Throwaway Culture

Many Americans have been trained by advertisers, promoters, and marketers to see their time as so valuable (like the President of these United States) in this busy, busy, busy world, that they need shortcuts to every single chore on the planet. Too tired from working three jobs to wash your face? No problem! We've got you covered. Want to remove dust and harmless fluffies from your hardwood floor? Hey, that's too lowly a chore for someone as "exceptional" as you. Use these throw-out sheets instead. It's fun, and any idiot can do it. 

The only problem with constant convenience-themed living is that you actually need to have something really valuable to replace what you stole from nature. Want to see what your stupid fucking dryer sheets look like in our ecosystem? Here you go, ass-wipe:

http://www.cbs46.com/story/27431955/disposable-wipes-clogging-equipment-increasing-costs-for-customers

That kind of quick, easy fix doesn't seem so appealing anymore, does it? It's really disgusting, and you're not worth it. Believe me. You're not the center of the universe. Hard to fathom, but true. Instead of using paper napkins, I use cloth ones that I wash. Weird, but yes. Instead of wiping floors with throwaway wipes or paper towels, I use my old t-shirts that I dampen with water. Being evil just doesn't seem as fun anymore, right? I know.

Home: Houseplants

Me lucky charms.

You really oughta be down with the green thumb, because indoor plants are healthy all the way around. They look great, they create oxygen, and they make a space feel better. It's basic Feng Shui (http://www.amazon.com/Feng-Shui-Health-Accelerate-Recovery/dp/0609806610/ref=pd_sim_b_12), so get with it already, will you?  

A spot o' the green will do you a world of good.

Welcome to the jungle.

Home is where the heart is:

http://www.pinterest.com/mariedoucette/home/.

Food: Farming

By now, we've read the articles and seen the news stories about GMO Frankenfoods that threaten our health, and contribute to a lack of biodiversity that is the agricultural form of extinction. Monsanto controls seeds and food production, Tyson muscles farmers through their production schedules, resulting in horrible food factories that don't even feel like farming to the farmers they pay, and the old lady who wants a pear out of season (the same one who clips coupons and haggles for a bargain), is the same person who eats produce that's traveled further than she will ever travel in lifetime, having been flown in exclusively for her consumption all the way from Chile. It's a bizarre mindset that needs to change, and it slowly has.

I've posted items on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Illuminations/371196022892113), with sayings like "Growing food is like printing your own money", and how collecting rainwater is now illegal in some states, to illustrate the growing separation between food production and our day-to-day lives. Do you want to cede that power to a huge business conglomerate? Would they have your best interests at heart? Of course not. Their executives aren't paid to do that like your family doctor is, because they're paid to sell you stuff.

Into the growing debate come visionary doctors who speak out, like Dr. Joseph Mercola (http://www.mercola.com/). It's in this very climate that I've begun to see the land around us as a huge opportunity for change. When I walked by a corn patch growing in front of a modest home last week, it reminded me that I grew up surrounded by farms: the small one next door to our house, my mother's humble garden, the little orchard that used to be part of the farm next door, and fruit trees in such natural profusion, that I still find apple and cherry trees growing right by sidewalks in town (http://mariedoucette.blogspot.com/2013/06/nature-edibles.html, and http://mariedoucette.blogspot.com/2011/10/fall-harvest.html).

We have a chance to redefine our access to fresh, local, in season and affordable foods by supporting local farms, farmers, and producers through frequenting nearby farmer markets with locally made goods. Which brings me to the next motto that's gathered steam: you have three opportunities to vote every day when you decide what to eat. 
We can't always make the best decisions, for a variety of reasons (economics, availability, poor health, etc.), but thinking precedes action, and by questioning our mindsets, we've already started down the path towards change.

What will you choose to eat today?

Green Hair Care, for Curly Girls on a Budget

Hello to the all the Curly Girls, Guys, Kiddies, and people who love them! We know by now that we can't use typical drugstore products, like widely available, commercial, and typically cheap shampoos and conditioners for our hair type. It strips our hair of moisture and causes frizzies like we've been trekking through a rain forest for two days: in other words, a snarled, tangled mess.

