There's Oil Friggin Everywhere!!!!

The most frustrating thing about watching the news and reading the newspaper is hearing about all the awful things going on in our world that we cannot control. The main reason I began this blog was to spread the idea that we are not always helpless when it comes to world events. There is no purpose in the information we receive daily from the Internet, magazines, television etc. if it is not put to good use. Awareness is important because it is the first step before action is taken. If I read about the oil spill and just sit with the idea that it is happening, the information has done nothing to benefit the cause. I believe this is the main problem with the information we get from the media today. A lot of information, very little solutions. It is our responsibility as citizens of our state, our country, and of the world that we put our knowledge of current events to good use. What better place to start than the oil spill?

Instead of standing by and watching there are many things we can do as individuals to help this environmental crisis, but before we enter into that subject I feel I should give you a brief explanation on what is going on in the Gulf of Mexico. When most of us think of this man-made disaster we think of fish and turtles being covered with slick oil. Obviously, the oil poses a huge danger to wildlife in the region, but the problem is far greater than that. The last great oil spill comparable to this one took place off the coast of Alaska more than 20 years ago. In that time petrol companies have not taken the necessary steps to finding solutions for plugging up leaks caused by drilling. While technology used to clean up the oil in the ocean has been created, nothing of importance has been created to fix the leak itself. With the amount made each year by oil companies there is no excuse for the tiny amount of research done both to prevent and put a stop to oil spills. The practice of praying and crossing our fingers is simply inexcusable.

And poor Louisiana! As if the state has not been through enough these past five years since Hurricane Katrina hit, fisherman are losing their livelihood to this disaster. The unemployment rate in the US is now past 9%, the last thing we needed was a catastrophe that literally wiped out the income of hard working men and women. Thus, this problem goes beyond an environmental issue. It's affecting our fragile economy as well.


BP has tried several strategies to plug up the well. One was a giant dome designed to siphon the oil from the leak. After a few failures the infamous "top kill" was tried. This basically involved pumping gallons upon gallons of mud into the well in order to plug up the flow of oil. If this would not work bits of tire and plastic would also be added to the clay to seal it indefinitely. Unfortunately, this plan seems to have failed miserably. Now we are even thinking of dropping chemicals into the ocean that may help the oil spill but be toxic to the wildlife. Great idea.... People have been complaining that the problem has been left in that hands of BP for far too long already, and expressed the desire for our government to take bigger steps in solving the problem.

President Obama, as usual the burden of millions rests on your shoulders. :/

As a result our president made a visit to the Gulf on Friday and stated that he takes full responsibility for finding solutions to this issue. However Ladies and Gentlemen, this doesn't mean you get to close your eyes, sit back, and let the king of hope solve everything for you. We are a democracy, and supposedly our government is run primarily by us. So lets take some action! I'm tired of Louisiana getting butt raped all time!

Ways You Can Help:

1. Be like yo mama and write a letter when something pisses you off. Contact your local congressman, state senator. Hell..write to the White House! The more we continue putting money into oil drilling, the higher chance there is to something happening like this again. If you are one of Palin's "Drill baby drill!" darlings, I may think your wrong but I have a solution for you too. You may not be an advocate for renewable energy but you can at least write and let the oil companies know more money needs to be spent on research for preventing and stopping oil spills. They can't just drill and hope for the best. There needs to be a back up plan. Writing letters and emails may not be an immediate solution but it can urge our government and petrol companies to prepare for and prevent future oil leaks. That way we don't experience this scrambling "What the hell do we do now?" attitude all over again.

2. Collect your hair, pet fur, and nylons! Believe it or not these three things can be used trap oil found in the ocean. Salons and pet owners around the country have been collecting these items and sending them off to help clean up the mess. To sign up visit www.matteroftrust.org

3. Visit www.nwf.org to donate money which helps save the the wildlife affected by the oil spill.

4. If you are able to commit your time to volunteer you can visit www.lagulfresponse.org which is advertised by the World Wildlife Fund as a safe source for donations as well.

Hope this Helps!


XO,

MIMI

P.S. Watch this Video!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHmhxpQEGPo

Post-Partum Myths and the Superheroes that Debunk Them

It's amazing how little education there is on post-partum mental illness, especially since it affects so many women.

I was 20 when I was diagnosed with postpartum ocd, but I started feeling the symptoms when I was 18. I struggled with this disorder internally. There was a time I truly felt I was going mad. For more than a year I tried to find somebody...anybody who could tell me what the hell was going on inside my brain, and for a long time, there was no clear cut answer.

I became pregnant with my son at the age of 18. Le Gasp! :P However, my boyfriend (now my husband) and I loved each other very much. In my mind there was no question of what to do. I knew I was going to have my son. I knew he would be loved. I knew we would be great parents and would do everything possible to give him a good life.

My ocd actually started during my pregnancy. My first insane thought was that I could not serve steak knives at the table. I could hurt someone with steak knives. Who knows I might go crazy and stab someone from across the table. I put out butter knives instead.

