Encore

Cha-cha-cha-changes!

2011-11-09T15:03:00.004-07:00

Please bear with us as "My Soap Box" goes through some changes...the focus will be shifting towards a new business venture for me...stay tuned for more details! My new venture has really got my wheels turning and given me some excitement in my already busy life. A hint on what is to come...second chances.

Norwex Microfiber – Is this the best microfiber on the market?

2010-04-26T17:06:00.006-06:00

THIS IS A REVIEW FOR A CLOTH I SENT TO KENNY CLEANING SERVICES...

Norwex Microfiber – Is this the best microfiber on the market?
April 26, 2010 in Green Products, Product Recommendations |

In my personal opinion yes!

I was recently introduced to the Norwex product line, thanks to a loyal twitter follower. (Please visit her website www.daniellethenorwexchick.com or follow her on twitter http://twitter.com/thenorwexchick )

She sent me a sample of a Norwex Microfiber Towel and I have been testing it for the last 2 months. I am very, very impressed with the quality.

I tested the new Norwex Microfiber against a new microfiber from Unger (until now my product of choice for my commercial accounts.) Immediately I noticed the “feel” of the Norwex microfiber. When you have experimented with numerous microfiber manufacturers, who can feel the different. It’s like running your hand over a 100% cashmere sweater and then a cashmere blend. You can easily distiguish the difference. The Norwex towel is really superior. When you pass the microfiber over the surface who can “feel” it grabbing the surface and catching the dirt and bacteria. It strongly resisted my efforts to pass it forward and backward on the counter top, a sign that it has superior “grabbing” power. When dry, the towel gripped better than any other I have used. I also was suprised to notice that I could actually feel the difference in cleanness on the surface just by running my hand over it.

Flipping the 2 towels over, it was visually clear which towel was stronger. The Norwex microfiber collected 100% of the dust, whereas the Unger microfiber left a small amount of dust on the countertop surface and it left a small collection of dust as it passed the edge of the counter top. You could see the dust collected on the beveled edge of the counter. The norwex microfiber collected all of the dust and held it tightly. It was easy to flip the towel without worrying that the dust would be disturbed. The towel worked equally well when damp.

After numerous washings in the washing machine (15 as of this writing), both towels tested consistently. The norwex seemed to maintain it’s “grip” equally well. (Both products are designed to endure hundreds of washings, so the real jury is still out of this)

Of course, the other concern is effectiveness against bacteria, especially when you desire is to disinfect surfaces without the use of chemicals. Sadly I don’t have a lab in my house, however, some research on the Norwex product website and independent studies, claim that the “Norwex Microfiber has a patent-pending silver agent woven into the cloth itself, enabling it to kill bacteria left in the cloth after rinsing within a few hours. No other microfiber can claim this feature.” That seems to be true, I could not find any other manufacturers who make similar claims. A quick Google search will help you find some indepedant lab tests that support their claims.

So, is the Norwex Microfiber the best product on the market. Personally I think that this is true. But, there are a few downsides about the product as well.

1. First . It appears that Norwex distributes their products through Independent Consultants. This means you cannot by directly from the manufacturer. It’s probably not a concern for anyone purchasing their products for the home, but I am not sure that it would work for a commercial user, i.e: buying in bulk, discounts, etc. (In fairness, I’ll let a Norwex consultant rebuttle this, I’m just throwing this out there.) We do not sell commercially;(

2. Second. Price. You’re thinking “Hey, in the last article you said you get what you pay for.” That’s true. And if I am purchasing just a few for my home, I don’t mind investing $16 per cloth. But if I’m buying 100’s of cloths, the difference between $11 or $12 dollars with Unger and $16 with Norwex, starts to add up and has to become a factor in my decision. (Unless, I can negotiate a lower price on a bulk purchase...

3. Third: This is a little thing but still something to consider. Norwex is readily available in Canada, but I don’t seem many American consultants. Will purchasing products from Canada increase the cost of shipping? Shipping is the same cost, anywhere in North America, $5.25 for purchases up to $199.99 and it goes up from there.

So, will I switch to Norwex for my business? Yes, someday. I just invested in new cloths from Unger a few months early and so I expect to get a few years out of them. But, once they wear out, I will strongly consider switching to Norwex and so should you!

Check out the Kenny Cleaning Services blog for more clean tips and information.

