I ordered a new bottle of face lotion last month. I've been using the same lotion for a while, so I forgot that I could have just ordered the nighttime lotion. I wish I had. Nothing is really wrong with the daytime lotion, it just has sunscreen in it, and I am not a big fan of wearing sunscreen everyday. I know, all dermatologists are going to hunt me down and tell me differently! But, here's how I see it...I have looked up what chemicals are used in sunscreen on the Skin Deep database, and the only good thing they do is block the sun. They do plenty of bad things...depending on the amount that is put into the lotion. Just ask my friend, Bree, what her son's skin thinks of sunscreen. Plus, God made the sun to give us vitamin D. He gave us trees for shade, and clothes to protect our bodies. I would rather wear a hat, clothes and not be in the sun for more than 15 minutes at a time than slather up with sunscreen everyday. Especially in the winter.
So, if you're looking for a good lotion without sunscreen, go with a nighttime lotion. It's more moisturizing which is good news for those of us living in this Arizona dryness.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Labels, labels, labels
I must say I am quite frustrated as I sit at my computer and try to find out exactly what's in my cleaning products. Companies are not required by law to disclose what is in a cleaning product. There are some companies such as Seventh Generation and Trader Joe's are choosing to do so, and to them I give a standing ovation. :) However, even if there was a full ingredient label on every bottle, I probably wouldn't know what's toxic and what's not because even some natural ingredients can be toxic.
So, until I become fully competent in the names of dangerous ingredients, I will be relying on warning labels. These are required by law. DANGER is worse than warning or caution. The product I am using states this: "COMMON-SENSE CAUTION: Eye irritant...flush with plenty of water." This is much better than hold your open eye under a gentle stream of water for 15-20 minutes and call your doctor. Can you imagine trying to do that while your kids are doing who knows what? Or, what if your child gets a little bit on his hands and then touches his eye? Ahh! The thought of holding Ellie or Will's eye open under a stream of water is not pleasant! Here's some more, wash any skin that comes in contact with the product with soap and water for 20 minutes and remove any clothes that come in contact with the product. I've seen all these labels on a bottle of Fantastic cleaner.
If you are interested in a list of harmful ingredients as well as recipes for homemade cleaners, check out this link: http://www.greenerchoices.org/products.cfm?product=greencleaning&page=RightChoices. This is a Consumer Reports website, and I trust them because they are totally independent.
So, until I become fully competent in the names of dangerous ingredients, I will be relying on warning labels. These are required by law. DANGER is worse than warning or caution. The product I am using states this: "COMMON-SENSE CAUTION: Eye irritant...flush with plenty of water." This is much better than hold your open eye under a gentle stream of water for 15-20 minutes and call your doctor. Can you imagine trying to do that while your kids are doing who knows what? Or, what if your child gets a little bit on his hands and then touches his eye? Ahh! The thought of holding Ellie or Will's eye open under a stream of water is not pleasant! Here's some more, wash any skin that comes in contact with the product with soap and water for 20 minutes and remove any clothes that come in contact with the product. I've seen all these labels on a bottle of Fantastic cleaner.
If you are interested in a list of harmful ingredients as well as recipes for homemade cleaners, check out this link: http://www.greenerchoices.org/products.cfm?product=greencleaning&page=RightChoices. This is a Consumer Reports website, and I trust them because they are totally independent.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Ingredients/Poison Control
Whew! It's amazing how life and a little sickness can disrupt your whole routine. I really thought we were going to miss it this year, but the coughing bug has caught up with us!
Someone asked me what the ingredients for the detergent were...here they are:
Laundry detergent: "biodegradable anionic and plant-derived nonionic surfactants, solubilizer, brightening agent, and preservative."
Fabric Softener: "biodegradable, plant-derived softening agent, biodegradable nonionic surfactant, and fragrance."
