What do you spend on Groceries each week?

To see photos of these families and their FOOD...click on the title link above!


Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily
Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11



Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide
Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07




United States: The Revis family of North Carolina (Sure hope most American
families eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and less junk food than this family.)

Food expenditure for one week $341.98




Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca
Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09



Poland: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna
Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27



Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo
Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53



Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo
Food expenditure for one week: $31.55



Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village
Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03

-------------------------------------------- -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23




Don't know about you, but right about now, I'm counting my blessings!

5 Things to Know about Mold

Do you suspect you might have MOLD in your house? MOLD---that 4 letter word we all cringe when we hear it!

You know what? You probably do have MOLD in your home! However, 98% of all indoor environments have levels of mold. How much mold do you have in your home? That's what you really want to know.

Click on the title above and learn if you have symptoms of MOLD in your home....

Mold is a common cause of headaches, depression, and chronic illnesses. So check it out!

An Air Oasis purifier will help maintain safe levels of fresh air in your home so you'll feel better about your indoor air.

Until next time....

Deborah Mumm
The Allergy Queen

Weird Homes

Greetings!!

Our homes are our castles...no matter where we live or what type of home they are. We spend almost 90% of our times indoors...and much of this is in our home.

Do you want to see the 7 TOP 'weirdest' homes right now?

I'm not sure I'd want to live in any of them, but they sure were fun to look at....
Go here to see if think these are a bit different from your home....
Even if your home is weird, I hope you take steps towards having a healthy home!
Weird HomesClick on title at top....

Have a healthy day!

Deborah Mumm
The Allergy Queen
Weird Homes

Teenagers & Weather

It is official! In a teenagers eye (especially a fashion-minded girl) weather is no obstacle to the clothes you must wear. Today our daughter, in 7th grade, wore a sweatshirt and jeans to school. It was 30 degrees outside. No coat, no gloves...
When I asked her why none of the 3 different coats she owns in the closet could be worn today the reply was..."It will make me look fat."
End of story....
I think if I had to eliminate clothes because they made me look fat, I just wouldn't have anything to wear!
However, we do make our daughter take vitamins and try to watch that she eats a pretty good diet. She does seem to stay healthy. So to keep my stress levels down I just do a lot of sighing...and move on to other more pressing topics...like the natural disaster area happening in her bedroom.
But that is another story!

See this article directory...Blogs Directory

Have a great day....
The Allergy Queen
http://www.healthy-environments.com

IL/WI Twister in January?

Greetings....

The weather around the world and in the midwest has been a bit crazy in 2007 and now in 2008. The Chicago area had about 6 in. of snow on New Years Eve...and then it was bitterly cold. Within a week we were having temperatures in the 60's with tornados in the area. Wild!

Tips to stay healthy this time of year where winter coats are worn one day, spring jackets the next...
1) Wash hands with soap...frequently!
2) Eat more fruits and veggies than you usually do. (Take a good supplement)
*Tip.... Xango Juice is awesome!
3) Get plenty of sleep. 6-7 hours minimum for adults, longer for kids.
4) Try to exercise several times a week, minimum. Even if you just park your car farther away in the parking lot, take the dog for walks, etc....just get out of the house and get moving.

Have a healthy winter!

Deborah Mumm
The Allergy Queen
http://www.healthy-environments.com

Stress & the Holidays

Merry Christmas....

At least that is what people are telling me! Holidays can be stressful with all the preparations, company, food, gifts and more. Stresses me out just typing this!

The bottom line though is that the holidays are truly about spending some quality time with family and friends...getting some good laughs, and enjoying each other.

So, please try to relax a bit and just be thankful for those we have in our lives...and tell them so. The best gifts we gave to each one of our family members one year was a note from each family member stating what they liked or admired about them...I found these saved in my kids rooms. The games & clothes have long since been used and gone, but these letters will be saved forever.

I do have a good article on the 5Things You Can Do to Get a Good Night's Sleep....so follow the link and try to get a good over the holidays. Sleep does help!

Merry Christmas!

Debbie
The Allergy Queen
http://www.healthy-environments.com/sleep-better.asp


'>Link to other blogs?

Health Articles for You

Greetings!

I have written some articles for health, diet & nutrition you might enjoy. I also have written articles on International Adoption....my other half of my life!

Be sure and go to Debbie's Articles and take what you need. Pass them onto people who might like them...

Have a great day!

To Your Health....

Debbie Mumm ~ The Allergy Queen

Why are so many kids getting Asthma?

Greetings....

Here is an article I wrote a few years ago about why so many kids are getting asthma.

Please note that my website is now called... www.healthy-environments.com

All the info is still relevant. Click on the title of this post or go here...

http://www.afunzone.com/ATopic/Why_Are_So_Many_Children_Getting_Asthma.htm

Have a healthy day...

