Shelf Liner Dilemma

 Have you ever been overwhelmed by so many projects that you just don't want to do any of them?  That's how this "little" project started.  It seemed so simple, such a no brainer.  Something that would make me feel that I've accomplished something, which would then make me want to continue with a more difficult task.   

  You simply measure and cut the paper and install it. Sounds easy, doesn't it?  I have no idea why I would think that, since hardly anything goes as planned.

Here's how it went.  This weeks "challenge" in my minimalist group is the kitchen, second time around.  This is still the beginning of my journey, in pretending I'm going to someday become somewhat minimalistic.  Living with less.  But that's a different story I'll be sharing with you.  Let's get back to my shelf paper. 

I emptied out the cupboard, checked to see if there was anything I no longer used or needed.  Then of course, it was dusty, so I started washing it.  Then, I noticed the contact paper was yucky, so proceeded to rip out that old sticky contact paper.  I noticed it was one of the cupboards that never did get painted on the inside.  Painting and lining cupboards was always at the bottom of the priority list.   Thinking this would be easy, I dug some paint out and then I realized why it never got painted.  I had to angle myself in all different positions to get that cupboard painted.

 I even at some points had to put my head inside just to reach the back.  Then, I had to let it dry, then apply some semi-gloss to make it washable.  And that takes a few days to dry, so it's not tacky to the touch. 



In the meantime, going to the hardware store for other things, I checked out the shelf liner there.  I was thinking of all the different patterns that must be out now, and whether I should just get a solid color. 

Then I saw the price of it.  Wow, I just could not wrap my brain around spending so much just to line a shelf.  It comes on a roll, listing the square feet so when I multiplied the length times the width I realized it would cost around $5 a shelf to cover.  I thought it a bit ridiculous just to make my cupboard look nice. I wanted to do this as cheaply inexpensively as possible.  I mean, it's just a shelf, behind a closed door isn't it?  Even the paint, if you shop the "oops" rack can be bought for as little as $5 a gallon. 

   I left the store pondering what other options may be out there.  I know many, many years ago people actually used, well, paper.  Butcher paper, newspaper and other reasonably priced papers.  I also know that some people use trays for things such as oils and syrups that can leak.  I searched the internet for viable options and finally found a few.  I really liked the idea of making my own oilcloth but decided that in itself would be another project. 

I had quite a few vinyl tablecloths in the drawer that I hadn't used in a very long time so that is what I decided to try.  We had recently used one to cover some cement work.  They are handy to have for picnics also.  I went through and picked one out.  Okay, so it's not organic bamboo, but we can say it's recycling and repurposing something already in your home.  Plus, I had a drawer full of them that had been taking up space.  In addition, I really don't think the shelf paper in the store is all that eco friendly either or healthy. 

Now, if you want every drawer and cupboard in your kitchen to be the same, then you will have to do the math, and go out and pick out the amount of square feet you will need.  Or the amount of table cloths to buy.   I didn't care if it matched, so hence just used the supplies in my home. 

The first thing I did was toss the vinyl tablecloth into the dryer on low to get the fold lines out.  

You will notice that some of the tablecloths have rounded corners.

To take care of that problem, you need to find a straight edge.

 From that edge I measured an equal distance along the length of the cloth.  I did this along the length, putting a dot.  I then laid my ruler along those dots, and drew a line along them to make a straight line.

 I then cut along the line, thus eliminating the rounded corners. 

From there it's easy, measure your cupboard, measure your square of cloth and cut it out.  I made mine about 1/8th to 1/16th shorter to allow for stretching.  Yep vinyl can stretch.

From there, put it onto your shelf until it is straight and flat.  If you need to,  retrim if it's too big.  I then took upholstery tacks, or just plain regular thumbtacks, and well, tacked them down with a
hammer.  If you rent, and cannot put tacks, then I think the two way poster tape would be fine. 

And that's it,  The two shelves are done.  Plus I did the drawers above that shelf.  Now, if I can find time to do some more shelves.  Until then, I'll just admire these two shelves.

Other materials that can be used.  Freezer paper, butcher paper, scrapbooking paper, oil cloth, fabric, wax paper, newspaper, newsprint plain, plastic trays, upholstery vinyl/fabric.  This job can be as elaborate as you want.  I wanted it to be as easy and quick as possible, and to be able to use materials already in my home.


References and Helpful Websites:

Go Gingham-Stylishly Frugal Living

marthastewart-oilcloth basket liners

creativejewishmom-lining shelves with a decorative edge

younghouselove/nursery-progress-lining-our-dresser-drawers/

What's In Your Food? Watch Food, Inc. It Will Open Your Eyes

     When I first started questioning what was in the food our family was eating I came across a movie that changed the way I not only think about our food, but the way I shop and what I buy.  In one respect, it did seem to make life a bit more difficult.  You see, I couldn't just run into the store anymore and grab something.  I actually had to "think" about it.  Since then I've learned so much more, and it has become a more natural way of life for me.  I don't think twice now about reading labels, and making sure I can identify each and every ingredient in the product I am buying.  Even with my produce, where you obviously can see what you are getting, or can you, I check whether it is organic, local, or says nothing.  I check for where the produce was grown. 

 
I don't think I'd ever really put a lot of thought into where the food actually came from.  You know how it is, you go into the grocery store, see nicely wrapped packages on the shelf, with your biggest concern at the moment being that the wrapper doesn't have any holes and is sealed up.  Even if it did have a couple of questionable ingredients you thought it couldn't be too bad could it?  After all, why would our government allow food to be sold that is poisonous or filled with bacteria, or worse?

  Were we all in denial or did all these corporations just subtly sneak in on us while we were enjoying our food?  Probably a little bit of both.  Little by little I've been learning more about the ingredients that most people don't even think about, just like I used to do. 
 
