Wednesday, March 16, 2011

On break

Sorry...I've been meaning to come on here and let everyone know I would be back shortly.  It looks like it might be a little longer than I expected.  I have quite a few work projects and now need to find a new nanny.  Be back soon!!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Diet Coke dangers

There is a new study being released by the NIH and Purdue University that suggests that aspartame actually leads to weight gain!  It's all over the news and health websites this morning.  Everyone eating a salad and diet coke or sugar-free aspartame flavored yogurt needs to reconsider that they may be shooting themselves in the foot.  They may actually be worsening their plight to lose or maintain weight. 

I can safely say that this is one ingredient that is 100% absent from our house.  We do not consume soft drinks.  Neither child has had so much as a sip (that I am aware of).  We do not use any sugar-free foods.  I limit the amount of sugar they eat but when they do consume it I avoid alternative sweeteners.  We opt for unsweetened products like full-fat organic yogurt (or homemade) and sweeten with honey or fruit.  Sometimes you really have to read labels closely to see what sweetners it contains.  Notice the popular vitamins in the picture.  Here are a few articles that give the details of the NIH study results:
Dr. Mercola's article

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Cloth diapers: $$$$

After researching several diaper cost calculators and estimates, the average cost of disposable diapers is around $75 as best as I can tell.  At some point I might go back through my son's diapering costs and come up with a more accurate amount.  This cost should also include disposable wipes and diaper pail refill costs.  That means that we would have spent $900 the past year on just diapers.  By my best estimate, that means we have already saved $400-500 dollars in one year alone, and I am predicting that we probably have at least another 12 months of diapers.  The savings is not including the money we will also recoup by selling her cloth diapers (yes, there is actually a popular market with 50-70% resell value).