Tis the Season for Yule Decorating

The New Year is here and I've been looking around my house at all the decoration that need to come down and be put away for another year.  My oldest daughter wrote a poem about me, which stated I had OHDD (Obsessive Holiday Decorating Disorder)  It's true I do love to decorate and Yule is one of my favorite holidays to go all out.  I've been collecting winter holiday decorations since I was a child, so you only need to imagine what every available space in my home looks like.  So before everything comes down and I go thought the tedious task of putting it away, I thought I'd share some of my favorites.



Maiden, Mother, Crone and re-born Sun God




Pagan Nativity Scene

 







 





   
   I just made and added this "Nativity" scene this year.  I've been holding on to an incomplete Christian Nativity set my mother gave me when I was a child.  It just rolled around in a box because I only had these four pieces left.  With a little bit of time and some craft paint, I brought new life this special  childhood memento.



    I painted the Maiden, Mother, Crone triple Goddess white, red, and black.  Their faces are silver for the moon.  I still need to pick up some gold paint for our re-born baby Sun God, so for now he is just yellow.  We added the Stag to the group for the Horned God.  I planning to add more animals to the scene next year.





this year we used bright fun colors for light side of sun



Every year since my oldest was 3 years old my children have made sun decorations for us to hang from the ceilings.  We color or paint one side black to represent the days getting shorter and darker.  The other side we use yellows and oranges to represent the re-birth of the Sun God and the coming brightness.  I try and make our craft a little different each year.  We have used glitter, paint, crayons, foam to decorate.  To make the sun we have drawn our own, used a paper plate, or printed out pictures to color in.

   While working on our craft, we talk about Yule and what it means to us.  We'll re-tell the story of the Sun God is getting old and tired.  How during the longest night of the year he sleeps in the arms of Night, to be re-born bright, shiny, young and new!  This time we spend together has become a fun and wonderful family tradition.

My dancing reindeer definitely isn't a Yule specific decoration but he is one of my favorites.  The kids can't stop playing with him through out the entire month of December.  The funniest times are when my little guy and the baby I watch start dancing too!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Stuck in my Pajamas

   I was sitting at my kitchen table eating breakfast and watching my boys play the Wii, in the pjs they've been wearing for the last few days.  It then suddenly occurred to me that I too had failed to change out of my pjs for the second or third day in a row.  Of course now I've started thinking how often am I too lazy to get dressed in the morning, since I'm not leaving the house.  I now hang my head in shame, knowing I'm lazy about getting dressed far too often.  And I'm teaching this laziness to my children by not having them get dressed and not setting the example.

   Getting dressed from head to toe each day is also about helping yourself to feel good.  As a WAHM you'll gain confidence and posture from being dressed head to toe.  I know most likely no one but the husband and kids will see you, but if you're the makeup wearing kind of gal, put a little makeup on too.  Just this simple act can change your day around.  You'll go from "Oh great, another day I have so much to do."  to "I feel Great!  I can't wait to meet today head on!"

   Some of my SAHM friends tell me they don't bother to get dressed just to do house work.  It makes sense that you wouldn't want to get your nice clothes dirty while taking care of the house.  But I still think SAHM's should get dressed from head to toe each day anyway.  So go ahead throw on your jeans and a t-shirt, add a little make up and feel good about the day ahead. 

   It's so easy for us mom's to forget about ourselves with everything else we need to do for our family.  One thing we can do for ourselves is dressing head to toe each and everyday.  This small little bit of "Me" time will help in so many ways.

• You'll feel more confident
• You'll feel pretty
• Your kids will notice the good example your setting (They may never tell you, but they'll know)
• Your spouse will notice (He may tell you with actions instead of words)
• You'll reduce your stress by feeling good about your self

I'm going to challenge all you mom's who are home full time, to get out of your pajamas, get your clothing out of the closet, and get dresses from head to toe everyday!

