Current Events in October 2014

After posting a decline in September, the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index jumped 6.5 this month to stand at 94.5.

Of particular note were increases in the Present Situation Index, which edged up from 93.0 to 93.7, and the Expectations Index which posted a sharp gain from 8.6.4 to 95.0.

Brighter prospects

“A more favorable assessment of the current job market and business conditions contributed to the improvement in consumers’ view of the present situation,” said Lynn Franco, director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. “Looking ahead, consumers have regained confidence in the short-term outlook for the economy and labor market, and are more optimistic about their future earnings potential. With the holiday season around the corner, this boost in confidence should be a welcome sign for retailers.”

Consumers’ appraisal of current conditions was moderately more favorable in October than in September. While the proportion saying conditions are “good” inched up from 24.2% to 24.5%, those claiming business conditions are “bad” also increased slightly, from 21.2% to 21.7%.

Consumers’ assessment of the job market improved moderately, with those saying jobs are “plentiful” increasing from 16.3% to 16.5%, and those who think jobs are “hard to get” declining slightly from 29.4% to 29.1%.

Rising optimism

Consumers’ optimism, which had declined considerably in September, improved in October. The percentage of consumers expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months increased from 19.0% to 19.6%, while those expecting them to worsen fell from 11.4% to 9.3%.

Consumers’ outlook for the labor market also improved markedly. Those anticipating more jobs in the months ahead increased to 16.8% from 16.0%, while those anticipating fewer jobs fell from 16.9% to 13.9%.

The proportion of consumers looking for growth in their incomes rose from 16.9% in September to 17.7% in October, while those saying incomes will drop fell from 13.4% to 11.6%.

The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey, based on a probability-design random sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by Nielsen around what consumers buy and watch. The cutoff date for the preliminary results was October 16.

Chetak New York of Edison, N.J., is recalling its 5,560 packages of Deep Raw Cashew Pieces.

The product may be contaminated with Salmonella.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

The recalled product was distributed nationwide in retail stores from March 12, 2014, to October 21,2014. It comes in 7-oz., 14-oz., & 28-oz. clear plastic packages marked with the following UPC numbers on the rear of the package:

• UPC number for 7oz. is 011433133104
• UPC number for 14oz. is 011433133111
• UPC number for 28oz. is 011433133128

Consumers who have purchased the recalled product may return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-973-835-1906 from 9 am- 5 pm EST.

Z Natural Foods of West Palm Beach, Fla., is recalling 55 lbs of Lightly Roasted Organic Carob Powder.

The product may be contanimated with Salmonella.

No illnesses have been reported to date

The recalled product was available for sale in a 1-lb and 5-lb standup resealable foil pouches either bronze (1-lb) or silver in color (5-lb) and marked with Lot # ZNCARB39513 and a Best By Date of 12/5/2016 at the bottom of the label.

It was sold directly through Z Natural Foods website at www.ZNaturalFoods.com. It was not available in retail stores.

Consumers who purchased the recalled product may contact Z Natural Foods to arrange return of the product and for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-888-963-6637 between 9am – 6pm (EST, Monday - Friday.

For years treatment of most cancers has come in two forms. One is chemotherapy and the other is surgery. While they have led to many patients recovering from the dreaded disease, both can take a heavy physical toll.

And they don't always work. The American Cancer Society estimates a total of 1,665,540 new cancer cases in the U.S. in 2014 with 585,720 cancer deaths.

But is it possible that cancer treatment in the near future will be carried out with a new generation of drugs that are more effective and less toxic? New research suggests that it might.

OTS964

One of the most promising new drugs to come along in the fight against cancer is a compound known as OTS964, which was used in a small recent animal trial.

Researchers developed aggressive human lung cancers – the type that are typically fatal – and transplanted them into mice. The mice were then given OTS964. The scientists wanted to see how the drug was tolerated but also whether it worked. They were pleased on both counts.

Writing about their findings in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the scientists said the drug, when taken orally, had limited toxicity. When it was given by injection there were even fewer side effects.

Best of all, it led to complete regression of the transplanted tumors.

