clean greener

I didn't want to keep this sheet lying around the house, so putting it on the blog to remember forever and ever is the next best thing! Got it from my mom, not sure where she clipped it from, but I find it fascinating that you can clean your entire home to a sparkling shine with just lemons, vinegar and baking soda. It's hard to imagine not using toxic chemicals to 'clean' your home - but you'd be surprised at what you used to think 'clean' was when you make some changes with your most common household cleaning products! Try one today!

Cleaning with Lemons

Drains: Grind some lemon rinds in the garbage disposal to freshen up the drain. Pouring some lemon juice and hot water down a drain will give similar results.

Stains: Lemon juice is a natural bleach, use it to whiten whites or bleach stains. Always test on an inconspicuous area before use.

Cleaning with Vinegar

Multi-purpose Cleaner: Mixed 1:1 with water, vinegar is an effective multi-purpose cleaner. Mix the solution in a spray bottle for ease of use and storage. Add some lemon juice to the mixture to neutralize the vinegar smell.

Tip: When I cleaned houses with my sister for a summer, we used vinegar for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. It was cheap, absolutely non-toxic, really easy to use, although it would smell like pickled eggs for a few minutes but that quickly dissipates after use. We even used a vinegar/water mixture to wipe down mirrors, windows, stainless steel etc. and got the same streak-less shine or better than a chemical mixture like Windex.

Deodorizer: Vinegar is a natural deodorizer. Use it to wipe out lunch boxes, garbage cans or containers. The acid in the vinegar should wipe out any odours.

Stains: Vinegar is also a stain remover. It is an acid so test on an inconspicuous area of the fabric first.

Cleaning with Baking Soda

Deodorize: Baking Soda has fantastic absorbent properties and will neutralize most odours. Place in a box in the fridge, freezer or anywhere else you need deodorizing. You can also sprinkle it on carpets, in shoes or in laundry hampers. It will absorb any smells and is easy to vacuum up.

Pots and Pans: Baking soda is a good abrasive cleaner. Use it as a stain remover in enameled pans, sprinkle on roasting pans to clean out anything burnt on, sprinkle on copper pots and use 1/2 a lemon to scrub restoring shine.

Paste: Use a baking soda paste to clean out the inside of your dishwasher, your bath tub or anywhere you would use an abrasive cleaner.

earth hour 2009

and i was worried about losing my job

Oh My God.

I had no idea. This is even more terrifying than my last blog post. Looks like there's a bigger fish to fry out there, and I thought I was starting to do my part to help...boy was I wrong. I haven't even started, and there is an entire mountain to climb. I wish that somehow I'd never, ever have to buy anything else, ever again.

If you care about you, your health, your family, the planet, the air you breath, the food you eat, the food your children eat, your future generations...watch this. Even if you don't, watch this anyway. It's unbelievable what we've been made to think, when this has so obviously been going on for years.

"The Story of Stuff"

my hair, my skin, and me - the mission

As I'm sitting here, sipping at my 'Sleepy Time' tea, I'm beginning to realize that this is going to be a long 5 nights without my dear husband! Even blogging isn't as much fun when he's not around, strangely enough, but I'm trying to enjoy my 'me-night-in' as much as I can. I did hours' worth of grocery shopping, organized our pantry for what feels like the 50th time, I made a simple dinner and had a glass of red wine...which hit me harder than expected - and let me repeat myself, not as much fun when Noel isn't around - but it's effects are wearing off now. Then I watched multiple 'home' shows, after catching just the tail end of a brand new episode of 'John and Kate + 8" (sniffle) which I hadn't recorded, and now I'm getting ready for bed at 9:00pm and can't wait to snuggle in with my book and have my 'electric sundown' early enough to get a wicked nights' sleep before hot yoga in the morning.

Hmm...I just burnt my tongue.

