The Chatterbox

The Chatterbox

News and views from the staff of FamilyEducation.
Subscribe to The Chatterbox's blog

archives

March 31, 2009
Safety is only skin deep
As I grow older, I am becoming more aware of what I am putting in my body. But, what about what I put on my body? We are told to avoid pesticides and other toxic chemicals by eating fresh, organic foods. But have you thought about the level of toxicity in your lotions, SPFs, makeup, and other personal care items? I never gave a second thought about my Olay lotion, Cover Girl powder, and daily moisturizer until my sister introduced me to the site, Skin Deep. This site rates products and ingredients on a hazard scale of 1-10. Products with a score of 0-2 have a low hazard, 3-6 are moderately...
Health, Personal Care, Safety
March 24, 2009
Have a green Easter
The Easter bunny is stretching and getting ready for his April 12 rounds. He will be delivering colorful eggs, chocolates, and surprises for all. But along with all the Easter bunny's goodies comes a lot of waste. There isn't much about Easter that screams cheap and eco-friendly. But what if Easter could be as green as spring? Here are some tips that will save the Earth from extra waste and save you from shelling out too much dough: Recycle: Chocolates and Easter eggs come in a huge amount of packaging. Make sure to recycle all cardboard packaging, old Easter cards, and foil. And as usual...
Easter, Eco-friendly, Recycle
March 23, 2009
How do you Tweet?
I just posted a new tweet on my Twitter account. It said something along the lines of "What's the point of this?" Twitter is the newest fad in social networking. From what I understand (and that's very little at this point), you have a limited amount of space to let everyone know how you feel and what you're doing. It's like a brief play by play of your day. (Because, you know, everyone is just dying to know what you had for lunch, how it tasted, and when you plan on eating again.) A friend of mine has tried explaining it to me, saying that it's a great way to get a sense of the "overall...
Internet use, Social Networking, Twitter
March 17, 2009
Everyone is Irish on March 17.
Today is St. Patrick's Day! The one day of the year where everyone is Irish, even if you aren't. Most typically think of leprechauns, pots of gold, and mass amounts of people wearing green and drinking on St. Patrick's Day. But as a family, how can you celebrate this public holiday that usually revolves around drinking? Here are a couple of ideas: If you plan to entertain on St. Patrick's Day, our party planner will help you organize games, activities, recipes, and festive decorations. As a family, start by working up an appetite with the kids and make some festive decorations. Kids won't...
Celebration, Irish, St. Patrick's Day
March 3, 2009
Reduce, reuse, and eat!
So, we all like saving money, don't we? YES! And we all like being earth-friendly, right? RIGHT! Well, my sister recently invested in a couple of reusable items that make packing lunch easier, more earth-friendly, and less wasteful. All of which makes food taste so much better! First, stop buying those plastic sandwich bags and start using the clever, reusable wrap-n'-mats. Made of cloth with a lining of phthalate, lead, and BPA-free plastic, these mats wrap securely around fruits, vegetables, sandwiches, chips, or other loose foods. Not only do they keep your food clean and protected, they...
Eco-friendly, Lunch, Reusable