We also know that cleansing conditioners without sulfates are the way to go, but with the best one on the market being produced from top-shelf, organic oils, it's a pricey deal for great hair. If you can afford No-Poo from DevaCare, do it. Do it now. Do it today. Just run out and buy it, curly girl, and don't look back. Thank me with years of great hair pictures on your Facebook profile, or whatever you kids do nowadays. In stores, it retails at around $15.00-$18.00 for 12 oz. of product, but I just did a search, and I found an online retailer selling it for $7.32 without tax or shipping. I can't vouch for it, because I haven't ordered from the site before: http://www.buy.com/prod/devacurl-no-poo-zero-lather-conditioning-cleanser/230761186.html?listingId=239661618.

If you're days away from a payday, or you're currently without a paycheck at all, what can you do? I found a few lower end options that you can buy in stores, for all budgets. My local drugstore chain had an organic brand called Renpure on the shelves that was on sale for around $10.00, but the picture on the 18 oz. bottle of the founders' straight-haired niece did not bode well for me. Experience agreed with my assessment, and I found that his blend did not work for my scalp type and curls. C'est la guerre.

One afternoon at my local Target, I got a cleansing conditioner that smelled like vanilla and also cost only $10, but I can't remember the name of it, just that it was in a cheerful blue bottle. I couldn't find it online, either. Booooo! May your next trip there be more fruitful than mine. Look in the multicultural section, around products like Shea Moisture and Mixed Chicks. Down and out, I had to find something else on the shelf that would work for my hair type. After a lot of searching and scrutinizing of labels, I found a Suave Naturals line that might do the trick, at the bargain price of $2.00.

It's important to remember that commercial conditioners have more than enough cleansing power for your delicate curly hair. You do not have to use shampoo, just work the conditioner through with your fingers, and scrub your scalp well. Rinse a couple of times, still massaging your scalp vigorously and working your hands through your hair, removing loose hair and excess sebum. That's it! I'm back on the same "wash every two days" schedule that I'm on with the pricier organic cleansing conditioners, though my curls are drier and not as defined like they are when I use more specifically targeted organic products for curls. The Suave label does have natural oils listed, along with some more dangerously chemically-sounding derivatives, but it's definitely better than using commercial brands that have harmful sulfates and no organic products or natural oils at all.

Happy Hunting!

Green for boys and girls

Continuing on with the green theme, I ran into an eczema emergency yesterday, after a bad night of scratching brought on from prickly radiator steam heat that neither the humidifier or olive oil could help. So, what to do? The local pharmacy chain had all the big brand names on sale, rife with Petrolatum*, that cheap viscose substance created from friction through the oil refining process. Yuck. No wonder it's readily available. And who wants to support oil-based by-products? We should be phasing those out, so we can start cutting loose from our fossil fuel dependency totally. That extends beyond cars and transportation to include any and all products made from the refinery industry. *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_jelly

Luckily for me, the local .$99 store had a green alternative called Naturals by Safety 1st for the bargain price of $1.99: an all-natural skin lotion for babies and kids made with natural ingredients. Yes! I slathered myself in it yesterday and today, and my skin feels better already. I checked a bunch of links, and it's readily available to buy online if you can't find a store in your neighborhood that carries it. Just make sure you buy carbon offsets* if it has to travel far to be delivered to your doorstep. Happy skin softening, baby!
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_offset

Green to go!

Ever on the search for green and affordable products, I decided to try a commercial deodorant I found at a local drugstore that carries a wide range of ethnic imports, which makes it a fun place to explore. I'd read that continued use of baking soda and cornstarch, while very effective for curbing bacteria and odor, could lead to irritation, and such was my case. It felt like itchy razor burn under my arms!

This new product "Herbal Clear Naturally!" satisfied my needs on all levels: completely natural, no aluminum or artificial ingredients, and the price was a deliriously low $2.50, much better than the other popular brands on the shelf that contain harmful chemicals. Score!!

