Day 2 of 2012 Let the Blogging Resume!

January 2, 2012

So the hard part about blogging, or doing anything on a regular basis, is actually DOING it on a regular basis. I love my blog, and I love posting on it, however it does seem to find itself on the very bottom of the to do list. I hate that. But the great thing about a new year is that it can serve as that symbolic line in the sand where we can step over into the new actions we want to be doing, and away from those we don’t.

This morning I attacked 2 of my resolutions with the fury of a woman determined to make some changes.

1. Unsubscribe to all the junk emails I get. It seems as though in 2011 I managed to sign up for EVERY “daily deal” site and newsletter that was created. Well not anymore. I am sick and tired of having to move 108,654,214 emails from my inbox to my trash every single day. What a waste of time and finger movement. So this morning I unsubscribed to about 25 of them. I resolve to do this everyday until they all are gone. (NOTE: I will also have to do this for my husbands email account, as I might have signed him up for a few……hundred.)

2. Blog, Blog, Blog Look at me – I am doing it! just about everyday I have an “ah-ha!” moment that I think is blog worthy, but I don’t take the time to do it. I have resolved to commit to spending the time creating these thoughts instead of wasting time cruising the daily deal sites.

The thing I would like most to share this morning is about a documentary I just watched, and that I am really excited about. Have you seen Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead? It is FANTASTIC. It’s about Joe Cross, an Australian entrepreneur who realizes he has let his health go and decided to get a hold of it by juicing. This may not sound like an exciting thing to watch, but let me just tell you, you literally watch this guy wipe 10 years and 80 pounds of of himself. In 60 days no less.  It is an entertaining & easy watch, and I would HIGHLY recommend anyone watching it.

Here is the trailer:
Fat Sick & Nearly Dead Trailer>

 

 

FAT SICK & NEARLY DEAD MOVIE

More about how I implemented this movie into my life to come….

So happy new year, and I hope today you find yourself attacking those things you want to change!

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Keep On Keeping On

September 27, 2011

“It’s funny: I always imagined when I was a kid that adults had some kind of inner toolbox full of shiny tools: the saw of discernment, the hammer of wisdom, the sandpaper of patience.

But then when I grew up I found that life handed you these rusty bent old tools – friendships, prayer, conscience, honesty – and said ‘do the best you can with these, they will have to do’. And mostly, against all odds, they do. ”
― Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith

Sometimes it feels like life is crouching in the corner, waiting for us to take a seat, so it can pull the chair out while laughing hysterically as we fall on our clumsy ass.

I’ve learned in my 34ish years that there are some givens:

The minute you say you like your hair – it will become possessed by angry hair demons & refuse to do anything that resembles what you want.

The day you look utterly fantastic, naturally beautiful, and effortlessly radiant – you will not run into ANYONE you know.

The day your face breaks out, your hair has demons, and your outfit looks like someone dared you to wear it – you WILL run into someone that deep inside you wish hadn’t seen you that way. (and they will look fantastic)

The minute someone compliments you on how well your child is behaved – the hair demons will jump out and posses your once sweet angel offspring , transforming them into a child that should be entered into a “scared straight”prison program and only allowed sunlight for 15 minutes a day.

And if you stand up and say that you believe wholehearted that there is a force alive and working in the universe that protects you, loves you, and wants the utmost good for you – that faith will be tested in major ways.

It’s been a grueling month. One that seems like endless string 24 hour periods of challenge and circumstantial pressure. And I find myself often feeling like:

“as an adult shouldn’t I just have the answer to a lot of the questions that seem to line up and patiently wait for me to wake each morning? Does everyone else get the feeling that they thought they would be so much more “together” and have it all figured out by this point?”

All I can say is that I’m glad I am an honest mess, because I watch my friends who desperately try and hide their mess from the rest of the world – and I just don’t have enough energy to wrestle to hair demons, the out of control toddler,  and handle the tests of faith on top of caring what everyone thinks.

There is some fun in dysfunction isn’t there?

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Tagged as: anne lamotte, faith, life

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Flashback–Why I Started Blogging

September 19, 2011

Surprising as it may be, I am not on Facebook.

GASP!!!

I was….but I jumped ship.

And believe me – the world isn’t keen on those who go awol from what has turned into  the very thread that evidently binds us as a culture. I have at least 3 conversations a week with people who say, “I tried to send you something on FB – are we not friends? I couldn’t find you!” or “Friend request me so we can keep in touch”.

