Book review: Sirius Loss by Tim Edwards

Although I watched my fair share of Star Trek in high school and college (ALL of the TNG episodes...multiple times!...do not get me started on Voyager, Enterprise, or DS9), I have actually never read any Sci Fi books. Then, last year, my uncle wrote one! It's called Sirius Loss: A Star Lost, a New Future by Tim Edwards.

First of all, I want to admit the nepotism inherent in this post. The author of this book is my uncle, obviously. I got the book for free (well, partially true - he gave me a copy for free but I actually read it on Kindle and I bought that one myself). Truth be told, I was a little nervous about reading it. Partially because I am pretty unfamiliar with this genre in general and didn't know what to expect. Here's the description of the plot from Amazon:

An unassuming astronomer and her family find themselves and the entire world dislocated after she makes a series of major interstellar discoveries that lead to the worst threat to Earth ever. Everyone tries to carry on with life as best they can, seeking normalcy in the midst of the news that the Earth has less than four years. Then she makes another discovery even more remarkable that opens the door to our first contact with an advanced civilization that has come to our rescue. The future of our solar system, the sun, and the Earth will never be the same again.

Although I know that the author worked with NASA scientists on the science parts of the book, the science was not too difficult to understand for a lay person, and the faith aspect was not overdone. The characters were believable and I actually found myself staying up past my bedtime one night to find out what happened at the end! Definitely recommend a read, and wonder about a sequel since only one of the scientific mysteries that were discovered in the book was resolved.

3 actions I'd love for you to take!

1. Please "Like" the Sirius Loss Facebook page for updates and thoughtful blog post about the intersection of science and faith.


2. Attend a book signing with the author, Tim Edwards, on September 8, 2012 (next week!) at the Barns & Noble in Plano, TX. I will be there! We can meet up! More info can be found on the Facebook Event page or the Barnes & Noble event page.


3. Read the book. Of course! You can buy the book at the book signing or on Amazon, but I will make it even easier for you. You can enter my Rafflecopter giveaway, below!

 

This giveaway has ended, thanks for participating!

If you are local, I can actually deliver a copy to you at the book signing in Plano!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All the Drama on the Internets Episode #2

Every so often I like to give you a bulleted list of some recent "green" stories in the news and why half of the people are excited to hear about the news or study and the other half are super offended by it for some reason. DRAMA ENSUES. Almost 100% of the time, I am somewhere in the middle. I just figured that some of you might want to know what's out there and read for yourselves. Just in case you aren't already immersed in social media 24/7 like I am...

• CBS reports toxic levels of phthalates in childrens' backpacks. See, I am not crazy for obsessively avoiding phthalates! Even CBS admits these chemicals are bad. A backpack is something your child breathes right next to and handles with his or her hands. Here is my suggestion: backpacks on Etsy. 


• Toxic Baby blog report on toxic school supplies, a.k.a. the blog post that pre-dated the CBS article, a.k.a. I knew about this before CBS reported it. In case you might not remember, Toxic Baby was the movie I had a chance to screen at BlogHer in NYC this year.


• An article in the New York Times about Big Chemicals and the Safe Chemicals Act. As of now, chemical companies have absolutely no requirement to prove the safety of the chemicals they manufacture. This article goes into a little more detail about the scientific studies currently being published about the dangers of endocrine disruptors.


• The Safer Chemicals Act. This isn't particularly new, as this bill is still currently on the Senate floor, but it has taken over a year for it to get there. You can read the contents of the bill and contact your Senator, all with a few clicks. PLEASE DO.


• Just today: Arctic sea ice hits record low levels. Sure, this summer didn't "feel" as hot to us as last summer. But that's not what the polar bears are thinking. This is not some political organization's speculations, this is the findings of regular scientific measuring.


• Climate Change is not a political issue, but you need to know where the Presidential candidates stand (or DON'T, more realistically). I am voting with a high emphasis on climate conscientious-ness, as I always do. I don't care how you vote, but this is one of my pet peeves. I want you to know what you are voting for, so please read this article.