I'd also wanted to try a homemade face scrub idea that I'd read about online, of a lemon half sprinkled with sugar. The exfoliation from the sugar would remove dead skin cells on the surface, allowing the citric acid to zap pours. Well, I had limes in the fridge and brown sugar in the pantry, so that's what I went with yesterday morning before my bath. It worked really, really well as an exfoliating scrub, so if you have a citrus fruit and a gritty type of sugar on hand, go for it! Be healthy and natural on a budget.

Greener Pastures

In my quest for the cheap and green, I've come upon some great deals. An old pharmacy staple from England, Yardley's Lavender Soap is a bargain at around $1.50. It lacks the harmful foaming agent Sodium laureth sulfate* that most low end cleansers use as a filler, and it smells incredible. The cardboard box it comes in is also recyclable.

As great a home cleanser as baking soda is, green and cheap, it was making my scalp irritated and itchy with continued use, so I decided to try another kitchen staple, baking powder*. Since I tend to have oily skin and hair after a few days, those of you with the same may benefit from it more, like I did. I found I can go a lot longer between rinses using a baking soda mixture because it has more acid in it. It's the same mixture as that of a baking soda rinse: one tablespoon diluted into one cup of warm water.

Happy cleansing!

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_laureth_sulfate
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baking_powder

A Green Kind of Clean

Cancer has run rampant through my family, a group known for their overall good health and robust nature. On my maternal side, there's serious longevity passed down through the women, who often live until their late 90's. But recently, minor cancers have been cropping up: first with my aunts, then my mother, a finally with my father. A more serious and life-threatening Stage Four lymphatic cancer attacked my paternal cousin, who ultimately won her long, hard battle, though not without knowing she would develop ancillary cancers as the result of her very aggressive treatments. She fought those and won, too. None of them smoke, drink, or eat to excess.

When our lifespans should be increasing, and they slowly are, isn't it natural for diseases to crop up among the aged? I used to think that, but my cousin was in her 50's at the time of her diagnosis, as was one of my aunts. So then, what is it? I remain convinced it is from the combined toxins we are constantly exposed to through the products we use and consume. A co-worker, her father a leading geneticist, told me the theory I proposed was essentially the same as her father's, a man who ran a famous lab with big, moneyed grants: cancer is the result of environment combined with genetics.

What then can we do to rule out environmental causes? Be very, very careful with the items we bring into our households. It's unfortunate that most "green" products remain more expensive than the cheaper chemical laden products we grew up with. We're also a nation on the go, used to quick, easy fixes. But, that cleaner that works so well for you carries a hefty price tag by compromising your health.

I started using green cleaners years ago, when I could afford them. The problem is, they just aren't that effective. I'm also no stranger to the recession, so I went back to using cheap cleaners laden with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate*. In of itself it may not be harmful, but more research needs to be done about how daily usage of common products interact with each other in our bodies, causing gene mutations. Since these products have been altered chemically in a lab, do we really know how that soapy bath product combines with the chemical you just washed the tub with? Probably not well, and the skin is a porous layer that opens upon immersion into warm water. * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_lauryl_sulfate.

I've been researching readily available green products for cleaning and beauty for awhile, especially those that are less costly and effective: http://www.mariedoucette.blogspot.com/2012/11/green-on-cheap.html. The experiments continue, and the very old tub in the bathroom was ripe for it. Years and layers of soap scum became immune to commercial cleansers anyway, forcing me to improvise. I'd been using baking soda as a hair rinse. Why not as a cleanser?

Buh-bye tenacious soap scum!

I was amazed at the results. It stripped away tough clinging soap scum like the most expensive, fume-laden, cough-inducing product you've ever used, and with very little elbow grease. I just used a sponge, no abrasive pad or anything like that, and it actually came away with a couple of swipes. Fantastic! Not the cleanser you buy, but the baking soda we've had in our kitchens all this time and overlooked. Give it a go. It's a $1.00 a box for something that works and isn't bad for you. How often does that happen? Not often enough, in my book.  Happy Cleaning to you!

