Dandelion Path

NOT Better Homes & Gardens

Oct 15, 2008

How many times do you open up a magazine and see a picture of a house as it is in day-to-day life? Everything is color co-coordinated with very few belongings actually pictured. There might be perfect, fresh fruit on the table and no dirty dishes in sight. Blogs can be this way too. With a blog, I can control what I choose to share which can sometimes give a wrong impression. It might appear that I have it all together; that I serve fabulously nutritious meals everyday, that I spend all day nurturing my daughter, or that everything I do is environmentally friendly. Some days go well and I’m able to keep things clean and keep a good balance to my day. But a lot of times my days are quite imperfect.

I live in a community that HIGHLY values perfectionism and orderliness so I feel the pressure of that. Thanks people like my dear friend, Jami I’ve been able to let go of that pressure so that it doesn’t control me. It’s so freeing! I think we all need a break from the pressure of having a spotless home at all times. WE know that our home isn’t always perfect and we may believe the lie that we are the only ones that live that way. So, to help sever that lie, here’s a refreshing look at my kitchen this morning. Cheers to being real! (Ok, now that I’ve uploaded the picture, you can’t tell how messy it is, but believe me, it IS messy!)

On that note, I need to go fold the laundry that’s been sitting in the laundry basket for two days and put away the wilting produce! :)

Posted In: My Life • Comments (1)

Puppet Theatre

Oct 15, 2008

Puppets are a lot of fun and inspire so much creativity! It’s fascinating how puppets seem to captivate the attentions of young children. For Emma’s 5th birthday this past week I decided to make her a puppet theatre. Amy Karol has written a fabulous book titled, “Bend the Rules Sewing” that I just love! Each step of her sewing projects are accompanied by simple diagrams that make sewing easier for visual people like myself. Thanks to her easy-to-understand instructions I was able to make it. Because I wasn’t feeling up to it the week before her birthday I ended up sewing it the day of her party. I didn’t finish it until 30 minutes after her party was supposed to start! Yikes! Thank God for my husband who graciously welcomed guests and served up the Haitian food that he had spent days preparing! What a sweetie!

Posted In: Crafts • Comments (1)

Types of Plastic & Their Health Effects

Sep 19, 2008

I have to say, I’m not a fan of plastic. There are just too many health issues associated with it. I’ve replaced a lot of plastic in my kitchen/home with glass. It’s taken time to do this but I figure that each container I replace reduces the amount of chemicals we’re exposed to. While avoiding plastic altogether is the safest bet, sometimes that can be hard to do. Here is a guide to the various types of plastic that will help you choose the safer options when there is no other option:

#1 (PET or PETE) This is a very common plastic, most commonly used with bottled water. This type of plastic is intended to be used only ONCE and then recycled. This type has caused developmental delays in unborn babies and young children born to workers exposed to the chemical.
My advice is stay avoid water bottles whenever possible and never reuse them. There is more to the whole bottled water issue than just the health of the plastic it’s packaged in. Most bottles aren’t being recycled and the water that’s in them usually isn’t any better than tap water anyway.

#2 (HDPE) Research is still being carried out regarding this plastic but so far it appears to be the safest option available.

#3 (Vinyl or PVC) A component of PVC called phthalates causes many of the problems associated with this plastic. Potential health effects include: endocrine disruption (mimics estrogen), asthma, allergic symptoms, decrease in sperm count, DNA damage in sperm, & brain cancer. Phthalates can be found in such products as toys, wallpaper, cosmetics and anything made of vinyl. The European Union, Fiji, Argentina & Mexico have already banned phthalates from being used in plastic toys for young children (Interesting that the U.S. still hasn’t banned it. Europe usually seems to be ahead of us health-wise).

#4 (LDPE) Research ongoing. Appears to be a somewhat safe option. The downside is this type may not always be accepted in recycling programs.

#5 (PP) Research ongoing. The second-best plastic option.

#6 (PS) (One form is “styrofoam") Possible health effects: Endocrine disruption that can cause serious reproductive & developmental problems. Hot, oily foods are especially bad in this plastic as they cause the container to leach the chemical, styrene. This type should especially be avoided by pregnant women.

#7 (Other) This plastic often contains Bisphenol A (BPA), the chemical that many are trying to avoid in plastic baby bottles. BPA can be found in “dental sealants, eyeglass lenses, toys, consumer electronics, CDs, DVDs, medical equipment, cans, and reusable water bottles” (Source 2). BPA is also used as the lining in metal food cans (Grrr. That one makes me mad!). Possible health effects include: reproductive system damage/cancer, low sperm count and early puberty.

Summary:
Choose glass whenever possible!
Best plastics: #2, #4, #5
Worst plastics: #3, #6, #7

Here’s a handy guide to the plastic codes that I keep in my purse: Plastic Code Quick Guide

Sources:
Life Without Plastic: Plastic Types chart
Environmental Working Group: Are Plastics Safe?

Posted In: Nutrition/Health • Comments (0)

Taking Time for Fun and Rest

Sep 18, 2008

I have a confession to make. I have “chronic list-making disease” (CLMD). I make lists for everything! Otherwise, I tend to forget a lot. I make to-do lists, shopping lists, idea lists, project lists and menus. All this list making helps me to be more productive but can also make it harder to relax. There is always something to be done!
Yesterday I realized it had been quite awhile since I did something NOT on one of my lists! I desperately needed to do something purely fun! Isn’t it easy to ignore the fun stuff, feeling like it’s not important? Personally, I relax by making things (jewelry being my favorite). Although, there are times when I need to just sit in quietness (while trying not to make yet ANOTHER list in my mind). There’s something refreshing about not always accomplishing or producing. Contrary to what our culture tells us, there is great value in taking the time to NOT do anything. I try to do this each week by observing a sabbath rest. I’m not legalistic about it but I really feel it’s necessary for my well-being and health.

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Green Smoothies

Sep 18, 2008

Green smoothies are all the rage right now. I recently made my first one and was immediately hooked! The “green” part comes from anything green (like raw kale, spinach, parsley or other greens). Then you add an assortment of fruit and blend it all together in a blender. This is a great way to get the incredible benefits of raw greens in a tasty way. Now I have a use for all that kale we’ve been getting from the farm!

The beauty of green smoothies is that you can make them with just about anything! Experiment with different combinations of fruit/greens. Just to give you an example, here’s the recipe I’ve been using (this is just what I had on hand):