Tag: environmental

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Sea Life Aquarium Arizona

This past weekend my family and I were treated to a behind the scenes look at the newest sea member of the Sea Life Aquarium here in Arizona. The aquarium recently “adopted” a green sea turtle by the name of Ziva who was rescued in Florida. We were met by the bodacious and bubbly Kelly who is the marketing coordinator who graciously welcomed our extra stowaway for the trip, my father-in-law who is staying with us, and courteously whisked us into the children’s play area. Only moments later were we greeted yet again by a most upbeat member of the Sea Life staff who escorted us to our viewing room to learn about Ziva and her arrival to the aquarium.

We were split into groups as we were guided to the tank where we could look in on Ziva as she swam and swam around waiting to be released into her new habitat to swim free of human harm and predatory actions. You see the sea turtle is a often harmed by boats propeller’s, as is Ziva’s case, and fishing nets and lines. Additionally, littering of plastic grocery bags also mimic jellyfish which are a delicacy for sea turtles. The turtles will choke on the bags due to the floating, translucent bags appearing to be a jellyfish.

Once guided into the tank area we scaled the steps to the top of the tank on the catwalk and peered in to take a good look at Ziva. She is adorable! I wanted to touch her as her skin was very silky smooth looking and her poor shell had some extra “upgrades” to help her swim. Due to her incident with a boat, she experienced a collapsed lung which results in a bouie effect making swimming a daunting task for the little turtle. But she paddled around while everyone looked in on her.

Then the moment finally arrived after everyone received their turn to view the young sea turtle where she was set free into the giant tank to swim about with her fellow aquatic kin.

My kids had a blast, all the interactive games, displays for touch and feel, the learning kiosks, stations, and exhibits to stop and learn about all the fun aquatic life in the sea. My father in law also enjoyed himself, bless his heart for tagging along, we were highly informed by Dirk the aquatic curator who told us about sea turtles, how long they live and how big they get. Such a blast to learn about this amazing creature at the aquarium.

This is the second Sea Life Aquarium the kids have visited. In 2010 we visited the Carlsbad, CA aquarium location attached to Lego Land where the kids saw the sharks that they saw here in Tempe and they were able to touch real sea life such as sea sponges and sea stars to feel the different textures and appreciate all that the Sea Life Aquariums have to offer with sea life conservation and environmental awareness.

Have you visited either aquariums or a local aquarium in your area? What are your kids favorite animals when visiting local attractions and exhibits such as these?

 

 

 

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MOGO Charm

Zhu Zhu pets are a thing of the past. Bedazzled just doesn’t hack it. My daughter was recently introduced to MOGO and all that MOGO has to offer with charm jewelry. Not your average charm jewelry either! Mix and match gems, picture gems, statement gems and colored bracelets and other accessories. Recently my daughter has become fixated on jewelry, accessories and pretty much all thing girl. Like her mother, her affection for shoes could also be deemed damaging to the closet space in the house.

But she is really loving the jewelry and that she can have a new jewelry item at will just by changing out the magnetic charms to give her bracelets a new look and new life. Did I also mention these are a great “green” gift for your kids as well. That’s right, no plastic or PVC charms and charm bracelets. The bracelets are not the traditional metals and or plastics with weak construction, they are constructed from a tight weave canvas seen on military bracelets but with an ultra girl twist. The mosies, or slippers, are fabulous! What girl would not want a soft and squishy pair of mule slippers that she can add charms and bling to and they just click.

The company’s tag line that “We just click.” The “we just click” tag and the idea of MOGO’s came from the owner trying to fix horse blankets and had an idea that she could use magnets to replace the worn out velcro. The idea didn’t work but the idea of magnets as charms for a new and different modern charm bracelet, did work out. More from the owner and MOGO,

“The name MOGO is in memory of my childhood pony who was rescued and given to me by my father when I was 9 years old. In recognition of my first pony MOGO, and all the wonderful animals in the world, MOGO supports a shelter animal each month, supporting vet care and socialization support until the animal is ready to be adopted.