THANKS FOR THE GREAT REVIEW! I HOPE I WAS ABLE TO ANSWER SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS/CONCERNS.

Nifty Nappy Cloth Diapers: Microfiber or Cleansing Scrub?: The NorwexChick Review/Giveaway

2010-03-22T21:33:00.000-06:00

Nifty Nappy Cloth Diapers: Microfiber or Cleansing Scrub?: The NorwexChick Review/Giveaway

REVIEW of ORGANIC Olive Oil Salt Scrub

2010-03-22T12:56:00.008-06:00

ORGANIC OLIVE OIL SALT SCRUB
Enriched in Dead Sea salts, this remarkable, organic cleansing scrub contains grains that remove dead and worn-out cells, giving skin a smooth look and velvet touch. the essential oil inspires a lingering sense of ease and relaxation. Contains no preservatives, perfume free. Use with caution; product contains oil that may cause surface to become slippery. For all skin types.

YUM! This salt scrub is delectable. I tried it for the first time a couple of months ago, it is a newer product for Norwex. The fresh citrus scent, combined with the sea salt and olive oil leaves you feeling refreshed and clean. This scrub is all natural, and is abrasive so when used gently it leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth. It is not drying, like some scrubs, because the olive oil lingers even after you have washed the scrub off. This scrub is ECOCERT regulated, thus using some of the highest standards for organic regulation. The actual ingredient list is as follows: Sea Salt, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil*, Citrus Aurantium Duclis (Orange) Peel Oil*, Citrus Medica Limonum (lemon) Oil*, Tocopheryl Acetate.
The ingredients with the * after the name are ingredients proceeding from Organic Farming. None of the Norwex products are tested on animals.
I keep it by my kitchen sink and use it quite regularily. I also tried it on my legs in the bath. Love this product!
Check out my site for more truly organic personal care products.
www.thenorwexchick.com

Toxins and Fertility

2010-03-16T13:40:00.008-06:00

Toxins and Fertility
By Natural Fertility⋅

***I found this article and just had to post it to my blog. So many people are affected by fertility issues and wouldn't even think to look at their own homes as the potential cause for it. So interesting!***

We are inundated with toxins. These toxins are in our food, air, water, toiletries, and homes. Many of these toxins not only adversely affect human health, but these toxins can impair fertility with negative impact on delicate male & female reproductive systems, as well as on a developing fetus. Even low levels of exposure can result in health problems and to make matters worse, many of these toxins accumulate in our tissues over a lifetime.
Some studies have shown a horrifying generational effect of toxins. In these studies, pregnant rats were exposed to certain toxins. Not only were the rats offspring affected but the offspring for three additional generations were affected as well. That means what your grandmother was exposed to while pregnant can impact your grandchildren.

How exactly do these toxins affect your fertility? Only about 5% of the almost 80,0000 chemicals used in the US today have been tested for their reproductive effects. Nobody knows the full extent of the damage these chemicals are causing to our reproductive systems. The following are just a couple of examples of some of the toxins we know of and their effect on your fertility.

TOXIC FOOD

•Vinclozolinis a fungicide used in the fruit industry. Vinclozolin blocks cell receptors that are normally activated by the hormone androgen which is responsible for male characteristics and the development and function of male sexual organs.
•Methoxychlor or MCX is a common pesticide used to kill flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches and other insects and is applied directly to crops, livestock, home gardens, and pets. It was designed as a safer alternative to the now banned DDT. MCX alters a gene in the female reproductive tract and reduces the ability of the uterus to support embryo implantation.
•Estrogen mimics wreak havoc on the human reproductive system. All humans, male and female included, manufacture estrogen. Cells within their bodies contain receptor sites for this estrogen. Estrogen mimics are close enough in structure to trick the body. These mimics are then able to attach to these receptor cells as if they were real estrogen. At best the estrogen mimics may simply block true estrogen from doing its job or they can totally redirect cellular behavior. In females these estrogen mimics can contribute to or cause endometriosis which is a leading factor in infertility. The mimics can cause males to develop without testes, with undescended testes or with abnormally small penises. Estrogen mimics can also contribute to testicular cancer and poor semen quality. Estrogen mimics are also found in paints, toiletries, pesticides, spermicides, & as a breakdown product of the plastics used in some water bottles and baby bottles.
•Xenoestrogens are found in most commercial meat and dairy products as well as soft plastic food storage containers and plastic wrap (particularly after microwaving). Recent Italian research showed women with the highest concentration of meat and dairy in their diet had an 80-100% higher risk of endometriosis.
•Phytoestrogens are found in plants, most notably soy. Soy contains endocrine disrupting isoflavones genistein and diadzen. There is evidence that soy consumption has been linked to infertility, increased cancer risk, and infantile leukemia.
•The common pesticides Kepone, DBCP and ethylene dibromide have been found to reduce sperm counts.
•MSG has also been linked to reduced fertility
•A number of toxic substances are found in fish, including: mercury, PCBs (which have been banned for decades), radioactive materials, stronium, lead, chromium, arsenic, and cadmium. These chemicals have been linked with autism, alzheimers, kidney dysfunction, infertility, MS, thyroid problems, and more.
TOXIC COSMETICS
Use of Phthalates, dibutyl phthalate in particular (DBP) which is one of the most common and potent reproductive and developmental toxins, is widespread. DBP is used primarily in nail polishes, but also in shampoos, conditioners, lotions, antiperspirants, sunscreen, gums, candy, and oral pharmaceuticals.

