7gen Bloc

We recently told you about the Million Baby Crawl, a virtual march to Washington, D.C. to say "No" to toxic chemicals found in our homes. Now it's time to be part of the conversation and share your opinion during our first Twitter Party.

In 1621, the Pilgrims and Indians got together for a shindig to help celebrate their hard-won bounty. I already figured they didn't pass the Butterball but was still surprised to learn that we can only be sure of two things they did eat: venison and wild fowl. Other possible dishes, according to Kathleen Curtin, food historian at Plimouth Plantation, include pumpkin, peas and -- take it back, Kathleen!

Halloween is almost here, and as usual we're revving up to celebrate one of our family's favorite holidays. Over the years we've honed things to a sustainably spooky art. Our daughter's costume this year, for example, was assembled from things we already had on hand and a couple of free yard sale cast-offs. She looks great and she had a ball putting it together.

My wife and I entered parenthood as rank amateurs. But one thing we did right early on was decide we weren't going to dumb things down for our daughter. Whenever possible, we would encourage her to move beyond common expectation by engaging her in honest conversations about real things, reading her challenging books, and feeding her the same real food we ate. The last thing was one of the smartest moves we ever made.

The season's first frost is upon us. But even if it means the end of the year's garden, we'll enjoy the harvest all winter long thanks to the dozens of jars and bags that pack our pantry and line our freezer. In my house, we learned a long time ago that home food preservation is a lot easier than most people think. It's so simple that I have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that so few do it anymore.

Seventh Generation invites you to join the Million Baby Crawl, a virtual march to Washington, D.C. to say "No" to toxic chemicals found in our homes. Create a crawler today, and help us demand that Congress reform outdated toxic chemical policy. JOIN THE CRAWL TODAY!!

One day recently, the girls and I were taking the baby on a stroll, fielding compliments from passersby. We met a kindly older woman who wanted to get a closer look at the baby. My youngest daughter began her show-and-tell demo: "Watch this. He can follow my finger with his eyes," six-year-old Trinity offered. "I can make him smile a real smile, not a gassy one."

(Note: this is my fourth post about the pollution that living in the modern world has left inside my own body.

At Seventh Generation, we've always helped you protect planet home by formulating products that are safe for you and the environment, and by fully disclosing ingredients on our labels. But dangerous chemicals still lurk in our homes, in many of the products we use every day. It's time for common sense limits on toxic chemicals.

One of my fondest grade-school memories involves a sweet potato, toothpicks, and a glass of water. There was something magical about watching as a tangle of roots first appeared in the water, followed by leafy tendrils that spilled over the glass and then extended wildly across the kitchen windowsill.