Steps to a healthier home-Part 1 Take a pass on petroleum.

I am starting with this one because I just needed to start somewhere.  I know there are so many complications and scary things in our lives that none of us are looking for new ones.  This post is not intended to scare, but to educate.  My prayer is that, as with any information I post, you would take it in and let it tumble around in your head.  As it tumbles, pray about the specific things that God would have you do to address this part of your life.  It may be nothing or it may be a huge change!  Only you know what will work for you and your family.

In the title of this blog I say to take a pass on petroleum.  Seems easy right?  When you think petroleum you might think Vaseline or gasoline.  How many of you think of Ziploc baggies or baby bottles?  The sad fact is that, along with Vaseline, many of our beauty and skin products are produced with petroleum of some form.  And, along with gasoline, most all of the plastic products that we use everyday are produced with petroleum. 

So what, you say?  What's the big deal, right?  We have been using these things forever and it hasn't hurt us!  Unfortunately, that is a lie.  The government and the consumer market have been happy to propagate those lies in order to keep the peace and keep the money flowing.  After all, most of us won't make a change in our habits unless there is some shocking evidence to support that change.  I have some basic facts about the dangers of petroleum products and plastics.  They are not headline news but they are worthy of a second look.  There are many great articles out there so I will not try to reproduce my own.  Check out these links to get a better understanding of the dangers such as: links to breast cancer, endocrine issues, infertility, male hormonal issues, and pregnancy complications or miscarriage. 

 (The info on BPA is particularly scary: "Scientists have linked very low doses of bisphenol A exposure to cancers, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes, and hyperactivity, among other problems."  These are all of the top helath issues in America right now!)

       

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51115.asp

http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-health.html

http://www.ehhi.org/reports/plastics/

http://www.ecologycenter.org/factsheets/plastichealtheffects.html

http://healthychild.org/5steps/5_steps_5/

Now that you are informed, are you ready to cry and move into a dirt hole?  Yeah, I feel that way sometimes too.  So what can we do?  There were some great ideas in a few of the articles, but making so many changes at once can be overwhelming.  I will show you where we (my family and I) are in regard to petroleum products.

Our first step was an easy one.  NO PETROLEUM JELLY!  There are so many other choices when looking at skin care.  For the basic Vaseline we now use coconut oil or olive oil.  Finding non-petroleum skin products is a bit more challenging but we have worked our way into that one by looking at ingredients and trying to choose the best product that we can afford long-term. 

Next, we started shifting from plastic food storage to glass or metal.  This one is by far the easiest.  It can take some getting used to because, well, glass breaks.  We are much more careful now.  We have used Pyrex storage containers but my biggest help in this step has been canning jars.  We use them for everything!

The pantry

The fridge.

They are great for storage and are so nice for heating up leftovers.  (We try to NEVER heat plastic or store hot things in them.)  You can use them in a million different ways.  There is some concern over the lids having BPA.  I use them but am careful not to let the food touch the plastic part of the lid or to heat the food with the lid on.  For the most part, I feel safe about it.  If you are really concerned you can look into Tattler Lids.

Another thing we have done to reduce our exposure to plastics is to throw away the plastic cups!  We bought cheap sturdy glass cups that have been great for our family.  (Sorry but throw-away water bottles are one of the worst plastics for leaching BPA so find some good stainless steel bottles and fill 'em up at home!)

 We also steep our tea bags to make iced tea in our french press and have recently bought a glass tea pitcher to replace our plastic one!  Whew! 

We are a long way from being plastic-free but we are making our way there.  We still have cabinets that look like this...

This is dubbed the "plastic cabinet."

As with everything else that I post about, I want to encourage you, not harm you.  So take it one step at a time.  This is a journey and every step we take moves us closer to better health for us and our families.  Do your research and figure out what you can do that will stick.  Realize that there are lots of things that we can't change, like our dependence on gasoline and plastic.  So don't fret about those things.  Concentrate on making choices for your own little space in the world!  Your healthier family will thank you. 

 

When boys become men.

