Real vs. Artificial

I have often found myself wondering which was better...a real or fake Christmas tree. I love the smell of a fresh tree, but must admit the needles can be a bit of a pain to clean up. So I looked very thoroughly at a few artificial trees just to see what my options were when I came across an itty bitty warning at the very bottom of a box that stated the tree contained lead and it was necessary to wash one's hands after touching it. That sealed the deal for me. With 4 kids and 2 dogs, there is no way a lead laced tree is going up in my house. While my mind was made up the minute I saw the warning, the researcher in me couldn't leave it at just that. I had to read more...so for those of you who are still debating or are just curious, here are two sites I found very useful:

http://www.christmastree.org/faketrees.cfm
http://environment.about.com/od/greenchristmas/a/christmas_trees.htm

May your holidays be filled with joy no matter what type of tree you choose!!!

P.S. We sold our house and have been in the midst of packing, thus the long break and future spotty postings. My apologies, but I promise to be back in full swing as soon as we get settled in the new home!

Biodegradable Bags

Green & Clean Diaper Sacks (75 per pack) by Classy Kid Inc.

Don't let the name fool you! These are for more than just stinky diapers...they are also great for pet presents (inside and outside) and any other foul thing that needs containment/odor control before being tossed out.

These wonderful, affordable (which often don't go hand in hand when it comes to all things "green") bags are a great replacement for plastic grocery and empty food bags...yes, I even reused my old store bought bread, veggies/fruits, and chips bags...but now can recycle them and use these greener ones instead.

While I find these bags to be a terrific alternative to other non biodegradable plastic bags, they do have a "fresh scent" that is not clearly defined on the package, so I have emailed the company to find out if it is an eco friendly fragrance.

I haven't found them in any local brick and mortar stores yet but did find them at Amazon for $2.95 (with free super saver shipping) and Babycenter.com for $4.50.

Happy "green" cleaning!

Easy Chemical Free Cleaning

My mother still has some of the best advice to offer. This time she has completely wowed me with an amazing cloth that can clean just about any hard surface...windows, trash cans, counters, fridges, dishwashers, mirrors, floors, doors, car dash/seats...you get the idea. All you have to do is provide the cloth with a touch of water (works best if you wring out as much of the water as possible and clean well in between uses) and less elbow grease than a Mr. Clean sponge requires. I have been actually enjoying cleaning kid art and fingerprints off the walls now that I am not left with a messy residue that Mr. Clean used to leave and an arm that hasn't turned to jiggly jelly. This amazing cloth won't rid you of all stains, but it sure does better than anything else I have tried.

Of course, there is a catch...just one catch...you can wash the cloth, bleach it, whatever...just DO NOT dry it! If you are like me and tend to lose track of no dry items when transferring laundry from the washing machine to the dryer, don't shed any tears...if you accidentally dry it, it will still work. It just won't be as pretty and a tad bit shrunken.

I highly recommend getting several and marking them with a permanent marker so you don't clean the toilet with the same cloth you clean the kitchen counter.

Check out this website to stock up on this super duper cloth.

Happy Cleaning!!!

Two Fave Non Toxic Cleaners

Window Cleaner

1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon liquid soap/detergent
2 cups of water

Combine in a spray bottle. Shake to blend.

Hand Cleanser

In any foaming pump container (I use empty Clean Well brand pumps cuz I like the colors), combine a few squirts of your favorite non-toxic liquid soap (I use the Dr. Bronner's soaps) and fill with water.

While you don't necessarily need soap/bubbles to get your hands clean since warm water and time are all you really need, this makes for a fun non-toxic way to enjoy the benefits of the foam so many of us have been programmed to believe equals cleanliness.

Enjoy!

Homemade Lip Balm

For a safer, non toxic lip balm, make your own. Here is a super easy recipe I found at Care2.

Basic Lip Balm Formula
From Better Basics for the Home by Annie Berthold-Bond (Three Rivers Press, 1999).

2 ounces oil
¼ ounce beeswax
1 teaspoon honey or glycerin

In a double boiler, cook oil and beeswax over medium heat until wax has melted. Remove from heat and stir in honey. Blend with a handheld mixer until creamy. Add flavoring oil to taste, stirring to combine.

Makes one-quarter cup.