 Food, Inc. is a great documentary that will really have you shuddering at times.  Most of all you will feel lied to and downright angry.  Our denial of what's really in our food is making us unhealthy, making our children unhealthy and making farmers lose their livelihoods, and fattening the bank accounts of large food industry and even more. 

     Many people are becoming aware of the deception in the food industry and realizing that if we don't change the way we eat, and shop we are compromising our health.  That may sound a bit over the edge, but it doesn't take too much digging on the internet to find out just how much we have been deceived.  Of course most people know that the government is not perfect, but this documentary will open your eyes to just a fraction of what really goes on in our nation.

Facts From Food, Inc.  will also show you a lot of things that you might never have thought about or considered when you run to the store. 

 

The Hype On Vitamin D

           I'm sure you all have heard or read the talk about vitamin D deficiencies in the U.S.   Have you ever given it any thought that you may be one of those who may be deficient?  I didn't either, after all, I am in sunny California. 
  
      In my research, it seems that there are arguments on both sides of whether it is an epidemic. The facts are that a lot of people are deficient and that it can be fixed.  Are you one of those that needs vitamin D?
     It has been proven that having a deficiency over time will lead to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and a lot of other ailments.  Some believe that we get enough in the sunshine and our food.  The arguments don't really matter though if they would just test routinely for this and take care of the problem.  In my case, after three different blood tests, not one of them tested for this.  It was just this last blood test that it was revealed.

     What are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency?  Well, for the most part, nothing.  It is so subtle that most people will be asymptomatic.  Although, a deficiency can cause bone pain, asthma in children, muscle weakness, cognitive impairment in adults and other types of symptoms.  Some research has suggested that it can play a role in multiple sclerosis, cancer, hypertension, glucose intolerance, and type 1 and type 2 diabetes. 

     Another way to maybe think about if you could be deficient is your lifestyle.  Do you always stay out of the sun?  Do you heavily use sunscreens?  Sun is one of the best ways to get your vitamin D.  When you are in the sun, your body makes vitamin D for you, probably one of the easiest ways to get vitamin D.  For so many years we were all told to stay out of the sun and always wear sunblock.  Turns out that wasn't the greatest advice, plus factoring in all the chemicals in sunblocks.  Just make sure to not get burned, and if you are going to be out in the hottest time of day, wear a mineral sunblock that has a safe rating.

      Other factors that could possibly make you susceptible to vitamin A deficiency is if you are a vegetarian.  The foods that contain the most Vitamin D are usually animal based.  Salmon, tuna, mackerel, and other fish oils and fish,  egg yolks, cheese and beef liver.  Also if you have dark skin you do not absorb as much vitamin D from the sun.  If you are older your kidneys lose some of their ability to convert the vitamin D to it's active form.  Certain diseases can effect the ability of your digestive tract to absorb vitamin D, and if you are obese the bodies ability to extract vitamin D can be inhibited. 

   There are various forms of vitamin D supplements.  The main ones are Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol)  and Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol )   From my research most experts agree that Vitamin D3 is the best form to take.  Vitamin D2 is less potent and doesn't last as long in your body.  It also seems to not get absorbed quite as well.  It used to be believed that both were the same, but studies have proven that is not the case.  Vitamin D3 is from the oils in sheep's wool, lanolin, since it is the same as what the sun gives us.

    What is the recommended daily amount to take?  Well, I have an opinion based on my own research and my own doctor so I recommend you do the same.  What the government recommends is way below what I believe is right.  My doctor started me on 5,000 IU a day.  She takes 10,000 IU herself since she is inside for most of the day.  You can always start out low and work up to a higher dose.  Can you get too much vitamin D?  From the sun and food it would be very rare.  With supplements though you could, and it could cause joint and muscle pain.  That's why I stress very much to get your blood level checked to see if you need to take it at all.

   This has been a very unscientific post, and I leave it up to you to find out more on Vitamin D.  My main goal was to let you know that maybe what you are hearing or reading about Vitamin D deficiency in America may really be true and may be you. 

     By the way, just merely getting into the sun isn't always enough, you have to actually try to get most of your body exposed, like in a bathing suit.  Or at least your arms, legs and face for at least 20 minutes. 

   As for vitamin D fortified milk and other dairy products, some companies still use the D2.  Raw milk has it naturally, but only about 38 IU.  I drink some raw milk every single day, both for the vitamins and minerals it gives me.  Pasteurization kills so many of the vital nutrients in milk, and also makes it rancid.  All the good cultures are killed also, but that's a different topic. 

References: 

http://www.breakthroughmedical.org/why-vitamin-d3-supplements-are-better-than-vitamin-d2/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_d

http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=188&p_created=1218487765&p_topview=1

http://search.mercola.com/search/Pages/results.aspx?k=vitamin D

http://www.mercola.com/article/milk/no-milk.htm

http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/what_is_in_raw_milk.html

Back In the Nest

     It's been awhile since I've posted.  It wasn't really a conscious choice.

     I started out my Thanksgiving day, Nov. 2011 in the emergency room at 1 a.m.  It was not a pleasant experience at all.  But possibly something that may happen again.  You see, at 1 a.m. I suffered what is called atrial fibrillation.  A-fib for short.  They never did figure out why.  I don't know that they really spent too much time trying to figure it out.  Basically, an emergency room just works to stabilize a patient.  So, I had to lay there most of the night, being injected with unknown substances while they waited for my body to go into normal sinus rhythm on it's own.  I guess there are other horrible ways to stop A-fib, but they for some reason wanted to see if my body would revert back on it's own.  So, the drugs basically were lowering my blood pressure to the extreme to help my body along.  Oh, there were some high points there.  The first that I got to chew up a baby aspirin, loved those things when I was a kid.  The second high point is that I didn't pee on the table, since they finally found a bedside commode, after I acted like a wild women and yelled out the door that I was very desperate.  Okay, I didn't word it quite like that, nor will I repeat what I said, it had something to do with wetting on myself. 
 
