Beware: Toxic Chemicals Strike In the Home

Talking about my children got me thinking. When they were babies, I used to go shopping for baby wash, baby lotion, and baby EVERYTHING, as far as what I slathered on them, based on how it smelled. Now I have been educated; and I am appalled at what I may have done to my own children 26 and 20 years ago, respectively.

Me at about 9 months. See where the tail on the doggie is pointed? Foreshadowing?

Pure Karlee, fresh and new...so tiny and clean

Joshua, about 2, who knows what toxins he's already got in him?

I've gone back to the stores, and read the labels. I doubt that the formulas have changed all that much over the years. maybe they have even gotten a little less toxic by now (let's just hope so, to assuage my guilty conscience); but these products, and I won't name names - I'll let you go look at some of what you may be putting on your own children, or yourself for that matter, may be killing us quietly and slowly as the toxins build up in us.

The skin is our body's largest organ. We should pamper and love it, not poison it. That is simple logic. 
Here is a list of chemicals you DO NOT want to see on the ingredient lists of any personal care products in your home:

10 Ingredients to Avoid in Your Personal Care Products

1. Parabens – Including methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl paraben (anything ending in paraben), these are preservatives that have been linked to hormone disruption and infertility, and may increase the risk of certain cancers.
2. Fragrances – These can contain hundreds of different chemicals that are not required to be listed on the ingredients.  So fragrance just means that there’s lots of stuff it in that you have no idea what it is, and can cause headaches, dizziness, rashes and allergic skin reactions.
3. Phthalates (DEHP, BBP, DBP, DMP, DEP) – these chemicals, that have been linked to sperm damage and infertility, they can also be hidden within the label fragrance (see above). Phthalates are banned from personal care products in Europe.
4. DMDM hydantoin – A preservative that releases formaldehyde which is linked to asthma, skin conditions, chronic fatiugue, headaches, dizziness and other respiratory problems.
5. Mineral Oil – A derivative of petroleum this coats the skin like plastic wrap and keeps the skin from being able to  breathe and absorb moisture as well as release toxins.
6. Propylene Glycol – Derived from natural gas this ingredient has been known to cause allergic reactions, hives and eczema.
7. Triclosan – An antibacterial agent
8. Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate - A detergent and foaming agent, it’s hard to find shampoo or toothpaste without SLS. Because it’s derived from coconut, some manufacturers or labels may claim that it is a natural ingredient, but it is the processing used to create SLS that makes this a toxic ingredient.  It  can cause malformation to children’s eyes, skin irritation, and is damaging to the immune system.
9. PEG’s – Polyehylene Glycol – PEG’s are used to help cleansers dissolve oil and grease and can be found in caustic oven cleaners – enough said – not something I want to be using on my skin.  They strip away natural moisture and can damage the immune system.
10. Any ingredient with “glycol” or “methyl” - There are a whole lot of other chemicals out there that should be avoided, and many of the above ingredients also have other names, so a good rule of thumb is to avoid anything with these two terms in the ingredient label.


This list is certainly not all-inclusive. Here I stand on my soapbox, while I am also very guilty of eating some of the worst things people should eat, like double triple cheeseburgers and a Diet Coke. With fries. There's someone who could read this and if she is drinking her water or juice, will spit it out in peals of derision here. Whatever. I need the calories. Regardless, I am trying to become more aware of it all and change my uneducated self into someone who makes a positive dent in the world.

If we are educated, we can at least make informed decisions. I say, YES! I speak for the skin.

Karlee the Skier for Life

Karlee's pure, unadulterated joy

My daughter is a skier. She lives to ski. In fact, she lives to do anything and everything that requires being outside and active. This has always been her way. In the summer, she hikes and swims, bikes and finds great places to explore in our local mountains, here in Logan.

In the winter, though, there is Beaver Mountain. It calls her name, and she is gone. On days when she hears the powder calling, she is grinning from ear to ear, helmet on, clad in her black-on-white snow gear and she's off. When she gets back, she's breathless with excitement, and I am thrilled as I get the play-by-play of the day's runs. She's good, and she mostly has great days.