I love it when I get a glimpse of what my boys might be like as men.  Several days ago, they got the idea to workout.  They set up a circuit and planned out the times for each exercise.  Asher had everything coordinated perfectly.  It is fun to imagine 10 years from now when they are teenagers and hope that they still want to workout together.  Here are the pics...

This is the set up.  Not too sure what we have going on here but they knew just what they were doing.  (Notice Levi on the ground with a 5 pound weight dangling above his head.  Yeah, I noticed that too.)

Go Zaddy!

Now this little guy I still want to see as my little baby boy.  Not even close to a man yet.

Well....Maybe he's closer than I think.  He asked me to take a picture of his silly face.

Note*  The pictures were in "honest form."  So no judging my Saturday afternoon house.  It stays like that until Monday.  If you make a surprise visit on the weekend, don't say that you weren't warned.

I wanted to say that I am in the process of creating a "series" of sorts on easy steps to a do-able more natural way of living.  I am hoping to list the steps we have taken (and are still planning on taking) to a whole-health way of life.  This means I will discuss everything from food to flowers and cleaning to compost.  Please be patient with me while I decide where to begin.  I want to provide you with the best and most reliable information that I can find.  Once you understand the reasons behind doing some of the things we do, you might just be inspired to take on a few small changes of your own!  I am not an expert by any means but I am passionate and determined so I have learned a few things along the way.  We still have a LONG way to go to be where I would like us to be.  Striving is part of the journey!  So I hope to begin soon!  -Little Wife 

RANDOM...

This is another piece of furniture that Matt rebuilt for me.  We found it in the trash.

I love everything about it!  Thanks honey!

Pintrest is great.  Matt made these monster-knee patches for Levi.

Hi there cutie.

My son Asher would make the best janitor.  He is so thorough and hard working.  Plus he makes great warning signs.  This one shows that slipping on this wet floor will defiantly make your head pop off.

We got a beautiful snow!  The kids had a ball.

Zaddy

Asher's snow angel.

Levi didn't get to go out but we brought the snow to him.  He is a big fan of eating snow.  This is a good way to make sure he eats the clean stuff. 

Trying to keep my cool.

This morning I read an article about Rick Santorum and his wife making comments concerning women in combat.  The comments ran into the subject of women in the workplace and how radical feminism told women that the only way they could truly be fulfilled and successful was in the workplace.  The Santorums supported moms at home saying that Mrs. Santorum has two degrees in nursing and law but chose to stay home and raise a family.  I am sure the man commenting below is a nice man and I am really trying not to pass judgement.  My question is, if he is so concerned about defending a woman's place in society, how can he make such sexist and stereotypical remarks?  Read for yourself...     

"I have to wonder something.

Why exactly did Rick's wife Karen spend the enormous amount of time and money to go through both law school and nursing school -- if she had no intention of actually pursuing those careers?

Was she just trolling around looking for a sugar daddy? Seems like it. Otherwise, she essentially wasted years of her life getting professional degrees -- and then not using any of her knowledge or skill to help society.

At the end of the day, it appears she was lucky enough to find a husband who could support her (he being on the public dole almost the entire time) so she could stay home and school her brood. Unfortunately, in a nation where jobs are scarce, she is in the elite minority. Most of us have marriages in which both parties, like it or not, have to work full time."

Here is where I have to tell myself to breath and not start yelling at the computer.  I know it is an ignorant remark.  But I also know the only way to remedy ignorance is to educate.  Who will educate this man?  He will continue on with his life holding those ideas as truth, never knowing the other side of this issue. 

His idea that a woman would put so much time and effort into educating herself only to "waste it" by raising children is probably the most offensive.  There are so many moms that I know who are educated and who might even have worked before having children.  They have made choices about what they want for themselves and their families.  That choice includes using their highly educated minds to build up a new generation of human beings.  If there is a better use for a degree, I would like someone to tell me.  These moms don't just sling spaghetti and wash laundry.  (okay, so we do a lot of that too.) They spend time teaching their children, molding them, helping them learn to express themselves, preparing them to be productive members of society.  Hardly a waste.