     Yeah, really, those were the high points.  What else did you expect me to say? 
I was admitted by morning, and of course I had to submit to a lot of pokes and prods from a few needles.  Okay, another high point, those lab techs do not miss veins in a hospital.  Despite all that, both my arms we're quite a festive sight for the next month, going from black to purple to blue and mixtures of all of those. 
So, I've yet to find out why this happend, but I have a new doctor who will be working on this issue.  In the meantime, of course, she had to do a fasting blood panel.  And that's where it gets interesting. Or horrible, depending on how you look at it.
  What she found is that I'm dangerously low in vitamin D3.  That totally took me by surprise.  I don't suppose any of the other drs. checked for that, so I'm glad she did.  The surprise is that I've been reading about how many Americans are low in Vitamin D3, but I assumed that couldn't be anyone in California.  How would that be possible?  I mean, sunshine most of the year, and we live near an ocean so eating fish shouldn't be an issue either should it?  That's why I was surprised. 
 
     I'll be doing a bit of research on Vitamin D3 since I really didn't know all that much, or didn't remember what I used to know.   I've heard of some say that their body doesn't absorb it properly, and have no idea if that is the case for me.  Although, the dr. has put me on 5,000 IU of vitamin D3. 

    I hope you join me as I work to learn more about what some have called the "vitamin D" epidemic in America. 
   
  

One Dollar Lunches on Groupon Now

Groupon Now will be offering $1 lunches.  This will be on Friday only so be sure to check it out at this link or google it.   Groupon Dollar Lunch

Groupon will be partnering up with Feeding America to provide half-a-million meals for families that are in need.

I'll be checking it out and I have no idea what restaurants will be making the offerings.  I hope someone can benefit from this, and hopefully I can too. 

  We don't eat out too often, unless we have a coupon or some special deal that we find.  Okay, we have had a few moments of desperation and ended up at Taco Tuesday or picked up a Five dollar pizza.  But we really do try to avoid that when possible. 

   I'm especially disgusted at the fact that I actually ate at a McDonald's this week.  Yes, yes I did.  As I bit into that delicious addictive hamburger along with the fries I forced my mind not to dwell on what I already know the ingredients are.  I'd probably get more nutrition from my leather shoe.  But well, the leather shoe was costly and I know it wouldn't taste near as good.

   So, back to the dollar lunch, do check it out.  It's always best to eat organic and healthy unprocessed foods.  But when you can't, or just get a serious craving, it's nice to at least get it at a discount.

A Case of Chicken From Zaycon Foods

     My zaycon foods boneless, skinless chicken breasts arrived on Tuesday, November 1st and the pickup was really easy.  In fact, it was so easy that we thought something must not be right.  So, we pulled off and opened the box and discovered.........boneless, skinless, chicken breasts.  All we had to do is  pull into the church parking lot, follow the cones to the refrigerated truck, they put it in the car for us after asking our name and that was it.  Done!
 
      After arriving back at my daughters house we labeled our plastic bags and proceeded to repack them.  I used both quart and gallon size  I used two entire breasts in the gallon size bag with plans to make my chicken nuggets/strips the following day.  The rest I put into the freezer.  My daughter chose to put a marinade on hers before she put them in her freezer. 
   
We were already of course thinking of what we were going to cook.  The first thing I wanted to make were the chicken nuggets or rather more like  chicken strips. 

I've decided this was a decent deal on the chicken, and I am quite sure I'll purchase again.  The only bad thing about it that I could see is that I should have ordered two cases.  I didn't do my "homework" with the math, which would have told me how much I would be getting.  We tend to worry that we won't have freezer space, but as you can see, I had enough for one more case.

What Do You Scrub Your Pots With?

       One of the ways I save money in my kitchen is to make my cleaning products.  It wasn't all that long ago that I would stand in the the store examining every cleaning product and try to decide which one I needed to buy.  I now very rarely go on that aisle which saves me a lot of money.

    What I thought seemed impossible is really quite simple since you don't need to add fillers and other unnecessary chemicals to your cleaners.   With a few ingredients you can make most all of your everyday cleaners.  Not only is this easier on the budget, it is a healthier option for your family.  Best of all though is that it really does work.

Despite all this there was one cleaner that I continued to use since I hadn't found a better alternative.  That was my scouring powder, although it wasn't any ordinary cleanser.  I replaced my everyday cleanser with baking soda, but could not find a suitable replacement for my Barkeeper's Friend.  I just never found anything that cleaned and scrubbed as well as the Barkeeper's Friend.  I also would boost it with those steel wool soap pads.  Oh how I hated those, the soap being slimy and the soap pads rusting before they were all used up. 

   Then just recently I was in the .99cent store and spotted something I'd never tried before.  Some of you may laugh at me if you've always been using these,  just not too hard, please.  What I saw were little balls of coiled stainless steel metal.  These always seemed weird odd to me, but for the price I thought it would be worth trying.  So here it is many weeks later and am I a happy camper.  I not only don't need to use my Barkeeper's Friend, but these little things do not rust one little bit.  They do spread out a little, but so far it's working just fine for all my heavier dish washing .

I went back to the .99 cent store to see if there were others, and there were a bunch of them.  They all basically looked the same, some were just coiled a bit tighter.  I'll be testing them out over the next few weeks to see which ones I like the best.  Some of my criteria will be first that they are cheap.  They must be able to scrub the pots well with less effort than the slimy soap pads.  They also cannot rust, or have slivers of stainless steel entering my hands  I'll of course be testing them on pots and pans and my stove which seems to be perpetually dirty. 

There was only one drawback to these that I could see, and that's the fact that they aren't made in America.  I do try to buy local or at least in the United States as much as possible.  I will keep my eyes open on that but some items are just not obtainable here.

So if you are needing to try to get away from cleanser to try to get chemical cleaners out of your kitchen, or just want to save a few dollars go spend a dollar and try these out.  I'll be letting you all know which ones I like the best, or if it even matters.  Just remember, it needs to be stainless steel, do not buy the imitation scrubbers or you may find that they rust.

