Chemicals 'R Us

So with all the news stories recently about chemicals in everything from shampoo to kids clothing I thought I would list a few of the things we do to cut down on our chemical exposure.

I am NOT a scientist. I do not think I could explain exactly what these chemicals are doing to our bodies. However, I am of the general idea that if God didn't make it (and even sometimes when he does!) we probably should have less of it around us, not more. Besides some things God makes he did not intend for us to ingest.

So here a few of the easy things we do. Some even save us some money.

* Breastfeed, duh. Formula is one big chemical.

* Use homemade cleaners. Basically a little tea tree oil, water and/or vinager can clean anything. Seriously. I have a spray bottle of that mix in each bathroom and the kitchen. Baking soda is good for things that need scrubbing. Those are the only cleaners I use. I also wash my hair and the kiddos hair with baking soda.

* Cloth dipes and wipes. This is a big money saver and fun once you get into it. I just have little flannel clothes to use as wipes, and I have a sprayer to wet each one when I change a dipe. Keeps chemicals off my little man's sensitive areas.

* Less meat, more veggies. Organic is better, though I still have trouble paying the extra. Take time to plan healthy menus that use whole foods. Eating perfect is not my goal, but eating stuff that I can prounounce what is in the ingredient list is.

* Reduce plastic use. This is one that I need improvement on since I am still addicted to my tupperware and despite my war against plasitc toys they still are abundant in our playroom. And not sure how to get rid of sippies. I consider them a necessary evil if I don't want spilled drinks. But plasitic in the microwave is bad.

* My kids don't generally sleep in PJs. I am not advocating naked sleeping for the under 4 feet set, but flame retardant on PJs is nasty stuff. It can be avoided by sweatpants and t-shirts. And if on Christmas grandma sends cute PJs as a tradition, I honestly think that one night a year won't hurt them. Especially if they have been retardant free all year.

Beleive me, I could do a list of all the stuff I do that is still bad. Here are a few off the top of my head.

*I eat margerine, a total fake food. I melt it in the microwave (double whammy) and put it on air popped popcorn. Love it.

*I use makeup with all kinds of chemicals in it. One day I will try the mineral stuff, but not there yet.

* I enable my husband to serve my children nasty 99 cent Totinos pizza on the nights I am gone by buying them and keeping them in my freezer. I am most embarrassed by this one b/c I have to look at those things everytime I open my freezer. Yup, they sit there right next to the frozen veggies, homemade apple butter, and flax muffins.

To buy a child's affections

Super B took our daughter camping this weekend on a father/daughter trip, leaving me and boys to fend for ourselves. Which we of course managed quite nicely.

Friday night we went to the ice cream shop for dinner then we came home and had popcorn for dessert. Definitly not our normal menu, though we got blueberry ice cream so I am counting it as a fruit. The next morning I pushed together all the furniture in our den and made the world's largest tent fort. We spent most of the day playing and reading in there. Oh, and keeping the little guy from trying to crawl on the blanket roof. He just didn't get that it would not hold him up!

We did lunch at the pizza buffet in town and then hosted our babysitting co-op Saturday night. After the co-op kids left, my 4YO son and I snuggled in the fort and he fell asleep in there. He begged me to sleep in there with him but I guess there are some limits on my love. I was just not up for an all-nighter on the hardwood floor of my den with my legs poking out from under the sofa.

However, after all that revelry and buying my child's affection with unhealthy food, I think I have regained favorite parent status with my 4YO son. He is such a daddy's little guy, I have to take every chance I can to get his lovin'.