Non-Toxic Nail Polish

The more natural I go with skin care, the more natural I go with everything I put on my body. My latest green switch is nail care. I am a big fan of painted nails. In my jewelry career, that was limited to my toes, as it was pointless to paint my fingernails – they were never long and were in constant use.


I was watching a rerun of my favorite guilty pleasure, Gilmore Girls, and Lorelai’s nails were painted this great fire-engine red. This was about a week before Christmas and I thought, “Perfect!” I ran to my bathroom, got my fave O.P.I. red and started to paint. Then, I noticed the smell. My husband has what we like to call “dog nose” (thanks to a funny line in an even funnier book, Diary of a Mad Mom-to-Be by Laura Wolf). This affliction causes him to smell things more deeply and strongly and than the rest of us, especially me. Problem is, I seem to have contracted it as well in the few months since we moved back to the states, and the nail polish was seriously making me feel like I was going to loose my lunch. And the kicker? It wouldn’t dry. Ever. I think it was the rain.

Whatever the cause, after four hours trying to dry in the evening and a sleepless night spent with my nails sticking to my flannel sheets, I got up and removed the perfect red that was now all smudged and still not dry. The lacquer/formaldehyde smell stuck with me through the night and my nails felt a little bit like someone was trying to peel them off. I’ve known for years that nail polish and standard polish remover is not terribly healthy for us and even less healthy for the environment, and I’d been thinking for a while that I needed to switch. But would non-toxic colors really last? Would they come in the shades I like? Would plain old alcohol really remove them?

Image from http://www.tinker.com/

Hence began my search for non-toxic nail polish. I’ve been more aware of healthier lacquer since I attended the Women In Green Forum this past September, but haven’t been painting my nails much (or at all, really) and haven’t had the right impetus to pursue researching it. Until now.

There are lots of brands out there that say they are all-natural or non-toxic, and there is no chemical-free nail polish (that I could find – tell me if I’m wrong!) on the market, but there are three ingredients you are looking to avoid:

1. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)

2. Formaldehyde (yes, seriously. In your nail polish.)

3. Toluene

These three have been linked to problems ranging from skin irritation in people to birth defects in animals.

Polishes that exclude all three of the above-listed chemicals:

1. Piggy Paint, non-toxic, odorless, kid-friendly, kid-colored, water-based formula.

2. Honeybee Gardens, an alternative to solvent-based nail polish, water-based, odorless, removes with rubbing alcohol.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. No-Miss, does not contain the three-to-avoid above, and also does not contain camphor.


4. Acquarella, water-based system of nail polish, conditioner, remover and moisturizer.

5. Suncoat, water-based nail polish that has been recognized and honored from the Canadian Health Food Association Expo.

6. Gaiam, Created by New York City’s first organic spa, our non toxic nail polish is free of known carcinogens.

7. Peacekeeper Cause-Metics, created by the Environmental Working Group as the safest paint-based natural nail polish.

8. Sante, created without the use of formaldehydes, toluene, and colophony rosin.

9. Nubar, carcinogen-free nail care products.

10. Safe Nail Polish, non-toxic, oderless, made in the USA.

11. Priti, non-toxic, made without the evil-three and all know carcinogenic ingredients.

12. Spa Ritual, vegan nail lacquers.

 
Having done my research, I was eager to try some out! I looked at several of the brands for the colors I wanted: fire-engine red; palest of pinks like you’d use for a french manicure; and dark purple-almost black, but not true black. I found what I thought I was looking for at Honeybee Gardens online, and ordered all three colors. Once delivered, the only one that was what I wanted was the light pink, but I saved the other two to give as gifts. I found the red I was looking for by No-Miss in the RWC Whole Foods, and am still on the lookout for the not-quite-black. I recommend buying polish you can see in the store, online photos and different computer screens make it difficult to tell what color you’re really getting.


So how well does the polish hold up and does it really come off with just rubbing alcohol? Fabulously well! And Yes! I gave myself a full mani-pedi on Sunday, and had to remove the last of the pink polish. I used plain old generic rubbing alcohol, probably from Walgreen’s, and cotton swabs (once my bag of swabs is done, I will switch to using cotton rags in stead of disposable cotton balls). I had to rub a little longer to remove all the polish, but there was no stink! Not from the remover or the polish – Honeybee Gardens and No-Miss both state they are fragrance-free and while they do have a slight odor, it is insignificant and doesn’t smell like toxic paint.

As for the staying power, I have a chip on one nail, but I’ve done dishes, washed a car and moved some furniture since Sunday and I’m impressed with how great the paint looks and stays on. I’m a convert for sure.

-Jocelyn Broyles


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/non-toxic-nail-polish.html#ixzz1CevJwsLM

Kathy Fisher
Proud Member of

 
 
 
 
kfisher@wedeliverwellness.com
http://www.parentsgoinggreen.com/

Helping Moms work from home since 1999!

10 Keys for Achieving Your Goals

 Every January, I, like many of you out there decide “this is the year I’m going to get in shape”, then fairly quickly, getting up early enough to work out before work seems too difficult and the gym empties out again. You can almost hear the self talk…”I’ll go after work today,” or, “I’ll start again next week, this week is just too busy,” and so on.


