It looks like the senate is finally waking up to the crazy push for cloned animals in our food supply. Last Friday, the senators passed a provision to the Farm Bill that will delay the FDA’s endorsement of using food from cloned animals. The amendment calls for a “rigorous and careful review” of the economic and health impact of cloned food. Say what? You mean the FDA was planning to introduce cloned food without testing its safety–despite the fact that most cloned animals are sickly and die young? Thank co-sponsors Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) for recognizing the insanity in this situation. Because who wants to eat cloned food that hasn’t been sufficiently tested for human safety? Exactly: No one. Watch for a similar story in our January issue, which should hit the shelves (and our website) in the next two weeks. I’d love to hear what you guys think!

My exclusively breastfed 8-month-old has taken to solids in a big way recently. He’s a good eater (his favorite is pureed peas!), but I’ve started to wonder if he needs a multivitamin supplement. Another mom I know, who happens to be a naturopathic doctor, gives her 15-month-old the Rainbow Light NutriStart Multivitamin Powder. But, because my baby’s still breastfed and getting lots of nutrients through my milk, would a multivitamin be overkill? I found an answer on pediatric expert Dr. Alan Greene’s website. (Dr. Greene specializes in nutrition and holistic medicine for kids, and was a chief resource for our “Organic matters” story in the September 2008 issue.) Do you give your baby or older child multivitamins? Tell us about it. (You can respond to this blog directly, or join in on the Delicious Living community board.)

I got so excited this weekend because I found some gorgeous quince (pronounced “kwints”) in the natural grocery store; it’s one of those fruits that’s only in season for a short time, about Oct to Jan. You’ve probably never heard of it, but trust me, this is a fruit you really should try. Some legends say it’s the fruit from the garden of Eden, and based on its perfume-like smell (hints of pineapple), I can see why it would be irresistible–but the trick is, you can’t eat it raw. It has to be cooked, typically with some kind of sweetener, and then it’s great; you can substitute it for part of the apples in a pie, tart, homemade jelly, etc. Look for a description and more ideas on how to use it in our January issue’s “What’s In Season” installment, in your store soon.

Where does the stuff we buy come from? This is the type of question that keeps me up at night. Luckily, The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard, recently did a great job of succintly putting this in perspective for me. The Story of Stuff is an easy-to-follow but impactful breakdown of the materials economy and the true cost of production and consumption. In other words, Annie Leonard follows the stuff we buy from its extraction (the resources we pull from the earth to make it) to production (what it takes to make it) to distribution (how does it get onto the shelves so we can buy it) to consumption (in the US we consume 2x more than we did 50 years ago) to the disposal of these products (where does stuff go when we’re done with it).

One take away that really resonated with me is that although we’re consuming more than ever before our level of happiness as a society peaked in the 1950s and has been on a downward cycle ever since. But just as The Story of Stuff started becoming fodder for many more sleepless nights, Annie Leonard also offers up Another Way or 10 Little or Big Things You Can Do to help solve the problem with stuff. To hear what else Annie Leonard has to say (it’s worth listening to) check out her eco-friendly blog.

As a mother, I’m always thinking of ways that I can create a better future for my kids. I look to other parents for ideas and as role models. One source that I have loved over the years has been the Mothers Acting Up calendar. Although we mentioned it in the December issue of Delicious Living, I have to mention it again here, because I think it’s such a wonderful calendar and resource. Each week of the calendar highlights an activist who is working to make the world a better place for children. It follows women from Africa to Iraq to Afghanistan to the United States. It documents people working to create a better future for kids in relation to world peace, education, health and the environment. This year’s calendar honors the likes of the late Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, but also Children on the Edge, formed to help children in need in Eastern Europe and Asia. But one woman who caught my attention is Tiffany Bellah, a mother and “chemical-free gardener, composter, organic cook and nature-loving hiker.” The calendar outlines how as a Master Composter she “teaches others the value of backyard composting and responsible waste management.” It’s people like Tiffany, who at a grassroots level are working to help educate others and create a better world for our children. She is the type of person who inspires me and keeps me hopeful that we can all make a difference. You can find Tiffany in the Mothers Acting Up calendar or at her blog “barefootinadventures.”

I was shocked when I read this Yahoo! report about mercury in mascara. How can it possibly be legal to use a substance known to cause neurological damage in consumer products? And why is Minnesota the only state banning it? Unbelievable.

Like many parents, I’ve been overwhelmed by the constant toy recalls and consumer alerts over the past year. It doesn’t make finding the perfect holiday gifts for my two kids (both under the age of 4) easy! Luckily, Healthy Child Healthy World, a nonprofit devoted to kids’ environmental health, just published a great, user-friendly article on what to look for in truly nontoxic toys. And, unfortunately, lead paint isn’t the only issue: Plastics and treated wood can also be harmful. The good news is that following a healthy diet can make it less likely your child will absorb lead. And there are lots of other ways to keep your kids thriving (check out our age-by-age guide).

It’s holiday time, and I just got a note from an organization that I wish I’d included in my article, Gifts for Good in the Dec08 issue. It’s called Books for a Better World,and it simply creates libraries in needy Latin American towns. It’s an organization that’s dear to my heart, because it was started by a friend of mine in Arizona, Kae Robb, and it’s based in Central America, where my mom is from (her country is Costa Rica). My son and I actually used Kae’s model to start a small library in a Costa Rican school, which turned out to be a fantastic grow-a-world-vision experience for both of us. Kae passed away a few years ago from breast cancer, but her vision continues under the leadership of people she mentored. It’s all run by volunteers, and it’s a worthy organization if you’re looking for a place to donate this season.

There’s a great (and superusable) tip on IdealBite today. Evidently, reducing your margins on Word docs can save reams upon reams of paper. This morning I saved one piece of paper by reducing the margins on a story I’m editing from 1 inch to 0.5 inches. Here are more good ways to cut down on your office’s paper use

1. Print only the pages you need. After you select “print,” enter the page range (ie: 1 to 1, 4-6). In Excel, you can also select a range of cells to print.

2. Print two pages per sheet. Most peoples’ eyes can handle two to four pages per sheet.

3. Set computer printing defaults to two-sided.

3. Print text from webpages in Word by selecting the desired text and copying/pasting it into a Word document. That way you won’t end up with html code, blank picture boxes, or random headers and footers. OR select “printer friendly” or “text only” (usually at the top of a webpage) and print.

4. Ask your office to purchase 100 percent post-consumer-recycled office paper from a eco-conscious office-supply company. (Our offices buy from Colorado-based Eco-Products.

5. Only print when you have to!

My doctor recently recommend hydrocortisone cream to reduce my baby’s inflammed rash–a.k.a. eczema–which he developed from the buckets of drool constantly trickling down his chin. But isn’t hydrocorisone risky for babies (and, over the long term, for adults)? Considering its side effects include skin thinning and unusual hair growth, I wondered if there was a natural alternative. I asked a friend of mine, Erin Stokes, ND, who practices naturopathic medicine in Boulder, Colorado, and she suggested trying a product with calendula, a natural topical anti-inflammatory. I already had the Weleda Calendula Baby Cream at home and ended up buying the Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Skin Creme, which isn’t made with calendula, but has other skin-soothing ingredients his skin seems to like. The combination of those two creams seems to be working so far.