Do you remember those old bumper stickers, “Kill your television!”? It was certainly a violent way to get people to pay attention to their tv watching habits. Television programming has changed since then. Some might argue there are even better programs on – particularly public television, documentaries, science – and some would venture we are continually seeing a dumbing down of the masses. Perhaps there’s both.   

We also aren’t simply dealing with televisions anymore, but iPads, iPhones, laptops, Netflix, Wiis, and all sorts of electronic screens our children – and us, don’t even try to kid yourself – spend a lot of time in front of.

From all the statistics, this one shocks me the most: the average preschooler spends 32 hours of week behind a screen. That number rises for older children.

More Research on Screen Time and Children

• 29% of babies under the age of 1 watch TV and videos for an average of about 90 minutes. 23% have a television in their bedroom.

• 64% of babies and toddlers (between 1-2) watch TV and videos for an average of slightly over 2 hours. 36% have a television in their bedroom.

•  8- to 18-year-olds consume an average of 7 hours and 11 minutes of screen media per day. For older children and adolescents, excessive screen time is linked to increased psychological difficulties that include hyperactivity, emotional and conduct problems, difficulties with peers and poor school performance

• Time with screens is an important risk factor for childhood obesity in both low-risk and high- risk populations.

• Screen time for children under 3 is linked to irregular sleep patterns and is linked to sleep disturbance in 6- to 12-year-olds.

• Children who spend less time watching television in early years tend to do better in school, have a healthier diet, be more physically active, and be better able to engage in schoolwork in later elementary school.

• There is no credible evidence that any type of screen time is beneficial to babies and toddlers and some evidence that it may be harmful, yet 56% of parents of young children believe that baby videos are good for child development.

• Adolescents who watch 3 or more hours of television daily are at especially high risk for poor homework completion, negative attitudes toward school, poor grades, and long-term academic failure.

This is why I believe in participating in Screen-Free Week (which starts today). Can you imagine what these kids could be doing instead?

I can.

They will too. Once they get over the initial moaning and groaning, they find plenty to do to entertain themselves and since I plan to not use my computer when they have free time, we can do a lot together.

Activities For Screen-Free Week

Need a little inspiration to get started?

Screen-Free Week Activities

Tuesday Top Ten: activities for Screen-Free Week

Kids Games (most are best for groups)

Zero to Three: A Year of Play

101 Screen-Free Activities

Will you participate in Screen-Free Week this year?

Note: Research compiled by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

Life Beyond the Screen is a post from: Almost All The Truth

I was still reeling from the tragedy that hit the Boston Marathon, the terrible accident at the fertilizer plant in West, Texas, when the recent news of the two suspects’ actions at MIT continued to prove how fragile our lives can be.

I feel sad that in many ways our society is becoming desensitized. I am not sure how many times I heard, and even thought to myself, ”at least it wasn’t like 9/11.” But if there is anything I know for sure it is that the good outweighs the bad every time. I hold on to that. You may not hear about every hero and every positive action, but they are there every day.

I believe you find inspiration and hope wherever you can in times like these. My children help. Music helps. Escaping into projects, books, baseball, anything really. Music is one of my favorites…

I believe it, if we can all find our inner light and love, tomorrow will be kinder.

Listen: The Secret Sisters – Tomorrow Will Be Kinder

Tomorrow Will Be Kinder is a post from: Almost All The Truth

I won’t lie and say there is anything healthy about these desserts, but they are fun and have a great appeal for any time I’d want to impress someone with my (lacking) cooking skills. With 150 recipes to choose from there is definitely something for everyone.

Blackberry Mont Blanc

2013-04-12 10:45:57

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Ingredients

Four 8-ounce (250 mL) jars

Food processor

Electric mixer

Pastry bag fitted with fluted tip

2 cups blackberries, divided

1⁄2 cup confectioner’s (icing) sugar

1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract

1⁄2 tsp ground ginger

1 cup heavy or whipping cream

8 small meringue cookies (see Tips)

8 Gold candy pearls, optional

Instructions

1. Set aside 4 whole blackberries for use as garnish. In food processor fitted with the metal blade, process remaining blackberries, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and ginger for 1 minute.

2. In a large bowl, using electric mixer at high speed, whip cream until soft peaks form. Spoon out 4 tsp whipped cream and set aside in a small bowl. Slowly add blackberry purée to large bowl, beating until stiff peaks form. Transfer to prepared pastry bag.