And yesterday I tried to join Pinterest.com and it wont even let me register without being on FB or Twitter (of which I also am not)

So I wanted to repost the very first blog entry I did – about why I was leaving FB – and I want to tell you that I have never regretted the move. Yes, I am out of the daily loop. Yes, I do miss out on seeing 465 daily updates from people I used to, barely did, or don’t really know.

But there is an unplugged peace that I got when I left, and I wouldn’t trade it. I also found an extra 10 hours in my day once I stopped going down the rabbit hole of photos, and friends, and farmville.

So here is the post, and I would love to know if any of you have also  walked away from social networking, and how it’s going for you.

SHE WHO BLOGS


That’s it.

I’m done with Facebook.

I am now  blogging. I have decided to do so instead of Facebooking. There are lots of reasons for this, all completely personal to MY life – and not intending to be some general statement against Facebook.

Facebook, like so many other amazing technological advances, gives us the chance to reach out and reconnect with long lost friends, lovers, family members, and people we barely knew, with just a few keystrokes. Amazing and comforting in so many ways isn’t it?

But I found that for me it also creates a potential connection with of a lot of people  who are better left living in that box in the back of my mind, neatly taped up, and labeled:

“Wonder what happened to…”

This box has several smaller boxes inside labeled:

“What If?”, “What Then?”, “Remember When?”, and “What Were You Thinking?”.

All of these little boxes contain memories and questions that mean absolutely nothing to my life now, and make no difference to anyone except the girl I was however many years ago when I originally asked them.

Facebook, for me, became more like being at some bar that doubled as a time machine.

Suddenly all these people from my past are existing in my present , even if only by being updated on their kids little league victory, grandmothers passing, or never-ending business meeting.

It was like opening up every yearbook I ever had, and looking at them everyday.

It became increasingly confusing to me how to separate who “used to be” in my life, and who really “is” in it now.

I mean, just because we dated 15 years ago and I was updated this morning about your dad’s cardiology tests or your kid’s new puppy… does that really mean we somehow exist in each others lives? And should we?

Who hasn’t found themselves only putting pictures of themselves that are attractive on their profile, and then enjoying a compliment from one of their 400 “friends”?

The problem is that what if that’s the only compliment you got all day?What if you find yourself getting more attention in your cyber-reunion than you do in your own home.

And are you giving as many “status updates” and compliments to the people in your real life – in real life?

How much potential for danger does Facebook hold when you feel only feel visible to the people who don’t reside in your 3D world? How much damage is being done to those who are becoming invisible to you?

I know myself well enough to say that when in an argument with my husband, finding myself in the land of the ex’s is not such a smart place to be, especially when those ex’s tended to be smooth tongued masters of words and woo.  I wouldn’t want to have him, during an argument with me, hanging poolside at the ex-girlfriend beach resort.

I have the luxury of having a husband who has no interest at all in Facebook, or any other social networking. He networks by actually running into people. He knows at all times who is in his life and who is not. I never had to wonder if, during the 60 pounds I put on while pregnant, he sat up at night studying the newest photos of his bikini model ex girlfriend on Facebook. Which is probably best for both of us, since I was the one scrutinizing her extremely long legs, and non-pregnant abs while I berated myself for being an old pregnant walrus of a woman. (Note:  She readily made the least modest photos the most accessible,  for those of us not wanting to actually “friend” her.)

Even that – even the ability to photo-stalk your husbands ex and then compare yourself over and over again in a not so nice self talk is one of the things I hate about Facebook. Should we really be able to do that? Shouldn’t we be allowed a certain ignorant bliss about such things, that only if fate chooses to actually have your SEE each other, you otherwise can just imagine that they too have gained 60 pounds and have stretch marks?

How many nights did I lay in bed feeling inadequate and beached after spending an hour comparing myself to a younger, surgically modified, and airbrushed woman who my husband was with 10 years ago? Heaven forbid if we actually did run into her now.

Facebook allowed me to investigate, peer into, and reconnect to lives of some people I could honestly care less about, and some I should have no interest in now. People I didn’t want to pick up the phone and call, or meet up with in person – but who I gave hours to online.

My life is rich and full and has plenty to look at. I’m glad to know that everyone in my elementary school is doing well. I’m glad to know that all my high school friends have stopped smoking so much pot and have for the most part created what appears to be positive and full lives.

I’m glad I didn’t marry that guy, but I’m glad to see he found love & is a dad.

I’m glad to know that girl ended up being a nice person and she apologized for that mean thing she did 15 years ago.

