Gavin – Costa Rica, February 2013

What a breath of fresh air. Our son Gavin has had GI issues ranging from Heartburn to Belly aches for months now, along with his constant worry & stress (can’t imagine where that comes from, hmm?). Anyway, a couple of months ago we took him to our old pediatrician (not a fan of MD’s, it had been over 6 years). We got the ears/nose check, heart beat listened to, blood pressure, ya know the routine. Gavin told him a bit about his problems and the Dr. told him he seemed fine, to try to go without dairy a couple of weeks to see if that made a difference and see ya.  Okie Dokie then.  Today we took him to a well respected Kinesiologist, recommended to us by several friends.  Night and Day. He was in with Gavin and I for almost two hours, really got to know him and his problems both physical and emotional. Talked to him about how stress manifests itself in the body physically, took his heart rate and blood pressure several times, both sitting and standing, etc. Muscle tests, meridian tests, talked to me about my pregnancy with him and how the birth went and how that may have led to some of his stress (I’d already thought this myself).  It was just a wonderful experience, the best Dr. experience of my life really, and the kids loved it too! Addy was with us. She turned to me at one point “he’s not a normal dr.”. Nope.  Anyway, as suspected Gavin is sensitive to Dairy, but not all dairy. Dairy has two enzymes, Casein and Lactose, he’s sensitive to Lactose, so most cheeses are still ok:-). Yay! But the big one is he’s sensitive to Gluten, I was afraid of that.  But he’s so happy to know what’s up and that his Acid Reflux is stress related.  Whew:-).

Peace!

Kids with a friend we visited in Maryland.

It’s official, the kids are falling comfortably into the world of Un-schooling. Waking up around 10-10:30 after being up till after midnight. Our mornings are peaceful now, no rushing around getting dressed, breakfast and grabbing notebooks and homework to get out the door to be at school by too darn early.  We’re happily well into our 2nd year as an Un-schooling family and couldn’t love it more, the peace and ease of our days, how much more we’re connected now as a family not being torn away from each other for 7 hours a day, 5 days a week. No homework or reading requirements, it’s all done when the desire arises and without pressure or force. We have friends in many states, we travel as often as possible to have new and many experiences.  I love seeing them develop on their own schedule, not one regulated by the state. They’re not falling behind or bored by being ahead because they’re not on anyone’s level but their own, no pressure. They naturally learn about the things that their passions direct them towards, what a liberating feeling for them.  Truly has been the best thing for our family.

Peace.

There are two distinct parts to our time in Arizona, the incredible beauty of the landscapes and national parks and the kitschy, retro feel of Route 66 ‘The Mother Road’. Both were throughly enjoyed! We crossed into Arizona knowing we’d be stopping for an overnight in Holbrook, home of the Wigwam Motel. This is one of seven Wigwam Hotels that existed in the 1930′s-1950′s from FL to CA. This one gets more notoriety due to it’s location on the Historic Route 66 and it’s proximity to several Native American Reservations. More recently it is one of two Wigwams that was inspiration for the Cozy Cone Motel’s design in the Disney Cars Movie. Can you see the resemblance?

It wouldn’t be a trip down Route 66 without, “Standing on a corner in Winslow, AR”, so that’s just what we did. There was really little else you could do in this town, well except The Standing on a Corner gift shop. If you’re an Eagles or Route 66 fan this shop is for you!

A quickie tip today:

Only run your dishwasher and washing machine when fully loaded. Fewer loads reduce energy and water use.

Peace!

You’ve Reduced the amount of packaging, and otherwise recyclable items that you’ve brought into your home, Re-purposed & Re-used others, so now what you have left over must be recycled. But what to do with all those items?  The good news: it’s getting much easier all over the country, the bad news: it’s not necessarily the same from county to county and what the heck to with those old electronics and batteries and leftover paint and… You get the picture.

I found a couple a websites to help you out. At Earth911.com you  input your zip code and what needs to be recycled and up pops options in your area. To find recycling centers in your area go to RecyclingCenters.org to search by state.

Confused about plastic recycling?  Wondering what those numbers in triangles mean?  This can help!

Design by Under • Distributed by 32oz.com

To find out more about the Do’s and Dont’s of recycling, Waste Management has set up a Recycling for Residents informational page.

Peace!

Reuse glass jars for EVERYTHING!

Ok, so we’ve covered a bit of Reducing, and to begin the topic of Reusing/Repurposing I’d like to share one of the ways we do here at our home. Glass Jars!

Just over a year ago I knew that with the move to our new home we would be working towards eliminating Plastic from our home. I began saving every glass jar.  I had already started NOT purchasing products sold in plastic and seeking products in glass instead. I sold all of our Tupperware and other plastic containers, stopped buying Zip-loc bags, etc.  We now have over 100 glass jars that we use for everything. Leftover storage, food transport (like the photo above for beach picnic), food storage (rice, flour, sugar, etc.), growing windowsill sprouts, crafty things like beads & little trinkets, my homemade toiletries, the list goes on and on. It’s important to save them in all shapes and sizes. If I have too many I offer them up to friends or bring them to GoodWill.  This way I’m keeping the glass out of the trash and keeping the nasty plastic toxins out of our body!  Give it a try. You have to start somewhere.

