my favorite cleaner

I just have to share my favorite cleaner= sol u mel. I used it to remove INK off my fridge and off of my living room wall. Yup my daughter has a fascination for ink pens! I don't know where I would be without this cleaner! The best part is that it is safe to use on almost any surface and nontoxic so no fumes!

Lead in Jewelry

I was just reading a report the other day that said there is new evidence of lead in Jewelry. It seems like everything we use has some sort of toxin in it! Will do some more digging on this one....What is this world coming too. I always wondered about the cheap jewelry out there and what's in it. I don't wear much jewelry and only wear gold & silver earings as my ears are very sensitive.

Toothpaste toxic?

Ever think about your toothpaste as having toxic chemicals? Well it does....I just did some research about SLS and SLES...SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) is considered to be toxic, and according to the NaturalHealthCentre.com, “Although SLES (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) is somewhat less irritating than Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, it cannot be metabolised by the liver and its effects are therefore much longer-lasting.

There are non-toxic toothpastes available you just have to find them! I use the Melaleuca all natural toothpolish with no toxic chemicals. It also works great on my stove as a cleaner on grime...shsh...great secret!

To learn more about dangerours chemicals in your personal care products go to :http://www.care2.com/c2c/share/detail/34879

Love my tough n tender

Summer is here, well almost...Ever wonder how to get rid of those pesky insects flying around? Inside your house? Outside on your plants, spiders, ants, aphids? Yes there is a safe solution! No need to go out and buy poisonous sprays or insect killers etc. I use my can't live with out "Tough N Tender" natural concentrated cleaner. I mix the concentration and can spray right on any kind of bug and kill it! Oh its great. It won't hurt plants, pets, kids, its safe to spray anywhere bugs are! Oh by the way it cleans great too!

Cleaning those baby bibs...

I found a new way to clean baby bibs; dish soap just doesn't cut it. I found that if I use my Sol-u-Mel disinfectant it not only cleans it but deodorizes as well and great for stains. Of course you need to clean it right away! Best of all its a natural cleaner so no residue left on the bib.

Back Home

So good to go on vacation but so good to be back home! Call me crazy but I love my personal care products so much I missed them while I was away!! Using natural green products for so long and then going back to the "other stuff" just doesn't compare.  You probably don't think about hand soap as making a big difference but it does! My hands were consistently dry the entire time I traveled. Next time I travel, I'll have to pack that too! :)

Getting ready for travel!

Okay so call me corny but I am going to bring me 1oz spray of Sol u Mel so I can spray down all the stuff once I get into the "hotel room". With so many recent bed bug stories, I am not just going to be paranoid but safe! Sol u Mel uses natural Melaleuca oil as a disinfectant to kill any bug/bacteria! I actually keep it in my purse and also use it to spray down the shopping cart handle.

Plastic Bags

I am doing really good on trying not to use those pesky sandwich bags! In fact I didn't buy anymore when I ran out just to see if I could really live with out it. I now am using plastic containers to store things so I am not throwing away plastic bags all the time. Now if I can just remember to use my reusable grocery bags at the store...one step at a time!

Plastic shower curtain as toxic?

Ok, this is weird, I never thought of the "new plastic smell" on plastic to be toxic? Ever smell that oh so plasticky smell like when you buy a shower curtain? I just read somewhere online that that smell is "toxic soup of phthalates, organotins, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, methyl isobutyl ketone and a bunch of other chemicals that can cause headaches, nausea, and liver, central nervous system, respiratory and reproductive system damage." Woah! I don't think I am ever going to put my nose in any new plastic thing! 

This now really gets me thinking about what other plastic things that have this new smell are not safe: IE: new children's toys that have that smell...oh dear...will need to pay more close attention when buying toys for my children..

POISON CONTROL AWARENESS

For those of you who don't know, next week is:

POISON CONTROL AWARENESS WEEK

http://www.poisonprevention.org/poison.htm

 

What are you doing to educate yourself on the hazardous toxic chemicals that lurk in your homes? Do you know that Bleach is a registered pesticide, a common household cleaner we all have in our homes? Isn't that scary? What's even more scary is that... Over 7 million accidental poisonings are reported each year(14,000 daily) and most victims are children....

 

What are you doing to keep your home safe? 

Now is your chance to go green!

If you are a GREEN person ie: like green healthy products, and would like to go GREEN this month for only $1 please contact me at 

www.betotalwellness.com

Hope to hear from you!

Going GREEN for St. Patrick's Day

I am going to do my share in being GREEN for St. Patrick's day.  Dressing in green is the easy part. Actually attempting to be "green" conscious of our daily activities is another. I will make an extra effort to use only recyclable containers, limit wasting anything, including running the tap water (we all do this!) and of course use all my eco-friendly cleaning products! I do need to dig in my closet for something green to wear, that's going to be fun!

