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.

Locovore???

So the whole local vs organic thing really makes me think...can I do both? Some of the local farmers are just not certified organic because of the process/hoops they'd have to jump through but I'd have to talk to them about their practices to find out and the farmers market has been too crowded for me to feel comfortable doing that. Also, I'm sure they wouldn't mind talking to me, but really who am I to question their farming practices? I need to get the guts up to chat with them, but I want to do a bit more research so I don't sound so "green" (haha) when talking with them.

Anyway, I was reading a cookbook I found at the library...Big Green Cookbook by J. Newgent. In it she talks about "food miles" and how far your food has to travel (up to 1500 miles) and the impact that has on the environment. She claims that our food system could be responsible for up to 1/3 of the greenhouse gas emissions and food production actually makes up most of that...that's a lot! She gives some suggestions for things we can do to cut down those miles and therefore reduce our food's mileage.

By switching from using "meat and dairy to using chicken, fish or eggs one day a week it can reduce emissions equivalent to driving 760 miles a year. Switching to veggies one day a week is like cutting 1,160 miles a year out of your driving." That's a big deal. She's not advocating cutting them out all together, just one day a week...and it could help that organic grocery bill too!

So I'm thinking this is a plus for the whole "locovore" movement (eating locally grown foods). Not only does it reduce gas emissions but it helps to boost the local economy and literally puts your money where your mouth is. It shows that you support the sustainable farming practices of the local, organic farmers and helps to boost this way of farming and eating. I know where I'm going tomorrow!

Greenling Basket

This week we got the Local & Farmstead box from Greenling. It had lots of yummy things and this gigantic watermelon.

Evan got to try his first bites of watermelon.

Connor was mad that he couldn't hold the entire watermelon and only got these little bites.

We also got blueberries, peaches, cucumbers, carrots, chard (not sure what the heck to do with it), parsley, kaiser rolls, Fireman 4 mustard, garlic, cherry tomatoes and butter beans. They also give you at least one recipe for each item...2 of them happened to be margarita recipes..ever had a cucumber or watermelon margarita?

I've liked all the boxes I've gotten from Greenling. I just can't decide what box to get next...I like them all!

Helpful Hints

I was chatting with a friend and she told me some organic or hormone-free brand names to help me locate the items I was looking for. This really helped and I thought I could pass it along...also then I'll have it online so if I need it when I'm out I can find it.

Cheese -This was actually a hard one for me to find because at Target or HEB there's sooo much cheese and with 2 screaming kids in tow it's hard to read all the labels to see if it's organic. I did have more luck in the cheese section at the front of both stores though instead of the shredded cheese section at the back. Tillamook, Organic Valley (good cheese sticks) and Central Market Organics are some brands to look for. I also got some rbST free fresh mozzerella which is very good.

Butter - Challenge butter... rbST free

Snacks - Annie's...has fruit snacks, cheese snacks, pretzels, cereal and mac & cheese all shaped like bunnies!

Milk - We buy Central Market or Horizon, but may need to change this soon. I think they use the same CAFO cattle lot practices as other big name brands, but I'm not sure what our alternatives are right now and I'm not feeding the boys raw milk. So I need to do more research on this one!

Yogurt - My boys love Stoneyfield, but again I need to watch this company since it's getting big and may be resorting to commercial practices. Marci recommended Wallaby and Fage, but we haven't tried those yet.

Bread - I've tried some Sprout's organic multi-grain which was awesome, but not real kid friendly. I've been buying the Archer Farms brand at Target, but need to check them out. I found a Nature's Own Whole Wheat loaf that says it was made with organic flour so we'll try that out. I had some organic tortillas delivered in a Greenling basket.

Meat - I've found some called Laura's at Target, but I have generally been buying the chicken and beef at the farmers market where I'm sure it's grass-fed and supports local farmers.