3. Place some gold candy pearls (if using) in the bottom of each jar. Top with a meringue cookie. Cover with a swirl of blackberry cream. Top with a second meringue. Add 1 tsp whipped cream to each jar and top with a blackberry.

Serve immediately.

Notes

Excerpted from 150 Best Desserts in a Jar by Andrea Jourdan © 2013 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca May not be reprinted without publisher permission.

Almost All The Truth http://www.almostallthetruth.com/

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Pink Chantilly with Cranberries

2013-04-12 10:56:45

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Ingredients

Four 8-ounce tall jars

Blender

Fine-mesh sieve

Electric mixer

11⁄2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen

3 tbsp confectioner’s sugar

2 cups frozen cranberries, thawed

1⁄2 cup maple syrup

11⁄2 cups heavy or whipping cream

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1⁄2 cup cranberry juice

Mint leaves

Instructions

1. In blender, purée raspberries and confectioner’s sugar. Transfer to a fine-mesh sieve placed over a bowl and press mixture through. Discard seeds and set raspberry purée aside.

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook cranberries and maple syrup, stirring often, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

3. In a large bowl, using electric mixer at high speed, whip cream, granulated sugar and vanilla until soft peaks begin to form. Beating constantly, slowly add cranberry juice and half the raspberry purée.

4. Spoon remaining raspberry purée into jars, dividing equally. Top with whipped cream mixture, dividing equally. Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes.

5. When you’re ready to serve, remove jars from refrigerator and top with cooked cranberries. Using a long spoon, mix delicately. Garnish with mint leaves and serve immediately.

Notes

Excerpted from 150 Best Desserts in a Jar by Andrea Jourdan © 2013 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca May not be reprinted without publisher permission.

Almost All The Truth http://www.almostallthetruth.com/

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I was sent a copy of this cookbook for my review. My opinions are my own as they can never be bought.

3 Delicious Desserts in a Jar Recipes is a post from: Almost All The Truth

I remember the day vividly. It had been an agonizing wait on pins and needles for the call… And that day, in the midst of selling our car no less, that day we found out for certain we were going to have our first baby bear. It happens every day to millions of women all across the globe. But when it is you, it is like no one has ever been pregnant before.

You wait the long – or short - nine months hoping for everything to go well. You say you don’t care whether it’s a boy or a girl as long as it’s healthy, even though in this part of the world we too often take that healthy part for granted.

Things may happen. We may have to have a c-section (three for me). We may have to undergo surgery while pregnant (twice for me, my theory being that my body attacks itself while pregnant). We may have pre-term labor, breastfeeding issues, low blood sugar at delivery, jaundice, and maybe even chromosomal abnormalities among other things. And I am not making light of some horrific situations anyone can face, however we live in an era and place where expert medical technology is available to us for so many, many things.

But do you know the stark truths of global newborn health?

UN Photo/Albert González Farran

Did you know that nearly 3 million newborns die each year globally?

Did you know that 99% of these newborns die in low- and middle-income countries?

Did you know that a newborn is 45X times more likely to die in the first month of life, when compared to age 1 month to 5 years?

Did you know that the major causes of newborn death are prematurity, infection, and birth asphyxia when a baby’s brain and other organs do not get enough oxygen before, during or right after birth are?

Did you know that complications of preterm birth are the second leading cause of death in children before their fifth birthday?

And, did you know that the majority of these newborn deaths can be prevented?

credit: Impatient Optimists

The first Global Newborn Health Conference will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa from April 15-18. This is only a beginning of an important discussion from top maternal and newborn health experts, researchers, and NGOs on real solutions.

Want to Join the Conversation?

• Read more about the Global Newborn Health Conference at www.newborn2013.com.
• Follow the #newborn2013 hashtag.
• Follow Gary Darmstadt – Director of the Family Health Division of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - @gdarmsta and @gatesfoundation.
• Share the facts you learn about newborn health.

This post was written for the Global Team of 200, a highly specialized group of Mom Bloggers for Social Good members who focus on maternal health, children, hunger, and women and girls.

What is one thing you were thankful to have during pregnancy? What is one thing you wish you could give to all new mothers?

A Fresh Look at Global Newborn Health is a post from: Almost All The Truth

A Fierce Green Fire aims to do just that.

I am proud to call myself an environmentalist. I am looking forward to seeing A Fierce Green Fire and will be looking for some inspiration. We sure could use some about now.

Will you see this documentary? What is the environmental issue closest to your heart?