What happens to the goals so many of us set in January? Why do so many of us stop before reaching our goals? What goals have you set for 2010? How can you make sure you achieve what you want this month, next month and in 2010?

Here are 10 keys to making sure you hit your targets:

1. Write down your goals. A goal without an action plan is just a wish. Only 1% of Americans write down their goals. There are hundreds of studies that prove that the simple act of writing down your goal significantly increases the likely-hood of achieving it.

2. Set realistic and attainable goals. You have to believe it’s possible, if you don’t, you won’t make the effort to make it happen.

3. Set stretch goals. The bigger the goal, the greater the sense of accomplishment.

4. Write down as many benefits to achieving the goal as you can think of. This is your “why”. Your “why” is what holds you to your goal when obstacles appear. The more benefits there are to achieving your goal, the stronger your commitment will be to achieving it.

5. Commit. A goal is really a promise you make to yourself. Make an absolute commitment to accomplishing your goal…no matter what!

6. Persist. Acknowledge that there will be challenges that arise, obstacles that you will have to overcome. If we expect them they won’t surprise when they hit. Persistence in the face of challenges is a confidence builder. You will be able to say, “It was difficult, but I didn’t quit!”

7. Know that “Persistence = Results” and results are the motivator. If you have ever been on a diet, you will know it can be discouraging when you get on the scale and you haven’t lost a single pound. Many would give up at that point. It is when we keep doing the right things in spite of being frustrated and discouraged that we see results, and that is when we get excited. We are motivated to keep going. We have to be persistent first, them we get the results.

8. Make an action plan. Break down what you will have to do each week, each month to achieve your goal, then make an action plan to make that happen. Breaking it down makes it feel doable. Making an action plan will leave you feeling in control.

9. Take action. Most people stop at number 8. Taking action is the one piece that will move you from failure to success.

10. Celebrate! Take time to celebrate and acknowledge your success, you deserve it! “To achieve happiness, we should make certain that we are never without an important goal.”

Source: Shari Hudspeth, President of Average To Excellence, LLC

Portions of Articles by the Direct Selling Women’s Alliance Copyright 2003

Green Shopping Guide by Greennii

I am not usually one to go shopping. The sheer amount of things for sale in a mall, or as we call them up here, Shopping Center, tend to overwhelm me and I find myself standing there looking like the 30-something women I used to wonder about when I was 13 and in absolute head-over-heels love with all things mall and shopping related.

So having become that slightly harried, I-just-really-want-to-find-what-I-want-to-find-and-not-spend-all-day-here woman, I pretty muchly just skip shopping all together. There wasn’t a lot of need when I lived in Costa Rica. I really did spend at least part of most of my days in a bathing suit or sarong and barefoot.


Up here though, I truly have a need for more clothing, and though green shopping can be a bit of a challenge, I like the process and I especially like that I actually feel good about what I’ve bought. Even though it might be an indulgence for me, it’s not one for the underprivileged women I’ve helped, or for the sustainable companies I’ve supported with my purchase.

Here are 15 Green Shopping Options:

1. Alternative Apparel – Using organic cotton and plant-based rayon, they are also committed to social and environmental justice.

2. Butterfly Maidens – 100% certified organic cotton clothing with water based dyes, made in San Diego and not in a sweat shop.

3. Della - Sustainably made handbags helping the women of Ghana.

4. Feel Goodz – Natural, ethically-produced flip flops.

5. Green Apple – Organic bamboo (it’s super soft) and cotton clothing with company-wide environmental stewardship.

6. Hempest – Accessories, gear, paper, food and body care products by a company committed to sourcing and producing clothing which is ethically and ecologically manufactured.


7. Hempy’s – Clothing and accessories made from sustainable materials including hemp, organic cotton, recycled cotton and recycled synthetics. Made in the USA, primarily in San Diego.

8. Make Love Not Trash – A small, family-owned company focused on making eco-conscious goods that make eco-fashion statements.

9. Nau – Environmentally friendly outdoor clothing backed by sustainable business practices.

10. New Leaf Paper – Eco paper company who’s customers have helped save over 4 million trees.

11. Pact – Organic underwear company that supports organic cotton farmers, responsible labor practices, and partnerships with nonprofit organizations dedicated to positive change in our world.

12. Patagonia – Sustainably-minded since the 60s. Buy from Patagonia and you’re not only buying quality but supporting true change within business.

13. Prana – Sustainable since the 80s, they they participate in environmental and humanitarian causes and their company is run by natural wind power.

14. Stewart & Brown – One of the forerunners in eco-fashion, this company sets the example and avoids buzz-word fibers that require genetic engineering and pesticides.

15. Yeah Yeah Pony Prince! – Leading block printed organic clothing company in San Francisco.

After reading this, will you shop at one of these stores instead of somewhere you usually shop that isn’t sustainable? Take the poll!

-Jocelyn Broyles


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/green-shopping-guide.html#ixzz1EWevYN6V



Kathy Fisher


Proud Member of

kfisher@wedeliverwellness.com
http://www.parentsgoinggreen.com/

Helping Moms work from home since 1999!

