Wonderment...wonderFUL! Save 15% this Friday!

Wonderment is a fabulous local source for non-toxic and responsibly-sourced toys & gifts for kids. Located right in the heart of Linden Hills (4306 Upton Ave S), this mother-owned store offers natural toys & games that will spark imaginations of all ages.

THIS FRIDAY (Dec 10) is their Friends Party, where you are invited to bring a friend to shop (adults only!) with wine & nibbles...and save 15% on all your purchases! Friends, wine, food AND savings?!? Oh, expert toy advice and free gift wrap too.

Wonderment Friend Party
Fri, Dec 10
7-9 pm
both locations, 4306 Upton Ave S, Mpls; 949 Grand Ave, St. Paul)

You might just finish your kid-related holiday shopping, and feel good about supporting a locally-owned business, while buying quality responsible toys from the Twin Cities Best Toy Store (according to CityPages)! Oh...and did I mention the wine?? ;-)

'green' movie watching at home??

So, my gadget-minded husband just signed us up for Netflix through our Wii. Yes...the Wii! We tried Netflix a few years ago, but the mailing of DVDs back & forth - with no late fees (meaning no incentive to watch it) - just didn't work for us. Now, we pay one monthly fee, and have access to a large number of movies, TV shows, and documentaries downloaded through our Wii directly to our TV.

After watching a movie of my choosing one evening, without leaving the house and on the spur of the moment, it occurred to me that these services have a green component. Seriously! (For the time being, let's forget about the energy consumption issues.)

Direct viewing eliminates the fuel-associated impacts & costs of delivery of DVDs, not to mention the environmental impacts associated with their production & disposal! So, don't feel like a couch potato. Grab a glass a wine, stream a movie or TV show, and feel good about it!

There are lots of pay-per-view or video-on-demand services through cable, satellite or other devices. Even watching shows on the internet or other downloadable device like an iPad has those benefits!

Tuna Consumption Revisited

A recent investigation by Consumer Reports found that canned tuna occasionally contains much higher levels of mercury than previously thought. Their findings confirmed that white (albacore) tuna typically contains much higher levels of mercury than light tuna.

The form of mercury accumulated in tuna, methylmercury, is especially toxic. Even low-level mercury exposure in children & expectant women has been linked to delays & impairments in hearing, hand-eye coordination & learning abilities, as well as neurologic, cardiovascular & immune system effects.

Based on their findings, Consumer Reports recommends consumption guidelines that are stricter than the FDA or EPA's recommendation of 12 oz per week wk of light tuna or 6 oz per week of white tuna, for women of childbearing age and young children. Instead, Consumer Reports recommends that:

• Children less than 45 lbs limit consumption to 4 oz of light tuna or 1.5 oz of white tuna
• Pregnant women avoid canned tuna altogether.
• Women of childbearing age limit consumption to 12.5 oz of light tuna or 4 oz of white tuna

Low-mercury, sustainably harvested fish include Alaska salmon, farmed clams, pink shrimp from Oregon, sardines from the US Pacific, and tilapia farmed in the US. These are good alternatives that provide the benefits of fish (protein, vitamin D & omega-3 fatty acids) without toxicity or environmental concerns.

For the full article by Consumer Reports, click here.