Why Vegan Body Products?

I've had people say to me, "I get why you eat a vegan diet and I am against animal testing. However, I don't understand why you won't buy shampoos and lip balms, etc. that contain animal ingredients."

Simple answer: Do you know exactly what those animal ingredients are? If you did, you just might not want to put them on your body, either (especially lipsticks and lip balms since so much of them can be swallowed!). Here is a more simple list of common animal ingredients in cosmetics.

Next time you are in your shower, read the ingredients in your shampoo. It's a lot like reading the nutritional information on food. If you don't know what something is, it's probably not good for you. Look up the mysterious ingredients on labels before you buy the product. [I've found that an easily portable digital camera can help with documenting what ingredients are in a product.]

Makeup, lotions, and body cleansing products often have a variety of animal derived products in them. Why should this concern you? Did you know that, similar to food, what you put ON your body is absorbed INTO your body? (That is sort of the point regarding lotions.) Do you want strange chemicals and animal parts to become part of who you are? Want to know if your products are deemed safe (even if they aren't vegan)? Look them up on Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database.

I like a good bath. I'm just careful to note what the ingredients are first! As I've mentioned before, Lush vegan bathbombs are my favorite. Vegan Freak has a nice list of companies listed here; check out their whole site, too!

And, of course, there is the issue of testing products ON animals as well. All vegan products do not use animals in any way, not for the product itself nor the testing. Here is an interesting list of Cruelty Free Companies, and here is a great new way to be certified as a vegan product.

When it comes to buying products that go in or on my body, my basic motto is "When in doubt, throw it out."

Solar Houses

As many of you know, my family and I have been planning on building a house for about four years now. We started seriously planning the house (and where to put it) in early 2004. We purchased our land in August 2004. Our biggest holdup is that our county has very tough requirements on building a nontraditional "green" house. This is changing, but it has been an excruciatingly slow process.

We are building a Natural Spaces dome that we've named Desierto Cúpula. My update on the house has not changed in nearly a year, since there is very little more to report even though we (and our local architect) have been working diligently on the project. Our plan is to get permits before the end of this year so that the house can be completed in early 2008.

In an ideal world, using solar power, wind power, or any alternative (yet better for the environment) energy source would be easy to do. In Southern Arizona, where we live, it is not. This is very unfortunate since we have over 300 sunny days every year. The costs are significantly more and the incentives just aren't here yet. Government officials, such as U. S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, are working on this, but they have a long way to go to get to the standard that we need to be at as a country. Please support your local politicians that are supporting alternative energy!

Contests such as the "Solar Decathlon" will help, too. But, note that the houses built for this competition are in the $500,000-$1million range (which is an unrealistic housing amount for the vast majority of home owners in the United States of America).

There are also many great programs, such as the Citizenrē REnU program. Unfortunately, my family and our project do not qualify for this program, but please check it out to see if you and your house do!

Wonder Falling

Ever notice the intense wonder in a young child's eyes? Wonder why the older children and adults you meet don't have it any more? I've spent a lot of time wondering about this very thing. When my first daughter was a baby, I wanted her to keep this sense of pure amazement as long as possible. I didn't ever want her to lose it. I loved that wide-eyed look of pure joy in her eyes. I wanted it, too.

My kids still have this wonderment and I'm gaining it again -- more and more every day. The conscious decision to not let it disappear has helped stop me in my tracks every time I've almost taken some of it away from my children.

I believe, and it has been shown to me many times, that well meaning parents and teachers are to blame for knocking this wonderment about life out of their children. Every time a parent or teacher teaches a child a "life lesson", sparkles of joy leave that person -- usually for ever. These "life lessons" are almost unequivocally never taught to people in any other way. What I mean by this is that these lessons aren't real life and in real life, they aren't found. If, perchance, they are -- the person living it will certainly learn the "lesson" very quickly. It need not have ever been taught. I'm not telling you this to make you feel guilty for your past behavior. I'm saying this in order to give you hope that all happiness can be regained if you desire it to be!

I love this quote from Radical Parenting:
"Most of the psychotherapy I have done with people has been to help them get over the damage they suffered from parents/teachers preparing them for life."

