continuing my health kick...

CoffeeQueen · Guru

RE: continuing my health kick...

Alicia · Senior Member

daisy wrote:

also, i need to figure out a way to freeze stuff without plastic wrap. ideas? like raw chicken, etc?

For some of the food I freeze I put foil in a container and then the food which I freeze until it hold its shape and then remove it from the container. I have a vacuum sealer for my plastic bags and can't imagine giving them up. If there was something else out there easy to use and close in price to it then I would switch. I really don't give it much thought.

Sara · Guru

just wanted to say I use the arbonne face wash and love it. have used it for the last 2 years.

also use the baby wash for owen mainly it helps with his eczema and allergies.

and i buy their baby sunscreen.

my arbonne lady did a christmas in july 50% so i stocked up then. i actually just emailed her to see if she is doing a 50% or any sort of special this month (this thread made me remember to do that. smile

)

as far as hauling all things over, i am not to that point yet.

keegan is however cloth diapered 80% off the time. he does wear disposables to bed and if we are going to be out and about more than a couple hours. so i feel i am at least doing some part there.

Sara · Guru

also, as far as cleaning i use vinegar and water. the stink for me goes away as soon as it dries.

i also made my own laundry soap and dishwasher soap..which was more just to cut down on cost but it was still super easy.

daisy · Guru

sappy wrote:

my random thoughts on this...

1. I loved Arbonne when I used it a while back (think pre-marriage & small kids)

2. I still have 2 small boys that get pissed off and throw/drop dishes (yes, they get a time out for it). What can I use for them?

3. How can I go more organic/less chemical but not end up broke as a joke? I'm trying so hard to make healthier choices like giving the kids less processed foods, but I'm choking over prices with a 6 person family.

4. I get practically panicked when I think about those chemicals, etc... around my kids so I end up freezing and putting it out of my head.

you can do a BPA free plate, or seriously just get regular plastic and dont let them in the micro or dishwasher. i think this is totally fine. i'm not that stressed about my plastics that dont go in the dishwasher/micro. i'm really not. i do plan to replace the plates that have been through the wash a million times - and gradually i'll be getting them fully onto regular plates - but i think the plastics arent so bad if youre not letting them get super hot.

you can only do the best you can do, kwim? that's how i'm trying to see it. we cant protect from EVERYTHING - we do live in modern society - but i figure whatever i can SORT of regulate, i will.

as for cleaning products, i find that the prices are pretty competitive. i picked up a random dish soap that is dioxane free - it was like $3 for a regular sized thing. seems the same as what i pay for joy.

i havent done my cleaning products yet though. i will do that next time i go to the supermarket.

daisy · Guru

Sara wrote:

also, as far as cleaning i use vinegar and water. the stink for me goes away as soon as it dries.

i also made my own laundry soap and dishwasher soap..which was more just to cut down on cost but it was still super easy.

wow, i think that's amazing! how did you make your own soaps?

Sara · Guru

daisy wrote:

Sara wrote:

also, as far as cleaning i use vinegar and water. the stink for me goes away as soon as it dries.

i also made my own laundry soap and dishwasher soap..which was more just to cut down on cost but it was still super easy.

wow, i think that's amazing! how did you make your own soaps?

Laundy Soap

Laundry detergent- good for front or top loading machines. Use 1/4 cup in front loaders and 5/8 cup in top loaders.

Boil 4 cups of water.
Add one bar of soap (chunked or shaved). Do not use a moisturizer like Dove. Use Ivory or Fels Naptha.
Simmer until dissolved.

In a 5 gallon bucket fill the container half way with hot tap water. Add in 1 cup of washing soda (not baking), dissolved soap solution, and 1/2 cup of borax.
Stir and cover.
Let sit for 24 hours.
Pour into old laundry detergent bottles for ease of use (mine is stored mainly in old milk gallon containers). Add some to a squirt bottle to use as a pre-treater.

Dishwasher Soap

Dish detergent-make your dish detergent go further by mixing equal parts powdered dish detergent, borax and baking soda. Use 2 teaspoons per load. I just bought the generic powdered dishwasher detergent.

Fabric softener-add vinegar to the wash in place of fabric softener.

Sara · Guru

For those talking about Burt Bee's products this caught my eye on slick deals for you.

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1703655

daisy · Guru

awesome sara, thanks so muhc. i've NEVER thought to make my own detergents.
just so you guys know, and maybe this can help explain some of my obsession - my best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago (she's doing GREAT now) and she had tons of info up on her blog about product safety, etc.
further, another friend of mine from HS who i just ran into last weekend had a double mastectomy at age 31 just after her first son was born.
add to that the fact that one of my college psych professors ALSO is a BC survivor and now does research on environmental exposures and BC - i have been reading her webpage and her research.
and then there's all the no-more-mammogram bullcrap going on.

that's sort of what prompted all of this.
i know i cant protect my girls (or myself) from this 100%, but if i hear a buzz about something (like plastics and hygeine products) and it's not TERRIBLY hard to make the change, i feel like, why not make the change.
smile

CoffeeQueen · Guru

daisy wrote:

awesome sara, thanks so muhc. i've NEVER thought to make my own detergents.
just so you guys know, and maybe this can help explain some of my obsession - my best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago (she's doing GREAT now) and she had tons of info up on her blog about product safety, etc.
further, another friend of mine from HS who i just ran into last weekend had a double mastectomy at age 31 just after her first son was born.
add to that the fact that one of my college psych professors ALSO is a BC survivor and now does research on environmental exposures and BC - i have been reading her webpage and her research.
and then there's all the no-more-mammogram bullcrap going on.

that's sort of what prompted all of this.
i know i cant protect my girls (or myself) from this 100%, but if i hear a buzz about something (like plastics and hygeine products) and it's not TERRIBLY hard to make the change, i feel like, why not make the change.

