Feelin’ Weary?...Get that Natural Spa Treatment at Home!

Feelin' Weary?...Get that Natural Spa Treatment at Home

Feeling under the weather, stressed out, or weary-eyed from looking at your retirement plan?…Don't let it show.

Use this All Natural Organic Face Scrub to naturally exfoliate those worries away. No time for the spa, or hey, tightening that budget belt? Get the same relaxing treatment right from home with these Natural Beauty products on Sale.

Face Scrub by Natural Beauty (pictured here) is the Green way to Beauty. Everything Green criteria for this product is as follows: No added preservatives or dyes, cruelty free, vegan, non-toxic, all natural ingredients, scent comes from a blend of essential oils & botanical extracts, and my favorite, it is made & manufactured in the USA.

Check out the Personal Care Products Sale happening now at Everything Green Home.com!!!

What is this...the Green Bible?

What is this...the Green Bible?



Is it some kind of new doctrine introduced to the church? Or a new environmentalist slant on the Holy Scriptures? Has an agenda infiltrated what we hold sacred?

Absolutely not! So what is it?... The Green Bible. It isn't a new Bible at all, but rather, a green lettered Bible that highlights all the scriptures that refer to God's creation. The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible is used for this new Green Edition.

For studying God's Word, I prefer the New King James Version with the words of Jesus Christ in red letters. For prayer, I prefer the Amplified Bible. For an easy read through, I prefer the New International Version. How appropriate to have a Bible emphasizing God's creation when I want to be totally awe inspired by God's wonderful creative power!

I intend to get this Bible for two reasons: First, I don't have a New Revised Standard Version of the Bible in my study resources. Second, I want to study how God views His creation. I intend to view God's creation as He views His creation. And let's get real, I'm too lazy to go through and mark ALL the scriptures regarding creation.

The responsibility amongst green Christians is to be good stewards of God's creation and practice what I've heard called Creation Care. This is a more natural and simple way of life. It is respecting our God and His creation, the earth and the fullness thereof. I find this highly valuable.

Growing up amongst the most beautiful rural images within the United States, the Redwood Forest, I highly value seeing evidence of the Creator within His creation. Even still, all parts of the earth hold the divine mark of the Almightly Creator. Even more reason to respect the planet upon which we live.

Can you think of a time when a sunset or a mountain view or some other marvel in nature inspired such awe that it could only be visible evidence of the presence of God?




Photo: Thank you Daniel & Carla for the use of this picture under Creative Commons license.

Let's Talk Hair & Nails

Let's Talk Hair & Nails


Just because we go green doesn't mean we want to sacrifice all the products that make us even more beautiful. I wanted to share 2 products that most women still want to use but may not have easily found an alternative. So Ladies, let's talk hair & nails.

My son uses my hair routinely as a pulley; pulls himself put, swings it around, systematically examines and proceeds to shove my hair into his mouth. As I understand, my baby is not the only hair swinging gymnast. I grew concerned about styling my hair. If a flyaway strand of hair got into my mouth, the products would make me spit. I can only imagine what I would ingest if I used my hair as a pacifier or chew toy. Therefore, I stopped styling my hair for a time...let's just say it wasn't a good idea, cousin IT.

In my desperate search I found Dr. Bonner's Magic Organic Fair Trade Hair Creme. Everything Green Home criteria is as follows:

• USDA certified Organic
• Fair Trade certified by IMO
• Not tested on animals
• 100% Post Consumer Recycled Bottle

It is great for Leave-In Conditioning & Light Styling. It was light and fresh in my hair. Although, I don't recommend Baby ingesting this product, I do feel much better about using it when I know it's organic & I can actually read the label.

The next wonderful product I discover, and I mean wonderful, is a Water-based fingernail polish. I searched high and low. I hadn't painted my nails in over a year. Before I even decided to implement green living my nail polishing days were plagued with headache causing fumes and my husband insisting I go outside when I wanted to paint my nails. AS IF! Regardless, I knew I needed an alternative once morning sickness kicked in.

