Cleaner Air

As I'm typing this I'm often glancing up to see my Christmas tree.  It actually helped me recall that I said I would write a post about air cleaning plants. 

I've read quite a few different articles and blog posts on the subject, and don't think I can do much better.  What I will do, is put a link to my favourite one, and let you take it from there.

I also just wanted to let you know what my Hubby and I did.

We got a cutting of a spider plant from my mother-in-law and propagated it in a glass of water until there were a few hardy roots that we could put in a lovely planter.

We also revived a money (or jade) tree that we had accidentally mostly killed.  My Husband took a chance and took the one leaf that still looked healthy and put it on a plat of water. Within three weeks, roots sprouted! Now, a few months later, we have quite the little plant again!

Another thing I do is regularly dust of the leaves with just water when I'm watering the plants, or with a damp cloth if the plants don't need a good soaking.  Dusting the plants helps them absorb the chemicals that you want to rid your air of.

If you don't want to read any other articles or posts about plants: my brief advice: buy ivy and take care of it, and you'll have easier to breathe air!

Something I've wanted to do for a long time, but haven't because of the cost and our being in constant transition  is buying an air purifier.  When I was little we had two in our house.  Apparently, I and my mother had horrible dust allergies. While I don't suffer from the allergies anymore, I do remember how much better I felt when those machines were running.  I'm sure that they've improved in the last 15 years, too.   Maybe when we're in a house for more than two years I'll get one.

Oh, before I forget, here's my favourite house plant article : click here

Hope this helps you find some great plants for your house!
xo,
Bliss

Becoming Normal

When I first started this blog the entire idea of non-toxic living or even the beginning steps to such a journey seemed radical to me. 

It's insane what just a few months can do to your perspective.

Though my husband and I are still on the lookout for more steps we can take to become more toxin free, our life and choices don't seem so different anymore.

All of the soap in our house is soap, not detergent (though we do have a bottle of dish detergent that gets switched back and forth from soap to detergent depending on who went grocery shopping last).

There is only shampoo/conditioner in our guest shower. (I do have a hair soap that I call shampoo, if that counts, sorry)

We use Norwex products to clean our house, so very minimal cleaning solutions or sprays. Mostly just water or vinegar. Occasionally my husband breaks out the lysol wipes when there's been a bad sickness in the house - he feels like it gets rid of the germs faster.  I don't know if I agree, but hey, if he's cleaning up puke, I won't argue!

We have three more house plants that clean the air (I'll do a post on plants soon!)

We've been buying organic milk whenever it is available at our local grocery store(s). This one was a bigger decision when we made it - it was almost triple the price than regular milk in a few different places that we looked.  When we found it in our local store in the natural food aisle it was less than double! It tastes much better, and I really do like it better.

Reading labels of cosmetics or even food products comes naturally, as does what to look for.  It is not as stressful anymore making decisions and then coming home and looking up the product to realize it wasn't all that grand in the first place.

Green and pink washing are lost on us now. We actually look past the packaging to the ingredients list, and sometimes even company practices.

Our drinking water is uber filtered. - Nothing gets through our filter except water.


The list could go on.  Like I was saying, at the beginning of this, all of the above seemed crazy, stressful, and even a little bit extreme. As we continue on, some of our next choices WILL have to be more radical, like getting rid of plastics from our home or building vertical gardens (which would have to wait until we move).

I've enjoyed this learning process.  Where are you in the journey?

xo,
Bliss

Far Too Long

You know what's annoying?  Accidentally hitting backspace when your touchpad is not clicked in the text box - especially when you are JUST about to post the very loooong post you had just written. 

Here's the briefer version.

I like Scotch nail polish.  The company rocks. They don't pink-wash, but actually get behind cancer research in the month of October. This year, they did that with a trio of pink nail polish.  Check them out. They are awesome.  The products is tricky to find, though, and have a hard time paying shipping on something so tiny like that. I happened to find some on an anniversary walk with my husband.

Anyway, next part.

I've been craving time with my husband. Quality uninterrupted in-your-face talking time. It's hard to come by these days.  Last night we had an impromptu date night and watched a good movie we had never seen. Usually, I am knitting or doing something with my hands.  Last night, I held his hand. We had quality time sans kids. It was glorious. Now, I want more. We've been looking in to ways to do this. 