Phthalates are linked with reproductive damage in both men and women. They are considered dangerous enough that phthalates are banned in the European Union. Phthalates can cause low sperm counts, damaged or absent testicles, and absent prostate glands. They are also linked to premature breast development in girls.

Parabens, the second most common ingredient in household products are estrogen mimics. Parabens are found in bath products and cosmetics everywhere, including baby wipes. Parabens are linked to breast cancer, falling sperm counts, and hormonal damage (Parablens come in all shapes/forms methylparaben, betaparaben, superhyperparaben! Check your baby soaps/washes!!!).

To check the dangers of your cosmetics, visit the fantastic interactive website called Skin Deep sponsored by the Environmental Working Group at www.ewg.org. You can research specific products on the site and find out if they have reproductive or developmental toxicity as well as other health and safety hazards.

TOXIC TOOTHPASTE, TAP WATER AND SOAP
Fluoride is the toxin prescribed to the masses without their consent. In animal studies, fluoride has lowered the total number of offspring, the total number of litters, and the number of offspring born alive. In other studies, countries with high levels of fluoridation in the water supply had a lower total fertility rate. Fluoride has been shown to cause hormone disruption and low sperm counts. Additionally, Chinese studies have found fluoride to cause neurological damage to children in early embryonic life or infancy.

Triclosan, also known as Irgasan and Microban – is found in anti-bacterial soaps, dental care, cosmetics, deodorant, first aid products, small appliances, kitchenware, kids toys, and more. Triclosan is linked to decreased fertility, and altered sex hormones. cancer, allergies and weakened immune systems. In addition to creating antibiotic resistant bacteria, triclosan pollutes our groundwater from the chlorinated dioxins formed when it comes in contact with the chlorine in tap water.

These fertility impairing toxins are just the tip of the iceberg and no one know the true extent of damage that living in a chemical soup is doing to us and our fertility. If you think you are not being exposed to as many toxins as we list, think again. Most people are exposed to most of these toxins and to many more. This list is just a handful of toxins that are known to affect fertility so far. Your fertility can also be affected by over the counter or prescription drugs. Alcohol, cigarettes, and illegal drugs have a very direct and negative impact on fertility. Toxic stress can also be major factor in infertility, particularly in cases of “unexplained infertility”.

The good news is that there is something you can do about it. First you can do your best to detox for fertility through fasting, high fiber diet, deep breathing, sweating with FIR infrared saunas or rigorous exercise, urban rebounding, herbal and nutritional detox plans, colon hydrotherapy, showers and baths in filtered water, and various kidney, liver, lung, gallbladder flushes, dry skin brushing, aromatherapy

Naturally if you are going through the effort to detox your body then you want to minimize any new toxins coming in. Think of your body as a boat. You can expend great energy bailing out the boat but it does not do much good if you are not going to plug the leak. Do not expect to eliminate all toxins from your life it is impossible. You can do your best by:

•eating organic, raw, and vegan
•using water and air filters
•use non toxic cosmetics
•use safe cleaning and laundry products
•try to meditate or practice yoga to minimize mental stress and clutter
•Do a great detox for fertility at least three months before you try to conceive
Do what you can to detox your body and mind then use this list as a guide to avoid re-toxing, and then get down to the fun business of making babies!

Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/pulpolux/118824750/

Source :http://fertility.amuchbetterway.com/toxins-fertility/

Bum Bums Kit!

2010-03-15T08:41:00.013-06:00

Check out this cute baby gift idea from Duck Duck Green! These ladies assemble baby kits for you, making the perfect shower gift, birthday gift or just because gift. In the Bum Bums Kit, they have included eco-kind bum wipes, soothing, multi-use diaper cream, all natural hand sanitizer & an organic cotton change/play mat. It also features the children’s classic book, “Everyone Poops.” ‘Cuz, well, they do. They wrap their gifts in these cute little recycled gift boxes--which you could use to re-wrap another gift or use to store diapers, socks, etc in the baby room!
Other kits in their collection include the everything kit, the bathtime kit, the cozy kit, the num nums kit and the apothecary kit. They also sell single products, in case something smaller catches your eye. These eco-friendly kits will get you oohs and aahs at showers, while saving the environment and the health of your baby!
Check out their website www.duckduckgreen.com you won't be dissapointed!!

Speechless...

2010-02-18T22:47:00.003-07:00

Not much to say about it. This is exactly why I'm doing what I'm doing. Pass it on;)

A Wake-Up Story from Healthy Child Healthy World on Vimeo.

Lead Face

2010-02-17T20:04:00.007-07:00

So I have turned into a super cyber geek mom. I have my lead-laden face cream to thank for it all. A few months ago my 6 month old was learning to kiss–a.k.a. licking my face. It got me thinking about what she was licking. So I checked to see if, and what, my face cream was rated at http://www.costmeticsdatabase.com and was horrified to learn that it was rated an 8 out of 10(10 being the worst or most toxic). It contained a rather high amount of lead so I immediately threw it out. I proceeded to gather a bunch of other personal care products from around my house to see where they rated on the database and was horrified to see most of their ratings as well. Baby wipes, shaving cream (A TEN!!!), shampoo, conditioner, diaper cream, mascara, all toxic. Most of my products were "only" in the mid range, which was not OK with me. The few products that were rated 7 or more out of ten got thrown out immediately. How dare cosmetic companies, and government-for that matter, allow these companies to sell these products? I started doing some research and discovered North American standards and European standards were very different. In fact some American companies manufacture two separate lines of cosmetics/personal care products. One line to be sold in Europe (without all the crap in it) and the other line to be sold in North America (full of cheap cancer causing crap). Don't even get me started on cleaning products (GET RID OF YOUR FABRIC SOFTENERS! http://www.ourlittleplace.com/fabric.html). Did you know that in order for Mr. Clean to disinfect (remover 99.9% of bacteria), you need to use it AT FULL STRENGTH and leave it on the surface for a MINIMUM of ten minutes?! Read the label? I don't remember ever using Mr. Clean without diluting it or leaving it anywhere for any period of time. Frustrating.

Anyway, eventually I found a line of skin care that originates from Europe (where they have some of the strictest guidelines) and are ECO-CERT certified. Eco cert is considered to be the most important organization in Europe in setting the criteria for natural and organic cosmetics. A min of 10% of the total ingredients must be certified organic. at least 95% of the ingredients must be of vegetable/plant origin and while the product may contain a max of 5% synthetic ingredients, none of these must be included on the negative list (no mineral oil and silicon, no synthetic emulsifiers like PEG, no viscosity controlling agents like carbomer, no preservatives such as formaldehyde releasers, parabens or phenoxyethanol, no synthetic perfumes or dyes, and no synthetic solvents like propylene glycol).

I haven’t found a comparable children’s line, however their shea butter works great on my baby’s bottom! Childhood cancer statistics are startling, and they are just going up. The amount of indoor toxins our children are exposed to (in our own homes http://www.chiro.org/LINKS/Environmental_Toxins.shtml) is alarming. If I can at least get rid of the toxins I apply to their skin and the ones they ingest, I am happy.

Hence I am now on facebook, twitter, yahoo, google, other people's blogs, my own blog, digg, and my own website! This past month I have been going pretty hard on the learning curve. Together, we can make a difference. Stop buying these products and start shopping smarter. We can prevent some infertility issues and some cancers (breast cancer and other cancers are thought to be linked directly to chemicals/toxins in personal care products that we use http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/5278.php ). We need to unite as mother's and say no to these companies who are using cheap but harmful ingredients in our products. If we're not buying them, they will hear our message.