How it works

OTS964 works by inhibiting a protein called TOPK that is produced in the body by several types of malignant tumors. The protein is almost never produced by healthy tissue.

Cancerous tumors need this protein in order to multiply and spread. Without it, the cell-division process comes to a screeching halt and the cancer cells die.

"We identified the molecular target for this drug ten years ago, but it took us nearly a decade to find an effective way to inhibit it," said study author Yusuke Nakamura, professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. "We initially screened 300,000 compounds and then synthesized more than 1,000 of them, and found a few that were likely to work in humans. We focused on the most effective. We think we now have something very promising."

In previous research on this drug, researchers kept running into the same problem; yes, it could kill cancer cells but it could also interfere with the production of new red and white blood cells in the body.

The patient could face side effects ranging from mild anemia to very serious infections. The drug could also produce an over abundance of blood platelets.

No dangerous side effects

The latest version of the drug does not disrupt blood cell production. This approach "completely eliminated the hematopoietic toxicity," the researchers wrote.

The tumors transplanted to the mice are known as LU-99, among the most aggressive human tumors. The researchers allowed the tumors to grow to about the size of a raisin – a significant size in a mouse – and then administered the OTS964 intravenously to 6 mice, twice a week for three weeks.

The tumors quickly got smaller and continued to shrink even after treatment stopped. In 5 of the 6 mice, the tumors completely disappeared — 3 within 25 days of the first treatment and 2 within 29 days. If this sounds like a big deal, Nakamura says it is.

"It is rare to see complete regression of tumors in a mouse model," he said. "Many drugs can repress the growth, but it is uncommon to see them eradicated. This has rarely been reported."

What happens next

The next step will be Phase I clinical trials. The drug will be administered to human volunteers to make sure the drug is as safe for people as it is for mice.

Assuming that it is, Phase II trials will follow, with people seriously ill with cancer receiving the drug. If those results also duplicate the results in mice, the drug will be submitted for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The researchers say they are working with oncologists at the University of Chicago to begin a Phase I clinical trial as soon as the fall of 2015.

This past week has been a bad one for boosters of the Apple Pay mobile-payment system, which only launched last Monday.

First, due to a glitch somewhere in Bank of America's software, Apple Pay customers with Bank of America  accounts found themselves double-charged for everything they bought, and Apple Pay ended up collecting quite a bit of bad publicity over it even though fault for the mess did lay entirely with BoA.

And now the major pharmacy chains Rite-Aid and CVS have announced that they would stop accepting Apple Pay (with more companies likely to follow their example).

When Apple unveiled its then-new iWatch and iPhone 6 on Sept. 9, the devices' Apple Pay capability was trumpeted as a major selling point. And that same day, CVS was quick to announce that it would accept Apple Pay at its stores.

So what happened since then to make CVS change its mind? The company hasn't publicly said, but chances are it's because CVS decided instead to work with a retailer-owned group called the Merchant Customer Exchange to develop a competing mobile payment option, CurrentC, due to be released sometime next year.

Giving away data

Here's the problem: from the perspective of a customer who wants a non-cash payment system, Apple Pay offers two advantages over the current status quo of credit or debit cards. The first advantage benefits merchant and customer alike: Apple Pay's use of tokenization is supposed to make it far more secure against hacking and identity theft than today's easy-to-fake and easy-to-steal American credit cards.

But the second advantage, which benefits consumers, arguably works against the merchants' best interests: current credit and debit card payment systems grant sellers alike the ability to collect lots of potentially useful marketing data about individual buyers and their shopping habits – where do you shop, what do you buy, how much do you pay for it.

However, Apple Pay promises customer anonymity: the company itself can't collect this information about you, and neither can the merchants who accept Apple Pay.

How much data will the upcoming merchant-owned CurrentC mobile payment system collect about its customers? Information about CurrentC and just how it'll work has not yet been made available.

In a perfect world you would never set foot in a grocery store with a 6-year-old in tow.

You could buy what you need and check out without telling your child, over and over, that no, they can't have the candy, cookies, chips and junk food they beg for.

While it isn't a perfect world, experts at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health say it could definitely be improved, but it will require help from supermarkets.