How does this relate to toxin free living? Well, it is a roundabout way, but bear with me  I've been listening to a few good sermons on marriage lately and what we can do to encourage longevity and joy.  It's been about things like fighting well, being quiet AND listening, asking how hurt and asking for forgiveness, and thinking things that are pure, noble, true, etc about your spouse, and ,making time for the other.  The example was given that we are all on a continuum (that word looks strange, no?) of one extreme being bitter and the other better.  When we are not actively working towards better, we are slipping towards bitter.

Bitterness, I think, is toxic to our daily life. I know it is for me.

Some things I've been thinking through that help us along the continuum towards better:

- pray for my husband
- write letters to him in the journal I bought for for that purpose
- spend time WITH him, not next to him
- don't let myself get distracted by things that are less important
-PLAN for quality time


What do you think? Any things you can think of?

xo,
Bliss

It's been a while

So, it's been a while since I had the wherewithal to post.

My family and I have been traveling for the last few weeks, and are now just getting back in to the swing of things.

I just wanted to share a few things we did on the road to keep some of our toxic free living alive.

 - we brought some liquid castile soap with us and bought some pump foamers to use at the house we were staying, as well as the living arrangements we had for the classes we were in

- we brought our hair soap and conditioner along

- carried water bottles with us everywhere, so we didn't have to buy or use single use plastic water bottles

- I bought new mineral foundation at a health food store (because I lost mine, we think at a hotel)

-found an awesome store that sold organic conscience items - I got some Scotch nail polish that I've been on the look out for almost forever...(I'll write a post on in in a little while), we got some organic cashews with cacao nibs.  They had some awesome stuff I wanted to get my son, like organic paint powder that you just add water to in order to finger paint (or with a paint brush) and things like that.  If anyone is ever in Jordan Village in Ontario, go to the Amazing Day store!

- when we had to buy groceries, we made sure to make them as health/organic conscience as possible

 We were not perfect by any means.  We definitely are feeling the detox from eating much that was processed/preprepared. It's not bad, but our digestive tracks are not happy with us.   On the other hand, we did enjoy some foods that we have not had on our plates for close to two years. 

Well, this wasn't a grand post, I'm working on thinking through the next few, so I hope you have a marvelous pre-fall day!

xo,
Bliss

Shocking and Surprising

Lately, I've been filling my 'free' time with listening to Mark Driscoll sermons or reading some kind of theology related text.  Prior to this, I'd been watching a few shows online that I enjoy. ...Ones that aren't exactly wholesome, but are strictly entertainment -like America's Next Top Model, or Bones.

Since I've stopped watching mindless TV shows, I've noticed that the rest of my days don't seem as mindless either.  I have been struggling lately with finding meaningful things to do - or at least finding meaning and fulfillment in what I do.  God has given me to amazing kids, a wonderful husband, and a grand house to take care of. So often, I forget that GOD gave it to me as a responsibility. I just get by and feel like my real calling is doing this and that outside of my home. While in some instances doing some stuff outside is what I should be doing, this season of life is grounded in my family and encouraging them to Christ-likeness.

So! About a month ago I started Driscoll's series on Ecclesiastes.  The book of the Bible is all about how doing things is meaningless. Ha. Just what I needed to get out of my toxic funk.  Honestly, it was a good kick in the pants. Everything we can do has been done. So, what is the end result?  Fear God and keep His commands. Gain wisdom. Live to His glory. 

Simple, right? bah.  No. In one of the last in the series, I was challenged to read Church History. Know where the Church has been, learn from mistakes, etc. What fights and frustrations we have today are not new. How did our fathers of the faith deal with it?  That's what I'm aiming to find out.

How is this shocking? Well, apparently as I was looking up books on Amazon to buy, I started talking to my husband about them. He looked at me as if I had grown a second head. Up until this point, I had not expressed any kind of interest in ancient history, nor really learning from others past mistakes and victories. I was kind of offended, but in the ensuing week, I've realized he was right.

I have needed to get out of my comfort zone and change. I've wanted to grow, but haven't been willing to put in the effort.  I've been surprised. I've actually been liking the church history book I've been reading. I'm making mental notes to learn about the different church fathers in more detail....like Origen!

In getting out of this funk, I've started to see my family and house through a different lens. They ARE my privilege to take care of, not an annoyance to tolerate until I have time to myself.


What are you learning, lately?
xo,
Bliss

Checks and Breaks

I'm not sure how to start this post.  I've been thinking about it for a while. 