Our MOGO tagline, “We just click!” is all about the connections MOGO creates. Friends who just click with each other, Moms and Grandmas who click with their Tweens, even Tweens who just click with animals. And, of course, the charms themselves which “just click” to the charmbands.”

Great items for a stocking stuffer or your fashionista looking to make a statement. MOGO’s even has flip flops! Check out all the great bands and charms and even build your own bracelet, headband, or necklace in a matter of seconds on the MOGO website. Found in over 2700 retail shops including Nordstroms, this eco-friendly and affordable gift is sure to be a hit with any girl.

“Disclosure: I was provided with MOGO Mosies and charms at no cost in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.”

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Why Go Organic

While debating and circling ideas about credit policy and guidelines with my fellow co-workers a comment in regard to organic foods was brought about. I mentioned the word organic and a myriad of comments came flying at me. A barrage per se of assumptions, half ass remarks that were lacking credibility and a sound argument for which they could post upon. An even farther fetched comment was made, “I bet you are one of those parent’s that won’t even vaccinate your kids.”

I finally drew the line in the sand.

Feeding your kids organic foods is NOT the same as not vaccinating them. Protecting them from the harmful effects of DDT remnant water and dirt is not the same as choosing not to vaccinate against debilitating illnesses like polio. Apples and carrots, totally different. Of which I was offended a the comment. So much has been convoluted about buying and eating organic. The word organic is more or less a marketing ploy to those who are unaware of the meaning. When I hear or comprehend the word organic I think of something completely raw, unmodified, untouched, pure, wholesome and positive. I am really quite unsure why people have such a negative connotation surrounding organic.

Maybe the lack of education that the reason I go organic is because my kids will taste their foods, they will appreciate their foods, they will be able to identify foods that are outside of the norm of green leaf lettuce, bananas, apples and grapes. My kids know about fresh granola, fresh raisins that are not stuffed into a box, they know about peppers and cabbage and kale chips. One of my twins only drinks soy milk, of which I only buy organic. He is a soy freak, this makes my heart happy knowing he is making his own health decision because I have positioned him in life to appreciate and enjoy the flavor of good, raw, healthy foods. Not processed, double processed, oiled, trans fat, Round Up immune foods that could lead to build up of carcinogens in his body that he simply cannot process.

I breathe easy at night knowing that my daughter will not mature prematurely because of hormones in her foods and milks. She will not be susceptible to the dangers of breast cancer or other cancers due to choice in diet. Her drink of choice is water or milk. If they indulge in anything other than that it is generally an organic tea brewed by the sun. She snacks on organic baby carrots and could be the spokesgirl for Stoneyfield organic yogurt. My daughter lives and breathes for yogurt.

My head will hit my pillow ever so gently at night knowing that my eldest son has become more focused on an organic diet. The free radicals and processes in most foods I believe interfere in his brain function. I cannot make medical claims, but I can see a dramatic difference between the foods he eats at home and the foods he may eat at school. He has more energy and he craves those healthy foods and not the junk.

Our bodies become addicts to the shit, yes shit, in these foods. Including the ones with noticeable tastes due to chemicals. My meats taste better, my milk is smoother, my bread is healthier. Just remember that organic is a lifestyle and a choice. You can choose to live healthy or you can choose what would seem to be healthy.

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HINT Water – Cure to the Holiday Hangover

The holiday season is upon us and some of us are still reeling the effects of the Halloween hangover with indulging too heavily into sugary snacks, candy bars, or we drank too many sugary drinks, alcoholic beverages and the like. But now are we crest into Thanksgiving, the epic holiday of overindulgence some of us may not want to partake in the overeating, pie hole stuffing of sweet desserts, and of course the alcoholic drinks to celebrate. So how does one or anyone combat the temptations and the sugar hangover from Halloween? Well I was introduced to HINT water.

