Time to Change Habits?

Actually, that's not a question, that's a no-brainer.

But let's talk about WHY.

Inspired by this article on the Mother Nature Network, a site I've been crawling over the past few weeks - great articles... http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/9-habits-that-may-do-more-harm-than-good ... I don't actually have a problem with any of these things, myself, personally. Not one of these things is a habit of mine. (Hmmmm.... )  But I sure as hell know a lot of people that do have them. Let's do them one at a time, shall we? My take on them is just a little different... check out what they say, come on back.

1. Compulsively using hand sanitizer.
Seems to me I have spoken on that one already. Oh yeah - triclosan is bad. People who do this make me despondent. You've got the whole germ thing on top of the stupid plastic thing. Double whammy. Don't go away mad. Just go away. I don't do this and I am rarely ever sick. But, thanks to you and your ways, we ALL have to face bigger badder worser deadlier bacteria in the future. MRSA? Thanks for that.

2. Experimenting with skincare products.
I shudder to think of the people (women) who buy something and then don't like it and then just throw it away and try something else. Or just have a cupboard/cabinet full of plastic bottles. And chemicals. Just... don't. Find something good and natural and use it. 

3. Wearing flip-flops.
The only problem I have with this one is people buying cheap flip-flops that break after a month and then get tossed and a new cheap pair comes along. Buy a fricking good pair that costs a little more and has support, for crying out loud. My pair has lasted for I think 7 years now. Flip-flops don't have to be at the height of style. You don't need a new gaddam pair every season. Quit treating them like they are disposable. Treat them like a real pair of shoes. 

4. Brushing your teeth after every meal.

I know, you'd think I'd be all about this one with my teeth. Nope - I'm a twice-a-dayer. I'm gonna go out on a limb to say I bet these compulsive brushers are the kind that replace their plastic toothbrush ever month or so. Look, if you feel the need to change out your brush more frequently than really needed, please at least get a good eco-friendly brand? Please?

5. Doing only cardio when you work out.

First World Problem. I got nuthin'.

6. Skipping meals to "save up" for later.

People are dumb. I got nuthin'.

7. Drinking only bottled water.

Do I even need to go there. No, that wasn't a question. Of course, their reason kind of boggles my mind. Flouride? For real? That's what you got? How about the CRAP that's in bottled water, how about the PLASTIC... oh never mind. Ad nauseum. That this is even still an issue - and it is, huge one - blows too many circuits in my brain. 

8. Cleaning with disinfecting products.

Another ad nauseum. I saw a commercial for Dow Scrubbing Bubbles by SC Johnson, A Family Company, with the commercial protagonist gleefully coating all surfaces with that shit. I have no chemical cleaners in our home. My home doesn't stink and we are not constantly sick. It's a little dustier (and cat-hairier right before the vacuum) than some homes, but we are not germier. Oh - dish detergent. I have that. For now. Can't lie. 

9. Loading up on nutritional supplements.

Eat better. Period. You're just peeing this stuff out. Along with your Prozac and your Lexapro and your other medications that wouldn't be half as necessary if you just ate right. And let's not forget to mention the bajillions of plastic bottles, once again, you are putting out there with your habit. Because that's actually a big thing to consider. That shit ain't gettin' recycled, much as you want to tell yourself it is.

Habits. Break them. Don't look at me, I don't have kids. I actually should be gleefully trashing the planet without a care. Whoa, but look, I'M NOT.

Nothing But Soap

Still buying cleaners from the store, with dubious ingredients, from companies that have been purchased by larger corporations that make other bad products? Still believe the corporate line that you need a million different bottles of cleaners for each room of the house? I have an alternative. I have many, actually, but this is the one I will talk about today!

I "met" Amber Perks as we meet so many people these days - on Facebook. Amber-Nothing-But-Soap, she goes by. (http://www.facebook.com/nothingbutsoap?ref=ts) What's the deal on this? I'd always meant to check out her products, but one day she said she'd love to send samples to anyone who wanted to review her products. I hit her up for that immediately! I actually do like to talkabout good stuff, every once in awhile. That stuff exists. May not seem like it from my usual talk...

But here it is. Amber sent some laundry detergent and Lemon Cleaning Scrub. Now of course I am an avowed Soap Nuts aficionado, but I will try other things so that I can let other people know about them! My husband kept beating me to the laundry (oh darn), and he is all about soap nuts and would not stray, but I can say that when I finally got to use the Grapefruit Laundry Soap that Amber sent, it was quite nice. She lists all ingredients right there on her site and on the label. And just the tiniest hint of essential oils. Or even unscented if you prefer. She makes a variety of scents for whatever you may like. I highly recommend trying them for yourself.

