Balance.......Part One

Balance…what a great concept.  As a product designer, I am always trying to find the right balance.  My customers are looking for safe, effective, fragrant formulas that are manufactured in America.  It is important that the product’s  packaging be appealing and add to the décor of their home.  They are also looking for a value so finding the right mix is not a small challenge.

Lately, my pet peeve is to bear witness to the outrageous misinformation campaigns conducted by “watch groups” and industry giants in an effort to define what is “natural or good for you” .  In my view, instead of providing accurate information their goal is rather to demonize ingredients that are perfectly safe, effective, affordable and by the way, in the case of the giants, are not present in their particular formulas.  Their claims often ignore current science and have no basis in fact.    They scare people needlessly and spread untruths because they can.  Unfortunately, these campaigns attempt and often succeed to force companies into make product development decisions that not only do not yield the best product, but also may not use our planet’s natural resources wisely.

I think it is important to check the science for safety ( http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org ) and then to balance the costs.  Is it is a good idea to use 4000 kilograms of rose petals to produce 1 kilogram of pure steam distilled rose otto for the desired product?  You should be the judge.  Check out this link.  It provides an interesting discussion and gives accurate balanced information with regard to the use of natural oils or synthetic fragrances in bath and body products:  http://www.pioneerthinking.com/lc_eos.html .

Got Any Ideas on Education?

Recently I attended a fascinating presentation given by Sir Ken Robinson about education.  That is a topic that resonates with most of us across the U.S.  I know I have been dissatisfied with the results of the system and horrified at the enormous cuts to public education over the past few years.  These are dismal times.  But I am encouraged because I know that often the best innovation occurs when a business is struggling.  So if we can just start talking perhaps we can rethink how we educate our kids, determine why we don’t get the best from them with our current system, tap the data and open our minds to finding a new way to nurture and capitalize on the enormous talents of every child.  Listening to Sir Ken is a good place to start.

Sir Ken Robinson is a visionary cultural leader.  He lead the British government's 1998 advisory committee on creative and cultural education, a massive inquiry into the significance of creativity in the educational system and the economy and was knighted in 2003 for his achievements.  He believes we need a system overhaul as he states in his book, “The fact is that given the challenges we face, education doesn't need to be reformed -- it needs to be transformed. The key to this transformation is not to standardize education, but to personalize it, to build achievement on discovering the individual talents of each child, to put students in an environment where they want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions.”

Sir Ken gives both an informative and HILARIOUS presentation.  Check him out on YouTube.  Changing Educational Paradigms at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U  AND start the discussion in your community!  Throw your ideas out for discussion.  As Sir Ken would say, “If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original.” 

Doing Good AND Doing Well.......

Last week, Walmart launched an initiative that is quite amazing in its potential impact for women and families and its proportions.  It is called The Global Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative (http://walmartstores.com/women/).  It is the kind of thing that should have been front page news, but since it wasn’t I wanted to draw your attention to it.  Over the next five years, Walmart plans to direct billions of dollars in spending to train female workers around the world and support women-owned businesses.  For example,

·      $20 million will be spent to buy goods from women-owned businesses in the U. S. (double its current spending amount) and the firm plans to double their sourcing efforts from women-owned businesses worldwide.

This is not only good, it is smart business.   Women control 20 trillion dollars in consumer spending a year globally.  We know that when women are educated and have resources, they invest in their families’ health, education and advancement.  Their family unit prospers, the community benefits and the economic picture is better for everyone.

As a women-owned business, supplier of consumer goods and one who has worked with a pro-active Diversity Supplier organization at SUPERVALU,  I can appreciate the impact this kind of global initiative can have to help raise the barriers to entry and make doing business with the giants a real possibility.  Small enterprises are the innovators, quick to action and quick to change to meet market demands.  They bring the spice to the shelf.

I am excited about the prospects for women and their communities everywhere.  My hat is off to Walmart.