So earlier this afternoon, in between work and errands, I spent a lot of time on the Internet researching different ingredients in the body care products that I use (like shampoo, body wash, body lotion, etc.). Although this wasn't my first time researching, it was definitely the first time I went in depth and really alarmed myself, as the information I found today was incredibly frightening! Not only that, but very upsetting because I led myself to believe that when things say "organic", that it meant these products were safer and healthier than regular products to use on my scalp, and my skin.

Much to my chagrin, this is not so!!

These "organic" products, or products containing "certified organic botanicals", absolutely still contain deadly ingredients found in other more generic brands. And all this time I thought I was helping myself and the environment to become healthier by buying these products. I was speechless after reading some of these things...skin, eye and lung irritants, ingredients that affect estrogen and testosterone levels, ingredients that mess with your reproductive organs...ingredients that are linked to cancer. ALL of these ingredients...found in the 'organic' products that I use everyday. In the past year, I have made conscious efforts to avoid these chemicals and ingredients in hopes of a healthier lifestyle, so I went out and bought shampoos, etc. that made themselves sound safer, much safer than the average. Turns out that you actually need to put forth hours of research before hand, to ensure that what you're purchasing is actually healthy for you...

On a positive note, I realized all of this just as I was about to run out and stock up on things like shampoo and lotion - at least whatever I had was already used and I couldn't do anything about it, nor did I need to throw it out.

Here's the kicker!

I found NOTHING, in the 3 grocery stores I visited today, that even resembled something healthy to put on your skin...and I really tried. Like, really. I passed by a plethora of 'organic' and 'natural' products with the lethal ingredients. Even my beloved "Avalon Organics" hand lotion, that I divulged about earlier, is contaminated with toxic ingredients; of which I was completely unaware.

How anyone in their right mind could sell this to human beings and still sleep at night is completely beyond me.

Don't they know that they're creating unhealthy bodily changes, unbalanced hormone levels? And possibly causing cancer?? In a 'right' world, these products would be kept OFF the shelves, UNTIL they were proven to be 100% safe for use. So I bought what I thought was 'safest' just because I don't want to walk around with greasy hair and dry skin. But I'm on a mission to find the healthiest products, preferably Canadian made, that I can buy locally (purchasing online is a real downer...smell is very important to me).

The first thing on my list is "Burt's Bees" products...click here to check out Burt's Bees, and how I'm not the only one to have fallen into this trap...how it's a very likely thing to do if you don't know any better. I've been loyally using their lip balm since high school, but had never branched out to their other products because of the lack of selection in local grocery stores.

I have a feeling this is a never-ending journey, time consuming and money draining...luckily I only have so much money to spare. You can do some light reading yourself at the links below. Beware, once you start, you'll be so offended that you can't stop.

Bubble and Bee - Chemical Database

And on this page, you can do all the research you've dreamed of, and even sign a petition to get these products off of our shelves until they are proven safe for use.

Skin Deep - Cosmetic Safety Database

the best ever lotion

I tried this lotion at my sisters' house once, and was instantly hooked. Avalon Organics people, it's a miracle lotion. My hands had never felt that moisturized, sealed, healthy - and in a winter this dry, I'd been having problems like you wouldn't believe. My hands never looked so old and cracky! I never have dry skin issues. Probably due to a lotion OCD. But even with all the lotions I could get my hands on, they just wouldn't cure my dry hands. These were the only kind that worked.

As I'm typing this out, I realized I could have just asked my sister where she got hers from. Well...I didn't. I'm not sure why now. But regardless - I've been looking high and low for these since Christmas. Multiple stores had shampoos, but nobody carried the lotion line. I was devestated, and so I bought other 'organic' and earth friendly lotions instead, only to be severely disappointed.

FINALLY, today just by accident I found these lotions at a small drugstore nearby. I hadn't thought to look there because the place was so small, and other drug stores like it didn't carry the lotion line either. Needless to say, I promptly bought the 'Lavender' Lotion and my hands are the silkiest they've been in months. If you haven't tried this yet, it's an absolute must. You wouldn't believe the results, not to mention the incredible smell - all natural, of course.

Hooray for organic, earth friendly products!! Good for you AND our planet.