When I quit working outside our home a few years ago, I cut expenses. My personal care products was one of those areas and I began using conventional tampons.

I had forgotten that conventional tampons are bleached with chlorine dioxide. The process is technically “chlorine-free” but it releases dioxin into the environment. Dioxin has been shown to cause cancer. I’m doing whatever I can to stand up to cancer.

Conventional tampons are made with a blend of cotton and rayon. 94% of the cotton grown in the United States is genetically modified (GM). I do my best to keep GM food out of our family’s bodies, somehow I forgot that tampons go in my body, too.

Additionally, more than 10% of the world’s pesticides are used on conventional cotton. It’s hard to believe none of the pesticide residue goes into a tampon.

Tampons typically contain odor neutralizers and fragrances. We know that synthetic fragrance is made with chemicals such as phthalates, linked to hormone disruption and neurotoxins, chemicals that are toxic to the brain.

Sanitary Pads aren’t any Better

The FDA considers sanitary pads to be “medical devices” and therefore, doesn’t require them to have their ingredients listed. They are primarily made from plastic, cotton and wood pulp. Some contain latex, a problem for those with a latex allergy. One sanitary pad is the equivalent of using four plastic bags.

Check out this video from Naturally Savvy to see her light two pads on fire: a conventional pad and an 100% organic pad. The difference is incredible!

Natural Alternatives

There are lots of alternatives to conventional pads and tampons: organic, sea sponge tampons, reusable cotton pads and menstrual cups.

Organic Tampons

I currently use organic cotton tampons but have a Diva Cup sitting in the cupboard ready to try. They are made with 100% organic cotton and toxic pesticides are not allowed in organic agriculture. They are bleached with hydrogen peroxide so there is no dioxin released into the environment.

• Natracare
• Seventh Generation
• Organyc
• Veeda
• Emerita

Organic Pads

• Natracare
• Organyc
• Seventh Generation
• Veeda

Reusable Pads

• Heart Felt Bamboo Reusable Pads
• BubuBibi
• Glad Rags
• DIY (one of the most environmentally friendly and affordable options)

Menstrual Cups

Menstrual cups are typically made with  medical grade silicone, are BPA free and latex free. They have got to be the most economical option. It takes about 5-6 boxes of organic tampons to pay for the Diva Cup.

• Diva Cup #1 seller on Amazon
• Lena Cup
• Blossom Menstrual Cup Least expensive menstrual cup with great reviews
• Instead Soft Cup A disposable cup, read the reviews to see why there are some big fans

 

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Modeled after our popular post on Safer Bath Toys, we’ve put together a list of BPA free, PVC free and phthalate free sand and water toys.  These are the toys we would (and do!) buy our own kids.

American Plastic Toys – They tell me that all of their toys are BPA free, PVC free and phthalate free.  Both the 10 Piece Spring Value Set  and the Sand and Water Wheel  are perfect beach toys. For toddlers, the Water Wheel Play Table is great for summer in your backyard.

Green Toys – Always a winner in the safe toys department.  This Sand Play Set and Watering Can are perfect for the beach.  I like the Scooper Vehicle for digging in the dirt and sand.

Haba – These are some of my favorite beach toys and all of the Haba plastic toys are BPA free, PVC free and phthalate free.  The Sand Bucket Scooter, Sand-Water Measuring Jug, Sand-Water Rake and Sand Trowel are just the basics for sand and water play.The Caterpillar Digger, Sand Drill and Sieve Roller are unique and inexpensive.

Hape – Committed to safety for kids and environmentally friendly, Hape toys are constructed with formaldehyde-free wood and glue and use no chemicals in their wood drying process. They use non-toxic water based paint from Germany and are packaged in recycled paper using soy ink. My top pick for inexpensive and safe beach toys is the Hape 4 piece Beach Basics Kit which includes a bucket, sifter, rake and shovel for less than $8. The Sand & Sun Driller and Sand & Sun Grabber are great for digging in the sand, and working on fine motor skills. To perfect a sand castle, I like these sand molds: Great Castle Walls, Bricklayer Set and Brick Sand Roller.

Moluk –  I think the Mini Bilibos is the perfect water and sand toy.  Super versatile, it’s great for scooping, digging and carrying.