I totally can relate, Kelly. I feel like I am surrounded by it and if we can do something to lessen the amount of toxins we consume/use then we should try. I know for me it is pure lazy.

I am trying to get Rich on the bandwagon with me.

daisy · Guru

CoffeeQueen wrote:

daisy wrote:

awesome sara, thanks so muhc. i've NEVER thought to make my own detergents.
just so you guys know, and maybe this can help explain some of my obsession - my best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago (she's doing GREAT now) and she had tons of info up on her blog about product safety, etc.
further, another friend of mine from HS who i just ran into last weekend had a double mastectomy at age 31 just after her first son was born.
add to that the fact that one of my college psych professors ALSO is a BC survivor and now does research on environmental exposures and BC - i have been reading her webpage and her research.
and then there's all the no-more-mammogram bullcrap going on.

that's sort of what prompted all of this.
i know i cant protect my girls (or myself) from this 100%, but if i hear a buzz about something (like plastics and hygeine products) and it's not TERRIBLY hard to make the change, i feel like, why not make the change.

I totally can relate, Kelly. I feel like I am surrounded by it and if we can do something to lessen the amount of toxins we consume/use then we should try. I know for me it is pure lazy.
I am trying to get Rich on the bandwagon with me.

it's EVERYWHERE and i hate it.
ever since my best friend was diagnosed (the diagnosis occurred in my own home actually - she was visiting and got a call from her doc) i've been pretty traumatized. i did make the quick shift to mainly stainless steel cups, but have been lagging on the other stuff for a good 1.5 yrs just bc i felt overwhelmed by it, and with cara's age and difficulty level, it all just seemed impossible. now that i have a little mental space back, i'm able to really parse this down and just do things one step at a time.

CoffeeQueen · Guru

Kelly, do you guys drink milk? I stopped using plastic jugs a long time ago and only buy carton and organic. I was just reading tonight all the info on palthlates (have no clue how to spell it) It scares the shit out of me.

Anyway, I thought of you tonight. I tossed a bunch of plastic dishes in the garbage tonight. I am going this weekend for my glass storage containers and Mia's Foogo sippy cups. My Mom watches Mia and she is dumping her cups too.

I cannot give Mia glass or anything breakable yet, but for now I will go get the BPA free plates and bowls and hand wash them until she can handle our dinner ware.

I am starting to feel a bit better.

Does anyone know if any store carries the Burts Bee line of hair and body wash for kids? I am thinking I have seen it at Target, but not sure. I may just see if I can find a good deal online.

daisy · Guru

CoffeeQueen wrote:

Kelly, do you guys drink milk? I stopped using plastic jugs a long time ago and only buy carton and organic. I was just reading tonight all the info on palthlates (have no clue how to spell it) It scares the shit out of me.

Anyway, I thought of you tonight. I tossed a bunch of plastic dishes in the garbage tonight. I am going this weekend for my glass storage containers and Mia's Foogo sippy cups. My Mom watches Mia and she is dumping her cups too.

I cannot give Mia glass or anything breakable yet, but for now I will go get the BPA free plates and bowls and hand wash them until she can handle our dinner ware.

I am starting to feel a bit better.

Does anyone know if any store carries the Burts Bee line of hair and body wash for kids? I am thinking I have seen it at Target, but not sure. I may just see if I can find a good deal online.

great job melissa!! i havent even tossed out the plastic plates yet (though i'm handwashing) so youre really getting somewhere!!

i find burts bees at CVS and my local pharmacy - i feel like it's everywhere, and i am always able to find the baby stuff.

my kids are prone to excema, so they use this all natural oatmeal bar soap from TJs. i ordered CA baby for their hair bc they do a conditioner, which i lilke to have available for R's curls. here's the baby line:

http://www.burtsbees.com/natural-products/baby-mom-washes-soaps/

my friend with an 18 mo old (with a decent amount of hair) said that the shampoo is nice - sudsy, etc...i dont know if it would be enough for rachel/allie though. i bet it's perfect for mia.

i bought a facial cleanser yesterday and LOVE IT. http://www.burtsbees.com/natural-products/face-cleansers/soap-bark-chamomile-deep-cleansing-cream.html

even mike used it and was like "this stuff is awesome" - which is hilarious bc a) he never tries anything, and b) he sort of made fun of my new health kick (until he realized that burts is way cheaper than anything else i've bought since i was a teenager).

i cant wait for the rest of the stuff i ordered online to get here. cant wait.

