Do-It-Yourself

I can't believe it's been over a year since my last blog post!  Actually I can.  My greatest concern about starting a new project is my ability to follow through with my goal.  But my reason for blogging hasn't changed, and is actually the reason behind this particular post.

My inspiration is my dad.  During his life, he was my biggest encourager.  And I'm not just talking about making all my school concerts and complimenting me at appropriate times.  He really knew me and how to push me and when to back off.  My main interests during my school years were music, reading, and writing.  In college, I pursued music, but the endless papers and reading assignments temporarily cured me of my interest in both reading and writing.  I really didn't do much writing again until my dad was diagnosed with cancer almost two years ago.  His entire journey with cancer only lasted a month, and during that time I managed and did most of the writing for his CaringBridge blog.  Other than talking with my husband, writing was about the only processing I could really handle, but it was so good for me.  When I got some positive comments about my writing, it occurred to me that maybe God had given me the ability, and that I should at least try to use it.  

Another effect of my dad's sudden cancer is that I went into research mode and learned all about cancer and carcinogens (cancer-causers).  I looked at chemicals and foods, and I quickly ended up in information-overload.  (This happens to me relatively easily--like when I was trying to choose a carseat.)  We were too late that year, but at the next available opportunity, we signed up for a CSA organic farm share, and got weekly produce.  That went well for a few weeks but ended up quite differently as we had a lot of produce that sat around until it spoiled.  I learned a lot about different produce: how to pronounce it, preserve it, cook it, etc.  And I also learned that if you're going to spend several hundred dollars on organic produce (which actually is not a huge amount per week), it might as well be foods you'll actually eat.  I'm not saying that we'll never do it again, especially if time, child care, and distance allows us to do the work share, but this year we'll stick to trader joe's and farmers markets to get the best organic deals.  Changing our eating habits has been quite a journey. Life lesson: if you can't do it all, don't spend money on "it all."  Take your time and start one new project at a time.  

Getting to the point...

Since I can't do it ALL I thought I'd make a list of the things that I want to try.  There are SO many toxins in our lives, and I would love to start cutting them out, one at a time, while not spending a fortune on natural, organic, this- and that-free products. I'm doing my research and collecting blogs and articles from people who have gone before me.  If I stay motivated, I may even blog my adventures!  I'm also going to try to post where I get ingredients and how much they cost so I can see if I'm spending more or less than I would on a store-bought product.

Household items:

• Toothpaste (fluoride is controversial, and my early research says that not all toothpaste actually prevents cavities)
• Deodorant (aluminum can cause breast cancer and Alzheimers)
• Non-toxic cleaning products
• Shampoo (sulfate-free for my curly hair)
• Conditioner
• Body wash
• Hair cream (the stuff I use now is mostly coconut oil and shea butter anyway!)
• Baby shampoo/wash
• Laundry detergent
• Diaper rash cream
• Cloth wipe solution
• Make-up (is this even possible?)
• Lotion/moisturizer

Food:

• Cream of mushroom soup (I did this around Christmas time when I was "off" dairy)
• Salad dressings (had some success with these already)
• Almond milk (almond flour is also made in the process!)
• Baby food

My goals are to try to make one item a week and post something about it even if only to keep a record of my successes and failures.  I'm going to start with things that have common ingredients--coconut oil being a big one.  I have six months to do this before my next blessing makes his or her appearance and sleep as I know it ceases to exist!  Want to help? Ask me how my toothpaste turns out next week.  My ingredients should arrive on Wednesday!