Day 16: Safer Sunscreens

Day 16 of the Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge is all about safer sunscreens.  I would have to say that this is the question I get asked most frequently at this time of year.  What sunscreen is safe for my family and I?  I am here to help.  What I’d like you to do today is educate yourself about why a lot of store brand sunscreens are not doing you and your skin (or the people that are in the line of fire as you are spraying them on yourselves and your kiddos) any favors, and browse through EWG’s Safe Sunscreen List to pick a few safe options for you and your family.

Places you are likely to find safer sunscreen options

A lot of the Sunscreens are going to be available at places like Target and Wal-Mart, as they are hearing your voice (dollars) telling them it is time for safe options.  You should also be able to find that at Whole Foods, Health Food Stores, and C0-ops.  If you are having trouble finding a sunscreen on the list, give me a shout and I can help.

 

I am having so much fun with the Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge!  I hope it is helpful to you!  You are making a huge difference!!  Thanks for hanging out with me and helping make our planet (and bodies) healthier one small change at a time!!!

 

Day 12: Clean Your Indoor Air

I am known to kill plants.  I recently decided that I was going to change that though.  I have added a few air cleansing plants to our home in the last 4 months, and I really am enjoying them!  Our oldest daughter said, “Mom, it feels more like home with plants.”  Our 4 daughters also took it upon themselves to name the plants.  (Maybe they think I will remember to water them if the plants have names?)  Your challenge for Day 12 is to find a few plant options to add to your home.  Bonus points for going out and purchasing a few!

Why clean my indoor air?

Our homes are so tightly sealed up these days.  Think lots of insulation and other energy efficient building materials.  A lot of these building materials and even our furniture is made with pressed wood.  Pressed wood is full of chemicals like formaldehyde.  Formaldehyde is no good to breathe in guys.  On top of that, you are very likely breathing in a host of other toxic chemicals…flame retardants, phthalates, and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) coming from your flooring, furniture, electronics, and most everything else your home is built with or contains.  Let’s clean up our indoor air!

What plants can help purify my indoor air?

Great question!  NASA has published a list of some top air purifying plants as part of its’ Clean Air Study.  Here is a site that has some great pictures of 10 air purifying plants.  You can figure out which ones you want to add to your décor.  Each plant will help purify a portion of square footage of your home.  If you have a large home, you will need a lot more plants than a small apartment would.  I am in the mindset that some is better than none, and so I don’t stress about not having enough.  I know that the plants I have are taking care of some of the indoor air pollution.  I will slowly add more plants as time goes on, and I will continue to be a stickler for what comes into my home.  (I am pretty fussy about furniture, electronics, shoes, etc.  I research a lot before buying.  It shouldn’t be this tough!)

Ivy and Jade

This is a ficus I am starting from our Chiropractic Office.

Rubber Plant

Another Rubber Plant

Added benefits to having plants indoors

• They beautify your space and make it feel more homey (as our oldest tells us)
• Great responsibility builder for your children by assigning them a plant to water
• If you are like me, they just make you happy
• What other benefits can you think of?

See you tomorrow!!!

Day 10: Grab Silicone

Okay, so that title makes me giggle.  I am really a teenager in an adult body.  The Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge for Day 10 is to switch out your foil or plastic wrap (or both) with a silicone alternative.

Have you heard of The Great Garbage Patch?  Did you know that every piece of plastic wrap that was ever used is still here today?  It may not be lurking where you can see, but that stuff ends up in tiny pieces and a lot of it goes back into our waterways and makes it back into our bodies.  Fish dinner anyone?  (Can I have a side of plastic with that?  Wait, it comes with the plastic?  Great?  Eww!)

Garbage Galore

Did you know that the aluminum in foil can leach into your food when you heat it?  Although there isn’t conclusive evidence to say that it is harmful, I like to error on the side of safe (like this guy) and skip it most of the time.  There are lots of other places in our life that expose us to aluminum, so cooking with foil is just not an addition I personally need.

I prefer to cook in glass or stainless steel.  If I do need to cover something while cooking, I opt for a glass lid or a Silicone Lid.  Both the glass and silicone lids can be transferred to the refrigerator for food storage.

 

 

So, can you ditch your plastic wrap or foil?  If not, can you cut back on your usage?  I am here cheering you on!!!  Take care and I will see you back here tomorrow!