Quut Beach Toys – One of my favorite brands,  all of their toys are BPA free, PVC, latex and phthalate free and to make it that much better, they are recyclable.  The Scoppi is an award-winning shovel and sifter in one. I also like the Ballo Beach Bucket because it makes carrying water so much easier on a kiddo, really smart design.

Spielstabil – Made in Germany, all toys are free of PVC, BPA and phthalates.  LOTS of options from this company. The Watering Can or Sand Pail is a classic but I also love the unique Water Pump,  Castle Set in a Bag and the Water Fun Set.

Zoe b Organic – This biodegradable and made in the USA bath and beach toy set is also one of my favorites. Also free of BPA, PVC and phthalates.

Want to save this list for future shopping? Save it to Evernote or Pin the post to your Pinterest boards or Save to Pocket!

 

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I keep 6-8 on hand to use for snacks on the go and to pack in my kid’s waste-free lunches. They are great for snack or lunch time to store sandwiches, fruit and veggies, crackers, cheese and more.

LunchSkins – These reusable, colorful cloth pouches are made from a quick drying fabric that is coated with a food-safe polyurethane liner. They have been certified as lead, Bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalate-free. So many darling patterns and you can pop them in the dishwasher. We have several of these we use regularly.

BlueAvocado Re-Zip Reusable Bags – I love these utilitarian bags from Blue Avocado because they resemble simple plastic bags, without the plastic. They come in multiples sizes: snack, sandwich and one gallon. We have the 5-piece kit which is perfect for lunches and several one gallon bags for storing leftovers.  They are particularly good for teens and adults that don’t want a cutesy print. Made of FDA-grade PEVA material, PVC, BPA and Lead free. 

Kids Konserve – We love the Kids Konserve Food Kozy for sandwiches and other moisture rich foods.  Their reusable kozies are made with recycled, FDA approved, non-toxic, non-leaching, recyclable PE plastic. Free of BPA, phthalates, PVC and lead. 13″ round.  They are easy to hand wash and air dry.

Stainless Steel Bento Boxes – These are the best thing I’ve ever purchased to change our use of plastic baggies in our house and they revolutionized how we make lunches. We have the LunchBots brand (the LunchBots Cinqo specifically) but many friends love PlanetBox. They are a bit of an investment ($39+) but they have saved us from using hundreds of plastic baggies or plastic containers and the kid’s lunches have more variety and healthy choices than they did before. Highly recommended.

ItzyRitzy Reusable Snack and Everything Bag – What I like best about the ItzyRitzy is that is has a zipper, whereas many of the other reusable bags have velcro. It makes using them for more secure items (keys, cell phone, money, etc) a real possibility. FDA approved food safe, BPA free, lead free, phthlalate PVC free with a cotton exterior.

Bumkins – My favorite thing about Bumkins is their easy wipe, waterproof fabric. They also make my favorite bibs. The reusable bags have a zipper and are very reasonably priced (less than $5 apiece), not to mention they are well loved by reviewers. The designs are much more juvenile with Disney and Dr. Seuss, monsters and the like. PVC, BPA, phthalate, vinyl and lead free.  Easy to throw in the washing machine and then air dry.

 

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Last year, I shared a few ways that I use to get brand name clothes on a budget.  One of them is to purchase new and pre-owned clothing from thredUP where I regularly pick up items from my favorite brands. Overall, it’s been a great experience but there are a few things to keep in mind.

The Good

1. thredUP sells most of my favorite brands like J.Crew, Paige, Zara and Anthropologie.  They also carry both new and pre-owned items. In one order, I received 10 brand new items for my kids.  All but one of the items was in new or like new condition.

2. In the last two years, I’ve placed 5 orders for 22 pieces of clothing averaging $8.50 apiece. The most expensive item was a dress from Zara at $18.99 (pictured above).  That’s not bad for items from more expensive brands like J.Crew, not to mention all the items complete with new tags.

3. thredUP sent me bags with prepaid shipping so I was able to sell them 9 items of clothing for an average of $5.94 per item.  A few days after I received the notification that my bag was accepted, I was able to transfer the money into my Paypal account.