It is our obligation to the future generations of this world to be the very best parents we can be. Who cares how you were raised! You still have it in you to be an excellent parent. I believe everyone does. Don't blame the people that raised you for your own failings. Decide to change them now and make a commitment to not pass them to your children. Spankings and put-downs are not hereditary. You have the power to not perpetuate poor parenting.

As an Unschooling Mom, I vowed to never stop appreciating the wonder in my children's eyes. I see it in them every day. Yes, EVERY day. They've given me my spark back -- it is the best gift ever. Sometimes I feel as though I am walking around in a wonderful daze of pure joy. This world is astounding, interesting, and superbly amazing. When was the last time you felt that way? It isn't too late. Try playing with a young child -- on their level -- for a few hours. It is inspiring to become fascinated with every little thing in your surroundings again. Getting lost in the wonder of it all, whilst sharing the time with a child, is one of life's greatest pleasures. Look closely at things. Even the dirt on your floor is pretty interesting up close and personal. Pretend, if you have to, that you've never seen that exact thing ever before. Notice the beauty of it. It doesn't have to be a thing of nature, it could be a plastic toy or a bite of food.

Find your WONDER! Enjoy its peace.

Arizona Pumpkin Patch

My daughters and I visited Agua Linda Farms pumpkin patch this afternoon with one of our local homeschooling groups. While clearly the patch (and the other vegetables growing on the farm) needed irrigation, we still found the farm beautiful. We love the scenic mountains in the background, although I personally miss Iowa's silos. The typical Midwestern corn maze (or soybean maze) were replaced with a hay maze [although it has been pointed out to me that at least one corn maze does exist each fall in Arizona, I just haven't seen any yet]. The whole experience was a lot of fun. My youngest especially appreciated the petting zoo. If you haven't had a chance to visit one of your local pumpkin patches this fall, try and find the time to do it! Connecting with where your food comes from is always a rewarding experience.

World Go Vegan Days

In honor of my upcoming birthday (next Sunday, the 28th), I'd like to tell everyone about World Go Vegan Days. If this blog has helped you or annoyed you, please make the commitment to eat a vegan diet from October 26-28th. Telling everyone today should give everyone plenty of time to decide what meals to have for this special event.

Try veganism for a mere three days and see how you feel. You just might be surprised at how much more energy and health you have! Thank you for your support!

Vegan Perspective on Heifer International

With the Holidays right around the corner, I've been seeing more and more ads for Heifer International again (whose link I am consciously not putting on my site). I've also been hearing more and more people say that this is the gift they are giving friends and family this year. This makes many of my vegan friends and me very sad! Please consider this carefully before you pay money to this organization; your friends and family just might not agree with Heifer International's premise.

To be brief, Heifer International is an organization that allows givers to purchase a variety of animals (for different fees) that are then given to individuals, families, or villages. The animals are then raised by these people and either sold, raised for milk and eggs and wool, or outright eaten. I believe the organization's goal is to help end world hunger, clearly an admirable goal, but also clearly not possible in the manner they are attempting.

To share why this isn't possible, here are links to just two of the many articles that give voice to a vegan's discontent:

• Unitarian Universalists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals's Article on "What's Wrong with the Heifer Project?" [Note for those concerned: UFETA is not affiliated with PETA]
  
• The Independent's Andrew Tyler's article "Don't follow the herd and give a cow for Christmas"
  

So you like the idea of giving to a charity that can help starving people, rather than spending your money on gifts that may or may not be appreciated? Consider these humane alternatives that are doing a lot of good:

• Food for Life Global
• Sustainable Harvest International
  
• Fruit Tree Planting Foundation

Still not convinced that a vegan diet is the only way that world hunger can be ended? Consider these facts:

• The average number of lives saved [per year] by being a vegetarian is 95 (being vegan saves even more)
• GoVeg's "Meat and the Environment" page
• The Human Farming Association's "Factory Farming" page
• Vegetarian USA's Food "Choices & the Planet" page
  

My last words for today are actually The New York Times words from their "Reasons To Be A Vegetarian" article dated June 20, 1989.

