Uh, I digress ...
While I was waiting for some paint to dry yesterday evening I plopped myself down at the computer and started surfing my blog reading list. What's the Yarn Harlot knitting today? Does Crazy Aunt Purl have new photos of Bob? Is Bad Hippie getting settled into her new house? Has Crystal over at Boobs, Injuries & Dr. Pepper got some crazy story today? What cute pictures will I see [and steal for my blog] at Cute Overload? You get the idea.
Every so often I prowl around and find a new blog to add to my reading list. Last night I found TangerGreen. Now, if you're not into Green Living, organic, etc. then this is not a blog you'll have much interest in checking out. Me, I have an interest. So I peruse said blog and discovered another baking soda to use instead of Arm & Hammer. Those bastards do animal testing [the Draize Test and I'm not even going to talk about that] - which I deem unequivocally, irrefutably, unacceptable. period. do not buy product.
But baking soda is good for so many things! Gah! It's a green living householders' staple item! Right up there with vinegar and lemon juice. Y'all, it's been rough being without my baking soda. Sad. Depressing. Not happy camper. And I was having trouble finding a replacement. I've spent much time searching the net, to no avail. It was fast becoming a tragic thing in my world. Well, Ta Da! TangerGreen pointed me to Bob's Red Mill. Ha-la-freakin'-loo-yah! I'm going to order the 25lb. bag. When it gets here I'm going to hold it, squeeze it and call it Herman. We'll have a party, with hats and maybe even ice cream.
Also from this blog I found this interesting site - Skin Deep - and yep, I then spent the next two hours checking out all the products I use. What an eye opener! Geez, Louise! Some of the stuff I've been using I thought was good stuff. Organic. No animal testing. NOT! Little did I realize some of it contains toxic crap. Ummm, well, crap. The rating system is 0-8, 0 being non-toxic and 8 you want to run in the other direction. My shampoo, my shampoo people, is a 4. A 4! A moderate hazard level. I make an 80 mile round trip to Asheville to GreenLife grocery to get it, then I pay $8.00 for it. I could have smacked somebody when I read that rating information.
The rest of my toiletries and cosmetics? Some good, some not. Some went straight into the trash can. Although, I'm highly tempted to carry it to a hazardous waste disposal place. Sheesh! So after I checked out the stuff I use I then spent another hour looking for replacement stuff. The problem is trying to locate products I can buy locally if possible. And preferably not at the evil Land of Wal-Mart, Thank.You.Very.Much. Pickin's are slim in these parts, but I did manage to find alternatives. Some I know I can get at the grocery store, some at the drugstore next to the grocery store, and some I'll still have to drive to Asheville to purchase.
Yes, I'm well aware I can get damn near everything I purchase, clothes to toilet paper to cat food to baking soda to bed sheets to art supplies, online. I'm not interested in paying the four million dollars in shipping costs. I'll get in the Jeep, drive to town, and be a Domestic Goddess on Fridays and do the majority of shopping the old fashioned way.
Okay. I'll survive the toxic wake-up call and stop using some of the stuff I'm using. I'll be happy with the alternatives. Unfortunately, I do still have an issue. Perfume. Y'all, I'm not excessively girly. I don't wear make-up but maybe once a month. I don't paint my nails often. I wear minimal jewelry. I don't wear dresses until I'm forced or suffer a bout of temporary insanity. But I love perfume. Every damn one of them I own ranked a 4, except two, my favorites, and they are both 7's. Flippin' 7's. Can you believe it?! I am crushed. Burst my bubble. Sniveling and whining. Rats! Double rats! Stinkin' quadruple rats! I've loved these two perfumes for years and years and years. I started wearing them way back when they each first arrived on the scene.
Woe is me.
There are no alternatives.
No, I haven't been able to toss them into the trash yet. I can't even look in the medicine cabinet.
Pathetic. I know.
Anywhoooo ....
Because it's too cute not to share and makes me feel better about everything .... (brought to you courtesy of Cute Overload)
Here, have a KleeneeeexaaaaaaGGH! [swipe swipe]
Fffffffft fffft! [swiping action]
I'm sure this will help your stuffhe schnoz.
[swiping paw grazing your nose] fffffffffttt!