My mother wanted to take me to Palm Springs for a relaxing vacation and I refused to go simply because I was afraid of hurting her. Soon I got scared of driving my car because I thought I would hit someone.

When these thoughts first invaded my brain, I did not tell anyone for two reasons. One, it made me sound like a lunatic and two, because I thought maybe it was just the stress of being young and pregnant. I began to get scared about what would happen after my son was born. He would be so fragile. I bought every book I could on baby care and first aid. Every first time mommy is paranoid but my paranoia reached unhealthy heights. I became scared of hurting myself, my baby, and others.

The biggest issue which you must understand is I never felt the desire to do these things. It was an intense fear that I could not shake. If I tried to stop the thoughts they would only increase. One night my husband woke up and I could not stop crying but was too scared to tell him why.

After my son was born the thoughts went away. (Most likely because of hormone changes) I have to mention that both when I was pregnant, when he was born, and ever since I have loved my son with my whole soul. Even when I was going through this inner turmoil I always felt like my son was this magical gift from heaven and I still do not know how I got so lucky as to have a baby boy as a amazing as him. Despite my feelings of pure, unconditional love towards my son, the fears came back when I suddenly stopped breastfeeding once my son was six months old. (Again, probably because of hormone changes)

I soon became terrified of giving him a bath, changing his diaper, even being alone with him. What confused me and terrorized me the most was that the fears I had were not logical. I loved my son so much, why would I ever be scared of hurting him? I became terrified that I might have schizophrenia or be psychotic.

When I finally decided to start doing some research all I found were disturbingly awful stories of mothers hurting their children. "Oh my God!" I thought. "What if these women started out like me and gave into their fears!" I went to a doctor and told her everything. She told me I was anxious, that this was normal and she gave me some xanex. It did nothing but give me an allergic reaction.

I soon decided to change my whole diet. I was eating more raw foods, cut out coffee and sugar, took more vitamins.

It didn't work.

So I started exercising and meditating and praying....

the thoughts would not stop.

I could not sleep, eat, or go to the bathroom normally.

I was scared to watch my son, drive the car, use a fork. I was literally incapable of doing anything for myself. Worst of all, while I still did everything for my son and showed him tons of love and affection, I could not truly appreciate him the way I wanted to.

I finally checked myself into the emergency room and told them everything. You know what they did? They put a security guard in front of my door and carried me by ambulance to the Los Angeles County Mental Hospital.

I was there for three days and I can tell you I have never been more terrified. One night I went into my room and there was a man already sleeping in my bed. The nurse had not even noticed him walk in. They gave me drugs that made me feel like a zombie and released me on the third day.

Once I got back to the real world I went to a psychiatrist who, like a total idiot, immediately took me off of the addictive medication I was taking, and onto anti depressants that don't take affect for a month. Now I was nineteen, scared, with an 8 month old to take care of, going through a deep depression, and withdrawal from a highly addictive substance.

This is where my family showed how wonderful they can truly be. My husband, my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, and my mother literally nursed me back to health for two weeks while the medication started working. The love and help I got from them was exactly what I needed and words do not express how grateful I am to this day that they granted me that time and patience to heal.

Once the anti depressants began doing their work I was once again able to function normally and appreciate my son. However, the thoughts were still lingering in the back of my mind and I could not help but think that anxiety was not what was going on in my brain. Neither was it the "psychosis" that they imprisoned me in that hospital for. So I began doing my research...

Then I found my savior.

Dr. Emily Dossett in Pasadena was the only one among the 5 doctors and two therapists I visited who properly diagnosed my condition. It was then that I learned the biggest myth about post-partum disorders. They are all grouped as depression. Baby blues and wanting to hurt one's own children are all the same to the "old school" psychiatrist. In fact their are many different kinds of post-partum mental illness.

Baby Blues- the feeling of despair mothers often get within the first few weeks of their child being born. This passes rather quickly.

Post Partum Depression- the mother may feel hopeless, exhausted, apathetic, and/or full of despair for an unknown reason

Post-Partum OCD- (what I have) the mother becomes terrified of hurting her child either purposely or accidentally. Women with OCD do not act on these thoughts since they are fears and not desires. They are illogical and go against the feeling of love and protection the woman has towards her baby. The thoughts cannot be stopped willingly and must be eased with both medication and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Post-Partum Psychosis- the mother has a desire and will to act on harmful thoughts.

As you can see each of these conditions is very different from the last. Perhaps the scariest part is not all psychiatrists know the differences between these disorders. Thus, why I ended up in a mental hospital. When I told my current psychiatrist, Dr. Sparago, what I went through he was outraged. There needs to be more education about this not only in the public but also within the psychiatric community. This should not have been so hard to diagnose. I had all the symptoms, the doctors simply did not understand that such a condition existed. Instead of admitting that they did not know what was wrong with me and referring me to someone else, they tried to group me in a box with other people who had a different but similar disorder.

This is simply not acceptable. I pity the woman who deals with this on a daily basis since there is no reason for her suffering. Once I began the proper treatment, a combination of medication and cognitive behavioral therapy, my symptoms simply disappeared. No woman in the modern age needs to live in agony because of these conditions. We have the medical knowledge and technology. What we need to do is spread the word!

