I have been turning a blind eye to the personal products we use. I guess I just didn't want to deal with knowing what is in them and trying to find affordable alternatives. But enough is enough...we are making improvements in other area's of our lives so it is time to start putting our soap, hair products etc under the microscope (not literally because I don't have one).

The Plan

Make an inventory of everything Joe, B and I use. Look each product up on the Cosmetics Safety Database to determine what is in them and how good/bad they are overall. I will also be looking for the Dirty Dozen chemicals in our current products.

We all that is done we will look for affordable alternatives to what we currently use.

Have you made changes in the products you use? What products did you swap out and what did you use instead?  Any products you love that you would totally recommend. Leave a comment and let me know!

Sometimes I wonder if people come here and think "does she realize she has no header?" or "why won't the header file load". You aren't crazy, I am not crazy. My blog is still in the process of being madeover and I am still trying to figure out what to do with the header so my friend Sam can design it for me.

In the meantime wander on over to Sam's Art website and check out some of her fantastic art that she has up for sale with all the proceeds going towards the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  You can get the prints framed or unframed. We have the lightening bug print and it is awesome!

I am preparing for B going to daycare (noooooo) and so I picked up some new Born Free bottles that were on sale. Our current Born Free bottle is glass but we decided to get plastic so we could covert them into sippy cups in the near future (instead of having to purchase separate sippy cups). One thing that I found very interesting is that when you are done with your Born Free bottles you can send them back to the company and they will recycle them into other materials.

US Program   Canadian Program   *UPDATE - looks like Born Free no longer has a recycling program. 

In Canada they are going one step further and for every bottle that is returned they will make a donation to Tree Canada.

It is that time of year again. Earth Hour is only a few weeks away. If you are looking to participate go to the Earth Hour website click on your region and then Participate.

Typically we turn everything off and sit by candle light and talk. No clue what we will be doing this year since we have the boy and that is right around his bed time. Hopefully we can get him into bed before 8:30 and then we can carry on with our tradition. Otherwise I think we will probably just go for a walk as a family.

What will you be doing to celebrate Earth Hour?

I picked up some Nellies Laundry Soda because it was on clearance at the store I get our diapers from. 

It boasts the following:

* made for HE washing machines

* made in Canada

* not tested on animals

* works in cold or hot water and leaves no residue

* biodegradable

* non-toxic

* hypoallergenic

* recyclable packaging

* all natural ingredients

I like how compact the container is for the number of loads I am getting (it is smaller than a 2 litre pop bottle and gives 120 loads). It takes about a tablespoon per load. It has no smell to it. This is not a problem for me but Joe has had a hard time adjusting to not having a "fresh" smell on his clothes. 

My only complaint is that it doesn't get deodorant off of clothes. For example, I had a long sleeve black t-shirt and well I wear stick deodorant. So it leaves a white mark on the inside of the armpits of the shirt. This detergent does not remove that white mark. I have to pre-rinse my shirt with soap and then put it in the washing machine with the Nellies product. Not really an eco-option if you ask me. It has no problem cleaning everything else (even food off baby clothes)...it just seems to be a deodorant issue.

*** I have not been paid to review this product nor was I given any of this product to review. I bought the product myself and am reviewing it on my own.

Joey forgot his lunch today so I thought B and I would take it to him. I took the scenic route home and on the way drove past a lady who was picking up trash along the side of the road. I actually can not remember the last time I saw someone do this (well except the inmate we saw doing it while we were stopped for gas in Flordia).

I doubt she was being paid to pick up the trash. I believe she was doing it out of the goodness of her heart.

Is this something you would ever think of doing? Would you randomly pick up trash on the side of the road? I am not talking about a coffee cup here or there. She had her arms full of trash.

Related Posts - Check them out
Me to We Day
Tip of the Day - Shop Locally

I "get" that everyone wants an easier lifestyle. People are busy, busier than usual it seems. But in a time where we should be focusing on reducing our overall impact on the environment why on earth are companies coming up with products like the Ez Cracker? 

This is just beyond ridiculous. I saw the commercial for the first time today and after I finished laughing and being reminded of the Friends episode where Joey does the milk spout infomercial I started to think about what a waste products like this are. It would be interesting to see the environmental impact of products like this. The raw materials (and plastic no less), transportation etc.

Are people really so egg shell challenged that they need products like this? And the bonus accessory is the icing on the cake. It scrambles the egg IN THE SHELL for you. So you know you don't have to use a fork or anything. THINK OF THE TIME SAVINGS!!! No more tennis elbow folks!

It Ain't Easy Being Green 

But.....Recycling Is Easy? 

I have looked into what our Region accepts and it turns out (as I suspected) the aerosol cans are only accepted on Household Hazardous Waste Day.

Thankfully it is coming up in a few weeks so we can take the cans we currently have in. I am going to put a little bin in our flammable cabinet for the empty one's in the future. That way they will all be in one spot and easy to dispose of on the next Household Hazardous Waste Day.

Maybe just maybe I can convince Joey to switch products.