But the Lemon Scrub!!! I am HOOKED!!! Again, she lists the natural ingredients right there for you: Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Borate, Lemon Juice (!!), Vinegar, and Lemon Essential Oils. Um... that's awesome! If I ever made my own, that's what I would use! But I don't have to because Amber does! And look at the packaging! That's not a plastic bottle. She sent a little sample bag, and we need to use so little that I still have plenty left. It goes a long way. And before you look at her price and think that it sound like a lot, stop to think about the number of different cleaners you have for the kitchen and the bathroom. You can use this one product in the kitchen sinks, your cutting boards, the bathtub, bathroom sink, toilet... I shudder to think of the gawd-awful chemicals we flush when we clean toilets. Did I mention that you don't have to hold your breath while using this scrub, and run out of the room to breathe again? Really, if you have to do that, there is something seriously wrong. My white enamel kitchen sink has really never looked better. I noticed the shiny difference immediately. The husband had beaten me to that too (OK, he gets to work from home, I don't, he SHOULD be doing that LOL), and one look in the sink had me saying, is this from the lemon scrub?? Yup.

Amber has made the perfect blends. If you are like me and just don't get around to *making* your own, let Amber do it. She makes them all herself... from her home to yours. You can support small business AND have a really clean home without harsh chemicals, or you can keep on buying Mrs. Meyer's that isn't even Mrs. Meyer's anymore. I know what I plan to do.

Here's your link: http://www.scrubnaturally.com/ Go for it.

Big Oil and Big Corp Out of My Life

Big oil is all over our lives in ways we rarely realize. Petroleum products abound in the most subversive places. Just look in your shower: petroleum in your shampoo bottles AND your shampoo. Big corporations that care nothing for the environment make your liquid soap in more plastic bottles. Disposable razors. Scrubbie poufs of plastic. That little tiny area in your bathroom is full of the worst of it, when you stop to think about it. Forget the rest of that room; the shower has enough horrors. Right down to the toxic chemical cleaners you use to clean it, the detergents on your towels, the frequency with which you wash said towels... (Seriously, anyone who uses a towel ONCE and puts it in the wash needs to leave the planet. Seriously. If you know someone like this, please feel free to push them off during the next rotation.)

I feel pretty good about my shower area. I've done away with shampoo and conditioner, having replaced them with baking soda and apple cider vinegar, neither of which come in plastic containers. I will NOT use liquid bath soap. I'm not sure why this particular product is so incredibly popular.  (Please tell me if you know!) Full of petroleum products and other chemicals. And fake fragrances. I've thought about it, and really I can't see why bar soap is not just plain good enough. It's surely cheaper. We do pay a little more for ours, because we just love Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap in bar form, especially in tea tree or peppermint. We are OK paying a little more for this all-natural soap because, frankly, we are saving so much not buying shampoo that it's basically a wash. (HAH! No pun intended.)  I make sure to use a razor that only replaces the head. I use them forever, and I've had the same handle for, I think, 4 years now. That comes out to be cheaper than the disposables, too. I use a natural loofah instead of a scrubbie-pouf. Those bug me. They work great with liquid soap, I suppose, but, see above. And I've done away with moisturizers in plastic containers with suspect ingredients: I have a little container in my shower with a bit of olive oil. I put some on my face after washing it, and the remaining time in the shower lets it sink in SO nicely. Turns out I really don't need to spend $20+ on something that only sort of works. Thank you, Mother Nature. Hugs.

So, I feel pretty good. I am not giving money to companies like SC Johnson and Dow; instead supporting the smaller companies. I am not throwing away countless plastic bottles every year. And I am not using petroleum on my hair and body. What can you do?

It's the little victories. And they add up.

***Aside anecdote: I have a few little hotel bottles on the sill of my shower window for just-in-case times. (And because I prefer to eventually slowly use them than throw them out!) I recently had surgery, and one of those very same just-in-case times came up: I dropped the soap, and could not bend over to pick it up! Ack! No worries - I used the liquid soap from the little sill-bottle. HOLY CRAP did that stuff dry out my never-dry skin. I love being given irrefutable evidence that I am doing the right thing. Nice reinforcement. But luckily I can bend over again, in case I drop my Dr. Bronners again. Shew.

When did we become too dainty to clean our toilets?

Some of these plastic products make me extra crazy when they are just completely unnecessary to our daily lives. This next one falls into that category. There's NO reason for this product to even exist. For it to be so horrifically disposable just makes it even worse.

Those little Scrubbing Bubble guys are just so cute! I've always thought so. But they've been pedalling some Earth-dangerous stuff lately. They seem to be more about plastic than cleaning these days. Here's the stuff straight from the Bubble's mouth, as it were:

" Scrubbing Bubbles® Toilet Cleaning Gel makes it easy to keep your toilet bowl clean and fresh. Simply use the Toilet Cleaning Gel dispenser to stamp a gel disc onto the inside of your toilet bowl. The discreet gel disc sits just under the rim. There's no need to touch the disc or the bowl with your hand, making Toilet Cleaning Gel more hygienic than traditional clip-on bowl cleaners.


