Baby products update

After being thoroughly disgusted at big companies like JOHNSON & JOHNSON that knowingly use chemicals causing cancer in their products... I decided to head down to Whole Foods and look for some safer products. After carefully reviewing all my options and trying to find cost-effective solutions that we'll be able to purchase on a regular basis, I settled on Peter Rabbit Organics Shampoo & Bodywash, Baby Lotion, and Intense Therapy Cream (for those dry rosy cheeks!).
Here's how things shook out:

You can't just pop in an excel table, so I had to save it as picture, than figure out the right type of picture file to save it as, upload it... yada yada yada. Also, the kicker is that after I bought everything and was checking out the website further, I found a coupon for $2 off most Peter Rabbit products, so I could have saved $6, bringing the two costs much closer together.

For more information you can visit: http://www.econatura.com/peterrabbit/

Chicago Weekend Roundup -- part 1

This is going to be a monster post... So I'm breaking it up into two. Also, while we were in Chicago I got to talk to some avid readers of this blog, and got some great feedback. Overall it was very positive, but I got some comments on the lack of postings... Which I can't believe I let happen. See, I usually pride myself on being able to manage people's expectations, you know, the whole underpromise over deliver type thing. But I think I started out too fast, and trying to keep the same pace is tough. Not to mention I got some slack from some 'not as funny' posts... Tough crowd! Ok, so I'm putting down the violin and on to the recap!

While we were in Chicago we got to catch up with a lot of friends. We stayed with Conor and Carey, they used to live in Charlestown and Conor and I used to work together. We also got to see Bekah and Kyle, who used to live a block away from us in Charlestown and now live in Chicago, and coincidentally, a few blocks away from Conor and Carey. Small World. Karen got to spend time with her friends from GP, and Annie got to see her friends Lillie and Drew. So we were quite busy.

First, Chicago... What a great city. Now, I love Boston. I think it's a great city, with great character, awesome sports teams (for people who like sports...), fantastic restaurants, world-class museums -- you name it, Boston has it. But Chicago is slowly seducing me. Chicago is like the newer version of your favorite thing. You don't like change and you want to stay loyal to something that has served you so well - but it's so hard to resist the temptation to upgrade.

Chicago has close to 3 million people and is the 3rd most populous city. Boston has almost 600,000 people, and is 23rd. Chicago is very spread out and Boston is very walkable (non-spread out). But where I think Chicago really has aced her game is in creating all these different neighborhoods with so much character. We stayed in Lakeview, and I think it's one of our favorite neighborhoods. There's always lots of people on the streets, there are tons of bars and restaurants and shops and drycleaners -- anything you need is within a few blocks. Contrast that to where we live now, and as long as you just need things that you can purchase from a liquor store, Dunkin Donuts, sketchy chinese restaurant or Hess station (admittedly, that does cover a lot of needs), and you're covered... We ordered takeout, and Conor literally handed me 20 menus - everything from Mexican to Thai to sushi - you name it, it's available.

Second, the accommodations. Staying with Conor and Carey was like staying in the best hotel, but way sweeter because they were happy to have you! We had our own super comfortable room, Annie had a pack n play all set up waiting for her, everything we needed they had already thought of. Not to mention, it doesn't hurt that the shower in their guest bathroom has a steam function! I think they thought we were joking when we said we were moving in...

We arrived Friday morning after a very pleasant flight. We flew Jetblue, so we got to watch TV the entire time, which was awesome. Annie was great, however it amazes me how quickly she picks up on certain situations -- when she knows we'll let her get her way. She knew we weren't about to let her cry for prolonged periods of time on the plane, so she pretty much got whatever she wanted (even if it was the black gunk located between the plastic barrier and the window).

Side note -- to the woman seated in 4C, it's not nice to stare, so turn around and mind your business. This lady literally stared at us most of the flight. If I wasn't so busy keeping Annie from eating the black gunk or quelling my severe loathing of Ann Curry on the Today Show when Karen was keeping Annie under control, she would have been sorry (Ann Curry is a whole other subject...).

The last time we were in Chicago was last fall and this is what Annie and Lillie looked like:
Fast forward about 6 months, and you've got Lillie walking and running all over and Annie crawling her way around! The girls seemed to remember eachother, and it didn't take long for them to warm right up to eachother.

Conor and Carey also have this great camera that always gets the best shots, here's one of our favorites of AB.

Part II coming soon...

Open Letter

Dear Johnson & Johnson,

You suck. Thanks for including chemicals linked to cancer in products marketed as safe for children. Here are the highlights from a recent Boston Globe blog post:

"Dozens of children’s bath products sold across New England are tainted with chemicals the federal government say are likely carcinogens, a new report by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow say.

Despite label claims like “gentle” and “pure”, the bath products can contain formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane that the federal government say “may reasonably be anticipated to be a carcinogen.” Formaldehyde can also cause skin rashes in children. Lax label laws do not require the chemicals to be listed on product labels. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says that "the presence of 1,4-dioxane, even as a trace contaminant, is cause for concern."