4. Shipping is free when you spend $50 or just $2.99 for the first item, $0.99 for each item thereafter.

The Bad

1. While many items are brand new, most are pre-owned.  One sweater I purchased for my daughter that had quite a bit of piling. I should have sent it back but it ended up in a donate pile.  I’m sure thredUP has guidelines on how to label the condition of each item but everyone’s idea of ‘condition’ is different.  I consider 1 bad and 21 great items actually pretty great.

2. Returns used to be free when you ordered via the mobile app so I did return a few items that were the wrong fit or I didn’t care for.  Now you have to pay to return anything (and anything that cost less than $10 is not returnable). The good news is that one item of clothing is fairly inexpensive to ship, just $2-3.

3. When you send in a bag for thredUP to purchase from you, they will only send back rejected items if you pay the shipping charges. Ugh.

The Ugly

1. The only really negative experience I’ve had with thredUP is when I sent my second bag of clothing.  My first bag was a total score. I sent 8 items and only 2 were rejected.  I got $42 for 6 items or an average of $7 apiece.  Since I had tried, unsuccessfully, to sell these items in other venues, I was pretty excited.  So I rounded up 8 more items and sent it off.  A few weeks later I got a notice that only 4 items had been accepted for a grand total of $10.95 or just $2.74 apiece. All four of the accepted were dresses that I could have sold on eBay for 2-3x more. A total disappointment.

The Bottom Line

I will definitely be shopping with thredUP again. They often have discount codes on top of their already great prices so I feel like I am getting a deal every time I shop there. If you haven’t shopped at thredUP yet, you can get a $10 credit to use on your first purchase. And in full disclosure, I’ll get a $10 credit if you do, so thank you!

As for selling clothing to them, I probably won’t be doing that again. I am already a pretty active eBay seller so I’ll stick to what I know.

 

The post My experience with thredUP: the good, the bad and the ugly appeared first on Mommy Goes Green.

I don’t think there’s a silver bullet on this list, I’m convinced it was a combination of practical and healthy choices that helped pave the way for a well winter. Here’s hoping for another one.

Humidifier

We live in a dry climate so I keep several humidifiers on hand to use in the bedrooms every night. It keeps nasal passages moist and healthy (and prevents my kiddos from stuffing their fingers in their nose!) I like this cool mist humidifier so I don’t have to worry about anyone burning their hands on it and it’s inexpensive.

Essential Oils

I had only used essential oils for cleaning until last year when I was introduced to OnGuard, an essential oil blend.  I started putting it (diluted with coconut oil) on our kids and myself every time we started feeling ill and it absolutely worked. I’m an essential oil convert (I use this kit regularly). This winter, we bought a diffuser and are using it regularly to purify our air and boost our immune system.

Drink Tea

I’ve always liked tea but this year I’m trying to drink more black or green tea. Studies at Harvard University found that “people who drank five cups of black tea a day for 2 weeks transformed their immune system T cells into “Hulk cells” that pumped out 10 times more cold and flu virus-fighting interferon — proteins that defend against infection — than did the immune systems of those who didn’t drink black tea. Green tea should work just as well.”

Sugar Consumption

It’s well known that sugar suppresses the immune system which is cruel since we’re devouring sweets from Halloween to Christmas.  I’m no pro at this but I did recently quit drinking soda (it was just one a day but still) and my kids donated all their Halloween candy. I’ve found that the less we have in the house, the less I’m tempted to indulge.

Vitamins

Everyone is loaded up on vitamins around here. I’ve got Vitamin A, C, D and probiotics and the kids have a similar regimen of Vitamin D and these probiotics.

Manage Stress

When Carnegie Mellon University infected participants in a research study with a common cold virus, those who reported being under stress were twice as likely to get sick.

Stress is unavoidable so I think we all need to find a few ways to help manage it. For me, one of these tend to work: exercise, getting outside in nature, and alone time.  Find what works for you, I like these ideas.

Sleep

Depriving ourselves (and our kids) of necessary sleep lowers our body’s ability to respond to infections.  Everyone knows mom doesn’t get a sick day so go with the melatonin that kicks in when it gets dark outside.

Tissues

Speaking of fingers + noses, I am extra picky about keeping our hands out of our noses and mouths.  I’m not typically crazy about keeping germs out of our bodies but I am more cautious during the winter. It also helps to keep a box of tissues in each bedroom and bathroom, along with one in the kitchen.