There are many of us that will go on to have careers after we raise our children.  But that will just be an added bonus to an already accomplished life.  I can guarantee you that if we do go back to work, we will be most valued employees.  We will have skills one can only acquire from years of monitoring negotiations (settling arguments over who did what), multitasking (making lunch and breastfeeding simultaneously) and learning to anticipate any outcome to any situation (where will the toddler decide to poop his pants?)  We will be loyal because we have to work long enough to be eligible for retirement.  (After all, we have already worked one full career that did not come with retirement benefits.)  Lastly, employers will not have to worry about us taking maternity leave or  heading home to sick kids.  We will be living our second stage of life and will be free to dedicate ourselves to the occupation of our choosing. 

What I find humorous about this man's comment is that he seems to think that the only women who stay at home are the wives of the wealthy.  How many of us have made sacrifices to be able to stay home?  How many of our husbands have worked two jobs or worked in a job that they may not love just to allow us to do what is most important to the family?  I know there aren't any of us who think, "Hey, we've got all this extra money, I think I will just not work and have a bunch of kids so I can spend it all!"  Silly, silly man. 

We stay-at-home moms come in all different shapes and sizes.  We come from all different backgrounds.  Some of us have a PhD and some of us, a GED.  For the most part, what we have in common is a heart's desire to do the very best to give our children everything they need to grow into precious people.  We all decided a long time ago that our families are our greatest adventure.  We all know the feeling of loving something more than our own lives and living to put ourselves aside everyday.  If that makes us culturally irrelevant, then we can live with that. 

So, Mr. Opinion, next time you want to broadly generalize a group of people, leave us out of it.  Or if you choose to expel your ignorance about us again, that's okay.  We have handled much worse than you:  teething, toddlers, toilet training, teenagers...  It's just part of the job.  And it's glorious!  

*Disclaimer!!!  This blog is meant to defend moms who choose to stay at home.  It is not referring to, eluding to or in any way commenting on the choice of some moms to go to work.  Every family has a balance that has to be decided on by it's members.  I support moms, period!  So please all of my working mom sisters, don't think I am in any way saying anything negative about you.  We all have to stick together!*   

     

Guilt

Why are we, as mothers, so given to the guilt?  We feel guilty when we are the bad cop because we have to be "mean", but also when we are the good cop because we might be too permissive. 

We feel guilty when we give our kids junk to eat, but also when we deprive them of what "everyone else" is having. 

We feel guilty about having to leave our kids to go to work, or when we don't contribute to the family finances. 

We feel guilty about spending money on ourselves but also when we aren't taking care of ourselves.

We feel guilty about not being that fun-loving girl our husbands married but also worry about the mountains of things we have to do.  AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!  To much guilt.

That is by no means and exhaustive list but there is something in there for everyone.  While I can't help with those things, I can help with one thing. 

STOP FEELING GUILTY ABOUT NOT HAVING ALL HOMEMADE AND NATURAL STUFF FOR YOUR FAMILY!!!

I cannot tell you how many moms I talk to who ask me questions about the things I make for my family and then end the conversation feeling guilty because they don't make weekly bread or homemade laundry soap.  They lament about not being able to do those good things for their families.  Maybe they work and have little time for these baking bread or maybe they just have no idea where to start.  Living a more natural lifestyle is not an all or nothing thing.  It takes time to work these things into your lifestyle.  So no more guilty okay? 

Do we need to be worried about the pizza we ordered last week or the bakery-made cake that our kids had at a party yesterday?  While we have no idea what is really in that pizza and the cake is probably loaded with hydrogenated oils and artificial colors, it is not our everyday food.  So chill out and have a piece of cake. 

Remember that anything new you do for your family is one more than you did yesterday.  You don't have to replace everything in your kitchen and all of your cleaning supplies in one day.  Find something that makes sense like eliminating as much processed food from your home as you can.  Look for the products with the least amount of added ingredients and make sure you recognize what is in them. 

For example, we love to have chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese as an easy meal.  Sometimes I am on the ball and can get the soup made myself.  Other times, I just want to open a can and heat it up. However, most of the cans are loaded with MSG or yeast extract and are packed in cans lined with with BPAs.  So as an alternative I found an awesome dried chicken noodle soup that has great ingredients and is easy to make.  And it doesn't cost any more than the cans.

