I picked out a pumpkin last weekend. It was huge. Had a blast carving it but left it at our friends’ house. It’s awesome and can hardly wait until I bring it back to our apartment.
Organic Wear by Physician Formula
I was reading a few weeks ago about organic alternatives for makeup. One of the brands that has branched out is Physicians Formula. They have created Organic Wear makeup. After my Mary Kay mineral powder foundation ran out I decided to try organic. (A disclaimer about Mary Kay: It seems to be a good brand, however it is not free from synthetics and my skin is very sensitive so reacts to some of the ingredients found in the face care items and makeup.)
I’m happy with it as far as price goes and what I got for my money. It sits heavier on my skin than the mineral powder makeup I used before. As my skin is oily after a few hours my makeup job tends to look a little cakey. I changed how much cream foundation and concealer I used and that helped a little bit. I am also more careful about how much I use. The rule less is more applies here. I’d recommend it because for the price it does what it is supposed to do. Eventually I’ll try something else when I have the cash. I do really like that it smells real, not like fake fragrances.
Notes: 100% Free of Harsh Chemicals. 100% Free of Synthetic Preservatives. 100% Free of Parabens. 100% Free of GMO’s. 100% Free of Synthetic Colors. 100% Free of Synthetic Fragrances. 100% Cruelty Free.
White Vinegar
I’ve written about changing my household cleaners from harmful chemical cheep stuff to safe green cheep stuff. White vinegar is one of the main ingredients in my spray cleaners that I use at home and in my office to clean my massage table after each client. I love it. It smells fresh. Rick tells me it reminds him of salad.
I stumbled upon a very useful website all about vinegar! There are so many tips it’s a veritable goldmine! 1001 Uses for white distilled vinegar Have fun weeding through everything to find the tips you can use in your home!
VOSS glass bottles
We have all been hearing about how plastic has been shown to be unhealthy. While we are reusing our Sierra Springs plastic bottle from 7-11 we are actually harming ourselves. I’ve heard about reusable aluminum bottles that have fun colors and designs. Though Rick and I are not strapped for cash like many people in this flunking economy, I do make an effort to save money when I can. So instead of paying $20 for an aluminum bottle I bought a bottle of VOSS water. The bottle is glass and quite large 27.1 fluid ounces.
I love it! The only drawback is that it is made out of glass and I’m a klutz and tend to drop things. Ideal Bite listed it along with the aluminum options that are out there. Pretty cool and affordable option for now.
Organic Banana Split!
I’m a huge fan of dessert. I almost always have something sweet in the house. My definition of “sweet” has change a lot in the last few months. There is no candy left in our apartment. My sweets are fruits dried, frozen or otherwise and the occasional loaf of freshly baked raisin bread.
Tonight was the first night in a long time that we had a “typical” dessert, a banana split. It was not however as horrible as some treats can be. It was almost completely organic and free of dairy! I used our Coconut Bliss Dark Chocolate Ice Cream and one little scoop of the cappuccino flavor with Santa Cruz Organic Chocolate Flavored Syrup and of course a banana. I didn’t have organic bananas for this picture but to make it completely organic it’s an easy fix.
So if you are trying to be healthier or can’t eat certain ingredients there are options out there. You don’t have to suffer.
Related Posts:
Coconut Milk Ice Cream
The Dark Chocolate Flavor
The Pet Food List
Since 2007 I’ve learned that dog and cat food is not always safe. Sadly due to some contamination a few pets died from eating unsafe food. I’m saddened for the pet families and the pets themselves. However, I’m glad that it out in the open now. I had no idea. I thought that pet food companies were benevolent and would never use cheep, questionable ingredients. Such is not the case. In the next few years I’m sure that will change. There will be more regulations, better, safer standards for the foods for our four legged companions.
At one of my favorite blogs I was going through the links on that page at Raise a Green Dog and found a link for The Pet Food List. I’ve gone through this and found that many of the foods I’ve introduced into my dog and cat’s diets are on the safe list! Yay! Check yours against it and keep your babies safe!
Orange green and brown
What is more indicative of this season, autumn – fall – or the third season of the year? What ever you call it. The answer is pumpkins! Rick and I went with friends and nephew to pick out pumpkins to carve. This is the first year in I have no idea how many years since I’ve picked out a pumpkin. I vaguely remember something orange on our porch in Oak Harbor some three or four years ago. I don’t remember carving.