The biggest problem, they contend, is that grocery stores seem to stock these unhealthy treats on shelves that are eye-level to most children. As they walk down the grocery aisle with their parent they are literally kids in a candy store. So one solution is simply stocking these items in a less conspicuous place.

Caving in

The study started out as a pilot project designed to encourage healthy food choices in a low-income neighborhood in Baltimore. That study found that many caregivers simply couldn't stand up to the relentless nagging of their children. They ended up buying lots of things they had no intention of buying when they walked into the store.

To get around this problem, the experts suggested three possible solutions; different food placement, allowing children to sample healthy food at the store and even offering cooking classes to older children.

The authors believe that the study has broken new ground in consumer behavior, examining both the influence of a store's display strategy on children and children’s influence on grocery shopping. The bottom line – if you leave the kids at home you are more likely to come home with healthier food.

“Our study suggests that grocery shopping with children often can have negative consequences on the healthfulness of grocery purchases, but has the potential to have a positive influence instead,” said Pamela J. Surkan, assistant professor in the Department of International Health at the Bloomberg School.

The consumers who were questioned said they often caved in to their children’s demands – even though they initially resisted. They sometimes used strategies to counter their children’s clamoring for unplanned, unhealthy food choices, starting with flat-out refusals, redirecting to healthier foods and setting aside the demanded item when the child wasn't looking.

Stores aren't helping

As for the store environment, study participants noted the quantity and advertising of junk food options, versus healthy options.

The study also suggested there are ways grocery stores can reduce children's whining for candy and chips. Besides getting these tempting treats out of the line of sight, the researchers said the shopping experience is the perfect opportunity to introduce kids to healthier foods.

Why not have sampling stations, the asked, where children could sample fruits and other healthy snacks? One mother interviewed for the study recounted a shopping trip with her son, who wanted to taste the blueberries. But she didn't want to buy an entire container of blueberries until she was sure her son liked them.

Other ideas

Until supermarkets decide to change where they display the Ho Hos and bags of candy, experts say there are a few things you can do to reduce the nagging and the unhealthy food purchases.

Just as adults should never go grocery shopping when they are hungry, neither should children. Hunger in a grocery store inevitably leads to unintended impulse buys – often unhealthy ones. So snack up the kids just before leaving for the shopping trip.

Make a grocery list and stick to it. Be organized in your approach. The idea is to spend as little time in the store as possible. A shorter shopping trip is less taxing on a child's limited patience and gives them less time to beg.  

Some mothers have all the pull! One mother was able to get some toys pulled right off the shelf. Susan Schrivjer of Fort Myers, Fla., was upset when she went into Toys R Us and saw action figures from the TV show "Breaking Bad."

"Breaking Bad" is, of course, a crime drama about a high school chemistry teacher named Walter White who finds out his has inoperable lung cancer. He starts cooking and dealing meth to leave some money behind for his family when he dies -- no part-time tutoring for him. He needs a little help and recruits a former student, Jesse Pinkman.

Schrivjer doesn't think this is fit subject matter for kids, so she took to the internet and created a petition at change .org using the name Susan Myers and got over 9,000 signatures demanding the toys be taken off Toys R Us shelves.

In the petition she stated, "While the show may be compelling viewing for adults, its violent content and celebration of the drug trade make this collection unsuitable to be sold alongside Barbie dolls and Disney characters."

Toys R Us said in a statement, "Let's just say, the action figures have taken an 'indefinite sabbatical."

Not everyone wanted to see them go to the stockroom. Action figure collectables are a huge business. Just go to any comic convention and you will see the collectors and how pricey some of these action figures can be.

Daniel Pickett of Manhattan Beach, Calif., launched his own change.org petition in favor of keeping the dolls. He was able to get over 3,000 signatures.

“I'm a parent of a school aged child myself, but I’m an informed, responsible parent and I closely monitor the toys, TV, music, movies and games that my daughter sees,” he said.

Responsible or not Toys R Us went the route of mom knows best.

Pending home sales have risen above year-over-year levels for the first time in 11 months.

The National Association of Realtors reports its Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) inched up 0.3% to 105.0 in September from 104.7 in August, and is now 1.0% higher than September 2013 (104.0).