If you manage to find alternatives for just a few things in your home that you eat often, think of how much good you are doing for your family! 

Another example is with cleaning supplies.  Replace your everyday chemical cleaner with a simple vinegar and water spray.  You can save yourself a ton of money and use a safe and effective cleaner on a daily basis.  If you want to keep your regular cleaner for deep cleaning or for stubborn messes, that's okay.  You are doing a lot of good using the vinegar most of the time.  (FYI, there are lots of great natural cleaning products that can replace the chemical ones if you are really motivated!)

 If you do feel the tug of the back-to-basics way of life, start small. If you start with something that doesn't overwhelm you, you will be more likely to stick with it. I started 10 years ago with a few cherry tomato plants in pots and a bread machine. The only thing I knew for sure is that I liked the way it felt to provide these things with my own two hands. I knew nothing about BPA's, chemical preservatives, or the horrors of our meat industry. That came later with much questioning and research.  

Just remember, the longer you live with the awareness of what is good and bad for your family, the easier changes become.  You get used to one change and implement another.  NO GUILT!

There is enough guilt to overcome in life.  It doesn't belong in our daily care of our homes and families.  Do the best you can with what you have, commit yourself to the Lord, and pray for discernment about what is really important.

 I will post some links to easy recipes and idea that you can implement in your home.  Just remember to take a balanced approach to these things.  Pick one and start there.  See if it fits, use it for awhile and then move on to another.   Much love and blessing to all of you!

Weekly bread

Laundry soap

Deodorant

Natural cleaning supplies

         (As a disclaimer, I will be posting more in the future, about what I have learned about food safety and the health of our families.  Please remember this post and do not use the information to beat yourself over the head.  This is a very important subject to me and the main reason that I do everything I do in my household.  It is my passion.  And you know how annoying people with a passion can be.  :)  So I am hoping to be understood as informational and not judgemental.  )

Husbands are cool.

This was my little cabinet that I bought awhile back to display the china that my Grandma gave me for my wedding.  The china belonged to my Great-Grandmother Gilger.  I love it.  It was stored in boxes for years before I got this cabinet.  I really liked it but knew I would LOVE it if I could paint it.

My studly husband, who knows that I can't paint anything without making a huge mess, painted it for me!  And I do love it even more! 

Isn't the china sweet?  It reminds me of the women who have passed it down to me.

Here it is with the stuff all back in it.

I love these handles.

Look how manly he is!  Thanks honey.  You always do my little projects with excellence.  I love you!

This has nothing to do with my husband or my cabinet.  But I am so excited that I finally made some homemade ranch dressing mix, onion soup mix and chili seasoning.  So easy, cheap and much better than the store-bought stuff.

You know you're a mom of a girl when...

you have to say, several times a day, "Just take a deep breath."

you have resorted to hiding your  "important" jewelry.

there is a real fear that you will lose the opportunity parent your newest baby due to older sister ownership.

there was a period of time when pink and fluffy was the only acceptable state for any purchase. 

you still have to avoid the strong smells.  These just come in spray bottles.

you always check your lipstick before you use it.

you get that, "I totally disapprove of your behavior." look and it's not from your mom.

everything is better with sparkles

your sons won't fully believe you about anything until they have checked with their sister.

you frequently try to put on socks or underwear that are several sizes too small.

you cannot hide any emotion.

there has never been so much glitter in the world, EVER, until now.

you think you have had a private conversation only to find out she, somehow, has heard every word.

you have lost ownership of most of your high-heeled shoes.

you no longer have to ask your husband's opinion about an outfit or nail polish color.

there is inspiration for a real reflection of your own hormonal highs and lows.

you are amazed at how far eyes can actually roll back into a head.

there are brushes and hair things in every room of the house.

you have formed an alliance against stinky smells coming from the boys in the last post.

kitties and best friends are the most wonderful thing to happen to humanity.

you are so happy to see your husband give his and love attention to another female.

you are amazed that one human could be so sweet, silly, goofy, sassy and spunky all at the same time.

there is a friendship and a love that cannot be described that you know will be there forever.


I love you Jolie Kay.  We will have a new list of things to write when your baby sister gets here.