I called Poison Control today and found out that they can't recommend any specific products because they are a government agency. The representative did look up my new all-purpose cleaner and said it was pretty standard. Some chemicals, some natural. The company claims makes no claims to be all natural, but the product is safe if ingested. Also, it makes a good produce wash.
I checked out the label on a conventional all purpose cleaner I have hidden in a closet, and there were many warnings on it, along with instructions to rinse out the bottle before you throw it away. Also, if you get it on your skin, you need to wash the area for 20 minutes. If the chemicals are hazzardous in my garbage can, and at the dump, why would I use them in my house and around my children? I am glad to say that there are no such warnings on my new products!
Someone asked me what the ingredients for the detergent were...here they are:
Laundry detergent: "biodegradable anionic and plant-derived nonionic surfactants, solubilizer, brightening agent, and preservative."
Fabric Softener: "biodegradable, plant-derived softening agent, biodegradable nonionic surfactant, and fragrance."
I called Poison Control today and found out that they can't recommend any specific products because they are a government agency. The representative did look up my new all-purpose cleaner and said it was pretty standard. Some chemicals, some natural. The company claims makes no claims to be all natural, but the product is safe if ingested. Also, it makes a good produce wash.
I checked out the label on a conventional all purpose cleaner I have hidden in a closet, and there were many warnings on it, along with instructions to rinse out the bottle before you throw it away. Also, if you get it on your skin, you need to wash the area for 20 minutes. If the chemicals are hazzardous in my garbage can, and at the dump, why would I use them in my house and around my children? I am glad to say that there are no such warnings on my new products!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Laundry Detergent and Softener
I love it! I used to buy all natural detergent and softener from Sun and Earth online, but the cost, combined with new, higher shipping costs, was just too much. Lately, I have just been buying the Walmart brand and Bounce unscented fabric sheets. I was excited to get back to the natural, and I have not been disappointed! Our clothes are clean and SOFT. I only dry our jeans partially in the dryer and then hang them up--they are still soft. And my corduroys...hello! They feel incredible. These are two products I will definitely be reordering on a regular basis.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Product Review: Dry Skin Lotion
One product I couldn't wait to try out was the lotion for dry skin. For those of you who know the Hubbards well, you know that we suffer from severely dry skin. Will has eczema that wakes him up in the middle of the night itching even if I lotioned him before bed! Poor guy winds up in our bed just scratching, and I have to lotion him again in the middle of the night.
This has not happened since I started using this lotion!! Woo-hoo! I feel the skin behind Will's knees, and it is SO soft. Last night we didn't even lotion and he slept all night long. Now, this lotion is not totally natural. I've been doing some research, and unless you go fully organic you probably won't find a lotion that is totally natural. There is a website called Skin Deep that provides safety ratings for cosmetics, lotions, etc. I have provided a link on this blog if you'd like to check it out. Jason Naturals, which is sold in health food stores, had a product which rated a 9 (10 is the worst) and so did Huggies, which we use on babies! While my new lotion was not in their data base, I did look up the individual ingredients and concluded that it should fall into the low to low-moderate hazard rating. Jordan Rubin says you shouldn't put anything on your skin that you wouldn't eat because everything is absorbed into your body, but I have checked out, and even tried some organic lotions,...they are expensive and didn't work as well as this one! So, until I'm rolling in the money, I will gladly use this lotion and enjoy my sleep-filled nights.