HINT water is a sugar free, no sweetener, “hint” of flavor water beverage. I personally think it is a great beverage to help curb cravings for your sweet tooth and it is filling because of the amount of pure water you are putting into your body. 16 ounces of water in each HINT bottle is just the start to your total 64 ounces of recommended water intake daily.

I found HINT at my local Sprouts Marketplace and Whole Foods in the bottled water section and I found it in many different flavors: cucumber, raspberry-lime, blackberry, honeydew-hibiscus, mango-grapefruit, pomegranate-tangerine, watermelon, lime, kiwi-strawberry, and pear. All the sweetness of the fruit without the calories, sweetener and empty calories found in soda and juice.

HINT is great for even after the holidays if you are going to kick off your new diet plan or New Year’s resolution because the water of HINT can help you keep your goals and stay on track. By no means am I stating or endorsing that this will help you lose weight, but as someone who lost 65 pounds through diet and exercise after having my twins and is now down 13 pounds on the HCG diet, HINT has been a companion of mine during my weight loss journey. When I have a moment of weakness where I may have a sweet craving, I reach for a bottle of HINT, with zero calories, zero sugar, and all natural flavor not to mention no funky aftertaste often associated with other similar drinks. HINT is water through and through and sure to keep you hydrated through the holidays without the guilt.

Now if the holidays are still wreaking havoc on your system and you are feeling the holiday bloat, drink up with lots of water and add some Usana Digestive Enzyme to your daily vitamin intake to help ease the holiday bloat, upset stomach, and ease normal digestion after large meals. USANA’s Digestive Enzyme is unique in that it contains an enzyme found in the blend called lactase. Lactase assists in the digestion of food containing lactose. In addition, USANA’s Digestive Enzyme is different from others on the market because it contains spirulina, a nutrient-rich blue-green algae “super food” that contains chlorophyll. Chlorophyll supports the body’s natural processes for eliminating toxins from the body*.

With these two products and a whole lot of HINT you are sure to feel free of the holiday hangover.

“Disclosure: I was provided with a bottle of HINT and USANA at no cost in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.”

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Cooking with Fagor America Cookware

Living a green lifestyle to a tee can be a truly difficult task when you search out the products that carry so many harmful materials that increase your carbon footprint. Often the items that harm us the most are not only the foods we eat but the materials in which we prepare them. Sol I sought out Fagor America with their fabulous line of cast iron cookware. Cast iron is a great and healthy option when cooking, no leaching of plastics and or Teflon from aluminum pans into your food. Fagor America has several lines of cookware, of which is their Cast Iron Lite series by Michelle B. This line of cast iron pans is 50% lighter than traditional cast iron, a resilient non-stick interior, and silicone handles to protect from the heat disbursement the pan puts off. Since these pans react just like standard cast iron only with half the weight for ease of use on newer cook tops and they are greatly attractive. Here is some history about Fagor America:

Fagor America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fagor Electrodomesticos. Since opening their offices in 1992, the Fagor brand name has become synonymous with high-quality stainless steel pressure cookers. Fagor is currently positioned as a top cookware brand, sold at major retailers nationwide and our presence has been largely responsible for the resurgence of pressure cooker sales in the US. Along with Pressure cookers, Fagor America also offers a line of specialty cookware.

I requested the red chefs pan. I couldn’t with good conscience review a chicken fryer if I am seeking out healthier alternatives. The chef’s pan has been great for all our cooking needs from eggs, to casseroles on the cook top, to steaming vegetables. I love using it and clean up is the easiest with warm water and soap. Plus I can cook with the piece of mind that aluminum and Teflon are not leaching into the foods my kids eat and the foods my husband and I eat. Fagor America products are available on Amazon.com and are affordable when compared to other quality cook ware products. So if your loved one is looking for cast iron or even new cook ware why not give her the best of both worlds with the Michelle Bernstein cast iron lite series from Fagor America.