The reason I started this blog was to let you know how I have been learning about living less toxic, as well as sharing resources and ways you could too.

I never wanted to be preachy or to guilt trip anyone into living more mindful of toxins in our world. A dear friend of mine let me know that often times I come on too strong and do make (at least) her feel guilty for not doing more.

I am sorry. I do not want to make you feel guilty. I DO want you to change, but not because I made you feel so bad about what you do that you change.  I want you to know about the organic or natural side of things, compare it to what you know or experience and then make a choice.

I am on this journey, too. I did not come out of the womb knowing the things I do now. I have been taking time to get educated on this topic that is important to me. Just because it is important to me does not mean it is important to the average person.  I desperately want it to be. I think if living less toxic was important to everyone, we wouldn't have as many issues in the food/drug/beauty world.  We wouldn't have to think in order to find healthful things to put in our grocery carts.

Anyway. I just wanted to say I do not want to change you. I want cause you to think and make decisions for yourself. I'm sorry I have been preachy in the past and most likely in the future.  We're in this fray together.

Simple things you can do:
- plug in your personal products into the Environmental Working Group's SkinDeep database - actually read the report about what is in your face creams and shampoos
-learn to make one new thing from scratch: whether it be bread or salsa - cutting down on processed foods in general will mess up the supply and demand for it :)
- don't ignore issues relating to food/beauty/drugs - like the Brazilian Blowout - it is finally banned! Like the FDA not banning BPA in cans....avoid canned foods....or buy cans without the BPA filled linings. (Eden Organics is one of few that is BPA free)
- when you use up one product, replace it with something less toxic - like instead of buying a bleach bathroom spray, make your own cleaner out of a 1:1 ratio of vinegar: blue dawn dish soap


Where are you in this journey?

XO,
Bliss

Getting Rid of Red a DIY

It's been a while since I did a post that wasn't a rant.  I figured it's time for a DIY!

As you may have read previously, I have rosacea. It's not a fun condition. It makes me look like I'm a perpetual teenager. I would use makeup to cover it, and sometimes I do, but I'm finding it makes it much worse for days after.

I've been on a small quest to figure out how to help my skin, especially on my face, to be happy and less red. 

I've noticed I have quite a few food triggers, and I'm working on eliminating them. A few of mine are MSG, coffee, and large amounts of sugar (I think).  I've also noticed that when I actually get in all the water I want to drink in a day my face is much better.

Something else I've found that helps at least a little bit is facial massage. It's calming and helps get the blood flowing well. Besides that, it feels good!

BUT! On to the DIY. In my search on the internet for calming facials, I came across two ideas. One is that honey is a wonderful foodstuff to put on your face. It draws out impurities and moisturizes. The other is that parsley helps with inflammation and redness. Put the two together and voila, you have a redness fighting mask!

Here's what I do:

-grab two handfuls of washed and dried parsley
 - put it in a blender or food processor or whatever else that will puree it
- puree it
- take it out of the blender/whatever and put it in a clean container
- add 1/4 cup of raw honey (or the closest to raw/organic you can find)
-mix well

That's it!  Now, store it in the fridge. The coldness will also help with the redness.  To use it, scoop some out of your container and spread it evenly on your face. Leave it for at least 10 minutes, but the longer you leave it on the better. I aim for at least half an hour.


Enjoy your sweet new mask

xo,
Bliss

Tempered Excitement

Over the last few weeks I've been catching up on some of the television shows I enjoy.  Scattered throughout the shows are pesky commercials.  Since they seem to be unavoidable, I watch them.

Two have caught my eye.  Two of them are for natural skin care lines from major brands.  I was thrilled to see that at least one of them is sulfate, paraben, petrochemicals, or phalates.  Hurrah.  A huge step in the right direction.  It still ranks as a 3 on the EWG skin deep site.  Mainly because it does have fragrance because it can be a neurotoxin.  It also contains Cocamidopropyl Betaine which, yes, is derived from coconuts, but  is an immune system as well as environmental toxin.  Grand. 
(If you just have saponified coconut oil that's fine, but the process the oil goes through to become Cocamidopropyl Betaine makes it toxic.)

Doesn't sound all that natural to me, how about you?  I am glad, mind you, that this company has taken this huge step in the right direction.  I really am. I am not super happy with the company though for labeling their product as natural.  It is greenwashing. Sure it is *more* natural than their conventional products, but it is nowhere near getting to the point of natural that you hope the word natural on their packaging denotes.  Moral of this story: continue to read LABELS not slogans or packaging.