This has not happened since I started using this lotion!! Woo-hoo! I feel the skin behind Will's knees, and it is SO soft. Last night we didn't even lotion and he slept all night long. Now, this lotion is not totally natural. I've been doing some research, and unless you go fully organic you probably won't find a lotion that is totally natural. There is a website called Skin Deep that provides safety ratings for cosmetics, lotions, etc. I have provided a link on this blog if you'd like to check it out. Jason Naturals, which is sold in health food stores, had a product which rated a 9 (10 is the worst) and so did Huggies, which we use on babies! While my new lotion was not in their data base, I did look up the individual ingredients and concluded that it should fall into the low to low-moderate hazard rating. Jordan Rubin says you shouldn't put anything on your skin that you wouldn't eat because everything is absorbed into your body, but I have checked out, and even tried some organic lotions,...they are expensive and didn't work as well as this one! So, until I'm rolling in the money, I will gladly use this lotion and enjoy my sleep-filled nights.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Recipe - Breakfast Bars
I thought I'd switch it up today and post one of our favorite snack recipes. We call them breakfast bars because they so nice and healthy that I let the kids eat them for breakfast if they want. :) Now, unless you've already begun to deviate from the standard American diet, you may not have all of these ingredients in your cupboard, but they really aren't difficult to come by...especially if you live in the big city, you just have to change where you shop. :)
We have made some major changes in our diet due to God convicting me that our bodies are temples and it's our responsibility to take care of them. One major change is that we rarely eat white flour any more. When wheat flour is refined to make it white, 80% of its nutrients are lost along with a lot of its fiber. Also, after the refining process it is a gray color, so chemicals are used to make it white. I've noticed on labels lately that companies are using unbleached wheat flour. I am assuming this means processed wheat flour that just hasn't been bleached. I suppose this is one step better, but unless it says whole wheat, it's just not what your body needs. With baking at home, we use whole spelt flour, which is a type of wheat that is better for baking. I've also added some barley flour in this recipe because it is a balanced starch and reduces LDL (bad) cholesterol which wheat alone apparently doesn't do. (according to a study conducted at Montana State University)
The other ingredient you can't get at Walmart (where I shop) is Rapadura. Rapadura is raw, unprocessed sugar that actually has minerals and good things still intact. You can use rapadura just like regular sugar. The only thing you'll discover is that it is brown in color, so nothing I make anymore turns out white. :) Beware :), you can buy "Sugar in the Raw" at Walmart, but this is not really raw sugar. Stevia is also a good sweetener that comes from plants, but it is much sweeter than sugar, so you have to convert...too much work for me. :)
So head on over to Whole Foods, Sunflower Market, Sprouts or someplace like that and begin taking care of that body. If you live in Payson, start ordering from Azure Standard or head over to Vitamart. While you're there, park in the spot farthest away from the store and get some exercise in too! :)
BREAKFAST BARS
Preheat Oven to 400
Combine the following in a small bowl and set aside:
2cups whole spelt flour
3/4 cup barley flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
Combine the following in a large bowl and mix together:
1/2 cup rapadura
3/4 cup NATURAL applesauce
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 tbsp molasses
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips - to add into final mix
When second group of ingredients are blended well (I use a whisk) add ingredients in small bowl and mix well. ( I don't even bother getting out my electric mixer. A big spoon works great, and is easier to lick clean. :) Stir in chocolate chips.
Spread in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
These are cake-like bars, and are great anytime of day. Pack them in lunches or eat them for breakfast! :)
We have made some major changes in our diet due to God convicting me that our bodies are temples and it's our responsibility to take care of them. One major change is that we rarely eat white flour any more. When wheat flour is refined to make it white, 80% of its nutrients are lost along with a lot of its fiber. Also, after the refining process it is a gray color, so chemicals are used to make it white. I've noticed on labels lately that companies are using unbleached wheat flour. I am assuming this means processed wheat flour that just hasn't been bleached. I suppose this is one step better, but unless it says whole wheat, it's just not what your body needs. With baking at home, we use whole spelt flour, which is a type of wheat that is better for baking. I've also added some barley flour in this recipe because it is a balanced starch and reduces LDL (bad) cholesterol which wheat alone apparently doesn't do. (according to a study conducted at Montana State University)
The other ingredient you can't get at Walmart (where I shop) is Rapadura. Rapadura is raw, unprocessed sugar that actually has minerals and good things still intact. You can use rapadura just like regular sugar. The only thing you'll discover is that it is brown in color, so nothing I make anymore turns out white. :) Beware :), you can buy "Sugar in the Raw" at Walmart, but this is not really raw sugar. Stevia is also a good sweetener that comes from plants, but it is much sweeter than sugar, so you have to convert...too much work for me. :)
So head on over to Whole Foods, Sunflower Market, Sprouts or someplace like that and begin taking care of that body. If you live in Payson, start ordering from Azure Standard or head over to Vitamart. While you're there, park in the spot farthest away from the store and get some exercise in too! :)
BREAKFAST BARS
Preheat Oven to 400
Combine the following in a small bowl and set aside:
2cups whole spelt flour
3/4 cup barley flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
Combine the following in a large bowl and mix together:
1/2 cup rapadura
3/4 cup NATURAL applesauce
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 tbsp molasses
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips - to add into final mix
When second group of ingredients are blended well (I use a whisk) add ingredients in small bowl and mix well. ( I don't even bother getting out my electric mixer. A big spoon works great, and is easier to lick clean. :) Stir in chocolate chips.