 

Zaycon Chicken Deadline Is Extended for California

I jut got an email from Zaycon, and they are extending the ordering deadline so there is still time for anyone who wants to still order.  Here's the email that they sent.

---

Ordering Deadline Extended

for Fresh, boneless, skinless chicken breasts (40 lb case) at just $1.49 per lb.

We want to annouce that the ordering deadline has been extended for all Savings Events in your state. If you have not yet ordered, please visit www.zayconfoods.com to place your order.

If you have already ordered, please let your friends and neighbors know there is still a chance for them to place an order in this Zaycon Foods Savings Event.

We will accept orders through 10/28/2011 or until sold out.

Thank you for being a Zaycon Foods Customer and have a great day.

The Z Team.

Hurry For a Great Deal on Chicken Breasts!

      Hey, I just found out about a deal on chicken and thought I'd let you in on it.  I know it's a little late but you still have a chance if you hurry.  Otherwise you can wait for the next event. 

    Check out this deal!  It's called zayconfoods.  Right now they are having a chicken event.  I'm in California and there is only one more day to order.

   How does it work?  You go to the website, register and place your order, and check to see where your pick up spot is.  The event they have right now is boneless, skinless chicken breast for $1.49 a pound.  Although you have to buy the entire case, which is 40 pounds.  If you have a small family then this is the time to split the case with a friend.  The total cost for the case is $59.60.
  
     The chicken is fresh, never frozen so it's much fresher than store bought chicken.  There are no added hormones, additives or artificial ingredients.  I'm going to be trying a case myself.  I did google the company and got reviews on this and didn't find any negative reviews.  If you head over to their website there is a lot of information about the chicken, FAQ's, how it works. 

   If your wanting a good bulk deal on chicken breast and you have the space, head over there.  Need a referral name, use mine if you'd like. I used the person who told me about this as a referral name so you can use my name Jill Macias.  From what I've heard the referrals person will get a small monetary credit for referrals.

zayconfoods

Are You Judged By Your Makeup?

        I just recently saw an article about a study and poll of people that has them tell what they think of other people by how they look. The main idea was to see if makeup made a difference in how people are viewed.  I guess they mean women since I don't know too many men that wear makeup.  As a matter of fact, I don't think I know any men that wear makeup.  It did catch my attention since I had recently been talking about makeup and the chemicals we are putting into our skin. 
 
   So why do I have a picture of food?  Aren't you judging it by it's appearance?  Just by looking at it you are assuming things about it.  I know I am.  It looks fluffy, but then maybe it's just dense with air pockets.  Is it sweet or bread like?  You are judging it.
   When it comes right down to it are we putting on makeup for ourselves or for others?  I'd like to say that when I wear makeup I feel like I look better, hence I feel better about myself, and feel a bit more confident when I go out.  But then I have to ask myself why it makes me feel better.  Is it because I know I'll get treated better?  I suppose we could analyze this forever.

      I don't think there is much we can do to change the worlds perceptions but we can change that in ourselves.  It's a natural reaction to see people and start forming opinions.  But no matter what images or ideas that pop into our heads, we should try to reserve judgement until we know or meet that person. I don't know if you've seen the website called the People of Walmart, but that website is a perfect example of how the world judges people.  Okay, those are a bit wild.  I only went to get the link and ended up staring at a few pictures. 

   I do think keeping ourselves clean, is not just for appearance but for health.  When it comes to food I know I do judge cleanliness in people. I'm not talking about a messy house, more like the kitchen and restroom.  Have you ever gone to a potluck or a bake sale and the thought crossed your mind of how the food was prepared?  I have and although I shouldn't judge I have avoided a few foods that I wasn't quite sure were safe to eat.  Maybe if you knew the person and you knew they didn't know proper food sanitation methods it would make you think twice.  If you didn't know the person, then you might try to guess their food preparation based on appearance. 

  It does make us consider the ways people are and can be judged.   Maybe this is a good trait to have, as it could help keep us safe in certain situations.  We just have to use that trait wisely.

Are you judging by appearance again?  Just kidding!

Go to Daily Worth and read the article, don't worry it's short.  By the way, the survey was paid for by a large company that makes many products that Americans use, yes, including makeup.  It then makes you wonder if that information is influencing the study in any way.  Check it out.

Here is the link for the actual research.  It is kind of long and in depth.     The Research Article

 Here is the article I read that puts it in a nutshell for those of us who don't really want to read the entire research article.     dailyworth



    

Is Your Lipstick Safe Enough To Lick Your Lips?

Photo by  Nesster

     I don't know about you, but I used to have more lipsticks than any other piece of makeup.  I had just about every color too for going with different outfits and looks.  It was also an inexpensive way to get your retail fix since there was always something new.  One thing I didn't do was check the ingredients.  I didn't even think about whether it was safe or not.  I just trusted that if it was being sold that it must be safe.  Boy was I fooled and too trusting. 



Photo by Shawn Rossi



I've since realized that if a truck spilled it's contents of lipstick the haz mat team would have to be called in.  Kind of like when you hear of a train crashing that was full of some food item and they have to evacuate half the town because of poisonous fumes.






Here is what you would see in a 2006 Formulation of a Revlon Lipstick.  As seen on the EWG sight Skin Deep.  It has a rating of 9.  Scary isn't it?