I see you

Reflections

The other day, though, we had a little scare - she called me from the road. She had taken a spill, bloodied her nose and conked her head and arm. These are the days when as a mother I wish I could save her the pain of it all. I can't fix the huge bruise on her arm, nor the swelling in her nose. It will just have to heal.

She already went back to the mountain again, though. The call of the powder, the rush of the run, the sheer joy of flying down those steep hills on your own two feet is more exciting and beats the fear of falling. What a lesson!

Back up the mountain

Little did I know 20 years ago that I would have a child that had the "heart to go on", no matter the obstacle. I should have known. She was so eager to come into this world that she couldn't wait to get here, and showed up early. She's been early for everything ever since. She has a positivity in her that rivals the sun. I'm so proud of her! I will not be able to keep my fingers off the keyboard about her. Does that mean I am her mother?

A Labor of Love

How could I have known that this boy, now a man, would use all the natural talent and heart he displayed as a child to make art his life's work? I should have known. All the signs were there: he loved to dress in costume, play with accents, put on shows, and as he got older, he did become more involved in drama. Of course, I was always secretly hoping he would go for it...but he would say, "Nope, I'm majoring in Chemistry."

Well. Good sense and talent won over.

My son is an actor, and this is his art and his passion. I find myself in awe. I hear about his day. Get up at 4:00 or 5:00 AM. Go to the gym. Go to classes, go to various rehearsals, show up at work when required, almost never a break between. Then at night, after a few minutes to eat something somewhere, go perform until late at night. Go home, do homework, see if there is time for sleep, wake up, and start again. Somewhere in the middle of all this, he finds time to meet with friends, run the Rex Lee 10K with his best friend, Bergen, and chat up his mother.

Bergen and Joshua festive and triumphant

Right now, he is performing in Love's Labors Lost at BYU, directed by Stephanie Breinholt - and serendipitously, Bergen Goesch is an assistant director on this project. He is doing more than one Mask Club this semester, and who knows how many scenes he is rehearsing for for other things. He shoots scenes for short films. He works scenes for friends.

Joshua and Magarin Hobson in character for Love's labors Lost

Official Site of the Love's Labors Lost Show - Tickets, Info, etc  Click for more information☺


When we get the chance to talk about things, really talk - I realize that he is now probably more aware - in touch with his inner self - than I am. He has complex ideas and is able to master his emotions and his body. I haven't the discipline to go to the gym and work out 3-4 days a week. My old, aching hip would probably break. Maybe that's just an excuse.

I'm so happy and proud that he is pursuing the career of his dream, his love. This is the lesson. Find your passion! Live it. Be who you are born to be, and find joy in your creation.

Watch for more about Joshua in posts to come.

A Poem for You - With Gratitude

When I was falling apart, not just the one time, but one of the biggest times, The Fates decided to be most kind. They sent me down a path that led me to Light, in the form of Awareness. It came in a most unusual way. I don't believe in coincidences. A series of events happened, people came into my life that I would never have expected to...

Thank you. You gave me the boost and the strength and the hope. You taught me that "can't" is not an option. Falling down once is an opportunity to get up and try again. A trap is only as good as the trapper :D When we can free ourselves from the trap - freedom awaits.



                  Allegory

Here in the deep, dank dark of my pit
Alone again, I am in anguish
I slip, squishing on hands and knees in the slog
I feel up the familiar, filthy walls.
                    Futility.
Find footholds from the before times
Fingers find purchase in cracks between crevices
Slowly, unsteadily
  Up
Then with a scrape of broken nails on slimy stone
I fall free, land with a thud on my back
   Again.
Breath forced out
          Can’t    breathe    it     in
Trembling, I begin again.
  Again.
Thwack.
                No air.
On my back again, sweat trickling, heart pounding, hair matted to my head
  I look       up
And in my gasping whisper “please”
I lie still, not daring to disturb
             But a sound:
Something is twisting down through the tangled roots, pushing through the wreckage above me
Letting light into my dark world.
It is a vine -
Its seeking strands reach for me, caress my face, brush my ear, coil their green life around my wrists and between my fingers
Curious
Sinuous runners envelop all of me. Flooding feelings flow through my brokenness
I wrap my own fingers around it in kind - first one hand,
Tugging, testing.
Tears, unbidden flow as the fire of healing forges connection
I take the vine by two hands - pull out of the muck.
The stem is strong.
   I feel to trust.
I find familiar toeholds
Clinging like a child to the creepers
Gingerly climb,
Tender tendrils embrace, cradle me,
Hold me firm when
      I am fatigued
The bottom of my pit almost out of sight
Light above intensifies
The roots hold fast.
I will ascend the wall.
     Reach the top.
I am no longer alone.
The vine draws me into light.

