Here’s to a Cleaner 2014
Jessica Alba (in Nicholas Kirkwood heels) promoting her new book last spring with my L.A. blogger gal pal Sydne Summer |
Happy New Year, at last!! Can’t believe I’m finally blogging again…and for real, this time. Seems like the holidays lasted forever (and don’t get me wrong, I loved it!), but it’s good to be back to routine (Virgos love it, ya know) and writing again about the things I love the most. The break was a nice refresher, although I didn’t do anything too terribly exciting (no jaunts to NYC at 35 weeks pregnant with a toddler…alas…), being semi-lazy (when I wasn’t “nesting”) was quite relaxing. In fact, yesterday was full of pretty much nothing, so I decided to finally pick up my copy of The Honest Life by Jessica Alba and begin reading. It had been next to my bed for ages, and I figured I might as well read it as I prepare for baby next month. There are some amazing tips!
To fill you in on the book, it’s full of great tips, divided by Style, Food, Baby, Beauty, etc. So, it was hard to put down because it was so nicely organized in that way. I’m actually almost completely finished with it in one sitting (although I tend to do that with books). Most of Jessica’s tips I already follow pretty well (chemicals to stay away from, fabrics to buy, which fruits to buy organic, etc.). But my gosh! The whole eco thing can be quite overwhelming if you let it, so what you really have to do is just focus to be better. Obviously, everything we consume, buy, touch…involves chemicals. There’s no way to eliminate them, so you just have to be cautious and do what you can to minimize in your life.
The book got me thinking about 2014 and my so-called resolutions. And since it is the year of the baby (#2, that is) for me, I’m going to try to be more diligent about reading labels and focus on what I’m using – whether it’s food I feed our family or products I clean with throughout the house…even the makeup I wear! It just takes being more mindful sometimes, and taking the extra step to find a product that might be a little better than what you were using (or what’s convenient). (Um, take my nursing pillow I used with little C. Come to find out it was made of toxic FOAM. Yeah.)
After reading The Honest Life, I must admit I did a little bathroom counter cleaning and got rid of some things I knew weren’t good for me, and finally ordered the organic bedsheets I had been dying to buy for ages with my Target gift card (can’t wait for them to arrive!). And being pregnant, I’ve tried to eliminate as many “bad” things as I can, but as hard as one tries it’s nearly impossible. So, I had a few stomach-churning moments on some of the beauty products I’ve been using that contain “iffy” ingredients and I’ve vowed to put them aside until baby L. arrives, just to be sure (my doctor actually ok’ed, but there are so many different opinions these days on ingredients).
Here are some brands I’m really trusting these days, in case you’re trying to “cleanse” your daily routines as well (there’s 11 because I just couldn’t stop…):
1. Honest (we’ve used on little C. and have found this is by far his fav body/wash shampoo…no irritation. We’ll also be using on baby L. as well as the diapers, laundry detergent pods and a few other skincare products like the amazing healing balm.)
2. REN (major go-to for skincare)
3. Neal’s Yard Remedies (skincare that’s organic and feels so good)
4. Pottery Barn (they offer some great organic bedding these days…bought baby L’s crib sheets and our new duvet there)
5. Tatcha (great serums and moisturizers)
6. Basq (couldn’t live without their cucumber eye gel, lavender oil and belly butter while pregnant)
7. Burt’s Bees (love their Mama Bee products, especially the belly butter)
8. Enjoy Life (these yummy food products are free of pretty much every allergen imaginable, and they have so many chocolate products that taste downright GOOD.)
9. Hanna Andersson (little C. lives in these PJs, and so will baby L. Funny thing is, I’ve found the Hanna Andersson for Serena & Lily, which is slightly pricier, to be sturdier…well, and cuter.)
10. Boon (for baby and toddler, we own so much of this…snack balls, plates, drying rack, changing station, bathtub, crib mobile….you name it!)
11. Jill Kirsh Color (it’s mineral-based, fragrance-free makeup and the most amazing colors made specifiically for your skin tone…I can never go back!)
Here’s to a cleaner 2014, y’all! xoxo
[Photo Courtesy Jason Merritt/WireImage]