Upcycling Clothing

One of my favorite earth-saving activities is upcycling.  Now, if you haven't heard of upcycling before, let me fill you in. Upcycling is taking vintage or merely used items and recreating them into new, usable items.  For example, if you were to take an old sweater, rip out the seams, and re-sew it into a pillow cover, you would be upcycling.
I enjoy upcycling vintage clothing the most. I usually purchase my vintage or slightly used clothing and trims at charity resale shops.  That way, I can make a donation and get my supplies at the same time.  Then, I have the opportunity to give clothing a second life.
You can check out some of my creations at www.etsy.com/shop/bohoandmo .
Right now, I'm feverishly working on my fall line which will premiere next month.  I've been creating with beautiful wool and leather pieces I picked up at my church's resale shop. 
The reason why it's important that we upcycle ourselves or purchase upcycled items, is because when we do, we keep these items from overloading our already "filled to the gills" garbage dumps.  It is a fact that every year, Americans generate about 230 million tons of garbage.  Out of all this trash, less than one-quarter of it is recylcled. The remainder is incinerated or buried in landfills. Now that's a lot of junk!
I urge you to recycle, reuse, and upcycle any items you can.  I will be giving you tips in future blogs on upcycling certain everyday items, clothing, and furniture.  I also urge you to donate gently used appliances, household goods, clothing and electronics to your local thrift stores.  You never know when me, or the ever-growing population of those like me, are looking to refill our supply boxes.

You Put What in My Coconut Milk?

I hope everyone here in America had a great 4th of July.  I actually took my extra time off to catch up on my reading.  One of the magazines I was able to finally read was the June issue of Live Organic emag.  I came upon this very interesting article written by Carolanne Wright about the use of Carrageenan in many organic/healthy foods.
Carrageenan is a seaweed derivative which is used as a stabalizer and thickener in many organic low-fat and non-dairy products. It is also " a likely human carcinogen that triggers massive gastrointestinal inflammation and symptoms in many people".  Carolanne Wright also writes, "Even though carrageenan has been used by the food industry for nearly 50 years, it 'so reliably causes inflammation that scientists actually use it to induce inflammation in biological experiments.' "
What?!!!
Now I had just recently switched to organic coconut milk from organic cow's milk in an attempt to rid myself of dairy products.  Since the switch, I had been experiencing quite a bit of gastrointestinal distress. My husband was getting pretty tired of my complaints of bloating and cramping.  Upon this discovery about carrageenan, I practically threw down my iPad and ran to the fridge to see if it was lurking in my coconut milk.  Sure enough, there it was in black and white, Carrageenan.  Down the drain it went!
I was now on a mission.  I went through the ingredient lists of my organic/natural products.  I found four products in all that contained Carrageenan. I think the product that concerned me the most was the frozen, organic dog treat I had purchased for Boho to enjoy during the 4th of July festivities.  It is one thing for me to suffer. But, Boho? No way!
So, I decided to write this blog to alert ya'll.  It is important for us to read our lables and inform ourselves on what we are putting into our bodies, our children's bodies, and our pet's bodies. You can read the entire article in the June issue of Live Organic Magazine. I get the ezine on my iPad.  The articles are extremely informative.  You can also find a helpful shopping guide on products that do and do not contain Carrageenan at http://www.cornucopia.org/shopping-guide-to-avoiding-organic-foods-with-carrageenan .
Until next time, ya'll stay healthy and gas free!

Introduction

Well, it's Boho's fourth birthday.  We decided to celebrate by starting this blog to help others to celebrate more birthdays.
See, before Boho, there was Coco.  Coco was my first minpin.  Since I don't have children, she was my first baby.  I spoiled her rotten.  But, Coco was a very sickly dog.  I tried everything, with the help of my vet, to keep her well.  Unfortunately, nothing seemed to make her better.  She passed away months before her fifth birthday. I was devastated.
Her vet was little help, stating that a toxin would be the only thing that would cause such a young dog to pass away like that.  Coco was barely ever outside of the home.  This could only mean that something inside my home had done this.
My husband and I completely remodelled our home.  We changed the carpet, redid the tile floors, changed out the furnace, redid the bathrooms, and repainted with low voc paint.  Then, we brought Boho home.
Boho is a very lively, healthy dog.  I changed vets; and, now bring her to Banfield, inside PetSmart.  They have the best and most economical Optimal Wellness Plans.  I love the services I get there.  They offer twice a year complete check-ups.  Boho always gets a clean bill of health.  So, I was very confused when every Saturday, Boho would get sick and vomit.
I started to investigate Saturday's schedule a little deeper.  The only difference was that Saturday was cleaning day.  Every Saturday, I would scrub and clean every room in the house.  It had to be the cleaning supplies I was using!  But, these were normal, everyday cleaning solvents that thousands of people used every day.
I started my research on natural cleaning supplies.  I used castile soap, baking soda, vinegar and a lot of elbow grease.  None of these products really did that great a job.  But, Boho wasn't getting sick on Saturdays anymore.
Then, I discovered a great online distributor.  They had natural, safe products that actually delivered on their word without a ton of elbow grease.  I became a member and ordered some of their products to try.  Not only did they work, but Boho never was sick again.
I started to think of all the families I knew, whose kids were always sick with sore throats, allergies, rashes and such.  I decided to educate myself on toxins lurking in foods, cleaning products and personal care products.  I earned my certification in Herbal Medicine and Homeopathy. I continue my education in all things Wellness.
Now, I help families to clear the toxins out of their homes, introduce them to products that are safer for them and the environment, and teach them simple ways to enhance their lives and the lives of those around them.
In this blog, I'll give you hints on cleaner living, inform you of the latest wellness studies and give you some great resources to do your own studies.
If you have any questions or would like more information on the products I use, pop me an email. I would love to hear from you.