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Organic Grooming Herban Cowboy

As an organic family we have tried to seek out as many organic products in our lifestyle as possible. More so than foods, but also our hygiene products since these are the items in our lives that leave the largest footprint, so why not reduce that. On the look out for holiday stocking stuffers and gifts I found something wonderful for my husband. He is always the hard one to shop for and he was also the most skeptical about organic products.  I found the most wonderful gift for him that he can use daily and is good for his  skin and the environment with recyclable packaging, no alcohols, and no harsh synthetics. A little more about Herban Cowboy which makes me love their product even more, is how they got started and what they stand for:

Starting a personal care company on a few thousand dollars, in a log cabin on a dirt road with no Internet and a questionable phone line, could be classified as crazy. The fact that we were broke wasn’t a plus. After ruining all our hand me down pots and pans developing our first formula, hand filling our first bottles of shave cream and taking our first order to the local rural post office where we were greeted with long stares; we got it running. 

We realize everyday millions of tons of personal care products are used globally which could be made much healthier for humans and the environment. We wanted to create personal care products that are both healthy and have minimal environmental impact. We believe small changes in our everyday routine, like switching a can of aerosol shave cream to a recyclable tube of organic shave cream, can collectively have a long-term dramatic benefit to human health and the environment. 

People think it is fancy now that our products are carried by noted retailers, shipped internationally and mentioned in magazines; but, the reality is we’re just happy that Herban Cowboy products contribute to the growing environmental movement by making it easy for people to ‘go green’.Thanks for being part of our story.

Be a part of their story, choose a new holiday gift for the man in your life. Herban Cowboy is an inexpensive, organic gift your man will enjoy using. I know my husband was thrilled at the results from using Herban Cowboy Shave Cream and After Shave Balm with carrot and cucumber. No itchy feeling, a smooth glide as he said when using the shave cream and he said that the after shave balm wasn’t harsh or drying. He also said it helped him in preventing razor burn, bumps, and possible in grown hairs. As I said, add this to your man’s life and enter to win my giveaway of an Herban Cowboy gift set which includes a full size bottle of Herban Cowboy Shave Cream and a full size bottle of After Shave Balm. Here is how you can enter to win:

  • Visit Herban Cowboy and tell me what product you would love to share with the man in your life.
  • Be sure to Like Herban Cowboy on Facebook and follow them on Twitter
  • Follow my blog
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Like The Fish on Facebook
  • Promote this giveaway on Facebook
  • Tweet this giveaway daily: Add #vegan & #organic to your gift giving win a shave kit for him with @Herban_Cowboy & @KariewithaK https://thefivefish.com/organic-grooming-herban-cowboy
  • Comment on a non-giveaway post
  • Blog about this giveaway (worth 5 entries)

Contest ends November 25th @ Midnight AZ time

As always: No Purchase Necessary, available to US and Canada residents. One entry per household. US postcard entries also acceptable if you do not have access to the above entry options, no limit to postcard entries as long as all are received before the close of the contest, email contests@thefivefish.com for your postcard entry details or to use email as your postcard entrance as these entries will be logged by the administrator of the blog. Winners will be chosen by “And the Winner is” Failure to adhere to the aforementioned rules set forth by this contest will result in forfeiture of your entry with no notice. Facebook does not promote, endorse, nor sponsor this review and giveaway and will be held harmless. As always, good luck and enjoy. My opinions herein are my own and are no way influenced by the receipt of a free product, they are an honest reflection of myself and my review of the integrity of the product.

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Muichic Tagua Jewelry

muichic jewelry, vegan jewelryKeeping up with my organic themed lifestyle I wanted to find gifts that are affordable, sustainable, and organic. Let’s face the facts that most gifts are made to be disposable, non-reusable, and or garbage. No one speaks of heirloom gifts that are passed on anymore; cheap this, cheap that, gift card, sure they are nice, but who want’s nice. I have gifts that I have been receiving that are from when my mother gifted them to my grandmother, talk about being green and an heirloom item. Oh I digress with the rambling.

