Simple things we can do to live more organically today...

When I had my first baby, I didn't think too much about the baby wash I used, and opted for a well known baby shampoo that smelled great and had been around for decades...all of the commercials and advertising I had seen throughout the years made my mind feel it was soothing, and comforting and a staple to have in my baby's bath time routine...that is...until I looked up the information on the skin deep database and found out it was a 9 out of 10 on the scale for harsh carcinogens, and included ingredients linked to cancer and allergies. Fabulous. I immediately threw the baby shampoo away and went out and bought the most organic baby soap I could find....one that registered a zero on the scale. In fact I threw away all of my products and replaced them with all natural zero's. I threw myself into decontaminating our bodies, one product at a time. After reading that the average person uses 15 or more cosmetic products a day, including shampoo, hair products, deodorant, cosmetics, lotion, etc. I did a complete overhaul. As time went by, my husband and I both started noticing the kids smelled like oatmeal, or tea tree oil, and didn't seem to be getting super clean. My hair looked flat, and my sea salt deodorant just made me feel, well, salty. Is this what living naturally was supposed to feel like? Maybe I wasn't such a nature girl after all...I was tempted to throw in the towel and revert back to my old products, but decided if we really use that many products a day, and at least half of them are dangerously high in carcinogens, what is that doing to our bodies over time? I decided to experiment to try and find products I like, that actually work. I started with the baby wash, and tried at least five or six products, before settling on good old Burt's Bee's baby wash. It smelled great, and the kids really seemed clean. I also love the Aveeno wash, and although they are a 2 on the scale, I feel that is a huge improvement. I moved on to facial products, shampoo and conditioner, and deodorant. Slowly, I have taken my family from mostly 7's, 8's and 9's, to mostly 0-3's, and I actually feel happy with the results. Between that, and switching my detergent to a great smelling eco friendly type (Ecos at Costco...love it!) and switching my cleaning products to environmentally friendly green products...see this post...and changing up their lunchbox gear...see this post...I feel like I have taken huge leaps and bounds in cleaning up our home and our lives, and downgrading the amount of toxins we are exposed to, therefore promoting a healthier future for my kids and the whole family...and you know what? It was not that daunting, or expensive. It was actually easy and maintainable! If you have not been to the skin deep database, I would recommend you go there...you can literally type in any product by name, and find out about the toxicity. Make a list of all the products your family uses, and check their rating...I bet you will be shocked, as I was! Replace products as they run out with less toxic products, and you will be well on your way to healthier living! The trick is, don't stress too hard. If you have a face cream you swear by, or love coloring your hair, who cares? Let that be the one thing you keep, as long as you are changing out other products, then you are lessening the overall toxins, don't go too crazy. Find your balance between being healthy and enjoying your life, and just take baby steps in the right direction, and before you know it, you will be healthier, one small change at a time.

Skin Deep Cosmetics database
holidays
A few healthier products that I love:



1) Burt's Bees baby wash and shampoo-smells like apricots and really cleans!

2)Alba Hawaiian products-love the gardenia shampoo and plumeria conditioner, green tea eye gel, coconut milk face wash, pineapple enzyme facial scrub, papaya enzyme facial mask, hibiscus toner, jasmine and vitamin E moisturizer, and lip balms. I also love their kukui nut body oil and sugar scrub. Awesome line.

3)Crystal antiperspirant-made of all natural mineral salt, really works if you don't miss the fresh smell of regular antiperspirant.

4) Aveeno baby was and shampoo-smells great, works great!

5) Pearatin serum by Loma- you will love this! Smooths, protects, repairs...my hairstylist says it literally restores hair to it's perfect condition. I agree!

6) Simplicity shampoo and Intensity conditioner-my hands down favorite natural shampoo...smells like a tropical rainforest and makes hair super soft and clean.

Simple things we can do to live more organically...