My Favorite Non Toxic Products

Eleven months ago, I began my quest to transform my household and lifestyle into something greener and healthier. After ridding the house of all toxic personal care/household cleaning products, I scoured the internet for all things non toxic that were within my budget (i.e. basically anything that didn't break the bank and cause my husband, the sole income earner, to have a heart attack when the credit card bill arrived).

Not only was I interested in safer ingredients, but I also wanted the products I use to be cruelty free, fair trade, and from a company giving back to the environment or otherwise doing their part to ensure the future of our planet and its ecosystems.

After months of research and scouring the EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database to find the best products that were as close to food grade quality as possible, smelled good, and actually did a good job cleaning, I present to you my list of favorites:


Miessence Garnet Exfoliant (normal skin) - the best scrub with a wonderful texture that doesn't feel too much like sand paper and delicious citrus scent



Tahitian Breeze Roll On Deoderant - Great scent and the only "safe" deoderant that doesn't leave me stinky on hot sweaty days or after a workout, but bear in mind, it will not keep you dry which is a good thing because you are supposed to sweat, it is your body's way of releasing toxins and cooling off


Dr. Bronner's Magic Pure Castille Magic Soaps - Peppermint and Sweet Almond, and looking forward to trying new Citrus. This stuff is so concentrated, I dilute it with lots of water so it lasts forever even for a family of 6...just don't use the peppermint in areas that are sensitive to the tingling mint sensation. I use it as a body wash, laundry detergent, toothpaste, shampoo (follow with the Citrus Skakai Hair Rinse and Peppermint Hair Creme). I also fill my foaming hand soap pumps with water and a few squirts of Dr. Bronner's for a great smelling, cheap, and non toxic hand cleanser.


Aubry Organics Honeysuckle Rose Shampoo and Conditioner - I love the scent of this stuff and the conditioner is amazing on my frizzy, dry locks! Its pretty thick, so it helps to add a touch of water to make it a bit easier to get out of the bottle.



Aubrey Organics Ultimate Moist Unscented Hand & Body Lotion - Thick, super moisturizing (I occasionally add a bit of almond oil to thin it out) and no icky scent.




Jaffa Lip Balm - my favorite lip balm because it actually works and has a great citrus, vanilla scent/taste




Ecover Dishwasher Tablets - combined with Wave Jet (below), is a terrific non toxic choice. I tried Seventh Generation but had a lot of murky film and food pieces left, but after 2 months of using Ecover, I am super pleased with my squeaky clean dishes.


Earth Friendly Products, Wave Jet Rinse Aid - Auto Dishwasing Spot and Residue Eliminator, this stuff works beautifully with the Ecover tablets to leave my dishes clean, streak free, and food free. I will soon be testing it in conjunction with Seventh Generation dish powder to see if it improves the film and food particles I was experiencing.


BioPure Probiotic Household Cleaner Concentrate - I love using this to clean my hardwood floors. It uses probiotic bacteria, antioxidants, and enzymes to break down grease, grime and dirt while neutralizing odors with a wonderful light vanilla scent.



BioKleen Bac-Out - contains live enzyme-producing cultures and lime peel extract that clean tough stains and odors while leaving the wonderful non toxic aroma of fresh limes...great on carpets, in bathrooms, and my top choice for use on cloth diapers with #2



Charlies Soap - Love this stuff! I was a Tide and Bounce addict until I converted to this miracle laundry soap. One tiny scoop seriously cleans an entire load of laundry and leaves it fluffly and smelling clean without harsh additives or fabric softeners. I highly recommend the big bucket...you won't have to buy more for at least a year and you can reuse the bucket for mopping, car washing, or storing toys.


Runners up:

Dr. Bronner's Hair Rinse and Conditioning Cream - while I love the scent of the Citurs rinse and Peppermint cream (haven't yet tried the Lavender) it can tend to leave a slight greasy like residue.




Bumble & Bumble Defrizz - the safest rated defrizzing shine goop I have found and a little goes a long way




My favorite places to order these products:
http://paigeye.mionegroup.com/
http://www.iherb.com/ coupon code: SAG078 for $5 off (October $1.99 priority mail shipping fee, always FREE shipping for orders over $60)
http://www.drugstore.com/