The other product that was touted as natural hails (apparently) from Europe and is safe and natural.  I actually looked for this one on my last grocery trip.  I even had a coupon for it!  I was excited.  Then, I looked at the label.  Reading through the list I was unimpressed. Second ingredient : Sodium Laureth Sulfate. Last ingredient: Methlyparaben.   Sigh.  Again, not natural at all.

Lest you think I am raging and upset, let me say this.  I am quite encouraged by the first company. They must be hearing something from people who use their stuff, or want to use their products but choose healthier options.  They have changed and are trying to fill the need and want for natural products.  Yes they've missed the boat in a few areas, but that just means we push a little harder. 

SO!  Would I use the new products from company A? Personally?  No.  I have  a great set of cleansers and moisturizers that ARE natural and (bonus) handmade.  I would, however, FOR SURE tell people to use the more natural version of the companies products and to shun their unnatural counterparts.  Get the company to realize they have taken a good step...but! Also let them know it is just a step not the destination!

I am excited.  This excitement is tempered, but it is still there.

Have you noticed any companies stepping out?

XO,
Bliss

A Reason to Care

Why do I care about natural living? It is because of the effects on myself, my family, and those around me.

Perhaps one huge reason is that I would like to meet my great-grandchildren some day. I was reading about GMOs again today. Apparently, the test subjects who were eating many of the different GMOs available to us today, were sterile by the third generation. That is a little shocking, is it not?

We are essentially eating ourselves to death. This is just eating. Imagine the layers of damage we could do through cosmetics and environmental factors. Scary.

I am not saying we put ourselves in to a bubble and shun the world. Piggy-backing on my last post, though, I want you to overcome ignorance.

Talk about what you are eating, or not eating, and why. Spread the word!  A friend of mine started a blog called the Social Eater. In one of her last posts she talks about how we vote every time we go shopping. We vote with our dollars. Every cent you spend on GMOs or conventional products fuels the supply and demand and the industry will never change. It's sounds too easy and far too hard at the same time, doesn't it?  What can one person do? As far as I am concerned, a whole stinkin' lot.

Personally, I can feed my family better. That's 4 people who are now healthier. I can also educate my kids as they grow, so they, in turn, can make healthy choices. That could trickle down to their friends wanting to know why my kids have fresh fruit for a snack instead of gummy "fruit" snacks. ....Which could then lead to talking to their parents....and so on.

Honestly, it isn't really about keeping myself from getting cancer or prolonging my life, though I'm not opposed to that. One of my biggest reason for changing our lifestyle is my kids, their kids, and my great-grandkids. I would love to meet them, pray with them, and love them.

What's your reason?

XO,
Bliss


the article I was reading http://www.naturalnews.com/035734_GMOs_foods_dangers.html  ....and it has it's sources at the bottom :)

Willful Ignorance

Like greenwashing, willful ignorance is another thing that gets me all riled up. I'm not just talking about in the natural-living sense, I'm talking all areas of life.

I admit, though, there have been a few areas in my life where I have been willfully ignorant. For instance, up until this last election, I chose to not care or even look at what was going on in politics.  The reason for that was I could not vote.  I figured, why should I know about things I cannot change?  Bad reason, I know, but it stood....for many years. Now, I can vote, and I worked at being in the know about who to vote for, and what platforms were and things like that.

There are a few other things, like taxes and how to do them, but my husband and his mother take care of them for our family, so I really don't feel the need to get involved. Sure, I look them over and make sure there aren't any glaring mistakes and sign my name and so on, but in general, I remain ignorant over them.

There are a few things, however, that I do not understand how or why people remain willfully ignorant over. Things people don't look at the cost/benefit ratio of. (sorry for that terrible sentence)  Things we can change, and not just for ourselves, but for those around us.

These aren't the issues like smoking. We all know how terrible it is for us. Same with eating a whole box of donuts every morning. We all know how terrible it is.

I'm talking about the difference between organic or not vegetables, or why some products have parabens in them or why others don't. We all kind of have a vague idea that non-organic food isn't great for us, but, I'm guessing, the average person either a) doesn't care, b) thinks it's too expensive, c) knows but doesn't choose it, or d) doesn't *want* to know because it will change their actions. (OR people just don't have time to prepare things from raw ingredients...)