The professionals who have helped me

Dr. Emily Dossett- Pasadena

Dr. Sparago- Westwood

Dr. Otelsburg- Westwood

are superheroes to me. Help them educate the world about these disorders which can so easily be treated. Then we can get back to what is really important, appreciating the beautiful children God has generously placed in our lives.

XO,

MIMI

Links:

http://edossettmd.com/

http://postpartum.net/

Stuff You Didn't Know You Could Recycle

Hiya folks!

I learned some valuable info the other day and I figured it would be a good idea to share it with y'all. :D

My son has a habit of destroying his clothing, which means all those shirts and cute outfits that I have bought for him are not even good enough for goodwill. We're lucky if a pair of white socks survives my son's abuse for more than three months. They can't handle the sand, mud, and plastic sword fights for very long. After looking through his drawers I had about five nice outfits which another child would be happy to wear, and about 20 that were fit for the garbage. I dropped the former off at Goodwill. The rest sat in a bag by the door for about a week because I felt wasteful just throwing them away.

Later that same week my computer decided it was no longer going to work, in the middle of me doing my homework... just to make life a little more difficult for me. Fantastic....

I put it under the bed with my other five year old dead computer plus several other ancient electronics. I feel bad just tossing it. I spent so much on it. Throwing it in the trash not only seems wasteful, it also makes me feel like I'm throwing all my money out the window...which makes me kinda angry.

Anyhooo...

I realized that if I did not get rid of all of my family's junk soon we were going to end up on an episode of Hoarders so....

TO THE INTERWEBS!

Here's what I found out, you can recycle a lot of your useless crap! YAY!!!

Unfortunately, you can't just throw these things in the blue bin, but there are a good number of companies out there which can make recycling your old junk pretty easy. Patagonia has a wonderful recycling program. When you have old clothes which are torn or stained that you don't feel are fit to give away, you can drop them into a specially marked bin at any of their stores. If there isn't a Patagonia store by your house they also provide an address (listed below) to which you can ship your old clothes. Patagonia recycles your tattered clothing and turns them into brand new apparel.

Awesome huh?

The next environmental superhero company is Best Buy. They will take your dead or unwanted electronics at any of their stores. Sometimes, if they feel they can use some of the parts, they will even give you money for it. WOoot! Best Buy is not the only company or organization that can help you recycle your old gadgets. To find more electronic recycling facilities you can visit

http://www.electronicstakeback.com/recycling/find_a_responsible_recycler.htm

Old makeup takes a lot of space in our landfills. Though many of the containers are metal or plastic, they are usually not sorted out by your neighborhood recycling truck. MAC will take back any of their old or used containers and recycle them for you. If you bring 6 MAC containers at once you get a free lipstick, and if you read the previous blog about animal testing, you should also know that MAC is also cruelty free! If you're like me and most of your makeup is bought at the drugstore you can bring any brand of old makeup containers to your local Origins store. Not only will they recycle them for you, but they will also give you a baggie of free samples :D

I hope this helps faithful reader <3

Below is the Patagonia recycling address and some useful links, including one on how to recycle plastic grocery bags!

XOXO,

MIMI

www.earth911.com

www.plasticbagrecycling.org

www.patagonia.com/recycle

Patagonia Common Threads Mailing Address:

Attn. Common Threads Recycling Program

8550 White Fir Street

Reno, NV 89523-8939

The New Catholic Guilt

It takes bravery to be a proud practicing Catholic in 2010.
I say bravery because there is a lot of conflict occurring both in and around the church. Society cannot seem to decide whether our religion is good or bad. Some of this is because of the pre-Vatican II Catholic school upbringing that turned many future hippies away from the church, others are turned off by the violent history, and still more refuse to join a church that cannot "keep up with the times."
Though pedophile priests are nothing new in Roman Catholic history, many victims surfaced in the early 2000's demanding justice. To many this was a shock, and caused a large number of people to leave the church, especially when they found out cardinals had known about these crimes and simply switched the priests to other parishes. :O
In this blog, we're gonna explore more fully what is going on with the church in the present day. For as many stances that the church has taken which are unpopular, there are instances in which they have shown great clarity, good will, and intelligence. For example, Catholicism is one of the only Christian religions in the nation that does not see the study of evolution as a conflict to the belief in God. This may sound like an obvious decision to many people. However, if you think about what the Catholic church has been teaching for 2000 years, it is amazing that they so easily gave up their belief that everything was created in a day. This also shows something else which is very positive. They are learning from their mistakes! I bet Galileo and Copernicus wished they had been more forgiving the first time around....but we're making progress dammit! 8)

While the Catholic Church is sometimes talked about as "The World's Largest Corporation," it is also one of its largest benefactors. Catholic priests, nuns, and parishioners are seen around the world doing good works such as providing medical care for those who cannot afford it, taking steps to reduce poverty, and trying to eliminate hunger. Catholic Charities USA is also moving forward by encouraging people to recycle in order to raise money for impoverished children. I remember watching "The Mission" when I was a teenager and becoming nauseated by the way Catholics treated the natives in the Americas. Luckily the church has let go of their past stance of, "Oh, you're not European and don't want to become part of our religion?...okay you shall die now." The fact that the word of God was abused for the love of power, though not surprising, is still disgusting. However, without excusing this immoral behavior, I think I can explain it.

