Live Green Like Us
Every day at least 2 people genuinely ask how I personally live green and how Willow and now Jazzy lives green and…. why. What is green anyway.. and what ‘eco’ products do I use at home, where do I get them, what efforts I practice, what do we eat, how do I make it, and where do we get it. Whew!
Living green is no different from my business green-it’s about effort, education, and having a wise, curious eye. It’s about really looking at every product and practice of your daily life; asking if this is really good for me, my family, and the planet. I know, I know-it sounds like it can be a nightmare of time use but you start a junior and graduate a senior; you pick your battles and go in steps. Some favorites you may never alter or give up and it’s ok-but anything you do will pay off hugely in the end in your health. I am human and Willow is canine, and 2 of my so far battles are the scrumptiously chemical laden, Hazlenut Coffee Creamers and an occasional, Coke in a glass bottle-nothing like a soda from a glass bottle and I guess at least it’s not plastic leeching more chemicals. Willow and Jazzy love potato chips/Fritos, and salivates for pizzeria pizza, a treat they get it on Sundays maybe 3 times a year, and every birthday. 🙂 Is it ok for then? It won’t harm, but not healthy. And who am I with my unnatural Coke to deny an occasional, GMO Frito. My point is-don’t quit everything at once and eat hummus; go gradually-substitute and delete the tolerable losses first then work on the rest.
The Fake Green-Don’t Fall For It
Unfortunately you cannot believe advertising, retail stores, or sadly-our government agencies. The term natural is completely without regulation in the US-do not pay it any mind whatsoever. Greenwashing is the new marketing hook-everyone from Clorox to Nestle to the SA flower growers is serving up green initiatives, labels, and certifications-think about it- greening a toxic or toxic made product costs more-so why would they? And then I hear your 2nd thought. We all assume “our government would not allow harmful products to be sold” and it just isn’t true any more as large corporations spend billions lobbying their wares & practices, which wins over any vote. (ex. Monsanto & the Grocery Assoc. is pouring billions into lobbying against GMO and bioengeneered labeling) At the dawn of the industrial age everything was new territory from railroads to plastic. Today we have the faculty & knowledge to test good & bad outcomes but this money & profit thing just causes a turned eye with usually the planet getting the short end, which I remind you-sustains us. If it is ill, we will be.
So to help all who are curious wondering what and how I do our green living; here is the place. We live a fast paced life as business owners so it must be good, easy, and accessible. I will go item by item, practice by practice of just exactly what Willow & I do to live green from awaking to bedtime. I will include photos and links to products-some may get me a recommendation others a small commission-but none are for any reason other than to educate, help you be informed, and so maybe we can all use our dollars wisely for the good of ourselves and the planet-not the million $ corporations running the world.
:)) Lynn, Willow, and Jazzy
A Green Living Day Starts In the Morning
Personal Care Regimen
*it all starts in the shower with a shower filter. We drink bottled water but we expose our receptive skin to 25 gallons of chlorinated water in the shower-every day. As any pool lover knows, it is used to kill bacteria, but the chlorine additive stays in our daily water supply too-which, we do not want. It is an irritant a mile long mixed in with a cocktail of contaminants specific to your area. i.e. farm community, industrial, etc. You can see what else is in your water at the Environmental Working Groups database-just pop in your zip code. If you don’t know get why your water needs the curious eye-then read why. It’s expensive to have a whole house filter so I use one that just attaches right to the showerhead.
*the soap and shampoo. Without giving you a lesson in Organic Chemistry 101 lets just say the soap we use now is not what it was 100 years ago. Soaps now contain animal tallow or petroleum and a host of chemicals with 3 main synthetic ingredients in all 1) Triclosan an anti bacterial; 2) Sodium Lauryl Sulfate one of the most irritating cleansers-and makes the bubbles (SLS); 3) Fragrance-90% of fragrance is petroleum based-essential oils are expensive. Bottom line, soaps are killing off both the good and bad bacteria which is giving us superbugs, irritating to the skin and body, and include animal bone scented with a fuel byproduct. None of that I consider very enticing. Bar soap making seems the #1 cottage industry so farmers markets, fairs, and festivals are now filled with healthy soaps. My absolute favorite is from right here in Orange County-Beyond The Pickett Fence. I pick one up whenever I see them and for shower gel I use Shakei or Dr. Bonners.
*the face & body-I am like most girls (and guys too) forever trying new products, it is an addiction for sure. Face & body care is one of the most unregulated industries in the US and a huge cover-up of adjectives & promises. The ingredient lists are nothing short of a toxic chem lab, and it seems the pricier they are the more they promise. Nothing good is ever cheap, but I have a problem with unregulated safety, animal testing, and sky high claims of a jar with 20 letter ingredients I can’t pronounce selling @$100. Simple is the buzzword with creams-minimal ingredients, short letter ingredients, recognizable ingredients without googling it. And mostly, with no need to torture an animal as the ingredients are from nature.
My favorite regimens are from Grateful Body Care in California and Good Stuff Botanicals in Montana. I am currently testing out Farmhouse Fresh which I am really loving and they also help rescue farm animals with every purchase. First, I love the simple ingredient list of them all, second I love their business missions and ideals. Like me, they all use their business to bring awareness And… it does wonders for my skin and they all smell an earthy wonderful. Even Willow and Jazzy likes them….I think lol. 🙂
Stay tuned-our green regime continues…..:)))