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: PADIMATE 0. INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: LANOLIN OIL, CASTOR OIL, CETYL ACETATE, OCTYL HYDROSTEARATE, CANDELILLA WAX, OCTYL PALMITATE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL RICINOLEATE, CERESIN, PARAFFIN, ACETYLATED LANOLIN ALCOHOL, CARNAUBA, PVP/HEXADECANE COPOLYMER, VITAMIN E ACETATE, ACRYLATES COPOLYMER, ROSE HIPS SEED OIL, FRAGRANCE, METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, BHA. MAY CONTAIN: MICA, IRON OXIDE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, D&C ORANGE NO. 5, D&C RED NO. 21 ZIRCONIUM LAKE, FD&C YELLOW NO. 6 ALUMINUM LAKE, D&C RED NO. 27, D&C RED NO. 27 ALUMINUM LAKE, FD&C YELLOW NO. 5 ALUMINUM LAKE, FD&C BLUE NO. 1 ALUMINUM LAKE, D&C RED NO. 6 BARIUM LAKE, D&C RED NO. 21, D&C RED NO. 6 CALCIUM LAKE, D&C RED NO. 7 CALCIUM LAKE, D&C RED NO. 33 ALUMINUM LAKE, D&C ORANGE NO. 5 ZIRCONIUM LAKE, BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE.

Here is an updated version of the same brand, different color with a rating of 2

Trioctyldodecyl Citrate, Ozokerite, Polybutene, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C10 30 Cholesterol/Lanesterol Esters, Bis Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate 2, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Paraffin, Cera Microcristallina (Microcrystalline Wax), Synthetic Wax, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Serica Poudre de Soie (Silk Powder), Silica, Caprylyl Glycol, 1, 2 Hexanediol, Mica, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 27 Lake (CI 45410), Red 33 Lake (CI 17200), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 15850), Carmine (CI 75470)

Now I have to tell you, even though the second lipstick is safer, I somehow look at these ingredients and have a really hard time believing that.  Let's now find one that we will feel better about putting on our lips. 




Photo by  violet monde

 
Now here's the ingredients of a popular organic brand of lipstick:

Complete Ingredient List: simmondsia chinensis (organic jojoba) seed oil*, barbadensis (organic aloe) leaf gel*, prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel*, cera alba (organic beeswax)*, candilla wax (wildcrafted), tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), vitis vinifera (organic grape seed) extract*, punica granatum (organic pomegranate seed) extract*; May contain [+/-] iron oxide (77491, 77492, 77492, 77499), mica, titanium dioxide (77891)
*certified organic


     Quite a difference isn't there?  On the other hand, after I saw the price I guess that cancels out any inexpensive retail therapy.  But then again, having been trying to simplify my life, not spend or buy anything more than what's really needed then perhaps it's not too bad of a price.  I shop around a lot until I find what I need, with the right ingredients, and a price that won't break the bank.   

     I hope I've given you something to think about.  There seems to be a large variety of products for your lips that is effective and safe.  Even if your little one does get into your makeup, it might be ruined, but you won't worry about calling poison control.    

Links of Interest:

organiclipstick101.blogspot--Ten Reasons To Use Organic Lipstick

ecolips.com/store-One of my favorites, including some for kids, all safe. 

albabotanica.com-I got mine on sale at Walgreens, can be found in most stores.

badgerbalm-I've really liked every badger balm product I've tried so far.  I look for them on sale.  We use the sunscreen and it's great, safe for little ones.  Their lip products have great ingredients.

100percentpure-I know I've put this fruit makeup link already, but I keep ending up at their site, so I've joined their mailing list, hopefully they will have some specials coming up. 

This next link is the FDA.Gov web page, straight from the "horses" mouth so to speak.  Yeah, it's boring stuff, but after looking at Snopes, and the metal ring myths to tell if there is lead in lipstick, why not look here.  They only govern the colorings in makeup, and it looks like there is an allowable limit of lead.  Even if it's okay and allowed now, what about down the line, or the kids.  With so many great products, there is no reason for this.

http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/ProductInformation/ucm137224.htm

Let's Not Forget Forget Eye Shadows, Liners, and Brows

By Newtown grafitti

     The next thing I needed to consider was eye shadow, eye liner or pencil and a brow pencil.
I don't mean the color, although that for me has got to be the worst part since I'm not really into wearing eye shadow too often like I used to.  Plus there are so many colors to choose from.  In fact, sometimes it's fun to look at old pictures and you can predict the year it is by the color of everyones eye shadow.  Not to mention clothing and hair styles.

       The first website I found was myearthnaturalcosmetics.  While the makeup looks like it has great ingredients I just couldn't force myself to pay $22, plus shipping from Australia.  That's just for an eyebrow pencil.  Now if I go back to some of the other websites that I do like, they do have eyebrow powder.  I've never tried that and it does seem like something worth trying.  My eyebrows are a bit thin, and to add to the problem they get bleached out from the sun.  I never bothered with eyebrow makeup until just a couple years ago. 

     Next I found this, maiasminerals which has the pencil for $18, but I couldn't find an up front cost on shipping.  I am really fussy about a retailer/store stating everything up front.  Plus, if it's my first time to use a website I always make sure to get reviews, not just on the product, but on the customer service. 
earthsbeauty has pencil for $10.50 with great ingredients. 

   Any of the places that carry mineral makeup will almost always carry the eye shadows also.  The pencil was the most difficult to track down, then also have decent colors and prices.  I'll probably have to use one of the special sites such as earths beauty to get a good pencil, otherwise I'll have to settle for an eyeliner pencil that will work for brows.  It did appear that quite a few of the sites that had the organic eyebrow pencils were based in the UK.  Come on America, get with it. 
   I never did find a perfect ingredient eye pencil/brow, liner or otherwise.  I still would use that over an ordinary makeup from the local drugstore just based on a comparison of ingredients. 
  
     Until then, I will continue my search for organic/natural ingredient eye products.
  

Links:
etsy- this is a cool place to look for most anything, great for looking for gifts

My Delight Online-  carries a variety of makeup, and it lists the ingredients.  Prices are about average to high depending on what you want to spend.  The pencil, $10.

amazon.com-Organic MakeUp-  I would have expected amazon to have a bit more to choose from

Finding A Healthy Foundation-What Do You Put On Your Face?