For a long time, becoming a priest or a nun was not so much of a choice as it was an assignment. In most cases, the first son got the land while daughters were married off to improve the family's wealth and alliances. What were parents to do with the ugly daughter who nobody wanted to marry, the wild child who they needed to control, or the third son for whom there was no inheritance left?

Off to the church with you!

This provided their children with an education, a high position in society, and increased the prestige of their family name. As a result of this, us Catholics have a long list of lunatic popes, sadistic priests, power hungry bishops, and nuns who really got around (if ya know what I mean ;) )

Nowadays, becoming a nun or a priest is a very personal decision in which a person feels called by God to serve the church. The vast majority of those who join convents or seminaries in the present day, do so with good and holy intentions. Yaay Catholics! Another step in the right direction!

There is only one problem. We can't find enough people to join the priesthood or become nuns. Eeeek! There is a major shortage of priests and in order for the Roman Catholic faith to survive another 2000 years we need more leaders. But there are so many young Catholics out there! Why can't we find anyone to fill these positions?

In my opinion there are two main reasons. The first reason being...you guessed it...no sex. Perhaps, more importantly, no romantic love. Whether it is considered to be right or wrong, society drills the idea into our brains from the time we are out of our mother's womb that our self worth and happiness is found with someone else. Biologically we crave sex, and our culture forces its importance on us each day. There would be many more leaders within the church if marriage were allowed. However, I do believe I understand why celibacy is considered necessary in the priesthood and to live as a nun. For one, it is a great sacrifice which helps to show your commitment to the Lord. In scripture, Jesus' apostles left their jobs, their wives, and their children to follow him. In addition, the church did not gain the wealth it has today with priests making babies and leaving half of their assets for their children after their death. Granted, this is purely my opinion, but monetarily speaking, it makes sense. However, Catholics are not the only ones who value celibacy. Buddhist monks also abstain from sex and romance as well.

The second reason the Roman Catholic Church is running out of leaders is women are not able to become priests. (Perhaps, priestess sounds a little too Pagan for them...lolz) There are many women who feel the calling to preach, serve their community, and be at the pulpit. They could become nuns, but in reality, modern day women want a more active role in the church. In my opinion, if the Catholic Church does not grant women the right to become priests, they need to increase the powers of women as nuns in the church. They claim it is because only men were present at the last supper when Jesus presented the gift of the Eucharist. In actuality, I think even the pope can admit we have no idea exactly who was in the room at the time. It was not common for women to share meals with men in that period so it seems that we lose by default. Not fair! I do not mean to discount the role of nuns in the church. It is obvious that they are an essential part of our faith community, but their subservience is something that needs to stop. Women should have equal say in church decisions, and honestly it has taken us waaaay to long to realize this. Frankly, it is a stance that repels many from converting to Catholicism in the first place.

Our stance on abortion and birth control makes us even less popular. I understand both of these positions. However, making abortions illegal doesn't lead to less abortions, it leads to more dangerous back alley abortions which can cause accidental death and disease. This is where I believe the church is making a big mistake. Though they may see it as a religious issue for them, for everyone else it is in fact a state and health issue. There is separation between church and state for a reason. The same goes for issues such as gay marriage. When I put my cash in the basket on Sundays I do not do it to influence politics. I do it so we can help the local homeless, supply soldiers with care packages, and put gas in the popemobile. ;)

This brings us to another big mistake I believe my religion is making today...calling homosexuality a disorder. Forgive me if I do not recall the last time we put a gay man in a mental ward for this "illness." Most people have at least one person in their lives who is openly gay. At my parish we sing, "All Are Welcome" at the beginning of mass. I don't think that stance makes gay couples or their friends feel very welcome. While Catholic leaders maintain this is not something derived out of fear but morality, citing scripture with examples, I have to say I highly disagree. Even if they believe marriage is only for a man and a woman, I do not remember a single phrase in the New Testament told by Jesus which said that homosexuality was wrong. The Book of Leviticus says it is a sin right next to where it says I need to be in a red tent during my period. Therefore, it is not the Catholic stance on gay marriage within their own church which makes me angry as much as it is their intolerance, and yes, fear-based, claim that it is a disorder.

So Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the NEW Catholic guilt. It isn't your guilt revolving around the fact that you did naughty things in the back of Davy's car when you were 15, or that you lied to your grandma last week. It is the guilt that arrives when you say you are Catholic and someone says, "You mean the religion filled with pedophiles, homophobes, and misogynists?"

"Yup that one." :)

So after all this why are me and so many people in this world Catholic? Here it is...

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.

Amen.