In and earlier post, I started a weekly list of tips....easy and inexpensive tips to making your home more clean, organic, and environmentally friendly!
Tip #2) BPA-get rid of it! Back in the 80's and 90's, no one ever heard the terms "BPA free or free of Phalates." We drank from plastic bottles, sippy cups...we just didn't know better! In the last 10 years, BPA (also known as bisphenal A) has been listed as a "toxic substance" by the FDA. It has been proven to leech out of plastic, into the liquid, and therefore into the bloodstreams of people who drink from and eat off of it. It is highly estrogenic, and in high amounts can lead to the build up of these toxins in the body. The good news? BPA free plastic is now readily available, and inexpensive. Switch you babies and kids to bpa free bottles, sippys, water bottles, better yet, stainless steel. My little boy Wiley has a stainless water bottle with a non leaking spout he brings in the car, and loves it! Some of my favorite websites are Kleen Kanteen, and Sigg. I purged my kids lunch boxes of plastic baggies after a friend turned me onto to these!

http://www.easylunchboxes.com/

They are a bento style BPA free dishwasher safe tupperware that stack easily, are super cheap, and leave no plastic in the landfills! We also bought the insulated lunch pack that stacks three tupperware, so we can head to the park, or on the road, and they each have a snack. (It is also a great website for lunch ideas!) I also have recently found BPA plastic snack cups and bowls at Walmart. Like I said, it's everywhere! Our family had also been eating on some super cute melamine dinnerware for the last two years....seemed like a good idea, as the kids could drop it and bang it up, and we could carry it onto the patio without the fear of it breaking! Alas, after much research I decided it had to go, as ceramic and glass really is the most healthy way to go, and we cheaply replaced it all at once with a couple of these great sets from Home Essentials at Target: http://www.target.com/p/Room-Essentials-Glazed-Stoneware-16-pc-Dinnerware-Set-Vintage-Teal/-/A-11509079. I feel much better about it!

Simple things we can do to live more organically today

I am a germ lover. I admit it. I believe in germs and their ability to strengthen the human body. I believe that kids need to play in the dirt, and pet animals, and pick boogers, and skin their knees....it's all part of the natural exposure a growing body needs to aquire a strong immune system and fend off more dangerous germs in the future. Let's face it we don't live in a bubble. We live in a real world where children and adults alike are cohabiting with germs by the millions and scary viruses that seem to change and morph every year. That being said, I also believe that chemicals, free radicals, and exposure to pesticides and carcinogens in our every day life have hit an all time high. Living more cleanly and organically sounds so daunting. First of all it's expensive, and secondly, who has the time? There is so much knowledge and advice we have to weed through to even know where to begin. But these are our kids. One day of mosquito repellent may not be a big deal, but small habits such as repellent that we don't change over time, combined with other habits, over ten years can lead to disease and built up levels of toxins in their adult years. At sugarfly, we believe in starting slow, changing one bad habit at a time...and adding another in, and another, until it doesn't seem so daunting...and after while, you are living a cleaner life! To me, that is the way to make changes, slow and easy, that way, they seem to become more of a life change, not just "kick." I am passionate about cleaning up my kids exposure to toxins, and our environment and I know you are too! Throughout the month, I will share some of these tips to easily and cheaply steer clear dangerous toxins, and make our homes a clean so our kids can enjoy this dirty world without worry!

Tip #1) Natural cleaning products are full of harsh chemicals, strong fumes, and many are tested on animals. The good news is, natural cleaning products are easier to find and less expensive than they have ever been! My favorite are the METHOD cleaning products made by Target. They smell awesome (my favorite is the melon cucumber all purpose spray, which leaves your bathroom smelling like melons for hours after you clean it!) They have everything from window cleaner to toilet scrub, and best news is, they really work and are not tested on animals. They are great for the environment, and just as importantly, our environment, safe to touch and breathe for children and mom's alike! So ditch your old cleaning products and make the switch!