Green and Clean

Part of the vegan lifestyle is to not purchase products that have been tested on animals or made from animals. My family also lives as "green" as possible, making our search for cleaning supplies even more challenging. I'm often asked what products we use for cleaning. I've tried out a variety of products, and I've found the following to work best (and we are really good at making BIG messes!):

• White vinegar. Yes, this simple and inexpensive liquid cleans amazingly well. If you want sparkling windows and mirrors, or just an all around clean surface, vinegar is your power liquid. Some people mix it with water and/or a drop or two of tea tree oil and squirt it onto surfaces. I prefer to just dump a little on a nice flour sack style white cotton kitchen towel, then wipe my surfaces with it (microfiber cloths work excellent, too, even with plain water). I then use the dry side of the towel for wiping the vinegar up and making sure there are no streaks. I never have any and it is great! Vinegar is great for getting rid of old cleaning product films, too. When you want exceptionally soft clothes (or if you have any bodily fluids on your dirty clothing), put a couple of Tablespoons of vinegar in your bleach compartment. Vinegar even cleans up urine stains on carpet and furniture from animals and little kids. Combine this with good ol' sunshine and you'll get a thoroughly clean item. For clogged drains, try a combination of vinegar and baking soda. Put the baking soda in first, then the vinegar. Close the drain if you can. Let your kids make volcanoes in the sink while it cleans itself.
  

• Bi-O-Kleen laundry detergent. This excellent product is all we ever use for laundry detergent. ONE (yes, one) tablespoon is all you need for a full load of laundry. Our clothing comes out perfectly clean with no stains. This product is safe for the environment and costs less per load than non-environmentally safe alternatives. We also wash all of our clothing on cold/cold. When we still had a baby in (cloth) diapers, we used Bi-O-Kleen and vinegar and washed all diaper loads on hot/cold, then again on cold/cold. This double washing was probably overkill. We use Bi-O-Kleen in foam dispensers for hand washing in our kitchen and bathrooms.
  

• Goo Gone. This product is one of the world's greatest inventions. Citrus power cleans all of our goo off all of our stuff. DVD stickers are instantly gone with Goo Gone. So are crayon stains, Sharpie marks, and a variety of other messes that you probably don't want to keep permanently. This stuff lasts a really long time, too, since you don't need much. If you haven't tried Goo Gone yet, you'll be amazed! It really makes your goo be gone. :)
  

• Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. When all else fails (which it seldom does), this tough product erases your mess. I keep a box in my kitchen just in case. I'm on my second box and I've been using these since they first came out. Amazing!

• Boiling water. Contrary to all logic, boiling water gets rid of all berry stains, no matter where the stain is -- the hotter the water, the better. We've gotten berry stains out of clothing, carpets and more with boiling water. Just be careful to not burn yourself. For a particularly large stain, try pouring the boiling water on the item more than one time.
  

• Tea Tree Oil (there are many brands, my favorites are Melaleuca and Desert Essence. When you need something to be disinfected, a drop of tea tree oil can do the job. You only need a drop, with a whole pan of water, as this stuff is very concentrated and powerful. There are a lot of cleaning products and beauty supplies made using tea tree oil. I've never appreciated the cleaning products, since I've found the above materials to work better and for a significantly smaller price. OTOH, I've loved some of the shampoos and other beauty products that I've used with tea tree oil. I don't find them "necessary", but they are a fun extravagance when you feel like it. I've been using tea tree oil for over eleven years now and I am still very happy with it. Try it on acne next time you have an outbreak.

• For dish cleaning, we either use Trader Joe's liquid dish soap and liquid dish washer soap, or another similarly environmentally conscious brand (depending on where we are shopping when we are running low on these products). We are careful about what we put back into the Earth, especially with our plans to use a large gray water system.
  

Have a Vision: Vision Boards and Vision Boxes

Vision Boards and Vision Boxes are becoming very popular! They are similar to Wish Lists, yet significantly deeper. Vision Boards can encompass not only our material desires, but also our deepest and innermost wishes and dreams such as "more peace" or "a magical existence". With The Law of Attraction and "The Secret" so popular, we're learning that our thoughts and dreams really can come true! We just have to really want them.