There are other things, but my head is going to explode soon, so I'll stop there. The important thing is for us to be aware of what ways we are not protected by laws, and protect ourselves. Remember, you can't go wrong making your own {fill in the blank} or buying handmade {fill in the blank} from someone using natural ingredients. Let's lean that way, in order to keep our earth and our kids safe!

*climbs down off soapbox*

The Dilemma of Gender Neutral Parenting

Gender neutral toys?

We didn't find out the gender of either of our children because it didn't matter to us which gender they were when they were born. I decorated our first child's room in a gender-neutral palette, and the second child got the exact same crib and decorations because they had to share a room (when she wasn't sleeping with us) until she was around 9 months old.

For years, we'd read about gender neutral parenting. You might have heard about the Canadian couple who will not tell anyone the gender of their child in order to avoid gender stereotyping. That's probably going a little far, in our opinion, but the avoidance of gender stereotyping did sound like a good idea. Moreso after my friend Ashley came out as transgender and I started thinking about how to foster in my children a knowledge of themselves. But as I've traveled this road of parenting, I am realizing it is more and more impossible to be completely neutral. For one thing, there are simply no affordable clothing options in gender neutral colors or designs after the age of 3 months. It was actually quite a challenge to find gender neutral newborn clothes when we were preparing for the births.

Both my children play with cars and trucks, because that is what my son was given as gifts in the past few years. My daughter has been given some baby dolls, but overall she shows little interest with them except to cuddle them - she cuddles everything, whether it's dolls or blankets or stuffed animals. At 18 months, I've never seen her try to feed them, diaper them, rock them, or push them in a stroller. Of course, I guess we'd probably need to have baby doll diapers, a rocking chair, or a baby doll stroller for most of that to happen. None of which we have. She does emulate me by picking up reusable cloth bags, saying "bag!", putting it over her arm, kissing everyone "bye" and "going out". I guess that's what she sees me do when I leave to go out in the evenings or go to work. But that's hardly a female trait.

Since my daughter has so few "girl" type toys, my son doesn't really get to play with many "girl" toys. They both love their play kitchen. He loves to color and paint. Whenever I paint my toenails around him, he always asks to have his painted and I always do. If he asks to wear his sister's hairbows, I let him. He's usually so rough with them that he loses them pretty quickly. Which, incidentally, is exactly what she does with hairbows too.

Overall, we are doing the best we can to be neutral, but it's not what I had envisioned when I was pregnant. To tell the truth, I see other little girls playing with dolls and I feel like my daughter might be missing out. I know I loved combing my dolls' hair and dressing my Barbies when I was a kid, even though I was never a "girly" girl. We actually don't own any sports equipment for my son, but I'm starting to have the same feelings about that as I do about the baby dolls. He actually picks up t-ball bats and balls at the stores and asks to have some, and when he goes over to friends' houses he is very interested in their sports equipment and talks about it afterward.

I like this article from the New York Times last year where the reporter concludes, with the help of Chaz Bono, that gender isn't determined by parenting. I know it's not up to me to determine how my kids are inside, and I guess there's always therapy...still, I obviously want to nurture them in a way that allows them to make choices avoid putting other people into boxes. I don't want either of them assuming that all women stay home and have kids, or that all men work full time in order to make that possible, just because that is how our family currently works. I don't like the fact that somewhere my son picked up the idea that his sister's favorite color must be pink and his must be blue when it used to be orange. I want to keep their hearts open so that ideas of inequality don't creep in.

I'd love to hear from you - how do you discourage gender stereotyping in your children? What do you think about dolls and sports equipment?

GMO: Genetically Modified Organisms

Have you seen the little GMO-free labels on food? What do those mean, anyway?

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. The Institute for Responsible Technology defines a GMO as:

the result of a laboratory process of taking genes from one species and inserting them into another in an attempt to obtain a desired trait or characteristic.

