I scream!!!!!

Costco has organic ice cream sandwhiches!! YEE HOO!! It's one of the treats we'd eat occasionally, because we love them so much. They were awfully bad, though, and I am so glad to find these! There are 12 in a box, and I think they were $13. Or $8. I can't remember. Cheaper than the ice cream man, either way!!

Costco has great organic stuff. Cheap too, compared to the ever skyrocketing grocery store prices. :)

Don't use your dryer...

I mean really, what do you think it's for??? Just kidding. But really. Don't use it.

What?

Okay. The dryer uses a ton of energy. A ton. Not to mention that it heats up your house big time. In the winter, that's no big deal. Energy costs are rising, though, and it's easier to be cool in the winter than to be hot in the summer. In this house, anyway. So trying to keep you house cool, and keep those energy prices down? Ditch the dryer.

Do this. Run it to dry towels, socks, undies, pj's and things like that. ONLY for those things.

Here's what you do. Run a load in the wash. Then throw the whole load in the dryer. Let it toss on high while you are loading the wash with your second load. Then open the dryer and start to hang anything that you can.

I have a small rack in my laundry room that holds a good many clothes. It just stays in there. Then I use the door frames to hang things too. Hang anything that you can. Especially things like men's tee shirts. Those things take forever to dry. Mens' jeans, fold over a hanger and let them dry for a day. Then flip them over and let the other side dry. Or you can hang them from a hanger with clothes pins. I got tired of losing and buying pins, so I just fold them over a hanger.

This reduces the amount you dry to about a load for every 4 loads you wash in the washer. You never have to iron, because everything gets nice and hot in those 5 to 10 minutes in the beginning, and when the items dry, they are nice and wrinkle free. Your clothes stay nicer longer, because it's the friction of the clothes rubbing together that make them fade. (More money saving tips-use cold water to wash everything. I use warm for a minute or two to dissolve the detergent, then use cold. I've done this for years, and our clothes are very clean!!!)

In the summer, your house stays cooler because no dryer is running, but the very strange thing is that the wet clothes give off coolness and humidity. The wet clothes help keep your home cool and comfortable while they are drying.

It's just takes a day, and I can put them away the next morning. Nice and straight. No ironing and that saves energy too!!

Happy hanging!!!!

Natural Cleaners

Lung caner is the leading cancer killing women today. More than breast or any other type of cancer. The number one killer of women is hearth disease and second is lung cancer.

Obviously smoking is a huge risk factor. But lung cancer is killing women who have never smoked.

Our sensitivity to environmental factors, such as radon and/or asbestos are likely. Too, I think it's the fumes we inhale from cleaners most of our lives.

Fumes from cleaners are toxic. No way around it. The residue they leave behind is toxic too.

You can buy organic/green cleaners.

Or you can use things you have in your home already.

All you really need is baking soda and vinegar. Some people use lemon juice too. Borax is a great product to. I use Borax some, but I mainly use vinegar and baking soda.

Vinegar diluted takes the place of Windex or any window or stainless cleaner. I use half vinegar and half water. Vinegar also kills germs. I keep a bottle of full strength vinegar that I use for my sink, counters, toliet and anything else I need to "zap."

Baking soda can be used in any way that you would use Comet or an abrasive cleaner. I use it to scrub my stainless sink, my other sinks, the tubs and in the toliet.

Both of these cleaners are cheap, environmentally friendly and safe to inhale.

And you will get over the urge to eat a salad after cleaning with vinegar!!!!!

Here's some more info:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/vinegar-kills-bacteria-mold-germs.html

http://www.nursesnotebook.com/vinegar_health_benefits.htm

http://www.angelfire.com/cantina/homemaking/vinegar.html

http://www.eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm

Sale on Seventh Generation

Why use green cleaning products? I'll get to some products later, but using Green detergent for clothes and dishes is very important. Why?? Please scan the information below:

Why Use a Natural Dishwasher Detergent?

There are two primary reasons why you should seek out a "natural" dishwasher detergent. The first reason is environmental. After bubbly dishwasher detergent disappears down our drain, they are treated at municipal treatment plants, then discharged into nearby waterways. Most ingredients break down into harmless substances during treatment or soon afterward. Others, however, do not, and they threatening water quality or fish and other wildlife.

The second reason to choose a natural detergent is for reasons of health and safety. While the chemicals in these cleaners are meant to disinfect our dishes, many also contribute to indoor air pollution, are poisonous if ingested, and can be harmful if inhaled or touched. Some cause acute, or immediate, hazards such as skin or respiratory irritation, watery eyes, or chemical burns, while others are associated with chronic, or long-term, effects such as cancer.

Below we have identified two common dishwasher soap ingredients that you should be concerned about....phosphates and chlorine.

