freakedly freaked

where to start...

i picked up this book at sam's club, when mm and i were there on our date night. grandmother put the kids to bed and we leisurely walked up and down every aisle. sad - but true, this is our idea of a great date.

yesterday i sat down and started reading. i'm not sure what i expected, a nice fluffy book? maybe that sophie would tell me to start composting, (check) recycling, (check) and to stop driving my suv. (no check) i'm green, i have a masters in resource economics, ya'll. not to brag, but my thesis is about composting, no lie.

i am blown away. mostly because i am not anywhere near as green as i thought. i suppose i've been hiding under the "ignorance is bliss" umbrella. more than that - there are too many things i have read (so far) that literally make me sick to my stomach. not only because i'm surrounding myself with these products, but because i'm putting them on/near my kids!

i'm not a complete nut, (yet) so i think i'll just give an update every so often, on what we are doing to rid our house of these products. yes - we - mm is easy. mention lead or toxins of any kind and he is immediately on board.

**while i'm writing this k is begging for corn chips, and since i haven't read the food chapter yet, i guess i'll give her some. told you - ignorance is bliss, maybe i'll eat some too.**

weekly update #1 - last night while our darlings were taking their baths, i innocently picked up the baby wash. "it's called grins and giggles," mm said, "how bad could it be?" the front says gentle and mild. also tear free and hypoallergenic. i've been buying this stuff for almost 7 years now. we are always proud when we have a double coupon and get it for mere cents!

i turn it over - "something to smile about," it says, "vitamins and natural ingredients."

i get my new book, start comparing the "red alert" and "orange alert" lists to the back of the bottle. "red alert" means throw it away immediately. "orange alert" means use it up and don't buy it again. certainly this baby wash would not have anything in it that would be on the "chuck it" list.

the ingredient list is full of un-pronounce-able chemicals. one i can pronounce - fragrance - is on the "red alert" list. this term is used to mask hundreds of ingredients, that can cause reproductive and developmental harm...

to be fair - as far as i can tell - there are only two ingredients on the "orange alert" list. i'm not so good at this yet, but i vow to learn this stuff. one of them is a proven skin irritant the other causes brain, liver, and kidney malfunctions! all three of my kids use this on their hair and bodies, then sit in the tub and play! aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok - enough - i'll write more when i have calmed down. plus if i keep writing, i'll tell you about the shampoo i used this morning, the soap, the lotion, and the worst - the deodorant i've been using for more than 20 years!

i think this might be the "push" i've been needing.

freakedly freaked,
pajama mom