For our kids

My cycling adventure to benefit Children’s Hospital in Colorado has made me think a lot about health and exercise.  On the plane home I had the difficult experience of having to raise the arm rest to share a quarter of my seat with the person sitting next to me because their own seat was too small.  Everyday we are all reminded in little ways about how important it is to keep ourselves active and our food intake sane.  Oddly enough technology, that giver of economic growth and life saving power, also presents the greatest obstacle to maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle.  Instant gratification, a tool for every task that minimizes our physical work plus that mesmerizing flow of information and games at our finger tips all conspire to undercut our efforts to keep our bodies healthy.  I feel the pull constantly myself as my son (waiting to go on a bike ride with me) groans…”Mom!  not another e-mail!”  I know it is a tall order, but we must overcome that pull for ourselves and even more important, for our children.

Last year, The First Lady launched her “Let’s Move” campaign to raise awareness about childhood obesity with really good information and recommendations to start working to stave off obesity and get back on a healthy track that you can access at:   http://www.letsmove.gov/about .  

At Idaho Voices for Children, we are taking up childhood obesity as one of our top priorities.  I’ll keep you posted on our efforts, but just to start you thinking…did you know:

·         One in three children in America is overweight or obese

·         Evidence indicates that there is a correlation between childhood obesity and family obesity. If both parents are overweight, a child’s likelihood of being overweight increases by 60-80 percent. The chance of an obese child growing into an obese adult is about 70 percent.

·         The New England Journal of Medicine tracked thousands of children through childhood and found the heaviest youngsters were more than twice as likely to die prematurely, before age 55, of illness or a self-inflicted injury.

·         Data from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry shows the indirect costs of obesity, such as days missed from work and future earnings loss, are estimated at more than $56 billion annually. Children treated for obesity are nearly three times more expensive for the health care system than children of normal weight. And it is a fact that severely overweight people spend more on health care than smokers.

Shocking, sad, upsetting and criminal.  Think about what you can do to make a difference in your community and make it a priority to at least influence one life.  We need everyone to help solve this massive problem.

I Find True "Courage" High in the Mountains

I just spent the last three days in Vail, Colorado with my great college friend Laura. We cycled for 125 miles to support Children’s Hospital Colorado. Riding up and down the high Colorado passes was beautiful and challenging. The ride stretched us physically and emotionally, but our real reward was the opportunity to ride alongside Team Courage. Team Courage is comprised of former and current patients of Children’s Hospital Colorado, as well as some amazing adults. It was a humbling experience for me to pump my way up Battle Mountain (9400’), thighs burning, barely able to breathe, only to ride up behind a member of Team Courage, propelling himself up very same the hill on a hand-pedaled bike! Unbelievable!!! 

Our final climb up to Leadville (10,100’) was a real tearjerker. As Team Courage rode up toward the finish line, one hand pedal cyclist cried out in anguish, “I can’t make it!” The crowd was spellbound and I felt my insides tighten up. The other cyclists, volunteers, family and friends shouted out, “you can do it, you can do it!” Bolstered by their support, he pulled out everything he had and began to move forward. The crowd roared as he crossed the finish line. There wasn’t a dry eye among us. He made it, and you know what? Most of us barely did.  He and the other Team Courage kids are a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.  

Team Courage 2011

Our team at the Courage Classic was called The Rocky Roadies.  Form your own team for this event at www.couragetours.com or join up with a walk, hike or ride in your hometown to support strong kids everywhere!

Since this is the Morningside Soapbox, I want you to know that I am a committed child advocate, and you can help kids too, by buying Morningside products.  I have formed a foundation called Every Child is an Original. A percentage of the proceeds from sales of every Morningside product go to this foundation. It supports advocacy for children on a range of issues. Our goal is to help better position children in life, with the tools they need to become successful adults.  So, please explore our site and stock up for every occasion at www.morningsideproducts.com. You’ll feel doubly good as you lather and moisturize yourself with our wonderful, quality products knowing that you are also helping kids.

A Tool that Tracks, Measures and Inspires!