This is it. These are our core beliefs. This is what unites us as a faith. For all the bad rep Catholics get, we do a lot of great, good, and powerful deeds. Our religion is beautiful, from the murals on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to the inspiration it gives us in times of hardship. Millions of people find love, solace, and comfort in our traditions and our faith. Most importantly, things are changing. Slowly but surely we are getting closer, I think, to what Jesus really wants from us as a people. To treat others the way we would like to be treated, and to love others as he loves us. We cannot let the crimes of a few men destroy us as a faith. We know the truth. We know our beliefs and we stand by them. Even when Catholics disagree, such as with my stance versus the church's on women's role in the church and gay rights, we work within our faith to improve things rather than just leaving. We love our faith so much we try to make things better from within it rather than calling it quits.

So next time you hear someone bashing the Catholic Church you can tell them that all of our parishioners, priests, nuns, popes....they are all just men and women who make mistakes sometimes, but the vast majority do our best to serve God and those we love. We go out of our way to help people we do not even know halfway across the world, and we're doing the best we can. Just like you. :)

So in essence whether the majority of our society thinks I should be or not.

I am proud to be Catholic <3

For more information on the Roman Catholic Church's stance on modern day issues you can visit www.catholic.com orwww.americancatholic.org

For more information on Catholics trying to make changes within the church you can visit

www.catholicsformarriageequality.com

and

www.womenpriest.org/preasons.asp

The Debate on Animal Testing and Cruelty-Free Products

Since the age of thirteen I have been an omnivore surrounded by herbivores. Do not ask me why half of my friends happen to be vegetarians. I honestly have no clue. Maybe it's because I grew up and still live in California. Maybe my love for animals attracts other animal lovers. Either way, I would be lying if their life choice has not affected the way I shop at the supermarket.

Just because I enjoy a good burger does not mean that I don't care how the bull was treated. I do. Every organism deserves a good quality of life. In my opinion, the fact that humans eat beef is no different than the fact that lions enjoy a nice fat antelope for supper. Evolution made us to have both animals and plants in our diet. If someone feels better boycotting meat products that is their choice, and I do not doubt it to be a good one. However, what is not good and natural is keeping a chicken in a cage its whole life, feeding meat products to cows, or testing how much a baby shampoo will burn a bunny's eyes.

Not everyone has been graced with vegans and vegetarians in their life to show them what products are cruelty free. In this blog I am going to discuss the numerous things I learned by my own research and from talking with my animal rights activist buddies about animal testing.

Attention Ladies and Gentlemen!

If the product does not say something like "cruelty-free" or "this product is not tested on animals," it means they test on animals. People who torture mice and bunnies are not going to say so on their products! 3:)

If animal testing is something that concerns you, you have to learn to be a more conscientious buyer. It does not matter if you are buying laundry detergent, make-up, or deodorant. Check the back label.

Stores like Whole Foods destroy our belief in organic, free-range, and cruelty-free products that are also cost effective. There are plenty of good quality and low cost products which do not jeopardize the health of animals. Listed below are some of my personal favorites.

Low Cost and Animal Friendly Products

1. White Rain- this line makes shampoos and conditioners that will leave your hair soft and silky for little more than a buck for each product.

2.Bath and Body Works/Victoria Secret- For a while the "This finished product is not tested on animals," label on the back of their bottles made me question them. Obviously the finished product was not, but what about when it was first being developed? Turns out I was wrong about these stores. They have won numerous awards for their animal friendly fragrances including one from PETA, and thank God because I'm slightly obsessed with my Japanese Cherry Blossom perfume. If you wanna take it away from me, you'll have to pry it out of my cold dead hands. :P

3. Trader Joe's Shaving Cream- It smells like apricots and mangoes. Woot! It leaves your legs, face, or whatever else you shave (teehee) soft and silky. It doesn't foam up like most shaving creams, but it does a better job than that raspberry scented Skintimate ever could. I have also gotten less razor nicks since I started using it. Plus, it's cruelty-free!

4. Seventh Generation or Method Cleaning Products- These products work just as effectively as your ordinary household glass, tile, or floor cleaners. You can get them for cheap at Target or your local grocery store. They smell great and don't leave a lingering odor of chemicals in your house.

5. Planet Laundry Detergent- not only is this stuff environmentally and animal friendly, it packs a punch! I used to wash my son's cloth diapers with this product. If it can take baby poop off of white cloth it can do anything. Planet Laundry Detergent is also hypo-allergenic which makes it a favorite pick of mommies everywhere. It's also cheaper than Dreft and other baby laundry detergents. You save money by only having to purchase one detergent for your whole family. :D

6. Almay Make-Up- I don't understand why mainstream cosmetic companies such as Almay do not advertise the fact that they are cruelty free! Do not pay thirty dollars for one shade of organic eyeshadow! When you buy Almay you can be assured that you are buying a good product at a low price, without supporting a company that hurts animals. Plus you can find this line at any drugstore.

7. Mitchum Anti-Perspirant and Deodorant- Mitchum makes anti-perspirant for both men and women. They come either scented or unscented. They are one of PETA's picks for cruelty-free deodorants, because we all know that jojoba oil and Tom's deodorant don't do anything to cover up your nasty smellin self.

