Healthy Homes- Safer Alternatives to Everyday Products

Welcome Moms! Please register as a user and feel free to submit your posts and comments often! We are link friendly and super excited about what you have to say!

We all want a safe world for our kids and ourselves. That’s why we recycle cans, paper, and plastic. But have you ever thought to make your home safe for your kids, yourself, and your pets? If you are like me, I have always been concerned about the environment but I never thought about the environment that exists behind my front door.

I accepted the fact that I live in a part of Texas with a high allergy count. I accepted the fact that some cleaning products usually made me cough and running for my allergy meds. What made me stop accepting my situation was the numerous and often weekly reports of the poisonous products the US imports from China. Products that are not tested for any kind of safety standards but in our stores as “name brand ” products we grew up with and trusted! Let’s see..the toys are dangerous, the fish is poisonous….and the toothpaste..we have to worry about our toothpaste too?!! I decided I didn’t want to wonder if the products in my home were going to be the next “China-poison-alert”. Upon more research I found out that formaldehyde (Q 15) is found in many of our everyday products (like baby shampoo) as a preservative to give the product a longer shelf life.

So I researched on line and found out there are companies (in the USA) that make (in the USA) organic, non-toxic cleaning products, bath products, vitamins and exercise products. So I bought some. These natural organic products did not make me ill and coughing when I used them. The house didn’t smell like a chemical plant after I had cleaned. And I worry less about the 3-year old getting into something (less chances of accidental poisonings). Also, we have fewer allergy problems.

I decided to throw out the toxic products. I placed them in a box and left them for the garbage collectors. When I got home later that day, the garbage collector had left a note on the box saying “these products are too hazardous for the land dump”! What an eye opener! I’m so glad I switched to organic products. I feel like I’m giving my family and loved ones the best. It is one of the best things I have done for my family!

Article by: Anita has worked in the medical field for more then 30 years. She has been active in the environment and Habitat for Humanity. She currently is involved in helping other convert their homes into safe eco-friendly places and starting their own “work at home “ jobs.

7 Ways to Have an Eco-Friendly Wedding

Living an eco-friendly life never goes out of style. However, the term “green wedding” has become a widely recognized wedding term for having a wedding that helps, not hurts the environment. There are many ways to plan your wedding in a way that will not generate unnecessary waste and electricity.

Here are 7 things to consider in making your wedding a little bit more eco-friendly:

1. Use recycled paper invitations. You do not have to sacrifice style in the least to use any of these invitations, as they come in many styles and colors.

2. Hire vendors that are familiar with creating an eco-friendly wedding. They may have great ideas that you have never thought of, or ways to make your wedding even more “green” than you had originally desired.

3. Ask your photographer to use digital photography. Using digital photography is a method that most photographers use, as opposed to printing out every photo that is taken. This way, you can pick and choose the photos that you would like to have printed, as well as share pictures with your friends and family. 4. Consider referring your guests to hotels that use eco-friendly practices, such as conserving on water and electricity.

5. Use fresh flowers instead of faux. A common misconception is that using faux flowers contributes to your green wedding because it saves actual flowers from being used. In actuality, the making of faux flowers uses numerous chemicals that work against the environment. Also, consider using flowers that are grown locally and are in season.

6. Consider a donation to an environmental organization in lieu of traditional wedding favors. Let each guest know that you have donated a certain amount in their honor. Another option is to register with an organization that will donate a portion of your registry sales to a charitable organization of your choice.

7. Buy a vintage dress and accessories. Besides the fact that vintage accessories can make your wedding stand out from others in an “old-Hollywood” kind of way, you will save having the dress and accessories from having to be made.

Choosing environmentally friendly lifestyle is not just constrained to your wedding day. Living habits can help the environment more than you realize. When considering how to have an eco-friendly wedding, you may want to think about how to carry your awareness into your everyday life. That way, long after your wedding is over, you will still be helping the environment.

Article by Jennifer Strahan

Understanding Recycling And The Impact On The Environment

Recycling is an earth saving, indeed essential, element of our world today. Voluntary recycling conserves resources and raises our wealth and knowledge. Recycling makes complete sense as it is worthwhile to you personally.

By making the choice to recycle now you are showing you are being pro-active towards saving our earth. Recycling is an important part of our effort to build a cleaner, greener environment.

The recycling environment is working on having one container box instead of separating your bottles, cans, jars and paper into separate containers. This is to support the ease of recycling.

Recycling is just one way of reducing the amount of waste. Some countries offer its surplus items for reuse through EBay. Recycling is a definite community effort! Recycling products are converted into its raw state and a new product is made from this. When the word Reuse is used it means the material remains in its original form.

Recycling is definitely successful in situations where large volumes of readily classifiable materials are available, such as pallet wrapping or sacks used by companies and the large agricultural sector. The secondary plastics, such as those arising from electronics equipment such as computers, photocopiers, and fax machines are normally in considerable demand.

The purpose of recycling is to conserve natural resources and reduce pollution. For example recycling is available for Apple customers not purchasing a new system from the Electronic Recycling Program. Glass recycling is a more common form of recycling. Glass is sorted by colour. There are different recycling bins for depositing green, brown and clear glass. There are also now depository areas set aside for used motor oil.

Remember recycle today and play your part in saving the environment.

Richard Coppin is a UK based webmaster who enjoys writing articles on a wide and varied range of topics. Visit environment-Green to find out more about hydroelectricity.

Keep up with what’s happening at Mom’s Talk Network, by clicking here.

« Previous Page — Next Page »