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Entry bubble Recycle Your Old TV's, Computers and Cell Phones

By: Jake | March 31, 2008 | Category: General

Pile of Old PC's My parents' attic is a mausoleum for obsolete computers, cell phones and Nintendo systems. While my brother and I have been known to resurrect the first Nintendo system over the holidays, the other broken and obsolete electronics sit and collect dust.

It's better this electronic waste or e-waste is in the attic rather than in the landfill, since many old electronics contain environmental pollutants, but if you are like my parents, you'd like your space back (my old bedroom has become their other attic). Luckily there are ways you can electronically recycle or e-cycle.

This month the U.S. Postal Service started a pilot program where you can get envelopes to mail smaller pieces of e-waste to a recycling facility free of charge. These envelopes can be found at 1,500 post offices in 10 areas across the country, and if successful, the USPS will expand the program nationally this fall. Also, the Environmental Protection Agency has a goal to collect and recycle 1 million pounds of e-waste in the Great Lakes Region before Earth Day.

If you don't live near any of these post offices or in the Great Lakes region, the EPA's eCycling Webpage can tell you how to dispose of your e-waste properly. There are local programs and some manufacturers and retailers who will take back your old electronic products.

So as you start your spring cleaning think about how you can recycle some of those old computers, teevees and video game systems. My parents' house might not be as fun without the old Nintendo there, but at least I'll be able to see the walls in my old bedroom again.

| View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cellular   computers   electronics   phones   recycling   televisions  

 

Entry bubble Family Medical Leave Act Basics

By: Sommer | March 28, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

I first heard about the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in one of my college classes. Needless to say, my husband and I havepregnant woman talking to a male coworker discussed this little law a lot around the house recently. Since I work for Uncle Sam I don’t get “maternity leave” per se, but I have been able to save up enough vacation to use while I’m off work with the baby. Luckily I won’t have to take unpaid leave under FMLA to spend time with my newborn. My husband isn’t that lucky though; he just took a new job last fall. And, since his company doesn’t offer paid paternity leave, he’ll have to invoke his FMLA rights and take unpaid time off if he decides to take extended leave to welcome the baby home.

Here are some details about your rights under FMLA:

  • The Clinton Administration enacted the FMLA in 1993.
  • The main purpose of the law is to grant eligible employees up to 12 workweeks, per 12 month period, of unpaid family and temporary medical leave under the following circumstances:
    • birth and care of the newborn child;
    • adoption or taking a child into foster care;
    • care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or
    • personal medical leave when the employee cannot work because of a serious health condition.
  • Your employer must give you your original job back once you return to work. If your employer has filled your job in your absence or, for some reason it's no longer available, your employer must provide you with a job that’s equal in pay, benefits and responsibility.
  • You’re also entitled to all your employee benefits while you’re out.

| View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: employee   family   job   law   leave   maternity   paternity   sommer   work  

 

Entry bubble 100 Calorie Snack Packs--Good Deal or Not?

By: Nancy | March 27, 2008 | Category: Money

snack mix"What do you think about those '100 calorie snack packs?'" I yelled over the wall to Colleen, test driving the idea for today's blog entry.

"Why do they all taste bad?" she yelled back.

And why can't I stop at eating just one?

Chances are, over the last year or two, your favorite junk food has been re-portioned, reformulated or just made in smaller pieces to get it to fit into a little bag so it can join the 100 calorie snack pack craze that's sweeping supermarket shelves. Those little pouches of cookies and crackers are big business—consumers bought $200 million worth last year.

The biggest benefits of snack packs are portability and portion control. Instead of ingesting fistful after fistful of snacks out of the box and racking up hundreds of calories and loads of fat in the process, you can just grab a little pack and go. But that convenience and forced self-control come at a cost. You'll pay as much as two to three times more for foods packaged in 100 calorie portions than you would if you bought a regular box and counted out recommended servings yourself.

There's also a misconception that the 100 calorie packs are somehow healthier than the regularly-packaged versions. That's what I've been assuming, as I grab for a second pack after wolfing down the first (hey, they're little bags!). But sadly, unless they're reduced-fat, they're not any healthier than what you'll find in a regular package. Same amount of sugar. Same fat. Same salt content. They may satiate your sugar or salt craving, but they may still leave your stomach rumbling. So if you're looking for a more satisfying snack, aim for something that contains whole grain or protein and less sugar.