My daughters and I have vision boards. We made ours out of cut peg board. We glued cork on different areas of the boards (different for each of us), strung wire on the back, and stained little wooden boxes that we later glued on the boards. We use the cork area for the material things and/or short term events we want (ours are evolving with us). The other area we've mod-podged things that make us feel good -- pictures of things, words, etc. that reflect who we are and who we want to be (I've put lots of calm, zen images on my board; my oldest daughter has lots of magical images; my youngest daughter has gemstones and ballet photos). Basically, we put things on our boards that we want to manifest into our lives. My youngest daughter cleverly hooked a cup onto her board that she fills with little homemade clay items.

Some people choose to make Vision Binders or Boxes where they put photos and magazine words/pictures/items into. We prefer our Boards that hang on the wall, so we can look at them throughout the day. The boards definitely lack the portability of a binder though. I've seen a variety of Vision Boards made out of cardboard, foam board, and other materials. The great thing about these is that there is no set way of making them. It is entirely up to you! Christine Kane wrote a really great "How to Make a Vision Board" blog entry for those interested. Some people even make computer wallpaper Vision Boards for their screen's background. This is a very neat concept!

We enjoy our Vision Boards so much that we held a "Vision Board Day" with our Girl Scout Troop (I'm a Girl Scout Leader for both of my daughters' troops). I've been amazed at the wonderful and creative ideas the girls have had! This also gave us a chance to share our collection of catalogs and magazines. Some of the girls put only words all over their boards, others chose only pictures. One thing is for certain: our boards have to evolve since we keep getting everything we hope and dream for! It is amazing how these things keep appearing in our lives.

With the Holiday Season just around the corner, I'm excited to see the items that are popping up on my daughters' Vision Boards. I know what they'll love to receive and I don't have to ask them.

Don't forget to periodically take photos of your Vision Boards. It is fun to look back over time and see how your dreams have come true!

Travel Light and Carry a Camera

Traveling with two children has made me realize that traveling LIGHT is much much better than traveling with everything imaginable. You never know when children just can't take another step and you'll need to carry them. Having your hands empty and ready to carry whatever comes your way is very handy. I like to keep one hand empty at all times so that it can be carrying my camera or water bottle.

Three years ago, my family of four (the kids were 8 and 4 at the time) traveled around Europe for a month. We carried one large (carry on size) backpack, one small backpack, and one super tiny kid sized backpack. We also had a fold out nylon backpack (folded into a teeny tiny thing about the size of a roll of film) that we used for grocery shopping. We were able to travel very comfortably and we actually did not use everything that we took. That taught me that we could travel even lighter with even greater comfort. The lighter we traveled, the less burdened we were (physically and mentally). Our arms (and backs) became unencumbered. We were able to spend our time and strengths on our surroundings and each other rather than having to worry about keeping track of our stuff. We kept the essentials on us at all times, and kept the rest ready and packed to travel at a moment's notice. The kids became entertained with the smallest and oddest items. We enjoyed going into European toy stores and finding small toys to purchase. Don't forget that you can always mail things home to yourself if you find a treasure that cannot be parted with.

Websites that I've found really helpful in learning how to pack light:
Rick Steves -- This site has a lot of great resources regarding traveling around Europe with minimal luggage.
One Bag -- "The Art and Science of Travelling Light"
Smart Packing for Today's Traveler -- Good information and fun to read through the site, but we pack significantly lighter than she recommends.

The added bonus is the environmental one: The lighter you pack, the less fuel you use. In a land vehicle, every extra 100 pounds you take out of your vehicle can reduce your fuel consumption by up to 2 percent.

Don't forget to take lots of photographs! Those are the best souvenirs of all!

Making Your House the Home You've Always Wanted

As we spent time piecing together what our perfect living environment was, we realized that we needed to think more organically. Our needs have changed over and over again through the years as we went from a young married couple, to a family with a baby, a family with a young child and a newborn, and now a family with a young child and a middle aged child. As our children grow and as our own personal interests wax and wane, our environment needs to grow and reflect that. We have needed to build flexibility into our spaces, so that every time our needs change we don't need to spend a lot of money to remodel. We aren't the only Unschooling family to live in this way. For us, part of the change has been to design a whole new house around the way we live. Clearly, this isn't the answer for most people (and we aren't there yet as the designed house isn't built yet).