The gel disc gradually dissolves with each flush, allowing a controlled release of clean and fresh fragrance. Each disc lasts up to one week and leaves no residue behind. Your toilet bowl will remain clean and fresh — with practically zero effort.

- One disposable, easy-to-use dispenser
- One gel holder (gel holder contains six gel discs)
- Continuously cleans and freshens with every flush
- Each disc lasts up to one week
- Leaves no residue behind
- More hygienic than traditional clip-on bowl cleaners
- Safe for septic systems "

Wow. Where to start? "Discreet". Really? It's a toilet. Why are we attempting discretion in a toilet bowl? "No need to touch" ANYTHING!! Don't touch your toilet!!! You might DIE!!! Or at least be really icky! After all, your BUTT was just on that thing. Ewwwwwww. Please tell me why we should be afraid to have to TOUCH our toilet? "More hygienic than traditional clip-on bowl cleaners": Ah. Now I get it. They are trying to replace that plastic thing you put in there with a different plastic thing that you don't have to touch. Because you know the men in your family always aimed for that clip-on. Don't touch it. It's icky. "Zero effort"... really? Is an occasional scrub of the toilet really such hard work? No wonder we have an obesity problem in this country... we can't even expend the effort to brush out a toilet.

Let's break down the physicalities of this product: each gel gob (also a lovely aiming point for men!) lasts ONE week. Maybe less, if you are a frequent-flusher (truly beyond my help and probably not reading this anyway!). 6 applications in each plastic dispenser. These dispensers are NOT refillable. You must purchase a new one every time. So... buy a new one every 6 weeks, 52 weeks in a year... so the average household with one bathroom will need to buy 8-9 of these a year. Now think about how many households might have more than one bathroom. Make that closer to 20/year or more. For one family. Multiply that by how many households Dow WISHES were using these things... mind-blowing, is it not?

All this, because we cannnot dare touch our toilets. You know, I'm pretty OK with my toilet. I'm not grossed out by it, or afraid of it. I don't DRINK out of it... but do you really want to know someone who does? I don't love cleaning behind it, but you know... We gotta do stuff we don't love to do. I still have a toilet brush. Archaic, I know. But it works. A little baking soda can do wonders for cleaning the bowl, while keeping the brush clean. Pour some white vinegar in before you go to bed. That'll disinfect it nicely. In between brushings, a tablet of fizzy denture cleaner will freshen it right up. After all, dentures have to be almost as germy as a toilet, right? If those tablets can deal with a mouth, they can handle your toilet. 

So... this product is not only wasteful, it is completely unnecessary. We do not need it. Reject it. Feel free to glare at people purchasing it, or who have it in their homes. You have the Good Green Witch's permission.

Green Gifts: Day 7

Get your aromatherapy on!

For those in your friend/family group who just love aromatherapy, it's an easy choice. Get them their favorites. And for those who always have a scent going on in the home but use chemical products, essential oils are wonderful! You can introduce them to a new world of NATURAL scents. Intimidated at trying to pick a scent for someone? Nah. Just think... when you walk into their home, do you smell cinnamon? Vanilla? Or floral scents, maybe? Lavendar? Are these scents products of Dow and SC Johnson, or Nature? If you have to say anything other than "Nature", then a holiday gift is a wonderful way to introduce someone to a greener way of smelling good. They'll be healthier, the planet will be healthier, and that makes everyone happy!

My wonderful friends back in Pennsylvania are steeped in herbology and essentials. (No pun intended!) You can check them out for great information and wonderful products. They know it all. Almost makes me wish I was still back there to learn with them! Visit Ruth and Tom at  http://www.wellcat.com/herbs.html. They rock! You can also check out the wonderful Tina at http://www.essentialherbal.com/index.php for information, products, and classes. Tina and Maryanne are the original Twisted Sisters!

On this coast, my favorite essential expert is Noelle of http://www.vimessentials.com/philosophy.php. She makes some lovely blends and sells diffusers that are amazing. I have the car diffuser that plugs right in and makes my driving experience a whole lot more pleasant. (Thanks Noelle!) What a great gift for anyone who drives a lot! You can also tune in to the Good Green Witch radio show, when Noelle came in to chat with us about aromatherapy and its many benefits:  http://www.latalkradio.com/images/Rhonda-061309.mp3

I could go on and on about the health benefits of essential oils and aromatherapy, but I'll let you visit these sites and leave it to the experts! I'm just here to suggest the gifts. Suffice it to say, any time you can convert someone to natural oils instead of cans of spray or those Glade chemical thingies, you are helping Green the world.