Sanitizers

Beyond the obvious practice of washing hands often, I started using sanitizer whenever I get back in the car from places such as the kid’s school or activities or the grocery store, for example.  I use this natural hand sanitizer or I like this DIY version, as well.

Eat to be Well

Several foods are known to boost immunity such as yogurt, oats and garlic. Adding a few of these 10 power foods may be the help we need to stay healthy this winter.

British researchers gave 146 people either a placebo or a garlic extract for 12 weeks; the garlic takers were two-thirds less likely to catch a cold.

 

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When Halloween rolls around every year, stores are filled with cheap paint to decorate our children’s faces. Without thinking, we smother their precious skin with paint filled with lead, parabens and artificial colors.

Unfortunately the FDA does not regulate  face paints so it’s no surprise that the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested 10 face paints and found all 10 contained lead and several other heavy metals.

Fortunately, we can recommend many natural face paints and a quick recipe to make your own!

Earth Paint has both a Mini Face Painting Kit  or their All Natural Face Painting Kit. This clay and mineral based face paint is made with over 70% organic ingredients. It’s free of nano particles, heavy metals, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, and animal products such as carmine.

This Natural Face Paint Set from Glob comes with 5 colors and a bamboo applicator. It contains no titanium dioxide, synthetic dyes, parabens, talc or petro-chemicals.

I really like these Face Pencils from Nova Naturals. They are primarily made of palm oil and are lead-free and paraben-free in a wood casing.

Luna Organics has fun makeup kits designed specifically for Animals, Fairies, Super Stars, Ballerinas and Pop Stars. They are made with minerals and free of parabens and artificial dyes.

I think face paint in the form of a tube is the easiest form of application so I love the Pretendi Naturali Face Paint Sticks from Luna Star Naturals. They are free of parabens, dyes and petrochemicals and are made in the USA.

This DIY natural face paint recipe sounds like it works but you’ll need to buy this natural food coloring to make it.

 

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I’m over at The Art of Simple today sharing the 5 questions I’ve been using to purge 30 boxes worth of stuff from our house. From the post:

I will fondly remember the summer of 2014 as a season of purging. Just off three moves in three years and finally settled into a more permanent home, I’m finally ready to sell, donate, and gift many of the possessions I’ve carefully stored.

I was so determined to simplify that I literally went through every item that came through the door. Each one was evaluated with a few mental questions to decide whether or not it would stay.

Come on over and visit to read the rest!

 

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I have cursed (under my breath) on more than one occasion while combing my daughter’s hair. My daughter has a beautiful head of curls but it took a few years to figure out the right arsenal of tools to make it look adorable and keep tears out of the process. This is what works for us:

Ditch the Shampoo

I haven’t used shampoo on my own curly hair in several years.  When I started employing this method on my daughter’s hair, it made a HUGE difference. She wets her hair, scrubs in some conditioner and rinses. She swims every day in the summer and we still only use conditioner.

If I only used one method, no-shampoo would be the one. Try it on your own curly haired kid, you might thank me.

Use Detangler

I’ve tried several hair detanglers and I always go back to Tru Kid Detangler. No phthalates, parabens or yucky smells.  It also holds the curl just enough that I don’t need to use any styling products.

Get a Wet Brush

This is the only thing my daughter will let me run through her hair. After the Wet Brush was repeatedly recommended to me by friends and hairdressers, I bought one. I no longer comb from the bottom up, I stick it right at the top of her head and comb down. I’m still gentle, of course, but it doesn’t pull like a traditional comb or brush might. And it gets the knots out!

My daughter even combs her own hair with the Wet Brush and I’ll use it straight out of the shower myself. It goes with us every time we travel. Definitely worth the $9.

Between Washes

A few ideas for keeping hair manageable between conditioning. I often put my daughter’s hair right into ponytails or braids out of the shower. This mellows the curls a bit and allows me to easily style her hair in the morning until we condition again.

If she wears her hair down, I will braid it at night to keep her from tangling it up while she tosses and turns during sleep. Then I just take the braid(s) out, spritz it with water or detangler and lightly comb through the curls.