What can you do if you want to move, but you cannot?

Make your house fit your family's personality! Don't be afraid to rearrange the rooms in your house to fit your family's lifestyle better. Who says that you need to have a table in the dining area? Maybe that space works better as a Lego room. Take an honest look at what you and your family actually do with their time. Devote the largest and most convenient rooms of your house to those activities. Do you work from home? Maybe your living room should be your office. Are you training for an ultramarathon? Put your exercise equipment front and center. There is no rule saying that people need to sleep in the designated bedrooms, either. Do what works best for your individual needs. Try room dividers. Add shelving everywhere that you can make it fit. You are the ones that live in your house, not anyone else.

Here are a few books that helped my family make our house work more efficiently for us. I have a more extensive list in my aStore under the "Do Living Right" category.

Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life: How to Use Feng Shui to Get Love, Money, Respect, and Happiness
Karen Rauch Carter

Feng Shui for the Rest of Us
Gabrielle Alizay

The Bathroom Idea Book
Andrew Wormer

The Kitchen Idea Book
Joanne Bouknight

Taunton's Home Storage Idea Book
Joanne Bouknight

Built-In Furniture
Jim Tolpin

Taunton's Home Storage Idea Book
Joanne Bouknight

Taunton's Home Workspace Idea Book
Neal Zimmerman

The Organizing Sourcebook
Kathy Waddill

Comfortable Vegan Shoes

Hands down, our favorite shoes are Crocs.

I used to be a big fan of Birkenstocks with the Birko-Flor, but they are no longer made and are difficult to find. No matter, since as comfort goes, Crocs are superior in every way. Wearing them feels like you are walking on marshmallows. These are the only shoes my daughters own. My youngest especially likes the new Croclings. There are new designs coming out all the time; be careful not to purchase the ones with leather or suede! It certainly doesn't hurt that Crocs are airport friendly, also. In fact, you just might find a Crocs store at your local airport. They make the perfect traveling shoe.

You can even personalize your Crocs with Jibbitz.

If you are looking for fancy vegan shoes, casual vegan shoes, or vegan athletic shoes, check out these sites (I've purchased shoes from each of these places):
Moo Shoes
Vegan Essentials
Vegetarian Shoes
Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe

These companies (and many more) carry great vegan "pleather" jackets, purses and belts, as well as shoes. Vegan leathers usually cost significantly less than animal derived leathers. They also stand up to wear better, last longer, breathe better, and are more comfortable. There really is no good reason to purchase animal skins.

It's great to know that big named brands such as Nike are making vegan shoes now, too. PETA makes a great "Quick Reference: Guide to Compassionate Clothing". Check it out next time you are in the market for new clothing, shoes and accessories.

Happy World Vegetarian Day!

October 1st is World Vegetarian Day, which kicks off October as Vegetarian Awareness Month. Many vegetarian and vegan groups host potlucks, cook-offs, and free cooking classes/tasting displays this month. If you have considered vegetarianism, this is the perfect time to try it out. Many people find that they are so amazed with the results, they never eat meat again.

Try doing a google search with your town's name and the word vegetarian or vegan. Your town might even have its own vegetarian group! Despite the reputation many vegetarian groups have, I've found every group that I've personally interacted with to be full of extremely kind and tolerant people. Whether you are a vegetarian already or not, you can use the month of October to learn how to improve your health and cure the diseases that your body currently has. In seeking out local groups in your area that promote healthy living, you can surround yourself with others that want to improve their own lives. This is inspiring. In addition to the myriad health benefits of a strict vegetarian diet, there are even more moral and ethical reasons for not eating meat and other animal products. If you aren't sure what they are, consider ordering a Free Vegetarian Starter Guide.

If you are in the greater Tucson area check out the Vegetarian Group of Tucson and then, try eating a meal at our favorite restaurant, Lovin' Spoonfuls Café, sometime this month. I've also made a quick list of where in Tucson/Green Valley to purchase various meat and dairy analogs since these are the foods that people often think are not replaceable.