Basically, foods or animals that have been genetically modified have had their DNA messed with. So it's still simliar enough for the organisms to look and taste the same but there are small differences created by scientists.

Why modify genetics?
To make things better, faster, stronger. In plants, the genetic modifications are often to make the food mature faster so that more and more food can be made in less time, or to make the plant excrete chemicals that repel insects and predators. In animals, to make them resistant to certain illnesses.

What's wrong with messing with genes?
The idea behind avoiding GMO's is that we just aren't sure what other effects genetic modifications have on people or animals who consume or use genetically modified species. It's a relatively new science, and there's basically no regulation. Again, the Institute for Responsible Technology has a list of 65 Health Risks, if you're interested.

Most importantly: There have been NO long-term studies conducted on the safety of genetically engineered foods on humans.

Well, I never eat GMO's so I don't care.
What's interesting about GMO's is that they don't have to be labeled or identified at all. That corn on the cob you just bought in the produce section of your local grocer? Very likely GMO. Most corn is at least partially genetically modified. As are many other fruits and veggies, but you would have no idea because the growers are not required to identify whether or not their crops have been genetically modified.

What can we do?
There is currently a law in process in the state of California, Proposition 37, to require the labeling of GMO foods. You can read more about it www.carighttoknow.org, by "Like"ing their Facebook Page or following California Right To Know on Twitter. If you are a California resident, please vote "Yes" on Proposition 37!

If you are NOT in California, you can still lend your voice to the petition on Care2 asking Walmart to start labeling GMO's in it's food. This is a very important campaign because Walmart is one of the top providers of foods in the entire U.S.!

Thanks for your involvement, please leave me a comment to let me know if you participated in any of the actions!

6 Things I have Learned from HipHop music

Being a fitness instructor who teaches class to songs between 120-140 bpm, I hear a lot of hip-hop dance music nowadays. As I have been exposed to many more hours of hip-hop dance music than ever before in my life, I have learned a few things that I feel compelled to share with you.

1. One wears a Speedo in order to "tan [the] cheeks". I had no idea this is why fellows wore the tiny suits, but now that I think about it, it does make sense. I mean, how else are you going to tan that area? Still, it's unfortunate that they have to do it where I am forced to see them.


2. "My girl has a big ol' booty, Your girl has a little booty". In this scenario, the big booty is preferred. When the singer points out that your girl has a little booty, that's not a compliment to her, as one might originally think. Please do not tell my clients this, as they are paying money to make their bootys smaller.


3. The singer believes that you should prefer him as a suitor over his competitor because he has more money. Regardless of the fact that he is addressing a woman as a "ho" and already talking about the other women he is simultaneously entertaining, the money really will make up for all that. Girl.


4. If you want a man to go crazy, drop it down low. I am not 100% sure how this is done, but it's clear that it's typically done on a dance floor. One day I should be capable of a move like this since I've really been working on my thigh and glute strength, right? I believe I could find examples of how in music videos.


5. Mick Jagger is an icon of sexiness even though he looks like this:
   
   

   

   photo from 102.3Bob

   
   I know this because MULTIPLE songs refer to him as such. I never would have guessed.


6. Personal responsibility is overrated. Many of the songs refer to waking up not know where you are, who this person is, where various articles of clothing and electronics are...NO BIG DEAL. Let's do it again tomorrow night!! On the other hand, it sounds like if you followed one of these singers around, throughout the evening you could accumulate a good deal of expensive cast-off items that they'll never miss.

I know there are more than just these nuggets of wisdom buried in hip-hop dance music. I'll let you know what else I find out as the weeks go by.

What am I missing? Have you learned valuable life lessons from hip-hop dance music?

The Olympics and our fitness goals

Olympic preliminaries by R Schofield, on Flickr

Although I wasn't glued to the set during the Olympics (there was a little thing called BlogHer going on for 5 days...), we did tend to have the TV on in the evening to watch events that were replayed after our kids went to bed.