  - - October 2011

Here's a gem for you, too, from Olivia Newton-John and our dear Amy Sky. An inside look at the making of Grace and Gratitude - if you don't already have this in your collection, it is a MUST HAVE. This is from Amy Sky's video channel. I can never choose just one favorite song from this inspirational album. Enjoy ♥ and namaste:

Embrace the Differences

Here's what I learned today: in forty years we have made computers like the Tricorders from Star Trek a reality. We have put people into space. We have made medical and scientific breakthroughs that boggle the mind. We have the WorldWideWeb and we can talk to people from anywhere, face to face on video, at will.

So many things we humans are capable of, yet we still have not mastered the art and the craft of loving each other. We are relentless in our scramble for power - who will be on top - who will beat us to that exit, who will get the best seat, who will get the last cookie? Which kid on the playground will be chosen first, last - or not at all?

Here in our little town of Logan, where there is "no crime" - we can literally leave our doors unlocked at night and not worry too much - we are still plagued by the age old spectre of bullying. Just like any town, anywhere, kids get picked on for being different.

I love this song by Sara Hickman. It's all about how we are all the same, and we all deserve to be loved. Watch, enjoy, and be edified :D

Buy the song on iTunes or on www.sarahickman.com or if you can find it, the album of the same name in your local music store.

The Lorax and Lucy's Greenpeace Team: Eco-Warriors

Today I was watching the trailer for the "new" movie that has been made from Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. Now, Dr Seuss has always been one of my favorite writers. Sound strange coming from a grown woman? Well, maybe it shouldn't. Dr. Seuss, Ted Geisel, had a way of telling stories about important issues, instilling values into my young mind, by using silliness as his vessel. I could understand the concepts he was teaching, but I was often fooled into thinking they were just stories, not lessons.

We'll take this story as an example. It was not nearly as disguised as some of the other stories in his long list of great books; but I sure got the point. The Lorax. He spoke for the trees. If not him, who would have spoken for the voiceless, living things that were the beautiful Truffula trees? He did his best to make a stand against the technology that invaded his world. When that technology destroyed the world anyway, because of the Once-ler, the Lorax's passion for the trees and the fauna living among them finally dawned on said Once-ler, who remained in his sad, lonely, polluted world until a curious boy came along to whom he could tell his sad tale, and trust with the last Truffula seed. Replant and rebuild. All was not entirely lost.

The power of one. It is real.

By teaching our children that they do indeed have a voice - they can and must be counted - we teach them not to stand idle when the things they believe in are threatened.   There are ways we can make a difference, and we must.

By example, Lucy Lawless and her Greenpeace crew of 7 clambered aboard a ship bound for the Arctic that is bent on drilling for oil there. They didn't stop the ship. They had to pay the consequences of their actions - but they were heard. People noticed. Perhaps the drilling will still happen; but we will always remember Lucy and the other eco-warriors climbing up the rigging on the ship and declaring their intentions, Twittering about it, and getting 133,000 people to follow their cause.



See Lucy In Action


There are more stories being generated now about that very thing - people petitioning for it to stop - to help prevent the very real possibilities of the calamities that could befall the pristine Arctic, should an oil spill occur there.

We have had "Loraxes" for years, trying to tell us to heed the warning signs. Listen to our bodies, listen to the Earth. What will it take to get out attention?

There are positives as well. People who care, with recognizable names are trying to get awareness of these causes out.  Companies are "going green" and making a big deal about it. We are working to help our children understand that we must be doers and shakers, not just speakers and thinkers.

Now the question is, what can I do? I'm not Lucy, nor am I the Lorax. Surely I can make a contribution somehow. I can become educated - and help educate others. None of us can turn back the clock, but in going forward, we are all at choice points. What is next? How do we do the right thing?