Stainless Steel Water Bottles with Silicone Straw

Time to stock up on my favorite stainless steel water bottle for the kids' new school year - the adorable Funtainer by Thermos. We've been using these for over 5 years - since my youngest was less than a year old. They come in a bevy of bright colors and characters and the pop-up silicone straw is perfect for little ones to quickly access on their own at school or a park. You can use a Funtainer for milk or Juice, but we use them exclusively for water - that way we don't have to clean them as often. The Funtainer's wide mouth does make it extra easy to clean with a kitchen sponge and the silicone straw pops off and can be de-gunked with a nipple brush or pipe cleaner. These little guys are sturdy too - my kids go through only about one Funtainer every year or two, at the most. At only $15 a pop - that's a steal.

DEAL OF THE DAY: Target.com has several Funtainers on clearance right now for only $12!

All-Natural Gum Fights Tooth Decay

I'm not a huge fan of chewing gum. A constant wad of the stuff in a child's (or adult's) mouth really does look tacky. However, when my kids were diagnosed with early tooth decay (both of them by age 4) their pediatric dentist convinced me that we should give xylitol sweetened gum a try. Xylitol is an all-natural sugar substitute derived from the sugar alcohol found in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables, including berries, plums, corn husks, oats and mushrooms. In the 1970s it was discovered that xylitol contained dental benefits and could be used to combat tooth decay. Recently, many companies have started adding it to their products. Even Trident is now claiming "xylitol" on its label.

BPA-Free Alternative to Canned Oil Sprays

I recently discovered that my go-to spray can of 100% virgin olive oil was sitting in a bath of BPA. BPA (Bisphenol A) is the “hot topic” hormone-disrupting chemical found in many plastics and resin linings. Continuous exposure to BPA has been linked to cancer in several studies. And wherever there is a food or drink can, there is usually a BPA resin lining. I knew this – and that is one (of many) reasons why I refrain from giving my family canned foods or drinks. Yet, despite this knowledge, I kept buying olive oil in a can because it was convenient and I had no clue another option existed.

I have so many healthy uses for oil spray – from greasing the iron frying pan for burgers, to coating ceramic baking pans for cakes, to spritzing homemade chips and baked sweet potato fries – that once I discovered the BPA link, I was desperate to find a healthier, BPA-free alternative. A quick internet search lead me to my solution: the Prepara Oil Mister, an attractive glass tabletop mister that allows you to use your own oil for misting foods and coating pans. A patented filtering system even allows you to infuse fresh herbs and spices without clogging the easy-to-use, non-aerosol sprayer. What I also love about my new Prepara Oil Mister, is that you control what goes into it, so there are no “surprise” ingredients. My go-to olive aerosol spray contained soy lecithin (an ingredient I am trying to avoid anyhow) and other additives to control the consistency and freshness. With the Prepara Oil Mister, you ingest only pure, healthy oil. No more fillers. No more additives. No more BPA.

Go Green Expo and Plastic Bottle Clothing Both Disappoint

A while back I attended the Go Green Expo in Los Angeles and have to say I was embarrassed by the amount of green washing I witnessed. From big companies jumping on the "green" bandwagon (with few green products to show for it) to small companies introducing yet another stainless steel water bottle (yawn) with a yet another plastic spout (do our kids REALLY have to suck on plastic to get their daily water intake?). One furniture company claimed its furniture was "eco-friendly" because they used sustainable wood in SOME of their products. When I asked about eco-friendly upholstery and cushions I was met with blank stares. A company pushing an all-purpose cleaner of some sort sent a hard-core sales rep after me who seemed straight out of the 50's. He demanded to know if I wanted ONE product that could do everything. When I asked what everything was, he wouldn't tell me. Instead he shoved a small bottle into my hands, which I mistook for a sample. I said thanks and started to walk away and he demanded $8. I laughed and said I didn't want to buy it because I make all my own products at home anyhow and he, in all seriousness, actually then tried to haggle the price down. I put the bottle down and moved on. Possibly the worst offender of the day though was a company selling soft rayon-like t-shirts proudly made from recycled bottles. Apparently, I would be helping the planet if I purchased this petroleum-based, bpa-laden, artificial fabric that required a great deal of pollution and chemicals to mash up and "recycle" into a fabulous new t-shirt. That's more offensive than polyester. But hey, recycling is always green, right? I won't even go into the horrible key note speaker presentation I witnessed...okay I will. It was supposed to by the very organic, holistic-minded Mariel Hemingway, granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway and star of Woody Allen's Manhattan, whom I had admired many years back for getting her silicone breast implants removed and choosing not to replace them  (a feat that would kill most actresses' careers).  But she was late. Very late. And when she finally arrived, beautiful and out of breath, she hardly spoke three words. Instead, she gave the reins to Bobby Williams, a "practicing intuitive healer"  who was clearly her eco boy-toy companion (who knew there was such a thing!). Apparently Mariel and Bobby-the-healer had arrived late to their speaking engagement because they were rock climbing barefoot at a rural waterfall outside L.A. and lost track of time.  He went on and on about how we (you and I) shouldn't wear sunglasses because no other creature in nature wears them. Well, last I checked, other creatures don't wear clothing either, but lucky for us...Bobby chose not to show up naked. Were it not for the nice Ventura County couple who were selling organic mattresses for a steal and a rockin' kid's art station that gave us free all-natural sunscreen samples...I would have called the day a total waste and wanted to recycle it and get my money back.

Natural Remedy for Nail Fungus

I have to confess to an embarrassing affliction: for years I suffered from a mild (but unattractive) toenail fungus infection in one of my big toes. I wouldn't touch the internal anti-fungal meds -- as they are all associated with possible liver damage and other serious side effects. So instead I tried virtually every topical NATURAL (and natural-ish) solution under the sun: daily tea tree oil application, daily vinegar soaks, nightly Vics applications. NOTHING worked (and all of them smelled the house up).Finally - I tried daily soaks in hydrogen peroxide. Within a week - I could see a huge difference. Within months, the toenail fungus was completely gone.

To get started – buy some large bottles of hydrogen peroxide ( Costco sells them in bulk for super cheap). Next, pour just enough into a bowl to soak the number of affected nails you have (don’t soak the whole foot). Allow your toes to soak for about 10 minutes each day (you can skip a day occasionally, but NOT MUCH MORE -- or the fungus will keep growing. Fungus LOVES the dark moist underworld of our nails.

TIP: Be sure to RINSE with water and moisturize your toes and feet after each soak, as the peroxide can make your skin dry.