today i'm going to get myself the radiance night cream with royal jelly - i hear it's great for fine lines.

dont forget, if you order - BURT20 gives 20% off for orders of $25 or more, and free shipping. shipping is only $2.95 anyway. i would have liked to stock up couponers' style, but i don tknow if i'm going to love every single product - so i need to try it all out first. i can give you reviews once my package gets here.

my cousin who's an arbonne saleswoman sent me some ingredients for the products i was interested in. they do have paraben, but only .5% which isnt bad...

but....i'm still not sold on it. i'd rather have something totally paraben free. i'm going to research josie maran's line a bit more today.

as for milk, yes organic only, cardboard carton only. i went through that panic last year - lmao.

daisy · Guru

also melissa, i'm revamping my diet as well.
i'm focusing a lot more on hard boiled eggs and beans, adding flaxseed more often, more oatmeal, broccoli, nuts, and avocado.
those are the biggies (that i find palatable) that are known to be good cancer-preventers.
even if i'm not preventing cancer (i dont think one can prevent it) -- i know these are heart healthy foods, and it's stuff i already like and have included in my diet, but i could always use more. also, there is no HFCS in my house, and all beef is grass-fed. i reaqd an interesting report on salmon - should be alaskan, not atlantic - freaked me out so i probably will skip salmon altogether till i get my facts straight - lmao.

Sara · Guru

hey girls,

my arbonne lady is doing the 50% off this month so if there is anything you want lmk and i can order and then just ship it to you. it would definitely save.

daisy · Guru

Sara wrote:

hey girls,

my arbonne lady is doing the 50% off this month so if there is anything you want lmk and i can order and then just ship it to you. it would definitely save.

tysm! i think i'd feel badly not going through my cousin tho - i wish the stuff was paraben free altogether - but i guess the low percentage is encouraging and better than anything else i'm using - *sigh*

CoffeeQueen · Guru

daisy wrote:

also melissa, i'm revamping my diet as well.
i'm focusing a lot more on hard boiled eggs and beans, adding flaxseed more often, more oatmeal, broccoli, nuts, and avocado.
those are the biggies (that i find palatable) that are known to be good cancer-preventers.
even if i'm not preventing cancer (i dont think one can prevent it) -- i know these are heart healthy foods, and it's stuff i already like and have included in my diet, but i could always use more. also, there is no HFCS in my house, and all beef is grass-fed. i reaqd an interesting report on salmon - should be alaskan, not atlantic - freaked me out so i probably will skip salmon altogether till i get my facts straight - lmao.

I use to be a big fish eater, but not I am so leary. I was told by one person that the lead levels in tuna and that are so high now. I know fish has healthy oils and such, but I have really been turned off by all the info I have been reading.

I almost feel like there is very little healthy stuff anymore. I have really been trying to do fresh food, but will be honest and do not always. It is hard with working and the time it takes to cook some stuff that is in raw form.

WE do eat a lot of veggies, beans, avacado, etc. We only use wheat products for bread, pasta, etc. I think we eat pretty well. I really wonder why I weight so much,lol.

CoffeeQueen · Guru

Sara wrote:

hey girls,

my arbonne lady is doing the 50% off this month so if there is anything you want lmk and i can order and then just ship it to you. it would definitely save.

ohh, let me get back to you. If I do not email you today, please bug me. I think I should order something.

CoffeeQueen · Guru

daisy wrote:

Sara wrote:

hey girls,

my arbonne lady is doing the 50% off this month so if there is anything you want lmk and i can order and then just ship it to you. it would definitely save.

tysm! i think i'd feel badly not going through my cousin tho - i wish the stuff was paraben free altogether - but i guess the low percentage is encouraging and better than anything else i'm using - *sigh*

Kelly, I read that all of BE stuff is paraben free with exception to their mineral veil. So, I am just sticking to that since it is what I use.

So make up is good
shampoo/body wash ordered and switching over
nail polish - going to try http://www.safenailpolish.com/

CoffeeQueen · Guru

Ok, people are going to start to think I am crazy, but sunscreen has been on my radar for a long time and it pisses me off when I read crap.

Some sunscreens absorb into the blood and raise safety concerns. Our review of the technical literature shows that some sunscreen ingredients absorb into the blood, and some are linked to toxic effects. Some release skin-damaging free radicals in sunlight, some could disrupt hormone systems, several are strongly linked to allergic reactions, and others may build up in the body or the environment. FDA has not established rigorous safety standards for sunscreen ingredients that fully examines these effects.

Soooo, what sunscreen will you use? I currently use the arbonne baby sunsreen on the girls. Basically anything that leaves that oil slick behind has mineral oil in it.

It ticks me off that most do not even know what mineral oil is and that it is allowed in our make up
ineral oil or liquid petroleum is a by-product in the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline and other petroleum based products from crude oil. It is a transparent, colorless oil composed mainly of alkanes (typically 15 to 40 carbons) and cyclic paraffins, related to petroleum jelly (also known as "white petrolatum"). It has a density of around 0.8 g/cm³.^[1] Mineral oil is a substance of relatively low value, and it is produced in very large quantities.