Debbie Mumm
The Allergy Queen

Why are So Many Kids Getting Asthma

Here is an article I wrote several years ago about why so many kids are getting asthma.

My website URL has changed though... it is www.healthy-environments.com now.

To Your Health...

Debbie Mumm

The Allergy Queen

KFC Chicken anyone?

I found this site.... http://www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com to be appalling. You can view it yourself.
I, myself, will not buy from KFC until I know that positive changes have been made regarding the cruelty to chickens.
While I am not a great chicken lover, I do know they are animals and therefore should not be treated so cruelly.
What do you think?

Debbie
Healthy Environments

Keeping up with Alex

Adopting school aged children from Russia in 2004 has me dealing with younger kids again on a daily basis...except that I am not as young as I was when my 3 bio-sons were 7 and 8.
Summer time is proving to be a very busy time with a 17 yr. old son who is eating me out of house and home....a 13 yr. old daughter who should have the phone attached to the end of her arm since 99% of all phone calls are for her...and an 8 yr. old son who is very active & ALL BOY!

For example: Alex, our 8 yr. old, decided to go look for frogs in our pond with the 6 yr. old neighbor boy. Soon I heard our hose being turned on. I ran outside only to find that both boys had gone into the pond and finding very black thick mud at the bottom they proceeded to have a Mud Fight! Big glops of mud was in their hair and ears. It seemed Alex thought of the hose as a way to wash off the mud so their moms might not notice it. They were soaked head to toe with mud dripping down all over the ground.
I told the other boy to head home to clean up while I had my oldest son, Brandon, wrap Alex in a towel and carry him to the shower. He was immediately stripped and washed...although mud was splattered all over the shower walls. Of course, this was the night I was having some of Tania's friends and moms over for a little Make Up party and my floors had been clean a total of an hour! Sigh...
How do I keep up being one of the oldest moms in Alex's classroom?
Actually, I have found several products I love that keep me energetic & feeling good. I have very few muscle aches when I take this and my mind is clear.
One is Xango...the mangosteen juice!
But the newest product is quite exciting and is something everyone should consider taking as it is a powerful antioxidant that rejuvenates the body! Want to hear more?
Click Here for Amazing Facts on Glutathione!

Goose Hunt Anyone?

Canadian Geese have invaded our territory....Husband is on the hunt!

Some facts about geese!

1. They mate for life.
2. They have 6-10 babies each spring.
3. They live 18-20 years.
4. They come back to the same place each spring.

Now, when we moved to our current home almost 7 years ago we liked that it was right next to a pond. There were about 4 or 5 geese then. Ok... looking at the above facts you can see we easily have around 30 geese now.

We bought a Goose Fence...a simple device that has 2 green wires attached to it...hard to see, but does seem to stop the geese from entering our yard (where the fence is). Whoever said that geese aren't very smart will see they have found that at the end of the fence are still some openings (sidewalk, etc) They manage to walk over to those places and then enter our yard. Our yard is full of goose poop as they munch our newly fertilized grass. My husband has been seen chasing them with shovels and even large squirt guns. He is amazed I don't spend my days doing the same!

Yes...spring is a pretty time! We will soon see cute little goslings wandering our yard with their obnoxious parents. (Goslings are cute and little for just a few days...they grow incredibly fast!) And my husband will have new geese to chase!

Happy Spring....

Debbie www.healthy-environments.com

Merry Christmas---oops! It's Spring, isn't it?

Well, today we are getting dumped with over 7 inches of very wet snow. The winter coats and boots were dusted off and worn again. The robins and geese shiver in the snow by our pond. We were amazed that 2 very large white swans appeared on our pond last night. Maybe this was an attempt to scare off the hundreds of geese that litter our yard, which is next to the neighborhood pond. But then it snowed and snowed today, and there are no swans to be seen now. The geese are honking and taking over the pond once again.
I did find a company that sells a Goose Fence, which I ordered. I hope that will keep them from pooping all over our lawn and eating our new grass. I can't tell you how much I DISLIKE geese!
We had a nice Easter...although a bit cold out!
This snow may be holding off seasonal allergies, but I am sure it'll be spring again soon and the allergies will appear.
We have begun to do some spring cleaning including changing the furnace filter. Have you changed yours lately? They should be changed or cleaned about once a month for optimal use of your furnace and for allergy control.
Guess it's time to shovel off the walk and driveway again....
Until next time.... www.healthy-environments.com
Debbie

Robins in the Snow

Hi!
Well...it is Feb. in the Chicago area and anything is possible in regards to weather. Last week at this time we got a foot of snow dumped on us. Now...a week later the temperatures are rising and the back yard consists of melting snow hills and lots of mud. (Mud, that our little bichon loves to dig his feet into as well our 7 yr. old son!)
I was amazed to see 3 robins sitting in our front tree. Even though the snow is melting it is still very WHITE outside! So, I guess spring is coming and soon we will be buying pool passes and signing our kids up for summer activities.
It will also be a time to do some spring cleaning...open the windows and air out the stuffy house from winter.
I do recommend Healthy Environments cleaning products. Why?