Now about the taste...you may need to check your expectations before tearing open a 100 calorie snack pack. A lot of the snack pack versions of foods are actually different creatures all together from their regularly-packaged counterparts. So if the package says "crisps," don't expect mini versions of your favorite sandwich cookies or crackers. You're in for thin, almost chip-like things. And that's fine if that's what you're going for. But if your mouth is watering for the real thing, cream filling and all, you may be disappointed. Look at the picture on the label so you know what you're getting.

If you can carve out the time, you might want to consider putting together your own 100 calorie snacks of nuts, yogurt, veggies and more. Here are some ideas. By the way, that 100 calorie number? There's nothing magic about it. Some companies have even started selling food in 90 calorie packs. How low can they go? Time, and consumer response, will tell.

What's your experience—are you a fan of 100 calorie snack packs?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [11] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: health   nancy   save   snack  

 

Entry bubble Root Canal Awareness Week

By: Colleen | March 26, 2008 | Category: Health

Direct from the "strange but true" file: Next week is Root Canal Awareness Week!root canal

Sponsored by the American Association of Endodontists (AAE), it lasts from March 30-April 5th.

An endodontist is a dentist that specializes in root canals.

This year endodontists unite to stress the importance of protecting your teeth during sports activities with the theme "Watch Your Mouth!"—a phrase I typically associate with my childhood and mother.

While mouth guards are typically associated with full-contact sports like football and hockey, it is actually eight times more likely a dental injury will occur while playing a game like soccer.

Parents and coaches should encourage (or flat out force) their budding Michael Jordans and Mia Hamms to wear a protective mouth guard for all sports. (Although I'm pretty sure your young Tiger Woods should be okay without one—unless severely uncoordinated.)

It may not be the coolest accessory on the field or court, but it can really pay off. In high school, after thousands of dollars in orthodontia my sister took an elbow right to the kisser. You better believe the very next day I was not only sporting the coolest red and black Nike Air high-tops ever, but a bright yellow "boil and bite" mouth guard as well. I had prom dates lining up around the block.

Regardless, I can credit my beautiful pearly whites to protecting my teeth during all those years of athletic competition. A public "thanks" to Mom and Pops.

Of course, there are plenty of other ways to injure oneself while engaged in athletics. For additional information check out "Sports Injuries"—and keep smiling!

| View Comments [2] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: canal   colleen   injury   protection   root   sports   teeth  

 

Entry bubble Paper or Plastic? Cloth or Cardboard?

By: Joanne | March 25, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

paper grocery bags

The next time you’re at the grocery store stocking up on fruits and veggies, consider the question, paper or plastic? Shopping bags, especially the plastic ones are handed to us almost every time we buy something. We’re so used to it that we don’t even think about it any more, but we should.

A friend recently sent me a link to an eye-opening multimedia presentation on the topic of grocery bags. I’m not going to throw a mountain of data at you because when you take a moment to think about it, you already know that it takes a tremendous amount of resources to even produce that bag you take for granted at the store. We’re either cutting down trees or importing fossil fuels to make these things and that’s just the beginning. There’s a costly manufacturing and shipping process and the truth is, that most of them go from our hands directly into the landfill.

I’ve been making a gradual transition to using cloth bags. Every now and again I spend a couple of bucks on a reusable cotton bag. They’re easy to find – your grocery store probably sells them. If I’m not buying much, I ask for no bag at all (a request that has earned me many strange looks from cashiers!) or I keep my handy cotton bags in the car and bring them into the store. You also might want to use a cardboard box – they’re reusable, recyclable, and if your store doesn’t already offer the option, you probably only have to ask because they’ve got lots of them in the back of the store destined for the dumpster. So remember it’s really only a small change of habit to reduce, reuse or recycle that paper or plastic bag!

| View Comments [11] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: bag   box   cardboard   cloth   cotton   food   grocery   joanne   paper   plastic  

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