For quite some time I fell in to the d category. If you've read this blog from the beginning, you'll get how things have changed.   I do know now. So many of our conventional foods contain non-food ingredients.  Most of these are not on the label most likely because they cannot quantify it.  An apple is just an apple, but what if it has been sprayed and sprayed and sprayed with chemicals to keep bugs or molds away?  The apple is not impervious to the sprays either. They absorb all of those chemicals. Sure we can wash off some that accumulate on the outside of the fruit, but those enmeshed with fruit? You'll ingest those.  Some of these pesticides contain chemicals that screw with your endocrine system (hormone regulating one), brain chemistry, and so much more. Why would you want to eat that?  I don't think we would.

I challenge you to stop being ignorant. Learn about what goes in and on your body. Take time to be healthy now, or else you will HAVE to take time to be sick later.

What can you do, practically? 
Read labels. The things you can't pronounce, look them up. Many of you have smart phones with google on them. USE IT!
 Find out where your fresh produce is coming from and the farming practices there.
Read the EWG's dirty dozen vs clean fifteen and choose accordingly. (it's a list of worse offenders in the pesticide use categories)
grow your own food, if you have time and space
limit or eliminate your processed foods - they have non-food things like cellulose in them (which is essentially wood pulp left over from wood mills....used as a filler in bread!!!)

There are so many little things that can be done.  I know we can't change the system in a day, but couldn't we start changing the supply and demand? Things that stay on the shelves don't get re-ordered, things that move do.  Think about it. Change!!!!


For the good of all us, I challenge you!

xo,
Bliss

Changing it Up

Few things get me really riled up.  However, when I do get upset...I get quite upset. I want things to change, people to change, policies to change, etc.

How do we do it, though? How do we get things to change when all seems hopeless?

Our first line of defense, or offense, is prayer. Next, I think, would be for yourself to do or stop doing whatever it is that you feel needs to change. After that, tell people about it. Start small. Word of mouth can be powerful. I also find that being educated in fact instead of in theory or anecdote also helps things along.

There are so many other things that can be done. We can write letters to MLAs or MPPs or even MPs (For my non-Canadian friends, that is Members of the Legislative Assembly, Members of Provincial Parliament, and Members of Parliament).

We can take surveys when people call. We can take online surveys. We can do the shopping survey things.


The issue I am currently frustrated with is the FDA not banning BPA in food packaging.  Seriously?! They basically said that there isn't enough proof that the dangerous stuff leaches in to the food it surrounds.  I am baffled at how they could come to that conclusion.  If it isn't safe for baby bottles (where the formula is only in the plastic for a hour at best), how is it safe for soup, beans, or other things that sit there for months?!  Is it really that hard to see that is would be harmful?  My goodness.

Okay, so what do we do to change this?  We need to mess up the conventional supply and demand. If there is no need or want for the BPA lined canned food, then they will stop supplying it (at least theoretically), right?  SO!  STOP buying it!  Buy your beans dry.  Soak them overnight and boil them.  Make your own soups - or use soups that are in glass jars or come in tetrapacks. Use fresh veggies or even frozen ones. Don't drink things from a can....drink more water. 

It could be easy. The more people who do it, the more effective we can be. Spread the word. Use glass not plastic! Use glass not BPA lined cans!

Think critically about what your food comes in!!!

Sigh,
xo,
Bliss

More Replacements

So!

I said I would update you with some of the other things I've found that work for me.

Let me preface this with I am no granola. I love being healthy and more natural, but I don't own any Birkenstocks, hemp clothing, nor do go around not showering and so on. My eating habits might be going more the 'granola' route, but I can talk about that later.

Anyway! 

My latest find, as I had said, was nail polish.  There are a few brands out there that are coming out with not-as-toxic nail polish.  They say they have gotten rid of the big three toxins commonly found in nail enamels - formaldehyde, toulene, or DBP (phalates).  Many other ones have gotten rid of more of the chemicals, but I'll spare you the details. The two brands I currently own are No Miss and A Beautiful Life. I really like both. The only negative I've found is that it seems softer than enamel when it is dry.  I have found that it last about as long ( doesn't chip) as a conventional nail polish.  That's a plus. I found No Miss at our local Planet Organic. It wasn't super cheap, but I think I would get it again if they had a colour I HAD to have.  A beautiful life is just as expensive, but I had found it on sale online. I got 6 different colors and have loved each of them that I have tried so far.  My favourite is a dark one called Vexxed. It has a little shimmer in it and is super pretty.