 

Day 8: How To Clean Your Car While Being Green

Welcome to Day 8 of the Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge!!  Kermit says that it ain’t easy being green, but he obviously has not cleaned his ride with Norwex products!  Your challenge for Day 8 is to clean some part of your vehicle with a Norwex product.  I will give you some examples below.

Products you can use to green up your car cleaning:

• Car Wash Mitt
  • Grab a bucket of hot water, dip your Car Wash Mitt into it, wring, and simply wipe the grime and dirt away.
  • No soap or chemically laden fancy car wash stuff needed!
• Car Cloth
  • Shine, polish, and get those water spots gone fast
• Rubber Brush
  • Wipe over your floor mats, carpet, and get the crumbs out of the carseats easily
• Enviro Cloth
  • Wet, wring, and wipe away all of those spills and stains.  Keep one handy for wiping down carts while out and about, and for cleaning up the occasional unlucky vomit.
  • Great for windows, the dash, and wiping down the steering wheel.
• Window Cloth
  • Use dry to wipe your windows, mirrors, and chrome to a streak free shine every time!
• Dusting Mitt
  • Use dry to dust the dash and other dusty surfaces or use wet to dust super dusty areas
• Air Freshener Sets
  • Place a few of these in your smelliest areas (think hockey gear or under the seats)

Do you have any other Norwex products you love for cleaning your ride?  I love that I can safely and effectively use these products with my children around.  No more airing things out or waiting for the window of opportunity.  I feel very confident in my super green cleaning buddies!!  What are you waiting for?  Go clean your ride!

Day 7: Reusable Grocery Bags

Day 7 of the Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge has begun!  Todays challenge may be something you are already doing to help our Earth.  For this 7th Day of our Challenge, I would like you to gather and organize your reusable grocery bags.  No more forgetting them at home.  Let’s find a system that works for you and put those bags to use more often.

So many options

There are so many options for reusable grocery bags these days.  You can see canvas, netted mesh, cotton, nylon, zippered, thermal, etc. on just one trip to the grocery store (or Farmer’s Market or Target or, well, you get it…anywhere).  I happen to have a mix of all of these types and I use them often.

Why use reusable grocery bags?

Reusable grocery bags save natural resources from being unnecessarily used.  You can reuse the same grocery bag over and over and over again.  Many are washable, but some are not.  I have a nice little stash of these reusable bags that contain a BacLock lining in them taking on all of the yuck and funk.  Many stores have discounts per bag used or have a monthly ticket program drawing for a free gift card.  Heck, some bags just can carry more weight and you don’t have to worry about it breaking from the car to the kitchen.  Whatever your reason, reusable is a great option.

How will I remember to take my reusable bags with me?

• Always put them back into your car after you unload groceries
• Get a FREE window cling from Conserving Now to remind you to bring your bags
• Put them right by the door or near your purse
• Get in the habit (Guys, I still forget mine sometimes.  I think I am doing a good job if all of my kids have clean underwear on.  Right!!!)
• Put ‘BAGS’ on the top of your groceries list.  You are likely to see it and remember to grab them for the grocery trip.

Do you have any tips you can add?  One week down and 3 to go!

 

Day 6: Ditch the Air Fresheners

Welcome back to the Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge!!!  We are starting Day 6, and this challenge may be a tough one for you.  If you have air fresheners in your home, my experience tells me that you are pretty attached to them.  My experience also tells me that you likely do not notice the overpowering smell they give off to someone entering your home.  I am very sensitive to them and will get an instant headache, my throat will tighten, and I will almost definitely have a sore throat the next day.  I really wish I wasn’t so sensitive to air fresheners, but I am so now I just shower upon returning home and throw my clothes in the wash as soon as I can.  Your challenge for the day is to count the number of air fresheners, candles, and warming scents you have in your home.  (We will focus on air fresheners, but candles and warming scents often have the same health hazards in them as air fresheners.)  Can you part with one of the categories?  If so, I will tell you how to properly dispose of them in a bit, as well as give you some healthier alternatives.

Why?  Why do you want me to part with these?   I love the fragrances!  Here are a few reasons for giving them the boot for good.

