Living simply, so that others may simply live

As some of you know, I am concerned with creating a healthy environment for my children to grow up in. I read labels, try to use organic ingredients in cooking, and get a 30 minute daily walk (most days). I'd like to say that I was doing this before it became the "in-thing," but I honestly didn't know much about organic foods or healthy living until it all picked up momentum in the media. I am slowly learning little things here and there that I can add, delete, or just change in my family's life in order to make it better and longer. So, when I encountered a simple spiral-bound book the other day about cleaning the "green way" I decided to give it a few quick glances.

Upon our last weekly family visit to the book mobile, I picked up Green up your clean up, by Jill Potvin Schoff. My original intentions were to use it as a boredom buster on the treadmill and maybe find an easy green-solution to cleaning my kitchen counters, but it quickly became a little companion of mine.

The book opens with something every good book possesses- an opening hook- something that will capture the reader's attention and keep him plugged in. Try digesting the awful news that you are more or less poisoning your family with every chemical you allow in your house. While I'm no chemist, I do understand this startling fact pointed out early in the reading:

"A study by the Environmental Working Group tested the umbilical-cord blood of 10 American babies born in 2004 and found and average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in each baby's blood."

And I also understand what devastation long-term exposure to chemicals can have on the multiple systems that make up the human body. The statistic mentioned above combined with others just as startling persuaded me into wanting to pursue living a "greener" life with more enthusiasm than I originally intended. The fact is, I don't anticipate this being a fad for my family. I plan to slowly implement new and healthier ways to clean my house, in turn giving my family better functioning bodies and better lives. It's more than just cleaning your house with natural products- it's a way of living. You almost have to retrain your brain to think about what you're doing and how it'll affect your family and the earth.

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Once I finished a good chunk of the book, I felt my first task was to sift through the information and create a shopping list of ingredients and supplies I'd need to start this adventure in eco-living. Quite a time-consuming chore, but that's where I had to start in order to get to the fun part. Armed with my list I hit Akins, Hy-vee and Walmart. I probably didn't need all of those stores, but I'm by no means a pro at this yet.

The first house-hold chore I took on was laundry. I chose laundry first not only because it didn't scare me, but because clothes touch our bodies and the chemicals in traditional detergents can penetrate skin. I tried out the laundry soap recipe (1/8 c liquid soap, 1 T. washing soda, and 1/4 c vinegar) and it works just fine. The only tricky thing is trying to stop the cycle at 'rinse' and drop in a 1/4 cup of vinegar to aide in rinsing and softening the clothes. One of these days I'll get around to timing the different wash cycles and set a timer to go off at the start of the rinse cycle.

I took my "simple" approach a step further when it came time to dry the clothes. I decided to save on energy and money- so I line dried outside in my back yard. This was the first time in my life that I dried clothes somewhere other than the dryer or a rack in my room. I actually enjoyed not feeling rushed and taking my time to hang clothes on the line like many generations of women before me have done- although I'm sure a few of those women would have appreciated an electrical dryer. I'm glad that I don't have to line dry, but even using that method once a week can make and impact on the environment.

I view this green lifestyle as an adventure, a process, a journey. I know I can't be perfect with it all, and I'm sure I'll use commercial detergents in a pinch. But I can't tell you how rewarding it is to know that I can make a positive impact on the planet and lessen the toxins that enter my children's' bodies while they're in our home.

I hope you'll find good information and a few laughs as you read upcoming posts. I plan on trying new recipes and techniques in the weeks and months to come and posting my honest to God feelings about it all. And know that if it's easy enough for me to do, then it's easy enough for you to at least try- which I hope you do. After all, we all deserve to live on a healthy planet with healthy bodies.

*pictures are from google