It seems like everything causes cancer nowadays.  And now they’re saying that one of the causes could be in your own kitchen! 

A recent article in the New York Times states that most granite countertops emit radiation and radon at extremely low levels, some types more than others.  One preliminary study from a professor of Physics at Rice University showed that of 55 granite samples collected from nearby fabricators and wholesalers, all of them emitted radiation at higher-than-background levels, and a handful tested at levels 100 times or more above background. 

The limit of radiation exposure for people living near nuclear reactors is 100 millirem (a measurement of energy absorbed by the body) per year.  That’s in addition to the 360 millirem of exposure for an average person.  Someone in close proximity to a “hot” granite countertop for two hours a day could conceivably be exposed to 100 millirem over just a few months!

As for radon exposure, the E.P.A. recommends taking action if radon gas levels in a home exceeds 4 picocuries per liter of air, which is about the same risk for cancer as smoking a half pack of cigarettes per day.  In one New York home, radon readings were 100 picocuries per liter due to the granite countertops!

If you have granite, you can find information about testing from the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologies.   There are also home kits for radon (but not radiation) available in hardware stores or online for about $14. 

Get six months of Seventh Generation Diapers Free!  Just open a registry and complete $750 of purchases.  More details here. Valid July 1- Sept 30.

Get a $40 promotional certificate off a future Amazon.com purchase when you purchase $139 or more Phillips-Avent products. Valid through July 31.

Save up to 20% on select Bugaboo Cameleons.  Valid through July 31.  If you’re going to buy one of these, you may as well create a registry and then you can get the six months of free diapers.

Save 20% or more on Eddie Bauer, Safety 1st and Cosco. Valid through July 31.

Save 15% on the Fisher Price Zen Collection.

BabyCenter is also having a sale on their rarely discounted brands, like Medela, Under the Nile, Boppy, and many more.  Plus you get free shipping when you spend $49.

Toys R Us has a printable $5 off $25 coupon valid 7/18-7/19. Be prepared to print when you click on the link because it’ll only let you print once.  You can also use online code 923256.

I’m sure most people have heard by now that many plastic baby bottles leach the toxic chemical BPA. As a result all of the publicity and upset parents, many manufacturers have been updating their plastic bottles to not contain BPA. I agree that these are much better than the BPA bottles, but plastic can still break down with use or high temperatures. Maybe the composition isn’t toxic (or is it?), but it can’t be good for little babies’ developing bodies.

So for Abby, I decided to go with an even safer choice– glass baby bottles.  Here are the main reasons why I chose glass over plastic:

1. They dont leach dangerous chemicals
2. They clean better than plastic bottles
3. They last (almost) forever
4. They can safely be microwaved

Some parents are hesitant to use glass baby bottles, but below I’ve dispelled two of the common reasons:

1. They can break– Actually they’re quite durable (at least the Evenflo ones that I use are). Abby drops them on the floor and they’ve never cracked. (Although they can leave a dent in hardwood floors).
2. They’re too heavy for babies to hold– Of course glass is heavier than plastic, but by the time babies have the hand coordination to hold their bottle, they’re usually strong enough to hold the glass ones

There are a couple of glass baby bottles to select from now and they’re widely available, such as Dr. Brown, Born Free, and Evenflo. When Abby was born, only the Evenflo ones were available, so we got those and have stuck with them ever since. (Even though she has graduated from using a bottle, we still use the bottles for her to drink from with a straw). They’re available in 4oz and 8oz sizes and come with latex nipples, which you’ll probably want to toss and then by their silicone ones instead. (Latex nipples can get miniscule cracks which can promote bacterial growth.) What I really like about the Evenflo bottles is that they are compatible with Medela’s breastpump and can be used instead of the plastic bottles that comes with the breastpump.

What have you been using–glass or plastic? Is there a specific reason why you chose one over the other?

Amazon has several Fisher-Price Papasan Cradle Swings on sale for $99, shipped free with Super Savings Shipping. The following models are on sale: Nature’s Touch (pictured here), Butterfly Garden, Nature’s Wonder, New Nature’s Touch, Starlight (the only one for $116.88).

I price compared, and a comparable model is $130 at Babies R Us (they only carried one), and $160 at Target. So this is a great deal!

For many mommies, swings are a lifesaver! I know it was for me. I used to put Abby in her swing to give me a break to eat lunch (we had a similar Fisher Price model). She spent countless hours sleeping and playing in her swing in her younger days . The Fisher Price swings are different from most other swings because they can swing both back-forth and side to side, which is a cool feature. And one definite plus for the Fisher Price ones is that the battery lasts (nearly) forever! We didn’t even have to change it once!