Hanging Out Close to the Ground

The impetus for me to remove the harsh and toxic chemicals from my home was actually getting my puppy 3 years ago. I am definitely a little biased but she is just the cutest little thing you ever have seen and my instinct to protect her was instantaneous. Her name is Girlfriend and the name says it all. When these pictures were taken, I had just brought her home. She was 1 lb. 16 oz. Now when I look at her big girl size of 6-7 lbs. I can hardly believe she was ever this small. When she was a little puppy, she licked and chewed on just about everything (including my refrigerator which still has a hole to show for it). I had a chemical epiphany one day when I was cleaning my house with all of the cleaners that I had been using for years. Right after I was done, Girlfriend started licking the floor and I thought to myself, "that can't be good!". I mentioned it in passing to my friend Jennifer who told me about all of the wonderful eco-friendly products she was using from Melaleuca and the rest is history. I placed my first order and converted my home right away- no harsh chemicals or toxins since then and have had a safer home ever since.

I don't have children but there was recently an article in the paper about how toxic levels in toddlers are amplified, largely because they are crawling on the floor, putting things in their mouths and touching just about everything they can get their hands on. If you are a parent, this may already be on your radar. I know that even just having a dog was enough to get me to change my products, shopping and cleaning habits. We owe it to ourselves, our children and our animals to keep our environments as healthy and non-toxic as possible. This is especially important for little growing bodies that are developing their immune systems, little ones are the most vulnerable to a toxic environment. If getting the toxic chemicals out of your environment and making your home a safer place to live is important to you, let me know- I have just the answer!

Here are a few updated pics so you can see how much she has grown! Always the party girl :)

Staph and a Natural Solution

The Oakland Tribune is my hometown newspaper so that is where I get my daily news and subsequently my information and occasional inspiration for a blog topic. This dates back to July 29th, there was an article about how staph is on the rise. Staph, also know as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), is becoming more resistant to antibiotics. People are at a higher level of risk in doctor's offices and in the hospitals. It is also on the rise in jails and athletic facilities where people are in close contact. We've had some serious outbreaks in schools here in California which leads me to think that we need to be on the careful in daycare centers as well to keep kids safe and healthy. It spreads through direct contact with people or contaminated surfaces. Two symptoms of MRSA are cellulitis and skin abscesses, both skin infections and as I understand from friends who have experienced them- painful and no fun at all.

Well, I have some good news for you. Probably my favorite item from Melaleuca is a cleaner called Sol-U-Guard Botanical. It is made from thyme and smells so good! Even better, it kills 99.99% of all germs without using harsh chemicals, including...

• Staphylococcus aureus (Staph)
• Salmonella choleraesuis
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB)
• HIV-1 (the AIDS virus)

Use it on your kitchen counters to combat the thousands of germs on the loose (especially raw meat). Use it to clean your bathroom, I add a little baking soda for abrasion when I need a deeper clean. Use it on the diaper changing table feeling confident that you are not poisoning your baby with toxic fumes or substances that could irritate tender baby skin. Sol-U-Guard is also approved for use in hospitals, medical offices, nurseries, schools, gyms, spas and most importantly restaurants! This is a big one for me because there are establishments I no longer frequent because the odor that lingers from industrial cleaners is so strong that it seems to permeate the food. As a friend of mine said last Thanksgiving, her house smelled of thyme not only because she was cleaning but because the real deal was cooking in the oven with the turkey- what a great combination that is!

If you know somebody that runs a daycare and wants to go green while still getting the job done when it comes to cleaners, that is a great lead for me!