Post from: BlissTree

BP Oil Leak In the Gulf: Videos That Make Us Mad

photo: Thinkstock

With the 50th birthday of The Pill last weekend, stories about birth control are everywhere we look. Women have never been so empowered about having control over their own bodies. But, of course, many people don’t believe that a woman should be in control of her own body. Anya Alvarez, a college senior, posted on Facebook about a recent terrifying experience she had. She was having sex with a guy when she realized that not only had he taken off the condom, but he had also removed her Nuva Ring. She confronted him, bolted, and later sent him an email explaining how blatantly disrespectful his actions were. The guy replied with an apology, and a shocking confession – it was something he had done many times before.

Alvarez hasn’t been able to find a lawyer who’s willing to take this loser to court. As quoted in Huffington Post, one attorney says, “…until there’s harm, there’s nothing there.” So, Alvarez either has to become pregnant, or prove she contracted an STD from the guy before she can sue him. We have a feeling Alvarez already feels like she’s been harmed; we think she has, too.

Should Alvarez be able to take the man who pulled out her birth control mid-thrust to court? Should there be legislation protecting a woman’s right to use birth control? Let us know what you think in the comments section, below. Then check out Alvarez’s campaign against events like this one on Facebook.

via Huffington Post

Post from: BlissTree

Birth Control Scare: Do Women Really Have the Power?

photo: Thinkstock

Composting is something every good eco-conscious woman knows she should do, but somehow finds a reason not to. It’s gross, you say. I live in a city, you sigh. The time for excuses is over. Thanks to Planet Green, there’s the City Girl’s Guide to Composting – but don’t worry, it works for non-urban types, too.

First you need to decide what kind of composting you want to do. Worm composting is good if you’re short on space (and don’t mind worms, obviously); hot composting is good if you’re a real go-getter and are willing to put a little more work into composting while reaping a more satisfying reward; and cold composting is good if you’d like a low-maintenance approach. You just dump the scraps into a bucket and let them sit.

Let’s assume you want to try the low-key version: How will you avoid the disgusting rotten garbage smell from your kitchen scraps?  Keep your compost bin in your freezer. The cold will kill the odor and any bugs while jump-starting the biodegrading process. Once your scrap box is full, you’ll need an actual compost container for outdoors. There are some really nice, expensive models out there, but you can always DIY – out of chicken wire and wood.

Now we’ve come to the tricky part: Actually composting. Planet Green offers some great tips for first-timers. Don’t try to compost meat, dairy, citrus, or oily salad dressing, unless you splurged on a sophisticated compost tumbler. If you want to speed up the disintegration process (and who doesn’t), chop up your scraps before composting them. Also, don’t forget to feed your compost pile sun and water, just like any other gardening project.

Speaking of, how’s your spring garden turning out? Are your plants surviving whatever weird weather your part of the country is experiencing right now? Oprah (or her minions, rather) put together a great article on how to know what types of plants to buy, based on your locale’s “hardiness.” Just enter your zip code and find out what types of flora will survive and thrive in your backyard.

Let us know how your composting experiment works out. Or, if you’ve got any tips for newbies, post them in the comments section, below.

via Planet Green and Oprah.com

Post from: BlissTree

Eco-Friendly Living: We Dig Composting

Image: istockphoto

There are plenty of calcium-rich foods that aren’t dairy products, so you shouldn’t have a problem consuming the required 1,000 mg per day. In terms of zinc, breastfeeding mothers should get 12 mg daily. Zinc-rich foods (aside from meat and dairy) include spinach, yeast, wheat germ, peanuts, beans, bran cereals, and pumpkin seeds.

If you eat dairy or fish, you’ll probably get enough B12. But if you skip animal protein, take vitamin B12 supplements while you’re pregnant and nursing.

And also while preggers, be sure to get enough folate, which can reduce a woman’s risk of having a baby with spina bifida and other birth defects.

via WHFoods.com; KellyMom.com

Post from: BlissTree

Breastfeeding For Vegetarians 101