Baby Steps Day 5: The Problem With Plastic

Welcome back friends!

Today, we get to wrap up our topic for the week. We get to close the door on toxins and alternatives regarding household products and start off next week learning all about personal products! We are going to cover everything from cosmetics and toothpaste to deodorant, shampoo, tampons, diapers and so much more. Who's excited? Just me? I hope not! Personal products are actually the area that I am working on with my family right now. We started with household products, moved to food, then wellness & medications. Personal products are what I'm in the thick of throwing out, testing alternatives & convincing my family to try. So, next week should be fun... despite the fact that it means more baby steps. Come on guys! We can do this!!!

But we can't move on until we cover one more very important topic.

PLASTICS

Yesterday we discussed endocrine disruptors in fragrances. One of the ingredients we brought up was PHTHALATES. We briefly discussed them, but what are they? Phthalates (pronounced thal-ates) are chemicals that soften plastic. That new toy and new shower curtain smell is phthalates off gassing. They’re also found in medical supplies such as IV tubes and drip bags, plastic food wrapping and containers, and most ubiquitously in fragrances of every description, from scented candles and (so-called) air fresheners, to fabric softeners and perfumes. And let’s not forget nail polish.

So, plastic food wrapping... plastic cups... tupperware... anything plastic really... are full of phthalates. 
All full of endocrine disruptors!

Now I'm getting personal! 

You mean, my kids' plastic sippy cups? Yep! 
You mean, my cute melamine plastic plates? Sure thing! 

But what about the BPA-free label?

Oh! Great question! I'm glad you asked!

BPA stands for the chemical Bisphenol-A. It is yet another plastic that is endocrine disrupting and linked to cancer. It has been removed from all products labeled for infants and young children due to these health concerns. HOWEVER, if they removed BPA... what was put in its place?

According to this study, the chemicals used to replace BPA were also chemicals with estrogenic activity! 

BPA, Phthalates and chemicals like them can leach these chemicals into our food and drinks when we use them, which is the big issue here. In addition, these plastics actually break down when heated, leaching even more chemicals into the food and drinks that we then consume! Heating could be from a microwave, dishwasher or even UV light! Raise your hand if you've ever taken an insulated, plastic sippy cup to the park on a sunny day... you too? Man!

So, if we can't use plastics, then what can we use. The two safest options are GLASS and uncoated metal like STAINLESS STEEL. 

We have made this switch almost completely. I have a small stash of plastic for when friends come over, just because I can't afford to re-stock my entire kitchen with glass or stainless only. My kids each have 2 cups and then we use glass plates/bowls for dinner. We switched out our tupperware and use only Pyrex glass dishes for leftovers. 

There are some great products out there now that weren't just 2 years ago when I purged all our plastic for the first time. I sometimes get crazy & buy plastic again. I have a weird cup obsession... & I sometimes can't help myself! Haha! See... everyone can improve somewhere... 

Links to our favorite bottles & water bottles for the kids are listed below, as well as links to more information! 
I'll see you all on Monday when we will begin to cover PERSONAL PRODUCTS!

http://www.virginiahopkinstestkits.com/banphthalates.html

http://healthychild.org/its-bpa-free-but-is-it-safe/

https://www.lifefactory.com/

http://www.kleankanteen.com/collections/kid-kanteen

http://www.shopthermos.com/products/lunch_kits/funtainer_lunch_kits

Baby Steps Day 4: Fragrances, Air Fresheners & a little about Anti-Bac

I hope you all have learned something this week! We are wrapping up HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS tomorrow, but for today we are going to dig a little deeper into Fragrances and Air Fresheners.

But first... a link I had meant to share with you all at the beginning of the week.
The Environmental Working Group is a great organization committed to TOXIN-FREE living. They have several databases of products where you can search your specific product & then they rate it on a grading scale of A-B-C-D-F. It's an amazing resource to have & also really interesting to check out the products you've been using in your house to see just how toxic some of them could be!

http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners


So. Back to today's topic...
FRAGRANCES

Have you ever walked past a Bath & Body Works? Or one of those candle stores? Oh the smells! They might make you feel happy, relaxed, sexy, sleepy, or even overwhelmed. My husband, on the other hand, used to get a headache anytime I would make him go in there with me when we were dating. I used to wonder why that was. Well, now I know that not only are those smells overwhelming his senses, triggering toxic overload symptoms... but they were also affecting his hormones! Artificial fragrances and aromas affect all of our hormones whether we notice or not!