Update about the blush and eyeshadows - I love them. I got them at the same time I got the No Miss nail polish. The eye shadows are gold and eggplant - both super pretty. Neither of them make my eyes water. They stay in place and you only need a smidgen, so it will last for quite a long time (especially for me, as I don't use them daily). The blush was a little harder to get used to applying. The first time I used it, I definitely looked like I had a bad sunburn.  After getting the hang of application, I find it looks natural.  I can't tell the difference between conventional products and these natural ones.

Other personal care products I've replaced have been shampoo and conditioner and deodorant. As you may remember, I switched completely over to baking soda and apple cider vinegar to wash my hair.  While I loved doing that, and it was great for my hair, the thickness of my hair didn't always feel like it was getting clean. Just before Christmas, I found a natural soap maker here in Canada who has a whole line of personal care products. (www.battysbath.com) I got her grapefruit shampoo and conditioner. I love them. I only use them about once a week, or if I feel like I'm getting greasy...which isn't often.  I also use Batty's Bath body butters, facial mask, facial moisturizers and body soap. I really do like them and feel good about supporting a small business.

For deodorant, I make my own. It's not hard. grab some coconut oil, baking soda and cornstarch. Mix. If you want a smell, add in an essential oil. If you want it more solid add in some beeswax. ...not hard at all. I first got inspiration from the Crunchy Betty website, so if you want the original inspiration, google it. :)

What are you replacing lately?

xo,
Bliss


ps. again, no one asked me to promote or knock certain products. if you want any more info about anything, just let me know!

Reflection

On spiritual toxicity.

I was struck on Sunday by how similar our inward state can reflect outward.

Let me explain.  When we take things in to our body that aren't good for us they do a few things. They either damage and leave, damage and stay, or accumulate and damage later.  A few things we can see right away, like poison.  We feel ill when we drink it or eat it in larger quantities.  Other things take a longer time to make us feel bad. We could gain weight or get cancer or other things like that.  Make sense?

Okay, now, the thought that hit me was how our spiritual lives reflect our outward bodies. Though, perhaps, it is the other way around. Our bodies reflect how our spirit lives. Anyway, I digress.

What I mean is this: when we do something against God's law, like lie or steal it does damage. The bad things or sin, damage and leave, damage and stay, or accumulate and damage later.  Like for instance a white lie. It is still a lie and therefor bad. If we don't stop our lying, no matter how 'white' it is, it will get worse (accumulate) and then we will have a bigger problem down the line. 

(okay, so I'm going to digress for a second and give you my thoughts on lying in general) 

Okay...so white lying. Some call it harmless, but I'm under the school of thought that no lie is harmless.  When someone asks you a pointed question and the answer will most likely offend them we want to lie to placate the other person, don't we?  I sure am tempted to do that.  Let me suggest a different course of action: tell them you either do not want to answer the question, or answer honestly. If they get offended at the answer there might be one of a few things wrong. Either a) they are in the wrong or insecure, or b) you are in the wrong and insecure or c) both. (or they should not have asked in the first place...)

What I mean by the asker being in the wrong is they could be asking just as way to pick a fight or something of that nature.  By you being in the wrong, I mean that you could be judging them wrongly or want to make them feel bad...etc. 

In the long run, it is much better to tell the truth and take the flack and deal with it than to tell even a white lie.  Otherwise you might have to deal with trust issues and unravel all the different things you have said that you don't actually believe to be true.  What a mess.



Anyway, back to the main point: When we do "small" sins they may not seem to effect us at all.  When we take a step back, though, we can see the damage that's being done. Stealing - we just took that one thing....that one thing was some one else's - that person either worked to buy it, was given as a gift, or they own the shop it was in....so you are taking money out of their pocket. Would you actually take money out of some one's pocket?

Once we "get away" with something smaller, we tend to let the next thing go as well. It's like the old illustration of the frog in a pot of water. If you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, he'll jump out immediately. If you put him in cold water and gradually turn up the heat, he won't know any different and die.

Don't let the heat get you. Stop even the small things in their tracks. They are not harmless, no matter how infinitesimal it seems.


Trying to sweat and stop the small stuff,

XO,
Bliss

Finding Replacements

As I get rid of so many of the different products that I have come to depend on, I have found a gaping hole. In some instances, I just let that hole be and it tends to feel less gaping - as I said in the last post.

