no more chopping trees to get a paper book, but it's also just totally awsome!!  Books are cheaper too, and since it looks like a regular book it dosen't hurt your eyes, so run don't walk and buy one today!!  Just anouther step closer to go green!!

Be careful!!

Scary!!  I just read this on parents.com:


Thimerosal is also currently found in some commonly used medicines and products such as contact lens solutions and throat and nasal sprays. 


For those of you who don't know Thimerosal is mercury, which is one of the most toxic substances on earth when it is in us humans.  Call the company that makes your solution if you insist on wearing contact lens and make sure yours is mercury free!!

Emilio's busy day!!

Well today we took Emilio to Chuckie Cheese for the first time!  He had a blast, it was hard keeping up with him. He loved the merry-go-round ride and car ride with Chuckie the most.  He also loved running around the whole place for 2hrs. straight. He was pooped and sleept the whole way home. We also finally got a dryer!! Yeah no more hanging clothes on every inch on are house till they dry.  After not having a dryer for over a year and a half it's a good feeling.

See Emilio's first car!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L04V_GQoN0

Emilio's first Birthday!!

Hey everyone save the date November 14, Sunday at 2pm my house is Emilio's first birthday party!!!  Emilio has alot of toys but could use clothes the most.  Size 3t and up or 18 months and up for sleepers.  Mario's Dad is making lasagna!!

HIV VACCINE

Found this very interesting there is now a vaccine in use for HIV Prevention

Thailand to host more studies for Aids vaccine

NEW HOPE FOR HIV PREVENTION

• Published: 3/10/2010 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

ATLANTA : Further Aids vaccine studies will be carried out in Thailand after a recent large-scale clinical trial for the first time offered hope for HIV prevention by vaccination.

Researchers are planning to conduct small-scale experiments as early as the middle of next year to carry on from the work conducted in the original RV305 trial.

"We're trying to learn as much as possible from the result of the recent vaccine trial and the follow-up studies," said Supachai Rerks-Ngarm, principal investigator of the Phase III HIV/Aids vaccine project.

About 160 volunteers, who participated in a vaccine trial from 2003 to 2006, will be called in for the new tests, which are being conducted by the Public Health Ministry, Mahidol University's department of clinical tropical medicine and the US military's HIV research programme.

An efficacy trial was conducted for "prime-boost" vaccine combinations starting in October 2003. Some 16,000 volunteers in Chon Buri and Rayong participated in the study.

The results, released in September of last year, showed that the vaccinations had a 31.2% efficacy rate in preventing HIV after the three-year monitoring period.

Dr Supachai said the prime-boost shots _ Alvac, created by France's Sanofi Pasteur, and Aidsvax B/E, made by Global Solutions for Infectious Disease _ would be administered again to volunteers during the follow-up study.

Each volunteer would receive two shots of either the vaccine or a placebo over a six-month period.

Their symptoms would be monitored for another year and a half to determine if the shots boosted the body's immune response beyond the levels recorded after the previous vaccination.

In Thailand, the HIV transmission rate among men who have sex with other men increased from 17.3% of new Aids diagnoses in 2003 to about 30% in 2008.

Katherine Kripke, assistant director of the US National Institutes of Health's vaccine research programme, said during the recent Aids vaccine meeting on HIV research that follow-up studies such as this would help scientists develop a vaccine before conducting a larger and more comprehensive trial.

The Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise announced its strategic plan to speed up and enhance HIV vaccine research during the conference.

Alan Bernstein, executive director of the enterprise, said the new plan included recommendations to speed up the development, execution and analysis of HIV vaccine trials.

It was aimed at integrating pre-clinical and clinical research, capitalising on scientific advances from other fields and bringing in new researchers and supporters to fund HIV vaccine research.

Liked this article

Hey I took this from www.thepowerofhalf.com

Check the site out, it's about a family that sold there home to give 1/2 the money to a starving tribe in Africa.  I really like the water heater idea on here.  Think about it the only time you really do need the water heater on is at night to wash all the dishes and take your shower, if we put it on only then it could take a break all day and save you money to.

The developing world takes a beating from the environmental crowd. Poor pollution controls, deforestation, rapid population growth. The scene can be pretty ugly.

