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amyable
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I'm finally being convinced, thanks in part to you wonderful ladies here, that we need to drastically reduce the toxic things in our home. We started to do this several years ago when our oldest were little, but due to busy-ness, pg exhaustion, PPD, etc., I fell away and generally have been using what is "convenient," as much as our allergies will allow.
I need a jump start and lots of hand holding, I think.  Here are some of a number of questions floating around in my brain:
We have a Whole Foods store about 30 minutes away. Are they a good place to shop for organic/natural things? What about Trader Joes? I go in there (dh has one right near work) but I can't tell if the produce/meat is organic. I've tried gardening, but small space and a black thumb have resulted in very little edible food coming from the garden - even this year with lasagna gardening!  
I'm thinking of trying to use all fresh food and stay away from cans/frozen, prepackaged. Is this silly in this day and age? I can't figure out who is lying, the people who say eat only fresh/organic, or the people who say there is nothing wrong with canned/frozen and nonorganic.  (Where is that head spinning icon? LOL)
What about facial cleansers/lotions/makeup? Does anyone use natural products here? Any good homemade recipes to share?
Last (for now), does anyone filter their water? We have a large brita filter but we don't usually have fridge room for it so it sits on the counter (but seems to get moldy there ). We are thinking of putting something on the faucet. I'd love to filter the shower too but know nothing about it.
Any and all advice welcome here...books, websites, personal stories...lay it on me. 
ETA: I just went upstairs and was overcome by the smell of my dishwasher detergent -- so how about natural alternatives for dishwasher detergent and washing machine detergent also (I don't remember much of this in the cleaning alternatives thread). Thanks!
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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of 
The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
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folklaur
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I only have a second, but hope to get back to this later.
I love Whole Foods, but it is expensive. Not for all things, but for a lot. But some things I can only find there (and we also have Wild Oats, Henry's, Sprouts, and Trader Joes nearby.) We do like the quality/taste of the meat that we buy there ( says dh especially. I don't eat much meat at all - maybe chicken once or twice a week. If he gets a craving for a steak, he will go, or have me go, to WF to get it.)
I will use frozen vegetables. I usually try to buy organic, whether fresh or frozen. We have recently joined a farm co-op of sorts. You can check these sites to see if there is anything near you.
here and here and here.
For cleaners, I use lots of vinegar and water, and also I love Dr. Bronner's when I want soap. I use that for washing dishes, laundry, body soap, etc. They smell great. Places like Whole Foods will carry them.
Trader Joes is hit & miss. Some stuff is organic, but by no means all. I do like to get their "Middle East Feast" for a quick lunch though 
I don't know if it is okay to shop at Target right now, but they seem to be carrying a line of biodegradeable & non-toxic cleaners. I don't know too much about that, though, I just happened to see them. They are called "Method".
I do know that the grocery chain Safeway is now carrying a store brand organic lined called "O". They are often less expensive than otehr options.
HTH,
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Elizabeth
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Dear Amy,
I did a whole long post and then I lost it so let me try again.
Whole Foods has a much larger selection but is much more expensive than Trader Joe's. Here's the way I do it:
I go to Whole Foods to stock up on essential oils and some toiletries (Burt's Bees, Herbs for Kids). I go to Aveda for makeup (like once a year).
Frozen is actually a really healthy option. Frozen fruits and veggies are frequently more nutritious than fresh because they haven't spent a long time in transit, instead they are frozen very shortly after picking. TJ's is a great source for frozen fruits and veggies, both conventional and organic.
I get my meat and poultry and eggs from a local co-op.
I get dairy at TJs primarily, filling in at the local grocery if necessary.
I get castille soap and tea tree oil at TJ's very affordably. These are the basics (along with vinegar) for cleaning. I also get their liquid laundry detergent and their dishwasher detergent. I can also get tea tree deodorant there, shampoo I like, and pump soap for hands.
I like their grocery department. Simmer sauces are affordable and useful in a pinch. Olive oil, organic canned tomoatoes, peanut butter without added fat and sugar--all there and affordable. They have a great selection of coffee and tea. And there is cereal if you are cereal family. Poke around the sauces and marinades and such. Sometimes, a bottle of that on your shelf is the difference between a quick, easy, fresh stir-fry and ordering pizza.