There are ingredients in synthetic fragrances called PHTHALATES. Phthalates are associated with causing cancer, are known endocrine disruptors and are also thought to cause reprouctive issues. 

What does this mean?

EARLY PUBERTY IN GIRLS
LOW SPERM COUNT IN MALES
REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS IN DEVELOPING FETUS

Basically, they are mimicking Estrogen in the body. We all have Estrogen in some amount, but when your body thinks it has too much, due to the synthetic mimicking, it will not produce the amounts we actually need... THUS THE IMBALANCE. Now, our hormones are responsible for so much in our bodies! This includes responses to stress and injury, growth and development, absorption of nutrients, energy metabolism, water and electrolyte balance, reproduction, birth, and lactation. These are all crucial things!!!

There is another Estrogen-mimicking chemical in household and personal products called Triclosan. This happens to be in most anti-bacterial items like soaps, hand sanitizers, makeup, toothpaste, deodorant... but we'll get into all of those things next week. 

So, here's the deal. Anything with synthetic fragrances is problematic for your sake, but also for the sake of your kids. As an adult, you've already gone through puberty. You've already developed your own endocrine system. So, damage can still be done, in the case of causing cancer or causing hormone imbalances, but not as great as it could to a baby in utero whose endocrine system is being formed or to our little ones who have not yet hit puberty. Personally, I do not have any desire to have my children begin to go through puberty any earlier than necessary. Think about the other possible effects though... your sons, who have not yet reproduced... if they are exposed to enough endocrine disruptors, this could mean potential infertility. I don't know about you mommas, but I want grandbabies some day.

I've compiled a list of a few great links for you to look through. This is just the beginning of information you could read on this subject! So, gather up the Glade, the Febreze & the Germ X... and toss 'em! Your future grandchildren will thank you! 

See you all tomorrow!!

http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2014/08/expert-panel-confirms-fragrance-ingredient-can-cause-cancer

http://www.drfranklipman.com/15-ways-to-reduce-endocrine-disruptor-exposure-in-your-house/

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-15808/how-endocrine-disruptors-seriously-mess-with-your-health.html

http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/

http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2012/05/new-york-times-kristof-lays-out-case-against-endocrine-disruptors

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11127/why-everyone-should-care-about-endocrine-disruptors.html

Baby Steps Day 3- Household Products

Well, yesterday we learned all about why NOT to use mainstream cleaners.

Today I want to cover what products we CAN use! I am not paid by any of these companies... I'm not that important. I just want to help you mommas know the best options for your families.

If we're talking about getting rid of toxins, pretty much every bathroom cleaner, floor cleaner, and all-purpose cleaner is out. So are laundry detergents and dusting sprays. So are window & glass cleaners.

SO WHAT CAN WE USE?

Well, the first thing I'd like to mention is "GREEN" cleaners.

It's important that we always read the labels first, even with organic, natural, eco-friendly, all-natural, green products.

If they don't list ingredients... RED FLAG!

If you don't recognize any of the ingredients... either skip that cleaner, or look it up! We all have smart phones now. There's no reason that you can't do a quick google search in the grocery store aisle. In fact, this skill will come in handy when we get to Natural Food Choices in a couple weeks. So why not start practicing now?!

Next, I have to mention NORWEX.