Peace!

*** Darn computer hiccup! Sorry for the delay. ***

Glass water bottles!

Now to wrap up Reducing! I wanted to showcase a website that specializes in products to help you go disposable-free! It’s called fittingly named Reusit! They carry a wide range of products that will make it easier to reduce our throw away lifestyle.  It’s a great place to browse around for ideas on how to reduce, what to purchase instead of one-use items.

A few items I love are, the Stainless Steel Drinking Straws, the Glass Water Bottles and a favorite of mine, the Flip &  Tumble REUSABLE Produce Bags!

Enjoy!

Peace!

We are better than this! Go reusable!

So now that you know there are many reasons to reduce the amount of plastic you take into your life, how do you do it?

Ways to reduce Plastic & More!

The big three: Say NO to disposable items (things you use once & throw away). Plastic bags, water/other beverage bottles, utensils/straws, etc.

Instead:

Get in the habit of using reusable bags for ALL your shopping, not just at the grocery store. Bring them everywhere.  It took me about a year before I was remembering every time, but now I have a system and so many reusable bags that they’re always in the car and ready to go. I also have a stash just inside the front door so they are visible and can be grabbed on the way out if needed.

Stop buying water in bottles!!!! Purchase a couple of stainless steel reusable bottles. They come in many sizes now, some even thermo for keeping things hot or cold (these hot ones are great for bringing to your favorite coffee shop). If you do purchase a plastic reusable, make sure it’s at least BPA-FREE or made of recycled materials. But this is not the best option for your health.  Try to go Stainless or glass.

We are still in the process of developing this habit, but we bring our own straws (glass or stainless) to restaurants (we forget sometimes still), then we just say NO Thank you:-).  We also try to always have utensils with us so we don’t have to use the plastic for take out, etc. Oh, and a biggie that I’m REALLY working on is having a to-go container (glass jar) to take home leftovers.

Check out Reusit.com for a great selection of reusable items from straws, to lunch bags/containers, produce bags, etc.

If you are ready to go a step or two further with reducing plastic it’s time to start being aware of everything that comes in plastic. I know, daunting! In our home we make our own laundry detergent, toothpaste, some toiletries, buy bar shampoo and conditioner and look for alternatives to plastic in the grocery store. You can also purchase produce bags or not use them at all. Look for loose produce instead of those packaged in plastic or buy bulk at least.  Squeeze your own juices or look for those in cardboard instead of plastic, same with milk products.

Did you know?

 Almost all chewing gum is made from plastic? That’s right. When you’re chewing gum, you’re chewing on plastic.  Read more about plastic in chewing gum here.

This and a wealth of information found at Plastic-Free Life!

 Other tips on REDUCING!

• Purchase reusable and refillable containers to use in your home instead of disposable items. Think about ways to reuse items in your home. Look for ways to reduce the amount of trash you throw in the garbage by making good purchasing decisions and looking for ways to reduce.
• Stretch your dollar and help the environment by diluting your dish and hand soap. When it’s overly concentrated it creates more bubbles/foam and take more water to rinse off and it’s used up more quickly. When you get home pour half into another container and fill with water. It’s two for one:-).
• Purchase items with the least packaging possible and buy bulk for items you know you use most frequently.
• Only buy what you need and compost your food waste. (According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 27 percent of the nation’s total food supply — 97 billion pounds — went to waste in 1995. Food is wasted in many ways, such as preparing too much, letting fresh food go bad and buying too much.)
  
•  Make your own cleaning products. Why bring all those chemicals into your home anyway when so much can be done with simple baking soda & vinegar. Lemons or other citrus fruits are great too! Make a simple mixture of white vinegar, water and essential oils for most cleaning jobs.
• Baking soda for cleaning sinks, tubs, and toilets, and for freshening drains.
• Vinegar in a pump spray bottle for mirrors and shining chrome. For cleaning windows, use vinegar or soap and water, and dry with rags or a squeegee.
• Plant-based detergents for cleaning counter tops in the kitchen, bathroom or office, tile, fixtures, appliances and walls. Look for those that disclose all of their ingredients.
• Rags and non-scratch sponges for all-purpose cleaning. You don’t need throwaway towels made from bleached paper.
• Vegetable oil with lemon juice makes a good furniture polish.
• Borax is a simple laundry detergent that can be used along with “washing soda” to clean clothes.

For more information on how to reduce go to Reduce.org!

I hope these tips have provided a good start to reducing your Carbon Footprint so far. Next we tackle Recycling!
Peace!

This issue of REDUCING PLASTIC USAGE is one I’m very passionate about. I don’t believe plastic is something we can completely remove from our lives, nor do I believe we should, but there are ways of drastically reducing it in our everyday lives. Below are ways plastic negatively effects our planet and ourselves.

OMGoodness! So I began to list the negative effects, began to explain them, looked it over and I WAS OVERWHELMED, and thought Whooaaa, I better tame this. Though it’s true there is Soooo much information, let’s get to the meat!

Did you know?

