Art | Resources
Farm Fresh Clothing
Organic cotton t-shirts for men, women and children, sewn and printed in the state of California, printed by hand with water-based inks. Will do custom printing with your art (minimum 150 shirts).
Blue Mountain Organics
A great selection of organic raw and sprouted foods that are hard to find other places. Here you can buy nuts already soaked and sprouted, raw sprouted nut butters, spouted nut, bean and seed flours, raw treats, superfoods, and more. Every product is organic.
The Healthy Porcupine
All natural, handmade tallow-based soaps that are free of palm oil.
“We do not use chemical fragrance oils, dyes, or preservatives. We also use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible- all tallow that is used is from grass-fed cows and comes from local New Hampshire farms. Our soaps are long-lasting hard bars, with a luxurious lather that leaves your skin feeling soft and rinses off clean. We truly believe you’ve never used anything like it!”
Roots Wrap
A great alternative to plastic wrap for food storage. It is an easy way to do something good for the planet and your food! Our wraps are made right here in beautiful Maui from organic cotton hemp muslin, organic beeswax, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin. The antibacterial properties of the beeswax, hemp, and jojoba oil help to keep food fresh and allow you to use your Roots Wrap over and over.” Click on the menu item “sustainable way” to read all about their sustainable practices.
Simply Straws
Glass straws in various sizes and shapes plus…you can have them etched with your name (or anything else) or buy them in a set with mason jars with special lids that hold the straws (great for taking drinks on the go).
Is Your Tap Water Tainted With Carcinogenic Chromium-6?
Environmental Working Group (EWG) released another report last week on our exposures to toxic chemicals in everyday life.
If you remember the true-story movie Erin Brockovich from 2000, chromium-6 was the chemical discovered to cause numerous cancer cases in the town of Hinkley, California. Now EWG has tested samples of tap water across the nation and found this same chromium-6 in 75% of water supplies in America.
According to EWG, “In 2008, a two-year study by the National Toxicology Program found that drinking water with chromium-6, or hexavalent chromium, caused cancer in laboratory rats and mice. Based on this and other animal studies, in 2010, scientists at the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment concluded that ingestion of tiny amounts of chromium-6 can cause cancer in people, a conclusion affirmed by state scientists in New Jersey and North Carolina.”
In 2010, an EWG investigation found chromium-6 in the tap water of 31 cities. This prompted the EPA to order local water utilities to begin the first nationwide tests. From 2013-2015 more than 60,000 samples of drinking water were taken. EWG’s analysis of the test data estimates that water supplies serving 218 million Americans – more than two-thirds of the population – contain more chromium-6 than the California scientists deemed safe.
EWG: ‘Erin Brockovich’ Carcinogen in Tap Water of More Than 200 Million Americans
EWG: ‘Erin Brockovich’ Carcinogen in Tap Water of More Than 200 Million Americans – The Study
Are You One of the 218 million?
EWG has provided an interactive map of the USA,where you can click on the county you live in and find out if you have chromium-6 in your water.
I checked Pinellas County, Florida—where I live—and found that chromium-6 was detected in 87% of samples tested.The range was from “none detected” to 0.620 parts per billion (ppb). The California Public Health Goal is 0.02 ppb.
What to Do
So, OK, I have my local numbers from the interactive map, but, is the water from MY tap “none detected” or 0.620 pub or somewhere in between?
Since I have a PureEffect Water Filter, I asked founder Igor Milevskiy if I needed to be concerned about chromium-6 in my water.
Igor said, “Due to varying water chemistry from place to place, and the heightened concern for Cr6 across a wide span of water supplies, we highly recommend to test your specific water at home with inexpensive and very simple to use test strips. This way you will know for yourself how much Chromium (if any) is in your water and how well the filter is performing on this contaminant.”
He recommends Waterworks Chromium test strips.
PureEffect water filters contains the type of filter media that removes chromium. “Our 3 and 4 chamber systems have 3 different types of metal removal media, which also target Chromium. The principles of the media are such, that they should have a good effect on reducing this contaminant.”
Again, test strips.
Igor said, “In the event it becomes necessary to provide even greater Cr6 removal power, if your readers let us know their test results, we can make a custom cartridge for those with extra stubborn situations.”
Seeing this report again reinforces for me the need for every home to have an effective water filter system that removes a broad spectrum of pollutants. You never know what might be in your water.
Butcher Box
100% grass-fed beef, organic chicken and Heritage Breed pork delivered directly to your door for about $6 per serving. Your order arrives in cooler with a note from the butcher describing the cuts of meat and the farms that raised them. I have to say, I ordered a box and the quality of the meat was way above and beyond what I can buy at my local natural food stores or butchers. It’s the best-tasting meat I’ve ever eaten. Really. Just delicious. I’m going to continue to order from them. You buy a box on a subscription basis (1, 2 or 3 month delivery). Choose the all-beef box, or beef in various combinations with pork and chicken. You can also add on extras like sugar-free Paleo bacon, burgers, and ground beef, and change your order any time. “The beef is sourced from a collection of small grass-fed farms. It’s of the utmost quality and tastes incredible. The taste is attributed to our special ButcherBox blend of grasses.”
Beans72
“Rolls Royce quality” authentic handcrafted Japanese buckwheat hull pillows. Filled with 100% natural triple air cleaned USDA Organic buckwheat hulls. 100% unbleached cotton cover. Fits in a standard pillowcase. Also body pillows filled with buckwheat hulls, buckwheat lumbar support and bolster pillows, and dried organic lavender to add to your pillow to aid sleep. All pillows come with zippers so additional buckwheat hulls can be added when needed. “The materials, dimensions, calculations and workmanship are a result of a lifetime accumulation of knowledge and pillow making experience.”
Beans72 Herringbone Buckwheat Bears
Teddy bears made with 100% cotton cover, filled with 100% natural triple air cleaned USDA Organic buckwheat hulls or a buckwheat and dried organic lavender mix. (Adorable lavender-filled sachet bears with lavender-colored covers also available).
Pompeii Organics
More than 70 USDA certified organic essential oils and carriers. “We are a small company in central Pennsylvania that meticulously sources Certified Organic, unsprayed, and wildcrafted essential oils, carriers, infused oils, and hydrosols. In 2015, we completed the USDA Organic Certification process. We offer over 60 Certified Organic essential oils, hydrosols, and carriers. We source Certified Organic products whenever possible. You will see that many of our oils are unsprayed or wildcrafted. Because it is important to source the oils from their native lands, some oils can not be sourced as Certified Organic…We label each bottle with the batch number, country of origin, cultivation method, distillation method and the distilllation date.”