My Morning Joe

I am one of those people who can't function with out my morning cup of coffee.  My children can even tell the difference between "mom before coffee" and "mom with coffee".  My oldest daughter even buys me a new mug for Yule every year.  As a WAHM I usually brew my own coffee at home.  Some days after the kids are off to school, I'll head out to my local D&D (my favorite) and treat my self to a cup o' joe.


Recently I had a friend point out something very interesting, my coffee comes in a styrofoam cup!  We are both very green gals, but here I am drinking my coffee from styrofoam,while she's using a paper cup.  Very embarrassing moment for me.  Well of course now I bring my own travel mug for a re-fill.  It's better for the environment and less expensive.  But I started to think about not only the environment, but how safe is it to be drinking out of a styrofoam cup?  Time to do some research, and I'm shock at the information I found.


Interesting fact that I don't think many of us know:  Styrofoam cups don't exist.  Styrofoam is a trade mark name for the foam material made by the Dow Chemical company.  They don't make any kind of food packaging.  So what are we drinking out of?  Polystyrene cups, commercially manufactured from petroleum.  Styrene (the basic chemical component) can leak into you food or drink and then into you. 

Studies suggest that styrene mimics estrogen in the body and can therefore disrupt normal hormone functions, possibly contributing to thyroid problems, menstrual irregularities, and other hormone-related problems, as well as breast cancer and prostate cancer.

Foods that are higher in fat and hot drinks can cause Styrene to leak faster.  This means coffee and tea can have more Styrene in them.  Also to-go foods like soups and chowders will have a higher amount of Styrene in them.  Branching out from our morning drinks and lunches on the go, you purchase items at the grocery store in Styrene containers.  Meats and cheese will have higher amounts of Styrene leaked into them.

Here are some safer options to consider.

• Use ceramic cups and mugs.  Or go with paper cups.
• If you work outside the home, share washing duties with your co-workers.  This will save on hot water usage.
• Paper cups do create waste, but they are biodegradable, unlike Styrene cups.
• Consider transferring food items bought at the grocery store into non-plastic containers, until ready to be cooked.
• When getting take-out or "doggie bags" ask to have your food wrapped in foil.

Every where we go we are faced with Styrene containers.  Limiting your exposure and making safer choices is the best way to go.  Next time you head out to your favorite coffee shop, be safer and bring your own mug.

Note to Self: Buy a ceramic to-go coffee mug.

Enjoy you next cup 'o joe!
          

~Trish

Scents of the Season

I love the scents of the Holidays!  Gingerbread, pine trees, pies and cookies baking, cinnamon, cranberry, and vanilla just put me in the holiday spirit.  I buy scented candles so the yummy aromas fill our house and add the light and warmth of the season.  What I don't love are the toxic fumes that candles produce.
Think about what popular candles are made from.

• They are made of paraffin wax, a byproduct of petroleum. When burned, this candle wax can be a respiratory irritant.
• Scented candles typically get their aromas from artificial fragrances made with phthalates, which can affect the hormonal system.  They also release toxic chemicals (such as formaldehyde and benzene – both of which are linked to cancer) into the air. These toxins may trigger or aggravate asthma and allergies, and may cause headaches.
• Some candles have metal core wicks made of lead or lead-containing alloys. When burned, they may emit airborne lead and present a lead poisoning hazard to young children. Lead is toxic to a baby's brain.  These candles are now banned in the United States but may still be found rolling around in drawers, and imported candles may still have wicks with lead.

I now buy soy or beeswax candles.  They burn longer than traditional candles and release less soot from the wick.  Soy candles are also renewable and biodegradable.  And the best part is they don't release any toxic chemicals into the air.  Another way to bring Holiday aromas into your house is to make your own natural scents.  Try boiling cloves and cinnamon sticks in a pot on the stove.  You can also use citrus peels, cranberry juice/extract, nutmeg, or plant or flower petals to create other aromas.  Be sure to keep it out of reach of little hands.  Poking cloves into an orange creates a wonderful holiday scent.