Coffee- has been kind of difficult to find. Marci said she found Ruta Maya at Costco and I looked online and it's $2 cheaper at their store..so we may take a ride soon and get a bunch to last a while. The key here is to look for organic, shade grown and Free Trade certified. I figure going with Ruta Maya makes it local too so it hits all the good points!

Cleaning supplies - Still trying to use them all that we already have...there's always Mrs. Meyer's and 7th Generation. Clorox also has "green" brand that is 99% green that I've been using.

Please let me know if you have any other brands that you like that I can add to my list. I've found having the name brands has helped me cut down on some of the hit-or-miss of trying to find organic products that we all like.

Baby Steps

I've been making baby steps in our switch over to a more organic diet. I've been buying only grass-fed or pastured beef, chicken and eggs. I've been getting all my fruits and veggies from Greenling or the farmers market. We already drank organic milk, but I found rBST-free (cow growth hormone) butter too. I've been buying organic bread and cereal and am trying to switch over the snacks to organic too. I haven't thrown everything out to do this. Just as we use items I replace them with an organic version. It's really helping me clean out the pantry and fridge.

I'm trying to do the best I can and not worry about being 100% organic, but just be better. I figure that every little bit helps and hopefully the levels of pesticides and chemicals in our bodies will be reduced by switching over to a more natural diet. I've also been trying to cook more and cut out so much processed food. It's taking a bit more time, but because I think it's worth it I don't mind.

There are some things I'm still waiting to use up before I switch:

Coffee...I think I'll buy Ruta Maya if I can find it without driving to the south side...try to be local and find shade-grown Fair Trade coffee so I know that it's being grown without knocking out rainforest and that the farmers are being treated appropriately.

Laundy detergent...we use ALL Free & Clear now but should probably try and reduce the chemicals in our clothes, bed linens and towels.

I threw away the sponge in the kitchen sink and am using the Skoy cloth. A friend of mine also recommended a cleaner sponge thing called the Spaghetti Sponge that I want to try.

I need to stop buying plastic water bottles. The only problem is that then I won't drink water because it's not cold enough for me. So I need to replace the filters on the sink and the refrigerator and fill up some water bottles and put them in the fridge.

I buy California Baby soap for the boys but I need to replace our soap and shampoo with more natural brands. I was reading something online about "chemicals of concern" and how they are finding these in cord blood, not to mention children and adults. These chemicals are getting into our bodies from shampoo, soap, hand-sanitizers, make-up, lotion, dishwasher detergent, cleaning supplies and loads of other things. These chemicals are messing with our hormones and body systems and causing all kinds of problems. So working on changing out soaps, lotion, shampoos is definitely on my list of things to do.

I know I may sound like I'm going a little overboard with all of this but once you start reading about all the crap that we come in contact with on a daily basis and what it can do to our bodies there's really only one thing you can do...make the effort to not expose your children and your self to that stuff any more. This is really a case where ignorance ISN'T bliss. We really need to start paying attention to what comes into our homes and into our bodies and requiring companies to be transparent about their practices and use natural products. What's good for the wallet isn't always good for the body!

This Week

This week I've been working on a better plan for shopping. I have to switch my shopping days now too because I usually make a meal plan for the week and go shopping on Monday morning. But now that my Greenling basket comes on Friday and I go to the Cedar Park Farms to Market on Saturday morning, I need to make my plan on Friday for the upcoming week. I'm working on a new system...let's hope I get it right the first time around!

I found a product called Skoy. They are reusable, washable cloths that dry quickly and therefore are less likely to grow bacteria. They can replace your kitchen sponge and paper towels. (They say that each one saves 15 rolls of paper towels.) I figure that's a good thing to try out and I got 4 for $6.99 so that's cheaper than 15 rolls of paper towels.

On Thursday night we went to Promise Pizza in Round Rock for an organic pizza experience. I liked it and will definitely go back...and Connor got a cookie so I know it ranks high on his list too! They also deliver, in their Smart cars, so that makes it a definite keeper.