8. Kiss My Face- This line is great for skin, has a wide selection, and smells absolutely yummy. It is also one of the rare skin care products that you can buy at your local drug store that does not participate in animal testing.

9. Nature's Gate or Kiss My Face Toothpaste- toothpaste is perhaps the toughest cruelty-free product to find. Arm & Hammer, Colgate, Crest, Mentadent, Aquafresh...you name it...they all either test on animals or refuse to disclose their animal testing policy (and I think we all know what that means). Unfortunately, all the toothpastes I have tried which are organic and/or not tested on animals do a crappy job of cleaning my teeth or taste like tar. These seem to be the best tasting and do the best job. You can look up the reviews online. Tom's toothpaste may be popular but in my opinion it is not even worth trying. Each of these lines have toothpaste specialized for every dental issue such as whitening, gingivitis, or tooth sensitivity. In addition, both are inexpensive. HUZZAH! While they are available at some drugstores, especially Kiss My Face, you might just find it easier to order them online. You can buy a pack of several oral care products for 6.99 or less on some drugstore websites, which is a pretty great deal. In the meantime we have to hope that a more mainstream company realizes animal testing is not necessary to form a great product. However, there are rumors circulating around the web that Colgate is revising its policy on animal testing. Keep your fingers crossed!

10. NatraCare and Seventh Generation Tampons- I do not even want to know how you test tampons on an animal, but apparently it happens. As far as I'm concerned tampons is tampons. These two products keep things in check and that's all I care about. ;)

But what about those classy ladies and gents out there who only use department store or salon products? Only top of the line shi shi brands for moi! Well fair consumer there is a wide range of personal care products for you too. Here's a list of my personal favorites.

1. Unite and ABBA Hair Products- Vegan, Organic, Cruelty-Free..these two products are high quality and perfectly friendly to bunnies! YAY! They are also sulfate and parabin free for those of you with sensitive hair and skin. You can find them at your local salon or beauty supply store.

2. Dermalogica- This line of skin products has worked miracles on my skin since I started using it a few months ago and does not take part in animal testing. It can be found at beauty supply stores and spas.

3. O.P.I- Now you can have your mani pedi and choose your nail polish while doing something good for animals. O.P.I. has a wide selection of shades and is considered one of the most long lasting polishes.

3. Sephora- The Sephora brand does not test on animals and neither do many of the cosmetic lines their stores carry such as Bare Essentials and Smashbox.

4. Tommy Hilfiger Perfume/Cologne- Smell good while knowing you supported a responsible company with your purchase. :)

5. I Love My Muff!- Yes, you read that correctly. Cruelty-Free feminine hygiene products for the proud woman. 8) Available at department stores and at www.ilovemymuff.com

When it comes to our kids, we become more paranoid with the products we use. After the birth of my son everyone told me Johnson and Johnson had the best line of babycare products. Guess how they developed their "No Tears Formula"? (It involved something cute and furry being in a lot of pain.) Not only are they notorious for their testing on animals, I have to say the product sucks. My son has sensitive skin and the day after I used it on him he broke out in an awful rash. I've heard similar complaints from fellow mommies. Surprisingly, just because a brand is well known and has been around for a long time does not mean it is an essentially good product. My poor baby went through a few rashes before we found hygiene products that worked well on his skin. Turns out the ones that left the sweetest scent, cleaned him the most thoroughly, and were the most gentle on his skin were also the ones that didn't test on animals. :O

Unfortunately, many organic and cruelty-free products will charge you an arm and a leg for a few ounces of baby wash simply because they know you're a concerned consumer, a loving parent, and that you will pay. Hurrumph! For example I loved Paul Mitchell's Kid's Shampoo, Earth's Best babycare products, and California Baby. However, I am a young mother who goes to school and works a nine dollar an hour job. I can't afford to be spending more than ten bucks on baby wash.

Soo....

Back to the Interwebs!!!!!

The cheapest I found was Method's baby and kid's care products. At less then $5.oo a bottle, it's a steal and it didn't cause any rashes on my baby boy or tears on little furry critters. :D You can find it in Target or at www.target.com.

One of my close friends is an animal behaviorist and researcher. Her love for animals knows no bounds yet she is not an advocate for ending animal testing. She insists while some companies may treat their animal inhumanely, most keep their animals healthy and happy.

It is not that I do not believe her. In fact, this may be quite possible. However, there is no transparency with how companies test on animals. There is a big difference between seeing how well the skin of a rat improves when it is massaged with vitamin e oil and seeing if a foundation will burn off the skin of a bunny. Unfortunatly, until there is more information released, I refuse to by a product when I do not know what is going on in the laboratory. If they treat their animals so well, welcome a news crew into your lab. Then I might be willing to consider purchasing your product.


For more information visit the following websites:

www.peta.org/feat/proggy/2007/winners.asp

www.mybeautybunny.com

www.caringconsumer.com


Thank you to Kristin and Jenny for inspiring me to do some research. <3>

The Psychotic Woman Who Invented My Favorite Holiday

I love crazy bitches sooo much!

