Gimme the Good Stuff

04/10/2026

I am a full-on seltzer addict, so I have researched them allll—both for health/safety and what they taste like.

Also, my take on the studies you’ve prob seen about PFAS in canned seltzer:

🌊PFAS are measured in parts per trillion, so all of the brands tested are actually really low. (Nixie’s is about 2.2 PPT total, if you add up all the different kinds of PFAS detected.)
🥚Food can be much higher than this. Studies have shown eggs and potatoes in the 1,000 ppt range, and some fish up to 10,000 ppt total PFAS.

Obviously, we’d always prefer to see no detectable PFAS at all in everything we consume, but for now, I think it represents a negligible exposure compared to all the other ways we are exposed to PFAS, sadly.

27/09/2026

This Tuesday, Tara Gordon Lipton and I went to a wonderful baby shower at RIVER FUND headquarters, where ten expecting moms received everything they need to bring home a new baby. This time, they got Good Stuff from several brands who generously donated healthier baby items— non-toxic products should not be only for the financially privileged!

Our annual gala is coming up on October 28th in Manhattan. Please consider purchasing a ticket to support this critical work. The event is really fun and we can hang out! You can also just donate whatever you’re able to. Link in bio 😘
Amanda Richman Wurtz Douglas M. Wurtz


THANK you to Biom Baby for donating these baby wipe starter sets. 🫶🏼

We had so much fun 😊.

These moms do not have even the most basic essentials for a newborn. They each went home with EVERYTHING they need.

THANK YOU J O O N Y A for sending diapers and wipes for every mom.🫶🏼

THANK YOU Coterie for sending training pants and skincare. 🫶🏼

THANK YOU Serenity Kids baby food for sending healthy pouches of first foods. 🫶🏼

THANK YOU Little Spoon for sending formula. 🫶🏼
(This is only given to moms who won’t be able to breastfeed, which is of course encouraged.)

THANK YOU Bobbie for jumping in immediately to offer to send formula— River Fund always needs it to hand out on Saturday food distribution days. The folks at Bobbie always stress that they support moms who breastfeed and combo feed. And I spoke one-on-one with several of the moms at this event; most of them work, usually as housekeepers, so they are not all able to breastfeed for as long as they might want to. I’m very grateful that these babies will have the highest quality formula.

Please join me! ❤️❤️❤️

19/09/2026

Welp, we made it 2 days of school before Wolfie got strep throat. My resulting thoughts:

I’m VERY grateful antibiotics exist, obviously.

Buuut: In the U.S., the standard recommendation is to treat strep throat with abx. In other countries, the approach to sore throats is MUCH more conservative. In the Netherlands, they don’t even recommend strep tests—the guideline states that distinguishing bacterial from viral sore throats doesn’t change initial treatment. The reasoning here: sore throats usually resolve on their own and complications are so rare that you don’t need to identify every kid with strep. They DO recommend abx for patients with signs of severe infection or at high risk of complications. TLDR: a Dutch kid with the same symptoms as an American-kid-who-tests-positive will usually never be tested/given abx. And rheumatic fever is very rare in the Netherlands, just like it is in the rest of the Western world (this is the scary complication from untreated strep you’ve prob heard of).

There is also the possibility of PANDAS from strep, and I couldn’t find any data on whether this is more common in European children who are presumably walking around with untreated strep fairly often.

IMHO the benefit of the abx is: shorten the duration of the illness (Wolfie felt better after 1 dose, and the pain before was intense) + prevent the spread of strep.

In any event, we chose to get Wolfie tested after 2 days of what he described as the worst sore throat of his life, and to put him on the amoxicillin the dr prescribed. Which means now I’m trying to support his microbiome!

There’s good evidence that certain probiotics can reduce antibiotic-diarrhea in kids. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii are the most well-studied. I’m also trying and mostly failing to get him to eat fermented foods.

Finally, a tip from you guys: If your kid needs liquid antibiotics, ask for a dye-free version! Apparently many pharmacies can do this, but I didn’t know so ours is gross and bright pink.

*I’m not a doctor and this is not medical advice*

13/09/2026

Most organic frozen waffles are not Good Stuff. They are made of refined flour, seed oils, and sugars, plus the kinds of additives (gums, emulsifiers, modified starches, natural flavors, etc.) that can push a product into ultra-processed territory.

When I have my 💩 together, I make a big batch of waffles and freeze them to put in the toaster on busy mornings. Otherwise, these two brands are the best we’ve found.

05/09/2026

What I want to remember from August 2026✨

26/08/2026

This week, we’re sharing our two favorite cow’s milk brands. Both are organic and grass-fed, which are the two most important things to look for when choosing the healthiest milk. You can read much more in our cow milk guide. (We’ve got guides for almond milk and oat milk, too!)

24/08/2026

07/08/2026

Backpacks: Terra Thread® is hands down our top pick, because it won’t shed microplastics and has all the certifications. You can now shop this line in our marketplace. ☺️

Runner up Fjallraven Kanken is made of plastic, but is PFAS-free, which is something!

04/08/2026

I hope your July was full of the good stuff, too.
☀️🍦⛰️🛶🦀🌊 🍑

27/07/2026

Frankly, your mattress is much more important than your sheets, but once you’ve upgraded that, it’s reasonable to turn to your sheets, duvet covers, etc. The biggest thing to avoid is any bedding made of polyester or microfiber, which can shed tiny plastic fibers. You should also skip “performance” bedding, because anything that’s advertised as moisture-wicking, wrinkle-resistant, or stain-resistant is likely treated with something gross (PFAS).

Natural fibers like cotton and linen are the safest materials for sheets, and it’s even better if they are organic! The two brands recommended here are my favorites in terms of not only the non-toxicity, but also the comfort, durability, and aesthetic. You can buy MagicLinen | Linen bedding and clothing in our marketplace. 😊