On Friday I made homemade chicken and dumplings soup. I used all organic products except for the dumplings, but I used Bisquick Heart Healthy for those so I was still on the right track. It turned out pretty well. Then today I made homemade bread and we had organic cheese sandwiches with veggies from the farmers market. So I think I'm doing pretty well with cooking the food I'm buying. What I'm trying to do is only buy enough for one meal. Usually I buy a big bag of stuff and it goes bad in the fridge because we never eat it. So since organic is more expensive I figure I'm offsetting that expense by actually using what I buy. Yes, I'm sure I'm still spending a bit more, but we are eating at home more and eating yummy things so I figure it's worth it.

I've also been thinking about the reasons for eating organically (and locally). I've started out by wanting to give my children the best/most natural foods I can find for them. Then I moved on to doing it for Dave and I too. Now I'm starting to try to buy more locally grown food to help my community while still doing what's best for my family, but it's also starting to sneak in that I need to "eat ethically" and think about how the animals are treated. I know when I had Connor a couple of years ago I started doing a better job with going green and eating organically, but then life got hectic...I got pregnant again, we moved, then suddenly I had two small children and I was just trying to survive the day. I think for the last year I've done what's easiest instead of what's best. I really think that by investigating organic/local foods I'm trying to force myself to think about what I'm bringing into my house. I need to become a conscious consumer and really think about not just the food, but all the products that I buy/use to make sure I'm being smart about it all.

This week I also talked a lot to my friend Laura and a mom I met in MOMS Club, Marci, about eating organically and resources they've found. They were both extremely helpful! Thanks so much for chatting with me ladies!

Thanks

Greenling called yesterday to thank me for using their service and see how I liked it! WOW! HEB and Target haven't done that and I spend LOTS of money at both of those places. Ironically when the lady called I was working on my next order...I asked the lady if she was watching me...she thought that was pretty funny! Maybe she was...the organic community keeps a close eye on people to make sure they're worthy of their hard won foods? You never know!

I'm having a hard time with my shopping list this week. I'm trying to clean out the pantry and refrigerator and replace as we use with organic products, but trying to figure out what we need and where I can find those things without going to twelve different places is confusing me. I need some time to think about all this but even as I type this I'm being pushed and prodded to pick up a kid or break up a fight...so that's a luxury I'm not going to get. I think I will make a shopping list and mark the things that are on the dirty dozen list, the things I can get at the farmers market, things that come from Greenling and then things I need to go to the store for. It's a lot to keep track of, but I think having a list printed out with the things we use most each week and then marking them off will help me keep track. If you have any suggestions let me know...and I'll let you know if my system works!

Field Trip

This morning we went to Jonestown, TX to check out the Angel Valley farm stand. It was a bit out of the way for us and they were the only farm represented so I had to remind myself this wasn't a farmers market, but a farm stand.

We got potatoes, tomatoes, green beans and a large garlic. It was a lot of work for me to get both boys into the stroller and keep Connor busy and Evan in sight while I tried to gather what I was looking for. I must admit I was a bit disappointed by the layout and the amount of work it was for me personally. I'm sure it was much easier for other people though. I'm hoping that we won't be disappointed by the produce. I've already put the potatoes in the crock pot with the roast so we'll see tonight.

While I was waiting in line to pay, the lady in front of us said, "Oh how sweet! He's eating the tomato just like an apple." I, of course, had no idea he was doing that and quickly grabbed it from him since you pay by the weight. He had a few bites of it and then tossed it on the floor of the car. I started to feel worried because I hadn't had a chance to wash, but then reminded myself that the worst thing that was probably on it was dirt since it came from an organic farm.

While I was driving there I saw a sign for a farmers market. So on the way home we stopped. It turned out to be the Cedar Park Farmers Market right by the Gold's Gym off 1431. This was huge...comparatively...and had probably 20-25 stands. They had everything from grass-fed beef, chicken and eggs, milk to popsicles....and at decent prices. I know the eggs were $4 a doz and the ones I got from Greenling yesterday were $6.59 and the ground beef was $5.50/lb and what I got yesterday was $7.50/lb. So I'm thinking it may be worth my while to visit this little find each weekend.

