When Safer Chemicals Healthy Families held our Stroller Brigade for Safer Chemicals in Washington DC, we brought hundreds of parents, kids, educators, environmental justice leaders and health care professionals to Capitol Hill to put a human face on the need for reform of the 37 year old Toxic Substances Control Act.

I met a Montana mom as part of our “Stroller Brigade.” Like many people she came to this issue by facing health problems of her own. She stopped using conventional cleaners and avoids eating processed food. She’s done a lot, but we know that due to our weak federal laws, she can’t control every toxic chemical exposure in her home and community.

For years, I have tried to only buy products labeled as “green” and “natural”. I thought I was doing enough to make sure I wasn’t exposed to toxic chemicals. But I was wrong.

In the coming weeks we’ll share some of the stories of the 200 Stroller Brigade participants. In the meantime, I wanted to share some of the highlights from the day.

I am tired of having chemical companies’ untested concoctions run through my veins uninvited. Monsanto, Dow, DuPont, Exxon Mobil, etc. you are NOT invited to take up residence in my DNA.

I’ll be supporting this brigade from Vermont. I’d love to head down to DC, but my teaching schedule doesn’t allow me to do so. So, I’m with my fellow activists, and my favorite organizations–MomsRising and Safer Chemicals–to demand reform of our country’s toxics laws. Currently, we have laws that protect multi-billion dollar corporations and not American families. I’ve got my virtual stroller, do you

I gave birth to two fabulous, healthy little girls in the last 8 years and found out the hard way that common everyday household products contain harsh, synthetic ingredients that in many cases, are not tested for safety. So for my family’s sake I have decided that I MUST be a catalyst for change.

Time is a precious commodity for moms. Whenever I try to schedule a get together with one of my mom friends, it can be a month long process to get a happy hour or dinner on the calendar. Moms are busy picking up children from daycare, taking them to a softball game or helping them do homework. Time to do anything outside these daily commitments is rare and why it is important to acknowledge the significant role Minnesota parents played in passing two laws that will protect children from toxic chemicals.

As a college student it’s safe to say I spend a lot of time on YouTube. But it was a new experience for me to watch moms and bloggers from across the country post videos about their involvement in the Mind the Store campaign. We wanted to share some of the highlights so you could see how easy it is to ask your favorite retailers to Mind the Store.