Trim It

When the knots start becoming unmanageable or tears become the norm, I know it’s time for a haircut. That happens about every three months. And if you don’t have curly hair yourself, I’ll let you in on a secret: layers are curly hair’s best friend. Save your kid from having a mushroom on their head. I’ve been there, done that, got the t-shirt and I’m not going back!

 

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photo credit

I’ve had a lot of garage sales over the last 15 years but none as successful as the last two. We made over $1000 each time and are gearing up for another one soon. Here’s a few tips that I believe helped us get there.

Prepare

1. As I organize and get rid of clutter, I add all the unneeded items to boxes labeled ‘garage sale’ knowing that we will probably have enough accumulated by the following spring for a garage sale.

2. For a month or two before your sale, save paper and plastic shopping bags to  use for shoppers that purchase multiple items.

Location

3. We have always lived in centrally located neighborhoods making it easy to hold a garage sale. If you don’t, you may find a family member or friend that wants to join you to host at their centrally located house. The more traffic nearby, the better.

Timing

4. I like to hold our garage sales on a sunny weekend in the late spring right before school gets out because we typically have a lot of moms stopping by while their older children are in school.  Find out if your neighborhood or local area has an annual garage sale, it may be worth scheduling your sale then because of the additional traffic.

5. I’ve found Friday to be a FAR better day for a garage sale than Saturday and both are better than a Sunday. We sell 2x as much on Friday as we do on Saturday. In some cities, I understand that Thursday is garage sale day. Either way, ask around to see what weekday is the garage sale day and then follow it up with a second day.

6. We start at 8am and typically stay ‘open’ until 5pm on Friday and then close early on Saturday, around 1 or 2pm, so we can enjoy the weekend.

Merchandising

7. Beg, borrow and steal as many tables as you need. We also clean off one of the garage shelves and wheel it out to use for the sale. A great layout makes a big difference. Some people will not dig through piles of clothing or books so make it easy for them to see everything. Here’s a few suggestions on how to display what’s for sale:

• Designate a table for each type of item: kitchen, household, toys, home decor, tools, etc.
• Clothing : divide by men, women, boys and girls and HANG UP as much as you can. For what you cannot hang, lay out a tarp or blanket and organize the clothing there.
• Books : I use baskets or tubs to organize books by adult vs. children and stand them all up so it’s easy to flip through each one
• Toys : divide by boys vs. girls, where its obvious, and group by type of toy (if you have that many)
• Jewelry and small, expensive items : keep them near the ‘checkout’ area where it’s easy to keep an eye on them (sadly, I have had a few pieces taken without pay)

8. Make sure everything you are in selling is in clean and working condition. Wash your clothes and fold them neatly. Wipe down anything dusty. Have batteries or an electrical plugin nearby to show that electronics and toys work.

9. Put all of your big items out by the curb, they will encourage people to stop to see what else you have.

10. Gather all the cheap toys (i.e. Happy Meal toys, Dollar Store stuff) and anything else that you don’t think is worth even a quarter and put it into a box labeled FREE. Sit it on the curb at the front of the sale so anyone driving by can see it. You would be surprised how many people stop just to look in the box. It’s also a great place to keep kids busy while moms are shopping  your sale.

Pricing

11. Here is my primary pricing philosophy: I would rather sell it for half price and have cash in hand than haul it to Goodwill the next day. That being said, here’s a few ideas for pricing your items:

• Price EVERYTHING. People do not want to ask for the price. Make it simple by using these preprinted garage sale stickers and putting up simple signs such as “All books are 50 cents”.
• People that shop garage sales are looking for a deal.  If you’ve never shopped one,  you might want to visit several so you can get an idea of pricing in your area.

12. On the last day of your sale, designate the last couple hours to sell everything 1/2 off.  If there are a few items you are not willing to go that low on, just put them off to the side.

Advertise

13. Starting 2-3 days before your sale, advertise in as many places as possible.  In the listing, make sure to have:

• Dates AND days, times and address
• A list of large and popular items (i.e. lawn mower, couch, table, bike)
• Highlight anything you have a lot of such as baby clothing, books, tools or anything collectible or vintage

14. Here’s several ideas for free advertising:

• Craigslist.org : choose your city/area and post under the garage sale category
• Facebook : search for local groups such as ‘swap’ or ‘garage sale’ or ‘resale’
• Garage Sale Finder
• Yard Sale Search
• GSALR
• Local newspaper : your newspaper may have a free online listing for garage sales
• Yard Sale Treasure Map : this app allows you to post your sale and find others nearby

15. Buy several garage sale signs or brightly colored poster board.  Make A LOT of signs and post them at all intersections within a mile of your home.  Many people will be driving through your area, see your sign and try to find your sale so make sure your signs lead directly to the sale whether the driver has your address or not.

