I'm currently in the process of replacing things such as household cleaners, hair/body/hand products, bakeware, cookware, storage containers, Everett's cups and dishes...just to name a few.
I've realized in being more active about reading labels that many cleaners and body products are alcohol based. Not only can excess be toxic to your body but it can leave your skin dry and irritable. Since changing Everett's body/hair wash and lotions from Aveeno/Johnsons products to California Baby, his eczema and dry skin has improved. I recently purchased these for him:
They're offered in scents including calendula and lavender but his skin seems to be on the sensitive side so I stuck with the fragrance free products. California Baby products are natural and organic.
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I purchased Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Lavender Dish Soap. It's 98% plant derived (as are all her products) and includes Soap Bark Extract, which is nature's best degreaser; not to mention it smells calming too. Who doesn't need a little calm when you're doing a big pile of dishes, eh.
I replaced my kitchen hand soap with the Honeysuckle soap and can I say how delicious the smell is?! The smell remains on my hands for awhile and leaves the sink smelling just as good. All of Mrs. Meyer's products include essential oils. Best of all, my hands aren't dry from washing them so much. Before, my knuckles were so dry they were beginning to crack and bleed.
Her products are actually very affordable too! A set of 3 decent-sized products are only $9.99. {I want to get this Honeysuckle set!}
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I didn't realize how harmful BPA (Bisphenol A) is until most recently either. I did a little research and in short, it can affect the body's hormones and can lead to developmental disorders, cancerous tumors, and birth defects. While there's still a lot of research going on, past research and their findings was enough for me to convict myself to throw away all of Everett's dishes. Toys R Us has a BPA free version of his favorite Munchkin straw sippy cups that I just ordered online. Until I can find BPA free bowls and plates, he's been {carefully with a lot of adult supervision} using our small glass plates. My next step is to replace all of our tupperware with either stainless steel, Pyrex, or Corningware.
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Everett has always had about a 95% organic diet but within the past handful of months, I've converted Dale and I to the same. I've always thought that organic was extremely expensive but when it comes to produce, much of it is about the same, if not $0.50-$1.00 more. Other things are not as expensive either but things like peanut/almond butter, dairy products, and condiments can be. The other day at the store, I saw a jar of peanut butter for $9.99. Holy Moley. I stuck with the $5.00 organic jar. Ultimately, for me, it's peace of mind and taking action on things I can control, like reducing/eliminating the amount of toxins/pesticides my family consumes. It's worth all the extra money to me. I grew up on a farm where we raised goats, chickens, sheep and had about 1/2 acre for a garden so I somewhat grew up with the knowledge and background but even so, I tended to buy whatever was cheapest, which isn't necessarily always the best. You get what you pay for.
Dale used to give me a hard time and call me an "Asian Granola Girl" and didn't quite understand why I read labels and researched so much but once realizing such overlooked things like hotdogs having nitrate in them for example, he realized the amount of toxins we were putting into our bodies. Not only is it a health issue but it's saving and supporting local farmers and our environment. I would encourage you to take some time to read some labels and look up some of the hard-to-define ingredients. You'll be surprised at what the stuff exactly is. I feel like we owe it to ourselves and to the body that the Lord gave us.
I've realized in being more active about reading labels that many cleaners and body products are alcohol based. Not only can excess be toxic to your body but it can leave your skin dry and irritable. Since changing Everett's body/hair wash and lotions from Aveeno/Johnsons products to California Baby, his eczema and dry skin has improved. I recently purchased these for him:
They're offered in scents including calendula and lavender but his skin seems to be on the sensitive side so I stuck with the fragrance free products. California Baby products are natural and organic.**********
I purchased Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Lavender Dish Soap. It's 98% plant derived (as are all her products) and includes Soap Bark Extract, which is nature's best degreaser; not to mention it smells calming too. Who doesn't need a little calm when you're doing a big pile of dishes, eh.
I replaced my kitchen hand soap with the Honeysuckle soap and can I say how delicious the smell is?! The smell remains on my hands for awhile and leaves the sink smelling just as good. All of Mrs. Meyer's products include essential oils. Best of all, my hands aren't dry from washing them so much. Before, my knuckles were so dry they were beginning to crack and bleed.Her products are actually very affordable too! A set of 3 decent-sized products are only $9.99. {I want to get this Honeysuckle set!}
**********
I didn't realize how harmful BPA (Bisphenol A) is until most recently either. I did a little research and in short, it can affect the body's hormones and can lead to developmental disorders, cancerous tumors, and birth defects. While there's still a lot of research going on, past research and their findings was enough for me to convict myself to throw away all of Everett's dishes. Toys R Us has a BPA free version of his favorite Munchkin straw sippy cups that I just ordered online. Until I can find BPA free bowls and plates, he's been {carefully with a lot of adult supervision} using our small glass plates. My next step is to replace all of our tupperware with either stainless steel, Pyrex, or Corningware.
**********
Everett has always had about a 95% organic diet but within the past handful of months, I've converted Dale and I to the same. I've always thought that organic was extremely expensive but when it comes to produce, much of it is about the same, if not $0.50-$1.00 more. Other things are not as expensive either but things like peanut/almond butter, dairy products, and condiments can be. The other day at the store, I saw a jar of peanut butter for $9.99. Holy Moley. I stuck with the $5.00 organic jar. Ultimately, for me, it's peace of mind and taking action on things I can control, like reducing/eliminating the amount of toxins/pesticides my family consumes. It's worth all the extra money to me. I grew up on a farm where we raised goats, chickens, sheep and had about 1/2 acre for a garden so I somewhat grew up with the knowledge and background but even so, I tended to buy whatever was cheapest, which isn't necessarily always the best. You get what you pay for.
Dale used to give me a hard time and call me an "Asian Granola Girl" and didn't quite understand why I read labels and researched so much but once realizing such overlooked things like hotdogs having nitrate in them for example, he realized the amount of toxins we were putting into our bodies. Not only is it a health issue but it's saving and supporting local farmers and our environment. I would encourage you to take some time to read some labels and look up some of the hard-to-define ingredients. You'll be surprised at what the stuff exactly is. I feel like we owe it to ourselves and to the body that the Lord gave us.
We use California Baby on Logan as well and we love that it keeps his eczema away!
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome. You should blog more about this topic. I'd like to read about all your findings, you "Asian Granola Girl"! :)
ReplyDeleteLove this post! We're trying to be 'greener' around here too. Have you tried any Method products? I love all of the stuff they make, both for baby and cleaning. It's all affordable and smells SO great!
ReplyDeleteI'm super impressed that you're replacing all those things! I feel like putting in that initial time and investment will be the hardest, but it'll be really easy once that's out of the way. I already make sure all of Jack's dishes and cups are BPA free, but I still use plastic containers for storing leftovers in the fridge. OXO makes BPA free containers, but they're pretty pricey. I got a container of theirs to use for Jack's cereal and I think it was $19.99. I'll have to make my changes little by little. It's definitely important! I saw your post on switching diaper brands as well. That's great! We do use Pampers, but I've been using Earth's Best wipes and they really are much better.
ReplyDeleteI would also love to read more about your greener lifestyle! It helps motivate me to do more!
Have you tried the nitrate-free hot dogs from trader joes? They're the only ones I buy now for the boys! We've done a huge transformation in our diet and I feel so much better about what goes in our bodies. I've cut out all processed sugars-looking for things that use evaporated or dehydrated sugars, which I've seen has a direct impact on Nathan's mood swings. And you're right, it's not as expensive to buy healthier as I'd originally thought :)
ReplyDelete