I found a product out of Canada generated by a concerned parent. Currently, the French Manicure set is available. I painted my nails while Baby was on the couch and my Pug was wiping her doggy eye boogers on my pant leg. No fumes and no objections from Family! Plus, my nails dried quickly and finally looked great. Everything Green Home criteria for this nail polish is as follows:

• Water-based & chemical-free!
• No phthalates & No parabens
• No formaldehyde
• No toluene & No alcohol
• No acetates & No acetones
• No FD&C dyes--Earth pigments used

Everything Green Home has these great products to offer for those of us ladies who still want Stylin' Hair & Nails!

First Photo: Thank you Uh...Bob for use of photo under Creative Commons license.

To Epidural or Not To Epidural?

To Epidural or Not To Epidural?

I just read a great post by Cate Nelson, The Medicalization of My Natural Birth, about her experience with natural childbirth. Many women are frustrated with the push for drugged childbirth. I enjoyed the story and have been inspired to write my own natural childbirth experience.

I gave birth to my son naturally, that is without any drugs, just the good old fashioned painful way. I did choose hospital over home though. That was fine since the hospital staff was very hands off until push time for me. That is except for some crazy Lab Lady that came in when I was going through a contraction, stuck a needle in my arm, rolled my vein, stuck me again and sucked the blood out into small vials. I had no idea why they wanted my blood right then and I almost gave Lab Lady a dot in the eye.

I knew I could do natural childbirth because my mother gave birth to me and my brother without any medication and she had no complications. My mother lived in the mountains of Northern California far from town when she went into labor with me. I guess I had decided to make things complicated for her, so I flipped around and was coming out breach. It didn't matter, I wasn't to be stopped. My dad went flying down the dusty mountain roads and I was well on my way into the light of this world. The closest medical facility was the clinic on the Native American Reservation 30 minutes away. My parents got to the Reservation and went flying into the clinic with my dad holding my baby butt in his hand. Breach or not, I was hitting the ground running.

After this dramatic 30 minute labor experience my mother had, I figured I would be just fine with an all natural birth plan. The assumption was that everyone gets an epidural and it seemed considering natural childbirth was nearly a cuss word. I hadn't made up my mind 100% no drugs, but as it turned out, I didn't have time and frankly, nobody asked. By the time I called my husband off his job, I had very little time between contractions.

The midwife was hands on and got there right at push time. I had no doctor and one wasn't required. After a couple pushes, the midwife hopped up on the bed with me and popped Baby's water with some crazy looking hook thing. She discovered Baby had pooped in the bag. I noticed some guy was in the corner of the room. Excuse me, the only man I wanted in the room was my husband who I made hold my hand and give me sips of water from a straw. Later, I was told the guy was some kind of specialist to stand by to make sure Baby didn't swallow any of the contaminated fluids when he made his first cry.

I told the midwife, "Tell me what to do and I'll do it."

"Open up like a flower," she coached.

Flower or whatever, I pushed like crazy. Baby had his hand raised and came ripping out like superman. Literally. I was bleeding more than expected and suddenly I had a huge needle slammed into my leg. It was some mystery medicine to help stop the bleeding. By then Baby was out and I didn't care about anything else.

The whole experience was 2 hours 45 minutes. Not bad for my first delivery. They gave Baby a quick scrub down and I was holding my naturally born baby boy. Right away he wanted to eat. He was so quick to latch on, I, being the new mother, had to catch up and figure out the whole breastfeeding thing.

There are many horror stories, I know, but it really was an amazing experience. I'm glad I chose the natural experience of childbirth. I think I'll have to do a study on home birthing just in case I don't have time to make it to the hospital next time.

Honestly, all complications aside, if we are not injured when we go into labor, then why the big push for drugged childbirth?

Does the Bottle Indicate Neglect?

Does the Bottle Indicate Neglect?

Breastfeeding versus bottle feeding study shows bottle fed infants more likely to be neglected. This statement created quite a stir in the mommy world when it was mentioned last week on Eco Child's Play blog. The core issue, I believe, isn't bottle versus breast at all. Rather, neglect in general. Bottles were only introduced fairly recently in comparison to the history of mankind. Neglect, on the other hand, has been an issue for all of history.