How Toxic Is Your Shower?

Studies have found disinfecting chemicals can be absorbed into your skin and lungs if you don’t filter them out first.

By Leah Zerbe, Rodale.com

You don’t want your bathing experience to be dirty. But between harmful chemicals in many shampoos and soaps and the way they can react with the chlorine in our tap water to create more chemical chaos, business as usual in the bathroom needs to change. One easy way you can do that is by installing a shower water filter. True, water filtration may not have as much cache as carrying a reusable bottle or the searching out an organic cosmetics line. But it’s just as important because we suds up every day (most of us, anyway).

Fortunately, there are retailers out there who want to help you clean up your act. At Natural Products Expo East in Boston, the Aquasana water filter booth was a happening place. (Consumer Reports regularly recommends Aquasana filters.)

THE DETAILS: Earlier this year, the President’s Cancer Panel, along with eating organic and avoiding plastic, recommended installing both drinking water and shower water filters as one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself from developing cancer. That’s because previous studies have found some pretty alarming statistics regarding unfiltered shower water, including the fact that people absorb 100 times more chlorine in a 10-minute shower than they do from drinking a gallon of the same water.

Common chemical in plastics linked to health problems.

“Most people know they should be filtering drinking water, but they don’t always realize if they don’t want to drink unfiltered water, they might not want to shower in it, either,” says Todd Bartee, CEO of Aquasana, a leader in the home water-filtration industry.

WHAT IT MEANS: Filtering your shower water isn’t just a way to conserve water; it’s also an indoor air-pollution eradicator. Hot, steamy showers are relaxing, but the heating up of chlorine (if you’re on city water) can create chloroform, a known carcinogen. Add that to the fact that homes are generally pretty well insulated, and it’s easy to see how chloroform can actually recirculate throughout your home, aggravating asthma or other respiratory issues. The heat of the bath also works to open your pores, which causes your skin to absorb more of the chemicals found in your personal-care products.

Just how safe are your child’s bath toys?

From a cosmetic standpoint, the mild bleach in your tap water can actually strip colored hair of its hue, cause skin to dry, and aggravate conditions like eczema.

Here’s how you can help keep bath time safe:


1. Test your tap.

Every summer, people who get their water from a municipal source should receive a water-quality report to get an idea of what’s in their water. This helps you shop smarter when looking for a water filter, because no every filter can remove every contaminant. (If you’re on well water, find an EPA-approved water-testing company to check your water for bacteria, heavy metals, and other harmful substances). For a copy of your town’s latest report, enter your zip code in the Environmental Working Group’s National Drinking Water Database.

How to avoid everyday cancer causers in your home

2. Find the right filter.

Not all water filters are created equally. To filter out chlorine, be sure to look for NSF/ANSI Standard 46, which means it’s third-party tested to effectively remove chlorine. If your water test turns up elevated levels of other contaminants, make sure you buy a filter that is certified to remove them.

3. Clean up your cleaners.

Be picky about the products you use to clean not only your house, but your body, too. Choose plant-based soaps, like certified-organic Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, and avoid shampoos and soaps that are artificially scented by steering clear of ingredients like “fragrance,” “parfum,” and “linalool,” a compound found in certain plants, but usually in a synthetic form in personal-care products. And wash your hands clean of ever using the antibacterial chemical triclosan, which messes up hormone function and is linked to the spike in antibiotic-resistant superbugs.



Rodale.com is a new original source for daily news, information, and advice on personal and environmental health. Rodale.com focuses on “Where Health Meets Green” topics, providing daily news stories and breaking news along with easy-to-follow, high-impact tips and advice. Rodale.com features a Daily Newsletter, and provides simple, powerful tools including Recipe Finder and Home Remedy Finder to help audiences improve their health and their environment. Rodale.com also includes "Maria's Farm Country Kitchen," a personal blog where Editor-in-Chief and Rodale, Inc. CEO and Chairman Maria Rodale is “Cooking Up Trouble, Dishing Out Advice.”





Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-toxic-is-your-shower.html#ixzz1EA6B8JsL

Kathy Fisher
Proud Member of

Helping Moms work from home since 1999!

WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE VITAMINS AND STILL NOT FEEL BETTER?

Vitamins and minerals are the building blocks of health. Our body makes no minerals and sadly the soil has been depleted of precious minerals from improper crop rotation, over-pesticide use and damaging UV rays from holes in the ozone layer.


The National Institute of Health has stated that every person needs DAILY supplements to maintain health and boost the immune system.

#1 side effect of malnutrition is obesity. WHY?

Because the brain keeps sending signals to eat to secure precious vitamins, minerals and water. What does the average American reach for when they are hungry? Do they reach for broccoli, Brussels sprouts or cabbage and a glass of water? NO - they reach for a carbohydrate (which turns to sugar in the body). Looks like a vicious cycle, don't you think?

WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE VITAMINS AND STILL NOT FEEL BETTER?