If you haven't heard of Norwex, they are a type of micro-fiber cloth. Here's what their website says:

We realized early on that household pollutants negatively impact our health and our environment. Most of the chemicals in products in our homes have never been assessed for their impact on human health. Indoor air pollution is one of the top five highest ranking environmental health problems in America with chemical levels up to 70 times higher than outside. Research and information on the health effects of manufactured chemicals has not kept pace with their development and use. In the last 50 years, the global production and use of manufactured chemicals has increased substantially. More than 80,000 new chemicals have been created. Indoor air pollution is one of the top five highest-ranking environmental health problems in America. Evidence shows homes have chemical levels up to 70 times higher than outside. Most of the chemicals that people are exposed to every day have never been assessed for their impact on human health. Parabens utilized in personal care for decades have been shown to have potential harmful effects. What we do know is the harm chemicals have on humans is extensive. Most concerning are the growing links to chemicals that surround us in everyday life. They are linked to serious diseases such as birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities. Many today believe the extensive use of chemicals indoors contributes to many of our ‘modern’ diseases such as allergies and asthma. Our mission at Norwex is to improve quality of life by radically reducing chemicals in our homes. In addition, the Norwex products make cleaning faster and more cost effective than traditional cleaning products.

I am so encouraged to know that there are companies out there that have this at the root of their business! Basically, the way they work is by weaving SILVER into the actual microfibers. Silver is antibacteral by nature. So when you use their anti-bacterial micro-fiber cloths WITH NOTHING BUT WATER, you are getting just as clean... actually studies show it cleans BETTER... than your typical mainstream cleaners. I encourage you to check out their website & see for yourself. These are what we use for dusting, cleaning windows, floors & as a replacement for body wash! No joke. These things are the real deal!

They have a whole line of products as well. And you really wouldn't need to go any further, except for it is not very cost effective if you are on a tight budget. We really had to save up for the cloths we have & even now we do not have as many as we need.

Another GREAT, slightly more affordable BRAND is
Honest Company

They are who we use for dish detergent, dish soap & hand soaps. They used to be a web-only company, but have recently begun having certain items at Target!

Here is what their website says:

We believe the products people use should be safe and non-toxic (surprisingly, many companies don't!) — not filled with questionable, risky, untested, or harsh ingredients. We also believe it's better to be safe than sorry when deciding what goes in our products and we're vigilant about the latest science regarding chemicals and health to ensure we're being mindfully cautious.

Based on these beliefs, we created our Honestly FREE Guarantee — a core commitment we make to you and your children. And, it's another way for us to be Honest — educating, empowering and inspiring people to make better choices for their health & families. Providing clear, credible, transparent information. No smoke and mirrors. No confusion.

What's it mean? In a nutshell:

You can rest easy knowing The Honest Company DOES NOT USE health-compromising chemicals or compounds.

Now that I've covered some great companies, 
one last way to do it is... YOURSELF!

Honestly, all you'd have to do is go onto Pinterest & search DIY Cleaners. You'd have tons of results. Some with vinegar. Some with Essential Oils. Some with Baking Soda. Some with Apple Cider Vinegar. It's all on there. I'm gonna hook you all up with some great links though! Many of these are what we use at our house!

Laundry Detergent

(we skip the borax)

http://dreawood.com/2008/10/homemade-detergent/

All Purpose Cleaner

(I use Lemon EO in mine & once a week use OnGuard EO from doTERRA)

http://www.mommypotamus.com/household-cleaning-supplies-greener-cheaper-better/

*also, the link above has en e-book from Mommypotamus for DIY cleaners

Here are a bunch of great recipes: 

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/20-diy-green-cleaning-recipes-141129

And of course, check out my Pinterest page for great DIY ideas!

See you all tomorrow!!

Baby Steps Day 2- Household Products

Hey there friends! 

Are you all ready to get started learning about how to live more naturally? I am so excited to get started on this. I hope you all have followed the blog, liked our Facebook page & will check in on here each day to see what the next Baby Step is. 

I am challenging you to do something each week. You don't have to do it all in one day. Every Monday I will start our focus on a different area. Just choose ONE THING to change or introduce to your family each week. Then, once the series is over, let's keep it up! In the coming days there will be a Facebook group started where we can all join in and encourage each other in our Baby Steps. Like I said yesterday, even if you've been on the "Crunchy Train" for a while, there is ALWAYS something new to try, or something you can change. Sometimes, we just fall back into bad habits & need encouragement from other moms to get back on track. 

So today, we will get started with HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS. I think this is one area we can easily make changes in.