So while on the prowl for great sustainable and organic gifts I came across Muichic Tagua Jewelry. Such a unique name, which the phonetic is moo-ee-sheek. The company intrigued me because their base product is almost essentially vegan. How crazy is that, considering most jewelry is created from a fine gem or metal such as a diamond and or gold. But long gone are the days of drilling and mining. Muichic creates their gorgeous jewelry from the nut that grows on a palm tree in South America. Yes, I said a NUT from a TREE. Talk about sustainability, low environmental impact, and remarkably the end product is stunning. Here is more about Muichic:

Tagua is our raw material. All of our pieces are made by hand from “tagua nut”. The tagua nut, a botanical alternative to ivory (a.k.a. vegetable ivory), is a seed that comes from the ivory-nut palm which grows wild in the humid tropical forest of South America. Its use stimulates the local economies in the region providing an alternative to cutting down rainforests for farming.

Unique accessories that are environmentally friendly & gracefully chic make up our natural bijoux collection…bold, playful & colorful goodness for your body. All of our pieces come in different colors and like snowflakes they all differ from one another. Each tagua nut has its own distinctive grain and shape which gives a remarkably uncommon quality to each piece of jewelry. Quality & individual variation on each piece are guaranteed.

muichic jewelry, vegan jewelryNow I am not a huge “bling” girl, I am not into chunky jewelry, bold statements, minimalist is best for me, it screams classy and I wanted to share my taste with my readers this holiday season about the beauty and dramatic statement from a vegan, organic, sustainable gift that is sure to wow any recipient. Plus this is a gift that is sure to last for many generations. Muichic offers many varieties of neckware, earware, fingerware, and wristware or for those whom are not fans of the bling can delve into the homeware with centerpieces and miscellaneous decor to add warmth to any home.

You too can surprise a loved one this holiday season with the organic, sustainable, vegan , stunning beauty of a piece of muichic tagua jewelry. Here is how you can surprise them this holiday season with the LIM Bracelet in red:

  • Visit Muichic and tell me what you like about their products and/or tell me one fact from their FAQ.
  • Like Muichic on Facebook and comment on their site promoting this giveaway and what you like about their products. (Worth 3 entries)
  • Like The Fish on Facebook (worth 3 entries)
  • Post/Share this giveaway on Facebook (worth 2 entries)
  • Follow My Blog
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Follow Muichic on Twitter
  • Tweet this giveaway: Add some sustainable fashion to your stocking with @muichic and @KariewithaK – https://thefivefish.com/muichic-tagua-jewelry
  • Comment on a non giveaway post
  • Blog this giveaway (worth 5 entries)
  • Subscribe to my feed or add me to your reader

Contest ends November 25th @ Midnight Arizona Time
As always: No Purchase Necessary, available to US and Canada residents. One entry per household. US postcard entries also acceptable if you do not have access to the above entry options, no limit to postcard entries as long as all are received before the close of the contest, email contests@thefivefish.com for your postcard entry details or to use email as your postcard entrance as these entries will be logged by the administrator of the blog. Winners will be chosen by “And the Winner is” Failure to adhere to the aforementioned rules set forth by this contest will result in forfeiture of your entry with no notice. Facebook does not promote, endorse, nor sponsor this review and giveaway and will be held harmless. As always, good luck and enjoy.

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Maukilo HABA Hit the Throttle

While on the prowl for new gift ideas, gifts that are sustainable, eco-friendly, educational and not the same old plastic mold from big name brands that offer nothing more than a cheap toy, I was approached by the folks at HABA USA.