• They are widely unregulated
• Some can produce toxic pollutants when mixed with ozone (a form of oxygen)
• According to the EPA, the four basic ingredients of air fresheners are formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, aerosol propellants, and p-diclorobenzene (the active ingredient in moth balls).  Go here to see some of the health effects of each of those 4 basic ingredients.  Keep in mind that these are the building blocks of air fresheners.  There are many more chemicals that go into making each of them.  Here are some other common ingredients in air fresheners.
• They contain VOCs

How To Dispose Of Them

• Air Fresheners are generally disposed of as Hazardous Waste (Do you still want to be spraying it around and plugging it in everywhere?)
• You can find your specific air freshener on this list and dispose of accordingly.
• The Clean Sweep Program in Madison, WI accepts Hazardous Waste.  If you are local, contact them for further clarification.

Healthy Alternatives

• Essential Oils are a great addition to any home for a bunch of reasons, but can definitely help you take care of odors or give your home a desired smell.  I prefer Young Living Oils, but there are lots of options available to you on the market.  I have a few Young Living Consultants that would gladly help you with all of your oily needs.  I love the Purification Oil for eliminating odors!
• Open the windows!  I love to crack the windows and let in all that fresh air.  To improve your indoor air quality, it is recommended to open your windows for at least 5 minutes a day (even during the Winter…my hubby does not need to be privy to that information).
• Make your own Natural Room Spray in less than 5 minutes!
• Bake something!  Cookies anyone?
• Absorb odors with baking soda
• Use a charcoal based air freshener bag that naturally absorbs odors in the stinkest of places!

So, how many air fresheners, candles, and warming scents do you have in your home?  Are you able to part with any?  I am here to cheer you on!  See you tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

Day 4: Why Avoid Chemical Cleaners and Products

Welcome to Day 4!  Todays Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge is to find 1 chemical based cleaner that you can part with.  You get bonus points for parting with more than one cleaner or parting with a cleaner and replacing it with a healthy alternative.

Ellen Sandbeck, author of Green Housekeeping, reminds us, “If we clean just for appearances, rather than health, we may end up rubbing our burning eyes, scratching our rough, reddened skin, and suffering asthma attacks while wearing soft, fragrant, toxic clothing in gleaming homes that make us dizzy with the aerosolized essence of mountain meadows. Then we can look out the windows and watch the robins fainting on our perfect lawns.”  Don’t hate me.  It is the truth guys.  We are poisoning ourselves.  Maybe it is because of the big corporations feeding us all of their fancy marketing, or maybe it is what we grew up with, so we just do the same.  Guys, I am calling an audible and telling you to punt.  (Sorry fellow football fans if I totally screwed up that reference.  This girl tries.)  Kick those cleaners to the curb.  (Okay, don’t do that.  Take them to your newest Clean Sweep Location.  We ditched all of our paint thinner, old paints, and chemicals at our local dump Clean Sweep site for 10 bucks.)

WHY do I want to get rid of my chemical cleaners?  Well…

The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports that more than 120,000 children under the age of 5 are harmed in incidents involving household cleaners each year. That is a lot of potential harm done.  Bleach and drain cleaner are two common household poisons that are deadly.  NOT COOL!  My advice if you are storing household cleaners in your home is to keep them up high, take them down only when needed and put them back right away.  Also, talk to your children about the dangers.  Even my smallest children understand the concept of dangerous if they hear it enough.  My biggest advice though, just don’t have them around.  This is what I use to clean my home.  I am a safety gal and I like to play it safe, while kicking some cleaning butt of course.

Okay, so….well listen to this…

Antibacterial and chlorinated products also damage septic systems by killing bacteria on which the systems depend. When antibacterial and chlorinated products are no longer used in the home, the systems are able to return to normal.  I think it is likely safe to say that we would all love to spend our hard earned dollars on more luxurious or fun items than a brand spanking new septic system.

There are many reasons that I do not want chemical based cleaners in my home, but the number 1 reason is always my children.  They are small and fragile and need the healthiest of enviroments to grow up in and thrive.  I don’t want them to just be “fine;” my children should THRIVE!

Day 4….How are you doing?  Kicking butt?  I thought so!

 

Day 3: Finding Alternatives For Your Personal Care Dirty Dozen

Welcome to Day 3 of the Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge!

You may be better off without your toothpaste, your deodorant, and your shampoo.  Throw me your blush and mascara too.  What the heck did she just say?  Is this girl serious? 