New Documentary: The History of Environmentalism is a post from: Almost All The Truth

The following are a few simple (remember those baby steps!) ideas to try for the season. I am stealing these from some previous posts, so do click through on the pictures for more!

Spring Tree Project

Spring Tree Project

Use your crafty skills, or your kids’, and create something happy, fun, colorful to bring spring into any room using found items. Bringing in nature with a mixture of paper and handcrafted bits make it simple and is bound to lift the mood even when spring showers are working to grow our flowers!

Planning Organic Gardens and Getting Kids Involved

Baby Hands Digging In Soil, Enjoying the Fruits of Her Garden Labor

Depending on your area’s weather and type of garden, you may have already started, but if not it is still a great time to get your kids – even the littlest – involved in planning one. Talk about perfect for the Spring season! Flowers are the first signs of color, new life, and new beginnings. Plant, plan, and most of all get dirty together in the rich soil of our earth.

Butterfly Crafts and Stories

Have you caught your first glimpse of a migrating butterfly yet?

Butterflies are such enchanting creatures and many a child has dreamed of cocoons, growing wings and learning to fly. Their rich colors amongst the deep green leaves or lovely pinks and yellows of Spring flowers turn this insect into magic. There are numerous stories that feature them and my favorite butterfly craft is sure to be a crowd-pleaser for the little ones.

Sun Warmed Clothes for Non-Toxic Laundry

There are a variety of ways to make your laundry room a non-toxic environment, but only one leaves your clothes with the scent only the sun can leave.

The weather is starting to turn. We had many days over Spring Break that were sunny and almost 70 degrees! That is time to start line-drying the laundry. One of the easiest changes to save energy and wear and tear on your clothes from the dryer. Plus, who can resist the warmth of the sun on a fresh load of laundry? If you have to do it anyway, go for the best!

An Eco-Friendly, Non-Toxic Home

Wish you could own a house as green as this?

While that may be a dream, there is one simple step to take this Spring to make your home less toxic and more eco-friendly without costing a dime: have everyone remove their shoes as soon as they enter the house. Amazing, but true. This small change can make a big impact on the toxins inside your home. Make it easy, make it a rule, just do it!

Green That Spring Clean

Make all my own cleaners? Yes it can be done, but even one simple change can make a difference!

Homemade cleaners have become the grail of green gurus. It really is amazing what a little baking soda and vinegar can accomplish, but it does take a little getting used to. One little thing may make a huge difference, especially as we start to see some sun streaking through those windows (just don’t worry about those just yet, they can wait): dusting gently with a damp cleaning cloth.

An enormous amount of serious yuckiness from toxins to pesticides resides in the dust sitting on every inch possible. It is important not to sweep it back into the air again and no harsh cleaners are needed, just a little water and reusable rag.

***

Tonight, the Green Sisterhood will be hosting this week’s #ecowed twitter party which will be all about Spring: decor, cleaning, etc. for the green and frugal. Join in at 7pm PST/10pm EST. Follow along with the #ecowed hashtag or check out the discussion through that hashtag in the morning! Hope to see you there!

6 Tips to Green Your Spring is a post from: Almost All The Truth

What are the scientific ethics in a world where extinct species could be brought back to life?

DNA, Extinct Animals, and Their Habitat

The eldest is fascinated with DNA and what we know versus how much we don’t yet have any idea about when it comes to it. He is a smart, imaginative guy who is always working to see what we could do with the science we have and the science he yearns to learn for the future. He doesn’t always have the right terminology or understanding, but he is always, always thinking.

“What if we could learn everything there is to know about DNA so that we could bring back the extinct species that died because of man?”

Who read the novel, or at least watched the movie version of, Jurassic Park? They used scientific technology to create a wonderland of dinosaurs – big and small – as amusement and then horror. It of course brings up all kinds of ethical questions about what should be done with scientific advances, just look at the world of biotechnology right now.

But beyond the fantastical and ethical, we talked about how we have caused so much destruction to certain species’ habitats and ways of survival, that we had a wonderful conversation about what could happen if we were able to bring back some of the more recent extinct species. What if we were capable of bringing back the Bali Tiger which became extinct around 1937? Would these tigers have the habitat, food, and protection to remain alive in the wild for long? I highly doubt it. Humans have interfered with the lives of animals too long and too much in many cases.