I’m glad to know people thought highly of me, and remembered me.

I’m glad to know my college friends managed  to find jobs and become responsible in spite of our useless degrees & endless partying.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to touch base with people who at one time I was close with, made memories with, and cared about. But for me – I want to take this time for this time, and be here now.

I want to retape those old boxes of memories up, and I want to focus on the future that I create without logging in.

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Tagged as: Facebook, Leaving facebook, thoughts

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How I am (sort of) eating clean, but being honest.

September 18, 2011

So I would like to say I am on the sugar wagon – and that I have just been knocking it out of the park with the clean eating…

But the truth is – it is freaking hard to turn the boat of debauchery around.

I have been eating really good, but it’s the wine…

Oh the wine….

(shaking my fist towards the air!)

And in the wine’s defense – it didn’t have anything to do with the pack of Gummy Savers that managed to force their way into my tummy.

But overall the effort is being made – I just need to tighten it up.

So here is a rundown of what I have been eating – and what is worth sharing.

Lunch:

Sautéed kale w/ olive oil, garlic, sea salt & a bit of balsamic. Topped with turkey rolled up with Laughing Cow Swiss cheese & cut into bite sized pieces.

Golden fingerling potatoes with onion. Steamed then sautéed.

1/2 a pear

 

Dinner:

Hummus Panko Chicken

Let me just say this turned out REALLY good. I know the panko crumbs aren’t “clean” but I couldn’t find whole wheat breadcrumbs & I was in a hurry.

2 Organic Boneless Chicken Breast

1 Container Red Pepper Hummus

1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

2 tbsp.Olive oil (or cooking spray)

Pat chicken breast down and lay them on a plate.

On a separate plate spread panko out. 

Take hummus and spread it all over one of the breast.

Lay each side of the chicken in the panko & get it good and covered.

(I covered one side of the chicken, then laid it in the panko, then covered the other side while it was laying there, then flipped it)

Heat skillet or pan on med. high and add oil.

Place chicken in pan for about 4 minutes on each side – so internal temp. reaches 165 degrees.

I served this with low fat sour cream mixed with dry Ranch dressing for dipping. It was really good, and my husband even asked for seconds. It paired well with sugar snap peas and brown rice.

 

I have continued to eat my hot multigrain cereal, which starts my day eating clean, and I have been better (but not great) about drinking water. I have completely cut out diet soda, which eliminates my diet ginger ale & rum cocktail.

(booooo hiiiiisssssssssss)

I downloaded The Eat-Clean Diet: Fast Fat-Loss that lasts Forever!’ target=_blank>this and I have to say, I am stoked about it. In all reality – it’s hard to imagine that anyone thinks sugar, processed foods, and chemically laden messed with packed meals are good for you, but reading gets me charged up.

My sister gave me The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook 2: More Great-Tasting Recipes That Keep You Lean’ target=_blank>this, and I am totally excited about getting into it.

I would love to hear any tips you may have for how to beat the sugar monkey off my back. And also any recipes for clean eating that are worth sharing!

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Tagged as: clean eating, detox

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Eating clean.

September 16, 2011

So after a summer of debaucherous eating, drinking, and slothiness (yes I made up a few of those words) – I have decided that I need to clean up the house that is my body. In short I feel like crap, and I’m not looking to great.

Back to clean eating.

So to be the informative little blogger I am, I have decided to share what I am eating with you. Hopefully this will keep me on track and maybe even inspire someone to make the shift to eating more clean!

I loaded up the veggies at the grocery store, and armed myself with a few new mags:

Clean eating mag everyday foodwhole living

1/ 2/ 3

Side note –

For those of you who want a good deal on Whole Living Magazine, I have a great one for you! You can snag a 1-year subscription for just $3.99. Use coupon code: ORGANICDEALS to get this price.

If you prefer two years, you can get that for $7.98 using the exclusive code above.

This deal will be valid until Sunday at midnight, and the coupon code: ORGANICDEALS will also get you 20% off any other magazines if you aren’t interested in this deal.

So off to the kitchen I went, and decided to cut out as much processed, refined, and non natural food as I can.

Day 1-

Had a cup of Yogi Detox Tea, and made :

Hot Multigrain Cereal

Sea Salt

1/3 cup quinoa

3/4 cup old fashioned oatmeal

1 cup blueberries

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp raw honey

1/4 cup Cabot Vanilla Greek Yogurt

1/4 cup milk

Instructions:

In saucepan, bring 2/12 cups water to boil on medium high. Add salt and quinoa and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in oatmeal and cook for another 8-10 minutes. Drain any excess water.

