I am a glutton for punishment. Aren't you? We all are to some degree. I watched a few documentaries that changed how I view some very basic aspects of life.
I watched Earthlings (which streams for free at earthlings.com). Tapped and Homo Toxicus were on Netflix.ca, as well as some good foodie documentaries. So here I am wondering if I can't eat this or use that, am I supposed to live in a bubble? How far is too far in my search to avoid carcinogenic and toxic chemicals? After all, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow. But now this is in my head, and I have some minor regrets because ignorance was just SO much easier! I can't stop looking deeper into our products that we were all raised with. Do I have to choose the lesser of two evils? Which is worse anyways, bacteria or the multipurpose cleaner we use on it?
After being a hairdresser for 5 years, I am now a mom at home. Trying not to fall into the "frumpy" category, I do what I can without breaking the bank. I love my amazing two little girls (who are 2 and 3 years) and my husband is fantastic. I feel that I really couldn't ask for more. I am asking for more, though. I want to be healthy and I want to keep my family healthy despite the fact that the average house has indoor pollution 10 times worse than outside. How do you go back from that?
Ever since the industrial revolution, chemicals as we know them have infiltrated our lives. The average woman puts 80 chemicals (yes, 80!) every morning. We live in such a fast paced society that every time a new chemical has been introduced, no one questions it.
"Hey, Crazy Lady! You sound like another one of those tree hugging, hemp wearing, bra burning hippies!"
Well, I'm not. Am I? I'm wearing a bra, my clothes are cotton (and polyester), and I have never saved a tree although I planted a pear tree in my yard this summer.
"Then shut it. Quit complaining about how society has gone down the pooper! Get on with your life and enjoy it for all it's worth. Look around, it's beautiful!"
I know. I love my life. I have mountains out my windows, the best hubby ever, and beautiful children. I just want to protect them. Does that make me crazy? Am I crazy to read labels to see what toxic chemicals are in my kid's Princess Shampoo? It's SLS, by the way. Am I crazy to think that it's ridiculous how BPA (which acts like a synthetic estrogen) seeping into our baby bottles and sippy cups for the last 20 years is unacceptable? I mean, really! The average age of puberty is younger every year while cancer rates are higher and higher. Something is wrong here and I don't think it's me.
"Okay. But they stopped using BPA."
I know. But only after an independent study tested the safety of BPA at low levels. BPA is toxic in high levels, so they decided it was safe to use low levels. Levels so low they didn't even research how they would affect life. Just because it won't kill you doesn't mean it won't cause harm. Especially over long periods of exposure. This is the trend. Products are recalled after they are exposed. Everything is safe until proven otherwise. Smoking was "safe" until they learned it wasn't. BPA was "safe". Pesticides were "safe". Asbestos was "safe". Do I really need to go on?
Alright. Where does this leave me? Eco-friendly lifestyle. Nay. Human-friendly.
No one can roll out of bed one morning with a different lifestyle. It's not possible. I had heard about Norwex over the past few years. I refused to go to a "cleaning party" because I really don't like cleaning but now I needed to check it out. That was pretty easy. I went out and learned more about harmful chemicals *yawn* and about cleaning without them. Say what? Water. An antibacterial cloth that kills 99.9% of germs with WATER. How does that work? I knew enough people who used this Norwex stuff (and liked) it to know that it wasn't a scam. Anyways, the consultant gave me a discount on my package because I told her I would host my own party. I am after all a big fan of deals and hosts get lots of deals. So I got two antibac cleaning cloths, a window cloth, and a dusting mitt. With this pack, I eliminated window cleaner, dusting spray, and multipurpose cleaner. That was my first step in the right direction.
The experiment begins. How far can I go from here?