Because, in most cases, only 5 - 7% of the vitamins and minerals are absorbed into the cells. The Physician's Desk Reference Manual(PDR), which is the publication Doctor's refer readily to, states that cell absorption of vitamins and minerals absorb at 10% or less. (i.e.if a nutrient had 100 mgs, your body would only absorb 10 mgs or less).


Do you Oligo? Don't know what this means?

10 Times More Available for Absorption

Only Oligo binds minerals to organic compounds (amino acids and oligofructose) to mirror the way they are found in fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods to maximize solubility.


In fact, Oligo minerals are scientifically proven to be up to 10 times more available for absorption than the minerals in the leading brands.* Traditional mineral forms can crystallize in the intestines, making them difficult to absorb. Labels don’t indicate the rate of solubility, availability, or absorption or the nutrients inside.


Minerals in traditional supplements can trigger massive free radical activity during digestion. These free radicals can actually cancel out the benefits of antioxidants like vitamins C and E. Oligo minerals are different. Oligo protects these critical antioxidants up to 5 times better than the leading brands. As a result, your body gets more of the nutrition it needs most for more energy every day and a lifetime of better health.
 
 
This article was originally posted by April Saunders.  You can find her at http://aprilsaunders.blogspot.com/
 
 
Kathy Fisher
Proud Member of

 
 
 

Helping Moms work from home since 1999!

9 Essential Oils with Huge Health Benefits

By Blythe Copeland, TreeHugger


Essential oils have their place secured in a natural beauty routine: They’re natural, chemical-free alternatives to everything from traditional cosmetics to potentially toxic fragrances. But many can do a lot more than just smell good: While we can’t say with authority the 10 oils highlighted here are miracle cures, throughout history they’ve been credited with treating problems including digestion issues and acne; increasing concentration; killing germs and much more.

Peppermint

The bright scent of peppermint does more than freshen your breath: It is also used to soothe nausea and other stomach issues, help stop itching, and cool overworked muscles (thanks to the menthol).Add drops of peppermint oil to a bowl of hot water and breathe in the steam to fight congestion, or rub diluted oil into sore muscles. And that’s not all: Peppermint is a key ingredient in oil mixtures that fight PMS, act as an all-natural alternative to VapoRub, cool sore throats, and quiet headaches — and it’s often credited with increasing concentration, so ideal for a mid-afternoon alternative to coffee pick-me-up.

Lavender

For Anita Boen, who runs an organic farm that provides herbs and oils to upscale spas, lavender is a go-to oil for almost any situation: Not only is it one of the few oils that is gentle enough to use undiluted, it’s a “virtual first aid kit in a bottle.”The antibacterial properties allow it to fight germs (which is why it’s also such an important ingredient in many all-natural cleaning products for home and body), and, like peppermint, it’s often credited with aiding digestion and helping fight headaches.

Lavender oil’s soft scent is said to help calm the nervous system, improve sleep quality, combat joint pain, and fight everything from urinary disorders and respiratory problems to high blood pressure and acne.

Sesame

Sesame oil may be best known for its moisturizing qualities, which make it a favorite ingredient for hair and skin treatments.But the health benefits go beyond beauty: Sesame oil has a slight SPF factor, contains fatty acids believed to lower stress and blood pressure, and has been shown to help slow the growth of cancer in cells.

 Rose


This rose by any name will smell as sweet: Look for it labeled as Rose Otto, rose oil, or rose essential oil, and choose oils produced in Bulgaria and Turkey for the highest quality. These slightly-distilled oils won’t have the strong scents of oils used for perfumes, but they are more popular with aromatherapists. Nature’s Gift calls rose oil “the ultimate woman’s oil,” because it has a reputation for improving hormone balance, treating PMS and menopause, counteracting problems in the bedroom, and improving the look and health of your skin.

Geranium

Planet Green suggests including geranium oil as an ingredient in a PMS-fighting solution, but it’s also well-known for its astringent properties — which allow it to refresh skin — and its styptic aspects, which calm inflammations and stop hemorrhaging.You can also use geranium oil to treat acne, and oily skin, boost circulation, and decrease bloating. The oil can reduce the appearance of scars and blemishes, get rid of body odor, and contract blood vessels to diminish the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
 

Pine


The sharp tang of pine oil may call up Christmas trees and rugged aftershaves, but this tree’s needles also offer antiseptic, antibacterial, and analgesic properties that make it a favorite of holistic health experts.Pine oil is said to help treat skin issues — including psoriasis, eczema, and pimples; speed up metabolism; act as an antidote to food poisoning; ease joint pain and arthritis; kill germs; and battle respiratory problems that go along with cough and cold season.

Clove

Spicy clove oil is one of the main ingredients in Tiger Balm, an all-natural remedy said to temper hangover headaches — but holistic health practitioners find other uses for it, too.It’s a popular choice for dental issues, including tooth and gum pain, and some sites recommend using it for bad breath (although whether you’d rather have your breath smell like cloves is up to you).

Clove oil is also antiseptic, so diluted versions can treat bug bites, cuts, and scrapes; other suggested treatments help clear up earaches, digestion problems, nasal congestion, stomachaches, and headaches. As an added bonus, it’s an aphrodisiac — and therefore a popular form of stress relief.