Check out this 2010 Dirty Dozen List.  I apologize in advance.  You may hate me.  Don’t hate the player.  Hate the game.  I am sorry, but not sorry.  It sucks, but as one of my college professors often said, “Knowledge is power.”  You have the power to decide what you want to keep or replace.  For Day 3 of the Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge, I challenge you to read the ingredients on one of the 4 areas listed below.  Just pick one area to start with.  You can go to The Enviromental Working Groups Website for a ton of information.  You can search by product and see how it rates.  I initially did this with all of my products, little by little, when I was first starting on the road to a healthier body for myself.  One week it was mascara and then the next week it was something else.  I bought new stuff little by little.  I found I could live without some stuff and other stuff I just wanted in my life still, so those stuck around in various brands until I found something I loved and felt great putting on my skin (the largest organ in your body!).

If you want to dig in, I have a few suggestions below.

Soap and Toothpaste

Dr. Bronner’s castile soap is made from coconut and olive oils, are ultraconcentrated, and are made from entirely food-grade ingredients that are certified organic and fair trade. The company gives 40 to 70 percent of its profits to social causes, including orphanages throughout the world. The company is family owned and the highest paid employee makes no more than 5 times the salary of the lowest paid employee. (That is pretty rad to me!)  Not all castile soaps are created equally, so just buy the good stuff that I love.  If you are local to the Madison area, you can grab these at the Willy Street Co-op, Costco, or Whole Foods.  P.S.  You will LOVE their toothpaste!

Deodorant

Deodorants are tricky to swap out.  People do not want to smell.  People generally stick to what they use and what works.  A recent study showed that 9 out of 10 people would rather wear the same underwear for a week than switch their deodorant.  Okay, so I totally just made that up, but this is the kind of kickback I feel when suggesting a deodorant change.  A few deodorants that I rotate are:  a simple homemade baking soda with a little Lavender Essential Oil in (I prefer Young Living oils myself, but there are many good ones out there), a crystal deodorant, and Primal Pit Paste.  I tend to like to switch it up every few months, and that works for me.  I avoid all the potentially toxic ingredients in regular deodorant and my pits are happy about that!

Shampoo and Body Wash

I have a go to Shampoo and Body Wash that the whole family uses.  We really like the California Baby products because they are gentle and do not have harsh ingredients in them.  We buy in bulk from the California Baby site about 2 times per year.  Target sometimes will have a super sale on them, so if you frequent Target, just keep an eye out for a sale.  We also use the Body Cloths and Makeup Removal Cloths for our faces to keep them soap and chemical free.  We love that we can just use water with the cloths and can easily clean up when time is too short for a shower.  (People, I have 4 littles, animals to take care of, meals to plan, and life to live.  This happens more than I would like.  Thank goodness for my cloths!)  My good friend makes some really fantastic goat milk soap that we splurge on a few times a year as well.  If you are local, give me a shout and I can send you her information.

Makeup

For me, makeup is another ballgame altogether.  There are some companies out there that are cleaner, but I have yet to find a makeup that is 100% clean.  Maybe that is like finding a unicorn.  And, I am not talking about the family I see at my local co-op who sport unicorn horn headbands.  Please be my friend lady-o!  I think you are cool and ballsy!  Okay, so rant over…..   I have been using the 100% Pure products now for about 2.5 years.  They offer a nice selection of various beauty products.  I have been happy with the quality of their products and it is what I would purchase in the immediate future.

Go dig through a drawer or two!  I would love to hear what you find!!

 

Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge

On April 1st, I will be kicking off the Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge.  I am very excited, and a tad overwhelmed.  I hope I can do this thing justice.  My goal is to introduce you to a different small change each day that you can put into action.  Small changes add up to a BIG Impact.

The Challenge is all about pushing yourself, learning new things, and becoming healthier along the way.  Let’s make a BIG Impact!

There will be prizes along the way for participating.  I want to help you reach for a healthier lifestyle.

Is there a specific area you are hoping to green up that you would like me to address during the challenge?  I am all ears!

 

Plastic Purge

Plastic is EVERYWHERE! Look around you.  Can you find an area of your life where no plastic exists?  I can’t.  I wish I could just eliminate the darn stuff altogether.  Really, I do.  I would really like to not have to think about plastic and all the nasty effects it can have.  I wish I didn’t think about plastics and be kind of over the top about them sometimes, but hey, that is not me.  Maybe someday that wish could come true, but I highly doubt it.  You see, plastics is big business, and it is also the reason why I am able to sit here and talk to you all about plastic.  My computer is plastic.  My smartphone….plastic.  TV….plastic.  Shocker guys, a lot of things are plastic.  A lot of plastics I have replaced in my home, but a lot of things don’t seem to have a replacement.  Sure, I could go without TV.  Well, I think I could, but really I do not want to.  At the end of the day, I just want some high quality dark chocolate and The Voice.  But, there are areas I have been able to purge the plastic.  Literally, purge the crap.  Over the last 8 years, I’ve replaced the plastics with glass, metal, or wood.  Which brings me to this book I recently read titled, How To Use Less Plastic, Eat Better, Keep Toxins Out Of Your Body, And Help Save The Sea Turtles! Plastic Purge by Michael Sanclements.

