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| Is nail polish safe to use? I am 14 weeks pregnant. —Holly, Maysville, KY | ||
| Well, that really depends on your risk tolerance. Most doctors consider it safe to use (but be sure to check with yours), but proponents of a greener pregnancy say no way, José. In our article “Like a Natural Woman,” Alexandra Zissu and Deirdre Dolan, authors of The Complete Organic Pregnancy, say: “You really want to scale things way, way back when youre trying to conceive, are pregnant or are breast-feeding. Most products should be replaced with safer, less-chemical versions (we walk you through this product purge in the book and give tips for what favorite products can stay in your life). We do not think hair coloring, manicures or pedicures are safe when pregnant. Nail polish, for instance, contains chemicals (which are banned in Europe and are starting to be voluntarily phased out by companies stateside) that have been linked in small studies to reproductive abnormalities (specifically in baby boys). Even though the FDA still deems the chemicals safe, were more than happy to have natural toes and gray hair and err on the side of caution for these 40-plus weeks.” I guess I am somewhere in the middle on this subject. I definitely cut my beauty regime back while pregnant and made sure to go to places that were well ventilated, had an overall eco-friendly environment, and used safer and often organic products. Every day there are more and more companies coming out with organic lines, including organic nail polish. Check out www.yvesrocherusa.com and www.pristineplanet.com for some inexpensive and chem-free options. If those totally eco-ed out choices don't float your boat, just do a little research into which more-mainstream lines don't have DBP (a chemical known to cause birth defects), formaldehyde and toluene (a nasty little chemical that can cause a host of problems, from memory loss to dizziness to kidney malfunction) in them. Brands like Revlon, Elizabeth Arden, Rescue Beauty Lounge, Avon, Sally Hansen, Nars, OPI and LOreal all claim that their polishes are free, free and free. |
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| Have you heard of any good teething necklaces? —Erin, Clearwater, FL | |||
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We featured one a little while back from Mommas Jewels ($150 for single ring, $200 for double ring and $250 for triple ring, www.mommasjewels.com) that is so beautiful and elegant. I have a mad teether on my hands right now, and I am just freaking out about this sterling silver stunner as I type. Honestly, I forgot about teething necklaces until my friend asked me which ones I liked and what I thought about the amber ones. FYI: I hadn't even heard of them. But now that I have, I am a bit obsessed with them, too. Apparently, amber has these miraculous healing qualities that ease Baby's pain sans medicine—and you know that I completely buy into that kind of thing. The ones from www.teethingnecklace.com, like the Baby Random Sized Cognac pictured here ($42), just have to be worn and, supposedly, they do their magic. From my research, I couldnt find a scientific explanation, but many a mom swears it to be true. I'm totally going to order one. If only they made necklaces that could ease the pain of a bikini wax. |
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| The product I’m loving this month: |
Barry's Bootcamp  I recently lost all the baby weight and what I call the “NJ” weight, aka the weight I gained when I moved from Manhattan six years ago, started eating subs and pizza, stopped walking everywhere, and stopped keeping up with the famouses and the models that line the streets. Oh, the follies of a girl in her 20s. Anyway, I'm back in my skinny jeans and my life is back—I know that the two shouldn't equate, but they do. They just do.While a host of things played into me being a big loser after years of trying and failing, one main component was Barry's Bootcamp Complete Workout System ($59.95, www.amazon.com). I was up at 4 a.m. one morning, feeding my son, I think (it all blurs, though, so who knows?) and was beep-beep-boop-boop-beep-beep-bopping the 800 number a mere five minutes into happening upon the infomercial. The set comes with three DVDs featuring a total of nine heart-rate-pumping workouts, a multipurpose transformer, resistance bands and more. The two main workouts are 21 minutes each with supplemental 12-minute targeted area routines and the third DVD, Code Red, has a 15-minute workout to which I am addicted. Barry's whole shtick is the effectiveness of working out for one minute at time—if you give it your all and work at 100 percent. As Barry says: “You can do anything for a minute!” And he's right. The fact that each exercise is over so quickly alleviates the whole commitment thing that stops most people from popping in a DVD in the comfort of their own home. I don't care how busy you are, you have 15 or 21 minutes to get into shape. I noticed results after a week. I really, truly did. Now, weight loss is 75 percent proper nutrition, and it all comes down to honoring your commitment to yourself and being dedicated to your goal, so you cant do dips for 60 seconds and then eat Juniors pancakes, leftover mac and cheese, a handful of almonds, two spoonfuls of mashed potatoes and four stuffed-in-so-quickly-I-didn't-realize-I-ate-them cookies. Bummer. |
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| birthday party invitations |
