Going Greener - step #1

I spent a lot of time this weekend reading the "Green This!" and "Growing Up Green" books. I highly recommend reading the "Green This!" book for ways to begin using more natural and non-toxic products in the house.

Let me back up - first I managed to confuse myself with the terms "organic", "natural" and "non-toxic". In case you want to follow along, here are some definitions that may help.

Organic - refers to a method of farming in which plants and botanicals are grown on land that is free of chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides. The USDA divides these products into three categories: "100% Organic," "Organic" (contains 95 percent organic ingredients) and "Made With Organic Ingredients" (contains at least 70 percent organic ingredients). The USDA Organic Seal verifies a product's authenticity. In other words - this will usually refer to food or on occasion, some beauty products.

Natural- means the product was created from botanical sources without additives or preservatives; the soil in which these plants are grown isn't taken into consideration. Natural products are not federally regulated, so they may contain synthetic ingredients.

It's important to note that the terms "organic" and "natural" are thus not interchangeable. The ingredients in organic and natural products are biocompatible with our bodies and more readily absorbed. They are also less of a detriment to the environment. Unfortunately, they can be more expensive since they are not made cheaply.

Non-toxic - refers to the safety level of a product. Something can be both organic and natural, but still be toxic. For example, vinegar is a natural, biodegradable and “green” product. But just get it into your child’s eye, and you have a dangerous situation to deal with. So when talking about non-toxic products, most of the time you are talking about something that you will come in contact with like cleaning products or skin products.

Whew - got all that? The books suggested that you start out with small changes and not try to do everything at once. So while I'd like to go organic with our foods, we can't afford to do so. Instead, we purchased a product called "Fit" which is a wash that removes waxes and pesticides and chemicals far far better than water. So we can buy regular produce and use this product to remove a lot of the harm. And I'm slowly going to switch over to natural products.

But with Peanut on the way, I really want to focus on using as many non-toxic products as possible. When reading about the chemicals in standard cleaning products, my science background came back in a flash and I found myself appalled that we'd be using these products for so long. They really, really are dangerous - especially when you consider how the fumes stay low to the ground near pets and little ones.

So I have replaced just about every cleaning product we have with non-toxic versions. And it's easier (and not as expensive) to do than you think! With some research and recommendations from friends, I'm using the "Method" and "Seventh Generation" lines of products. Method can be found in many store like Giant Eagle but I've found it to be least expensive (and a bigger selection) at Target stores. Same with Seventh Generation. Oh, and did I mention because they are non-toxic, they are also better to the environment?? And then there is the feeling that I'm not having dangerous chlorine and other evil chemicals in our home recking havoc on our bodies.

Because speaking of bodies, mine is enduring enough on its own. Seriously, will someone please get this kid out of me? I am so, so, so, so miserable. I know it's cause I'm nearing the end, but the heat is really starting to affect me. I'm extra swollen, and my back is really hurting. Sleeping consists of tossing and turning non-stop. And I'm really, really tired all the time. Which means I'm extra irritable, so call at your own risk - ha ha.

When I stopped into the hospital today, the nurse tried to direct me to triage because she thought I was in labor and checking myself into the hospital!! Ugh. What a mess I must look. Why was I at the hospital? Heather's little girl McKenzie Jordan was born today at 10:55 AM - 7.5 lbs and 17 inches (I think I got that right). She is so sweet! Mom and baby are doing fine. I'll have pictures tomorrow night when I stop back. If I don't go into labor first (please, please please).