Eco-Friendly Tip Of The Day

This tip is from my sister-in-law, Lisa, who is very environmentally conscious!

"When your plastic shower liner gets soap scum or mold on it, instead of throwing it away, wash it in the washer with a large bath towel and hot water. The towel acts as a scrub brush to get all the icky stuff off.  If the liner needs softening up after the wash, throw it in the dryer for 3 minutes-but don't forget about it or it will melt!"

Thanks for sharing, Lisa!!!  If you have any tips you would like to share, please email them to theinnerpeaceproject@gmail.com!

Thirsty?

In the January issue of Glamour (SJP is on the cover looking a-m-a-z-i-n-g!) I came across a story covering WaterAid America-an organization committed to improving access to safe water for the poorest of communities across the globe.  It's easy to take that clean running water in my kitchen for granted, or leave my faucet on while brushing my teeth in the morning.  If I were a 12 year old girl living in Ethiopia, chances are I would have to walk several miles every morning just to gather the dirty water for sterilization-even then they are not guaranteed that the water is parasite-free.

Clean drinking water saves lives, for more information on how you can help visit:  Water.org or World Vision.

Water Bottles, sippy cups, perfume, OH MY!

photo courtesy of Jill

This is a guest post from health advocate, Christen Black.  Christen has been promoting and using safe products for herself and family for years.  Below she talks about the hidden dangers of the everyday products we use.
Why should we be concerned about BPA and Phthalates? 
I don’t know about you but I never used to care about what I put ON my body as much as what I put IN my body.  Even when it came to what I put IN my body, I was naïve to think that eating “healthy” was enough.  I was so carefree about what I drank out of or what I heated my food in.  I spent so much time and money on cute clothes and my hair but not enough on the really important things that could affect my health and wellness and that of my family’s.

This changed a couple of years ago, after I had my daughter and after my family was touched by 2 cancer diagnoses within a week apart.  I became very interested in learning about “toxic” chemicals and other “things” that were known to cause cancer.  This interest eventually turned into my starting a business that helps people stay healthy.

First of all,  I want to state that I am by no means an expert on BPA or phthalates, but I am hoping that what I do know will help even a few people out there.  Unfortunately, BPA and Phthalates are everywhere and it would be almost impossible to avoid them completely (yet).  Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an estrogen-like chemical used in many polycarbonate plastics, canned-goods, and recycled paper products.  Phthalates are chemicals used to soften plastics, such as toys, and are also widely used in personal care products such as nail polish, shampoo, body wash and lotion. 

Even though our government still contends that these chemicals are safe for us, both of these chemicals are hormone disruptors and there’s enough research showing their link to cancer, diabetes, and early term pregnancies, to name a few.  We have started to avoid certain products with BPA, like baby bottles and water bottles, but we are very behind with phthalates.  Phthalates are becoming more controversial as more scientific research associates them with hormonal disturbances such as reduced testosterone in babies and adults.  If you have a boy you should be even more wary of these chemicals.  I would highly recommend Boys Adrift by Leonard Sax, who talks about the severity of phthalates.  Dr. Mehmet Oz says, “Boys Adrift is a must-read for any parent of boys. This is real science, and Dr. Sax thoroughly uncovers the important health issues that parents of boys need to be tuned into.”

Phthalates are present in so many things we apply on our body and yet it’s so hard to know because they are often hidden under another ingredient like fragrance or perfume.   The good news is that there are companies now that produce products that are phthalate-free.

The bottom line is that we need to be more educated and take matters into our own hands when it comes to taking care of our health.  Don’t assume that things are safe if they are on the market.  We also must put more pressure on our government to take action and ban the use of these harmful chemicals.  

Christen Black

Check out a list of items that are BPA and phthalate free (particularly for babies and children).

If you are interested in finding out what's in your personal care products or interested in making steps towards toxic and chemical free personal care products, check out this site.

Holiday Wish List

courtesy newlightindia.org

We only have 22 days left to seek out that perfect gift for every one of your loved ones on that long, long list. Instead of ANOTHER cute J. Crew sweater (no offense, love them!) for your sister or adding to your sweet grandmother's already bulging snow globe collection why don't we actually make something happen for someone else?  Perhaps feed a family in Somalia or send a Pakistani girl to school.  It's online shopping gone global, but we are actually investing in the welfare of humanity-just a few clicks away...

Top Ten Ways to Make a Difference this Holiday Season 

1.  Life-Giving Trees  ($10-$50)  Purchase fruit and forest trees for people in developing countries

2.  Central Asia Institute (Open donations) CAI's mission:  To promote and support community-based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.  (Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea is Executive Director)

3.  Heal Africa ($10) Help rape victims by providing them with a variety of services from vocational training to safe house refuge.

4.  Hunger Project (Open donations) Hunger Project's mission:  Empowering women and men to end their own hunger.

5.  New Light ($35-$500)  Shelter in Kolkata, India offering  protection and education to prostitutes and their children.  $35 buys food for an elderly woman for one month, $50 ensures a woman on the street a safe shelter, $100 sponsors treatment for HIV positive woman for one month, $500 sponsors one child's healthcare, education, and nutrition for one year.

6.  Pro Mujer ($10 and beyond) Provides Latin America's poorest women with means to build livelihoods for themselves and futures for their families through microfinance, business training, and health care support.  

7.  Shared Hope  (Open donations) Fights sex trafficking around the world.  "*She was a 12 year old, living in poverty in rural Nepal...her stepbrother drugged her and sold her to a trafficker…she woke up a 1000 miles later to a nightmare…she was now someone’s property, a sex slave in the worst brothel districts in the world—Mumbai, India…"

8.  The Worldwide Fistula Fund  (Open donations) Works to improve maternal health and is building a fistula hospital in Niger.

9.  International Medical Corps ($10) Deliver health services to one mother and her baby, including prenatal and postnatal care, routine checkups, immunizations and safe delivery services.

10.  UNICEF ($9.04) Purchase adult hygiene kit for those in need in developing countries. The kit contains soap, a washcloth, sanitary napkins, nail clippers, toothpaste and a toothbrush. The contents are intended for two individuals for one month.