Here is what I love about HABA USA and the Maukilo team and what they stand for:

In 2000, a German woman named Alexandra was living in California. Alex was searching for quality gifts and presents to send back to Germany to a friend who recently had a baby, but was disappointed in the collection available in the USA. While Alex researched for European toys online she discovered that virtually none of the European brands that she grew up with as a child were available. Thus the introduction of Maukilo.com. 

Currently, Maukilo is owned and operated by one of Maukilo’s largest suppliers, the German based HABA(R) company. The HABA USA office is located in quaint and picturesque Skaneateles Falls, New York and has now become the home of Maukilo.com. 

The Maukilo team (many mothers themselves) searches the world over to find incredible products inspired by European quality and innovation. We understand the importance of play and how essential it is to a child’s cognitive, emotional and social development. Our passion is finding products that are both fun and educational for children of all ages. 

We are committed to providing high quality toys that can be handed down from child to child, friend to friend, a toy that can be played with forever. All of the products carried on the Maukilo store meet or exceed the standards set forth by the U. S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and with our partners we are committed to ensure responsible working conditions (Maukilo.com, 2011). 

Choosing a toy or toys that your children can enjoy is really a daunting task with their site, so many toys that of course will last. So I chose a learning game/toy that all of my children could enjoy together because family time and learning is so important to us as a family.

We chose the Hit the Throttle board game. Board games are always so full of competition with the kids that I dread getting any games for them to play like that because fights ensue, then comes time out, crying, the whole dramatic event that could be thwarted by not partaking in a board game. But Hit the Throttle is so different in that the kids race one another to the finish line but no one really knows which car they are racing, which takes the challenge to an all new level of fun. I know my kids had a ball and yours will too this holiday season and for future days to come since Hit the Throttle is made with a sturdy cardboard race track and wooden race cars. No need to worry about leeching plastics and throw away toys, this one is a keeper.

Don’t take my word for it, if you are eco-conscious and you are looking for toys and gifts that will last more than just into the next holiday season, the Maukilo team and HABA USA are are great option. In addition to the toys lasting a lifetime they are even easy on your budget with prices from under $25, under $50 and under $75, and toys for all ages.

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Not easy being Green

USDA Organic, organic, Karie Herring, thefivefish.comMom’s and folks galore find the most amazing topics in life to argue about. Stout opposition. Blatant bullshit. Mindless minutiae. But let’s get to the brass tax of some largely misunderstood and widely misrepresented information. The Green Movement. Even more so, the whole organic movement and the stout opposition to HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) among mommy bloggers.

But a lot of folks are mislead or are completely uneducated about organic, certified organic, certified free trade, USDA certified organic, heirloom and the like. The business and marketing about organic is confusing to the layman and its marketing and a lifestyle choice to those who fully embrace, understand, and know the true meaning of going green and choosing organic. Let’s place a bit of fact or fiction regarding organic, buying organic, what organic really means, and exploring the full realm of the Big O and what the general public is probably not fully aware surrounding our friends at the USDA.

FACT  or FICTION? : The top foods you should buy when buying organic are milk, meats, produce, and grains.

FICTION.

Organic is a lifestyle. PERIOD. Much like dieting, smoking, drinking, whatever your vice, choosing to purchase USDA Certified Organic foods is a LIFESTYLE choice. Suggesting to buy specific items is sheer bullshit. However, you can find a fantastic list of items that are believed to be the dirtiest (riddled with pesticides and considered high on the GMO list) in your produce section on this article by CNN and you can also read it on the great not for profit site. Furthermore, take a good look at organic and standard produce. If you love your California avocados and are willing to buy them at 2 for $1.00 when in season, by all means. But don’t stray away from your organic either. Take a gander, are the prices comparable? If so, then the investment is worth the small price difference.  But if the price difference is rather considerable, then hold off until the item is in season or buy standard. Again a pure choice. Organic is reasonably priced due to the fact that the items are harvested when they are in season, much like when your flowers bloom and based on the location of the farm with the season. When in doubt though, buy US produce as the cost will be a bit less due to the fact less travel was associated with the delivery.