Especially this crazy bitch! ----------------->

She is the lunatic inventor of my favorite holiday, Mother's Day! Wooot!


In my family Mother's Day is also known as "Mommy drinks champagne with other mommies, gets a massage, eats chocolate, has breakfast in bed, gets a facial, enjoys receiving a mani pedi, and gets a all of her favorite food for dinner plus anything she wants....day." :D

I cannot believe it took us until 1914 to figure out this was a great idea!
Without Anna Jarvis this awesome day would have never bestowed its gifts upon womankind, and without her insane personality it would have never become a national holiday. Even President Wilson was scared of this old miser!

Miss Jarvis was never married, nor did she have any children. However, she did have an obsession with her mother that was reminiscent of "Psycho's" Norman, though once I found out how much of a badass her mother was, I couldn't quite blame her.

Anna Jarvis's mother, Anne, went through much more pain in her lifetime then the majority of us will ever have to endure, and her difficult life only made her a more resilient woman who's compassion knew no bounds. It is debated how many children she gave birth to. We know it was somewhere between 11 and 14. The point is the woman spent a decade or more of her life pregnant.

Hardcore lady.

Unfortunately for Anne only four of her children survived to adulthood, one of them being Miss Anna Jarvis. The sorrow she experienced with the loss of her children only served to increase her faith in God and her determination to help those in her community. Being the faithful wife of the town minister, Anna attended church each Sunday and created a mother's club for women in her community. During the civil war she was taught how to nurse the soldiers back to health by her brother who was a doctor. Anna Jarvis welcomed both confederate and yankee soldiers in her home and allowed them to stay until they died from their wounds or were healed.

After the war ended Anne used her mother's club to settle tension in her town between neighbors who's sons had been on different sides of the battlefield. When Anna's father died they moved to Philadelphia to live with her brother, the only one of Anne's children who married and had children.

When Anne died Miss Anna Jarvis fell into a pit of despair. It was at this point that she began to lose her mind. She was often described by others as an angry spinster and soon entered into a deep depression. However, like her mother she decided to use her sorrow for a positive cause. It was then that she began to campaign for Mother's Day, but she not only knew she wanted it to be a national holiday. She knew the way she wanted people to celebrate it as well. Anna had it in mind that people would give their mother a white carnation as a symbol of their appreciation, but the holiday itself would be in honor of her mother.

With Anna's determination, cities, towns, and even states around the country soon began celebrating Mother's Day. Finally, in 1914, President Wilson assigned Mother's Day as a national holiday. It was to be held each year on the second Sunday in May, which was the anniversary of Mrs. Anne Jarvis' death.

You would think that Anna would have been ecstatic, but this was when she really went over the edge. As Mother's Day became more popular around the US, and other countries began implementing it as a holiday as well, Anne became filled with anger. Instead of honoring her mother, people were only honoring their own mothers.

Those bastards!

Jarvis then bugged the leaders of the town where she grew up to build a shrine to her mother. Despite her anger and unpleasant attitude, the townspeople were happy to do so since the Jarvis family had been such an important asset to them before and after the civil war. To this day the Jarvis house and shrine are visited by tourists from around the country. Anna thought this would increase awareness about the real reason Mother's Day was implemented.

Instead she became upset when she realized how much money florists and greeting card makers were making off of the holiday. Anna then tried to claim rights to the phrase "Mother's Day," so she could prevent card makers from creating Mother's Day cards, or so she could at least make sure her mother's name was mentioned on the inside.

In the, end poor mad Anna Jarvis ended up broke (she spent her inheritance on legal fees raising money to claim rights to Mother's Day) and in a sanitarium for she had gone completely nuts.
In fact the only reason she was able to afford a place to live at all was because the florists she hated helped to support her. Whether this was because they felt they owed it to her for helping them make a profit or to keep her quiet we will never know.

The point of this sad little story is this. Next time you are admiring the plate with a handprint on it that your three year old made you, or putting the homemade card your 23 year old son created on the fridge because he's broke and living in your basement, or just able to read a book in peace in the bath tub because your family was nice enough to shut up for Mother's Day, remember to say a little prayer and say thanks to every mom's favorite crazy bitch, Miss Anna Jarvis.

Anson Wong- The Real Cruella Deville/James Bond Supervillain

OK...I admit it. I was a huge fan of Chinatown's pet shops until about two months ago. I used to walk around them with my three year old and admire the brightly colored frogs, exotic tortoises, wild parrots, and baby yellow chicks. You know when you cross one of these shops that half of their "pets" have been rounded up illegally. I've never seen a blue poisonous jungle frog at my local Petco, which leads me to believe there is something shady going on there.

Many people describe themselves as animal lovers, but I am one of those annoying people who believe they have souls, feelings, etc. As an anthropology major I know that we evolved into omnivores so I'm not gonna feel guilty when I eat a burger. However, animal CRUELTY is something I simply cannot tolerate.

I do my best to buy cruelty free products and boycott companies notorious for their testing on animals. I don't want to wear a lipstick made of whale blubber that was then painted on the face of a chained monkey to see if the end product was safe.

