Castile Soap

I have become a fan of castile soap. It's not super hard to find, and it is way better for you than detergent bars (ie. Dove or Ivory) or pump 'soap'. (if you want to read the difference between the two :http://www.clearwatersoapworks.com/site/1501105/page/588981 or http://bubbleandbee.blogspot.com/2008/02/soap-vs-detergent.html )

Castile soap refers to soaps that are made from plant oils instead of animal fats.

The thing I like about it is the simple ingredients list: olive oil. At least that's what traditional castile soap has in it. Originally, castile soap hails from Castile, Spain. It's a a true soap that is made from a fat and lye.

I really like it because it is gentle on my skin and it doesn't do harm. The kind I am using right now is Dr. Bronner's peppermint castile soap. It's alright, but it isn't the traditional kind with just olive oil. It has palm and coconut oils as well as hemp seed oil in it. Why do I want the pure and traditional? Mainly, because coconut oil when saponified (turned into soap) can be extremely drying.

My husband and I are in the process right now of researching how to make our own and what is a good recipe. It seems like it would be very easy and cheap, as the only things you need are lye and olive oil, and whatever else (like essential oils or scrubby additives [like poppy seeds or oatmeal]) you see fit to add.

Currently, we are stuck at the lye finding stage. It used to be pretty easy to get, as it was used for drain cleaner, but people have more recently figured out that it can be used in meth production, and now the majority of hardware stores will not carry it. How unfortunate!

SO! back to why I became a fan! I use it all over the house! In my hand soap dispensers in the bathroom; in my all purpose cleaner for the house; in my every day shower spray; as dish soap; it will be going in to laundry soap; it will be going in to dishwasher soap; and there are ways you can use it as shampoo!

The other thing I like about it, is that it can be either a solid soap or a liquid, so it is very versatile!

A word of warning, though, that I came upon in a funny way: DO NOT mix castile soap with vinegar or any kind of acid.

I was mixing up a batch of “getting rid of fruit flies” stuff, and I mixed castile soap with apple cider vinegar. GROSS. I had a shot glass full of oil and weak vinegar like solution. You see, the acid in the vinegar un-saponifies the soap, turning it back in to the oil from whence it came. Unpleasant. Fortunately, I still had some detergent lying around and could use that instead (recipe for fruit fly death: 3-4 tbs of apple cider vinegar and ½ tsp of dish soap. It really works. :-D )

Anybody else a fan of castile soap?, if so, how do YOU use it?

XO,

Bliss

Honesty

Journey to Spiritual Freedom

I started today's post about the battle over our mind and how we need to make every thought captive to Christ. I wrote quite a bit, and then I realized, you know – this doesn't sound like a heart to heart, it sounds preachy and superior. I scrapped it. I have not accomplished what I was going to write about, and HOW I was writing it, just didn't work.

Today, instead, I want to just have a brief talk about honesty.

I'd like to think I'm an honest person. I don't actively lie. I don't cheat on tests. I don't fudge on my taxes. I don't think I do anything intentionally to be dishonest. But, today's scrapped post reminded me that I am dishonest. I DO try to make myself look better than I actually am. I may not come outright and say “Hey! Look at me! I'm so much better than (so-and-so)”, but I do say little things or do little things that at least I think make others think more highly of me than they really aught.

I don't want this blog to be about me saying I have arrived or that I'm better. I want it to be an honest look at a journey through the ups and downs of ridding ourselves of toxic things.

So, today, I want to say I haven't arrived. I haven't made perfect decisions. I don't know everything. I am just learning how to oust toxicity from my life.

How about you? Anything you want to be honest about?

XO,

Bliss

Step by Step

Over the last few months, my family has been making changes to live a more free life. We haven't done it all at once, thanks to my wise hubby! We've made small baby steps towards change that are adding up.

The first step, for me, was getting informed. It all started with a simple video that my friend posted on her facebook page (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM). It's about sugar and how your body biochemically processes it. Kind of long and relatively boring, but very informative. What this video did for me was to help me realize that not all products on shelves are good for you, though they may be labelled as such.

Then, I watched Super Size Me. Another good film, but it has to do with food, and by now you're thinking how did this move on to other products?! To be honest, I'm not ENTIRELY sure, but I think it has to do with the idea that if our food products are as safe as we thought, are the lotions (etc.)?

This thought was just nibbling at the back of my mind, until the whole non-shampooing “revolution” was brought to my attention, and I read a few articles about that (see last post). The nibbling grew to a gnawing.

I started “liking” things that praised natural living on stumbleupon.com and it kept taking me to articles and blogs about how to get rid of now conventional products and replace them with more body-friendly items.

