Tag: natural

Organization Tip # 1 – A Place for Everything and Everything in it’s Place

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One thing I’ve noticed is that my mind is more cluttered when my environment is more cluttered. So, this tip not only will help you have more of a clear, organized mind, but of course an organized home as well.

I will say this is something I have to actively work at, it does not come naturally to me. I am actually an incredibly lazy “active” person. I love to be active, I love to workout, but when I’m not being active, I’m super lazy 😆. This means, I often will remove a hoodie and lay it on the couch, leave a tea mug by my bed, things like that. If every single thing in my home doesn’t have a place and I’m not mindful to make sure I put it back in its place when I’m done with it, my home can become cluttered real quick.

It takes an extra minute or two to put something back when finished with it (as long as you know exactly where it belongs) and it makes a massive difference in keeping clutter away. This is something that can be taught to the little ones. We’ve taught our daughter to put her toys back when done since she was one. Now that she’s three, she’s usually good about putting toys away as she finishes with them, but of course she doesn’t always do it. In that case, we start bedtime routine a little early and work together to put the toys away. If she doesn’t know where they go, however, that would be impossible for her little self to navigate.

I’ve also found that being able to see everything works tremendously well for us. We got rid of our kitchen cabinets for open shelving and keep things in clear containers. We store a lot of kitchen appliances on an open shelf in our dining area. I also use the Marie Kondo method for folding my clothes, and my hanging clothes are color coded. All of these things are not only esthetically pleasing, but they keep things organized, easy to find, and therefore easy to put back.

Some other quick tips for clothes since this was a highly wanted topic:

  • Each person in the home as one solid color of socks, never waste time matching up socks again.
  • Opt for a capsule wardrobe or a more minimal wardrobe.
  • To help you purge some clothes, try the hanger method where all hangers are facing one direction and after you wear something turn the hanger the other direction so you know which clothes are getting worn and which aren’t. I personally do this and the first day of each month I remove a couple of pieces that I haven’t worn and put in the donate bin.

I hope this is helpful! Happy organizing 🥰

Like what you read on this blog? You’ll LOVE the Raising Clean Facebook Community -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingclean

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Fur babies deserve safe products too

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Obviously I talk a lot about safe products for women, the men in our lives, and the children in our lives, but what about our fur babies? Bronté often has issues with her paw and I’m always looking for things to do to help it heal and feel better for her. This past time we did lots of Epsom Salt baths and apple cider vinegar soaks but it had me thinking about safe animal products. 

So, I stumbled upon this company on instagram and thought it was definitely worth sharing. It is called Natural Dog Company and the post mentioned 100% organic products, so obviously I wanted to do some digging to see if it was greenwashed or not. 

I’m ordering the Paw Soother, PawTection, and Skin Soother for my pups. Check out the ingredients:

Ingredients

Paw Soother | Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Mango Butter, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Hempseed Oil, Organic Jojoba, Candelilla Wax, Calendula, Cajeput, Chamomile, Natural Vitamin E, Rosemary Extract

PawTection | Organic Mango Butter, Organic Rice Bran Oil, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Carnauba Wax, Sunflower Wax, Candelilla Wax, Natural Vitamin E, Ylang Ylang, Benzoin, Lavender, Rosemary

Skin Soother | Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Sweet Almond Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Safflower Oil, Candelilla Wax, Sea Buckthorn Oil, Organic Lavender, Chamomile, Frankincense, Myrrh, Vetiver, Organic Niaouli, Benzoin, Natural Vitamin E

So much better than the other creams I’ve found for itchy paws that contain ingredients such as:

❌ Propylene Glycol

❌ Petroleum

❌ EDTA

❌ Diazolidinyl Urea

❌ Fragrance

If you’re not sure why those ingredients are bad or you just want to continue learning about living a more toxin free life, please join my wellness community on FB -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingclean/ 🌱🌱

Breakfast, dessert, or a toxic storm?