TJ's isn't strong on fresh meat or produce imo, though they have some things are that are real winners--it's just a smallish selection. If it doesn't say organic, it's not. There are no growth hormones in any of TJ's brand dairy. I do all my frozen purchasing there. For fresh fruit and veggies, I shop locally or Costco (they have fresh organic spring mix and carrots always, and some organic other things).
We have a water filter in our refrigerator but I would love a whole house RO filter.
I like to shop Trader Joe's and then to round out elsewhere. It's small, much easier with children, and always friendly. I love the relationship I have with our meat and poultry farmers.
And I LOVE the way peppermint castille soap, a little tea tree oil, and vinegar water makes my bathroom smell  .
You're going to like this change, Amy.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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hylabrook1
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Amy -
Where are you? Whole Foods has beautiful produce, labels which is organic or conventional, but as Laura said, they tend to be expensive.
We try to eat organic as much as possible, maybe it really is better, maybe I'm just being hyper-conscious, but I do feel better about it. I read in a magazine that someone tested a conventional orange that had been grown with chemical fertilizers, picked before really ripe, and then shipped over a great distance, against an organic orange that was actually much smaller, and the organic one had something like 8 times the amount of vitamin C. Most conventional produce varieties are developed for eye appeal and ship-ability (if that's a word), rather than for nutrition.
Maybe some of the money saved by using homemade cleaning solutions, like vinegar and water, can be switched over to the food part of the "grocery budget" and then the hit to the pocketbook will be less severe?
I would also love to know about some kind of homemade alternative to dishwasher detergent, which is the one chlorinated product we allow to go into the septic; it does smell very "bleachy", doesn't it?
I have also found a number of organic products at Costco. Right now I can think of Eden Organics spring mix salad greens in a one pound tub and some frozen spinach and feta pizzas which are very nice. I think more and more regular grocery stores are coming out with organic product lines, so finding things might become more convenient.
Hope this helps in some way.
Peace,
Nancy
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folklaur
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Elizabeth wrote:
And I LOVE the way peppermint castille soap, a little tea tree oil, and vinegar water makes my bathroom smell .
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I get the Dr. Bronner's Peppermint for this reason, too. I use it as laundry detergent, too, and the house just smells so good!
I haven't added Tea Tree oil, though -- how much would you use?
Oh, and I have the book Clean House, Clean Planet that I have found somewhat helpful.
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PDyer
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hylabrook1 wrote:
I would also love to know about some kind of homemade alternative to dishwasher detergent, which is the one chlorinated product we allow to go into the septic; it does smell very "bleachy", doesn't it?
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We just moved into a new house and I didn't think about the impact of dishwasher detergent on our septic. The author of Clean House Clean Planet states she couldn't find a good alternative to dishwasher detergent. This article at the Dollar Stretcher gives some options that might be worth a try: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent.
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Patty
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Life at Home
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Cici
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Our Costco sells Organic milk, organic peanut butter, organic lemonade mix, and (just recently) organic eggs.
I've been slowly switching over to organic (met w/ resistance by only dh - and only concerning whole wheat, organic noodles) - the cleaning products sound very appealing to me. Not only for the health benefits - but it seems by reading the cleaning 101 thread, that I can minimize the cleaning solution bottles in the cabinets.
That said - and this may well be obvious - but by adding tee tree oil to your cleaning solution - doesn't that make the whole thing, well, oily?
And will you share the ratios, Elizabeth?
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folklaur
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Cici wrote:
| and only concerning whole wheat, organic noodles) |
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Hi,
My dh hated the different noodles/pasta I was trying -- until Elizabeth, I think it was, mentioned Tinkyada brand rice noodles. They are really good, and the last time I used them no one realized that it wasn't "regular" noodles.
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Elizabeth
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About 5-10 drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle--definitely not enough to feel oily. and it's a really effective antiseptic.
I wish someone would do for bread what Tinkyada has done for noodles...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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mary
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I hadn't heard of tinkyada before. they sound yummy. unfortunately, i'm using a glycemic index type diet for my thyroid and rice is something i rarely eat because it has such a high glycemic index. we tend to use
food for life for pasta and bread. i have used their sprouted grain bread when i want to avoid eating flour and sugar.
