Happy New Year!

I wish you all a safe, happy and healthy new year! 2009 has been an amazing year, and I am so excited to see what this next year brings!

A year in (blog)words from 2009

My goals for 2010

• Surround myself with positive people!
• GIVE more!
  
• Continue to detox our household
• Expand our recycling efforts
• Juice at least once a day
• Eat 50% of our food raw and 90% Organic
• Try a vegan diet for at least 30 days
• Continue to spread the word about the "toxic" issue by writing letters and holding Ava Anderson Non-Toxic seminars
• Continue with the Dave Ramsey plan and be on Step # 5 by the end of the year

Letter to Snopes.com regarding Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

I read this on the snopes.com website and felt compelled to respond about SLS.

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/shampoo.asp

Here is my comment:

Regarding your response for "Sodium Lauryl Sulfate", I URGE you to reconsider your response and check the following sources:

www.cosmeticsdatabase.com
This site lists this ingredient IS linked with cancer, and gives several sources. The website is run by the Environmental Working Group.
Also, another good source is the book "Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry", by Stacy Malkan. Or, the book "Toxic Beauty" by Samuel Epstein, MD.

There are numerous other sources on the subject.

The "Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List" needs to be mentioned in your response. Studies done in Canada have linked this ingredient with cancer.

If you research further you will also find that there are still contamination concerns for this ingredient.

Contamination concerns - ETHYLENE OXIDE, 1,4-DIOXANE

1,4-Dioxane is a KNOWN carcinogen

To simply site that the FDA and our government is protecting us from such substances is completely false.
In the US there are absolutely no independent studies being done on ingredients such as Sodium Laryl Sulfate before they hit the market. It is the cosmetic industry itself, not the FDA that makes determinations on ingredients. Cosmetics are a self-policing industry that the FDA does NOT oversee.

Your response gives full trust to our government and FDA, which seems irresponsible. Why does the European Union ban over 1,100 chemicals from their products, and the U.S. only NINE?! Please read the 1938 FDA mandate where industry lobbying succeeded in blocking the FDA from requiring testing of cosmetics.

I have used the snopes.com site for years as a trusted source, I would hate to now view it as being inaccurate. I urge you to look into further studies on the subjects of toxins in products.

Thank you,

Lyndsi

Shopping Ideas

Were you given any gift cards for Christmas to Amazon or a book store?

Here are three amazing books that I highly recommend.




Toxic Beauty
by Samuel Epstein, MD

Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry
by Stacy Malkan

Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power by Mark Schapiro

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to our friends and family!

We hope you have a great Christmas and safe travels :)

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Happy Birthday to my Mom today!!!

The TRUE meaning of Christmas

Are you stressed this week and forgetting what this season is all about?

I love the messages in this video clip, it is only 3 minutes long --

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU&feature=player_embedded



What if we bought fewer gifts and instead gave our time to our family instead?

Spend less on gifts and more on relationships with our God, our Family, our Neighbors!

I pray that my family and friends can truly enjoy these last 10 days before Christmas arrives. I know it is something that I am struggling with!

WORSHIP FULLY, SPEND LESS, GIVE MORE

Less Paper!

On an average day I could use up almost an entire roll of paper towels...

Cleaning the kitchen

Wiping down the table

Sopping up spills

Cleaning off toys

I was feeling like this was one area where we were being pretty wasteful, and I wanted to switch to cloth. I found these great bamboo cloths at Whole Foods, and so far they are working great! I just throw it into the laundry at the end of the day.


I think it's small changes that can add up to making a huge difference!
My next project is to finally finish sewing the cloth napkins I've
been working on...

Sewing Projects

In preparation for Corey's craft show at his High School, I have been sewing a LOT. I should be working on Christmas gifts, but instead I am making bags for the craft show.

Here is Corinne modeling one of my bags...

* Update*

Some pictures from the craft show-

Johnson & Johnson.... These products are made for BABIES??

Are you kidding me??

How does this product sound?

Johnson's Baby Nourishing Milk Lotion

Sounds pretty safe, right?
WRONG!

This product is rated "7" on the Skin Deep website (10 being the worst score).

• 11 of the ingredients in this baby product are linked with causing Cancer
• 7 of the ingredients are linked with Developmental/Reproductive Toxicity
• Contains ingredients, such as parabens that are banned in Europe
• Contains many other ingredients under the word "fragrance" that they do not disclose on the label.
  

What is going ON? It makes me sad that innocent babies out there are being slathered in this product several times a week. Their parents might trust Johnson & Johnson. Or, they might think that the government tests and regulates these products, which is not true. Or, they might be busy working parents that just haven't had time to look into it. Well, I urge you to make the time to look up your own products, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have children.

Here are a few other companies and the ranges of products that they have -


Avalon Organics: 0-5

Avon: 1-10

Bareminerals: 2-5

Cetaphil: 3-7

Dove: 2-9

Johnson & Johnson: 0-10

Caspar Babypants

Here is our favorite CD!! If you want to watch your kids dance around to something that you can actually enjoy too, this is the perfect CD!

Our children all love the songs on this and I am so excited that they just came out with a 2nd CD just in time for Christmas. I ordered several copies today to give to all the kids on my shopping list. Remember the awesome band "Presidents of the United States of America"? The lead singer, Chris Ballew started writing these songs once he had children.

Order your CD at www.babypantsmusic.com

Thanks Chris for sending me this photo to use!

Ava Anderson Non-Toxic

Ava Anderson Non-Toxic is the very first line of skin care and cosmetics in the country with ingredients that are ALL "0" on the cosmetics database website (run by Environmental Working Group). Not only are they safe and non-toxic, but also:

Vegan

Organic

No Animal Testing

This week they came out with their skin care line. Next month they will have their cosmetics available, and soon after will be men's products, baby products and even household cleaners!

There really is nothing else like it! Check it out and let me know what you think! This is not sold in stores, but only on their website and you need to have a consultant and I just so happen to be one! I would love to hear your feedback & comments.

For the story on how this company was started (by a 15 year old girl in Rhode Island!), check out this article-

http://www.eastbayri.com/detail/132655.html


Here is my website:

www.avaandersonnontoxic.com/lyndsiandcoreyobrien

Thank you!!

Lyndsi
Independent Consultant
Ava Anderson Non-Toxic