16. Make sure to use all the same posters (or poster color) so the driver knows they are following the signs to the same garage sale. Use a thick BLACK market and put the DAYS (not dates), times, address and a HUGE ARROW on each sign so the driver can quickly see which direction to head. I personally like these signs because they stand up on their own and I don’t have to find a post to awkwardly hang a sign on.

Extra Cash

17. A great way to earn a few extra bucks or give your children an opportunity to be an entrepreneur is to set up a lemonade or baked goods stand. Other things to sell:

• coffee and hot chocolate
• donuts and breakfast goods
• lemonade and iced tea
• brownies and cookies
• bottled water
• popsicles and popcorn

 

The post 17 Simple Tips for a (Very) Successful Garage Sale appeared first on Mommy Goes Green.

Last month, the EWG released their updated shopper’s guide to pesticides in conventional (not organic) produce. The Clean 15 are the top 15 fruits and vegetables the EWG states are the least likely to test positive for pesticide residues.  The Dirty Dozen Plus are the most contaminated conventional fruits and vegetables – those to be avoided.

What to know

• The majority of pesticide exposure comes from the food you eat. At least 65% of the conventional produce samples tested had at least one pesticide.
• In 2014, the USDA detected 10 different pesticides on at least 5 percent of 777 samples of peach baby food sold in the U.S. The USDA found six pesticides in apple juice, a staple of many children’s diets.

• The US has thus far not followed Europe’s lead in banning toxic pesticide chemicals. The European Commission has banned diphenylamine, DPA for short, on fruit raised in the 28 European Union member states and has imposed tight restrictions on imported fruit. DPA, a growth regulator and antioxidant, is applied after harvest to most apples conventionally grown in the U.S. and to some U.S.-grown pears, to prevent the fruit skin from discoloring during months of cold storage.

• The American Academy of Pediatrics issued an important report in 2012 stating that children have:

 “unique susceptibilities to [pesticide residues’] potential toxicity.” The pediatricians’ organization cited research that linked pesticide exposures in early life and “pediatric cancers, decreased cognitive function, and behavioral problems.” It advised its members to urge parents to consult “reliable resources that provide information on the relative pesticide content of various fruits and vegetables.”

Clean Fifteen Highlights

• Avocados were the cleanest: only 1 percent of avocado samples showed any detectable pesticides.
• Some 89 percent of pineapples, 82 percent of kiwi, 80 percent of papayas, 88 percent of mango and 61 percent of cantaloupe had no residues.
• No single fruit sample from the Clean Fifteen tested positive for more than 4 types of pesticides.
• Detecting multiple pesticide residues is extremely rare on Clean Fifteen vegetables. Only 5.5 percent of Clean Fifteen samples had two or more pesticides.

Dirty Dozen Highlights

• Every sample of imported nectarines and 99 percent of apple samples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue.
• The average potato had more pesticides by weight than any other food.
• A single grape sample contained 15 pesticides. Single samples of celery, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas and strawberries showed 13 different pesticides apiece.

How to use the Shopper’s Guide

Don’t stop eating fruits and vegetables, use the guide to reduce your exposure to pesticides:

• Choose organic produce when you can afford it.

Studies led by Chensheng (Alex) Lu of Emory University found that elementary school-age children’s body burdens of organophosphate pesticides, including chlorpyrifos and malathion, peaked during the summer, when they ate the most fresh produce. But just five days after switching to an all-organic diet, their bodies were essentially pesticide-free.

• If you can’t afford 100% organic produce, choose conventional for the Clean 15 and organic for the Dirty Dozen Plus. This is mostly what my family does.

• Always wash your fruit before eating.  Note these tests were done after washing and peeling so if you don’t do that, you are potentially ingesting even more pesticide residue.

Want to have the list handy while shopping? Download the FREE Dirty Dozen app for iPhone.

 

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