As a new Pilates instructor, I was particularly impressed at the physical fitness levels of the athletes. Of course, they're going to be in top shape because they're the top athletes in the world, right? But I could just not take my eyes off how amazing their abs, arms, legs were! Why was it so unusual and fascinating? I think it is probably at least partially because I live here in Dallas, one of the fattest cities in the U.S.

I think it's difficult sometimes to describe to my green friends and readers in other states and cities the kind of environment we live in here in North Texas, with the over-consumption of food, the constant junk beverages, the driving-everywhere and walking-never. It's not that there's a lack of awareness as much as the status quo is lower. We're not comparing ourselves to Olympic athletes, we're comparing ourselves to someone else who is fatter than us. That might be why it's been tricky to fill our classes at Ultimate Pilates. We must rely on the word spreading to the near-underground world of fitness enthusiasts in the area. The fitness community is here, it's just a little isolated unto itself.

Most of my friends are what you would call the regular mainstream, and I know you guys think I'm a little nuts sometimes with my eating habits, my green cleaning and homeopathic remedies, and now my recent fitness enthusiasm. And I'm OK with that, because I don't really do these things for anyone else's approval.

What I have enjoyed about the Olympics being on TV over the last few weeks is that it has helped me realize that I'm not as crazy as I feel sometimes. These athletes had to say "no" to a lot of things, they had to really focus on their own goals and discipline their bodies to reach the level of fitness that would get them to London in 2012.

There are a lot of times when my classes are empty and I do my own workouts in the empty studios. In those hours, I admit that sometimes I take the easy way out. Instead of pushing through 2 minutes of a move, I let myself go on to the next move after 1 minute and 48 seconds. I stop and take little breaks for water or "to look at my notes". But when I do workouts with a full class, like I did at SLT in New York, or when I take a class with other instructors, like I did last night, I push through the pain and I'm stronger than I think.  There is actually a point in muscle exhaustion where the burning turns to numb - did you know that? You just have to push through the pain until you get that warm numb feeling.

It's something I want to remember when I feel like giving up on conscientious living because "no one else is doing it". I think about the athletes and how they pushed through the pain over and over. How I get so much better results in my own workouts when I push through the pain. And how I honestly believe this applies to our everyday life.

Have you ever pushed through the pain and had it be worthwhile?

7 Quick Takes Friday #44 - BlogHer 2012 Edition

BlogHer 2012 Recap Edition

--- 1 ---

I am already/still missing some of the friends from BlogHer!

I wish I had a picture of Kim Rosas from Dirty Diaper Laundry, she is the best. 

--- 2 ---

Yes, I did actually see New York City for about 30 minutes, as I walked from place to place.

--- 3---

I actually missed my kids. I spend so much time talking to toddlers that it was weird to talk to adults. And sometimes, when there is adult drama (and by that I mean, on Twitter), I really appreciate the pure and simple love of a toddler.

--- 4 ---

The first full day back and full-time with my kids all day, I stopped missing them immediately. I think it stopped when the screaming and fighting started. Which was probably about 7:30am.

--- 5 ---

Here is the obligatory picture of me with a life sized licensed character. This year, The Lorax.

It is blurry because I had some random passerby take it.

--- 6 ---

You know what is cool about New York? They require all restaurants with more than 5 locations to list the calorie count of each dish on their menu! I loved this at Dunkin Donuts because sometimes I forget which is the least bad choice: bagel, croissant, or english muffin.

