The dreaded plastics

Well, it's safe to say I'm overwhelmed. It feels that even the simplest decisions like what sippy cup to buy could affect our children's long-term health and well-being. That's a scary thought. I'm adamant about taking action on any information I know to-date; however, I can't help but sometimes feel like throwing in the towel because of the information I'm sure I do not yet know. In the end, I'm not yet ready to give up and this is the primary reason for the creation of my blog. It serves as a place to organize all of the great resources out there available to me.

One big health hot topic today is in regard to plastics and whether or not they contain BPA, phthalates, and/or PCV - all of which have been deemed "bad", especially when heated as some plastics will then breakdown and release the toxin(s). Click here for a recent story on this by MSNBC.

This is obviously a huge concern for parents because plastics are in things like baby bottles, pacifiers, teething rings, formula, and toys - in short, things that have direct contact with our children. SO, how do we know what plastics are "ok" (at least by today's standards) and what plastics are not? Here is an excellent resource to help:

Smart Plastics Guide from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

There is conflicting information out there of course and it's enough to make my head spin. For instance, although we've heard a #7 recycling code is "bad", apparently that's not totally true. Check this blog out at The Soft Landing for further details. The fact that no explicit rules exist is enough to make my head spin.

Like many in tune with this issue I will likely error on the side of caution and stick to using glass or plastics with recycling codes 4, 5, 1 or 2. But I'm not sure what to do with those items that have no recycling codes other than toss or call the manufacturer.

Below are other resources I've either found or have been referred to me that help make sense of it all and assist with your shopping for new products as well.

• Safer Baby Gear News and Reviews by The Soft Landing
• Shopping Spot for Feeding Baby Safely by The Soft Landing
• Cheat Sheet on safer bottles and sippy cups by safemama.com
• Cheat Sheet on safer pacifiers and teethers by safemama.com
• Cookie Magazine examples of safe bottles and sippies

Who in the heck do I think I am anyway?

What on Earth does a simple Mom like me know that should warrant itself bloggable?  (Is that a word?)  Well, I'm not an expert in much of anything, I'll never claim to be.  What I am is a woman, a wife, and a sometimes-working-mother who happens to spend a lot of free time researching "all things Mom".  Whether that be the latest in baby gadgets, hot topics like children's vaccinations, current health information, cooking, or hobbies, I realized a blog just might be the best place to document my findings.  Really, this blog is for me.  My own little spot for documentation history.  A Virgo's dream come true.  But the more the merrier; I'd be thrilled if someone else were able to benefit from my little addiction to "all things Mom".

Let me introduce you to what makes me a Mom:  My husband of 5 years Tad and I have a son named Samuel who is almost 2 1/2 years old and a daughter named Sydney who is 4 months.  They are obviously the light of our lives.  Samuel has a big personality.  A very active little guy who's a lot of fun with a big imagination.  He keeps us laughing regularly.  Sydney is a flirt and her day is made when you smile back at her.  Not many complaints these days from her camp and she seems to be enjoying life so far.

While my kids are my world, to me "all things Mom" encompasses more than kids.  It means not only what makes me a Mom (my kids) but what makes me the best Mom I can be (my health, my interests and hobbies, my spirituality, my relationships....etc.).  Everything that makes me, me, affects who I am as a Mom. So, while you'll find obvious topics here that may interest other Moms, you may also find topics here that interest me as a person, not just me as a Mom.

Should anyone stumble upon this little blog please feel free to comment and I most definitely welcome comments regarding corrections or updates to any information I may be documenting!  I'd like my research to be current if at all possible.

Thanks for your interest.  Tricia