FACT or FICTION: Milk should always be bought organic because of all the hormones?

FICTION

Again a matter of lifestyle. However, many dairy farmers are pushing that they are not using hormones or are hormone free because of the startling study found by researchers that these hormones are being carried into more than just milk. But into our bodies and our children which is believed to induce premature puberty in young girls and androgyny in some of our boys. Furthermore, with the recent events in Japan, be wary of your “California Cows” or those from the Pacific area since radiation is first found in milk of cows from the grass they eat….that goes for Organic too. Moooo-ve on over Pacific and Pacific Northwest.

FACT or FICTION? : There is only one organic.

FICTION

The truth of the matter is that everything is organic. *gasp! Yes, we are all “organic” material, made of matter and the like. CERTIFIED Organic, the big green you see above, is delegated into several different categories and let me just paint the picture so you understand how each applies to just a few of the different delegations of the “organic” umbrella:

  • Certified Organic – this can be QAI and USDA certified. Both of these require rigorous and in depth investigation of the farms, the product, the water source, the cleanliness, the soil testing. Not a stone goes unturned in these certifications. However, the USDA is rather more intense requiring a farm to be clean for a minimum of five years during review. The soil, water, produce, the entire farm is tested to make sure it is clean of pesticides, hormones and additives. A farm generally has to be clean longer than this time in order for the life cycle of pesticides to die off, if they ever. Furthermore, rigorous maintenance and fees are applied for being USDA certified. Not to mention the handling on these farms is not your standard handling which is why the costs may be realized to be higher. But you are what you eat right?
  • Heirloom – I could live and breathe heirloom if allowed. Heirloom is exactly what it sounds like. These are seeds and produce passed down from generations. You will see a good portion of EU (European Union) countries have heirloom produce. Native Americans here in North America have heirloom seeds and produce. Heirloom produce is open pollinated and are a hybrid. By hybrid, these seeds have naturally cross pollinated and albeit evolved through the ages. They are generally pesticide free and are not what a layman may consider a perennial or annual. These beauties are tasty, gorgeous, and unique all their own. What people do not realize is that seed producers and sellers generate seeds that only germinate once or maybe more but after that the fruit/produce becomes bitter due to the genetic engineering of these items. Which makes heirlooms all the more in demand.
  • Organic – just about anything can be called organic. It just cannot be called “certified” or you start getting into an ugly marketing and disclosure issue with the feds. Organic is a way of farming, period, and again everything is organic matter/material. So items can be considered under the “organic” umbrella in a range anywhere from 70 to 99% organic depending upon the ingredients and the way the ingredients are grown. However, in order to slap the old green seal of approval onto the foods you eat, those foods must have passed the rigorous testing of the USDA and the Organic Program which certifies that the farm is still an active clean farm from the water, the soil and the environment in which it operates. See all my aforementioned regarding the cleanliness of these farms and you can find more at the USDA Organic site.

Just know that Organic truly is a lifestyle. No one will look down their nose at you for the food choices you make, and if they do, well maybe they ought to look at their own lives before passing judgement on yours. Life is all about choices and as parents we try to make the best choices we can in life and as long as you can say you are doing what you can for your children and they are healthy, happy, productive people then what else can we ask for as parents. Like Kermit the Frog always said, “It’s not easy, being green.” Nor is life easy as a parent, when we brought our special packages home we were never given a manual for handling them, so we make our own rules and manual up as we go along all the while learning from our mistakes, because if we were all perfect, we would never know to learn.

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GMO HFCS Organic and Bullshit…OH MY!

Proud to say I have detached myself from the mommy blog cancer that explodes rather cyclically with the mud slinging and pettiness. I admit that every now and I again I will hop on Twitter anxious to maintain connections I have made only because I have had the opportunity to interact with some truly amazing women.