We got some peaches and Connor again had to have one right away...I think he enjoyed the little trip. This Farmer's Market is just the right size with lots of variety to make it worth the extra drive! Also I must admit that I felt cleaner after leaving there. I always feel dirty after leaving the grocery store from the carts being so gross and I didn't have that feeling after leaving there today!

Greenling Basket

We got our first Greenling basket today. As you can tell, Sophie was very excited! We got a dozen eggs, a lb of breakfast sirloin, a lb of ground beef and a 2 count package of chicken...all grass-fed (or grass pfed here in Pflugerville)...also got a cucumber, yellow and green squash. Can't wait to try all the yummy food.

Going to check out Angel Valley Organic Farm's farm stand tomorrow in Jonestown, TX...hoping to find more yummy food there!

Local Farmers Markets

Pflugerville Farmers Market
Green Red Barn - Heritage Park
May 4- Aug 31 Tuesdays 3-7pm


I found this site that list tons of local farmers markets...too many to list. I figure this way we can find fresh local produce any day of the week. (You'll have to talk to them about their use of pesticides though...I don't know if local really means cleaner..but it does mean a better local economy and less gas used.)

Plus there's the Bastrop Producers Market (off Hwy 71)that is open 6 days a week (T-Fr 11-7pm; Sat 9-6pm; Sun 1-6pm) and looks like it has lots to offer. That might be a fun field trip!

Dirty Dozen

Let's start with working on phasing out the 12 foods known to have the highest rates of pesticides...

1. Celery - 64 pesticides detected
2. Peaches - 62
3. Strawberries - 59
4. Apples - 42
5. Blueberries - 52 (new to the list this year)
6. Nectarines - 33
7. Bell peppers - 49
8. Spinach - 48 (new to the list this year)
9. Kale
10. Cherries - 42
11. Potatoes - 37
12. Grapes - 34

Notable mention: leafy greens, carrots, pears, tomoato

Retrieved from http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods

Foods you don't need to buy organic:

Onions, avocado, sweet corn, pineapple, mango, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, tomoato and sweet potato

Retrieved from http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Save-on-Sustainable-Gallery-44032808

Today is the Pflugerville Farmer's Market..check it out!

Addition: 5 foods to go organic
milk, apples, peanut butter, ketchup, and potatoes

17 important foods to eat organic:

baby food, strawberries, rice, milk, green and red bell peppers, corn, bananas, green beans, peaches, apples, cherries, celery, apricots, grapes, soybeans, potatoes, raisins, and cucumbers

Should We Go Organic?

I have been wrestling with the idea of eating healthier all my life. Over the course of my adult life I've given up beef but the Whopper pulled me back. Then I gave up chicken but recently the Chick-Fil-A wrap pulled me back.(I like fast food.) I've thought a lot about hormones that are given to cattle and chickens (I don't eat pig) and the doubling in size that it's more than likely causing the humans that eat it. I make sure to give my kids organic milk, but I wonder if that's doing enough. (I know I need to start by giving up fast food!)

Recently, I was lamenting the fact that I really don't have (or haven't taken) the time to investigate the whole idea of organic foods and if it's really legit or just a scare tactic when I heard a study showing there may be a link between pesticides and ADD. That pushed me over the edge. I need to really look at this issue and see if it's something I need to be concerned about for my family. I really try to keep most, admittedly not all, of the foods that they eat for the first year organic. But should I continue past that first year? And what about Dave and I? Have we already been harmed by the exposure to pesticides, hormones and antibiotics we've had over the years or can you change those effects by changing now?

So I decided that maybe other people were thinking about the same things or maybe they'd be interested in hearing about what I find as I investigate this for myself...so I started a blog. Hopefully I'll be able to find some interesting tid-bits and maybe even get some followers!

Come back soon!