Related Posts - Check them out

Eco-Challenge: Hair Raising Problem 

Eco-Challenge: Battery Roundup 

Recycling is Confusing

I have been using Green Works Dishwashing Liquid for several months and just finished it 2 weeks ago. The biggest thing that sticks out in my mind is the smell. I used the "free and clear" scent and it was gross. I gag just thinking about it. It just smelled really plasticy and chemically to me. The other issue I had with the product is that while it produced bubbles at first they did not last very long.

It did do a good job at cleaning dishes and did not leave any sort of residue. I also find that it is readily available and is reasonably priced ($3.99 for 650ml where I live).

I have a real problem with toothpaste and it getting all built up on the lid so that I can not close it. I had this problem with this product as well. The soap would build up on the top and I couldn't snap it back shut. It would even close over the hole so I couldn't get the soap out. I think this is probably more of a user issue then a product issue...but if you also suffer from toothpaste buildupitis then you may have a similar problem with this dishwashing liquid.

Green Works is made by Clorox and while I am of the mind that it is great when companies start "green" lines I know that some people are not. So the fact that Clorox makes this product could be a deal breaker for some of you.

*** I have not been paid to review this product nor was I given any of this product to review. I bought the product myself and am reviewing it on my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Related Posts - Check them out
Tip of the Day - Oven Cleaner
Cool Product - Earth Chef

When I walk down the cleaner aisle I am happy to see a wider selection of "green" products but at the same time how does one know which are good and which are bad? It just seems easier with the non green productions. Like you know Sunlight cuts through grease, you know Tide gets your clothes clean. But what about the "green" products? 

Well I decided to start trying them out to see which work well and which well...which one's suck. So check back over the coming months as I try all different cleaners and write about how they are working out. I will also make my own cleaners and see how those compare.

If you have any product in particular that you would like me to check out just leave a comment and I will add it to the list I have. If the product isn't available where I live then I will let you know.

My Rating System

OMGWTFBBQ run away from this product

If there is nothing else left on the planet but this or a traditional chemical cleaner then go ahead and use it.

Some good and some bad with this one. But overall would be good to use.

Great product and would totally have my seal of approval.

If it was possible to marry a product it would be this one.



All Purpose


Gloves Off Stain Remover - 5 Leafs. This product spot cleans and removes stains on everything. Counters, floors, clothing, furniture, rugs. It is my go-to in stain fighting. Read full review.

Gloves Off Natural Action Disinfectant - 4 Leafs. This product is registered with Health Canada for eliminating 99% of germs. Works awesome at general cleaning in all areas I tried it. Read full review.

Method All Purpose Cleaner - 4 Leafs. I like that you don't need a lot of product to get results. 1 bottle lasted me longer than 6 months and I used it every day. Read full review.

Murphy Oil Soap - 4 Leafs. Great product if you want to use product to clean your wood floors as it cleans wells and doesn't leave a residue when it dries. Read full review.

Green Works All Purpose Cleaner - 2 Leafs. It cleans but tt says 'IRRITANT' on the bottle and it lives up to it.  Read full review.


Bathrooms
Ecos Toilet Cleaner - 4 Leafs. No hazardous ingredients, gets great coverage and smells like camping! Read full review.

Method Tub and Tile Cleaner  - 4 Leafs. Easily gets rid of soap scum and hard water build up with a limited amount of elbow grease. Does have a slight peppermint scent.  Read full review.

Concrobium Mold Control - 4 Leafs. This product not only gets rid of mold and mildew but it prevents its growth. Perfect for use in damp areas like showers and window sills. Read full review.

PC Green Toilet Cleaner - 2 Leafs. I found this to be really thin which meant that I had to use more product than normal. It also smells really really strong.  Read full review.

Kitchen
Bio-Vert Dishwashing Liquid - 5 Leafs. I love that very little product is required to make the water soapy, and I believe that it will cost you less per day than traditional soaps. Read full review.

Earth Friendly Wave Dishwasher Gel - 4 Leafs. Works well if you are like me and hate pre-washing your dishes. Read full review.

Green Works Dishwashing Liquid - 2 Leafs. I couldn't stand the smell of this product, even though it claims to be a 'free and clear'. Read full review.

Nature Clean Dishwasher Gel - 1 Leaf. I honestly think that I would get better results not putting any soap in the dishwasher at all. Read full review.

Laundry 
Ecos Laundry Detergent - 4 Leafs. Gets stains out and overall does a fantastic job at cleaning our laundry without having a negative impact on the environment. Read full review.

Nellies Laundry Soda - 4 Leafs. Love that it is not in a full plastic bottle but found it did not do well at removing stains. Read full review.

Steam Mops
Vapmore MR-100 Primo (AKA Bumble Bee) - 5 Leafs. It was love at first use. Steam cleans everything you can think of and does not take that much effort. My floors have never been as clean as they are after using this product.  Read full review.

Shark Deluxe Steam Mop - 2 Leafs. It was just okay from the start and then 6 months in it completely stopped working and would leave pools of cold water everywhere. Read full review.

Products Currently in Use (so far)
7th Generation Dishwasher Liquid
Homemade recipes!

Ecover oxygen "bleach"