Recycle 2 Save

I was so conflicted but I've decided (unless someone requests I continue) that I will no longer post the ingredients to avoid. It didn't seem to be a big hit (based on the number of views these posts received). If you did like it just let me know and I'll start up again. Thanks so much. Please remember, invitation is always opened for you to let me know what you'd like to hear about. I would LOVE to research a topic for you. Happy Friday everyone!  This is just a little bit of Friday island sunshine for those of us experiencing some dreary winter weather. I know it's not the real thing but it made me smile a little. Enjoy. 

I challenge you. Did you ever sit and focus on the amount of filler words that people use when they are talking? In normal conversation you might not notice but when you sit and really focus on the words they are using you tend to find (obnoxiously so) that we use A LOT of fillers (um, like, actually, such as.. ). I really am going somewhere with this... Have you ever really "watched" your garbage. I know that doesn't sound like much fun but I'm not talking about a blank stare at the waste can. Do you know how many bags of garbage your home generates in a week? What about recycling, do you know how much paper, bottles, etc you accumulate. I challenge you for one month to pay attention. It may become annoying to others in your home but when you watch you will tend to find that we throw away A LOT of recyclable material just because no one is really paying attention. If you are super motivated.. please share your results. I can't promise 15 pounds in 30 days but...

I find this absolutely amazing. This is a perfect example of necessity being the mother of invention. Recycling a plastic bottle helps keep our planet healthy and creates a new product or in this case it changes lives.

A recent article in Recycling News changed my view on the reason why some people recycle. I was so surprised to know that it's not necessarily because they want to do the right thing. A city that formerly used bins changed to clear bags and noticed that the amount of recycling in the garbage declined & the vice versa. People want to do the right thing.. or at least they want their neighbor to think they are. No matter the motivation.. it's a pretty interesting tidbit. Who knew.. public perception and public praise (or reprimand) might be the key to greening up our planet.

Propylene Glycol .. A Little Anti Freeze or Drano...Anyone? That is what you are essentially doing when you use products with Propylene Glycol or Ethylene Glycol or Sodium Hydroxide which are primary ingredients of most antifreeze and drain cleaners. These chemicals are among the top offenders from my harmful ingredients list because they are found in so many of your lotions, hair products, cleansers, cosmetics and even your toothpaste http://www.nontoxicalternatives.com/harmful-ingredients-list.html

Okay, so I have to admit, I didn't give much thought to the first title and it's getting a bit old. Nonetheless, as promised here is another ingredient that you should try to avoid in your bath, skin or beauty products. I just came across this particular one in a brand of children's shampoo that was about to go on my son's precious head. I have become an avid label reader and this particular product was sold to me as natural .. hmmm.   Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): Detergents and surfactants that pose serious health threats. Used in car washes, garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers and 90 percent of personal-care products that foam. Animals exposed to SLS experienced eye damage, depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, severe skin irritation–even death. SLS may also damage skin’s immune system by causing layers to separate, inflame and age Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-toxic-12-beauty-ingredients.ht...