Hello, Detroit!

I just finished up teaching a class, and opened my email to find a few messages from readers in the Detroit area.  Hello, Detroit!! Apparently, the Fox News clip I did a few months ago appeared on the Detroit affiliate today.  I think that's so fun!

After that clip aired in Phoenix, I wrote up a post about the products shown. Please click through and check it out!

I also just want to say Welcome! I always love new readers, and look forward to getting to know you.  Feel free to comment or email me directly.

Sonoran Living Segment - Mother's Day Gift Ideas!

Mother's Day should be full of pampering and relaxation for moms! This selection of gifts provides ideas for every mom and every budget.

Born Free Cups are the perfect baby cup for toddlers on the go. 100% BPA-free, these cups are safe and sturdy for the youngest child.  All products can be found at www.bornfree.com.

To go along with the Born Free cups for the little ones, mom can carry her own customized Sigg bottle! Full color, vinyl wraps can be ordered from www.siggskins.com. It's easy to upload your photographs or custom artwork to make a fully personalized bottle wrap. Skins for 1L bottles are only $12.95.

Jewelry is always a popular gift, and the Isabelle Grace line offers some wonderful pieces for moms to wear. From initials, to customized pendants, and even a sweet "Mom" charm, any woman would love to wear these pieces. They can be found at www.isabellegracejewelry.com.

Stylish and beautiful "Teething Bling" pendants were designed for babies to handle and chew, but are a wonderful accessory to wear every day. They are made from the same material as many teething toys, and are perfectly safe and non-toxic. They're even dishwasher-safe! More information and products can be found at www.smartmomjewelry.com, including local retailers.

Provide your mom the chance to be pampered at one of our local spas and help a worthwhile cause! Purchase a ticket to the annual Arizona Spa Event. Each ticket includes a gift bag, access to kick-off event, a Summer Spaaah tee, and a spa certificate valid for 30 days after the kick-off event and gratuity! This is truly a luxurious gift. For more information, visit www.summerspaaz.com to find locations, dates and ticket prices.

For an at-home pampering session, visit Whole Foods and put together a spa basket with their quality bath and personal products. Choose from calming scrubs, relaxing tea, organic soaps and more! Many products are made in Arizona, and their staff is happy to help you choose the perfect gift. Visit Whole Foods Markets at www.wholefoodsmarket.com to find the closest location. There are 8 Arizona locations.

Brand new moms can pamper themselves with products that accelerate healing, lessen scar appearance, alleviate pain and swelling and promote relaxation. Recovery Kits were designed to help new moms recover faster following c-section or natural childbirth. The Recovery Kits can be purchased online at www.therecoverykit.com.

Baby Daze is the gift for a moms who want to keep track of everything about their new baby. Their products allow easy organization of all the information we need to share with our spouses, doctors and sitters about our young children. The Baby Daze Organizer also makes keeping a baby journal easy in those hectic first months. See the products at www.babydaze.net

A gourmet food basket full of Arizona products is a welcome gift! Sphinx Ranch in Scottsdale has been creating unique, gourmet baskets from 1951 and would love to help you spoil your mom this Mother's Day. Baskets can be viewed and ordered from www.sphinxdateranch.com.

Edible gifts that are fun to share are great for gatherings. Surprise Mom with a "flour" pizza, or a completely edible, chocolate bouquet! Visit www.ediblegiftsplus.com for their full collection.

What mom doesn't need a little caffeine? Seattle's Best offers a Toddy cold-brew system, as well as their signature blends to keep mom going! Toddy cold-brew technology makes the smoothest coffee - coffee that's 67% less acidic. The Toddy system and Seattle's Best Coffee whole bean coffees are available for sale in Seattle's Best Coffee cafes or online at Cooking.com.

Help Mom meet her fitness goals with Chung Shi shoes. These shoes do more than cover mom’s feet – they make the leg muscles work 57% harder than with a standard training shoe and lower leg muscles are worked over 200% harder to increase caloric burn by more than 25% to 40-percent.  Combine them with specially designed Pink Poles to increase circulation and aerobic fitness!  Find them at Foot Solutions, www.footsolutions.com or by calling -888-FIT-FOOT (348-3668). Foot Solutions has 3 Phoenix stores, and is able to specially fit their products.


Stella & Dot jewelry is offering a brand new little girls' line and a Mommy & Me line that is sure to make those Mother's Day portraits sparkle.  Customize matching sets with unique charms that can be shared. View the entire line at www.stelladot.com/esk or contact Elisabeth Krakora directly at 602-790-0629. Call Elisabeth for a 10% discount & free shipping for Sonoran Living viewers until May 3, 2010.