Black Pepper


It might not be as sweet-smelling as the more floral entries on this list, but black pepper oil still has its place in your natural health arsenal.Pepper had its day as one of the world’s most valuable spices, in part because of its healing properties, which include aiding digestion, undoing cramps and convulsions, warming muscles to ease joint pain and arthritis, and curing bacterial infections.

Lemon Balm

Lemon balm essential oil, also known as Melissa essential oil after the plant’s Latin name, Melissa officinalis, doesn’t look like much, but it has plenty of benefits. It’s an antidepressant, it keeps your nervous system working smoothly, it calms anxiety and inflammation, it counteracts insomnia, it heals ulcers, it fights bacterial infections, and has been credited with treating herpes, headaches, and high blood pressure

Kathy Fisher
Proud Member of

 
 
 
Helping Moms work from home since 1999!
 

5 Green Habits That Matter More Than Recycling

Hey Everyone,

Just thought I would pass along these 'Green' Habits for all my readers!  Hope you learn something and enjoy.

So, like every person trying to do their part to reduce their personal carbon emissions and make the most of the natural resources we all consume you recycle right? If you’re an average Planet Green reader you probably do a bit more than the average US citizen who recycles about one third of the waste they produce, preventing about 1600 pounds of carbon being released into the atmosphere. That’s a good thing, but do you want to do even more? Here are five things you can do which reduce your emissions as much or more than recycling:

Drink Less Bottled Water = 2.6 Tons CO2


You’ve probably heard it dozens of times, you really should be avoiding bottled water. It uses figurative tons of resources to bottle and ship to you, and much of the time (at least in the developed world) is no more pure than the water coming out of your tap. Even if you regularly drink tap water there’s probably some time when you’ve forgotten your water bottle, or the tap water isn’t exactly palatable, whatever. So you reluctantly buy a bottle of water. But oh how fast those emissions add up! Even if you only do this once per month, over the year you’ve just emitted 2.6 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Twice as much as you’ve saved by recycling. So, really make the effort and reduce your bottled water consumption.

Skip One Mid-Range Flight = 1 Ton CO2

I know that if you live in the United States your long range public transportation options aren’t as diverse or convenient as some other places in the world, but in terms of reducing your personal carbon emissions reducing the amount you fly adds up quickly. Simply skipping one mid-range flight (say from New York City to St. Louis, Missouri) reduces your emissions as much as one full year of recycling, by about 1970 pounds per flight on that route. If you travel frequently for work, investigate other options such as video conferencing, and if you have family that live halfway across the country try to combine smaller trips into one longer one or simply go less frequently. You’re serious about reducing your emissions, right?

Go Vegetarian (or Vegan) = 1 to 2 Tons CO2

I know I say it all the time, but cutting meat out of your diet has a large impact on your lifestyle carbon emissions. And can lower your food bill by 20 percent to boot! The emissions and resources needed to raise animals for food are so much higher than for raising vegetables that by eating a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet you can save about one ton of carbon emissions each year compared to your carnivorous friends. Cut out eggs and cheese and save two tons per year.

Wash Your Clothes in Cold Water & Air Dry Them = 1 Ton CO2


Another perennial favorite suggestion on Planet Green that really works: Wash in cold water and air dry. There are plenty of detergents now that work as well in cold water as they do in hot, and even in the middle of winter shirts dry in a couple of hours on an indoor drying rack (or in the case of my shirts, as I write this, on my shower curtain rod). How much will you save by a very slight tweak in your laundering routine? You guessed it: As much as recycling your paper, plastic and metal for an entire year.

Sign Up For Green Power = 7 Tons CO2

Again, I’ve said this before but here’s the one thing that is probably the quickest and most effective thing you can do to reduce your carbon emissions: Enroll in a green power program with your utility. While the exact electricity mix varies from state to state, based on the average mix in the United States, by choosing green power from your utility you can reduce you carbon emission by some 7 tons per year. And at the same time send a message to your utility that they better start investing in some more wind farms, because more and more people are committed to greening the national power supply. Yes, a few minutes and one phone call can reduce your personal carbon emissions seven times as much as recycling.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-green-habits-that-matter-more-than-recycling.html#ixzz1D1jy9uws

  Kathy Fisher
  Proud Member of

Helping Moms Work From Home since 1999!

Just a Little Fun For Our Kitchens!

Feng Shui for Kitchens

 By the author of Small Changes, Dynamic Results! Feng Shui for the Western World

Welcome to my series on Feng Shui Room by Room; this week, we will be focusing on the kitchen.

Kitchens are considered one of most important rooms in the house. They represent the hearth and home and should be clean, well-lit, happy places for friends and family to gather and connect.

They are also a key place for you and your family’s health, which is closely connected to wealth. Having good health is paramount if we are to be able to successfully go out into the world and make a living.

This is one of the more active or yang areas of the home (see my article on Yin and Yang), so bring in brighter colors, active, happy and inspiring artwork and brighter lighting.

Get Organized

Kitchens are magnets for everything to land, so you want to head it off at the pass and create places for everything to land. Vowing we are going to turn over a new leaf and keep counters clutter-free is often self-defeating.