Hope you enjoy these wonderful holiday aromas as much as we do.

Reducing Your Holiday Stress

As a work at home mom I know how important and stressful managing your time can be.  With work , kids activities, taking care of your home, and family time.  Around the holidays it seems like we have even less time for everything.  From Thanksgiving through New Years the time just seems to fly!  Our lives become crazy and even more stressful.  Here are ten ideas for helping reduce that Holiday stress.

1. Take time for you.  Making time each day to do something you enjoy is important to your mental well being.  Because we all know that if Mom's not happy, no one is.  So go ahead and indulge; read a book, watch a movie, take a bath, take a walk, do some yoga, or just sit back with your feet up and relax.
2. Keep the kitchen clean.  This is actually something I learned from my mom.  Nothing makes me say "grrr" like seeing the sink overflowing with dishes and the counter tops a mess.  I know I'm going to have a good day when I wake up and walk into a clean kitchen.  So if during this crazy season, you're unable to find the time to keep your house spotless, at least make sure the kitchen looks nice.
3. Lists are a life saver.  Sometimes I feel like my brain is made of swiss cheese.  I write down everything that needs to be done.  If it doesn't go on my list it doesn't usually get done.  During the holidays this is super important to stay organized.
4. Enlist the kids.  You've have more going on during the holidays, so get your kids to help out.  They can pick up an extra chore, help you decorate, and help with baking.  Older children can help out with wrapping presents.  Even toddlers and preschool aged children can help with simple jobs.
5. Stick to the rules.  With your busy schedule it's easy to relax the house rules.  Now it's more important than ever to keep things the same.  Kids need structure and rules, so they know what is expected of them.  When you let them "get away" with breaking the rules during the holidays because you're busy, they don't know what to expect.  This makes your job as mom harder.
6. Prioritize holiday invites.  It seems if everyone you know is having a holiday party and you're invited.  It's impossible to make every party, especially with kids or finding a sitter.  Our family tries to split our time between both sides of the family.  We usually decline other holiday invites or stop by for a brief appearence. 
7. Stick to your budget.  Kids want every new toy that comes out.  We have our kids make wish lists, which we share with family who like to buy for them.  The kids know they won't get everything on their list and we can work with our budget to get items our kids will like.  If you have a large family on one side or both, setting up a "Secret Santa" or Yankee Swap helps everyones budget.
8. Sleep.  I know how hard it is to stick to a regular sleep schedule when you have extra things to do during the holidays.  But if you're not getting enough sleep at night, you'll become cranky, irratable, and run down.
9. Laugh, dance, and have fun.  Laughter is a great stress reducer.  Play with your kids or sit down together and watch a funny holiday movie.  Throw some holiday music on and dance around with your kids.  Little ones love to play and have fun and they often do the funniest things.  My older children make me smile when I can tell they're enjoying family time (even if they didn't want to).
10. Remember the reason for the season. And teach it to your children. The holidays are not about how much stuff you can buy for others.  It's not about who's house has the best decorations or how many parties you go to.  Be thankful for everything you have and help others who are less fortunate than you.  Family is important, so enjoy the time you have with them (even the ones you don't really like). 

I hope this holiday season you and your family are happy, healthy, and have lots of fun!

Just wanted to share

I stumbled upon this while doing some research.  I had to re-post and share with all of you.


The purpose of this email is to educate, my friends and family, about the toxins in your home. I don’t think that most people are aware of toxins or how much they can affect your health.