Meanwhile, in another small saucepan on medium, add blueberries, cinnamon, honey, and a splash or two of water. Cook & stir until berries mush up and you have a have little sauce. Let cool a bit and add yogurt & milk. Stir until creamy. Keep warm

In a bowl put some of the cooked grains and top berry sauce. Sweeten with stevia or agave if needed.

 

 

Sooooo yummy.  It held me over until I made lunch…..

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Tagged as: detox, eating clean

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Great deal on Real Simple!

June 6, 2011

Over at mamapedia you can get a year subscription to Real Simple and a home organizing book for $20. And if you use the promo code SUMMER15 you save an additional 15%!

 

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Has anyone seen my balance? I swear it’s around here somewhere….

June 4, 2011

from: www.fisher-kids.com

I used to laugh at the women on reality TV that didn’t work outside the home, and were wealthy enough to have personal assistants. What could they possibly need an assistant for? I am here to say that that opinion is quickly being reformed to a new thought :

HOW CAN I AFFORD A PERSONAL ASSISTANT???

Let me start by saying that I do not work outside the home. I do however work very hard at raising our two year old son, helping my husband with his business, keeping our domestic life in order, making sure we eat healthy everyday, and that everyone is wearing clean clothes.

Myth: One would think that my days are nicely filled with chores that get completed, dinners being served early, and linen closets that get reorganized on a weekly basis given that I don’t have a day job to attend to.

Fact: There is one of three things happening.

1-There is something either genetic or planetary that restricts my core being from being able to figure out how I, or  ANYONE for that matter, can ever complete anything regarding domestic life.

2 – A band of pygmy trolls have invaded my home and sabotage any effort I make in getting stuff done.

3 – Hundreds of years ago a hex was put on the women of my family preventing them from ever marking everything off their to do list.

So instead of baring down and mustering up some sort of militant daily schedule to minimize all time wasters & maximize efficiency what do I  decide to do?

Go back to school.

I mean – why not right? With a two year old, a working husband, and a never ending to do list the rational thing is to put more on the plate right?

What is wrong with me. It’s like something malfunctions in my brain and says, “ok here’s the plan. Instead of actually COMPLETING something – lets just start something new – and that will theoretically knock something else off the to do list.” As if there are only so many seats on the ride & someone (like the laundry) will be asked to try again later.

In my defense – or in the defense of this new plan – I need to explain that I have been to college previously. I actually even finished college, and have the piece of paper hanging somewhere needing to be dusted. I also went to real estate school and have that piece of paper hanging somewhere. I also went to cosmetology school – though that didn’t get finished because I got preggo. In  nutshell I love school. I love everything about it.

I need 1 year worth of classes to have a second degree & be licensed to teach. Originally that was the plan when I was in college, but I diverted from that and started on the journey I affectionately refer to as “The Bad Choices of 2002-2008” And here I am back at that plan – but with a much heavier book bag now that it has a toddler, a husband, bills, and 10 years worth of age in it.

Something clicked in me though this year, and made me feel that I am 34, and if I am going to get this career thing figured out I need to get on it. Problem is – the career thing really doesn’t drive me now that I have had a child. I could care less about doubling our income or buying more things. I just want to relish in the sunshine that is my son picking flowers and saying hi to the bees. I want to bask in his wonder, his laughter, and his learning.  I just want this time to go slowly, and not to be taken from me as I sit in a meeting somewhere.(maybe all that basking & relishing is why the floor didn’t get mopped)

But the reality is – he will start school someday in the near future. And when he does I don’t have my ducks in a row to acquire the kind of job that allows me to keep him and my family first. Teaching fits that for me, and it also feed that love of learning & mental stimulation.

So I am starting to chip away at the rock of requirements that stands in between me and that goal of being able to teach later. And yet I have no idea how I am going to ever get anything done since I can’t seem to get it all done now.

If they just offered a degree in balance – I’d be signing up for that next.

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Tagged as: balance, going back to school, stay at home mom

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How to save major money on Essential Oils COUPON CODES!!

March 31, 2011

Fragrances are reported to be in the top 5 allergens in the world. Synthetic fragrances are found in plug ins, cleaners, laundry soap,….well just about everything.