Give the Small Stuff a Place to Land

Install a key rack/holder on the wall near the main entry door and train yourself to always hang them there when you come in. A small table next to the door with a basket on top is another option for organizing keys and spare change. Give them a place to land and discipline yourself to always put them in their designated place when you come in. After one week it will become a habit.

Mail and papers can be dealt with in many ways depending upon how you receive them. I get mine from the post office, which is great because I de-clutter all junk mail and shed all unnecessary envelopes into their recycle bins before leaving the premises. If you have to walk to get your mail, try passing by your recycle containers on the way back and do the same. Always try to deal with junk mail the instant you get it and bring into your home just what is necessary.

Have an attractive basket on the kitchen counter where everything seems to be deposited. It should have a lid and be large enough to handle a week’s worth of mail and papers. Commit to emptying it and sorting everything out at least weekly. If the papers haven’t been read – recycle them. For unread magazines, give yourself a place to store them and limit it to five issues. As you bring in new ones, either recycle them or deliver them to places that would welcome them such as senior centers, beauty salons or non-profits that can use them. Remember the three R’s – Recycle, Reduce, Reuse.

Organizers for Larger Objects

Pottery Barn and IKEA have an inexpensive piece of furniture that is great for organizing some of the larger things that land in the kitchen. It has hooks to hold book bags and coats with drawers, cabinets or cubbies below to hold multiple articles. Shoes for a shoeless home can be stored there, as well as books and homework that needs to be addressed later. If you enter the kitchen from the garage, train family members to unload these objects here.

Refrigerator Clutter

Refrigerator doors are great places to celebrate achievements and display pictures of friends and loved ones. Use this prime real estate for affirmations, vision boards and celebrations. The problem is that the few pictures displayed tend to have offspring and now you have a cluttered hodgepodge. If this has happened, take them all down, store in a shoebox and rotate five or six pictures each week giving everything and everyone a place of honor.

Clutter Clear Drawers and Cupboards

Kitchens are great places to do some quick purging of clutter and the junk drawer is a great place to start. If you haven’t used it in six months, deep six it. You will become inspired and will want to continue. Next tackle the pan cupboard and utensils drawers. You may be surprised at how many of those objects that were supposed to save you time just takes up space. Pack them up and donate to a charity that can use it for the benefit of others.

Clear Counter Tops

Discipline yourself to keep objects off the counters that you do not use on a daily basis such as toasters, blenders, mixers and Cuisinarts. Store them in your newly cleared cupboards and replace with a few lovely vases and/or objects that inspire you. Juxtaposing functional cooking objects with whimsical or uplifting ones will greatly enhance the cooking experience and bring a higher vibrational energy into the food you are preparing.

Safety is Paramount

Safety is always of utmost importance in Feng Shui. We not only look at the things that are obviously dangerous, but the subtle things. Anything that looks like a weapon will keep us on ‘alert’ in the space. Kitchen knives should be put out of sight in knife blocks or drawers designed for them. Remove all heavy pans, hooks or objects hanging off walls, ceilings and up high on cabinets. Store up high only lighter things such as baskets that will not injure if they fall. Remove all flammable objects from close proximity to the stove. You will be amazed how much more you enjoy being in the space when the pans hanging on unfriendly hooks are removed.

The Importance of the Stove

The stove is considered extremely important and is connected to our health and wealth. Stoves and burners should always be clean and in working order and ideally be in the empowered position, where the cook can see the action. If they have their back to the door while cooking, put a mirror or a reflective metal piece behind the stove so they can see what is going on behind. If you are remodeling your kitchen anyway, the happiest place for the stove is on a cooking island where the important chef will always feel like a vital part of the family while preparing meals.

Have an Attractive place to Share Meals without Televisions

Sharing a meal with family and loved ones should be an intimate and nurturing experience. It is an important time to share our day, calm down and replenish our bodies. You need a good place to eat everyday, a place for people to connect and communicate. It is important to have comfortable chairs and an inspiring piece of artwork on the wall. Television shows are fine to watch as a family but are not conducive to good conversation or good digestion during a meal. Discipline yourself to always keep them off during meals.

If you live alone, make a ritual of eating. Turn off the television, light a candle, put on inspiring music and treat yourself as if you are the important person coming to dinner.

Bring in the Earth Element


Balancing the Five Elements in each room is an important part of Feng Shui for the home. (See my article on the five elements.) Kitchens should have a good amount of the earth element represented by earth tones, squares and rectangles and things made from earth such as tiles, adobe and stucco. The earth element encourages us to be in our bodies which is important in kitchens where we are working with potentially dangerous things like fire and knives.

If you were planning on remodeling your kitchen, a good choice for the counter tops would be earthy granites or tiles in earth tones. There are beautiful tiles made of recycled glass that look spectacular on counter tops and will support our commitment to green building. Avoid darker tone in counter-top materials such as black, dark green or dark blues. These represent the water element and encourage us to be out of our bodies, which is counterproductive to the activities we need to perform in kitchens. If you already have a lot of black and metal you can add still add the earth element by bringing these colors onto the walls, adding terracotta or earth- tone pottery, table mats and table cloths.