Facts:
* The air in your home can be up to 70 times more polluted than the outside air. Most people spend about 90% of their life inside.
* Between 1950 and 1990 lung cancer has increased 364% despite that smoking has declined every year since 1950.
* Turn of the century (1900) cancer rates were 1 in 50. Today about 1 in 3. Within the next several years it is expected to be 1 in 2.
* 2,983 chemicals in personal care products were analyzed. 884 caused cancer, 314 caused biological mutations, 218 caused reproductive complications, 778 caused acute toxicity, 148 caused tumors, 376 caused skin and eye irritations.
* EPA doesn’t require manufactures to put harmful chemicals or their harmful effects on the container. FDA can’t regulate a personal care product or require safety testing until after it is in the marketplace. They also can not recall harmful products from the marketplace.
* Some of the long term effects of using toxic products include allergies, asthma, birth defects, cancer, central nervous system damage ( MS and Alzheimer’s Disease), infertility, learning disorders ( A.D.D. and A.D.H.D.), and miscarriage. All of these are on the rise.
* The three ways chemicals enter our bodies are ingestion, absorption, and inhalation. Even if a product has a lid on it or has never been open we are still inhaling the toxins.

Here are some harmful chemicals found in store brands. Chlorine, Dioxin(Commonly known as Agent Orange. Exposure is a key factor in cancer and fertility issues), Phenols(linked to breast cancer, allergies, asthma, and A.D.H.D.), Lye, Bleach, Ammonia, Formaldehyde, and Phosphates.

Toxins can be found in air fresheners, window cleaner, all purpose cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, dishwashing detergent, carpet shampoo, laundry detergent, fabric softener, shampoo, hair spray, bubble bath, mouthwash, toothpaste, cosmetics, perfume/cologne, and baby wipes just to name a few. All of the ingredients do not have to be listed on the container. The ones that are listed may be disguised by what is called a "trade name".

-Dove Beauty Bar has Quaternium 15 ( this is formaldehyde).
-Johnson’s Baby Shampoo also has Quaternium 15 and FD&C Red 40 (causes cancer).
-Crest Tarter Control Toothpaste has Saccharin which can cause cancer.
-Clorox has sodium hypochlorite (corrosive) and sensitizer this can be fatal if swallowed and is also an respitory irritant ( People with a heart condition or asthma be very careful).
-Cascade is corrosive (Test: Place a quarter size amount of liquid cascade on some tin foil and place over a bowl or sink let it sit for awhile and come back to see what happened.).
-409 & Fantastic ingredients damages central nervous system, kidney, liver, and damages blood and body’s ability to make blood. Listed as a pesticide.
-Lysol has dioxin, also know as agent orange, in it which causes cancer.
-Cheer & Tide are corrosive, cause cancer and can be a respiratory tract irritant. Powder Tide has fiberglass in it.

I have heard too many tragic stories of children and adults dying from toxic products. A three year old suffered and died after ingesting 3 ounces of hair conditioner. A seven month old crawled through a puddle of laundry bleach. It gave the baby 3rd degree burns on half of his body. The fumes burned his lungs. The baby suffered four days before dying.

For more information on toxins visit:
http://www.concernedmoms.com/
www.epa.gov/chemfact/
http://www.scorecard.org/
www.cleaningpro.com/page.cfm
www.pbs.org/tradesecrets/
http://www.checnet.org/

I hope you are all a little more aware of the toxins that are in the products you use everyday. When you use these products you not only effect yourself and family, but wildlife and the environment. Where do you think those toxins go after they go down the drain? What about the toxins we use on our lawns? There are safe natural alternatives available. They cost less and are more effective than what you have now. I set up customer accounts for one of these companies so if you want safe alternatives for you and your family please contact me. I want to help you get rid of the toxins. I encourage all of you to help others become educated on toxins. Please forward this to everyone you know and print it out for those without email.


Resource: http://searchwarp.com/swa1508.htm

Toxic Beauty

Women (and men) everywhere are trying to make themselves look and feel younger and more beautiful.  But the products in use are more harmful than helpful.  Have you ever really looked at the ingredients in your personal care products.

...the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did something amazing. It issued an unprecedented warning to the cosmetics industry that it was time to inform consumers that most personal care products have not been safety tested.