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Elizabeth
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Mary,
The tinkyada pasta is made from brown rice so the GI is lower than semolina pasta and lower than whitee rice.
Thanks for the bread tip!
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Elizabeth
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Basic Floor Cleaner
1/8 cup castile soap or TJs laundry detergent
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 gallon warm water
Few drops (5-10) tea tree oil or lavender oil
Use Murphy’s oil soap on the hardwood.
Basic antiseptic spray
1 ½ cups warm water
1 teaspoon castile soap
½ cup white vinegar
Few drops (5-10) tea tree oil or lavender oil
Basic soft scrubber formula (tubs, showers, toilet bowls, bathroom countertops if necessary)
½ cup baking soda
Enough castile soap or laundry detergent to make a frosting-like consistency
5-10 drops lavender, peppermint or tea tree oil (optional)
Basic window and glass cleaner
1 ½ cups warm water
½ cup vinegar
¼ cup rubbing alcohol
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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AnaB
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Elizabeth,
Where do you get your cleaner recipes? We are having SUCH a horrible time with allergies and fatigue right now. It may be related to our windows! We replaced our windows a few weeks ago (almost a month now) and they had to drill into the walls creating a thick layer of dust on everything even our clothes in the closets. THen the caulking they used to seal the windows had a VERY strong smell. We aired out the house for 3 days with fans (which is hard when it's in the upper 90s and 100% humidity!), but it still smells. We also think there's a leak in our A/C ducts because our vents have some dirty dust on the outside of them. So, the smell of our cleaning produts just adds to the problem.
My concern is disinfecting, especially in the bathroom and the kitchen. Do these recipes do that? I'd be interested in a recipe for the dishwasher (that's expensive) and laundry soap. We always need to add fabric softener, but lately I've been getting all the dye-free, fragrance-free products for the laundry.
My library doesn't have too many books on the subject, so if I were to buy one, I want to make sure it's a really good one.
Thanks! Sorry to go on a tangent with the post.
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His By Grace, AnaB blessed WIFE to Jeff and mama to 4 blessings!
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mary
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Elizabeth wrote:
Mary,
The tinkyada pasta is made from brown rice so the GI is lower than semolina pasta and lower than whitee rice.
Thanks for the bread tip! |
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thank you in return! it's good to be able to have some variation when my diet is a bit limited already.
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Elizabeth
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I got most of the cleaner recipes from Better Basics for the Home and then I tweaked them for my own preferences. I do think it's a really comprehensive, good book on the topic of eliminating toxins in the home (including the bed and bath). We are very, very sensitive to fragrances. I can't do any kind of synthetic fragrance in laundry detergents and I don't do fabric softener at all. The Trader Joe's laundry detergent uses essential oil of lavender to scent--that doesn't bother us. Vinegar in the rinse seems to eliminate the need for softener and either oil of lavender or tea tree oil (also in the rinse) takes care of any lingering smells. Fabirc softener is a real problem for all of us, not just those of us who are allergic. Essential oils aren't cheap, but you need just a very little. Tea tree oil is an amazing antiseptic and an anti-mildew, anti-fungal agent. You can also add a little rubbing alcohol to the disinfectant solution (don't use that on granite or marble though).
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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LisaD
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I do 90% of my shopping at Trader Joe's. Their dairy products are excellent, and they sell local free-range eggs. I can get fair-trade coffee there. My local TJ's sells a small amount of grass-fed beef and organic chicken. I only buy produce at TJ's in a pinch. I buy TJ's brand shampoos and conditioners, they carry Dr. Bronner's, and I've used TJ's cleaning products, too. TJ's is a local store (the company started a few towns over), and my family has shopped there from it's beginning, so I'm pretty loyal to TJ's! Oh, they have good fresh breads, and we love their handmade corn tortillas. Our Pavilions (Safeway store) sells some organic produce, and we have a weekly farmer's market year-round in our town. I do sometimes go into Whole Foods, but honestly, the people that work there are so unhelpful, that I often feel like crying by the time I get out of there. I buy supplements at a local health food store.