Bring in Nature


We are all deeply connected to the natural world and biologically programmed to feel a sense of belonging and connection when we encounter it. Bringing in vibrant plants along with pictures and objects made from natural elements will energize your kitchen and make every one feel truly ‘at home’ here.

Creating a nurturing, happy, organized and inspiring kitchen will support the needs of the family while uplifting their souls, making your hearth truly the heart of your home!

Erica Sofrina is an internationally acclaimed speaker, teacher, consultant and author and the founder of the West Coast Academy of Feng Shui. She is known for her ability to translate Feng Shui into terms that are easy to understand and apply for western audiences.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/feng-shui-for-kitchens.html#ixzz1DKmpTiTY

Vitamin A in Sunscreen Linked to Skin Tumors

A press release from the Environmental Working Group says the chemical retinyl palmitate, found in many sunscreens, accelerates the development of skin tumors when it is applied to skin exposed to sunlight, and that this relationship has been confirmed.


“The NTP assessment, confirmed by its advisory board of 11 scientists from leading academic medical and industry research groups, found that when test animals coated with a mix of retinyl palmitate and skin cream are exposed to ultraviolet light, a major component of sunlight, the cream with retinyl palmitate has the perverse effect of stimulating the growth of skin tumors.” (Source: EWG)

The NTP referred to in their quote is the National Toxicology Program and it is made of up of three federal agencies:

* National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

* National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

* National Center for Toxicological Research

Sunscreen is supposed to prevent the development of skin tumors, not stimulate them, so this news is probably shocking to many who have used popular brands such as Banana Boat, Coppertone, Hawaiian Tropic, and Panama Jack which sell products containing retinyl palmitate. Actually the Environmental Working Group conducted a survey of sunscreens and found over 200 contain the chemical.

If you want to see their guide to the best sunscreens, visit their site. They also have a list of the worst sunscreens, and say about one out of every eight do not block UVA rays which can cause skin damage and skin cancer.

Critics of the research using mice and retinyl palmitate combined with ultraviolet exposure say the results of the animal study can’t yet be generalized to humans. They also say the study used retinyl palmitate only, but in sunscreen it is blended with other chemicals so the effects are different.

If you want to read the whole study, it is in PDF format on the National Institutes of Health website. The title is “NTP Technical Report On The Photococarcinogenesis Study of Retinoic Acid and Retinyl Palmitate.”

7 Ways to Keep Your Bearings When Things Get Tough Written By: Darah Zeledon

This is some of the best written advice I have seen in a long time and I wanted to pass it on to all of you. Happy Reading!

Now that I am a mere two weeks away from entering my fourth decade of life, I feel I’ve finally arrived. I know that at times, I am a hypocrite and half of what I say is comprised of the same mantras I’ve repeated to myself for decades. However, these very “clichés” are of the stuff that keeps me believing, striving, hoping and happy.
Five years ago, my life began to unfold like a soap opera. I did not sign up for this and realized immediately that I had two choices: adapt and plow through, or shrivel up and perish. I chose the former. I had three tiny children at the time, and was pregnant with my fourth. They needed me to be strong. My husband needed me to hold it together. So I did. And I still am.

In a nutshell, here is what I’ve learned:

1. Leave your DISCOMFORT zone: If it makes you feel bad, elicits negative thoughts and behavior, eliminate it. Now. Take whatever action necessary to take this thing, activity, person, social group, job, or place out of your life’s equation. Delete sani---thereby, preserving your ty.

2. Build a support group: Going through rough times? A divorce? Financial devastation? Re-connect with old friends and family. They deserve a chance to offer a hand, or a shoulder to cry on. Now is not the time to be proud. Life is a cycle; sometimes we’re up and other times, we’re down. Avoid retreating into your cave, only to emerge once again, “on top of your game.” You don’t know when that day will come. Life is unpredictable. Allow people to join you on your personal journey. albeit through the “shadows of uncertainty.”

3. Let go, but don’t settle: House burn down in a fire? Flood? Victims of theft? If you lost it and cannot get it back, forget it. Detach and move on. Focus on the down-to-the-bone priorities and appreciate them. Regroup. Don’t get stuck in a moment lamenting and obsessing over what is now ancient history. Know that you will get it all back and more, someday, through daily visualization and hard work. Trust in the natural ebb and flow of life’s cycles.
4. Healthy body, healthy mind: Okay, you feel like crap and want to hide from the world living off cigarettes, coffee and chocolate bars. You are not in the right state of mind to train for the Ironman, but a modicum amount of exercise coupled with relatively healthy eating will keep your senses sharp enough to respond and react in these desperate times. You need to take care of yourself if you’re going to come out of this OK.

5. Reinvent your trade, yourself, innovate: Lost your job and slim chance you’ll find another in your field? Have childhood passions you’d secretly love to re-discover? Now is the time. Take advantage of your predicament to learn something new. Online resources make it so easy, affordable and you don’t even need to leave the house. Change that negative chip in your head telling you “it’s too late” and “you’re too old.” Work hard, stay focused and go for it. No time? Throw back some caffeinated drinks, stay up late, and take charge of your future.