The forward-looking indicator, which is based on contract signings, is above 100 for the fifth consecutive month and is at the second-highest level since last September.

A buyers market, but...

Moderating price growth and sustained inventory levels are keeping conditions favorable for buyers. “Housing supply for existing homes was up in September 6% from a year ago, which is preventing prices from rising at the accelerated clip seen earlier this year,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. “Additionally, the current spectacularly low mortgage rates should help more buyers reach the market.”

Despite improved housing conditions and low interest rates, tight credit conditions continue to be a barrier for some buyers. Of the reasons for not closing a sale, about 15% of Realtors reported having clients who could not get financing as the reason for not closing.

Yun says the final rule on Qualified Residential Mortgages should improve access to credit once it goes into effect next year. “The rule provides clarity for lenders and is a win for creditworthy consumers by ensuring they continue to have access to safe and affordable loan products without overly burdensome down payment requirements,” he said.

Regional sales

• The PHSI in the Northeast increased 1.2% to 87.5 in September, and is now 2.9% above a year ago.
• In the Midwest the index fell 1.2% to 101.2, and is now 4.0% below September 2013.
• Pending home sales in the South were up 1.4% to an index of 118.5 and 1.7% above last September.
• The index in the West slipped 0.8% in September to 101.3, but is 3.6% above a year ago.

Taylor Farms of Swedesboro, N.J., is recalling approximately 377 pounds of Signature Cafe Broccoli Kale Salad with Chicken.

The product contains walnuts, a tree nut, which is a known allergen and not declared on the product label. The walnuts are packaged in a cupped packet inside the salad container.

There are no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of this product.

The product subject to recall includes:

• 9.75-oz. plastic clam shell packages of “Signature Cafe Broccoli Kale Salad with Chicken” with Use by dates of “10/23/14,” “10/25/14,” and “10/27/14” on the lid of the product.

The recalled product bears “P-34513” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the label. The salads, which were produced on 10/17/14, 10/19/14 and 10/21/14, were sent to retail stores in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Jim Bryan, director of operations, at 856-294-4211.  

Murry’s Inc., of Lebanon, Pa., is recalling approximately 31,689 pounds of gluten free breaded chicken products.

The products may be contaminated with Staphylococcal enterotoxin.

There are no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

The products have a best by date of August 9, 2015.

The following products are subject to recall: 

• 12-oz. boxes of “Bell & Evans Gluten Free Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets.”
• 10.5-oz. boxes of “Bell & Evans Gluten Free Breaded Chicken Breast.”

The recalled bear the establishment number “P-516” inside the USDA mark of inspection, and were shipped to retail locations nationwide.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Murry’s customer service, at (717) 273-9361.

Rome Packing Company is recalling Ocean’s Catch brand All Natural Jonah Crab Leg Meat.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The list of recalled products includes fresh and frozen products.

The fresh recalled products are packaged in round plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid), sold as refrigerated, include:

5-ounce Ocean’s Catch All Natural Fresh Jonah Crab Leg Meat: lot number 0104804 with a sell by date before 10/15/14;

• 6-ounce Ocean’s Catch All Natural Jonah Crab Combo Meat: lot number 0104791 with a sell by date before 10/13/14;lot number 0104666 with a sell by date before 10/15/14;
• 8-ounce Ocean’s Catch All Natural Fresh Jonah Crab Leg Meat: lot number 0104665 with a sell by date before 10/13/14; lot number 0104665 with a sell by date before 10/14/14; lot number 0104804 with a sell by date before 10/14/14; lot number 0104842 with a sell by date before 10/16/14;
• 8-ounce Ocean’s Catch All Natural Jonah Crab Combo Meat: lot number 0104787 with a sell by date before 10/14/14;
• 16-ounce Ocean’s Catch All Natural Fresh Jonah Crab Leg Meat: lot number 0104659 with a sell by date before 10/13/14; lot number 0104665 with a sell by date before 10/14/14; lot number 0104842 with a sell by date before 10/16/14;
• 16-ounce Ocean’s Catch All Natural Jonah Crab Combo Meat: lot number 0104806 with a sell by date before 10/14/14; lot number 0104845 with a sell by date before 10/16/14

The frozen recalled products packaged in plastic bags, include:

• 5-pound bags of Ocean’s Catch All Natural Frozen Jonah Crab Leg Meat: lot number 0104842 with a sell by date before 4/16/16

The products were distributed in Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois and California to retail stores including -- but not limited to - Shaw’s Supermarkets, Legal Sea Foods, and Harbor Fish Market.