Spread in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
These are cake-like bars, and are great anytime of day. Pack them in lunches or eat them for breakfast! :)
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
My First Order
Alright, here we go! I placed my first order on January 19, 2010. I must say I was quite impressed with their speed. The order was placed around 4pm, and by dinnertime, I had an email confirmation that it had been shipped. Crazy! That was Tuesday, and I received my order Friday afternoon - even with all the crazy weather that ripped through AZ that week. So, here's the details of the order and a price comparison with Walmart. I feel that I need to add a disclaimer...this would not post the way I typed it in, so I had to find a better way to present my information. Here's how it reads:
Product
WM $
New $
Points (35 needed)
laundry detergent 192 loads
$26.34
$29.99
19
pump
$0
$1.99
0
Fabric Softener 64 loads
$7.82
$5.69
3
pump
$0
$1.99
0
Lotion for Dry Skin(compared with Eucerine) 20 oz
$12.80
$15.99
12
Face Lotion (Vitamart)
$20.00
$22.50
14
All Purpose Cleaner 96oz
$12.29
$5.69
3
mixing bottle
$0
$1.49
0
Shipping + handling
$0
$9.06
Totals:
WM $79.25
$94.39
51 points
Total minus one time purchases: $88.92
One time purchases are the mixing bottles and pumps. The products are concentrated, so you need a mixing bottle to dilute correctly. And might I add that the bottles are quite pretty...they match my kitchen perfectly. Bonus! :) I can leave them on the counter and they blend right in. The WM price is calculated per ounce - not the actual bottle - to make for an accurate comparison.
So, about $10 more for natural products - including shipping! I didn't include tax, because that should be the same for both stores. Also, my face lotion says Vitamart because that's where I buy it...it's Avalon Organics. I look forward to telling you about these products and how they measure up individually in future blogs. More later...
Product
WM $
New $
Points (35 needed)
laundry detergent 192 loads
$26.34
$29.99
19
pump
$0
$1.99
0
Fabric Softener 64 loads
$7.82
$5.69
3
pump
$0
$1.99
0
Lotion for Dry Skin(compared with Eucerine) 20 oz
$12.80
$15.99
12
Face Lotion (Vitamart)
$20.00
$22.50
14
All Purpose Cleaner 96oz
$12.29
$5.69
3
mixing bottle
$0
$1.49
0
Shipping + handling
$0
$9.06
Totals:
WM $79.25
$94.39
51 points
Total minus one time purchases: $88.92
One time purchases are the mixing bottles and pumps. The products are concentrated, so you need a mixing bottle to dilute correctly. And might I add that the bottles are quite pretty...they match my kitchen perfectly. Bonus! :) I can leave them on the counter and they blend right in. The WM price is calculated per ounce - not the actual bottle - to make for an accurate comparison.
So, about $10 more for natural products - including shipping! I didn't include tax, because that should be the same for both stores. Also, my face lotion says Vitamart because that's where I buy it...it's Avalon Organics. I look forward to telling you about these products and how they measure up individually in future blogs. More later...
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