Photo by PinkMoose-Andy Easton


       Deciding to tackle the issue of foundation, right away I found on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Skin Deep database a lot of mistakes.  The first foundation shown did not have the complete list of ingredients so based on that they rated it safe.  Upon further research, and the comments, it showed that it in fact was not something that I would even consider with ingredients like talc, squalane, and parabens and tons more.  Which of course goes with what I've already mentioned, we can't trust everything without checking it out. 
  


Photo by Jorge Weingrill


I scrolled through many different foundations, at this point looking at liquid and mineral just to see what was available.  There seems to be a lot more choices than mascara which could be good and bad.  Good because it's more likely I will find more suitable choices, bad because it could take longer filtering through all those choices.

I found many mineral makeups, some certified organic.  None of it has to be 100% organic to claim they are organic.  Mineral makeup really only needs a couple of ingredients, usually titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and iron oxides which being minerals I'm not sure if they can be considered organic.  It causes me to wonder if they add some essential oils, some fruits and herbs that are organic so then they can say that their makeup is organic.  That's fine if they want to add fruits and herbs, except it seems to tack on an extremely high price to the makeup. 

   I looked up the makeup I have now which is Everyday Minerals and it was rated a 1 to 2, also the physicians formula organic liquid makeup was rated a 1-2.  I'll have to say I'm quite impressed with an easy to get large corporation makeup having such a good rating.  I've also used their tinted moisturizer in the past and thought it was fine.  I would not recommend it if you have oily skin, since it did seem to make mine look oily. 

  I do recommend using as natural of a product as possible since your skin being your largest organ does absorb these chemicals.  Even if you think that it isn't all that much, if you combined it with all the other things you are exposed to through the course of a day, week, or month it can have an accumulative effect on you. 

   With so many good products on the market now for healthy foundation, this is one easy way to have one less chemical in your body.

  

   Links:

tkbtrading.- sells ingredients to make your own makeup

rejuvaminerals-organic makeup with a price tag to match

suncatnaturalmineralmakeup-minimal amount of ingredients/middle price range

everydayminerals- the one I am currently using, they have good specials so I wait for them

Dissecting Mascara-Maybe I Shouldn't



Photo by Laura Tourette

 

     Talking about makeup started making me think a bit more on each individual item.  Mascara  seems to be the most difficult to find if your looking for something organic or even just a bit better with less chemicals.  Looking at the ingredients can be like reading greek, unless your greek.   
   I noticed not all the brands list ingredients on their website, and who wants to stand in a drugstore trying to read the fine print of ingredients?  Even if you can read the ingredients, would you even know what they were?  Off to the internet to try to find a perfect mascara, or at least something that I can feel better about putting onto my eyelashes.
  
      The first thing I did was google ingredients of mascara.  It didn't go well since I got so many odd things such as whether there is bat guano in mascara.  What I had to do is find individual mascaras by name, find out the ingredients, and then figure out what each ingredient is, and whether it was good or not so good. 
The first mascara I found that was "classified" as safe wasn't even on the market anymore, since, well, it probably wasn't safe.  I think finding a waterproof mascara that's remotely safe is not going to work.  I did find a few that were smudge resistant that were considered a bit safer.   


Photo by ookikioo

      I then picked a name brand mascara, Mabelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara.  I searched on Mabelline's website with no success at finding ingredients.  I then went to the Skin Deep website and found that it was a moderate hazard.  I really want to find one that is low or no hazard that works decently. 
. 

     I also know there are not stringent laws in place.  I'll have to say, that's another topic since just the little bit I dabbled into that area had a huge overdose of information.    Yes, of course there are laws and regulation put out by the FDA on cosmetic safety.  But the FDA approves a lot of things that have not been properly tested.  Plus, it can take years before a particular chemical and a lot of injury and illness before any action is taken. Check this site out organicconsumers and it explains the regulations, and it seems a bit scary sketchy to me on whether we can trust what's truly on a container of makeup.  Then there are different certifications, USDA, then there are the European and Australian certifications too.  Some people feel that the European standards are
With that said, I prefer to make my own decisions on what I put on my skin and not rely on our government to decide.  In the long run, it is our own selves who will have to deal with this.

     I then wondered if in fact there is such as thing as USDA Organic mascara?  While searching that out I came across Fig & Sage: Full Disclosure    which will show you that companies do get away with putting organic on their product when in fact it isn't true.  I did find that very same mascara being sold for $27.50, still saying it is certified organic.  I saw the ingredients, which while not too bad, given the price tag, and the fact that it is questionable whether they are certified I would not buy that product.  I feel there should not be any question of full disclosure of ingredients.
 
      I again went to skin deep and simply typed, mascara.  The very first one was called Coastal Classic Creations Mascara.  If you go to skin deep HERE you will see it seems like a fairly safe mascara, plus the ingredient list is much smaller with a lot of recognizable ingredients.  It all sounds fine to me, except, then go to the website HERE and you'll see a fairly large price tag.
   Well, that doesn't work for me.  I actually did buy an expensive mascara from another company, and you know what?  I didn't like it too much.  So, it now becomes a matter of moving through the list and checking the prices and ingredients of each one.  Another great way to find out about mascara is word of mouth.
   I then went on to the next mascara that markets themselves as a healthy alternative.  I saw an ingredient that I didn't recognize and looked up that particular ingredient HERE.  Scroll down to the safety of this particular ingredient.  Sounds a bit iffy to me.  There were a few other ingredients to check out, but overall it has a good rating, and the price at least right now is good.  By going down the list of mascaras on Skin Deep, you can find many to check out for yourself.  Only you can decide if this is going to be okay for you.
  
     Just because something is marketed as natural or organic and has wonderful ingredients doesn't mean it will be the right product for you.  You could have allergies to even a natural or organic ingredient. 
 
     For anyone who actually has an urge to make their own there are a few recipes online.  I did not like any that use eye shadow and vaseline.  That sounds unhealthy, and seems to counteract any benefits of making your own.  I did see one for using a capsule of activated charcoal and aloe vera juice and blended together.  I'm sure that one is fine, but can't imagine that it would stay on for any amount of time..