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics commissioned an independent laboratory to test 48 products for 1,4-dioxane; 28 of those products were also tested for formaldehyde. The lab found that:
• 17 out of 28 products tested - 61 percent - contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane; these included Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, Sesame Street Bubble Bath, Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash and Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash.
• 23 out of 28 products - 82 - percent contained formaldehyde at levels ranging from 79 parts per million (ppm) to 610 ppm. Baby Magic Baby Lotion had the highest levels of formaldehyde.
• 32 out of 48 products - 67 - percent contained 1,4-dioxane at levels ranging from 0.27 ppm to 35 ppm. American Girl shower products had the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane.

The study is the first to document the widespread presence of both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in bath products for children.

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/greenblog/2009/03/childrens_bath_products_tainte.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed1

What can you do?
There's a database you can look up consumer products, and find out if they contain potentially hazardous ingredients:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/splash.php?URI=%2Findex.php

(excerpted from the Globe posting)
Simplify: Select products with fewer ingredients and no synthetic fragrance or dyes, and use fewer products overall. Choose safety: Search Environmental Working Group's cosmetic safety database, Skin Deep, to learn more about the products you use and find safer alternatives. Also check out EWG's Safety Guide to Children’s Personal Care Products.

Read labels: Select products for baby and yourself that don't contain the ingredients listed above, which are commonly contaminated with formaldehyde or 1,4-dioxane. (see below)Take action! Can’t memorize these lists? Nobody can. If harmful contaminants and ingredients weren’t allowed in products, you wouldn’t have to.

Tell Congress you want safe cosmetics for babies, adults and everyone in between.

Spread the word: Send an e-card letting friends and family know about this report.


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On a separate note... we of course forgot our camera this weekend, so while we try and recreate our weekend from everyone else's photos... it's taking a little longer than usual to get the recap up. But I promise it will be worth it!

Weekend Roundup -- The Drummys come to visit!

Lots has been happening at the Fergusons lately! Last weekend Grandpa and Grandma Drummy came into town! Annie was so excited! Karen took Friday off from work and everyone went downtown to walk around and see the sites. Friday night we had an awesome lobster dinner... And Annie got up close and personal with our dinner... see below.



Saturday Annie went to the MFA! Her favorite paintings were by John Singer Sargent and Edward Hopper, for sure. During the day dad was in class, bummer, but that evening everyone went to Brassiere Jo, a french bistro type restaurant. We had great food... and love eating our way through Boston (or any other city...)!

Sunday we headed up to Marblehead to visit the Kattmans. We had a great time catching up, and... another great meal! Uncle Mike is from Buffalo, so in addition to some kick-@ss wings he served as an appetizer, he also served Beef nweck. Which is sliced beef on rolls sprinkled with salt and carroway seeds.

Sort of slacked off in the picture department... But Annie also tried out her first pair of heels.

In the blink of an eye...

Annie has been getting her Houdini on lately, every time you turn around she's somewhere else. And now, Annie has figured out how to get out of her chair. First, she turns onto her stomach, then she slowly slides under the bar. Next, she plops down on her bum or just keeps shimmying backwards. It's so funny because she moves best backwards. And if she's not breaking free from her bouncy seat, she's trying to get underneath the coffee table.

Just a day at the park

Today we went out and enjoyed the beautiful day!  It was about 60 here in Boston so we took Annie out for a walk and stopped by a park on the waterfront in the North End.  Annie and Mommy had fun on the swings.  Annie also went down the slides, but she's still warming up to them.

After the park we walked around some more... and then we went to lunch, big surprise!

Annie vs Teething biscuit / Dolphin noises

Back by popular demand (this is for you Alicia!) -- here's video of AB going after a teething biscuit. Part of the reason we haven't been uploading many videos is because whenever the camera is on, AB stops what she's doing. She doesn't get camera shy, but I think becomes super curious as to why Dad is holding up this shiny thing in front of her. Most times she becomes so fascinated just staring back at me that the video becomes 60 seconds of her staring me down. With the new high chair set up strategically in the kitchen on the easy to clean tile floor and her washable cushion and right next to the garbage can, I'm letting my inner-messy side out. (Side note -- Yes, Annie's favorite band right now is The Killers.)

Annie making lots of dolphin noises...

Smile, eat, drink... repeat

Annie got her high chair Sunday. She took to it immediately, settled in and got down to business! Of course, the fun thing about a high chair is now she can throw food, toys, anything not nailed down, on the floor for Mommy and Daddy to run over and pick right up.

We had a great weekend. Saturday Mom and Dad went to the gym and Annie spent time with the Kessels. Then, Mom and Dad got Annie and we all went out to lunch (I know, you're shocked we went out to eat...). After that we all came home and hung out. Sunday we went to my favorite place, Costco. Seriously, I *love* Costco and could spend hours inside. I mean, where else can you go and realize that you need 500 rolls of toilet paper or 25 pounds of butter? Costco. The only disappointment was that they don't sell baby food. Annoying... And we finally did some baby-proofing, getting some outlet covers and cabinet door locks. Annie hasn't started 'officially' crawling yet, but when you turn your back all of a sudden she's across the room or under the coffee table.