Consumers who have purchased these products should not consume them and return them to the place of purchase for a refund, or discard them.

Consumers with questions may contact John F. Whiteside, Jr. at (508)991-3333.

The Aspen Foods division of Koch Meats of Chicago, Ill., is recalling 28,980 pounds of chicken products that may be contaminated with a particular strain of Salmonella Enteritidis.

Based on epidemiologic investigation, 6 case-patients have been identified in Minnesota with illness onset dates ranging from August, 17, 2014 to September, 27, 2014.

The recalled product includes partially prepared chicken products sold by retailers under the Antioch Farms brand name, with “sell by” dates of October 1, 2015 and October 7, 2015. The productsbear the establishment number “P-1358” inside the USDA mark of inspections, were produced on July 2,and July 8, 2014, and shipped to retail stores and distribution centers in Minnesota.

The product is identified as:

• Single 5-once plastic packets of Raw Stuffed Chicken Breast Breaded, Boneless Breast of Chicken with Rib Meat “A La Kiev”

Consumers with questions regarding the recall may contact the company’s consumer affairs hotline at (844) 765-7463 and on weekends (601) 732-3366.   

The official start to the holiday shopping season is still a month away but U.S. retailers are already in the giving spirit. Just like last year shoppers might not have to wait for Black Friday to get great deals.

Target has announced a package of holiday promotions that include free shipping starting now through December 20. That constitutes automatic savings for the growing number of consumers who prefer to do their shopping online. The retailer also rolled out a package of new shopping apps and other digital tools.

“We’ve been building capabilities that put us in a strong starting position, including the right digital tools and a broad assortment of unique, on-trend merchandise,” said Brian Cornell, Target's chairman and CEO.

Exclusive deals

Cornell also promises bigger values and promotions than anyone else. He says Target stores will have weekly sales, weekend promotions and exclusive deals on Target.com and Cartwheel, the Target app. For example, Cartwheel will offer daily 50% off toy deals to its users from November 2 to December 24.

For a third year, Target will extend the time frame of its price match policy for the holiday season beyond the typical 7 day window. If customers buy a qualifying item at Target between November 1 and December 24, and then find it at a lower price at Target.com, a local competitor’s printed ad or at select online retailers, Target will match that price.

In a note to investors, retail analyst Adrienne Tih-Tennant of Janney Capital Markets said this past weekend was an especially heavily promoted sales event as stores are eager to get to consumers' wallets first.

October deals

"While October should typically be sequentially deeper, as it is a clearance month, we are more concerned with an increase in 'deeper' promos year-over-year, especially given that inventory levels entering the quarter were in quite good shape for the softlines sector," she wrote.

A case in point is Gap, which is currently running a promotion offering up to 75% off on select apparel. Old Navy is running its 20th Birthday Sale, with discounts up to 50%.

In part these sales are getting a jump on Black Friday action but part are normal seasonal clearance activity. For the consumer, however, savings are savings.

Tablet prices dropping

The website BestBlackFriday.com predicts the steepest discounts on popular gifts this year will be for tablets. Apple has just introduced its latest iPad and the rest of the manufacturers are fighting for market share as smartphones now offer many of the features of a tablet.

While tablets are strong candidates for Black Friday “doorbuster” promotions many retailers are already discounting the devices, especially lesser-known models.

At Amazon.com the Chromo 7-inch tablet featuring touchscreen, camera and 1024 x 600 screen resolution has been marked down from $169.99 to $48.95. The Microsoft Surface 7ZR-00001 RT Tablet 64GB – not its most recent model – is on sale for $235.13, down from $499. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 is marked down from $349 to $259.

Walmart has also started putting popular gift items on sale ahead of the Black Friday official kick-off. They include a refurbished Google Nexus 7 tablet for $99, marked down from $159, and Beats by Dr. Dre Drenched Solo On-Ear Headphones for $169.95.

Motorists who have been watching gasoline prices fall might think the news can't get any better. But it has.

In its weekly petroleum status report the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) says U.S. oil stockpiles increased by 7.1 million barrels last week. It's a huge jump.

“At 377.7 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are near the upper limit of the average range for this time of year,” the report notes.

As the same time stockpiles of gasoline fell by 1.3 million barrels last week. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging over 9.3 million barrels per day, but the government report shows U.S. oil refineries operated at less than 87% of capacity. When prices are higher, they operate at around 95% of capacity.

The report, issued around midday Wednesday, had the effect of depressing oil prices even more. Prices had begun to stabilize the previous day but news of the growing glut of oil sent U.S. oil prices back down to the $80 a barrel level.

Oil demand falls but supply doesn't

Worldwide demand for oil has slowed in recent months as economies in some of the developing countries – and in Europe – have begun to cool. But OPEC has not cut production as it has in the past, in part because Saudi Arabia is believed to be putting pressure on U.S. producers, who have become a growing threat to the cartel.

The net result of all this is a bonanza for U.S. motorists who now are spending less money for each fill-up. While there are many factors that go into the retail price of gasoline, the price of oil is a big one.

As a result, prices at the pump are well below $3 a gallon in at least 17 states. The national average price for self-serve regular is $3.08 a gallon, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey. Only Hawaii, with high taxes and transportation costs, has an average price above $4 a gallon.

In California, which routinely has the highest gasoline prices in the lower 48 states, the statewide average price is $3.48 a gallon. A month ago California motorists were paying, on average, $3.75 a gallon for gas.

Missouri has the lowest gasoline prices in the nation, with the statewide average at $2.78 a gallon. South Carolina and Tennessee are both averaging $2.85 a gallon.

Down 62 cents from this year's high

According to AAA the national average consumers are paying for gasoline is at its lowest point since early 2011. Drivers are saving about 62 cents a gallon from the April 28 high of $3.70. The price of fuel is down 10% since Labor Day.

Economists note that gasoline prices act as a regressive tax on consumers. Since nearly everyone buys gasoline, an increase in the price takes more spending power away from consumers.

But when the price goes down, it acts as a tax cut, putting more money in consumers' pockets. How much?

According to AAA, for every penny the price falls, more than $1 billion per year in additional consumer spending freed up. That's money that can be used to pay down debt and stimulate the economy.

Hide the shower curtain -- it could be ruining your sex life! In fact a lot of things you have around the house could be detrimental to a woman's libido.

A study presented to the American Society for Reproductive Medicines annual conference in Honolulu found that phthalates, a common chemical used to increase plastic’s flexibility, could be to blame for low libido in women.

Phthalates are found in just about everything -- including toys, vinyl flooring and wall covering, detergents, lubricating oils, food packaging, pharmaceuticals, blood bags and tubing, and personal care products, such as nail polish, hair sprays, aftershave lotions, soaps, shampoos, perfumes and other fragrance preparations. Yes, even in sex toys so thats the last thing you want to grab to try and get things going again.

The study was conducted by Dr. Emily Barrett of the University of Rochester and included 360 pregnant women. Researchers measured the levels of phthalates in their urine. They were also interviewed on how they felt about sex in the months before they became pregnant.

The women who had a more phthalates in their system were two and half times more likely to say that they weren't that interested in having sex. Barrett said that she thinks that phthalates could interfere with the production of estrogen and testosterone – both of which are linked to the female libido.

What to do

How can this marriage be saved?

• First off, avoid plastics with recycling code #3.
• Choose phthalate-free toys. Toymakers Early Start, Brio, Chicco, Evenflo, Gerber, Lego and Sassy have pledged to stop using phthalates. Look for toys made from polypropylene or polyethylene or avoid plastic toys altogether.
• Purchase phthalate-free beauty products. Ingredients are listed on make-up.
• Install a glass shower door.
• Up your iTunes list with mood music and dim the lights.