Trying to choose a safe water bottle that doesn’t leach harmful chemicals into our drinking water sometimes seems about as impossible as getting a two year old to eat a bowl of eggplant with a side of brussel sprouts for dinner.

The claim "paraben free" has begun to show up on many personal care product labels.  But what exactly is a paraben and why is it a good thing that it's not in my shampoo?

There are 4 common types of parabens that you will typically see listed on a label: methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl. All of these parabens are a type of preservative that are used in everything from personal care products such as deodorant and shampoo to, less often, the coating on dried meat products and even some cereal and potato chips. A known endocrine disruptor and possible breast carcinogen, this preservative is worth paying attention to.

You’re right to hesitate. Over the counter medication is not good to give small children. It is often not very effective and as we’ve heard in the past couple of years (with all the recalls and warnings), can be dangerous.

As allergies to dairy products continue to rise, so do the choices for alternatives. My favorite dairy alternative is definitely Almond milk. *Blue Diamond Almond Breeze brand to be specific. This non-dairy beverage made from almonds has a smooth and creamy flavor that far surpasses such choices as rice and soy milk.

Gingerbread houses, cookies, cupcakes, yep, it’s definitely that time of year. Time to slather on the frosting! It’s tempting to just throw a can of frosting into your cart at the store but before you do take a look at the list of ingredients.

To avoid any sort of contamination it is best to rinse out, or preferably wash, your water bottles everyday. The key is to then let them thoroughly dry. Because hand washing isn’t my favorite item on my to-do list I usually buy stainless steel water bottles that have no coating or coloring so that they can go in the dishwasher.

A few weeks ago I made this recipe (my own personal creation!) and as my 6 year old son was slurping it down I said “There’s a secret ingredient in that pudding.” Pretty sure that I had hidden some unknown treasure in his pudding he excitedly asked “What is it? Tell me, tell me!”

Pencils made out of recycled denim and newspaper are now readily available at Target and other major stores. Made in Canada by Mega Brands (sometimes branded as Rose Art) these pencils are a great (and inexpensive- we paid $1.79 for 6) way to teach kids that recycling really does matter. Note: newspaper pencils were more easily sharpened than denim.

Take the time to go to your local Farmer’s Market! You are supporting local agriculture and business, are more likely to bring home (and thus eat!) healthy and delicious fruits and veggies, and are saving money since you’re not paying for that food to be flown, trucked or railed a zillion miles to get to your nearest grocer.