I’m training for a 3-day, 180-mile charitable cycling adventure in the Colorado Rockies, scheduled to begin next week. I’ve been working on improving my fitness level for months. It has been tough to stay consistent with a 9 year old at home and a busy work life. With all that, I haven’t always succeeded in getting to the exercise. Another big challenge for me has been eating the right foods in the appropriate amounts to fuel my increase in exercise. But what confounds me the most is how to measure or quantify if everything balances out on a daily basis. A good web site I found to help understand and plan for my daily nutritional needs is:

<http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_women_nutrition.htm>

We all know that good nutrition for women includes several servings a day of fruit and leafy green vegetables, fiber from whole grains, beans and legumes to give our bodies power, and minimally processed foods as a mainstay. Of course, we also need to make sure we have lots of calcium for bone strength and understand that over-eating protein can cause bone decreased bone density. That is a lot of information for me to juggle with my daily life. I try to do well but often fall short of achieving these goals. Measuring the good, bad and the ugly is the key to inspiring me to strive to greater nutritional and exercise heights.

Coincidentally, I discovered a tool that helps me manage this complex process. It takes into consideration my age, current weight, fitness and weight goals, and measures my food intake against my exercise levels to give me, with a tap of my finger, my carb/protein/fat intake measurements on a daily basis. It is called Tap & Track, and I purchased it for my iPhone. I’m just getting started, but so far I’m loving it. The only drawback I’ve discovered is that you cannot go back and edit your food intake or exercise once you have entered it. The food you need to enter is not always exact, but there are similar choices and they even have a host of popular restaurant menus with specific items listed. Last night, I picked up food from PF Chang’s and thought, oh, no there goes my plan to track my diet, but I was very pleased to find that I was able to log what I consumed, down to the dish!  Tap & Track can also be managed online <http://www.tapandtrack.com/home/index>, as can similar programs, such as the Pyramid Tracker on the USDA site <http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov>. Check these and other out and start tracking, measuring and being inspired to improve your fitness!

Three tips I thought worthy of sharing as you train for your next exertion adventure:

1.      Eat to control cravings and boost energy

Eat breakfast, Eat regularly, Cut the junk and Eat more complex carbohydrates

2.      Don't cut out the fat

Your body needs fat for healthy brain function, vibrant skin, hair and nails and helps 

control cravings

3.      Get plenty of calcium - 400 to 1,200 mg/day,  magnesium - 500 to 800 mg/day,  vitamin D - 400 and 1,000 IU daily

Let’s keep the fun in summer!

A few weeks ago, I had to take my son Samuel to swim team practice. So I packed the cats along, as I planned to use the hour he was at the pool to take them to the vet. It felt nippy out, not particularly hot. I loaded all parties in the car and set off for the pool. I dropped Samuel off and headed off to the vet.  The cats got their shots and we zoomed back to the pool. On the way home, Samuel was famished, so we stopped at a diner for a quick piece of toast. It was probably 70 degrees and raining intermittently. We weren’t in the diner for long, maybe 20 minutes, so boy was I surprised when we got back in the car and discovered how warm it was inside. Poor Climber and Pica, they were panting!
Many people - ahem, yours truly included - have left a child or a pet in the car when running a quick errand. It seems like it would be all right, especially if one leaves all of the windows open a crack. And, summer really hasn’t yet heated up to every day HOT. But here are three things I’ve discovered that I'd like to share with you:

·         it doesn’t take outside temperatures above 90 to really harm or even kill a person or an animal.

·         cracking all the windows even an inch or two doesn’t really work to bring down the temperature in the vehicle. FYI, the interior temperature of a car can reach at least 114 degrees even with four windows cracked on a 101 degree day.

·         it is a crime!