But when I log on and see women, acting like little girls, and encompassing their family in their small-minded attacks on trivial life items. The title should tell you what situation I refer. Come on ladies…first it was stay at home versus the working mom…now this?

I suppose a scattered number of posts have gone up on blogs recently regarding HFCS – High Fructose Corn Syrup. Then I saw the attacks go up with women who are stoutly against this food dominating additive.

Then I did some research….and then I had my last laugh.

In particular, I saw a mom try to laden her entire Twitter stream with #organic hash tags and  minutiae and just laughed harder. Why?

Do you see where my bus is rolling? Oh yes, right over the top of the bullshit I caught a whiff of, where a mom and “influencer” made a weak attempt to state that she feeds her family NOTHING but organic. Really?

When did PF Changs and Whip Cream in a can go Big O?

Let’s take a gander at the ingredients of the new PF Chang’s Home Menu haute cuisine that was overlooked in the organic revolution:

Holy heart stopper Batman! Can you read this? If not I can send you some phonics that spells out nothing in this package suggests “organic,” furthermore can you NOT see the sodium levels in just ONE, yes ONE serving of dim sum. Over 65% of your daily allowance in that tasty treat. Excuse me….I must go hurl over the bullshit ingested in that. Oh and the fact that this qualifies under “pre-packaged and boxed meals” only makes me want to shove my wrist in my throat to induce MORE vomiting. Add the ogenated, preservatives, gluten and other miscellaneous non-organic and non-natural items. Hurl-a-licious baby. Makes me want to run out, buy it, eat it, and then lie that I never bought it, ate it, and gained some extra poundage to my weight loss venture. Gag me with a spoon Valley Girl. Seriously that meal could make me bulimic reading the ingredients.

Moving on now to the whip cream in a can. I love this topic, because the same mom boasting #organic like the Dems and their “ObamaCare” had NO IDEA, or maybe she did and she was too much the beguiler. Which yes, I used that word from my mostly online university education you whoreson. Ah, I digress. Task at hand, yes the ingredients of the CANNED whip cream.

So the cream is generally sweetened by…wait for it…wait for it….corn syrup. Please refer back to the first picture so you can see the canned goodness derived from cream and corn syrup.

Proof is in the…err…cream. Copyright of ReddiWhip

There I said it. Now this mother was let me state again, a STOUT Boswell, or better a beguiling backer. She supports without merit. For those still in the 10 year undergraduate program, this is an unsupported citation. Citing information with no merit or with fault. Again, I digress. Regardless, she is pushing the fact that she ONLY,  yes ONLY goes organic. How can you say you ONLY do organic in your home but then post a picture of your shopping cart that supports high fructose corn syrup in your diet? Because you are full of shit, that is why.

So I beg the question? Why the hell if you are such a strong opponent to high fructose corn syrup and GMO (genetically modified) foods are you eating the strongest offenders of shit in your diet?

Oh did I mention the heart stopping sodium which also leads to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure which also leads to kidney failure among other health issues? Oh and alcohol consumption…did you know there are over 760 calories in one margarita? Drink on ass wipe. It’s not high fructose corn syrup making you fat you fuck, its the margarita and canned whip cream. Why are you going on the offense to attack other mothers who are embracing capitalism at it’s finest by agreeing to sponsored posts on behalf of the Corn Refiners and Mom Central?

Because you think you have a soap box, so let me show you some critically acclaimed information for your soap box next time you get on a rant. Which is clear your Twitter stream of posts about eating junk food, drinking high calorie alcoholic beverages, clear the fact you are a high school drop out, haven’t held a real job in years, and that your real job is as an amateur blogger..yes…I said amateur. Because when you ramble on and contradict yourself, you are a dumb fuck. Period.

If you want to know more about genetically modified foods, organic (which is merely a matter of marketing because at the base of the matter, everything is organic, everything is “organic” matter. In closing, next time you try to step up onto a soap box and preach your higher living be sure to check your soap box is not a steaming pile of bullshit.