I don't really consider myself to be a "tree-hugger" or a hippie. I think after I became a mother my compassion for animals and other people reached a new level. After all, whether it be a man, a baby snake or a puppy, everybody is somebody's baby.

I figured I was doing as much as I could to help out the animal world by watching what I was buying, recycling, etc. An article in National Geographic made me rethink my moderate approach towards animal rights and environmental activism. Reading about the infamous animal trafficker, Anson Wong (insert dramatic "evil is coming" music), made me wanna dress up in a black suit with knee high boots, and ski mask with a machete before lunging at the asshole. However...considering this is me we are talking about, and I am hardly threatening, I decided to look at the back of the magazine where NatGeo usually lists foundations which help the causes written about in that particular issue. There was nothing. So I was left with one option. I decided if I ever saw him I would punch him. I suggest you do the same if you ever spot him. That's his picture at the top.

Ugly little man huh?

Anyways...

Top 10 Reasons Anson Wong Is A Scary MoFo:

1. He is fully backed my the Malaysian Wildlife Department and the Penang State Government
(in other words, hes got powerful cronies)

2. According to National Geographic, he's got goons just like any other comic book super villain. A former reptile smuggler informed National Geographic that he had been threatened with a baseball bat before finally being able to meet the infamous Wong.

3. Napoleon complex! (remember, little men are angry men)

4. When he was finally arrested in Mexico in 1998, he continued to run smuggling operations from behind bars.

5. He looks like a sex offender

6. He's got guys on the inside! Wong has reportedly used corrupt fedex and customs employees in the US to transport wild animals.

7. Wong is known to put the most dangerous animal, such as a highly poisonous snake, closest to the lid of the crate. That way when a customs officer prise it open, he will get a deadly bite from a pissed off reptile.


8. The smuggling of wild animals has caused the spread of many rare human diseases such as SARS and the West Nile Virus. This man's influence doesn't just harm animals, be assured, it could screw us over too.

9. He's got ca$h and he's got charm. This is a bad combination since it has helped him bribe his way to international influence.

10. Ever see the movie Dark Knight? It is true that some men just like to watch the world burn. While Anson Wong reportedly makes 50-100 million in US dollars a year he cannot get enough. Though Wong has nothing more to gain that he could possibly use in this lifetime (or the next ten for that matter) he keeps on destroying our planet and corrupting governments simply because he can.

Top 10 Reasons He Needs To Be Stopped:

1. 80-90% of wild animals die before they reach their final destination

2. Since traffickers like Wong love rarities they will go after animals who are high up on the endangered species list. Taking just a few of these animals out of the wild and into captivity jeopardizes their existence as a species.

3. People can be stupid...shocker! Rich people seem to get a kick out of owning a chimpanzee or a leopard until it decides to bite off an important part of their bodies. Wild animals are just that...wild! And another surprise, Tiger balls aren't gonna make you a master in the bedroom. You are probably just old, and Wong is making a shit ton of money off of your insecurity and ignorance.

4. He is casting his influence out onto countries who should be protecting the wildlife which makes their country so unique. How are Malaysia's endangered species ever going escape extinction when the country's own government won't do anything to protect them?

5. Anson Wong and others like him think they are unstoppable. If he can continue exerting his power over animal trafficking while still in jail ,what can't he do? This cruel behavior should not just be seen as unacceptable, it needs to be outlawed internationally before other's catch on that the wildlife trade may be a good way to make big money.

6. The Green trend going on right now is a positive step forward but it means nothing if that is all it is...a trend. If we are proactive as an international community results will be seen, but one of our major steps needs to be showing a NO TOLERANCE policy to animal trafficking kingpins.

7. Smuggling wildlife from other countries can have an awful effect on our own Good Ol' American wildlife. Prime example, decades ago a Russian wild boar was introduced to the South by smugglers. The result is a dramatic decrease in the native southern wild boars, and an increase in the Russian ones. (Did I mention the Russian boars are super ugly and attack people randomly?) 3:)

8. The corniest reason of all, no good person likes it when others suffer for no good reason, whether they be animals or humans.

9. Animal Trafficking = Violence among people. Just like the drug and sex trades, animal trafficking increases the amount of crimes people commit against each other.

10. It's a threat to national security. The conditions in which these animals are transported are often disgusting. They are trapped in small cages and crates with other animals, many whom die along the way. This is a breeding ground for disease. It's unhealthy and could cause infectious diseases.

So...WTF do we do now?

The World Wildlife Fund offers many ways to donate as well as a whole website full of info
www.worldwildlife.org

Don't just help the cute and furry animals! I know you can't help but be swayed by those cute little bunnies and lion cubs but Wong and other traffickers have been focused on reptiles? Why? Because most people around the world do not care as much about a python being tortured as they do a seal. They make the same if not more money, and people don't bat an eye. Even if they are not always pleasing to the eye reptiles are as essential to our ecosystem as a deer or a giraffe.
www.ircf.org

Spread the word and do your research!

Hope this inspires you to do some good work today.

XO, Mimi

(by the way i am writing this late at night so if the grammar and spelling sucks i apologize) <3>