HEY! Your kid just pooped on the floor--take him home!

2010-02-15T11:48:00.008-07:00

It seems birthday season is upon us again. This time of year tends to be full of birthday parties and festivities. My son is turning four, so parents are starting to up the ante. Instead of the good old home party with a few games and some cake, we are venturing into the party that requires the booking of some fancy location where a party planner takes over and the parents can sit and "relax". We were at just that kind of birthday party this weekend. The indoor play gym we were at was enormous. Slides, tunnels, netting and tubes galore. The perfect place for children to be children. All was going relatively smoothly until one parent noticed a backlog at the slides. A child had vomited. Great. The parents were trying to clean up the mess without drawing too much attention to themselves. I don't think it occurred to them that vomit carries bacteria and spreads germs-so goes the circle of life. I could hear other parents saying things like "my child had a fever yesterday, but seems ok today..." or "Sally threw up three times yesterday, but she looks fine today". Seriously? I'll admit there have been times where my child was sick and I brought him out--to pick up a litre of milk or because I had to pay a bill on time but for the most part we are housebound for at least a few days. I would like to think that I have some sort of respect for other people and would like that respect in return. I don't want your germs, keep your kids at home if they are sick or have been sick in the past few days. How unfair to everyone else attending to be forced into a room with your sneezing, puking child. Read up on it, your child is contagious for a longer period than you might think. Believe it or not, the puking wasn't the worst of it on that fine day. After calling over a lady who worked at the play gym, and watching her 'disinfect' the puke site, we were drawn to another incident. All the commotion seemed to be coming from under the slides this time. Parents were running, children were screaming and crying. And a poor elderly man was scooping and smearing poop around, desperately trying to clean up his grandson's accident before he was found out. Guess what?! Poop news travels FAST! My friend, whose son was celebrating his birthday that day, approached the man and asked him what he was doing. When he refused to call over an employee of the play gym, my friend ran over to grab her again for another toxic clean up. My beef here isn't with the children, it's with the adults. The adults who are so desperate to get out of the house, they feel the need to drag their sick kids out in public. They claim silly things like their 3 year old would have been devastated if they had to miss the party--guess what? Your three year old will get over it. And your three year old probably wouldn't even remember there was a party. Your three year old needs to rest comfortably in their own home instead of puking or pooping in public and have kids running from them in terror. Grow up, adults! Have a little "poop" etiquette.

Toxins Impair Children's Neurological Development -- And A 10-Step Program To Stop It

2010-02-13T08:56:00.001-07:00

It seems articles like these, warning us of potential hazards of some chemical are becoming more and more common. Don't eat mercury laden fish, stay away from BPA, parabens are toxic and phthalates cause cancer. When will it end? I am so sick of throwing away whatever chemically laden "item of the week" I have discovered is toxic to my family. Not to mention resting at the bottom of our lakes, rivers and oceans. Governement needs to "grow a pair" and just say no. Ban the phosphates turning our water systems into death traps for fish. No more chemicals used for cleaning in the homes (yes people, there are alternatives to chemicals that also remove 99.9% bacteria). We need to act now, not only for our own quality of lives and health, but for our babies who still have full lives to live. Have you ever read the instructions on the back of a Mr. Clean bottle?! To disinfect (kill 99.9% of bacteria) you must use it AT FULL STRENGTH and leave it on the surface for at least 10 minutes. I don't know about you, but I don't remember the last time I used Mr. Clean without diluting it, not to mention leaving on my floor for 10 minutes. Childhood cancer rates have sky rocketed over the past few years--it is no coincidence that we are also "discovering" all of these items/chemicals in our homes to be toxic. What are we waiting for?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Too much time on my hands.

2010-02-12T17:06:00.001-07:00

So apparently I have too much time on my hands. Being a mother of two small children, starting a brand new biz and keeping a house relatively well run just isn't challenging enough-not to mention the fact that my poor dog hasn't been walked in a month. I'm on Facebook and am now hooked onto Twitter. I noticed quite quickly how many wonderful networks and awesome mompreneurs were out there. So many women, just like me, are running successful businesses from their homes and managing to network online--with complete strangers! This whole cyber-biz thing is new to me, and a little weird. But I must admit, I am hooked. I look up to these other women in awe-with their wonderfully written blogs, successful marketing strategies and plain old good will towards each other. I look forward to continuing to learn from and share with such a wonderful group of cyber friends!