Plastic water bottles produced for U.S. consumption take 1.5 million barrels of oil per year….That much energy could power 250,000 homes or fuel 100,000 cars for a year….   -USA Today

Bisphenol A (BPA), Polyvinyal Chloride (PVC), polycarbonates and phthalates, these are chemical compounds found in the manufacturing of plastics that leach into the contents within the plastic containers and cause a host of negative health issues. These are food containers, plastic wrap, water and beverage bottles, pacifiers, baby bottles, etc., etc., etc. The list goes on and on.

Did you know?

These toxic effects are made worse by heating? Yep, are you still microwaving with plastic wrap over a bowl or reheating on plastic plates? Are you washing your plastic plates & cups in the dishwasher? Putting hot food on plastic plates? All this breaks down the plastic and aids in the leaching process! Do you purchase bottled water? Leaching, especially when you leave it in a hot car.

The big ones to AVOID are plastic beverage bottles, cling wrap and zip-lock bags. Well, I’m actually much more anal than this, but I’m nutso, so….

 Watch this video for more info on how we’ve been led to believe we NEED bottled water and the waste of resources we use making them.

Did you know?

Plastic creates toxic pollution at every stage of its existence: manufacture, use, and disposal. Plastic is a material that the Earth cannot digest. Every bit of plastic that has ever been created still exists, including the small amount that has been incinerated and has become toxic particulate matter.

So Where does it go?  Here’s one, The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.  Though this is just one of several garbage patches in our oceans. This one is said to hold over 3.5 million tons of junk, 80% of it PLASTIC!  What’s this doing?  You’re really going to have to read further, the link above has some great information!  Also, this video below and then there are these images!

This so hurts my soul, that we humans have allowed this to happen. I feel responsible, please note this is different than feeling guilty. It has moved me to do my part, as much as I can, for me, my kids, their kids, the future of our amazing planet. Tomorrow’s post will focus on action, what you can do, baby steps. Don’t get overwhelmed! It is a big problem, but change can happen, one person at a time! That’s you:-).

Links to websites and documentaries I recommend for further education on plastic:

Back2Tap – Reducing waste, providing clean water
Bag It – Documentary
Plastic Oceans – Documentary
Tapped – Documentary
The Story of Stuff Project – Documentary and Website/Project
My Plastic-Free Life – Blog
 

• Bisphenol A or BPA – a chemical compound widely used in the manufacturing of food & beverage containers, baby bottles, beverage bottles and aluminum can lining, (#7 for recycling), etc. It is leached into the contents which the plastic container is holding, then we eat/drink the contents. BPA is also absorbed into the skin from dental sealants, toothbrush bristles and receipt paper from the grocery store and gas station! Linked to many adverse health effects including: endocrine disruptor, mimics estrogen, increases the occurrence of diabetes, heart disease, and high levels of certain liver enzymes. In women with everyday contact there is an increase in miscarriages, polycystic ovarian syndrome which is known to cause infertility, baldness, and ovarian cysts. There have been 100′s of studies in animals that have shown obesity, breast and prostate gland cancer, early puberty, low sperm count, infertility, and reproductive organ defects.

BPA has begun to be more strongly regulated or banned BUT a study published in the Environmental Health Perspectives Journal reports:

“Almost all commercially available plastic products we sampled—independent of the type of resin, product,or retail source—leached chemical shaving reliably detectable EA (estrogen activity),including those advertised as BPA free. In some cases, BPA-free products released chemicals having more EA than did BPA-containing products.”

• Polyvinyal Chloride or PVC – Found in plastic marked with #3 for recycling (Food packaging, plastic wrap, containers for toiletries, cosmetics, crib bumpers, pacifiers, toys, water pipes, garden hoses, auto upholstery, inflatable swimming pool). Also leaches chemical phthalates from the containers. Health effects include, decreased lung function, increased weight gain, increased resistance to insulin, low sperm count and DNA damage to sperm. There have also been studies that show infant males exposed to this chemical have negative reproductive development.
• The Pacific Instituteestimates that in 2006:
  • Producing the bottles for American consumption required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil, not including the energy for transportation
  • Bottling water produced more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide
  • It took 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water

Let’s begin the discussion of the Three R’s, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  This is a really big subject so I’m breaking it down over a week or so beginning with REDUCING!  It really begins here, at the point of purchase, because if you don’t bring it home in the first place then the other two R’s are a moot point. Let’s think about what we recycle, plastic, glass, metal, paper, etc.  Now let’s talk about which of these are the worst for our environment and our health? PLASTIC! Ok, how and where can we reduce and/or eliminate plastic? Think about it! Let’s make a list of plastic items we purchase:

water & other drink bottles
toiletries
cleaning supplies
many processed food items
other foods, breads, produce (and those unnecessary produce bags)
most DISPOSABLE items (cutlery, cups, plates, straws, etc.)
bags (yes those pesky plastic, completely unnecessary bags)
Ooooh, and straws!

I think that’s a good start! I’m going to leave you today with that. Think about all the plastic items you purchase, are there any you could give up, make yourself or purchase something in glass or cardboard material instead?

Tomorrow we’ll talk about the WHY! Why is plastic undesirable, for you, your family and the environment!

Peace!