Products from Fox Spot

I've received a few emails asking me about the specifics of the products shown on my kitchen table during my recent Fox interview about trying to avoid chemicals in items - especially for my kids.  I wasn't able to talk about every piece on camera, but here is what you saw on my table:

1. Born Free was the first company to manufacture BPA-free plastics for baby bottles and plastic drinking cups. Their products can be found at www.bornfree.com
2. June Bee Baby Clothing specializes in handknit baby clothing, made from organic materials. Each piece of clothing is handknit by women working from their homes in Turkey. Clothing can be found at www.junebeebaby.com
3. Innobaby provides a variety of serving dishes and food storage devices that are convenient and safe for children. Their stainless steel bus platter is durable, as well as adorable and safe for kids. Not all of their plastic products are BPA-free, but a listing can be found at their website – www.innobaby.com
4. Little Duck Organics provide quality, organic snacks for toddlers and preschoolers. Their freeze-dried fruits contain nothing except fruit! Their snacks are found at Amazon and www.littleduckorganics.com
5. Revolution Foods is another company providing organic snacks for infants, toddlers and older kids. Their innovative packaging and fresh ideas, coupled with their commitment to providing organic foods for kids makes them a company to watch. Visit www.revfoods.com to see a complete line of products.
6. Boogie Wipes are a gentle alternative to dry tissues for sensitive noses. Saline-moistened wipes help moms keep noses clean! This mom-created product can be found at www.boogiewipes.com
7. Tyler Trends Organic Cotton Clothing is made by a family-owned company that makes quality clothing with fun designs. Their cute designs can be found at www.tylertrends.com
8. Teething Bling pendants and bangles are made from silicone that is phthalate and lead free - completely non-toxic. Available from Amazon and www.smartmomjewelry.com
9. Melville Chair – These versatile chairs are made from formaldehyde-free plywood and finished with environmentally safe finishes. The chairs can be turned into a table, and even used as a stool. The company incorporates sustainable practices, in an effort to create fun and responsible products. More products can be found at www.greenhome.com
10. Mrs. Meyer’s Baby Line is a sweet-smelling, eco-friendly line of products safe for babies. More information can be found at www.mrsmeyers.com
11. Piggy Paint is a completely non-toxic nail polish which is safe for everyone to use. The colors are bright and vibrant, but practically odorless. They also provide a non-toxic nail polish remover. They can be found at www.piggypaint.com
12. Lotus Bebe creates sustainable luxury for babies. Their blankets are made from soybeans and bamboo– considered eco-fabrics, that are less damaging to the environment than cotton and petroleum based fabrics. Their products are found at www.lotusbebe.com

Trying to Be Chemical-Free

A couple weeks ago, Keith Yaskin, from our local Fox news station, visited my home to talk with me about the things I do to try and avoid chemicals in our home and for our children.  It was fun to share some of the products we use, as well as share how I try to avoid too many chemicals without becoming an extremist.  I think Keith did a great editing job, but you can watch and judge for yourself.

Fool of Myself?

I've been second guessing myself ever since the reporter left a couple days ago. While I hope I sounded intelligent and shared my ideas in a thoughtful, careful manner . . . I know that I have no control over how things will be edited and what pieces will be used.  The interview was thrown at me a few hours before they showed up at my door, and I was given a couple lines about the focus of the piece.  

While I know I can't go back in time and change things, I just hope it's obvious that I'm trying my best. And with that, I'm going to try and stop thinking about it until the piece airs!

Last Minute Emails

This morning, as I was throwing together beef stew for tonight's dinner, I received an email asking if I would be available to have a TV crew come to my home and interview me about safe baby/child products.  I took a deep breath  . . . looked around my house . . . and replied "Sure!"

Before they showed up, I shot this video to help me think about the products I was showing, and let go of some of my nervousness.  I realized I mis-spoke a couple times in my home video and hope I did better when the reporter was here.  The Lotus Bebe blankets are made from soybeans and BAMBOO.  I don't know why I said flannel, except that they are softer than flannel!

A few hours later, a very nice reporter and his cameraman showed up and we talked about being a mom, choosing products with little to no chemicals, writing a blog, my Frigidaire refrigerator (he was a bit incredulous that I received it in exchange for blogging . . . and I am, too, sometimes!  But I also know that I helped spread the word about the brand and showed my readers how it really worked in our home!) and then I talked about some of the products we had in our home. 

I'm curious to see how the show is edited and how excited Lydia will be to see herself on TV.  She still complains that she wasn't able to be on the last show (when I was live on Sonoran Living) so I'm glad she got her shot this time!  I'm also hoping I didn't say anything dumb.  The kids were all well-behaved . . . well, as well-behaved as 3 children their ages can be, I guess!

Here's Keith Yaskin, the reporter for Fox 10 News, with his camerman getting some final shots in my kitchen before they left.  I'll let you know when the episode airs -- I'm especially curious what others have to say about avoiding chemicals!