But I'd like to rescue a baby from the bath water. There are a few things we in the West can learn from our fellow planeteers in less affluent communities about being more efficient. From the streets to the bathrooms, the need for efficiency and an aversion to waste makes people in poorer countries better consumers of resources. Not perfect, but maybe some lessons here at least worth discussing.

My top 5:

1) Water heaters. How many water heaters do you own? At least one, I'm sure, and likely two if you have a jacuzzi or several showers. After all, it's our God-given right to have hot water on demand. But prepare to take a shower in Ghana or India, where we traveled this summer, and you'll need to flip the switch on the water heater in the bathroom and then wait a few minutes. (Side note: Our family still laughs about the hotel room in Ghana where we didn't know about the heater and poor Joseph took his nippy shower before we discovered it.)

The thinking, of course: Why would anyone possibly heat water and continuously keep it hot unless they were ready to use it? How inefficient and wasteful. Maybe thinking ahead 10 minutes is tricky, but I think clever Americans could make this work.

2) Leaf blowers. When I returned from India 3 weeks ago, it took less than half an hour for a conversation I was having to interrupted by the toxic, deafening sound of leaf blowers. Apparently, we Americans can't stand leaves or brush anywhere near our homes, even during the summer when few leaves fall. There are many days I can't write on our screened porch because the noise is so persistent.

In the developing world, the solution is called ... brooms. Often they don't have handles and often they are propelled by a worker on his or her haunches. At the end of the process, a radical invention called the dustpan becomes a tool of choice. No ear plugs needed. In poor countries, it's a method of employment for the working class. But here, we'd rather pay additional unemployment benefits to the unemployed 10% of our population than have people stoop that low (pun fully intended).

3) Central air. My house thermostat is set to 77 during the day and 78 at night. It cools the entire house, including a whole passel of rooms we're not in. During the day, I work alone from home. At night, we sleep only in the bedrooms. Yet, our system cools (or heats) the entire house in the name of ease and simplicity. (I realize that many systems have zones, but I'm wondering how many people tweak those settings often.) Wouldn't it be more efficient to cool the rooms we are in? Or is sweating for a minute that onerous?

4) Bottle reuse. In the West, we've begun to focus on recycling just about everything we can. The largest proponent might be my hometown neighbor, Coca-Cola, which has a huge recycling effort. Why the big push? Certainly one main reasons is that being a big player in recycling keeps pressure off to do what we should be doing: Reusing the bottle. After all, it's not broken, it's empty.

A friend from Coke tells me that a huge percentage of consumers drink their soda or water in the same place they buy it. Just return the bottle. Clean it, refill it, reuse it.

5) Old cars. Sure, they aren't quite as energy efficient, but the clunkers that many developing-world drivers (often cabbies) take onto the roads can be remarkably environmentally sound anyway. After all, they aren't throwing away products that still have use. In Ghana, for instance, old cars and lorries are salvaged from Western nations and used for another decade or more; Ghanaians love that they have fewer complicated electronics and more easy-to-fix mechanicals. And I learned from a Dutch friend that people in Holland are thrilled not to have to pay a disposal fee for their junked vehicle.

Our infatuation with shiny new objects has turned us into wasteful consumers. So has our "have it now" culture. Maybe it's time to learn a little something from folks that have less.

What's your view?

Click to see Video of Emilio Walking!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8jUEXwJGXg

update on hamburger helper

Hey I made the cheeseburger hamburger helper homemade last night and just wanted to let everyone know it was good.  The weird thing was it was twice as good later at night rewarmed.  I suggest making it early getting it out of the way going out for the day and reheating it at night.

homemade hamburger helper.

http://chickensintheroad.com/cooking/homemade-hamburger-helper/
Use this link to make any type of hamburger helper homemade, without msgs, artificial flavors, preservatives, and added food dyes. And it tastes better homemade!!

ANOUTHER DAY

Well Emilio's officially well!!  Yeah!!  We got him a new toy a table his size he stands at and has built in things, like piano, book, phone, computer.  He loves it!!  He does think it's anouther walker though and has taken to pushing the table around the house, cute!! Reminder we will be at brookfield zoo aun the 26 for the festival around the world if anyone wants to go.  ttyl!

Hey!