In my last post I gave some instructions on how to start building your natural cleaning arsenal – and essential oils were part of it. And even if you don’t want to make your own cleaners – there is a plethora of great uses for essential oils to make your home, and body smell wonderful. *note – Pregnant women and babies under 3 months can be especially sensitive to some essential oil so do your research before using.

Right now you can save some major money on essential oils & stock up. Here’s how:

Over at www.iherb.com you can save $5 on your first order if you use code: HIP138. You have to pay for shipping – but they offer USPS – so the rates are pretty cheap. I got 2 bottle of NOW Foods essential oil for $2.39 shipping included!

At www.healthdesigns.com You can save $5 TWICE!       Use code: FTC5DO on your first order (you pay shipping) and code: FBLIKE5 on the second order. I stocked up with 2 bottles of Aura Cacia & Natures Alchemy oils with each order & just paid a few dollars shipping.

Jump on this one – those little bottles will last you a while, and you cant beat this price!

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So where do you start?

March 30, 2011

As I am becoming more and more aware (disgusted) by all of the toxins and carcinogens that are legal & completely accepted as normal to have in our homes, I have come to the conclusion that in order to start heading in the direction  of living more healthy I had to break it all down a bit – and see where I could make some small steps to change things. I certainly don’t have the luxury of ordering the maid & cook to throw out all the bad stuff & immediately fill the cabinets with the good….so it’s a process.

I think if you look at it like this, its a lot easier to tackle. You have control & responsibility to be aware & make choices about:

A. The toxins that are around you

B. The toxins that are on you

C. The toxins that go in you.

It’s easier to generalize all the nasty, and horrifying chemical yuckiness by just saying “toxins” – and I will go in to the biggies in my posts, but for now lets just say TOXINS.

THE TOXINS AROUND YOU

The environment of your home is literally full of things that are harmful to you and your family. Don’t believe me? Check under your kitchen sink right now. Any of the 10 or so products under there NOT have a poison warning on them? And if your like me, and have a little one that you’ve had to lock out of that cabinet, ask yourself why. Simply put- we generally clean with chemicals that are mass marketed to us and are poisonous. We have been fed a fear of germs, bacteria, and virus’ by animated commercials & sales campaigns. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t want to live in a petri dish, but come on – doesn’t it seem a little extreme to clean the places the whole family touches with products that are deadly?

The EPA reported that the average home in the US produces twice  as many greenhouse emissions as a car, and that the air INSIDE our homes is somewhere between 5 to 100 times more polluted than the air outside thanks to the toxic fumes coming from the household cleaners we use, carpeting, & wallpaper.

Now, I’m not one to get all excited about cleaning the kitchen, or scrubbing the toilets, but I do feel a little better if I know that I’m doing it in  a way that creates a safe and nontoxic environment both inside & outside my house.

Ok – so I want to give you a basic, inexpensive way to start cleaning up your cleaning products. Here are some basic ingredients, that are easy to find, and inexpensive. I’ve put these together on my Amazon Store if you would like to find them there.

1. Baking soda – The regular box kind.

2. Castile soap – The most popular kind of this gentle liquid soap is Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 Hemp Pure-Castile Soap” target=_blank>Dr. Bronner’s Magic Sop. You can find this at just about any grocery, drug, or health food store. You don’t need a whole bunch so start small of you want to. This is such an easy staple for all your natural cleaning products at home. You literally can clean ANYTHING with this soap.

3.  Borax – Whoooaaa nelly. Borax? Yep. I was a little hesitant on this one too, but believe you me -  get some. Borax is a combination of water, oxygen, sodium, & boron.  It is awesome at going green in your laundry. Well….not green literally. White actually.

4. White vinegar – I’m willing to say that white vinegar can clean anything that commercial cleaners can clean. Its remarkable stuff. You can find this in any grocery store.

5. Lemons

6. Spray Bottles

7. Essential oils. – If you aren’t familiar with using essential oils, let me just say this: your home can smell as good as a YANKEE Candle just by using a few drops of your preferred scents. These babies are PO –TENT  so it only takes a few drops, so a little bottle will last a while. Essential oils have amazing antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral, and health benefits. I like using orange, lemon, lime as a combo, and also cederwood & clary sage. Be advised – if you are preggo or nursing, or have any major medical condition, you will want to be sure that the essential oil you choose doesn’t interfere.

Get these things rounded up – and my next post will be how to start putting together basic cleaner recipes.

I’d love to hear any questions or comments on the topic!