   After all my research to find the perfect mascara, I still failed in my attempts to find what I felt was healthy, worked well, and was below $20 dollars.   I did finally find one that looks promising, and after looking at many reviews I think I'd like to try that one.  I've put the link below, it's from a website called 100 percent pure.  It didn't claim to be organic, but there is organic tea in this product.  It looks almost safe enough to be non-toxic. 

      That will have to wait until I run out of what I'm currently using.  That's the Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Mascara.  While it isn't perfect, I'm able to buy it just about anywhere that sells makeup.  I always get coupons, and I've found where you get two for the price of one which makes this mascara a reasonable price. If you look at the list of ingredients you will see the difference in that from the pure fruit, but you'll also see that it's much better than other major brands.  This company also discloses the ingredients on their website which gave them one more plus in my opinion. 

Bottom Line:  Don't go by the advertising, the label, or the certification without checking it out.  With personal care items so unregulated it's best to stick with companies that have a reputation to protect, or that you know, or trust or all of those.  Otherwise, run out and buy some activated charcoal....

I know some of this information was discussed in my post about makeup, but I decided to go a bit further in my research so I could possibly find more options.

  

Links:
Organic Mascara-Love To Know

Green Your-How To Buy Natural Mascara

Organic Consumers

100percentpure  (fruit pigmented mascara) $18

physiciansformula


Photos by

Laura Tourette

ookikioo

Something Fun to Look At- Is Your Family "Common"?

      Have you ever been searching the internet looking for a particular thing, and then get sidetracked?  If you say no, tell me how you are able to do that.  I mean, I've gotten sidetracked, then sidetracked from the sidetrack and on and on.  In fact, I've even had to try to remember what I was originally looking for.

    Well, this is one of those things I came across, and don't even ask me what I was looking for since I know this had nothing to do with it.  I think, since I don't really remember what I was looking for. 

You can find out just how common your family is.  Just follow the link.

How Common Is Your Family?

So Many Choices In Makeup, and How I Choose Mine

  
     Several years ago when I was trying to find healthier choices for my food and household products one of the things that came up is makeup and skin care and what to put on my face. Every day when I opened that little drawer in the bathroom, I'd feel the need to do something about it, but then I'd shut that drawer until the next day.  I wasn't even sure where to start.  I thought a little bit of research would solve that problem easily.  What was I thinking?

     The choices were overwhelming and all making the claim that theirs was natural and organic.  I found myself researching each individual ingredient.  Once I understood more about the ingredients I could narrow the field somewhat but I couldn't force myself to pay an exorbitant amount for mascara that would probably rub off and was made of fruit.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure most of those products are wonderful.  But with my budget, I was to the point of trying to figure out how to make it myself. 

I did find many sites on doing just that, and it was easier than I thought, but in the final decision it involved a bit more than I could find time for, plus the cost of the ingredients didn't seem a huge savings.

I then found a few websites that seemed to have decent ingredients, decent prices, and would send samples for free or a minimal charge.  I was all for that and promptly did just that.  By trying those samples it helped me to figure out what colors worked out best for me. 

  Everything I sampled was mineral makeup.  I know there is pro and con even on that but that's what I settled on for now.  It goes on easy, covers as little or much as you need and has decent ingredients. 

  One of the websites I used to help me decide on the safety of a makeup is Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
     I was able to learn so much about various ingredients and what hazards they pose so I could make a more educated decision.

 
   I'm sure many of you may not even need makeup, or just use it for special occassions.  I'm sure not wearing makeup would be the healthiest choice but for some of us it's not an option.  For me, it all depends on what I'm doing.   

   I can't recommend any brands but I will share which ones I've tried.  Everyday Minerals is the makeup I currently have.  I was getting low on my other brand which was Lumiere Cosmetics and I also had Physicians Formula organic wear and mineral wear and the organic mascara.

   It just goes down to the ingredients, the cost, and how well they work.  The mascara was the hardest thing for me to change.  I have allergies so my eyes tend to water now and then, also from the sun.  Organic/natural mascaras from what I've seen are not waterproof.  I've learned to live without that, but have been known to use a waterproof mascara for something like a wedding. 


I was going to post a list of ingredients to watch out for but it's really not that simple.  When it gets right down to it, just about any makeup you could possibly buy has horrible ingredients.  Everything from parabens, simethicones, talc, propylene glycol and heavy metals just to name a few.  The regulations on makeup are very lax. 
I know the saying that if you can't eat it you shouldn't wear it.  I'm not that stringent yet, but I do try to recognize each ingredient so I can make a safe choice for myself.   Do not be fooled by labels as you can see if you look at this page for physicians formula mineral mascara.  Click Here to see how skin deep works.  So, just because it says natural or mineral doesn't mean it is pure.
 
I've added a few links, but again, just check out the ingredients for yourself.  One other thing, it is now popular for little girls to wear makeup.  Whether you think that is okay or not is less of an issue than what kind of chemicals your child may be absorbing into their body. 

One last thing, why or how did I pick the brands I did?  Easy, they were cheap, I got a free shipping deal and or a code or simply a coupon.  It may be something else next time.  Once I had my own criteria for what I wanted, then it was just a matter of looking for the deals and promos. 
Which is why I like to check my couponing blogs every day if I possibly can.



Toxic 12 Ingredients      Future Natural (fruit makeup)        Mascara Blacklist

Organic Makeup and Skin Care          100percentpure.com/Fruit-Pigmented-Cosmetics

afterglowcosmetics    Everyday Minerals     Lumiere Cosmetics

Learning To "Choose Joy" From A Special Girl

   I've been following the Gitzen Girl for a few months.  She is a well known blogger and I've come across her blog posts, and blog posts about her all over the place.  I felt like she was shadowing me.
  Her life is not like mine whatsoever.  In fact, I was a bit shocked when I saw her blog for the first time.  She wasn't what I thought at all.