Germs!

Oh yuck...I just read the article about the 7 most germiest places in public and needles to say I was horrified. Top of the list shopping cart handles!! Oh dear, don't want to elaborate on what they find on those, needles to say people don't wash their hands after using the restroom! I think I am going to hand carry my natural spray bottle of eco-friendly disinfectant and spray all the carts I come in contact with! No wonder we are all getting so sick this winter.

junk mail

This is funny I never thought of junk mail as a huge waste!! I just read on one of my mom's groups that all that junk mail ends up in a landfill somewhere where it sits for a long time.  There is a way to actually stop it. So I am taking up the challenge to lighten my mailbox!! I am going to consider it part of my spring green cleaning!!!

getting healthy

Okay, so I am taking this new immunue complex supplement to help me fight off all those nasty colds. With all the germs in my house we have had our share of colds!!! It's supposed to have a blend of echinacea, vitamin C, zinc, vitamin E, astragalus and aronia extract. The last two I have never heard of...I am determined to not get sick for at least 8 weeks! Go away germs! I am think I am going to disinfect my house as well!

oh those plastic containers...

Ever open your cupboard and find oh so many plastic containers, the ones with missing lids? So I decided to clean house. Let's just say I added alot of plastic to my recycle bin! But I was thinking all those cute plastic containers I bought for my first daughter that I forgot about since they got pushed to the back, I think I can use those! So I started to put my daughters snack foods for her lunch in there instead of using a new ziploc bag every time. In fact I have so many containers I am going to use them more and try to stop using those pesky ziploc bags...

Spring Cleaning!

I think I am going to start my spring cleaning early this year! #1 on my list is to clean my carpets and air ducts. I have been researching and there are "green" companies out there that use organic cleaning materials on carpets. I can't remember the last time I had my carpets cleaned but I do remember the nasty chemical smell afterwards.  This time I am going to try a company that uses organic cleaners! I'll let you know how it turns out....

Attention all mommies out there!

One of the most important things I can educate other Mom's out there is the presence of harmful ingredients that are not known to the public in baby products. Specifically Johnson & Johnson products. The shampoo, body wash & lotions in particular.  They all contain Quaternium 15, which is basically a formaldehyde releaser.  In fact manufacturers can legally use 30 different trade names for it which of course we would not recognize. 

Formaldehyde can irritate the respiratory system, cause skin reactions, allergies, headaches, and much more. It caused really bad Eczema with my first daughter, I had to stop using all Johnson & Johnson products. I now use only safe non toxic baby wash! 

Why I don't eat fish

I guess in other countries alot of folks eat alot of fish..so when I get asked this question how come I don't eat fish. Here is my answer....there is so much pollution in the waters/rivers from the cleaning products we use that contain phosphates that it is upsetting the ecosystem and killing the fish. Did you know that CASCADE is the biggest offender? Yep its so bad that it is BANNED in 16 states in the U.S.! Think twice about the next time you purchase CASCADE and where the water goes when you run your dishwasher.

Doing my part to save the environment

The other day I was cleaning and thought about can one person really make a difference? So I worked out how much plastic I am saving the environment by re using my cleaning spray bottles. Since the cleaning products I use are concentrated, I just add water and I re use the same bottle over and over. Me, just myself I have saved 75 plastic bottles just in 12 months alone! That is amazing...so lets put this into a bigger perspective...in 10 years that would be 750 less plastic bottles going to the landfills! WOW! One person does make a difference...

Lets go more global..it is estimated there are about 935,000 households in Orange County California, so if each household switched to green products we could save about 70 Billion plastic bottles in just 12 months! That's a lot of plastic! Common everyone...get on the bandwagon!

Did you know?

Did you know....The EPA reports that toxic chemicals in our home are 3 times more likely to cause cancer than outside air pollution. The EPA also reports that toxic chemicals in household cleaners cause women working at home to have a 55% HIGHER cancer risk than women working outside the home.

I am happy to report there is no bleach in my home! Anytime I need to disinfect I reach for my Natural Thyme & Citrus cleaner. Its great for killing all viruses and the smell won't harm my children. 

 

Is Your Home a Healthy Home?

I love to ask people I meet this question...do you know if your home is a healthy home? Most people don't know the answer! I certainly didn't know either until I started doing my own research.  Here is an alarming thought:

"Asthma, allergies, cancer and a range of maladies from skin irritations to fatigue and behavior problems can be directly linked to chemicals in the household." 

This is one of many reasons I have decided to not just go "green" with my cleaning products but help others to do the same! Stay tuned for more....