Why no Phosphates? Phosphates are water-softening mineral additives that were once widely used in laundry detergents to enhance the performance of surfactants. They can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea if ingested, and because it is corrosive, it can cause severe skin irritation. When phosphates enter waterways, they act as a fertilizer, spawning overgrowth of algae. This overabundance of aquatic plant life eventually depletes the water's oxygen supply, killing off fish and other organisms.

Why No Chlorine? Chlorine bleach is highly caustic and may cause skin irritation and redness. Its fumes can irritate eyes, nose and airways, and it can be fatal if swallowed. If combined with other cleaners that contain ammonia it can cause toxic gases to form. It is also bad for the environment. Chlorine bleach combines with carbon molecules, creating harmful organochlorines such as dioxin. Dioxin is a known carcinogen.

Making the change to natural cleaning products is easy. They are everywhere, and not so expensive to buy off brands at Whole Foods. They carry Seventh Generation at Publix and Walgreens.

WALGREENS IS HAVING A SALE THIS WEEK!!!

Some of their Seventh Generation products are on sale, and if you go to http://www.seventhgeneration.com/ and print out coupons, the products are even cheaper! A great way to help your and your family's health, save the environment and help your wallet!!!!!

Kid safe sippy cups

If you are getting on the plastic danger band wagon, welcome aboard!!!

I ordered these for us today. I am glad I can finally chunk all the plastic. WOO HOO!!!!!

http://www.reusablebags.com/store/klean-kanteen-stainless-steel-sippy-stainless-p-687.html


You can get an extra 20% off by using the code " code - f70838."

You might wanna toss your Teflon

Lots of articles out there. Google it to get more info. Or check out this blog...

http://www.cancer-news-watch.com/2005/07/20/dupont-sued-over-teflon-in-potentially-massive-class-action-law-suit/


We use cast iron. Cheap, easy to use, and you get some much needed iron added to your food. Neat, huh?

How cool is this???

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9429546

This is next on my list of "things I want"....

Speaking of paper or plastic

Look what I found today. These super cute Target bags. They zip down to this cute little square, and you can toss it in your purse for those quick trips into Michael's or Amen Corner. Those are two of the places I got a plastic bag yesterday because I kept forgetting my bags.

These aren't as hardy as the canvas ones, but how cute are they?? And they cost one huge dollar. I'm gonna get one each time I go to target, and get a collection!!!

I'm so glad stores are getting into this! Yea!!!

Caution for baby products

Baby Lotions, Shampoos May Expose Infants to Chemicals, Study Finds
Monday , February 04, 2008

CHICAGO — Baby shampoos, lotions and powders may expose infants to chemicals that have been linked with possible reproductive problems, a small study suggests.
The chemicals, called phthalates, are found in many ordinary products including cosmetics, toys, vinyl flooring and medical supplies. They are used to stabilize fragrances and make plastics flexible.

In the study, they were found in elevated levels in the urine of babies who'd been recently shampooed, powdered or lotioned with baby products.

Phthalates (pronounced thowl-ates) are under attack by some environmental advocacy groups, but experts are uncertain what dangers, if any, they might pose. The federal government doesn't limit their use, although California and some countries have restricted their use.
Animal studies have suggested that phthalates can cause reproductive birth defects and some activists believe they may cause reproductive problems in boys and early puberty in girls.
Rigorous scientific evidence in human studies is lacking. The current study offers no direct evidence that products the infants used contained phthalates, and no evidence that the chemicals in the babies' urine caused any harm. Still, the results worried environmental groups that support restrictions on these chemicals.

"There is an obvious need for laws that force the beauty industry to clean up its act," said Stacy Malkan of Health Care Without Harm.

The study's lead author, Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a University of Washington pediatrician, said, "The bottom line is that these chemicals likely do exist in products that we're commonly using on our children and they potentially could cause health effects."

Babies don't usually need special lotions and powders, and water alone or shampoo in very small amounts is generally enough to clean infant hair, Sathyanarayana said.

Concerned parents can seek products labeled "phthalate-free," or check labels for common phthalates, including DEP and DEHP.

But the chemicals often don't appear on product labels. That's because retail products aren't required to list individual ingredients of fragrances, which are a common phthalate source.
The Food and Drug Administration "has no compelling evidence that phthalates pose a safety risk when used in cosmetics," spokeswoman Stephanie Kwisnek said. "Should new data emerge, we will inform the public as well as the industry."

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the health effects in humans are uncertain.

"Although several studies in people have explored possible associations with developmental and reproductive outcomes (semen quality, genital development in boys, shortened pregnancy, and premature breast development in young girls), more research is needed," a 2005 CDC report said.

The new study, which appears in February's issue of the journal Pediatrics, involved 163 babies. Most were white, ages 2 to 28 months and living in California, Minnesota and Missouri.
The researchers measured levels of several phthalates in urine from diapers. They also asked the mothers about use in the previous 24 hours of baby products including lotions, powders, diaper creams and baby wipes.