Looking for a good vegetarian restaurant in your own area to try out? Check out HappyCow's Vegetarian Guide to Restaurants and Health Food Stores. Be sure to add your own reviews, also.

Happy World Vegetarian Day! Try a new recipe this month! It might become a new family staple.

Vegan and Ethical Trick-or-Treating

With Halloween just over a month away, I've been having people tell me they feel sorry for my kids. They think that because we are vegan, we don't eat candy or go trick or treating. We happen to do both. :)

To have an ethical Halloween, consider what you purchase for your Halloween handouts.

• Do you really need to pass out candy?
  
• Have you considered passing out glow sticks, Play-Doh, small stuffed animals (my girls received cute little TY ghosts two Halloweens ago), stickers, little notebooks, polished rocks, hair clips, small toys (like balls or cars), or even pencils and erasers? Maybe nice bright brand-new shiny pennies, nickels, dimes, or even quarters? My girls would love this!
• Many cracker, nut, cereal, and pretzel companies make snack sized bags that would be perfect for passing out. Don't forget fruit leathers and raisins, too.
  
• If you must pass out candy, have you checked all the ingredients? Do you know what they are?
  
• Do you know where and how the candy was made? Besides the harm to your body, did you know that nearly half of the world's chocolate comes from West Africa, where children are being forced to farm it? If chocolate is a must for you (it is for us), try purchasing ethical chocolates from companies such as Dagoba, Endangered Species, and Equal Exchange. Yes, these cost more, but they are worth it. They even sell bags of mini-sized ones! I've seen these at surprising places, including Wal-Mart!
  
• Don't feel obligated into keeping your light on all night. Spend your regular alloted amount on candy, then turn your porch light off when you run out. You aren't obligated to give candy to every kid in town.
• Still aren't sure what to do? Check out this Fair Trade Trick or Treat Action Kit.
  

VegFamily Magazine wrote a great article titled "Vegan Halloween - Tricks and Treats". Be sure to check out the PETA list of Vegan Candy. This is a very thorough list that also has a short list of some of the most common candy ingredients that make candy not vegan. Be sure to read ingredients before you buy (even if the candy is on the PETA list) since companies can change their recipes (or have different ingredients depending on what country you live in; e.g. Skittles in Europe are currently vegan, they are not in the United States).

Once you go Trick-or-Treating, what can you do with all of your non-vegan loot? Here are our favorite ideas:

• Use it for gingerbread house decorating.
• Donate to a food shelter.
• Take it to work and leave it in the break room.
  

VegFamily Magazine has a fun little "Top 10 Things to do with Non-Vegan Halloween Candy" article.

Above all, enjoy this festive holiday with your children. They can only dress up and go Trick or Treating for so many years, enjoy every second of the fun. And, of course, don't forget to take photographs.

Dissection Alternatives

Dissection alternatives have never been more humane, interesting, or accurate. Remember the smell of formaldehyde in Biology class? Your children need not become familiar with it.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is giving away copies of Digital Frog2. This DVD is a fun and humane way for people to learn about anatomy without harming animals. There are also free workbook materials for those interested.

There's no such thing as a meat eating environmentalist

Ow, these are harsh words. But, are they true words? I didn't believe them when I first heard them, even though I was already a vegetarian at the time (now vegan). When you doubt something you hear (yet aren't willing to ignore and forget about it) what do you do? Well, I start researching to find out the truth. Truth is very important to me.

Conclusion: Yes, it is true. There is no such thing as a meat eating environmentalist. Here are just a small portion of sources that show this statement to be true (for those interested, actual studies can be found off of links on these sites):

• PETA's "Fight Global Warming by Going Vegetarian" Feature

• PETA's "Meat and the Environment" Article

• Original UN Report

• New York Times recent "Trying to Connect the Dinner Plate to Climate Change" Article Check out the Humane's Society ad on this page!
  

The proof is out there, don't be afraid of it. We can save this world, but only if we work together. The best thing you can do for the environment is to stop eating meat and its by-products.