You see Michael Sanclements has laid out a really great argument for why you should reconsider the plastics in your life, and has given a variety of solutions to get you started.  Now, some of them were a little too much for me, but, he has given a few solutions for you to try and see what works for you.  Some of the stuff I have been doing for years and some of the stuff I have wanted to do, but just have not done.  Life is full and there are only so many sacrifices we are willing to make.  Hey, I get that, me too!  My point is, you can pick and choose and start small or big, but start, please, for me, you, your children, your grandchildren…please.

So, where did I start?  Where should you start?  That is up to you.  I started with the plastic baby bottles our then 6 month old was using.  We ditched those for Glass and that worked for us.  Then, we started ditching the plastic toys we had already accumulated.  We donated them or gave them to others.  We sought out well made wooden toys.  I highly recommend Plan Toys.  Really guys, you can get a bunch of plastic stuff that will likely break and be in a landfill, or you can spend a few bucks more, get a little less, and have toys that last for your Grandchildren to enjoy too!  After the toys, it was on to plastic food storage containers.  We slowly replaced those with Pyrex Containers.  Buy them when there is a sale or a rebate.  Plastic Wrap was on that list too.  We opted for parchment paper and now use a variety of Silicone Lids that Norwex offers.  We also stopped microwaving our food at this time, but that is another post.  I encourage you to start with the thing that you want to rid your home of first, and then slowly purge the plastic and replace as you can.  Baby steps will get you where you want to go and keep you from feeling overwhelmed.

Why though?  Why do I want to encourage you to make some changes and purge the plastic?  Because there are big reasons why.  Here are a few for me from Michael’s book:

• If you skip the canned and packaged stuff in the grocery store, you can reduce the amount of BPA in your body by 50 to 70%
• This crazy fact:  The energy in about 9 plastic bags is enough to drive a car about 3/4 of a mile.
• Other countries, such as, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, and China have bans on plastic bags.  (They must be on to something!)
• 2,000,000 plastic bags are consumed globally each minute (What?!?!!!  That is a crazy huge number)
• Some of the alternatives to BPA can lining may be equally bad (Yup, I know, wha wha)
• Canned beer is often lined with a BPA containing resin.  (Opt for glass bottles and then make some kind of collage out of the beer caps.)
• Bottled water wasn’t available until 1990!  We can live without it.  I promise you.  Check out my favorite alternative to plastic.  The fact that bottled water is highly unregulated because it is not classified as water by the FDA.  Yup, you read that correctly.  It is classified as food, so it does not necessarily undergo the same tests and checks as tap water.
• A plastic water bottle may contain harmful plastic chemicals as well, such as Bisphenol-S (BPS), BPF or BPB.  Ah, don’t try to be a freakin’ scientist, just opt for what you know doesn’t contain a plastic liner.  Some gal pals of mine choose to use Canning Jars with reusable lids.  This is a great multipurpose use.
• On the go coffee cups are lined with plastic, not wax.  I used to tell myself it was wax, but it is not.  Sad.  I bought a ceramic coffee cup and most coffee shops will even give you a small credit for using your cup.  Not only are you keeping your costs down and enjoying a hotter cup of Joe, but you are reducing your plastic consumption too.
• Your PVC shower curtain liner smells when you bring it home.  It can off gas high levels of toxins for up to a month.  No thanks here!  There are many affordable green shower curtain liners on the market now.  Check them out.  I found mine at Home Goods.
• Phthalates are in many plastics and have been linked to many nasty things, such as, impaired reproductive development in males, sperm damage, and premature breast development in girls along with a lot of other yucky health effects.
• BPA levels found in cashiers were almost 20 percent higher.  Receipts often contain BPA.  (Not at my co-op!)  You can skip the receipt.

 Which one of these is motivation for you to purge some plastic?  Do you want to learn more and make some educated decisions for you and your family?  I highly recommend Michael’s book, but I also recommend talking to others who have started the plastic purge journey.  I am here and ready to share.  Just ask.