I just have to blow the horn for this awesome company. We just got the Safe Sippy™ cups for our 18 month old twins and they LOVE them. But most of all what I love is that they don’t leak or drip. We have tried countless brands - big famous ones - and they all leak or drip when the turn them over. And these look super mod.  How awesome is this?

Christina Aguilera with The Safe Sippy!girls

Kid Basix created The Safe Sippy™ drink cup in response to parents’ growing concerns about Bisphenol A and other harmful chemicals present in many plastic bottles. Now, we have expanded the “Safe” brand to include The Safe Starter™ stainless steel baby bottle and The Safe Sporter™ sports bottles to provide safe, reusable drink ware for the entire family.

Why go stainless when so many BPA-free plastic bottles are available now? We can give you 300 billion reasons. That’s the approximate number of plastic water bottles discarded around the world every year. Enough to power 12 million cars for an entire year. And that’s just the water bottles! It doesn’t include all the plastic bottles used for sodas, sports drinks, fruit juices and the like. All told, the plastic bottles we throw away each year would reach to the moon and back – 1500 times. So using reusable stainless steel bottles makes sense on every level: personal, local and global.

Popularity: 28% [?]

Summer Mojito Cocktails
Guest post by Author and Cookbook Writer Sally Sampson

Warehouse to Your House.
I am anything but a drinker but if I were ever to become one, this would certainly be my summer drink.
Best described as sparkling mint limeade with rum, this classic Cuban cocktail is crying out for interpretation- although I have to admit some versions are way too whacky for my taste. Mine has more lime and mint than the standard fare. It’s a flavor combination I particularly love and I have an endless supply of mint growing by the side of my house.

For a non-alcoholic mojito, simply omit the rum.

¼- ½ cup sugar
¾ cup boiling water
1 bunch fresh mint sprigs
3 limes, thinly sliced, cut into wedges or thin slices
12 ounces fresh lime juice
9 ounces light rum

Ice Cubes
Seltzer

To make a simple syrup: Place the sugar and water in a small heatproof glass pan and stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.

Place the mint leaves and lime slices in a large pitcher and muddle (slightly mash with the straight end of a wooden spoon) together.

Add the lime juice, cooled simple syrup and rum and mix well.

Fill tall glasses with ice cubes and divide the mixture evenly between the six glasses. Fill to the top with seltzer or club soda.

Serves 6

Popularity: 14% [?]

I just got around to downloading the photos from our trip to see my mom 2 weeks ago…..hey with twins you do what you can!  Anyhow, I was struck by this photo of them running fearlessly into the HUGE freezing ocean.  While my mom and I were chasing after them, all I could think about was my own fear of them getting swept out to sea. In the moment, I couldn’t see, or feel, their excitement and experience their fearlessness and desire to explore the unknown. In retrospect, I feel like a moment in time was lost for me, but at the same time, this has opened my eyes and reminded me of how fearlessness to step into an unknown situation is such a gift.

So I have been thinking about fearlessness all week since seeing the photo of my twins in the ocean.  Deepak Chopra says there are no coincidences so I take that to heart!  Everything happens for a reason – which leads me to this story.
A friend of a friend called a week ago and asked if we’d be open to housing and feeding a 17-year-old French girl named Marion, in exchange for some babysitting for two weeks.   She wants to experience America and work on her English – which I must say is quite impressive for an 11th grader.  Her father has given me strict instructions to ONLY speak to her in English – I speak fluent French.  Anyhow, Marion arrived last night, tired after a long flight, but cheerful and adorable all the same.  I was amazed at her confidence and ability to be relaxed with total strangers in a new country.  She appeared to be fearless and I admired that in her. She saw an opportunity and jumped on it.
As I offered her a late dinner and we started talking, I was reminded of my own similar experience at 16.   I was bored with my High School and I think my mom knew she needed to save me from myself – or perhaps what might be waiting for me around the corner - or that is my interpretation at least.  During the summer following 10th grade, my mom asked if I wanted to go study in France for my junior year.  She had explored some options and through some friends had found a family for me to stay with in the small town of Carcassonne in southern France.  I immediately accepted and found myself on a plane to Paris on my 16th birthday.  I had studied French for years but really couldn’t put a sentence together.   Here I was, suddenly living with a strange family and trying to communicate while my nose was buried in a dictionary.  I ended up loving my new family and my life there. I had a real transformation from a naive child, into a young woman who had a purpose in life.
Before leaving for France I had never done anything in my life that I considered to be fearless. This moment changed my life forever.  While I wasn’t aware of the fearlessness at the time, because I was terrified, I came to understand later on what the significance of just getting on the plane meant.   I felt very lonely for the first few months as I really couldn’t communicate with anyone.  Being essentially alone really forced me to look my fear in the face and decide that I was bigger. I wanted to succeed for the first time in my life and was prepared to do what ever it took to get there.  This was my first entrepreneurial moment and I didn’t even realize it.
I have often drawn on the strengths that I discovered in myself while living in France.    I know that when I want to make something happen that I just have to acknowledge the fear and accept it.  Once you do that you are unstoppable.
Are you ready to be fearless?
I want you to think about your fears this week.
Write them down, acknowledge them, and accept them as part of your process.

What is holding you back from moving forward?

• Are you procrastinating? Cleaning your desk again?
• Are you afraid to share your idea?
• Are you afraid to take the first step?
• What would happen if you just did it?
• Are you wondering where the money will come from?
• Are you afraid to call a buyer?
• Are you afraid to pitch an editor?
• Are you afraid to be famous?
• Are you afraid to need help?

These are all natural fears, but fears that can stop you from realizing your dreams and living the life you want to live.
Be fearless this week and take a bold step forward.

Popularity: 15% [?]