Right now, I'm using Charlie's Soap in the laundry, and as a basic cleaner. I haven't needed fabric softener with the Charlie's Soap. Our water is really hard, so I add washing soda, and borax with the diapers. I've got kids with excema and allergies, and Charlie's Soap has been just fine with them. It gets the diapers really clean and soft, too.
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JennGM
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Don't forget to check out this thread on organic products.
I'm finding my local grocery store is carrying a wide variety of organic products, and I think they are cheaper than Whole Foods. Many moms around here swear by Wegmans. Do you have one nearby? They say it is hands down cheaper and a very wide selection. I know you don't have the problem, but gluten free products are their specialty.
Don't think everything has to be organic, at least at the beginning. Didn't someone post a list of fruits and veggies that should be organic as opposed to others?
For meats, sometimes they don't have the Organic label, but you can read Natural, no hormones, no antibiotics. That's my criteria. Laura's Own Beef, our grocery store Nature's Own (I think it might be connected with Horizon, though), and Springer Mountain Chicken (I really liked their products). That's my first priority: any type of meat or animal products need to be organic. Then the others I make choices along the way, depending on the type of food, budget and availability.
Frozen veggies are the way to go. TJs has a nice wide variety of frozen organic veggies that are really tasty. Some other brands I haven't liked as much, like Cascadian. I compare the spinach and corns with other brands. It doesn't seem as fresh. But that's just my personal opinion.
I'm still working on the cleaning department. I appreciate all the suggestions.
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AnaB
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Boo-Hoo! Trader Joe's is not in Florida!
I do have Wild Oats. It's pretty expensive, but my only option for organic. I think they do have Bronner's soap. Do I get the castille? I bought the lavender scented for our hand pumps but I find it doesn't do well in the hand pump and ends up shooting out in an unexpected way. Several times my children have gotten the pure soap in their eyes from the hand pumps. So, I'll stick to adding it to cleaners.
I'll look into Charlie's Soap.
For our cleaning routine: I have one child daily wipe down the bathroom (the guest/hall/children bathroom) with Lysol wipes (looking for an alternative). One child unloads the dishes and puts them away and one child works on laundry daily. The boys take their clean clothes and are in charge of folding and putting away. The rest are folded by my daughter. Then 3 times a week they vacuum.
THen twice a month I have a friend who cleans houses for a living come and do the deep cleaning and mopping. This seems to work for us though my house can get wrecked in an afternoon if I'm busy or on the computer too much ;o(.
I try to have a clean up time before dh gets home and another one before bed. This really helps.
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8kids4me
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I found that the tea tree oil at my local co-op is far pricier than the tea tree I have been ordering online for my soap and lotion making needs. Here is a link for one source, just scroll down to the bottom to find it.
Brambleberry
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http://www.magnolialane.wordpress.com
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stefoodie
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don't know if i gave this link before but EWG has ratings on a lot of the skin, etc. products:
EWG
if you are open to buying in bulk, check out
united buying clubs to find a local co-op/buying club you can join, although i get great deals too going to the wildoats website and checking out their sale items before i shop there (we don't have a whole foods, though we have a trader joe's). the regular supermarkets also are becoming a great place to shop organic, because sometimes their customers aren't that aware yet (good and bad depending on your perspective  ) so lots of things stay on the shelves and go on sale really cheaply. i found really cheap organic cereal lately at my local Kroger's.
for produce my favorites are local farmers. find yours at local harvest. i found a local organic farmer 15 minutes from us who offered a CSA subscription and also sells at the weekly farmer's market.
if you ever want to grow your own heirloom/organic veggies, the gardenweb seed exchange forum is a great way to get cheap/free seeds. i bought about $20 worth of seeds 2 years ago, and have been trading since. you do have to specify if you want only organic seeds.
we get back home tomorrow, and one of the first things on my list for saturday morning is to make some homemade toothpaste. i want to beat hubby before he goes out and buys more (although we like tom's strawberry)! you can find recipes here. oh, i bought peelu toothpaste after reading the EWG reports, but yuck! don't buy that stuff.
there are many recipes on the net for all kinds of natural/homemade cleaning stuff, but my favorite book that contains some recipes and lots of other good stuff is mary jane's ideabook, cookbook, lifebook
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stef
mom to five
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Going natural