6. Stay open and on “stand-by”: Recognize the hidden opportunities disguised as “problems” that interrupt your life. Don’t be threatened by change. Even if it appears as negative at first, upon further unraveling and taking everything to its natural conclusion, something exceeding your expectations will eventually emerge. Invite this exciting element of surprise into your life. Be proactive and seek it out. Embrace spontaneity.

7. Give back: Sounds trite, I know, but this is huge. The gratitude-giving-back cycle keeps everything flowing smoothly. Remember how much it helped when someone extended a hand to you. Do the same for another. Commit to making it your responsibility. Most importantly, listen to your heart and instincts and allow them to drive your actions towards others. ---not “fear” masked as “logic.”

###
Darah Zeledon aka The Warrior Mom is a wife, mother of 5, freelance writer, aspiring author, small business owner, and fitness enthusiast. Depending on her personality on any given day, her writings run the gamut from philosophical and reflective to sentimental and inspiring; although her favorites are the witty anecdotes about the never-ending chaos of mothering 5 “relentlessly inquisitive” kids. She’s currently writing about her tragic, yet inspiring story in her unpublished memoir, A Lucky Girl.You can read more of her musings and insights at warriormom.net, or find her on Facebook at facebook, or twitter @thewarriormom

Would You Agree that Owning a Business is the Best Way to Get Ahead?

The truth is, most people that are in business for themselves are the people who have built the biggest fortunes and have created financial security for their families.

Sadly most don't have the means, entrepreneurial spirit or know-how to do it.
Think about it for a second. Suppose you wanted to start your own business, let's say a retail store. What do you need to have in place to do it?
• Huge Investment of Cash
• Money for building and/or rent.
• Money for inventory/product.
• Employees
• Payroll Staff
• Management Staff
• Ordering Staff
• Computers
• Racks etc. to hold products
• Cash Registers/Debit Machines
• Legal Department
• And the list goes on...
What if you could start your own successful business for $29 and everything was already in place for you.

What if:
• You had access to hundreds of consumable products backed by 25 years of research and patents that were better and less expensive than the competition?
• You had access to millions of square feet of manufacturing and distribution facilities?
• You had access to millions of dollars worth of computers to handle payroll, orders, taxes etc?
• You had access to a legal team ?
• You had access to hundreds of employees to take orders and service your customers?
• You had access to a research and development team and sales literature?
• Your customers purchased every month? They came back and shopped month after month after month?
• Everything was guaranteed?
• You could build your business to the size of thousands of dollars of residual income each month?
• You could see the average annual incomes of current business owners as well as the average time it takes business owners to achieve them?
• All you had to do to build your business was to promote the products/company and set up customer accounts?
• You had all of that, and your only investment was some of your time and $29 (that was guaranteed) ?
It amazes me why anyone that really wants to make some positive changes wouldn't jump in with both feet and create a great life! Or at the very least learn everything they could about to make an educated, informed decision.

Shhhhh...do you hear the door of opportunity opening?

Some Do, Some Don't.

Which one are you?

Donna Stewart
Proud Member of Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Families to Achieve Their Goals since 1999!

I completely agree with Donna that this is the only way to go these days! I am so fortunate to be a part of Internet Ceo Moms and would love to help you achieve your goals!!!

Kathy Fisher
Proud Member of Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Families to Achieve Their Goals since 1999!

Exert Less Effort!

You assume that you have to work to make your dreams come true, when in fact most of the work you run around doing is preventing your dreams from coming true.
The less effort expended, the better. To think in a more orderly, conscious, efficient manner you first have to eliminate habits of thinking that obstruct the universe’s ability to carry out your desires.
Imagine that your mind is a radio transmitter, bombarding the field with messages. If you sit quietly and observe your mind, you will see that it is full of mixed signals. The things we want to accomplish we also have doubts about; the person we want to turn into is also someone we aren’t quite sure about.
The mind is similarly full of pointless repetition. It has been estimated that 90 percent of the thoughts anyone thinks on any given day are the same as those of the day before. This is because we are all creatures of habit, worry, and obsession.
Finally, the mind is full of unconscious static, tracking back to the very depths of infant memory. You may not be paying attention only to your conscious, willed thoughts, but in the background your unconscious mind is churning with its unfulfilled hopes, its old fears and wishes – in short, all the things that didn’t seem to come true in the past.
Intentions are simply desires, and desires are linked to what you need. Therefore all this activity of the mind that isn’t being fulfilled consists of old needs that didn’t get fulfilled.
The first step towards change is recognition. Recognize that you have had at least a few hopes and wishes come true. When you have an intention and send it into the universal awareness, you are actually talking to yourself in another form. As the sender of the message, you are an individual living here in time and space.
But you are also the receiver of the message, in your guise as a higher self presiding over your space-time identity. And even more than this, you are the medium of the message, pure awareness itself.
Adapted from Twenty Spiritual Lessons for Creating the Life You Want, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 1995).


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/exert-less-effort.html#ixzz1Cka4GIvL