Good news Emilio is feeling better, still just a little crabby but he was already playing alot more today!  Now to study I have a HUGE chemistry exam today.  Wish me luck...

CELL PHONE SAFETY

Cell phone companies are now releasing new phones with lower radiation release.  You can check out if you have a safer radiation release by clicking the link I've added to the bottom of the page.  Just go all the way to the end of the page and click on cell phone safety check. 

Check your plastics!!

Hey look at the number written on the plastics you use and use the list below to see if you need to throw them out.  Even better yet get glass bowls to save your leftovers in!!

Adapted from Green Remodeling, by David Johnston and Kim Master (New Society Publishers, 2004).

The news about plastics has been pretty alarming lately, causing some of us to go dashing for the water bottles to see what kind of plastic they are—and find out if we’ve been unwittingly poisoning our children and ourselves with chemicals leaching into the water from them.

If you’ve been concerned, here is a handy chart that identifies the good, bad, and OK plastics and where they are found. Find out here:

Labeled #1 underneath: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) 
Used to make soft drink, water, sports drink, ketchup, and salad dressing bottles, and peanut butter, pickle, jelly and jam jars.
GOOD: Not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones.

Labeled # 2 High density polyethylene (HDPE)
Milk, water, and juice bottles, yogurt and margarine tubs, cereal box liners, and grocery, trash, and retail bags.
GOOD: Not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones.

Labeled # 3 Polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC)
Most cling-wrapped meats, cheeses, and other foods sold in delicatessens and groceries are wrapped in PVC.
BAD: To soften into its flexible form, manufacturers add “plasticizers” during production. Traces of these chemicals can leach out of PVC when in contact with foods. According to the National Institutes of Health, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), commonly found in PVC, is a suspected human carcinogen.

Labeled # 4 Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)
Some bread and frozen food bags and squeezable bottles.
OK: Not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones, but not as widely recycled as #1 or #2.

Labeled # 5 Polypropylene (PP)
Some ketchup bottles and yogurt and margarine tubs.
OK: Hazardous during production, but not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones. Not as widely recycled as #1 and #2.

Labeled # 6 Polystyrene (PS)
Foam insulation and also for hard applications (e.g. cups, some toys)
BAD: Benzene (material used in production) is a known human carcinogen. Butadiene and styrene (the basic building block of the plastic) are suspected carcinogens. Energy intensive and poor recycling.

Labeled # 7 Other (usually polycarbonate)
In some Baby bottles, microwave ovenware, eating utensils, plastic coating for metal cans
BAD: Made with biphenyl-A, a chemical invented in the 1930s in search for synthetic estrogens. A hormone disruptor. Simulates the action of estrogen when tested in human breast cancer studies. Can leach into food as product ages.

ALSO REMEMBER PVC IS IN VINYL FLOORING, BEACH BALLS, MANY MANY BABY TOYS, THAT'S WHAT GIVES THESE TOYS THOSE SOFT FLEXIBLE PLASTIC FEEL, SUCH AS TEETHING RINGS.  THE PVC LEACHES OUT OF THE VINYL FLOORING AND SUCH RELEASING PTHALATE INTO THE AIR.  MORE ON PVC:

Children that live in homes with vinyl floors, which can emit phthalates, are more likely to have autism, according to research by Swedish and U.S. scientists published in May 2010. The study of Swedish children is among the first to find an apparent connection between an environmental chemical and autism. 

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is unique in its high chlorine and additives content, which makes it an environmental poison throughout its life cycle. Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen. PVC releases dioxin and other persistent organic pollutants during its manufacture and disposal and cannot be readily recycled due to it chlorine and additive content. Furthermore, additives are not bound to the plastic and leach out.

Phthalates have been shown to damage the lungs, liver and kidneys, and to harm the developing testes of offspring.

Welcome to The J Family Page!!

Hey everyone!  Thanks for stopping in!  Well I've been trying to find a way to share more family photos, events and videos via the internet without getting into the whole face book thing again, so here goes!  I'm not the most computer literate so hopefully I could maneuver my way around this.  Hopefully with this I could keep everyone more informed on baby Emilio's milestones, most of you don't even know he is already walking!  I will attempt to post video's later.  Baby Emilio's been sick this week and extra crabby so he has not been wanting to play much.