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Entry bubble Taking the Mystery out of Makeup

By: Nicole | May 09, 2008 | Category: Health

One early morning in college, I was putting on makeup and accidentally dropped a bottle of foundation. LipstickIt exploded into shards of glass and a thick goop that covered the sink. After removing the glass, I scrubbed the porcelain surface for at least 10 minutes, trying unsuccessfully to remove the oily substance and peach-colored stain it left behind. All the while, I kept wondering: What is in this stuff anyway!?

Well, now I have an answer. A research group called the Environmental Working Group has developed the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, which allows you to search by product to learn what is in your makeup and whether the ingredients are harmful. Skin Deep uses 50 different regulatory and toxicity databases to research the ingredients in common cosmetic products. It then assigns an overall hazard level for the product and for each of its ingredients.

I searched one cosmetic product I use everyday and discovered that it earns a level 4 hazard rating (10 is extremely hazardous). It contains ingredients associated with cancer, toxicity, allergies, and irritation. I couldn’t believe the detailed information I was able to find, and I couldn’t believe I’d been putting this junk on my face for the last five years.

The database will also tell you whether a cosmetics company has signed the Compact for Safer Cosmetics agreement and whether the company does animal testing. 

In addition, the FDA provides helpful articles about cosmetic products. The FDA also provides highlights about recent changes in cosmetics regulations. CosmeticsInfo.org, a site developed by the cosmetics trade industry, is another source of product information.

So, before you hit the makeup aisle, do some research to avoid the really nasty stuff.

| Comments [0] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: beauty  blush  compact  cosmetics  eyeshadow  foundation  lipstick  makeup  mascara  powder  safety 

 

Entry bubble All Aboard for National Train Day!

By: Nancy | May 08, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

In earlier times, they connected us to each other and brought commerce into far flung parts of the country. Though a less popular mode of travel in the US today, trains are still a source of fascination for history buffs, hobbyists and anyone whose heart is stirred by the sound of that lonesome whistle.

I've loved trains since I was little, when my dad and I would take walks along abandoned tracks in West Virginia, where he'd tell me stories of his father's adventures as a railroad blacksmith in the 1930s. So I was happy to hear that this Saturday, May 10 is the first annual National Train Day. It commemorates the anniversary of the completion of America's first transcontinental railroad in 1869, when nearly 1,800 miles of track were joined by a golden spike in Utah. To celebrate, Amtrak is hosting special events at its largest stations around the country.

That got me wondering about what historic train info I could find by searching on USA.gov. I discovered the Library of Congress' online collection of historic railroad maps and field recordings of folk songs about railroad work and life. And I found railroad art, from historic photography to Manet paintings at the National Gallery of Art.

A lot of local governments like Gaithersburg, Maryland’s and libraries like Orange County, Florida's feature web pages dedicated to the contributions that trains made to their towns. And I discovered a number of state train museums, from California's  to West Virginia's, located in my dad's hometown of Elkins. I had no idea that was there! I'll have to stop by when I'm in town for the next Cousins Day.

Do you have any train stories or memories to share?

| Comments [2] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: amtrak  history  nancy  railroad  train 

 

Entry bubble Credit Card Offers

By: Colleen | May 07, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

Few things are consistent in life. The alarm clock doesn't always go off when it's set. The Patriots ruin a perfectcredit card season by choking in the Super Bowl. A bright and sunny Saturday can turn to thunderstorms in the blink of an eye.

As far as I can tell, I can guarantee only two things:

  • If I am wearing white to dinner, something with spaghetti sauce will be served.
  • At least three times a week I will find a credit card offer in my mailbox.

Wearing white will never stop me from eating spaghetti, but I can help eliminate the seemingly endless stream of credit card offers.

Receiving these offers makes you a target for identity theft. To prevent your information from falling into the wrong hands, you should "opt out" of pre-approved offers.

You can opt out for five years or permanently.

Eliminating these offers helps protect your identity and is also eco-friendly. You're saving paper and creating less waste. It is reported that my generation is in an endless cycle of post-graduation credit card debt—so the fewer offers you get, the less temptation you have to add another card to that bulging wallet.

| Comments [6] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: card  colleen  credit  identity  mail  offers  theft 

 

Entry bubble Opt Out of Catalog Mailing Lists

By: Joanne | May 06, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

big stack of catalogsDo you get too many catalogs in the mail? There was a time, back in the dark ages before the internet, that I was a committed catalog shopper. But those days are over, baby—I’m an online shopper now, and the catalogs are nothing but kindling to get the fire started. If I’m not ordering from the catalogs, why do they continue to arrive every day!?! It’s like they’re hunting you down! Recently I ordered some shoes from an online retailer and a few weeks later a catalog filled with ugly, horrible shoes arrived in the mail. Look out, someone’s gotten wise to the fact that my family wears shoes!

When you think about it, unwanted catalogs are a terrible waste of resources. There’s the paper and the ink and distribution and the processing all for something that I’m going to throw directly into the recycle bin. I’ve finally decided to do something about this shameful waste in my life.

If you think you have no control over these mailings, you’re wrong. You can register your mail preferences with the Direct Marketing Association to be removed from (or added to) the mailing lists of your choice. Or call the number printed on the catalog and ask them to remove you from their list. I’ve been doing this a lot lately. As soon as the catalog comes in the mail, I just pick up the phone—it doesn’t take long, and I’ve never had one hassle me about it. They tell me that it takes a number of weeks until you’re really out of the catalog mailing cycle, but that’s ok—by summer I’ll be catalog free!

If you’re interested, there are ways to opt out of unwanted credit card offers, unsolicited email, and cell phone spam, too.

| Comments [1] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: catalog  joanne  junk  mail  marketing  opt  out 

 

Entry bubble Tax Rebates are Here (Sorta)!

By: Jake | May 05, 2008 | Category: Money

We're starting to see economic stimulus payments (or tax rebates) in our bank accounts! Or at least some of us are. If you want to know when you'll get it, the Internal Revenue Service has created a "where's my stimulus payment" webpage where you can enter some information and see when you should get your payment.

Animated Guy with a Tax CheckThe IRS is sending payments out in order of the last two digits of a taxpayer's social security number. So those of you who qualified for the payment, opted for direct deposit and whose SSN ends in 0-20 got rebates last week.

The IRS rebate schedule says that those of us with higher numbers at the end of our SSN will have to wait a few more weeks to get our direct deposit payments. Those who opted for paper checks will start to get checks in mid-May.

This SSN schedule assumes the IRS processed your tax return by April 15. If the IRS did not process your return by April 15, you should get your economic stimulus payment up to two weeks after you receive your refund (regardless of direct deposit or check it seems). If you did not expect to get a refund or you filed your return after April 15, it will take a minimum of six weeks after you file to receive your stimulus payment.

If you don't remember or don't know how much money you qualified to receive, you can use the IRS Economic Stimulus Payment Calculator to find out. Keep in mind you could receive less than the amount calculated here if you owe back taxes, child support, money for student loans and other reasons. Around the same time you get your payment, the IRS will send you a notice to break down how it was calculated. Keep this statement for your records.

If you did not file your 2007 income tax or an extension, you can still file your federal income tax by October 15, 2008 to see if you qualify for an economic stimulus payment. The sooner you file though, the sooner you'll get results.

If you have other questions call the IRS or contact your local IRS office.  

| Comments [10] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: economic  jake  money  payment  rebates  stimulus  tax 

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