The other holes, though, continue to feel gaping until I refill them.  And I am.  ...slowly.

The first one that I filled was mascara. I don't generally wear much make-up because I stay at home with my kiddos most of the time. When I do get out of the house, I will put on some form of make-up.  My go-to, besides chapstick (which some might argue is not actually make-up...), is mascara.  I had been using Covergirl for the longest time, but it actually made my eyes itchy and water. No good. I switched it out for Physicians Formula organic wear black mascara.  I can't even tell the difference between the conventional and the organic one. ...excepting that I don't feel the need to rip out my eyes.

Also in the make-up department, I have gone to a mineral foundation. I was finding that anything conventional would make my rosacea flare up like crazy.  I would wear some on Sunday for church and then I couldn't touch my face for weeks for fear of pain.  I thought I had been using a good mineral foundation from a company that sells things through home parties...but I looked it up on EWG's website, after a huge flare up, and what do I find, but that it is an EIGHT...out of ten!  I stopped using it almost immediately, and started asking other people what they used. Once I got a few different answers, I did my research on them and made a decision.  I now have a foundation from Pure Anada. I love it. They are also a Canadian company...so I'm biased.  : )  But! Seriously, it covers blemishes with very little product.  My only complaint is that if you are not one of their stock colors (which I am borderline not) you have to buy two or three to mix together to get your shade.  That being said, if you do that, you will not have to buy more for almost an eternity!

Just yesterday, I got some mineral eye shadow and blush. I haven't used them yet, but they are pretty and I'm excited to. I'll let you know how it goes.

My favourite replacement to date has been nail polish.  Now, nail polish doesn't exactly become perfect when it goes more natural. It can only go MORE natural instead of natural.  I have always been a polish lover. I even had the water-based peel off kind that came with Barbies back in the day. I really got in to it when I turned 12. I got polish as gifts, I bought it with allowance...I had all the colors I could use.  This love affair briefly stopped when I had my son. I didn't want him sucking on my neatly painted nails for fear he would gnaw off the enamel and ingest it. I had almost stopped altogether until I heard about more natural polish!  I will tell you more in a separate post coming soon, so I won't spoil it here.  But, let me just say, I am full force back on the nail polish bandwagon!

I have replaced a bunch of other personal products, but this post is getting too long, so I will finish my list another day.

Have you replaced anything lately?
XO,
Bliss


ps. none of the companies mentioned have asked me to write this.

Losing My Appetite

It's been almost a year since I decided not to use shampoo. It is hard for me to believe. I've also stopped using commercial lotions and we only have castile soap in all of our hand soap dispensers. It has been a who in switching over, but we have done it.

My biggest complaint, months ago, was that I missed fragrance in my shampoo. While that is still true, I've found that I've lost my affinity for artificial fragrance. Once a week, I have been using a hair soap (it's a castile shampoo) and conditioner. I found that using just the straight baking soda and apple cider vinegar worked, but every so often I would just get an oily build up.  Most likely it was from an over use of AVC, but I could never find the balance. Instead, I keep using the the BS/ACV during the week and the natural shampoo/conditioner on the weekend.  It works super well.

This hair soap though, has fragrance! Or should I say it is fragranced with grapefruit essential oil. It is marvelous. Using a real scent instead of synthesized has really won me over.

So, now, I'm finding that I've lost my *need* for the 'fake' scents. It's probably a good thing as most of them are phalates that can mess with your endocrine system.

I'm also finding that I'm losing my appetite for other things that are toxic to my body, like sugar. I have a sweet tooth, I always have, but Hubs and I have been working on eliminating all unnecessary sugars. It has been hard for me, but I realized yesterday, in the aftermath of a dessert potluck (read: eating leftovers), I really didn't like the overly sweet cake that I had made. (that being said, the lemon bars we to DIE for...in a metaphorical sense, of course) It was kind of a startling revelation for me. One that I am actually fairly excited and pleased for.

Have you lost your appetite at all?
xo,
Bliss

Purging.

For the last while, I've been reading a book about the biblical perspective on money. It's called Money, Possessions and Eternity and it's by Randy Alcorn. It's been wonderful. I feel like I'm learning a lot.  It's brought up the extremes of asceticism and materialism, and how both are wrong. It's fascinating. My worldview is changing. I love it.