When I was a kid, we all had to clean every Saturday. My jobs were to vacuum, dust and clean the kids bathroom. I always got a headache after I was done. Every time. Now, I had a few other bad habits as a kid that contributed to my headaches, BUT the point is, I would immediately get one after doing my weekly cleaning chores. Why is this? 

Two words. 

TOXIC

OVERLOAD

Here's the deal. All mainstream cleaning products have chemicals. Too many chemicals in the air and on our bodies can create toxic overload in our system. This includes things that TOUCH our bodies. This includes things that touch our food, which then enters our bodies. This includes things that get used on surfaces and are then active on those surfaces, which we then touch. Get the picture? Chemicals might be in small amounts in ONE cleaner, but the likelihood that we will only encounter that one product in a 24 hour period is very unlikely. 

Take the chemical chlorine for example. Chlorine is in some cleaners as a bleach. It is used in city water filtration (we'll talk about water in a couple weeks). It is also used to bleach paper towels and toilet paper. It is also used in many laundry detergents, which leave residue on our clothing. It is not *as* toxic when touched. It *only* causes skin and minor eye or lung irritation. That's all...

BUT did you know that it can reach highly toxic levels when combined with ammonia? So, if you mix chlorine bleach with another cleaner, even hours apart, they could combine to create a toxic gas that you the breathe in. An even more likely situation, especially if you have children, is this...

Let's say you clean your bathroom, toilet included, with a cleaner with chlorine in it. 

Then, your child uses the restroom.

Their urine has ammonia in it. Because it's urine. 

At this point the chemicals mix & create a gas. If even just for that moment, your child has breathed in a toxic gas. 

But what if they then do not flush the toilet? Because they are kids. 

Those chemicals create a toxic gas and continue to release that in the air. 

So, what? 
What is the big deal about chemicals? 

Well, like I said. It's not just one. We are exposed to a large amount of chemicals on a daily basis. 

Triclosan

Chlorine

Formaldehyde 

Ammonia

Sodium Laurel Sulfates

Phthalates

Benzene

Chloroform

DEGBE

DEGME

Diethanolamine (DEA) 

Triethanolamine (TEA)

The list could go on and on. Among these are skin, eye, and lung irritants. However, also among these are known carcinogens, ingredients that are linked to cancer. Also ingredients linked to asthma, allergies, and some that are considered neuro-toxins. 

Another concern is fragrances. We will get into this later in the week, but unfortunately there are not regulations in place for cleaning products in the US. Companies are NOT REQUIRED to list ingredients. These same companies also frequently list unknown or dangerous ingredients as "fragrance". Artificial fragrances are hormone disruptors. Like I said, there will be a full-day devoted to fragrances and air fresheners later in the week. 
For now, the point is that we just do not know everything that is in these products. 

I got rid of mainstream cleaners several years ago, but as I was typing this up, I had my husband dig under our kitchen sink to see if there was anything left under there. Way in the back, he found a bottle of carpet cleaner from when we steam cleaned our carpets about 2 years ago and an almost empty bottle of windex. 

NEITHER had any ingredients listed on them. The windex said "contains ammonia" & the carpet cleaner had a huge warning about not drinking it due to health hazards... Yet it's safe to pour into our carpet and drive in with steam? 

Personally, I would like to avoid all of these things. I cannot control the toxins my children & I are exposed to when we leave our home, so my goal is to reduce the amount of toxins INSIDE the home. 

Tomorrow will be a little more fun. We're going to learn about what we CAN use to clean our homes. I will have lots of links and DIY recipes. 

Then Thursday we will chat about fragrances and air fresheners. 

Friday we will learn about the problem with plastics. 

Until tomorrow, there are a load of links for you to look through below and keep digging for information! Pop on over on the Facebook page... Post goals for your baby steps! Let's do this together! We will have a photo challenge next week & a video challenge the week after that... 