I admit, when I stumbled on the first few articles, I started to read more: the links that were provided; the links within those links; googling ideas in the links; and so on. I found myself reading so much about it that I was a little (okay, maybe more than a little) consumed by it. I wasn't able to sleep because I was thinking through all of the information and trying to figure out how to implement all of the new changes.

My wonderful husband kindly told me to stop it, and to take it one step at a time. Only implement one thing a week, or even a month and see how it goes. The brakes on my mind were put on, and instead of a myriad of changes running rampant, I narrowed it down to one thing I really wanted to change.

Shampoo-free was my first step. It took about a month before I saw that it was good, and then felt ready to make the next step: putting castile soap next to each of our sinks for hand washing. Then came using coconut oil instead of lotions (this one has been hard, and has had a longer getting used to period. I'm actually looking in to how to make it more like conventional lotion instead of just oil). After that, I started doing the oil cleanse method on my face (more on that in future post!!). And, last week, it was upgrading our drinking water filtration system and replacing some of our cleaners with just as effective, but way healthier versions of themselves.

What comes next? Well, I have a few ideas floating around, but I'm just going to have to choose one so as not to overwhelm myself, or my family. In becoming more free, we have to be careful in balancing what is important, and not making it our idol.

What steps, if any, are you taking to be more free?

XO,

Bliss

Confessions of a Shampoo-Aholic

Since about mid-high school, I have been a shampoo-aholic. I admit it. Sometimes even with great pride, I admit it. My shower was lined with at least four different kinds and even brands of shampoo and conditioner at all time. Even when I travelled I took at least two different kinds with me. I used almost anything, as long as it said moisturizing. I hated having the feeling of dry hair. I used a hair mask once a week, and almost cried when my usual brand stopped making theirs. It was a sad state of affairs.

My husband, one year as we were working on the budget, asked me how much we would spend in hair care. I said something like 60 or 70 dollars. By the end of that year, I am ashamed to say, we spent close to triple that amount! How is that even possible, I asked myself. I had only gotten my hair cut twice that year! (which, okay went over that budget anyways) I looked in my shower. Oh. That's why. I had even chipped in to the shampoo stash that I had with birthday money! (birthday money in our house covers everything from my hobbies to things that Hubby and I don't enjoy together, like pedicures or a book, or anything, really)

It was insane. When we made our last move and hubby was making quite a bit less than before, I resolved to get both cheaper and less shampoos. It was tough, and I fudged around a little bit. In the end, I ended up with two bulk shampoo and conditioners and one smaller nicer shampoo set. I always ordered samples when I could too, so I had a plethora of choices still (all paraben-free, of course!)

Rewind three months from now. I was stumbling on the internet (via stumbleupon.com) when I came across about three articles in a row about going shampoo free. Shampoo FREE?! Why on earth would anyone willingly give up shampoo?! Wouldn't you stink? Wouldn't your hair go into a limp mop? I was intrigued to say the least.

I read this post - http://www.naturemoms.com/no-shampoo-alternative.html and it had some good info about what is in the majority of shampoos, be they paraben free or not!

I also read http://crunchybetty.com/no-poo-to-you-too and laughed my way through it, and the subsequent posts from the same lady. After her results post, I was more than intrigued, I was considering doing it!

Me?! Going shampoo free? My husband thought I was joking. He also thought it was a good idea. I made up my first batch of baking soda/ water mixture and apple cider vinegar/water mixture and took it up to the shower.

I scrubbed my scalp and rinsed it. It seemed funny not having lather of any kind, but my hair felt clean and conditioned. When it dried it was nice and soft and nothing really seemed different.

A few days passed, and my routine of one day just rinsing my hair and the next day cleaning my hair was established. As many of the articles will tell you, there is a transition period where your scalp needs to get used to not being stripped of its natural oils and being suffocated by the unnatural ones you add on through conditioner. My transition period didn't start until about two weeks. My hair became so dry it felt like straw. My dear husband said he could never feel the difference, but I sure could.

I have to admit, I hated it. I was tempted to go back and use my lovely smelling shampoos and get my lustrous locks back. I held out, probably out of sheer stubbornness more than anything else.

I'm glad I did. After about a week and a half after the beginning of the transition period, my hair transformed into what it is now – as perfect as I have ever seen it!

I kid you not. It is shiny, soft, and perfect! I can style it easily (though I stink at doing anything other than a simple braid or ponytail). AND! I don't stink at all!

The only drawback I can admit to is that I miss the lather and smell of conventional shampoos and conditioners. I could remedy in the smell department by adding essential oils, but I have found it's really not that big of a deal.