“The last batch of sawnwood from the peat forest in Indragiri Hulu, Riau Province. The end of the forest, the end of forestry. The Oil Palm Planter will take over now.The palm oil will be used for Mars bars, pizzas, fish ‘n chips and perhaps your energize your electricity socket or to fill SUV gas tank with super green climate saving gasoline.” via Wakx 

The Palm Oil Problem for Orangutans

As conversations meander, so did ours to the great apes and the piece I had just written. Specifically we talked about the direct correlation between palm oil harvesting and the loss of so many orangutans. Again, even if we were to artificially bolster the population or bring them back once they become extinct – perhaps within the decade as many experts suggest – would they be able to survive in the wild without humans taking extreme measures to making their habitat safe, beneficial, and livable for them? No. This is why we are in this trouble in the first place.

So if we are speaking specifically about orangutans we know one extreme change we could all make now to help them: stop consuming palm oil.

My son had the same idea I had about creating something to show everyone the products which contain palm oil and the alternate names for it. He even wants to show it to his classmates at school. This was an idea that was sparked by his imagination, a quick car conversation, and a desire to make the world better. Who could ask for a better kid?

Want to get your kid involved? What about you? Help us research! Send along your ideas and your child will get credit on our final work.

Related: The Survival of Great Apes {Part 1}

The Survival of Great Apes – DNA and Orangutans {Part 2} is a post from: Almost All The Truth

“Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!”
– Sitting Bull

It is our Spring Break here and I am working hard at finding ways to embrace the blinding lights that are my children as the sun has not graced itself with its presence much. We’ve found wilderness survival skills, fairy slippers, books, and how to spend togetherness while trying to keep peace in our hearts. Tomorrow: science.

What does your week look like friends?

Wordless Wednesday :: Fern is a post from: Almost All The Truth

International non-profit organization WaterAid helps the world’s poorest people to plan, build and manage their own safe water supplies and to improve their sanitation and hygiene. These basic services transform lives.

Before you read on… Consider what World Water Day means to you.

To me it means our collective work is far from over, but we start where we can. Once upon a time I started by no longer buying bottled water. I continue my fight to prevent Nestlé from profiting from my state’s water. I then look further afield to what else I can make a difference with.

The Global Team of 200 Tackles World Water Day 2013

World Water Day snuck on me a bit this year, but there are some brilliant women who are fellow members of The Global Team of 200 celebrating World Water Day that I would like to share with you. I can only imagine if I were one of the women who must travel miles to reach any source of water, clean or not, each day.

March 22nd Is World Water Day – documama

Coming together for World Water Day, Friday March 22 – Third Eye Mom

Water is Just the Beginning #WorldWaterDay2013 – Surf and Sunshine

World Water Day – naturemoms

World Water Day, Climate Change and WaterAid America – Climate Mama

World Water Day – About Proximity

Visit www.wateraidamerica.org/worldwaterday for all the latest World Water Day news. What is one thing you can do to today to change the lives of others?

World Water Day 2013 – Water Is Just The Beginning is a post from: Almost All The Truth

Sumatran Orangutan

What would you say if I told you great apes like chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, and orangutans may disappear from the wild within eight years?

Would you be shocked?

Would you feel a wave of disbelief?

Would you feel sad?

According to the world’s experts on great apes this number seems to hold true. Would this make you change anything about the way you live your life?

Mountain Gorilla

I have long known that all the great apes were greatly endangered from civil war, habitat loss, illegal bush meat trade, climate change, among other problems depending on the area and species, but to hear that number – 8 years – is shocking, heartbreaking, infuriating, and a motivator to find what I can do differently to allow for a different outcome.

What Did I Learn About the Plight of Great Apes?

Bonobo

I learned many people don’t even know the difference between a monkey and an ape.

Gorilla in Captivity

I learned the zoos focused on education and conservation may well be our allies in the fight against species extinction through man-made destruction and could perhaps be a solution to bringing back the wild populations of these animals.

Cargill’s Problems With Palm Oil via Rainforest Action Network on flickr

I learned that many people have no idea some of their day-to-day decisions can impact great apes halfway around the world. Unfortunately because they don’t all live in the same are, different actions must be taken. That can be a hard pill for the average person to swallow.

I learned that the Girl Scouts have opted to start using sustainable palm oil, which when I think of the number of cookies they make could be important, but when I think of their cookies versus all the other products on the market using palm oil – 50% of the products on a supermarket’s shelves – we are far from making a big impact.

I learned once again that becoming a conscientious consumer can, and does, make a difference in the world.

Want to know what to look for so you can become a conscientious, aware, consumer, and start to make an impact on the lives of great apes everywhere? Come back for Part 2.

The Survival of Great Apes {Part 1} is a post from: Almost All The Truth