--- 7 ---

Now that BlogHer is over for this year, did you know that Blissdom 2013 is going to be in the Dallas area (FYI: Grapevine is NOT Dallas. It is near Dallas. That is completely different)?! I would really like to go but I'd need a sponsor.

~~~

Well that's all for this week, be sure to visit Conversion Diary for links to more 7 Quick Takes Fridays.

Toddler verdict: homemade toothpaste = NO!

In my ongoing quest to be more green, save money, and learn how to make my own stuff, I read Ashleigh's post on making your own toothpaste and thought, "YES!".  I even had all the ingredients in my kitchen already.

My kids are currently 1 year old and 2 years old, and can't brush with toothpaste containing fluoride because they see toothpaste as a snack. They actually ASK for more toothpaste after sucking the paste off the brush. Obviously, I can't allow them to ingest fluoride like that. So I have been shelling out major dinero buying them toddler toothpaste without fluoride that is xylitol-based. If you haven't read the ingredients on your toddlers' fluoride-free toothpaste, please do. If you're buying the cheapest brand, I can almost guarantee that you're allowing them to put high fructose corn syrup or aspartame on their teeth before bed. Why, Colgate, why?!

As far as sweeteners for toothpaste go, xylitol is your best bet because it is actually good for your teeth. However, there are always dyes and other things in the kids' store-bought toothpaste that I don't love.

I made the toothpaste recipe using peppermint essential oil for additional antibacterial properties. I tried it myself and it leaves a wonderful minty clean feeling in the mouth. I felt like I'd just had a teeth cleaning!

I shared it with my husband. He HATED it. To be fair, he hates coconut in all forms: the oil, the smell, the actual nut, the flavor. Everything
. So the fact that it had coconut oil in it at all was a no-go for him.

I shared it with my kids. My 2 year old actually burst into tears and threw a tantrum. My 1 year old would not open her mouth at all. She threw the toothbrush on the ground.

Everyone was crying

So now I have a lovely jar of toothpaste that I enjoy but no one else in the family will touch. We went to the store and bought more toddler xylitol toothpaste, a tube for around $6. It will last about 3 weeks before we have to buy another. Awesome.

I know what it is that my kids want: fruity flavor. They don't like peppermint and they don't like cinnamon. I have been scouring the internets and can't find any recipes for toothpaste that would taste fruity.

What could I use to provide the fruit flavor without artificial chemicals, that also wouldn't have sugar that would build up on their teeth overnight? Ideas, please!

BlogHer 2012: Part 2 of recap

I'm officially BlogHer exhausted! Still sharing the love on Twitter and reading about people traveling home, seeing their kids, and unpacking swag. I got a moderate amount of swag but I was so busy this year that I actually didn't make it to the Expo hall until the last day about 2 hours before it closed. Many vendors were completely out of handouts by then. Which is fine because really, many of the vendors I wouldn't work with anyway (I am looking at you, LYSOL). The only one I was really sad to miss was SoDelicious, who makes my son's favorite coconut milk. I heard they had coupons, but I never found them in the Expo hall.

We are going to power through a review of the rest of BlogHer 2012 because you and I are both anxious to get back to our regularly scheduled blogging topics, right?

Despite all the parties and socializing this year, I did attend sessions! A few were not my personal choice because I was Mic Wrangling, but I still enjoyed them. The first of the day was Advocacy: Blogging Across Issues and Borders. I am not an advocacy blogger or a Latina but it was interesting to hear women who were so passionate. Takeaway: This panel was a good reminder not to give up on blogging when it gets difficult, but to surround ourselves with others who encourage us to keep going.



Of course, the big deal on Friday was Martha Stewart speaking at the lunch keynote. I am not going to lie, I stayed for about 5 minutes and then left. I really do respect Martha and all she's done - she's a powerhouse and soooo talented! But the lunch was so crowded and people were literally pushing each other out of chairs in the ballroom. I'm not a craft blogger, and I don't do Martha-type stuff, so when I got claustrophobic I just left. I ate lunch next to this adorable baby right outside the ballroom!



