Friday, April 20, 2007
First Birthday!
Free Copy of The Purpose Driven Life
If you are a first time visitor to Thrive Fellowship, they want to send you a FREE copy of The Purpose Driven Life by Dr. Rick Warren. Simply complete the form and your free gift will be on the way shortly.
Free Pedigree Butcher Selects Dog Food
Fill out the form and get a coupon for a free can of this Dog Food.
Free Sample Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal
Per website:
*Offer valid until 5/09/07 or while supplies last. No product substitutions. Available to U.S. residents only. Must be 18 or older to receive sample. Limit one sample per family, household, address or email address. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. GOLEAN Crunch! allergen info: CONTAINS WHEAT AND SOY INGREDIENTS. Click here to read ingredient listing.
Free Sample of regenerist Eye Derma-Pod
Free sample of Regenerist Eye Derma-Pod
Anti-Aging Triple Response System
I love this stuff!
Free Baby Items
Congratulations on your new pregnancy. The American Pregnancy Association would like to Give you a Free Pregnancy and Baby Wellness Kit to help you celebrate your pregnancy as well as provide you with valuable insights, samples and coupons.
Take 30 seconds and request your free Wellness kit through this form now. Each wellness kit will be filled with the following:
Quick tips on a healthy pregnancy
Samples of pregnancy and baby related products
Coupons for your must-have services and pregnancy/baby items
Free Irwin Blue Blade Utility Blades
Love them, love them, love them!

Per website:
Complete the form below and get 5 IRWIN Blue Blade Bi-Metal Utility Blades. That's all you have to do. We're so sure that once you try our blades you'll never use any other blade again.
Free Pizza Hut Pizza
They are giving away one slice of pizza (cheese or pepperoni) per person between 3 and 5pm.
This is going to be nationwide, with advertisements on tv and in USA Today on May 1st.
Yummm!
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Pesticides in Food
Why Should You Care About Pesticides?
There is growing consensus in the scientific community that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can adversely affect people, especially during vulnerable periods of fetal development and childhood when exposures can have long lasting effects. Because the toxic effects of pesticides are worrisome, not well understood, or in some cases completely unstudied, shoppers are wise to minimize exposure to pesticides whenever possible.
Will Washing and Peeling Help?
Nearly all of the data used to create these lists already considers how people typically wash and prepare produce (for example, apples are washed before testing, bananas are peeled). While washing and rinsing fresh produce may reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them. Peeling also reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.
The Full List: 43 Fruits & Veggies
| RANK | FRUIT OR VEGGIE | SCORE |
| 1 (worst) | Peaches | 100 (highest pesticide load) |
| 2 | Apples | 89 |
| 3 | Sweet Bell Peppers | 86 |
| 4 | Celery | 85 |
| 5 | Nectarines | 84 |
| 6 | Strawberries | 82 |
| 7 | Cherries | 75 |
| 8 | Pears | 65 |
| 9 | Grapes - Imported | 65 |
| 10 | Spinach | 60 |
| 11 | Lettuce | 59 |
| 12 | Potatoes | 58 |
| 13 | Carrots | 57 |
| 14 | Green Beans | 53 |
| 15 | Hot Peppers | 53 |
| 16 | Cucumbers | 52 |
| 17 | Raspberries | 47 |
| 18 | Plums | 45 |
| 19 | Grapes - Domestic | 43 |
| 20 | Oranges | 42 |
| 21 | Grapefruit | 40 |
| 22 | Tangerine | 38 |
| 23 | Mushrooms | 37 |
| 24 | Cantaloupe | 34 |
| 25 | Honeydew Melon | 31 |
| 26 | Tomatoes | 30 |
| 27 | Sweet Potatoes | 30 |
| 28 | Watermelon | 28 |
| 29 | Winter Squash | 27 |
| 30 | Cauliflower | 27 |
| 31 | Blueberries | 24 |
| 32 | Papaya | 21 |
| 33 | Broccoli | 18 |
| 34 | Cabbage | 17 |
| 35 | Bananas | 16 |
| 36 | Kiwi | 14 |
| 37 | Sweet peas - frozen | 11 |
| 38 | Asparagus | 11 |
| 39 | Mango | 9 |
| 40 | Pineapples | 7 |
| 41 | Sweet Corn - frozen | 2 |
| 42 | Avocado | 1 |
| 43 (best) | Onions | 1 (lowest pesticide load) |
Organic Food
Spring Cleaning
Here are just a few frugal house cleaning tips to help you get started.
ALL PURPOSE CLEANERS
* Mix 2 teaspoons of borax and 5 cups of hot water. Add 1/2 cup of dishwashing soap and 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil. Mix well. Great for general clean-up.
* Clean with vinegar on its own or diluted with water. Add essential oils to the mix to mask the strong odor of vinegar.
* Sprinkle baking soda on hard to clean surfaces and dishes. Mist with water and let sit a couple of minutes. Clean as usual.
* To clean your plastic cutting board, sprinkle salt on the board. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze half of the lemon onto the board. Scrub and clean. Use warm water to rinse off the lemon/salt mixture.
* If your cutting board is made of wood, you can clean it this way. Once every month or so (depending on use) sand lightly. Rub a small amount of olive oil into the board. Never immerse into water.
* If you need to unclog a drain, or just want to help keep them clear, place 1 cup of baking soda down the drain. Pour 1 cup of vinegar down the drain. Let sit for 15 minutes. Pour hot water or boiling water down the drain.
* To make your faucets shine, put a couple of drops of olive oil on a dry rag. Spray faucet with club soda and wipe dry with the rag. It will spot less too!
FLOOR CLEANERS
* Mix 2 cups of vinegar with 4 cups of hot water. Add 3-5 drops of your favorite essential oil and 2 drops of tea tree oil. Tea tree oil acts as a disinfectant.
* Add 2 tablespoons of dishwashing soap to a bucket of hot water. Rinse with a vinegar/water mix.
* Add 1/4 cup of borax to hot water. Add 1 tablespoon of dishwashing soap and 1 cup of vinegar. Fill the rest of the bucket with warm water. Add your favorite essential oil to the mix.
WINDOW CLEANERS
* Spray club soda on the window and wipe dry.
* Mix 1 cup of vinegar with 1 cup of water. Spray the mixture on the window and wipe dry.
* Mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with half a pail of warm water. Clean the windows and wipe dry with a lint free cloth
AIR FRESHENERS
* When weather permits, open your windows.
* Add 3-5 drops of your favorite essential oil to a cup of baking soda. Mix the oil into the soda and place in a decorative box. Another idea is to dip a cotton ball in pure vanilla extract and place in a small dish. This tip works best in small spaces, such as drawers, closets, and bathrooms.
* For Kitchen odors: Place a small dish of vinegar near the kitchen odor. The vinegar will get rid of it for you.
* Place your favorite citrus peels in a pot. Cover with water and simmer. It will freshen your kitchen and the rest of the house all at once.