Me, in the bathroom. Glamorous, right?

Green on the Cheap $

Living well shouldn't be the sole domain of the wealthiest among us. Most of the cheap goods offered to the American public are filled with ingredients that are not fit for consumption, like partially hydrogenated soybean oil, a insoluble fat that does not break down: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat. The same is true for the products we use to clean our home and those we use as part of our daily hygiene. I check labels for the items I buy, and I noticed a direct correlation between the cheapest products on the shelf (or on sale) and the amount of low cost but toxic items used to create them. 

I was at the grocery store register checking out items while the young cashier talked to the bagger about her arm. I noticed a big bandage and asked her what happened. She said she got a bad chemical burn from a popular oven cleaner, the kind that causes you to breathe in harmful fumes, too. We had a brief chat about healthy, green products vs. ones that work well and their price points. It's not an easy problem to solve, but we have to give it a good go.

What's a "green" girl on a budget to do? Search and do research! First on my list was a balm for my lips that's necessary during the winter months of dry heat and cold air. But, I wanted something better than petrolatum products. I know drillers discovered the viscous substance lining the pipes that pumped the rigs as a by-product of the friction from it. Are we supposed to use that on our bodies and lips, though? I'm not sure, and as someone who uses a humidifier to combat hard-to-treat hand eczema too, I had to find a solution I could afford.

I found this lip balm at a drug store chain for the bargain price of $1.67 that has a mere six ingredients listed, all natural. No mineral oil or petroleum. Score! It's been working well so far: http://www.blistex.com/products/simple-and-sensitive. Since the no-foam organic conditioning cleanser I use for my hair comes with a hefty price tag of about $16.00 for a small plastic bottle, I needed another solution for that and fast. Low and behold, an internet search turned up the simplest and cheapest solution yet. The humble baking soda, a kitchen staple that's about $1.00 a box. I mix it in with some water and it works just fine. You'll have to adjust the amount of spoonfuls you use based on how oily or dry your hair is, but it's been working thus far: http://www.wikihow.com/Wash-Your-Hair-Without-Shampoo.

Next up are the pricey and largely ineffective anti-perspirants. I have a high core temperature and a high metabolic rate that's boosted continually by my level of activities, so I need something that works and doing without just won't do. Most of the ones I've tried create an even worse smell when I bathe the next day, also staining my shirts and leaving marks on clothing. Blech. An internet search turned up an easy blend of corn starch and baking soda that I mixed in a little jar and keep in my bathroom. I've been using it for days with no irritation to my skin, no mess on my clothes, and no weird skunky smell that I usually get from commercial products. Consider me a convert. I dip a cotton ball into the powdery mix and pat my underarms with it. Problem solved: http://frugalliving.about.com/od/beautyhealthcare/qt/Deodorant.htm.

Now onto moisturizers, also costly and also highly ineffective against my eczema. Why not go natural for that, too? And I did. I poured some good old olive oil into a teacup that sits on a small table, and there's my moisturizer. After a few a days of that and running the humidifier, the eczema on my hands mostly cleared up, though there are still some dry patches. I've been using it all over as an emollient that's been fine so far, though my skin remains somewhat itchy, which it would anyway. I'm just glad I don't have to absorb chemicals into my skin anymore. I am convinced that all these combines toxins we use daily without thought build up in our systems to cause cancer. http://www.livestrong.com/article/283887-pure-olive-oil-as-a-body-moisturizer/.

So. These are the healthy tricks on the cheap I've found so far, but I have a lot more road to cover. I also want to tackle home cleaning. I hate commercial cleaning stuff that causes me to choke when I use it in the bathroom. You know, on the tub that I then bathe in. That can't be good. I've got a mix for hydrogen peroxide and baking soda that I plan to use after my next trip to the store. I'm also looking into the cleaning properties of white vinegar, which can also be used as a hair rinse. I'll let you know how it goes. Stay safe out there this week, and stay informed. Remember, knowledge is power.