On a related note, but not as a direct result, Hubby and I have been deep cleaning our house and purging things we either haven't used or really don't need. We're throwing lots away, putting much into the garage sale/give away box, and just generally re-organizing our lives in order to push for peace.

I find it amazing what we have accumulated just since we moved here a year and a few months ago. Also, how much stuff we re-buy because we can't find it...like garlic. I think we had something like 3 bags of powdered garlic in the spice cupboard, not to mention cinnamon!  I think we had a bulk container, 2 bottles and then a few bags on top of that. How we couldn't find it, don't even ask!

As we are cleaning, I feel a weight being lifted. It's as if to say we really don't need any of these possessions, but we are grateful for what we do have.  I am relearning that we don't *own* anything, but it is all on loan from God and that HE has given it to us to bless others with.

I feel like I'm starting to let go of the toxic burden of materialism an basking in the freedom of blessing. I'm going through my clothes and figuring out what I wear and what I don't and getting rid of a ton!...Organizing other clothes into maternity and too big as well! I've put shirts into bags to repurpose into t-shirt yarn, and have actually done it.

Today I went through my yarn stash and am working on a blanket to get rid of the majority of left overs that I just can't seem to use up. Perhaps when it is finished, I'll post a picture...or learn how to at least. :)

It's a good feeling.

Do you need to purge anything?

XO,
Bliss

Guzzling

So, I challenged you last time to drink more water.

How's it going?

For me, I've been dong fairly good. I've gotten on average 3 liters a day! I'm pushing for four. My goal, I think is about 5. We'll see how that goes. I don't know if I have time to a) drink that much water in a day or b) use the restroom that frequently.

One thing I am really trying to do is get in at least one full liter before anything else enters my body in the morning. No milk or food stuffs before the water. Why?!


The firs thing that always comes up when you google water before breakfast is weight loss. While this is an awesome side benefit, it is not the main reason I drink a ton before feeding myself. The main reason is to flush out toxins my body has ousted while I was fast asleep. The body tends to purge itself of nasties at night, and the easiest way to get them out of your liver and so on is to drink water and lots of it.

Another reason is it helps to hydrate you again after quite a few hours of nothing. It also aides in digestion and keeping you regular.

One thing I do want to address, though is drinking TOO much. Some say it can't be done, but others do. I would like to cover some of my bases, as I am by no means from the medical profession, or taken any kind of natural medicine courses either.

Too much water can kill you. Beyond drowning, it can off set your electrolytes and screw with you. It can also replace the want or the feeling that you need to eat and lower your caloric intake far too drastically.  But, from what I've read, it LOTS of water and all at one time. SO - I guess be careful and don't drink your 2-5 liters all at one time!

Have a watery day,

xo,
Bliss!

Drinking Water

I have always hated blogs that constantly apologize for long absences...but, I'm finding that I am turning into that kind of blogger. I thought I could keep this up at a regular pace, but I'm finding that close to impossible. Perhaps in the next few weeks I'll get back in to the swing of things.  Until then - I am sorry for those of you who check back regularly and find nothing has changed. It is quite disappointing. 

So, as you read last time, I want to challenge you to drink more water.

There are so many reasons to drink more water.  I, personally, have a few reasons that I've started drinking as much as I can stand a day. (which, I have to admit is going up and down regularly. Some days, I'll get in as much as 3 litres, but others...maybe 1...)

For me, the need for water drinking was brought to my attention because of my rosacea. I had started researching ways to reduce flare ups as well as possibly get rid of it all together.  There is not much you can do for rosacea other than not getting it, going on medication, or lasers.  Well, the first option isn't open to me. Medicines are a no go, and lasering is a LAST resort. A few web sites said one thing, many said nothing.  One thing that was agreed upon by most, however, was to DRINK water. LOTS and LOTS of water.  There was science behind it.  I was sucked in.

Basically, there are a few things water can do for me. It helps with flushing (vascular dilation...by maintaining body heat), flushing out toxins through the liver, hydrating my skin, and keeping me from being thirsty.

There are so many other reasons to drink water!
- losing weight
- less sugar consumption (as compared to soda pop or juice)
-helps keep you regular
-decrease the risk for certain kinds of cancer
-aids in proper cellular formation

...and so many more reasons!


SO!

I challenge you! Drink more!  I, personally, have resolved to drink 1 liter of water before anything else when I wake up in the morning. I will try to drink at least two more liters through out the day as well.

What are you going to do?

Not so thirsty,

XO,
Bliss