I was excited to see another Room Of Your Own about small blogs this year, since I am definitely considered a small blog by anyone who looks at size. Takeaway: In the Celebrate Your Small Blog session I was encouraged to keep doing what I'm doing and not be influenced to change my topic/convictions just to make more money or gain more followers. I was also reminded that I could probably work harder on ways to allow my followers to comment on the blog posts more easily from mobile devices.

Me, Carrie, and Alex from LateEnough (I was starstruck!)

After that session, I walked a few blocks and took a class at SLT NYC, a Megaformer Pilates class just like the ones I teach here in Plano. I love taking classes from other instructors because it gives me great ideas for new moves or moves I've forgotten. Of course, the class kicked my butt (in a good way)!



I arrived at the annual Voices Of The Year keynote all sweaty and wearing workout clothes, but it was a beautiful and inspirational experience, as always. A big shout-out to my fave Fearless Formula Feeder who did a great presentation of her manifesto about feminism and formula feeding. If you were part of the Twitter fiasco following this keynote but did not actually get a chance to hear the reading, I'd encourage you to read it for yourself before taking a stance. I saw several people on Twitter misquoting things that Suzanne read in her post. It's important to take this post in the context of its entirety.

After the keynote, it was up to my room to shower. I had several parties that night that I ultimately decided to skip so I could spend time with my friend Mica from MayBooks, who was in town for BlogHer as a vendor. We skipped the super crowded line for Hasbro and went to a cute Italian place with my roommate Jenn from Punky And The City.

All 3 of us spend dinner on our mobile devices ;-)

It was 10pm when I got back to the hotel but Sparklecorn was just getting started!! I might have had a lil more to drink that usual, and danced way too late into the night.

The dark, thumping dance blob that is Sparklecorn

Calley and her husband gettin' down on the dance floor!

Rock on, Calley, Chris, Julie, Amanda, Alex, Carrie, and Blessing!

I was up super early the next morning for absolutely no good reason. Oh well. I do have to say that the food at BlogHer was not as good as previous years, and there was a lot less of it. I had to actually purchase food, which I've really never had to do before.

First session in the morning (after opening keynote) was the one I was most excited about: Pro Tips: Branding and Blogging Professionally. I was stoked because my friends Jill and Gina were leading this panel!! It was a great panel, as expected - lots of laughs but lots of practical advice. Takeaway: Do not drink so much at Sparklecorn next time or you will forget what you learned in the panel your friends led.

Next I was back to Mic Wrangling for When It's Time To Spend Money To Market Your Work. I am not going to lie, by this time my energy was draining fast. It was a good session but about 3/4 of the way through I almost fell asleep. Takeaway: When is it time to start spending money to market your work? Probably not yet, for me. All the panelists assumed you make money at all - hahahahaha....I don't.

Although I dearly wanted to go up to my room and nap, I was also hungry so I went to lunch and the lunch keynote with Katie Couric. Surprisingly, this lunch was less packed than the Martha Stewart lunch. Huh? I thought Katie was amazing - very personable and her upcoming show sounds really interesting.

I met up briefly with Stephanie from City Moms Blog, who is the umbrella organization for Dallas Moms Blog (you know I write there too, right?). I would like to apologize to Stephanie for my zombie-like state. I was literally about to fall over. I barely crawled up to the 42nd floor where there were free massages being offered by RosaceaFacts.com. Then I oozed back down to the 26th floor and took a good long nap. Unfortunately, I was forced to get up so I could stop by the Expo Hall before it was time to Mic Wrangle the closing keynote. This is why I didn't get much sponsor swag - it was so late in the conference that many of them were packing up. Oh well, I still got Beth Terry to autograph my copy of Plastic Free: How I Kicked The Plastic Habit And How You Can Too, which I have already started reading and IT IS AMAZING.

The closing keynote revealed that next year, BlogHer 2013 will be in Chicago and it will be in July (2-27) instead of August. So excited!

For dinner, I got to eat at a local Asian fusion place with all the wonderful women I met and some who I just totally admire/stalk like Gina The Feminist Breeder and her husband.

The Feminist Breeder and Hyphenated Husband (!)

Powerhouse of feminist blogging: Think Feminist, The Feminist Breeder, and Danielle Elwood