I'm not going to explain the ins and outs of what I do in this post, I'll save it for later. I will, though, ask you to consider lowering your toxic burden by going shampoo free.

Have a great weekend!

XO,

Bliss

EWG Skin Deep : A Great Resource

A few months back I was introduced to the Environmental Working Group's website through a clip 10 Americans (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5n4HhQr25Q). It's a great clip about how they looked at ten Americans and their toxic load.

EWG is designed to inform and protect the general public and the environment. It's an American group, but I think people world wide can benefit from what they are doing!

My favourite thing on their web site is the Skin Deep data base. In their own words, this is what it is, “EWG's Skin Deep is an online safety guide for cosmetics and personal care products, launched in 2004 to help people find safer products, with fewer ingredients that are hazardous or that haven't been thoroughly tested. Skin Deep combines product ingredient lists with information in more than 50 standard toxicity and regulatory databases. The database provides easy-to-navigate safety ratings for tens of thousands of personal care products.”

According to me : a handy-dandy tool that you can look up just about any product you use on your skin, in your mouth (that isn't food), or for any cosmetic purpose and see what it can and does do to your body.

It was extremely helpful in picking out a safe sun screen for our family, as well as letting me know what different chemicals in my different beauty products have been shown to do to the human body.

While it can be helpful, it can also be a harbinger of doom! So many of the products on the store shelves have pretty scary things in them. We've all heard the controversy over formaldehyde in hair products and things like that. It can scare the pants off you, if you read about every single chemical in every single product that you use on a daily basis. Please be careful in looking everything up. It is my tendency to be over exuberant in ousting different products, but then regretting them later.

If you do choose to get rid of different products, I would suggest (as did my husband) to take it one at a time!

A couple of things before I give you the website:

1. make sure you type in the correct spelling of your product! It doesn't do a close to match

2. check the ingredients list against your bottle of whatever, sometimes they miss an ingredient or two

3. if you can't find your product, you can type in ingredients one at a time to get an idea of how safe things are

4. check out the safety of each component of whats in the products, don't just go by the rating. You could have an 8 or a 9 in a product and have everything else be a 0 and then have the rating be a 1...or you could have everything in the product be a 2 and get a 4 or 5 rating.

Here it is : http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

Have fun with it – remember, the goal is to lessen the load, not necessarily eliminate it!

XO,

Bliss

Contentment

Becoming Spiritually Free

Today I've been pondering the verse “ But godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6) It's an easy verse to say, or even quote to people, but I think it's a hard verse to truly live out. The context of this verse, is Paul dealing with people who breed controversy and strife – people who just in general cause friction in any given situation.

Paul is telling Timothy that this world has nothing of lasting value to offer. He goes on to say if we have food and clothing we are to be content with that. In the book of Philippians, Paul takes it even a step further and says he has learned to be content no matter what the situation, whether hungry or fed! (Phil. 4:11-12)

That seems a little insane to me. Be content no matter what the circumstances!? But what about when I'm starving? What about when my friend just got a new car? What about when I have to be in the hospital? What about...what about...what about...

There are so many scenarios in which we can find ourselves malcontent. It's so easy to feel the need for things we want. It's easy to feel that the world (or even God) is unfair in the hand it has dealt. It's so easy to be jealous and whine about what others have. It's just so darn easy. At least, that is what the Devil would like you to believe!

BUT! There is freedom in contentment.

Paul says the reverse this way : “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1Tim. 6:9-10)

What kind of trouble can we get ourselves into? Well, the obvious is shoplifting or other forms of stealing. But what about greed, or jealousy? Those two work on our minds and hearts and have the potential to drag us into unhappiness or even depression or they could work their way into friendships and cause rifts or arguments.

The worst, as the verse says, is wandering away from the faith and piercing ourselves with many griefs. What would that look like? I think it could look like working 24/7 to gain money to buy, buy, buy, and forget about our families; or starving ourselves to be a certain shape or dress size; or something as extreme as killing ourselves to get away from debt we've accrued.

Contentment looks a lot better than the alternative, doesn't it? But, how, you ask, do we attain contentment?

Before anything else, I believe we have to realize that we cannot be content on our own strength. As Paul says it in Philippians 4 – I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. In the context of that verse, he's talking about contentment! If Paul needs Christ's strength to be content, I surely do too!!

Then, I think the first action step is repentance. Simply acknowledging to God that what He has provided is enough.

Next, would be being thankful for what God has give us. That list is usually pretty long. A sample of a few things I'm grateful God has given me : salvation, a husband who loves me, a son who is healthy, food for every meal, fans in the summer, clean water to drink, and so on.