Have a wonderful day! 

https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/how-toxic-are-your-household-cleaning-supplies

http://healthychild.org/5-secrets-conventional-cleaning-product-makers-dont-want-you-to-know/

http://toxicfreekidsblog.org/2011/03/what%e2%80%99s-wrong-with-chlorine-bleach/

http://www.mamashealth.com/doc/cleanprod.asp

http://toxicfreekidsblog.org/2014/04/toxic-free-spring-cleaning-tips-childrens-cancer-recovery-foundation/

http://ezinearticles.com/?Paper-Towels---Effect-on-the-Environment&id=4612910

Baby Steps WEEK ONE

Hey friends...
for a short-cut to WEEK ONE posts on Baby Steps to natural living for HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS, check this out:

DAY 2: Cleaning products

DAY 3: Products & DIY recipes

DAY 4: Fragrances, Air fresheners & a bit about anti-bac

DAY 5: Problem with plastics

Baby Steps & A CHALLENGE

Today we begin our Baby Steps series. 

When friends and family come to me asking about how our family does things, I'm always so honored. Honestly, we are still learning. Everyday. I'm not doing all that I can or want to yet. I'm on a journey just like all of you are. I am constantly reevaluating and readjusting, adding in new things when I'm ready to. 

I know what I did with our family when we began our journey, but I also got input from my own crunchy friends. I recently polled a natural moms group I am a part of to ask them what areas they started on when they began their "road to natural living". 

The main areas that these mamas mentioned were 

• Natural household & cleaning products
• Healthy eating, removing processed foods
• Eliminating toxins 
• Adding healthy supplements
• Focusing on wellness and boosting our immune systems naturally
• Using natural remedies and essential oils instead of medications 
• Exercise and chiropractic

(Thank you to my Natural Mamas for all your help!)

The word natural... Or crunchy... Or granola... Do these make you nervous? They shouldn't. Becoming more natural doesn't mean you have to start wearing long skirts, live in a commune, or quit drinking coffee. Thank God! 

Here's what the definition is:

nat·u·ral

ˈnaCH(ə)rəl/

adjective

1. 1. 

   existing in or caused by nature; not made or caused by humankind.

   
   

I think we all could return to things not made by man. Every little thing makes a difference. It's never too early. It's never too late. No matter what thing you choose to change, you're doing something positive. It might not be easy. It might take some getting used to. In the long run its so very worth it though. 

We also have to remember though, that often these things are linked. We don't always see a huge difference right away. It's like a tripod... 

Imagine a tripod an inch from the ground. It won't work very well! You don't get the optimum performance if it's so short! You'll get a great view of the grass, some bugs and maybe a flower or two, but imagine what would change if the tripod were taller. It's like every good choice we make gives that tripod more height. Every wise choice we make, give us better "performance" in our bodies, in our minds, and in our emotions. But what if we are only doing 1 thing and never grow more than that... then one leg of the tripod will grow taller, while the others remain an inch tall. If one leg is shorter or longer than the others, we don't always see the desired results. 

It's all about balance.

I have broken it down into 4 main categories:

1. Household Products

2. Personal Products

3. Wellness, Sickness & Medications

4. Food 

Now, originally I had planned on this being a week-long series. However, as I began to research and develop the outline for this series, I realized that this was much bigger than just a week. This was going to take a week for each category! So... 

In the next 4 weeks we are going to learn about how to take baby steps. You might be starting from the beginning or you might be a pro... BUT we all have something we can do to grow. None of us are perfect.

As you begin to make your New Year's Resolutions in January, you can follow along and join the rest of us as we make a commitment to natural living. In fact, we are going to do just that! 

Sometimes we need more than just information. 

We need a challenge. We need other people doing it with us! 

If you want to take the Baby Steps Challenge, comment below & let us know what area you're looking to grow in. Then make sure you FOLLOW this blog & check your email to confirm your email subscription from Feed Burner. If you want to take it the next step, you can follow us on Facebook... https://www.facebook.com/EverydayIsLaundryDay

I'm looking forward to growing with you all. I can't wait to share with you, learning more natural, healthy ways to live. 

See you all tomorrow as we dive in to HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS! It's gonna be good! 

Are you ready?

Friends!

I decided a couple weeks ago to create my own joy. Things suck sometimes, but laughter is so very healing.

So, in an attempt to kick off my "Baby Steps" series & bring myself joy, I created something that I hope will bring you all just as much...

The Crunchy Mom's 12 Days of Christmas
Enjoy!