Now that life has slowed from a sprint to a steady run, I have been using the extra time to do some much needed house cleaning. I always feel much more equipped to tackle the challenges ahead when everything is in order. Or, I am just procrastinating by cleaning rather than the work I should really be doing. Either way it is nice to have a clean house.
Amidst my top-to-bottom scrubbing and total reorganization I made a startling observation. I think I am a hoarder.
How else would you explain the stockpiles of cardboard, glass jars, yogurt containers and 112 egg cartons? Apparently we eat a lot of eggs.
Clearly I have issues throwing things away.
But that is only because they cannot be recycled, will not be recycled and I hate waste.
So I hold on to them. Clogging my house rather than the landfill.
Just about the time I am ready to call the hoarders’ hotline, I find a use for some of that garbage.
The piles of cardboard and newspaper make for an easy weed-free, no-dig garden through sheet mulching.
Yogurt containers and solo cups are transformed into trophy centerpieces for a sports banquet.
Empty spaghetti sauce jars are perfect vases when you need a lot of centerpieces on a budget.
And scrap paper can be repurposed into floral centerpieces when you have no budget.
Sometimes, when the mountain of crap becomes overwhelming, I just want to pitch it all and have nice clean shelves again. But as I hover the item over the trash bin or recycling receptacle, I stop and think… I just might be able to reuse this some day.
Last night Miss M and I went to her Freshmen Science Project Expo where the final results from their class experiments were on display. The experiments ranged from music effects on heart rate to reactions times while talking on the phone, playing video games or surfing the internet and of course what happens when you mix Diet Coke and Mentos. We’ve all seen the videos. No surprises there.
This one however, did surprise me.
Kinda….
I already had an inkling that fragrances were toxic. I used to spend 60 hours a week in the mall. Working not shopping. The perfume counters and fragrances worn by customers gave me obnoxious headaches. But it wasn’t until I gave up fragrances that I truly realized just how obnoxious they were.
That’s not to say that I live in a scentless world. I often have fresh flowers in the house; I wash my head, hands and body with peppermint castile soap; use lavender and orange air freshener in the bathroom and clean with vinegar. That’s one helluva scent. Just ask Mister.
The difference is that they are natural scents. Derived from essential oils, not chemically induced fragrances.
Do you even know what fragrance is? Probably not, because manufacturers don’t have to tell us. It’s a “trade secret”. When you see “fragrance” listed as an ingredient on a product, that one word – “fragrance” – often contains dozens or even hundreds of synthetic chemical compounds.
Compounds like:
Some of these are so contradictory I can’t help but laugh.
Benzyl Acetate: “Do not flush to sewer.” Yet we’re using it as shampoo, dishwashing liquid, detergent and soap? Pretty sure those pipes lead to the sewer.
Camphor: “Avoid inhalation of vapors.” Guess what it’s in… perfume and fabric softener. Am I the only one who sees the irony in this?
But my favorite has to be Limonene. It’s downright comical.
Limonene: “Prevent its contact with skin or eyes…” So what’s it in? Perfume, cologne, deodorant, shaving cream, after shave… Why would you use a chemical NOT intended for contact with skin IN products applied directly to it? Or how about this… “Always wash thoroughly after using this material and before eating, drinking, …applying cosmetics.” Okay, let me just grab my soap. Damn. It’s in soap! Oh the hilarity.
Or should I say insanity.
Really, it’s no joke and honestly not a laughing matter. It makes no sense.
Which is what I would like you to do – no scents.
Think for a moment of all the things you use during the day that contain fragrance. Do you even know?
You probably don’t realize just how assaulted you are. I’m not even going to go into the realm of all outside fragrances you encounter throughout your day – Ever come within 20 feet of a Hollister? – let’s just focus on the toxins we inflict upon ourselves.
Your nose has become so accustomed to these “fragrances” that you don’t even realize they are there. Prompting manufacturers to make them stronger (i.e. more obnoxious). Or, they’ve altered your perception. Do you really think mountain rain smells like that bottle of blue liquid has led you to believe?
I encourage you to stop and take note. Flip over those bottles and read the ingredients – if your lucky enough to have them listed. Keep a running tally of all those containing “fragrance”. How many do you use? The average North American uses between 17 and 21 scented products per day. Surprised? It’s in more than perfume and air freshener. Lipstick, toilet paper, tampons… Come on, who’s sniffing around down there?
Now that you’ve got your list, decide what you can live without or at least find a natural alternative for. Essential oils are wonderful. And wonderfully concentrated. A little goes a long way, so you can have scents while saving cents!
For one month I challenge you to reduce or eliminate your self-exposure to synthetic fragrances. I think it will be eye nose opening!
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In line with the Clean Out the Cupboards Challenge, last week I concocted this soup using three cans of beans, the last of my fettuccine noodles, some limp celery, a green pepper that was getting old and some turkey sausage links that were buried in the bottom of my freezer. With no recipe and no [...]
