Happy Birthday Elmo!

ElmoNovember 18, 1985 was an important day in children’s history. It was on that day that a young furry red monster by the name of Elmo formed a long-term relationship with his puppeteer, Kevin Clash – and with millions of children around the world.

While Elmo had appeared in different roles, and with other handlers (Carole Spinney, aka “Big Bird,” and Scooter from The Muppet Show were among the voices playing Elmo), for several years prior, it was on that date 25 years ago that the fuzzy “toddler” with the squeaky voice made his debut as the Elmo that millions have come to know and love, as he entered the pantheon of primary Sesame Street characters.

Over the years, Elmo has met and mingled with numerous celebrities and stars, and appeared on talk shows, prime-time series, and his own movie, while merchandise bearing his name, including Tickle Me Elmo and the range of books, videos, and other toys featuring the three-and-a-half-year-old monster, have appeared in playrooms and nurseries around the world. So for toddlers and preschoolers everywhere, as well as their parents, nannies, and teachers, this week was a day to celebrate.

Reusable Bags Good, I Mean Bad, Whatever, For the Environment

In a shocking bit of irony, it turns out that consumers who have made an effort to reduce the waste caused by the over use of plastic bags at supermarkets by purchasing and using re-usable shopping bags may be exposed to small amounts of lead from those so-called environmentally safe bags.

In what seems like another one of almost daily dire warnings of the harm that the products we come in contact with everyday can cause, the latest on the list is reusable synthetic bags which might contain small traces of lead.

The real worry, however, is not so much that consumers using the bags might come to harm by their exposure to lead, but what will happen when the bags are eventually discarded and begin to accumulate in landfills. Congress and environmental groups are concerned that the trace amounts of lead found in these bags can harm the environment as they begin to decompose in the landfills around the country.

Consumers don’t seem to be too worried, and are continuing to use them, arguing that since the bags are not meant to be tossed by to be used over and over again; and because the amounts of lead are so small, they see little to be really worried about.

Charles Schumer, Democratic Senator from New York disagrees with this permissive attitude.

“When our families go to the grocery store looking for safe and healthy foods to feed their kids, the last thing they should have to worry about are toxic bags,” he said.

Six Reasons to Get Your Sleep

Chronic sleep loss can have a real effect on your health. If you occasionally miss a few hours of sleep,it’s not a big deal, but serious sleep disorders should be dealt with, and here’s why:

  1. Sleep helps the brain absorb new information to the memory. This process is called memory consolidation, and studies have shown that people who lack sleep have a harder time remembering things.
  2. Sleep directly affects the mood. Sleep loss can result in impatience, touchiness, mood swings and lack of concentration. Chronic sleep loss often results in depression as well. Even occasional fatigue influences your mood and makes your day very hard to get through. Fatigue can result in thirst, nausea, lightheadedness and even a fever.
  3. Sleep has a direct effect on our hormone levels and metabolism. Continuous sleep deprivation can cause weight gain and other metabolic issues.
  4. Sleep can also affect our cardiovascular health. Studies have linked sleep disorders with increased stress levels, hypertension and irregular heartbeats.
  5. Sleep loss can reduce the immune system’s efficiency.
  6. Last, but definitely not least, sleep loss can result in a tendency to fall asleep during the day- in the middle of an activity. This can lead to falls, medical mistakes and road accidents.

Recycling Facts & Figures

While we’ve certainly come a long way as a country in “going green,” there is still much room for improvement. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that while 85% of all household garbage could be recycled, we’re still not recycling even half of that. So, as the week of America Recycles Day draws to a close, here are a few Recycling Facts & Figures to help motivate you to keep recycling throughout the year.

Plastic Recycling – Every year we make enough plastic film to shrink-wrap the State of Texas. American go through 25 billion plastic bottles each year. If we recycled just one out of every ten, plastic landfill waste would be reduced by 200 million pounds each year.

Metal Recycling – Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough electricity to power a 100-watt light bulb for three hours. And for every one ton of steel recycled, 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone are conserved.

Water – the average American now uses an average of 100 gallons of water daily – that’s enough water to fill 1,600 drinking glasses! On the other hand, if all the homes installed water-efficient appliances, the U.S. would save more than 3 trillion gallons of water and over $18 billion a year.

Styrofoam – Every year, we throw away 25 billion Styrofoam cups, enough to circle the earth 436 times. Styrofoam is NOT recyclable. Don’t buy it and don’t use it!

Junk Mail – the junk mail Americans receive in one day could produce energy sufficient to heat 250,000 homes. If only 100,000 people stopped their junk mail, we could save up to 150,000 trees annually. Not only the forests would gain – you would gain time as well: the average American spends eight months out of his/her life opening junk mail!

The Health Benefits of Having a Pet

petPets are not only great companions; recent studies have shown that animal owners may be healthier than the pet-less.

First of all, children who grow up with regular exposure to a pet develop a stronger immune system They are also less likely to be affected by allergies and asthma. In addition, exposure to pets from a young age also lessens the risk of developing eczema. Animals tend to be outside more than humans, and are exposed to more types of dirt and microorganisms. When children are exposed to these substances from a young age, the eliminate foreign bodies from the children’s imune systems more quickly and effectively.

Studies have shown that Alzheimer’s patients have less-frequent anxiety outburst if they have an animal in their home. The fresh air acquired while caring for the pet, as well as the companionship, lowers stress and blood pressure.

In general, pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression. Playing with a dog, especially out of doors, can increase the levels of serotonin and dopamine in the blood. These nerve transmitters are known to have relaxing qualities.

Heart attack survivors have been proven to live longer if there is a pet in their home. Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels.