Sites in Our Sight

It’s a wild, wild world out there on the World Wide Web and it’s easy to get off course sometimes in our search for the right information. But when you find the definitive source (ahem), it’s definitely worth the trip.

So today we’ve got some sites to share—all great resources for moms that we keep coming back to visit time after time again, for a host of reasons:

Because Your Health Does Matter
Searching for medical information online is a growing trend (we just can’t help ourselves really) but how do you know whether the information you get back from that Google search is actually reliable and accurate? Women Wading through the Web is a web-based toolkit that solves this dilemma, published by Womenshealthmatters.ca, a website developed by Women’s College Hospital. It’s complete with guidelines on how to judge the quality of a medical website, (tip—the first thing to do is to look for the ‘About Us’ section and check the credentials of the medical advisors to the site), how to understand medical research, how to better interpret stories from the media, and how to better communicate with your doctor.

Because Paraben Is a Scary Word
We’re really trying hard to reduce our chemical exposure from the lotions and potions we put on our bodies and those of our children, but we’re not quite ready to give up lipgloss just yet. With the help of Skin Deep – the Cosmetic Database (www.cosmeticdatabase.com) we can now check the ingredients on over 25,000 products—cosmetics, skincare, baby products, fragrance, oral care products and more—to better understand their ingredients and any negative or toxic effects they might have. Products in the various categories are rated green (low hazard), yellow (moderate hazard) or red (high hazard), allowing us to choose a safer lipgloss next time. For childrens’ products, there is a Parent’s Buying Guide that provides suggestions for safer products from wipes to sunscreen.

Because There’s No Substitute for Books in the Life of a Child
Books are important—we all agree—but there are so many out there, it’s sometimes tough to wade through all those cute covers. Stick with the Teacher’s Top 100 Books, compiled by the National Education Association, or the International Reading Association’s Children’s Choice book list (actually rated by kids) next time you book ‘em and you’ll be sure you’re picking a good one.

Because We Want to Sound Like We Know What We’re Talking About When It Comes to Sports
Ever feel the need to keep up with the conversation over breakfast or around the watercooler on how the Canucks/Flames/Leafs/Sens are doing? We’re getting a great sports education from Sports and the City so we can talk sports with style. This witty website provides us with everything we need to get into the sports conversation with an intelligent-sounding point and follow-up point, then gracefully step out of it before we get in too deep.

So don’t get lost out there when you’re hanging ten on the World Wide Web– the surf’s up with these savvy sites.

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