Books For Good: I Am Because We Are by photographer Kristen Ashburn

I just heard of this beautiful new book called I AM BECAUSE WE ARE. It is a powerful new work of photojournalism documenting the AIDS pandemic in southern Africa. I AM BECAUSE WE ARE is by photographer Kristen Ashburn, and is a companion piece to Madonna's documentary film by the same title. The book takes an intimate look into the lives of seven of the 1 million Malawian children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. And the best part? The author proceeds go directly to Raising Malawi, a non-profit dedicated to providing community-based assistance to Malawian children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS.

From Powerhouse Books: "The title is derived from the concept of “Ubuntu,” a belief in African spirituality that says all humanity is connected, that we cannot be ourselves without community and that an individual’s well-being is dependent upon the well-being of others.

The book contains heart-wrenching stories that are a call to action. In a country of 13 million people, over one million are orphans. Looking into the hearts and minds of children who have suffered more than one can imagine, the book provides an unflinching view of life at the center of the global AIDS crisis.

Ultimately viewers come to understand that this is not just a story about orphans in Malawi, but about global responsibility and human interconnectedness."

This book is available for pre-order and will be in bookstores soon. I had a chance to take a sneak peek at the book in PDF form. The images and sparse text about real children and their lives tell more than any news story ever could. These children are our children. In the midst of ultimate heartbreak and poverty, they play, hug each other, cry, and simply live as best they can. The stories and the images are heartbreaking, inspiring and a motivating call to action. We need to hear these stories, see their faces, and pledge to work together to end their suffering.

Soft Landing Giveaway: Green Sprouts Dish Set and Teethers-- Drum Roll Please

Drumroll, please... the winner of the The Soft Landing Green Sprouts Baby Dish Gift Set and two Green Sprouts teethers is...

Shel of Books at Bedtime! Congrats.

Thank you to all who entered. It was very exciting for me to see 62 comments on one post! And don't worry. I've already been working on some awesome new giveaways for the new year. So keep visiting and more opportunities to win more green parenting gear and all the other good stuff you've come to expect from Non-Toxic Kids.

Post Christmas Toy Safey Checklist

(Please forgive my lack of posting for a few days. Our family was stricken with an awful intestinal bug. I've been down for the count and it hasn't been pretty.)


Okay, readers, I know that despite your best intentions, some plastic from China has probably entered your house over the holiday. Maybe even painted wood toys that look good but were made in China. And your little one was rapturous, joyful and in love with the little toy that you have no idea if it is safe.

At least that is what happened in our house.

Just to give you an example, my daughters were given a few toys that are highly suspect, and one that is totally unsafe from loving, generous family members.

One present my youngest received contains lead (as listed by healthytoys.org). Another is from a company sued by the state of Vermont for a lead paint violation. And two music boxes are directly related (same toy, different animals) to one that was recalled for lead paint.

It is extremely difficult to extract such toys as the kids get older. Of course, my girls fell in love with them. I'm currently hiding the suspect toys until I can return or check them with a lead test kit. But my oldest is already asking where they are!

With this in mind, I offer some ideas about how to check your kid's toys for safety if you are in the same boat I am.

*All children's jewelry is highly suspect! Get rid of any jewelry that is not: sterling silver, ceramic beads, or gold. Children have died from acute lead poisoning in cheap trinket jewelry (see the lead link in the categories section for more information on this).

*Check healthytoys.org for the specific brand and toy type if it was made in China. Many well known brands (such as Melissa and Doug) have unsafe levels of lead and other toxins.

*If your girls received any children's makeup, check out the Environmental Working Group's Safe Cosmetic database. They've put together another great guide to safer cosmetics. Lisa at Enviroblog sums it up for busy, sleep deprived parents:

"Cosmetic ingredients to avoid:

DMDM hydantoin & Imidazolidinyl urea

Methylchloroisothiazolinone & Methylisothiazolinone

Fragrance and dyes

Parabens or -paraben

Triethanolamine

Iodopropynyl butylcarbamate

Triclosan & triclocarban

Cosmetic products to avoid:

Anti-aging creams with lactic, glycolic, AHA and BHA acids

Hair dyes with ammonia, peroxide, p-phenylenediamine, diaminobenzene, and all dark permanent hair dyes

Liquid hand soaps with Triclosan, aka Antibacterial hand soaps

Nail polish & removers with fermaldehyde

Skin lighteners with hydraquinone"

*Buy a lead test kit at your local hardware store if you can't find any information on healthtoys.org. This is what I will be doing on the suspect toys in our house. I know, they aren't always accurate. But it's the best I've got!

BPA in Dental Sealants? Ask Your Dentist!

Happy New Year, Non-Toxic Kids readers! Wishing you a happy, healthy and productive 2009.




In a matter of days, I've had two questions on this blog about BPA used in dental sealants. And fortunately (or unfortunately, depending how you look at it), I've found out first hand all about this.

We've all heard a great deal this year about BPA in plastics, canned food and baby bottles. But you may not have heard that some dental sealants used to fill cavities contain BPA.

BPA (bisphenol A) has been linked to numerous health problems, including liver and heart disease, hyperactivity, and damage to the reproductive systems of children. And I have a blog record of no less than 31 posts about it, as I referenced in my post a few days ago about BPA being one of the hot topics of the year.

When I was dutifully bringing my 3 year old daughter to the dentist for a cleaning, I was told she had a cavity. First of all, I was horrified. We'd been religiously brushing her teeth as soon as she'd got 'em. And flossing, for a year or so. Of course, I felt like a mom who lives her kid a bottle of Doctor Pepper before bed. Anyway--you can see where this is going, right?

Before I talk about BPA, let me mention fluoride. I've been as freaked out about it as many other parents, but I am particularly concerned about healthy teeth. I had braces, oral surgery and numerous discomforts for my pearly whites. You might say I am a bit neurotic. We live in a rural area with no fluoridated water, so our pediatrician recommended fluoride drops. I did some research, and decided it was best to give these drops to our girls, but not to worry if we missed a night or two. Well, I guess I should have worried. Now our oldest as a cavity and more "troubling spots" as the hygienist described. I almost fell off the chair. Now we use a prescription toothpaste (she can spit, so she doesn't ingest too much of the fluoride), and we bagged the drops, so they don't get too much. With my youngest, we brush her teeth with Tom's of Maine with fluoride.

I'm just too scarred by seeing my oldest in a chair with a huge needle in her gums to worry as much about fluoride. Okay, sorry, now back to BPA--

So I asked if the sealants they use contain BPA. Thankfully, they had just switched to using a sealant without BPA, because of patient requests. My daughter's sealants won't have it, but my cavities sure do. I also have an ancient silver one that probably contains mercury.

The take home message (tired parents are saying, finally!): Ask your hygienist. If they don't know, ask the dentist. And if they say the sealants do contain BPA, but are "safe", explain that you know differently and ask that they switch to sealants that are BPA free. They exist and are available.
Readers, have you asked your dentist about BPA in sealants? Have you experienced a cavity in your young child? I'd love to hear your comments.

By the way, I read every comment that you post here. Sometimes I am not very good about writing back in a timely manner, but I do read and appreciate every comment on this blog. One of my goals for Non-Toxic Kids this year is to have more discussion and participation from readers. I know you are out there, after over 30 comments on the giveaway!

PS- I'll pick the winner in the next day or so!