My husband and I ask each other what we are thankful for every night before we sleep. It started as an exercise to help me remember the goodness of God, but now it also helps me be content! It's been so much fun to hear what my husband has to say. Some nights it's just that we've made it through the day, others it's simple things like we got to have five minutes alone.

After that, we could do as Paul says in the original passage we were looking at : “But you, man (or woman) of God, flee from all this (this being the destruction and piercing ourselves with many griefs), and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called”

The last thing I want to say, is to echo the last part of what Paul had to say – take hold of the eternal life to which you were called. In the grand scheme of being content, I think this is the big key. We must look up and forward before looking around us. If we are only living for our temporal, mortal life, then we are giving up so much! When we look up, we get a better perspective on what is needed and good. Instead of needing those new pair of shoes, we can make do with what we have and perhaps even give the money we would have spent on someone else who desperately needs any pair of shoes.

All in all, when we let go of discontentment and focus on being thankful and content, we are free. Free from unattainable ideals, free from the slavery of jealousy or greed, free to bless others instead of being tied down to ourselves!

XO,

Bliss

Our Accidental Good Choice -

Part of how we're freeing our family

Just over two years ago, My husband and I made the decision to use cloth diapers. I cannot tell you what put the initial idea in to my head, but it was there. I googled as much information as I could get.

I browsed the different kinds of diapers there were. It was so overwhelming. I asked a message board that I frequented for their opinions and got even more overwhelmed.

There was just SO much to choose from! All-in-ones, pocket diapers, pre-folds, fitted, bamboo, cotton, flushable liners, soakers, and just so many different options it made my head spin.

I stopped. I stepped back. I wrote down what was important to our family needs. Primarily, at the time, cost and effectiveness of the diaper was the bottom line.

We wanted a diaper that our son could be in from birth until potty training. We wanted a diaper that had great reviews. We wanted a diaper that did not cost an arm and a leg.

What I then found was bamboozles by Bummis (really by Tots and Bots, but sold by Bummis). I found a website that had just opened the day or two before I started searching for our 'perfect' diaper. It just so happened that the lady who hosted the website lived about ten minutes away from my in-laws! I was able to ask her all sorts of questions and even got to visit her house and see how she used the diapers.

After seeing her son in the diapers and hearing her experience with them (the no blow-outs of any kind really had my husband and I sold!), we sat down and made up our order.

We bought 20 diapers, two small covers to start with, and two wet bags to store soiled diapers in. We later bought 1 more small cover and then three medium and three large ones.

After a few weeks, our order came in! I was so excited! I read more about our diapers and was surprised to know we had made a good choice on other plains beyond cost and longevity. Bamboo, as it turns out, is about 10 times more absorbent than cotton! It is also a amazing renewable resource and, to top it off, it is apparently naturally antibacterial. Who knew? I surely didn't before I bought these diapers.

Originally, when we bought the diapers, my husband and I didn't really think twice about the chemicals or anything in disposables. We were all about cost effectiveness. Now, as I've been made more aware of the toxic burden, I've been seeing articles and studies about how gross disposables really are. In some cases, disposables have actually caused toxic shock syndrome – you know the one you can get from tampons?! Awful, isn't it, and this is babies!

Now, I should say, that my son isn't exclusively in disposables. It really just isn't realistic for our family. He is in throw-aways when we are out of the house, and overnight. We tried doing cloth overnight, but our little guy would just wake up soaked and grumpy and not go back to sleep. Since disposables make baby feel dry, our little man would sleep a whole ton better make our whole family that much happier.

Some good things I've noticed about using our cloth system:

1. Cost is WAY lower than disposables, even factoring in the energy and water it takes to clean them

2. They don't stink as bad as 'sposies

3. our little guy gets less diaper rash (we know this because when we do travel or forget to do our diaper laundry, he is in disposables for a prolonged period of time and more often than not gets diaper rash)

4. less chemicals near very sensitive bits of our baby (soon to be babies!!)

5. less waste in landfills (I read somewhere, whether it's true or not I'm not sure, but it left a big impression, that for every baby who is in exclusive disposables, there is over a ton [that's right a TON] of garbage)

6. poop on diapers instead of on clothes – really! I was so happy to be able to confirm what our sales lady told us!

Some not so great things about cloth:

1. it takes more time to do a diaper change

2. laundry (but, again this could go either way, I'd much rather wash a 'cleaned' poopy diaper than poopy clothes)

3. makes baby clothes fit a little different

These lists aren't exhaustive. I wouldn't want to do that to you. I really do like using our cloth diapers and would recommend it to anyone. It's easier than it was when I was a baby.

If you have any questions that I can answer, shoot 'em my way. If I can't answer them, I'll point you to someone who can!

XO,

Bliss