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| Pam Arnold
Helping you live a
toxin-free life | |
Reminders
For
Spring
Housekeeping
As you reduce
toxins in
housekeeping
don't forget about
the dryer balls.
Will fluff without
softener, and will
take straighten wrinkles.
You can find them
in major home
product stores.
Remember to change
your air conditioner
filters and
do a spring
check up.
Check for water
damage from
the snow and rain
of winter.
Check calking.
Make sure there are
no holes or cracks.
Be sure to clean the
dust from your
refrigerator
coils.
Check filters in air
purifiers in your home.
Do they need cleaning
or replacing?
Air rugs,
cushions, pillows,
blankets,
spreads in the sun.
Nature's way
of disinfecting. | |
" For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord"They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jerimiah 29:11 (New Living Tran)
 This glorious time of the year ---- everywhere we turn, the regal Garden of Spring is heralding new life . Then, there is the epitome of new life in the rejoicing and celebration of Easter.
The hands of a gardener follow a well-thought-out blueprint for a bountiful harvest. Just as the plans of nature are being revealed to us, what about the plans for our own lives? Are we assuming we have "lived out" those plans, or, are we seeking the continuing of the plans mentioned in the above scripture? It is never too late to be used by God, as we seek His guidance in our lives.
May you know the newness of life and all it offers as you enjoy the beauty and hope of Spring all around you.
Always with my warmest regards,
"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence."
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Alternatives to chemicals and pesticides
AntsLemon: Cut up a lemon and squeeze out the juice where the ants are coming into the house or are building mounds on your land. Outside, change their route by pouring a line of cayenne pepper, dried peppermint or damp coffee grounds across the ants' path.
Boric Acid and Corn Syrup: Combine one part boric acid to nine parts corn syrup. Microwave the mixture until the powder dissolves, about one minute. Poke four holes (one for each compass direction) along the bottom edge of an empty margarine tub and place a quarter-size drop of the mixture in the center before replacing the lid. The ants eat the syrup and
share it with their colony, poisoning them all.
Eucalyptus Oil: Add a few drops to your laundry or stored clothing/bedding for dust mite prevention.
Garden Invaders
Marigolds and Chrysanthemums: Marigolds, like chrysanthemums, contain chemicals that repel bugs. If you plant them around vegetables that are prone to insect damage (tomatoes are a classic example), the flying critters often don't bother trying to make their way through the flowers to find the vegetables. A bonus: Insects do not develop a resistance to this method of pest control.
Mice
Peppermint Oil or Citronella: Fend off a rodent invasion by placing cotton balls soaked in oil of peppermint or citronella around your home's foundation, at the spot where you suspect mice are getting in.
Peanut Butter and Humane Traps: To give critters the boot, use snap traps that capture but don't kill (try Tomcat's, $5, pestdetour.com) . Bait the traps with peanut butter and place them perpendicular to any wall that serves as an entry point, then deposit trapped rodents outside. Block every entrance into your house with silicon sealer or cement, and stuff steel wool in any gaps around your pipes.
MosquitoesPlant Oils: Up until recently, the government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deemed only products containing one chemical - the potentially toxic DEET - effective at preventing mosquitoes from biting you.
But in 2005, the CDC gave a nod to products containing less risky ingredients: oil of lemon eucalyptus, as well as a lab-made chemical called Picardin, which has long been used in insect repellents in Europe and is considerably less irritating to the skin than DEET.
Other plant oils that may repel mosquitoes include citronella, cedar, verbena, pennyroyal, geranium, lavender, pine and cinnamon. If you want to mix your own repellent, dilute 1 oz. essential oil of pennyroyal in 16 oz. vegetable oil, then apply to your body with your hands, suggests herbalist Andrea Candee, author of Gentle Healing for Baby and Child.
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Sunscreens
When scanning the dozens of bottles of sunscreen at your local drugstore, claims like "waterproof," "broad spectrum protection," "all-day protection" and "block harmful rayshelp you to decide which brand offers the coverage you need - not only to protect you from sunburn, but from becoming one of the one million Americans annually diagnosed with skin cancer.
According to the Environmental Working Group's 2009 study of the safety and effectiveness of 1,572 skincare products containing sunscreen, the bitter reality is that 3 out of 5 products actually provide inadequate protection from the sun. Still, this is an improvement from last year, when 4 out of 5 failed to meet the EWG's standards for safe suncare.
Still frightening is that many of these sunscreens contain potentially toxic ingredients which are absorbed into your skin and bloodstream, potentially releasing skin-damaging free radicals, disrupting your hormone system, causing allergic reactions or building up in your body and contributing to various health issues.
According to EWG's analysis of its Skin Deep database, many leading brands you'd find lining the shelves at your local drugstore fail to meet its overall criteria for safety and effectiveness, but conditions are improving: 70% of sunscreens now contain strong UVA filters, compared to just 29% last year and 19% fewer sunscreens contain ozybenzone, a suspect chemical found in many sunscreen brands.
Here, is EWG's July 2009 release of the 10 best beach and sport sunscreens, plus 3 more from the top 25. To see the most updated list, visit EWG's current list, plus see how your moisturizer and lip balm with SPF rate.