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One month away from my labor of love & The 1st Step to Removing Toxins in Your Home

March 26, 2011

It has been one month since I turned 34, and subsequently got so incredibly bogged down with the business of everyday life, that posting to this blog got put aside. The funny thing about writing, blogging, or creating with your words, is that if you do it regularly and then stop – it causes major withdrawal and longing. I assume it’s like what my friends who avidly run describe when they just “have to go run because its been like 2 days without doing so”….I assume. Maybe a better analogy would be that it felt like suddenly becoming so busy that I couldn’t poop, and became so full and uncomfortable that I longed for the time to just sit….

In the month past, whenever I did have a brief free minute, I immersed myself in the things that have taken hold of my interest lately. Books and magazines were in piles on the nightstand, all on the topic of clean sustainable living, detoxing my home, gardening, and soap making.  I downloaded 56 Kindle samples, stalked 3 blogs, and read everything I could on the chemical toxins that are in our food, cleaning and body products. I have laid in bed horrified at the amount of carcinogens I  have unintentionally and unknowingly exposed Cole in his 2 years. It is just amazing what we are unaware of until we go looking for more information, especially about this topic. Most folks assume that if products are legally sold, then they must be safe to use…….because the FDA or the government, or the companies that make them are looking out for us right? Umm, yeah – just like cigarettes.  This is one of those subjects that should have a warning label on all its reading material that says “WARNING – READING THIS WILL CAUSE YOU TO WANT TO CLEAN OUT EVERY CABINET, THROW AWAY ALL YOUR FOOD, TEAR UP YOUR CARPET, & NEVER EAT AS YOU NORMALLY DID.”It can make you come a little unnerved.

I didn’t completely loose it.   

I did clean out some cabinets, but I am as frugal as I am anything else – so I resigned myself to finish using all of the cleaners that were instock, instead of just throwing them away. Each time I used them though – I was extremely conscious about how much I wanted them just to be done & able to throw them out.

I removed every glade/airwick kind of air freshener in the house. This is one of the first things I suggest anyone do who wants to start getting toxins & carcinogens out of their home and their family’s environment. I was so used to having those little buggers in my outlets that I never considered what they actually were made of.  Recent studies have shown that indoor fragnrances are the biggest toxin in our home. That hawaiian breeze you have grown accustomed to smelling is actually a noxious gas of formaldehyde & poisons heated up and slowly being breathed in. Seriously.

A study released  by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) evaluated 14 air fresheners off the shelf of a local Walgreens. They found that 12 contained variable amounts of substances called phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates), a group of chemicals that are used to dissolve and carry fragrances. This same group of chemicals is also used to soften plastics and also as sealants and adhesives. Phthalates are routinely found in a variety of items, including cosmetics, paints, nail polish and children’s toys — and have long been at the center of a larger international controversy over their health effects. high exposures to certain kinds of phthalates can cause cancer, developmental and sex-hormone abnormalities

Studies previous to the NRDC, utilizing rat and human subjects, have suggested that high exposures to certain kinds of phthalates can cause cancer, developmental and sex-hormone abnormalities (including decreased testosterone and sperm levels and malformed sex organs) in infants. They also found that phtalates affect fertility.

Not surprisingly, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has no regulations on the use of phthalates, does not require the labeling of phthalate content on products and does not consider the quantities to which people are exposed to be harmful. After all, that might adversly affect the chemical corporations profits.

But other countries have a different take on things. In 2004, the European Union banned two types of phthalates in cosmetics and also bans the chemical in children’s toys. There are 14 other countries that have the same ban in place.

Statistical reports say that nearly 75% of American households use plug-in, spray or stand-alone liquid and gel air fresheners. Since 2003 the market has doubled to $1.72 billion dollars. Of those products the NRDC tested (including the ones labeled “all-natural” and “unscented”) found a wide range of phthalate content. Many air fresheners contained a phthalate known as DEP and some also contained DBP, which are listed by the California EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a developmental toxin and female and male reproductive toxin, respectively.

Uhhhhhh…..no thank you.Goodbye Glade.

I have created natural air fresheners from essential oils that smell wonderful – and we don’t miss the plug-ins at all. I’ll post the recipe later.

The book I have found especially terrifying & helpful on this topic is Super Natural Home: Improve Your Health, Home, and Planet–One Room at a Time by Beth Greer. It’s an easy & interesting read, and my suggestion to get if you want to start understanding what you can do to make your home more healthy. I found more than anything, that it offers EASY and SIMPLE changes you can make to rid your home of toxins.

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Tagged as: air fresheners, phthaylates, Toxins

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