   One thing I did see was a beautiful person who loved to share her love for others and most of all for God.
She doesn't hide a thing about her life, in fact, a trip through her apartment had me fascinated.  I just couldn't believe how she could be so happy despite what life had doled out to her.

   I can't really put into words what an amazing person she is. 
There have been no updates on her blog since Friday.  All I know is that people are praying and ringing her passing together online and on blogs and sharing the fact that she is finally going home to a place where she will be without pain and suffering. 

   We have lost an angel here and should not forget how special she is now in sharing her love and happiness with others.

Choose Joy   Check out her page

A Couple of More Deals

Free Subscription To Working Mother Magazine

  I've used this website for free subscriptions and have never had any problems with weird spam.
I so love that these magazine subscriptions come through.  Not sure that I need this one, but I did check the link as of 6:30 pm of the 19th of sept. and it is still open and working.  Just click on the link.
Working Mother

Lee Jeans

 I've forced myself to like Lee Jeans.  Why?  Supposedly they are having a great deal tomorrow.  If any of you know me I don't usually like anything on facebook, seems like a lot of trouble to get a coupon.  So, run over if you have a chance and we'll see tommorrow if it's anything good. 
Lee Jeans Facebook Page

Also check out jolly time popcorn while your there, must like by today to get a free popcorn tomorrow.  Not sure how good this is, I haven't had a chance to check it out.  I don't use popcorn too much.

McDonalds and Wendy's in your area may have the halloween booklets available again this year.  The booklets are usually a dollar and you get about five ice creams.  You'll have to check out your own restaurants in your area to see if they are participating.  I think it's a better option than candy, although not the best option, but better.

Living Social Deal

  If you are not on living social you might be missing out on some good deals in your area.  Today's deal was also just in Orange county and I almost bought that one.  I'm glad I waited for this one.  To check it out for San Diego County follow this link.
Living Social Deal

Keep looking for some more great deals!

Hit or Miss, I Plug Along Looking For More Deals

   I hope you all found a few good deals this last week.  I'm sure you did if your subscribed to one of the moneysaving web blogs.  My big problem is getting on the Internet early enough in the day.  I've learned the hard way  that the earlier the better to check your e-mail, since a lot of those deals seem to disappear very quickly.  I just saw a deal for free Dora sheets at Walmart, including free shipping.  Typo or not, I'm sure someone swooped in on that.  I'm sure Walmart cut it off as soon as they noticed the huge volume of people ordering this product.  Amazon has been known to have spectacular deals which ended up being typos, but a few people somehow managed to get in on it. 

   My point of course, if I haven't said it enough, the early bird gets the worm.  With your subscription to a money saving blog you will be alerted to all the deals you can get through Walgreen's, Rite Aid, CVS, not to mention all the different grocery stores.  A few of the blogs will even give you different scenarios of how to purchase your items and in what order so you can get the most bang for your buck.  It can get confusing at times which is why it's best to get your list made at home and have your coupons ready. 


   Children's Activity Books For Free

Mojo Savings has the scoop on downloading a few coloring and activity books from the Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA)  Check it out, looks like something the kids would enjoy.
The system seems to be overloaded and very slow right now and I will update when I'm able to get through and let you all know how it works out.  I could just let the computer "work", but I am not having any patience right this moment for watching that little line on the bottom of my screen move a millimeter every minute.  Okay, it's free, but sometimes a passing thought will come through that I could have just run down to the dollar tree, bought a coloring book and been home by the time I've downloaded a book.  Could just be that it's a government website.  Just kidding.


Christmas Planner

Christmas Your Way E-Book Planner

      This is great for those of you who have a lot of things going on at Christmas and need to keep track of it.  Just click the link and check it out.  This is from Life Your Way blog, called Christmas, Your Way.

Speaking of Christmas

       Is that picture kind of how you feel when you think about Christmas?  Every year I actually work a bit more on downsizing and making Christmas more simple.  I no longer try to use every single Christmas item that I have stashed.  I feel so much better too.
      Mojo Savings has a great article on Christmas shopping.  Although our family no longer puts a lot of emphasis on gifts like we did in the past years,  we still like to pick up a few things.  While we like to get nice things, we can't always afford what we want, but looking for good deals sure does help.  I do use quite a few of the websites mentioned in this article.  Click HERE to see a few tips on saving money.




Are You a Veteran or In the Military?

   Then you should check this out.  Click HERE to see how you can get one night free in a bed and breakfast.  I understand these spots fill up fast.  Some need a valid ID card, some will take the DD214 or retirement papers.  You can look up your own state to see what is offered.  Each bed and breakfast will list what is needed along with address and phone numbers.

Nature's Way Coconut Oil

     If you are still looking for a good deal on coconut oil, here is another one.  I'm set with my last subscribe and save order.  I got the Nutiva brand, but I've also bought this brand from Henry's Market and I liked it also.  This is a really good deal, I've never seen it any lower anywhere else.  With subscribe and save it makes it $6.79 including shipping.  Once your order arrives you can always cancel subscribe and save.

Free Cookbook From Gooseberry Patch

  Mojo Savings found this free cookbook, and so far it's still working.  It will be coming to me in the mail in 4 weeks.  Click HERE to go to Mojo Savings to use their link.  It doesn't seem to work any other way to find this free book.  Thank you from MojoSavings, who always finds some great deals for us.
MojoSavings  also found two more cookbooks, I had to apply for them separately, but they both went through for Sunmaid Recipes so check it out.

CurrClick Has a Few Fun Things For Your Kids

     Every week CurrClick has a freebie, and a lot of interesting ideas and information.  You don't necessarily need to be a homeschooler to use these things.  I have found a lot of things for a toddler who is almost a preschooler.  Click HERE to check out this website.  I just picked up some pirate word cards for free but every week there is something different. 


Hope you have a week of good deals, I'll be spending more time on drywall, paint, and other "fun" things like that. 
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