All urine samples had detectable levels of at least one phthalate, and most had levels of several more. The highest levels were linked with shampoos, lotions and powders, and were most prevalent in babies younger than 8 months.

John Bailey, chief scientist at the Personal Care Products Council, questioned the methods and said the phthalates could have come from diapers, lab materials or other sources.

"Unfortunately, the researchers of this study did not test baby care products for the presence of phthalates or control for other possible routes of exposure," Bailey said

********
Use products by Burt's Bees, available at Walgreens and Target. California Baby makes amazing products and they are available at Target too. Wipes are harder, but Seventh Generation makes good wipes and you can get generic ones at Whole Foods that are good. Or you can use baby rags and hot soapy water. That works best!!!

Paper or plastic?

When you go to the grocery store, what do you ask for???

Well, here's the problem:

"To make all the bags we use each year, it takes 14 million trees for paper and 12 million barrels of oil for plastic. The production of paper bags creates 70 percent more air pollution than plastic, but plastic bags create four times the solid waste — enough to fill the Empire State Building two and a half times. And they can last up to a thousand years."

Actually, some research shows that plastic NEVER breaks down. Basically every piece of plastic ever created is still in our Earth. And it will stay that way. That is terrifying. And another post all together.

Doesn't sound good, huh?

"Plastic, because it's cheaper to produce, is the overwhelming choice of grocery stores across the nation — the average family of four uses almost 1,500 of these a year"

So 1,500 times the number of families of 4 in this country? What does that number even look like???

So what to do?

Here's what.

Go to the Alabaster Galleria. (okay, fine. The Alabaster Thrift Store.)

For approximately $10.00, you can get about 10-15 canvas tote bags. Yes. They are that cheap there.

And when you go to the store, take your bags. Publix loads them up without even blinking.

Wal Mart looks at you like you have 3 heads, BUT, I was there today, and they are now selling reusable bags for a $1 each. So they are at least encouraging the use of these bags.

And you look cute and crunchy and trendy and eco friendly when you tote around your bags. And that's what it's all about, right??

No, not really. But saving the Earth that God created for us is a pretty good reason too!!!! :)

Be a Diva

You're gonna die.

http://www.divacup.com/

But it's really cool. Just read it and bear with me for a second. And don't be grossed out. Okay? ;)

This is a really soft silicone cup that you use that time of the month.

It has done the following for me:

• saved money on feminine hygiene products
• saved a few trees
• made me more healthy-no chemicals in the bleaching process of the products entering the body.
• reduced my cramps. yep. big time. the other products draw fluids from the body in it's efforts to be "absorbant." this can cause more cramping.
• actually made me forget about this whole thing for the 12 hours I don't have to clean it.

Now just peruse the website and read about it.

This phenmemon swept my message board about a year ago. It was hilarious to read about all these non crunchy women talking about the Diva Cup. Most love it. A few didn't.

There is a money back gaurentee if you don't like it. That's not a job I'd personally want, but I'm glad that option is available!!!

Just think about it, okay??? ;)

Palm what??

I had my coupon all ready this morning for my Natural Skippy peanut butter. We normally do cashew or almond butter, but with it being the end of the month, I needed to $pend less that I normally do.

But when I flipped the jar around to read the ingredients (always always always read the ingredients) I saw "Palm Oil." Uh oh. I couldn't remember whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, so I chose another brand with the words, "Peanuts and salt" as the ingredients and came home to look up "palm oil."

And I'll share what I learned with you.

Here is the most detailed information: (and I really love Dr. Weil. He's a great source of info.)

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA118473

but basically here's the lowdown.

Palm oil is still a saturated fat. Still not good for your heart and arteries, but better than Partially Hydrogenated Oil. Remember we are avoiding this at all costs.

Palm oil is okay. Palm kernel oil is bad and Fractionated Palm Oil is the worst.

I'd eat palm oil on occasion. I'd avoid the other two.

This is important because now that companies are trying to label their food as "Trans Fat Free" you really need to read the labels (!) to see what they are replacing the partially hydrogenated oil with. We are used to tasting that partially hydrogenated stuff, and when you take it out, you have to replace it with something. If it says "Trans Fat Free" but has partially hydrogenated oil in it, they are lying. They do that, you know!

So there you go!

Artificial colors

Any time the ingredients list a FD&C number, don't buy it.

Artificial colors have been linked to ADHD, general hyperactivity, asthma, rashes, allergies, and general gastric upset.

There is no reason to color food. It doesn't change the taste, and it's purely for visual affect.

My kids are sensitive especially to red and blue dye. It's not the sugar in food that make kids hyper. It's the artificial color.

Read labels and avoid artificial colors. You can buy whatever you need without buying products with these additives, and you may notice a change in your child's behavioral and/or health issues.

I'm tired, so I guess that's why I'm so blunt and bossy! I'm so sorry.... :)