The Bible says, "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you" (Isaiah 49:15 NKJV).

This isn't a scripture to bash nursing mothers, but exemplifies the least likely candidate for neglect, a nursing mother. The flip side to this is that every woman has a free will and can choose to neglect or not to neglect; the bottle isn't the determining factor. Even according to this study, the chemical oxytocin, produced in the brain by animal studies during breastfeeding (and presumably humans), doesn't completely eliminate neglect; the study showed even a percent of nursing mothers neglected their children.

The wonderful thing is this: Even though the least likely candidate for neglect, the nursing mother, can forget her child, God will not forget us.

Mothers choose how they treat their babies; parents in general choose how they treat their babies. If you are a parent researching the best home environment, the most healthy and natural way to raise your child, how to avoid exposing your baby to unnecessary toxins, and doing all the neurotic research you can imagine, then the fact that you are putting in so much time regarding the upbringing of your child indicates your concern. Therefore, in my mind, your concern in action greatly reduces the risk of neglect.

I wanted to comment on this subject because I am a happy breastfeeding mother, but I do not find it appropriate to belittle or insinuate a mother that bottle feeds is not a good mother.

Sure, breastfeeding is an amazing bond for infant and mother, but can you think of all the other amazing bonding moments parents can share with their children?

Go Green: Work from Home

Photo: Husband & Baby at my office desk. "Hey, I'll trying to work here!"

Go Green: Work from Home

I was watching Emeril Green this morning and I thought, "I'll check out Planet Green for one of Emeril's recipes." (By the way, cooking has never been my talent. I need all the help I can get).

Well, I got to the Planet Green site and a different article caught my eye, How to Go Green: Work from Home by Blythe Copeland. I wanted to address this issue because I have become a Home-working, baby-raising, house-cleaning, blog-beginning, eco-entrepreneur. I am living the natural life and loving it. I own a large vehicle, but rarely drive. I eliminated the commute for work, scaled back on gas, only use florescent bulbs in my office and I keep my thermostat on 64 degrees. (The office I worked in was always too hot for me). Therefore, I lightened my carbon-footprint all for the sake of Baby-Raising. I am completely liberated from the traditional work place and I am green in doing it!

Before everyone goes out and quits her job, some things about working from home need to be considered. First, you have to find a job or start a business that you can do from home, or get the flexibility from your boss to move your job home. That, of course, may be a given, but taking your personality into consideration might take a little more thought. If interaction with people and the hustle of the workplace is something you crave, working from home probably wouldn't work well. Also, be honest, can you self-motivate? Can you set goals for yourself and keep them?

If you take the plunge, it is good to keep a schedule, including taking time for breaks and especially for fresh air. I have caught myself not even leaving the confines of my home for an entire day! Work can be consuming and internet interaction can be transporting to the extent that I forget about stepping out into the freshness of the outdoors. I know, what a sad case, right? I do not intend for work to be that way, but it can creep in without notice. This restricted mobility and lack of interaction with people can take a toll on a person. When Baby cries, I tend to him, which switches my focus off the computer screen and onto the precious moments with him. The baby-raising aspect of my working from home creates variety in routine.

I love working from home because it gives me the opportunity to make money without missing all the intimate baby moments that only the stay at home mom knows about. Every day Baby is doing something new such as grabbing for the Pug or making varying goo noises. I thank God I am able to partake in all the little things that make baby-raising exciting.

I can do cloth diapers. Okay, so I use cloth diapers for several reasons and I intend to do a post specifically on the subject at a later date. For the work at home subject, try handing a baby fitted with an oversized bottom (aka cloth diaper) to a daycare provider and she is liable to hand him right back. Working from home has given me the opportunity to practice the green lifestyle with my son.

If you want to practice the green lifestyle, but can't work at home, think of doing small things at the office like turning off the lights in rooms that nobody occupies, print less, reuse & recycle office paper and turn down the heat. If your boss hasn't already done so, suggest florescent bulbs. Can you think of other useful at work green tips?