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PRODUCT |
PROS |
OVERALL SCORE |
CONS |
| 1. |
 |
Topix Defense, Sun Pads, SPF 30
(buy on Amazon.com) |
|
4 |
oxybenzone |
| 2. |
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Dermaquest Skin Therapy Solar Moisturizer, SPF 30
(buy on Amazon.com) |
|
4 |
|
| 3. |
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Celazome Moisturizing Sunscreen, UVA/UVB Protection, SPF 30 )
( Buy on Amazon) |
water resistant |
4 |
oxybenzone |
| 4. |
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Coppertone Water BABIES Stick Sunscreen, SPF 30
(buy on Amazon) |
|
4 |
oxybenzone |
| 5. |
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Coppertone KIDS Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30
(buy on Amazon.com) |
water resistant |
4 |
oxybenzone |
| 6. |
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Rocky Mountain Sunscreen High Activity, SPF 30+
(buy on Amazon.com) |
water resistant |
5 |
oxybenzone |
| 7. |
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Rocky Mountain Sunscreen Kids, SPF 30+
(buy on Amazon.com) |
water resistant |
5 |
oxybenzone |
| 8. |
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Banana Boat Ultra Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30+
(buy on Amazon.com) |
|
5 |
oxybenzone |
| 9. |
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Aloe Gator Medicated Lip Balm, SPF 30
(buy on Amazon.com) |
|
5 |
oxybenzone |
| 10. |
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Teeka Tan Lip Balm, SPF 30
(find online retailers |
|
6 |
oxybenzone | For another take on this topic, The Daily Green's Alexandra Zissu, in a recent Ask an Organic Mom blog post, explains her method for choosing a safe sunscreen for herself and her daughter.
Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/natural-sunscreens-460608#ixzz0feVgvjPS
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T I P S For T E E N S
 By Ashley
| Over the next few months, I will be sharing interesting facts with you about recycling in the school and workplace. I hope you will share them with people you know who work in an office. This month's fact is about pens! Americans buy more than 5.1 billion pens every year and most are the disposable type, thrown in the trash once the ink runs dry. That adds up to about 770 tons MORE of unnecessary plastic waste in landfills each year.
So, what can we do about this?
* There are several websites that sell pens from recycled materials.
* To the teens out there, when you're walking at school and see a pen on the ground (that works) don't just toss it in the trash....give it to someone who needs one or use it yourself.
* In researching this month, I found out that Pentel sells refills for their disposable pens!
* Don't buy disposable pens....buy the refillable type.
Once a pen has died, here are few ideas:
* To bring a pen back to life, run the tip of the pen through a lighter flame or add a drop or two of hot water in the tube.
* You can use the empty casing (with the ink part taken out) to store beads, use as a perch on a bird cage, or mark where you've planted seeds in your garden!
Next month we'll talk about pencils!! | | |
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Alternatives, Natural Cleaning Products
Bathrooms and Kitchen Tile
Baking Soda and Water (with kosher salt): Dust surfaces with baking soda, then scrub with a moist sponge or cloth. If you have tougher grime, sprinkle on some kosher salt, and work up some elbow grease.
Lemon Juice or Vinegar: Got stains, mildew or grease streaks? Spray or douse with lemon juice or vinegar. Let sit a few minutes, then scrub with a stiff brush.
Disinfectant: Instead of bleach, make your own disinfectant by mixing 2 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of liquid soap and 20 to 30 drops of tea tree oil. It's easy!
Kitchen
Baking Soda and Water: Reclaim counters by sprinkling with baking soda, then scrubbing with a damp cloth or sponge. If you have stains, knead the baking soda and water into a paste and let set for a while before you remove. This method also works great for stainless steel sinks, cutting boards, containers, refrigerators, oven tops and more.
Kosher Salt and Water: If you need a tougher abrasive sprinkle on kosher salt, and scrub with a wet cloth or sponge.
Natural Disinfectant: To knock out germs without strong products, mix 2 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of liquid soap and 20 to 30 drops of tea tree oil. Spray or rub on countertops and other kitchen surfaces. Windows and Mirrors
White Vinegar, Water and Newspaper: Mix 2 tablespoons of white vinegar with a gallon of water, and dispense into a used spray bottle. Squirt on, then scrub with newspaper, not paper towels, which cause streaking.
If you're out of vinegar or don't like its smell, you can substitute undiluted lemon juice or club soda. Oven Cleaner
Baking Soda and Water: Coat the inside of your dirty appliance with a paste made from water and baking soda. Let stand overnight. Then, don gloves and scour off that grime. Make spotless with a moist cloth.
Clogged Drains
Baking Soda and Boiling Water (vinegar if needed): Feeling plugged up? Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into the problem drain, followed by 2 cups of boiling water. If that isn't doing it for you, chase the baking soda with a 1/2 cup of vinegar and cover tightly, allowing the vigorous fizzing of the chemical reaction to break up the gunk. Then flush that with one gallon of boiling water.
Source of Information: The Daily Green.com
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With Easter Coming, you may need to help the Easter Bunny a bit. Here is a recipe for boiled eggs which will remove the gray from the outside of the yolk.
Hard boiled eggs
In saucepan, (with enough water to cover all eggs being boiled), bring water to boil and reduce to simmer.
Add eggs (room temp if possible to avoid cracking) with slotted spoon, and raise flame, bring back to boil, then reduce flame to simmer and let eggs cook at simmer for 12-13 minutes if small eggs, 14-15 minutes if medium or large eggs.
When cooked, remove eggs using slotted spoon and place in ice water to stop cooking.
Eggs should have tender whites which are not discolored.
Thank you to Nancy and Charles Nevil
for sharing this recipe with us. |
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