This statement was issued back in 2005.  So why does the FDA still not require pre-market safety testing, review, or approval for cosmetics and personal care products.  The toxic chemicals that go into our shampoos, lotions, and cosmetics are often main ingredients.  What makes this so scary?  Everyone uses some type of personal care product.  In fact many of us use 15 or more personal care products in a single day.  Think about how you start your day off.  You take a shower, using soap (or body wash), shampoo, and probably conditioner.  You shave using shaving cream, put on lotion, and brush your teeth with toothpaste.  Ladies are putting on their make up; foundation, blush, eye shadow, lipstick, etc.  And many of us use some type of hairspray or gel to keep our hair in place for the day.  These are just a few things we do to be ready for the day.  That's Eleven different personal care products!  And many of these products don't just sit on our skin!  They are absorbed into our skin.


What can we do to protect ourselves from these toxins? 

• Shop for products that have the fewest ingredients. 
• Find out what ingredients are in the products you use currently.
• Switch to safer products that don't contain toxins.

Here are some everyday products and the toxins they contain:

DOVE BEAUTY BAR - Quaternium 15; Formaldehyde-Carcinogen. Causes cancer, dermatitis, neurotoxin, and sensitizer - poisonous, irritant to the skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Butylated Hydroxytoluene, (BHT) Carcinogen.JOHNSON'S BABY SHAMPOO - Quaternium 15; FD&C RED 40: Carcinogen and causes dermatitis.

CREST TARTAR CONTROL TOOTHPASTE - Saccharin: Carcinogen, contains Phenol. If you accidentally swallow more than a pea-sized amount of this, you must contact the Poison Control Center immediately. This warning does not appear on the tube.

OLAY REGENERIST - Ethylparaben, methylparabe and propylparabe; hormone disrupters. polyacrylamide, triethanolamine; carcinogens.

CLAIROL HERBAL ESSENCES SHAMPOO DRY/DAMAGED HAIR - CI 17200, CI 15510, CI 42053, CI 60730; cancer-causing dyes. cocamide MEA can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane; a hormone disrupter associated with breast cancer.

LISTERINE TEETH AND GUM DEFENCE - 21.6 percent alcohol; alcohol dries and changes the pH of the mouth and throat and in long-term use increases the risk of mouth and throat cancers. Fluoride; in quantity is poisonous if swallowed.
Some of the long term effects of using toxic products include allergies, asthma, birth defects, cancer, central nervous system damage ( MS and Alzheimer’s Disease), infertility, learning disorders ( A.D.D. and A.D.H.D.), and miscarriage. All of these are on the rise.

I hope you are all a little more aware of the toxins that are in the products you use everyday. When you use these products you not only effect yourself and family, but wildlife and the environment. Where do you think those toxins go after they go down the drain?  There are safe alternatives out there.  Many of them cost less and are just as (or more) effective than what you are using now.  Please educate your self and your loved ones about the effects of toxins in our health and beauty products.
I set up customer accounts for a company that makes safer products, so if you want safe alternatives for you and your family please contact me. I want to help you get rid of the toxins.

Resources:
http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/cosmetics/cosmetics_personal_care.htm
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/research/whythismatters.php
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/how-toxic-is-your-bathroom-512285.html

Thoughts for today

I was on a training call a couple days ago and wrote down a few quotes I wanted to share.


Get out of your own way.
Too often we are the biggest problem when it comes to achieving our goals. Everybody has the ability to reach their goals and beyond. Some of you will, and some of you won't. For those who won't, it will be because you get in your own way.

Ignore the voice of doubt.
We can live with doubt – and forever limit our actions.  Or, we can learn to ignore the voice.  Shout affirmations and your voice of doubt will whisper.  You will have success in whatever you desire.

Keep moving forward.
Life can come at you hard.  It’s about having the will to continue in spite of the obstacles thrown at you. 
"Around here we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things. – Walt Disney
Staying out of stuck.
Life is too short to stay stuck in a place that doesn't work for you.  Step into your dreams and don't let the road blocks of life get in your way.