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We LOVE cereal in my family. Addie snacks on some every day and Christopher and I have a bowl before bed almost every night.

During my last trimester with Adeline, I ate frosted flakes every day and couldn’t go without it. I didn’t find out until after she was born that it has toxic ingredients in it 😔 I was being so mindful about all the products I was putting on my body but was putting poison in my body, unknowingly, with this craving.

Are you wondering what some of the ingredients hiding in common cereals are?

BHT ❌ BHA and BHT can induce allergic reactions in the skin. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies BHA as a possible human carcinogen. The European Commission on Endocrine Disruption has also listed BHA as a Category 1 priority substance, based on evidence that it interferes with hormone function.

Artificial Dyes 🚫 Artificial colorings are linked to attention-deficit disorder and hyperactivity in children.  They’ve been linked to headaches, stomachaches, asthma, cancer, chromosomal damage, lymphomas, insomnia, eczema, hives, organ tumors, etc.  Animal studies have even linked artificial dyes to organ damage, birth defects and certain cancers.

Natural Flavors ❌ Natural flavors is one of those nasty little phrases we avoid at all costs on every label. It sounds so harmless, but do you actually know what status our lovely FDA has given those two words? Proprietary. Trade Secrets. This allows all kinds of toxic or just disgusting things (google castoreum and know that this is allowed within the term “natural flavors”) to be in your food. It is like the term “fragrance” on personal care products, AVOID IT!

Artificial Flavors 🚫 Artificial flavoring is derived from inedible sources, like petroleum. The problem with natural and artificial flavors on a nutritional label is that you have absolutely no idea what you’re consuming.

Now for the good news. You don’t have to consume these things or feed it to your children if you enjoy a bowl of cereal like I do. Now, that I know better, I make sure I do better, and you can too. I started testing out different cereals with clean ingredients immediately after discovering what’s in the cereals I had been eating. It was discouraging at times when I got some that just didn’t taste good at all. But, I kept trying, and now we have a handful that we absolutely love!

For more clean, toxin free food ideas, head on over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingclean/

Raise clean, friends 🌷

Want some coffee with your pesticides?

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I’m a HUGE coffee drinker…

I’ve loved coffee since my teen years and I don’t go a day without at least one cup (let’s be honest it’s usually more). Coffee has always been one thing I won’t give up as I continue to make healthier choices in my life. I switched to a much better coffee creamer but I knew that still wasn’t enough. We now only buy organic coffee and I’ll tell you why…

*Organic coffee tastes better. 

It has a less metallic taste and just tastes more natural and pure, because it is more natural and pure. Organic coffee is grown without chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, and other additives. Because it is grown without these things, obviously it is healthier and safer. It also has antioxidants and minerals that are good for our bodies.

*Organic coffee has less side effects.

If you are someone who gets a stomach ache after drinking coffee, there’s a good chance it’s from the chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, or other additives and not actually from the coffee at all. 

These harmful toxins can also cause cancer and damage to your nervous and reproductive systems. 

*Organic coffee will not hinder a child’s development. 

I have been drinking coffee since I was 13 and I know lots of teens out there drink a cup or more every day. Regular coffee contains hormones that can affect the developmental process of these kids, but that is not an issue with organic coffee. 

*Organic coffee is better for the environment.

The toxins listed above can seriously deplete the environment. Regular coffee also promotes deforestation and I don’t have to tell you the negative effects that has on our environment.

We have our organic coffee on auto ship with Thrive Market, it’s the most affordable option I’ve found so far and I never have to worry about running out.

𝙐𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 25% 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧: http://thrv.me/ujcsNz

I should add that I still go to Dunkin’ Donuts and I’m well aware their coffee is not organic, but I enjoy an iced coffee or latte from there now and then. If we’re consciously making healthier choices in our lives, it’s okay to have some balance and keep some things you enjoy!

raise clean, friends 🌷