• non-toxic
• very concentrated (use very small amounts with water)
• bio-degradable (good for the environment)
• inexpensive (oz. to oz. incredibly cheaper than store brands)

Check it out on our site... www.healthy-environments.com/safe-cleaning-products.asp

Sick of Winter?

Here in the Chicago area we have been spared the usual cold winter...until now. It is 15 degrees out with a couple of inches of snow on the ground as I type this. At least the sun is out and it looks very pretty. We live next to a pond and we are finally seeing ice form on it. It is mid-January but I was rather getting used to mild temperatures, no boots, hats, or gloves! But with a 7 yr. old boy in the house I have found signs of winter (coming in and out the front door!) Dripping boots, soggy snow pants and frozen gloves lay in my front hall. My newly mopped floor is a mess again! (Sigh!)
But now that the temps are low the odds are high that people will start getting colds and flu when they spend a lot of time indoors. Our homes are sealed up tight to be energy efficient but the germs and viruses have no where to go but attach themselves to dust particles in the air...until someone breathes them in. If the immune system is compromised in any way then that person will feel ill later. It is the way it works.
So....Remember to try to have CLEAN indoor air (free of viruses and germs)....
and take nutritional supplements to keep your immune system strong this winter.
To learn more about this go to ..... www.healthy-environments.com

Flat Cookies

Hope your Christmas was a good one!
My sisters were both coming to my home over the holidays. Neither one of them can eat wheat. So I purchased a Gluten-free flour mix so I could make them some cookies. I used a Gluten-free cook book which called for 2 types of special flours but since I already had a 'safe' flour mix I just used that. Little did I know that alternative flours are much more sensitive to changes than regular wheat or white flours that I am used to . The cookies just totally spread out all over the pan and became one huge thin cookie. Of course, it then stuck to the pan unmercifully and became a platter full of crumbs in the end. They did taste pretty good when warm but were a disaster to look at.
Well, dear sisters, it was the thought that counted here!
For those of you that cook for food allergies, more power to you!
Happy New Year!
www.healthy-environments.com
Check out my NEW safe cleaners & laundry products!

Happy Feet Message....

I took the kids to see the new movie, Happy Feet, last night. For those of you who haven't seen this movie, it is about a group of penguins in the Antartic who feel singing is the basis for having a supply of fish to eat. One little penguin cannot sing but he has the gift of dancing. He is considered an outcast in this group. He decides to find out the real reason for the decline in fish...which he learns is 'humans'. It is kind of cute how he gets humans to notice him by dancing. He then works on getting them to learn how they are causing a food shortage for penguins.
Now, my 7 yr. old Alex, who sat next to me didn't seem to get this message as clearly as me but I think it was important for all of us to see that environmental issues are important to everyone.
And the biggest lesson?
One person CAN make a difference!
Stop by and see www.healthy-environments.com

Allergic to Thanksgiving foods?

Happy Thanksgiving!
Well, to most people Thanksgiving means a big meal with all the fixings shared with family and friends. However, more and more people are learning that they have food allergies creating havoc on holidays & feasts.
Our Thanksgiving table usually means gluten-free products being available for certain family members that cannot eat wheat, oats or rye. 10 years ago this was more of a problem, but now there are dozens of books with gluten-free recipes. Our stuffing will be made with alternative flours and grains. Will it taste a little different? Yes. But not in a bad way, mind you.
The pie crusts are a pain to make with alternative flours since it is the gluten that makes dough stick together....otherwise it is rather crumbly. But we have had successful crusts in the past and our gluten free people were very delighted to be able to have traditional foods.
So...if you or people you know have food allergies, don't get stressed!
There is plenty of info out there to help you create a delicious meal!
Here is a great site for those with Food or chemical sensitivities... http://www.livingwithout.com

Happy Thanksgiving from www.healthy-environments.com

Laughter as Medicine?

You heard that laughter is good medicine?

Well...just try to watch this and not smile or laugh!

Enjoy!!

The Great Giggler

Why Take Off Your Shoes?

I have learned that your shoes can carry a ton of allergens into your house. Pet dander, grass, leaves, pollen, mold and more. You may not be able to see it, but it is there.
So...take off your shoes when you enter the house. Never walk across the carpeting with outside shoes on. Those little things just cling to the carpeting fibers creating an irritating environment for those with allergies.
Plus, who wants to lay on the floor to watch TV or play with the kids when the carpeting is holding onto micro-organisms? Ahh...what a visual!

Just another tip from The Allergy Queen!