When we got back to the hotel, I packed up for a super early exit (6am!) in the morning. I was so sad to leave my friends, old and new.

Saying "bye" to Calley for another year - our third BlogHer together!

Overall, this BlogHer was another new and great experience. I am exhausted more than I've ever been in past years, but I'm also seeing even more opportunities on the horizon.

If I met you at BlogHer and you have any great pictures or would like to say "hi", please do! I miss you all already!

BlogHer 2012: Part 1 of recap

Another BlogHer has come and gone: amazing, overwhelming, encouraging, and EXHAUSTING. Every year is a slightly different experience, and this year was my first without being pregnant or bringing a baby. As a result, I stayed up waaaay too late dancing and eating and talking (ok, and drinking...) with women I only see "in real life" every 1-2 years, and some I had actually never met before, except on Twitter.

While I was in New York City, I also took the time to take a Megaformer Pilates class (the kind I teach in Plano) at the SLT NYC studio. Because a 50 minute hardcore strength and cardio workout is definitely what you need after you've eaten crap for 24 hours and drunk sodas to stay awake (I don't normally drink soda at all).

>Unlike last year, I did remember to take actual pictures this year. Not many, because all I had was my iPhone, but I think they are representative.

First, one of the things I was so excited about: President Obama addressing the BlogHer attendees on Thursday afternoon.



Sure, what he said was pretty campaign-y but if you look beyond that, I think what is obvious is that he (and presumably more and more politicians) acknowledged the power of our voices as bloggers. What we say matters in the larger sphere, even when we're "just" blogging about our families or our individual efforts towards sustainable living.
Takeaway: Those in power are taking notice of what we do as women and bloggers, and that is encouraging.

Thursday night there was a party for "green" bloggers hosted by Stonyfield and Healthy Child, Healthy World>.



Following that party, we had the opportunity to view a wonderfully educational film, Toxic Baby, produced and written by Penelope Jagessar Chaffer. It contains a lot of great information on the toxins that surround us in our everyday lives and how they affect our bodies.



I enjoyed the movie and a wonderful discussion afterward between Penelope, Gigi Lee Chang, CEO of Healthy Child, Healthy World, Dr. Shanna Swan, Vice-Chair for Research, Department of Preventative Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and Dominique Browning, co-founder of Moms Clean Air Force.



Takeaway: A reminder from the ladies that we have to combine our personal purchasing (or NOT purchasing power) with legislative action to speed the process of making the world a safer place for our children. "Safe until proven dangerous" is not the right approach to take when introducing new chemicals.

Wow, this post is long and I haven't even gotten to the parties or the sessions. I'm exhausted already. How about Part 2 another day?

Lysol alternative: essential oil disinfectant spray

As my husband will tell you, I'm not big on making sure everything is disinfected in our house -- I have seen my children pick up and eat stray food off the floor, when I'm not even sure what food it was or how long it had been there.
But one thing I insist on disinfecting: the kitchen trash can.

My husband made that meme joke on Twitter. Only nerds get it, I think.

Getting back to disinfecting...in a past life I always used Lysol. Which does kill germs, of course, but also leaves behind a number of dangerous chemicals that I wasn't comfortable spraying in my house in the presence of my children or even myself. Also, I sell essential oils, many of which are antibacterial and antifungal -- it is much cheaper to make my own than to keep going to the store and buying it!

Here is my super simple recipe, which I use on my trash can after removing the bag to take out the trash:



Homemade Essential Oils Disinfecting spray

1.5 cups filtered or distilled water
5 drops tea tree (Melaleuca Alfornia) oil
5 drops lemon oil, optional (if you don't have lemon, double the tea tree)

Put in a spray bottle (preferably glass or metal, as essential oils can degrade plastic), and be sure to shake briefly before spraying.

Super easy and it won't hurt kids, pets, or adults - you could actually drink it and it would have no adverse effects, although I'm sure it tastes gross!

If you're looking to buy therapeutic-grade essential oils, support a blogger and visit my Young Living web site!

Any time you have great essential oil recipes to share, I'm all ears. Leave them in the comments!