Going Green Doesn't Mean Going Crazy...& My 1st Give Away!

A lot changes when you have a baby: you

...love more,

...eat faster,

...sleep less,

...drive slower,

...and have all around different priorities.

But that's just the basics...life takes on a whole new meaning!

There is certainly a trend nowadays to Go Green. It's become a fad, which makes it a lot easier for those of us who'd like to eat a little healthier, clean a little safer, and live a little wiser to do so.

When Addie was born, I became more and more conscious of what was going on around us. As some of you know, we had a somewhat challenging time getting and staying pregnant; and the more I've read, the more I can't help but wonder if what I have put on and in my body has affected that. I'm not going to get too technical here, but so many of the soaps we use, chemicals and detergents we clean with, makeup we put on our faces, and food we eat contain hormones, carcinogens, estrogen mimicking chemicals (like in BPA), or ingredients that are known to be toxic. So why are they still out there...? Well they sell, don't they?

I'm going to share a little about some of the lifestyle changes that we have made, very gradually, over the past year and a half. I'm not here to condemn. I'm not here to argue or prove my point. Nor am I here to justify why we've chosen to do what we've chosen to do. I don't profess to be an expert nor do I believe that I could ever do enough research to know all I'd like to know about this stuff. We don't use all of the best products, don't recycle enough, sure don't grow our own food (I have a hard enough time cooking it!).

But here's our little story...

It all started with Addie. We were originally using the Johnson & Johnson Bedtime lotion. It smelled wonderful...but I've learned that smell isn't everything. In fact, it can actually be one of the red flags for some very negative ingredients. In searching for a safer brand of soap, shampoo, and lotion for Addie in addition to one that would not completely break the bank, I found the Cosmetic Database funded by research of the Environmental Group. They have a whole section on Baby Care complete with recommendations and reviews of products.

I've also read some from these two site: the Soft Landing and SAF Baby

What we've found that works for our family may or may not work for yours. That's ok! Balance the risk with the safety. There are many wonderful ways to use vinegar, baking soda, salt, and other everyday household items for cleaning. But here are some things we use/have used:

-Body: California Baby (soap/shampoo, conditioner, lotion, diaper spray, sunscreen, and bug spray) from here (usually on sale)
-Cleaning: Better Life cleaning products from here (one of my favorites)
-Dishwasher Soap: Dapple from here, but now we use a Pamolive eco brand from Publix.
-Allen's detergent from here or here, but now we use ECOS from Sam's
-CleanWell hand soap and hand sanitizers (lavender) from here (another of my favorites)

We've also tried to make sure that what we're drinking out of and eating off of do not contain harmful substances. We do make sure we heat things in glass or stainless steel (stove). We do not use anything organic except milk and most meat. It's just still too pricey. We do try to eat as few foods with preservatives as possible, but we don't obsess over it. Just because it's All Natural doesn't mean it's organic or safe. Research it.

Disclaimer: We are not ultra radical about any of the above. My child can still be found in disposable diapers, eating nonorganic meat, and playing with toys that have phthylates and pvc in them. I've been known to use plenty of unsafe dishwasher detergent and purell hand sanitizer. I'm not sharing any of this to boast or tell you what you're doing is wrong. Please don't interpret my words as that. I'm just sharing what we've done in our family because I've learned so much from others who have done the same!

Now...if you made it to the end of this blog post, you deserve something! So...because I'm about to reorder some cleaning products for myself, I'm doing a giveaway! My first ever give away. Don't get too excited!

Here's what's up for grabs:
Any one Better Life cleaning product. Trust me...you'll be hooked! I promise!

What cha gotta do:
1.) Visit the Better Life cleaning products site here first. Then come back and tell me the one product you'd like to try (for free!)!
2.) Leave a comment before Monday, October 5th at 10am, when I'll announce the winner and another big surprise! (no guessing on the surprise in the comments or I'll be forced to delete them! And it's not what you think! ;)
3.) To get an additional "entry", leave another (2nd) comment telling me how your family has worked to be a little greener!

If you don't have a blogger account and leave an anonymous comment, make sure to sign your name and leave me a way to contact you (email) unless you know I know how to find you :) (so I can mail you your product if you win!)

I probably won't be posting again until Monday (even though we're going to the pumpkin patch this weekend!). So although it's a tad early, have an awesome weekend!