Photo credit: Photo by Flickr user Lauren Chagaris When it comes to college shopping, it’s good to make solid, non-toxic choices at the beginning so that you don’t have to invest money every year in replacing items . Toxic confession: I had the same plates all four years of school. They were plastic. Why didn’t I replace them? Spare cash was rare, and when it showed up, plates were the last thing on my mind. Why would I replace something I already had when I could pay for things like food and laundry? Back to school shopping doesn’t end with backpacks and pencil cases: If your kids are on...

No kid should know the word 'pre-existing condition.' As a result of the Affordable Care Act (aka "Health Reform" and "Obamacare"), five million children with pre-existing conditions will get--and keep--the health coverage they need. Michelle from Texas shared her story: My 8 year old son is a leukemia survivor. He was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 3 years old. He underwent 3 years of chemotherapy and has been off treatment since June, 2010. My husband was laid off from his job about 2 years ago, so we went on COBRA for medical insurance. My husband is now self-employed. Prior to the...

We are still excited about the Supreme Court Ruling last week that upholds the Affordable Care Act! And we're still laughing about the great celebration images that have been circulating since the announcement. Here are a few of our favorites--what are we missing? THESE FIVE PEOPLE just saved health care for 32 million Americans twitter.com/thinkprogress/… — ThinkProgress (@thinkprogress) June 28, 2012 From the Affordable Care Cat Tumblr , which is chock full of various Affordable Care cats. Success Baby on the Obamacare ruling! on.fb.me/NRyxuN — Upworthy (@Upworthy) June 28, 2012 Beautiful...

Great news! Recently, California Governor Jerry Brown directed state agencies to " revise flammability standards for upholstered furniture sold in the state ." This important move will help reduce toxic flame retardants in furniture in California. According to the Breast Cancer Fund "...the whole nation is affected by California's laws because furniture manufacturers typically make the same products for all 50 states." Hopefully this great news for California will have an impact on flame retardant levels across the country as manufacturers change their practices to meet the needs of the state...

Photo credit: Photo by Flickr user Rik Ruff 3.1 million people are newly insured because of a provision in the Affordable Care Act that lets young adults to stay on their parents’ health care plans up to age 26. That is amazing. I graduated four years ago, and I saw the fallout firsthand of a bad economy and a generation of young people losing their health insurance. For a while, I was one of them. So were most people I knew. Health insurance came to a screeching halt at graduation, or a few months after for the very lucky. When the insurance ran out, it ran out, and there was usually no...

Happy (almost) Father’s Day! Celebrate the dads in your life with nontoxic gifts and treats. With these easy tips, you can take toxic chemicals out of your Father’s Day BBQ, select or create your own luxurious nontoxic gifts, and wrap up your Father's Day presents in environmentally friendly, affordable packaging. Shaving products, cologne, and more: Festive shaving kits, cologne sets, and other men's product packages are popular gifts for Father's Day. Make sure you're choosing the safest cosmetics possible for the men in your life. Do your homework: Check out t his guide to toxic chemicals...

Tomorrow, moms and kids are coming together in DC to ask Congress to protect our families by supporting comprehensive chemicals reform. Right now, our outdated chemicals policy leaves us and our kids exposed to chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, asthma, & other serious illnesses. We think moms have enough to worry about without having to also worry about toxic chemicals in our homes, drinking water, and environment. Can you join us in DC tomorrow (5/22) at 9:30am on the Capitol lawn? Bring your friends, bring your families, everyone is welcome! http://action.momsrising.org/signup/...

Warmer days mean more sunscreen applications, different makeup routines, and more showers to make up for chlorine soaked hair or sweaty days outdoors. Make your summer a little safer! Use these five safer summer beauty tips as you update your beauty routines for the season. Convenience is not always so convenient: Spray bottles of misting sunscreen may feel heaven sent on hectic summer days. Unfortunately, this convenience comes at a cost: Spray sunscreens put you at risk for inhaling sunscreen particles. To avoid inhalation, don’t apply spray sunscreen directly on your skin. Instead, spray...

Happy (almost) Mother’s Day! Many new mothers face the sometimes daunting task of figuring out how to continue nursing and maintaining their supply of breast milk after returning to work. Photo credit: Photo by Flickr user ECohen In honor of Mother's Day, we're celebrating some new protections and guidelines for nursing mothers in the workplace. The new Reasonable Break Time for Nursing Mothers rule will help an estimated 19 million women of childbearing age . What does the Reasonable Break Time for Nursing Mothers amendment cover? It requires employers to provide: Reasonable break time: This...