This year is different. We are not strapped for cash too much, which is odd considering the present “issues” with the economy. I’ve had a lot of energy to do things that I never cared for which to put forth effort. Yeah, it’s been nice.
So I have lovely pictures taken by myself, and hubby Rick on our outing today with friends to Craven farms in Snohomish County. Blast of a time! Got the perfect pumpkin and some fun gourds!
My Autumn Items
Every autumn starts the 8 or more months of cool and cold weather, sometimes dry though most of the time wet, wet in the Great Northwest. To combat the cold weather and ‘flu season I turn to teas. I’ll admit that I’m not tough enough to make real green tea. I hate it. My mother used to make me drink it when I had a cold and it only succeeded in making me feel nauseated.
I do love tea though and have looked for boxed teas that seem to have health benefits. A couple of years ago while trying to fight the bugs that went around the school and back again I tried the Organic Echinacea Plus tea by Traditional Medicinals. I loved it! It didn’t taste horrible. In fact it was quite soothing for my ever-sore throat. Echinacea is supposed to support the immune system. By boosting your immune system you can shorten or prevent colds. Though please remember that this review nor the information provided by their website should not substitute for medical care needed during a severe illness. Also if you suffer from a rag weed allergy this may not be the tea for you as it may be irritating. But from one hippy to another I’d recommend it if you are rather picky about how your tea tastes.
Organic Modern Hippy
My goal is to make our lives as organic as possible. I try to cook with more organic food items. I’ve noticed and said before that organic foods tend to taste better. They have more flavor. Sometimes they taste completely differently than their inorganic counter parts.
I’m also trying to make our pets lives more organic. They are my babies and I want to give them the best and safest things. I’m searching for the perfect organic pet food. I have run into some challenges, such as “natural flavors”. There are no regulations for the word “natural”. As to what is in “natural flavors” it can be a bit of a mystery. Some of my research has taught me that it can include MSG! Which is man made and not “natural” by my standards. In about a week I’ll write a review for their new food describing their reactions and any changes that I’ve noticed in their behavior.
I’m also curious about organic fabrics. Though we have no children now I want to do plenty of research looking for safe chemical free children’s clothes.
Basically I’m an organic freak, an organic modern hippy.
Organic food switching
In the last few months I’ve been spending more time looking at ingredients in foods I buy and more time in the organic produce section. I’ve heard that some foods should be exclusively bought organic, as they are the most commonly contaminated or treated with pesticides. At the business meeting I attend one day last year the chef talked about what foods to buy organically: apples, strawberries, grapes (Chilean), cucumbers, green beans, bell peppers, spinach, cherries (US), spinach, peaches, cantaloupe(Mexico), celery and apricots. I try, but don’t always do as well as I’d like. It’s the effort that counts and the more I try the better I’ll get.
I have also taken a look at what we eat a lot of here. We eat a lot of homemade yogurt, made by yours truly. Butter is a big one as well; I cook with it and use it on bread and boiled or steamed veggies. Proteins like poultry and steak for Rick.
A week ago I decided to buy organic butter. Oh it was so good. It tasted differently, but was still good. Organic Valley
was the brand. I also bought organic half and half and whole milk of that brand to make my yogurt. I just made it so I’m not sure how it will taste. I’ll let you know.
I’ve been fighting with myself about eating meat for some time now. I don’t want to become a complete vegetarian. I don’t have the time or devotion to put into eating healthy as a vegetarian. I’m just trying not to think about what it is that I am eating.
When I went to my favorite grocery store Central Market I took a closer look at my chicken options. I’m not a huge fan of chicken but right now I’d prefer it to steak. I buy a couple of different brands, or did. Foster and this other brand Mary’s something. Taking a closer look I found that it wasMary’s organic free range chickens and I preferred it to Foster. The flavor was so much better.
I’ve been reading up on regulations surrounding animals raised for food. It is appalling to find out that some things have no regulations. But as far as free range organic chicken meat goes, there are regulations that must be followed by the farmers. So I’m sticking with that. I saw an Oprah show
where her “resident” reporter Lisa Ling did a piece on this subject. I didn’t get to see the whole show. I did however see the part showing the chickens that were not free range. It was deplorable. There were up to 6 chickens to a tiny cage in a small building where they were stacked upon themselves and had little if any natural lighting. Seeing that, in good conscious I will no longer be able to eat regular chicken.
I’ve learned a lot and will continue to make food decisions that will be healthier for us and better for the environment. Think about it, organic may be slightly more expensive but it’s so much better for mind and body.