To quote Canyon County’s own Coroner Vickie DeGeus-Morris, leaving a child or pet in a hot, parked car “...is the equivalent of putting them in an oven, with the body temperature rising as high as 160 degrees in a short amount of time... They’re basically going to cook to death."  What amount of time is safe under those conditions? Officials say that  no amount of time is safe.  I didn’t know it, but leaving a child unattended in a hot car is a felony, depending on the severity of the case. Leaving an animal in a hot car becomes a case of animal cruelty and could elicit a misdemeanor charge.  As tempting as it is to run into the cleaners for a quick second with little Johnny or Fido in the car, don’t let yourself do it. And if you see that someone else has, the right thing to do is to call 911.

It's so easy to get distracted when doing an errand. And the clock is ticking, the heat is rising and you could be endangering the person or pet you love the most. Summer is a time of fun in the sun but it can also be dangerous. So let’s take the extra time it takes to get everyone out of the car and let's keep the fun coming!

Ben and I Might Have Been Friends - Happy 4th of July

As we head into the 4th of July weekend, I am always somewhat awed by the amazing intellect and foresight of our founding fathers.  I just read some fun facts about Benjamin Franklin taken from a book by Carmella Van Vleet that made me think that his spirit is alive and well today.  Americans have always been the leading innovators, never afraid to think outside the box and we have certainly not been the most conventional!  Here a few fun facts that are guaranteed to make you smile:  

• Ben earned piles of money, but he could have earned a lot more if he had patented his inventions. He never once patented any of his inventions.
• Ben was bad at math!
• Ben taught himself how to swim when he was eight, and often taught his friends how to swim. At one time he considered opening up a swim school.
• At the age of 16, Ben read a book about vegetable diets and decided to become a vegetarian.
• Ben wrote a letter that convinced Congress to publicly debate slavery for the first time.
• Ben liked to take "air baths." He would sit naked in his bathtub and let the cold air from an open window clean away any germs!
• Ben nearly electrocuted himself to death while trying to cook a turkey with electricity!
  

Safe travels my friends,  and remember we should always follow our dreams and never stop appreciating our eccentricities!

Sun, Skin, and the "New Rules"

Welcome to the inaugural edition of The Morningside Soapbox! 

To start off with something timely and wise, I picked skin care…what a surprise!

I know we don’t really think much about our skin until later, when we begin to show signs of aging.  I remember the days when I would lather the baby oil on my skin and fry, knowing that eventually, the red would turn into a beautiful tan…if I could avoid excessive peeling which, by the way, didn’t happen often.  The good news is that if a tan is a must for you, you can go about it slowly with the aid of good sunscreen and a lot of common sense.   The FDA has concluded that sun exposure is an important public health issue and has recently issued its final regulations on sun screens.   Here are some of the key points in the FDA’s new sun screen rules as outlined by the Skin Cancer Foundation.  I wanted to highlight some of the most important points for you.

·      Sunscreens may be labeled “broad-spectrum” if they provide protection against ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation.

·      Only broad-spectrum sunscreens with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher can state that they protect against skin cancer if used as directed with other sun protection measures.

·      Sunscreens with an SPF of 2-14 will be required to have a warning stating that the product has not been shown to help prevent skin cancer or early skin aging.

·      The terms “sunblock”, “sweatproof” and “waterproof” are no longer allowed on sunscreen labels.

·      A sunscreen may claim to be “water resistant”; however, the product must specify if it offers 40 minutes or 80 minutes of protection while swimming or sweating, based on standard testing. Sunscreens that are not water resistant must include a direction instructing consumers to use a water resistant sunscreen if swimming or sweating.

·      Sunscreens cannot claim to provide sun protection for more than two hours without reapplication.

·      Sunscreen manufacturers will have one year to comply with the FDA ruling; smaller companies will have two years.

·      The ingredients in sunscreens marketed today have been used for many years and FDA does not have any reason to believe these products are not safe for consumer use.

·      The FDA reiterated that sunscreen alone is not enough, and should be used in conjunction with a complete sun protection regimen, including seeking shade, wearing long pants, long-sleeved shirts, hats and sunglasses.

Glad those days of baby oil and burns are over!  This summer I am all about SPF 30, a hat and shades!  So, enjoy the summer, and remember to take care of YOU!