Create a Healthier Home

When it comes down to being as GREEN as I can possibly be, much of my energy and most of my passion falls on the side of a safer, healthier home. For me, that means education (both for myself and others), subsequently being smarter and making better choices. We often give a lot of thought to outdoor pollution but indoor pollution is often worse and is now associated with so many conditions like asthma, eczema, allergies and cancer. I am committed to making a difference and I have to say, I love helping people!

Think about this... safe, non-toxic products do not need child proof caps... starts you thinking doesn't it! Here are some great resources to evaluate what you are using and what the associated risks are:

Household Products Database: http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/
EPA Household Tour: http://www.epa.gov.kidshometour/
Guide to Indoor Air Quality: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html

Here are some interesting facts and highlights...

* Every 13 seconds a family calls a poison control center regarding an exposure to poison at home
* Over 3/4 of all poison exposures reported to poison control centers involve ingestion of a toxic household product.
* When researched by the National Institue of Occupational Safety and Health, 884 personal care products out of 2983 were found to be toxic. 146 of which can cause tumors, 218 can cause reproductive complications, 314 can cause biological mutation and 376 can cause skin and eye irritations. Personal care products should promote hygiene, health and beauty... not make us sick!
* An EPA report stated that indoor air pollution is one of the nation's most important environmental health problems
* The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that 150 common household chemicals have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities

What can you do?

* Educate yourself
* Begin to eliminate toxins from your everyday life
* BE WELL- utilize and enjoy products that won't make you sick

Educate yourself about the unseen killers in your home and what you can do about it.

Many health problems are associated with toxicity. This is not a scare tactic, it's fact. Obesity is on the rise, type II diabetes, the junk in fast foods. The REALITY is that our soil is depleted of minerals that we need to assimilate any good nutrition that we do ingest. I can tell you about the toxins in your home, school, office, etc. but it is up to you to create a belief that you can also change how you are affected by it by the products you use. If you are committed to making a change to get safer, non-toxic products into your life, it can be done and we can help. We can provide information and education on how you can have a healthier, safer home!

http://www.successfulgreenliving.com/

Black Market Data- Give the Gift of Protection this Year!

This is a really interesting and disturbing Newsweek article. Identity theft has risen to a whole new level. We have partnered with LifeLock and have thorough ID theft protection. Included in our membership are free fraud alerts, a free annual credit report, removal of credit card offers and junk mail (love this), help with canceling credit cards if stolen, monitoring of trading or selling illegal information and a $1 million total service guarantee. AMAZING! I was the victim of identity theft right out of college and it is the most frustrating experience so I signed up for LifeLock right away. We are offering 10% off in December if you are a customer, $9 a month or $99 a year. You can include spouses and children (important to protect their information early) on your account.

Contact me today for more information: info@successthesmartway.com

Be ready for the flu and cold season!

We are coming into the cold and flu season, so here are some tips to keep you and your family healthy:

To prevent sickness:

•Take the new vitamins and minerals to boost your immune system- the Vitality 4 is the best to start with if you are not taking the vitamins already
•Take the Activate Immune booster 3 times a day for 3 weeks, take one week off, then start again for another three weeks
•Take CounterAct Allergy tablets if you have allergies
•Wash hands often with the anti-bacterial hand soap
•Kill surface germs with Solu-Guard Botanical

In the case of sickness have these on hand:

•Sustain Sport – to keep hydrated (I’ve been drinking a glass of Sustain almost everyday in the last couple of months and it’s helped cut down on my headaches which come from dehydration- I’m not the best water drinker but I’m trying- and allergies
•Melaleuca Oil – to put in humidifiers to purify air and aid breathing
•G’Day Herbal Tea – antioxidant and immune booster (also aids digestion)
•CounterAct products – Fever and Pain reducers for adults and children, including PM, ibuprofen
and acetaminophen, Multi-symptom cold relief and cough medicine
•Pain-a-Trate – to rub on achy muscles, or use on chest to help breathing- also rub on temples to eradicate headaches
•Melagel – to rub on baby’s chest to help breathing.
*Renew bath oil – to relax in a hot bath and soak sore muscles
•Cough Drops – orchard cherry or honey lemon to soothe sore throat and stop coughing

What Matters Most to Moms?

I just came across these 5 key factors from Marketing Moms Coaltion on what is important to moms in 2008...

1. Relationship/communication with their child
2. Quality of education for their child
3. Safety in the world for their children
4. Drug use among their peer group
5. Cyber/online safety for their children

All incredibly valid and real concerns! #3 jumped out at me because I talk to people about what it means to have a safe inside environment for their children. The first thing is to remove all toxic chemicals, some cleaning products have child proof caps for a reason- most of them are poisonous! Breathing in poison (or touching it for that matter) doesn't sound very desirable, does it?! Asthma is on the rise, especially in children, because of what they breath in when they are inside. You can't control everywhere they go but you can control the environment in your own home. Open the windows- I try to air out my house at least once a day, however brief, even in the winter. Second, think about what products you are using when you are bathing your child and yourself, many irritations can be alleviated by not using products that contain toxic ingredients. Third, work on boosting the immune systems of your entire family so that you are in a better position to fight off sickness. How? Take your vitamins! The Journal of American Medicine Association says everybody should be taking a daily multi-vitamin. I'm very diligent with my vitamins and haven't been sick in 1-1/2 years!

Here comes the "ask" part of today's post... I am looking for moms who want to make better, safer product decisions in their homes while going green and being eco conscious at the same time. Did you know that 85% of women control their household spending but feel uninformed and like they don't always have available to them the best options for their family?! Secondly, this economy is rough and the average American family needs an additional $500 to get by each month. Moms that have been staying home and not working are thinking about having to pick up some thing part time to bring additional income into their homes. Lots of moms (and dads) are being laid off right now and are looking for a new way to define work and would love to find a way to incorporate that into staying home with their children while creating a completely new life now. I am looking for them! I want to partner up with motivated job seekers so together we can educate others and share this healthier, safer way of of living, whether it's part time, full time or something in between. No discrimination here, dads are encouraged to also take an active part in making healthier, smarter decisions at home too!

Think Green this Holiday Season- 365 Ways to Save the Earth

Have to put in a plug for my other business as my blog post is appropriate today:

http://brandcreative.blogspot.com/

Did you know that indoor air is 2-4 times more polluted than the outside air?! That is a wake up call to make a difference in your home environment. Being able to make those changes without spending a fortune is the key. I am so grateful to Melaleuca for making that possible with their amazing products and economical prices. They are conscientious about concentrating their products and keeping packaging to a minimum- both to help us and the environment.

The reality of the economic situation right now is that household income is going down and prices are going up. Both Dow Chemical and Kraft just raised their prices which is immediately reflective of how tough it is out there. That certainly doesn't reassure me as a consumer- right now I need to keep costs down and definitely stay within my budget AND still buy better, safer products.

I'm looking at this downturn as optimistically as possible, it is truly a wealth of opportunity when you look at the up side so let me tell you what I am looking for right now...

1. I'm looking for anyone who wants to simply save money on everybody products that are safer for them and the environment

2. I'm looking for anyone who is ready and willing to work by referring others to make the
same smart shopping decisions, go green and bring in additional income- whether it's
supplemental or replacement- we are in the business of enhancing lives and there
couldn't be a better job!

Click here for a little intro to see for yourself!