7 Foods

7 Foods So Unsafe Even Farmers Won't Eat Them
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/foods-unsafe-doctors-eat.html

1. Canned tomatoes
2. Corn-fed beef
3. Microwave popcorn
4. Conventionally grown potatoes
5. Farmed salmon
6. Milk produced with artificial hormones
7. Conventional apples

Thanks for the link Sarah Baker!

Triclosan

This article is pretty interesting about the main ingredient in anti-bacterial soaps....not pretty! Check the ingredients before you buy!

http://www.grinningplanet.com/2005/10-04/triclosan-article.htm

Organics Salon

I tried out a new Aveda salon, Organics off Gattis School www.organicssalon.com . I liked it. They did a good job and I liked having the option of more natural hair products that still do a good job. I'd tried a few "over the counter" hair products but they just didn't seem to be getting the idea of organic + hair care. They just seemed to not do the job. I got the Aveda Brilliant shampoo and conditioner...I like them except for the smell is taking a bit to get used to (may be the pregnancy contributing to that problem)...not bad just kind of men's cologne kind of smell. I'll definitely be going back!

Paint, Paint and More Paint

So we've decided to repaint the entire house...and that's no small job! We went to Sherwin-Williams and bought tons of their Harmony paint which is no VOC and low odor. We have been very happy with their paint and are loving the change the fresh paint is bringing to the house. Can't wait to see the finished product. Thanks Jeff for hooking us up!

Green Lunch Box

So I got to thinking about lunch boxes and water bottles for Connor for when he starts pre-school. Apparently the average school child generates 67 lbs of lunch trash per year! That's A LOT! Also they've found lead in the interior of the plastic lunch boxes...yikes! So even if you buy organic fruit when you put it in the lunch box and it touches the sides it gets "dirty." I found this Laptop Lunch Bento Box online and it looks pretty good. It's BPA-free, phthalate free, PVC free and lead free. They also have water bottles so I think I'll get one of those too! We found this in Austin at the Eco Shoppe on Great Hills. It was on sale too!

What's On the Outside

So I've been thinking that not only are we exposed to chemicals and pesticides by the food we eat but also by what we put on our bodies. So I've been working on switching out some of the other products that we use in our home too.

I bought some toothpaste called Toms of Maine. It tastes a little different...probably because it doesn't have the sweeteners and random chemicals in it...but it is approved by the ADA so we'll keep trying that and see if we like it. I also found some deodorant that they make. It seemed a little sticky for the first hour but then it was good.

I also got a new conditioner Yes To Carrots. It smells good and feels good! They have cucumber and tomato too!

I also bought the 7th Generation Free & Clear detergent and Arm & Hammer dryer sheets...these smell sooo good I may switch to them before the Bounce is gone!

Every little bit helps!

Do It Yourself

If you can't find the organic produce that your looking for then grow it yourself! I thought I'd try a container garden. Unfortunately with all the rain we got last month my cucumber and eggplant plants got drowned. But our red pepper plant is doing well with 6 peppers growing on it!

I also thought I'd try that Topsy Turvy tomato plant grower. We do have 1 small tomato growing but the plant doesn't seem to be doing so well. It's only growing on one side so I'm thinking that maybe the way we have it hanging isn't right. I also got a strawberry plant and some seeds but nothing grew. I had some cilantro growing, but Bodie, the big black dog, peed on it and killed it! So I'm thinking I'll go ahead with a garden plot in the Fall and see if we can get some broccoli and cauliflower for winter.