Drea Wood

Category Archives: eco-friendly

Paleoooo, pamlico? whatever its called

Written on 05/22/2013 by Dreawood in eating, eco-friendly

Just wanted to thank those who commented on my instagram about my interest in the Paleo diet (err life style). Ive been doing some searching for some time now on ways to make our way of eating even better.

We do eat mostly organic and stay away from processed food if we can help it. There obviously are seasons for it (life is hectic with 4 kids, and I honestly cant do it all… so keeping it real here, we do splurge and eat a corn dog or chicken nugget from a box here and there). Some of yall may have read my post “Anti-Organic” – if not, read it. May give you an idea of my thoughts on healthy living.

With eating healthy comes so many options!

Note: I do not believe in “diet” plans… unless you have a big amount of weight to loose… or some other medical issue involved…

I do however believe in a lifestyle… and finding one that works for your family.

Here are some things I am looking into lately…

Trim Healthy Mama. Great great great ebook my friend Lindsey introduced me too. I honestly couldnt put it down the 1st few days I had it. Its a great book full of awesome information. Obviously you have to pick and choose what works for your family and that brings me to a few other “ways of eating” I have dabbled with and taken from.

The Paleo meal plans. Love love love the Nom Nom Paleo site. Lots of amazing recipes.

Going vegetarian was one of those thoughts as well…

My mom is a vegetarian. She has been for many years now. She does however eat fish? – I forget the word for that sort of “vegetarian” – she is one of the most healthy people I know though…. and at just shy of 60, you’d never know it looking at her! She is amazingly youthful.

My mom though has super duper tolerant taste buds and can eat stuff that would ultimately make me gag. She downs kefir (straight) as if it were a cup of orange juice… she loves weird beans and other things that I honestly would never eat. Not because I think they are gross or bad for you… I just happen to have one of the most sensitive pallets I know and I cannot stand things with odd textures….

I also hate eggs….

I hate peanut butter… almond butter…

I will not eat steak, gross… never have liked it.

I very much dislike all seafood….

I do not like yogurts…. none.

Most nuts aren’t good to me… unless its almond milk? :) I dont even like raw almonds haha….

I don’t like walnuts…

The list could go on.

So you can imagine finding a “life-style” of eating is easier said than done for me personally… but it is something I am really researching and striving to work hard at.

We are big “wheat-eaters” in our family... I mill our own organic wheat. It has lots of health benefits but recent studying has shown that eating “a lot” of it, may not be the best option.

For me though, wheat is such a big part of our diet, that doing away with it all together, will not happen. I have 4 hungry boys to feed… boys who eat more than me most days…

So keeping wheat in the family is a must right now… buying organic coconut or almond flours do not work for our budget for “mass amounts” of our meals. I have been looking into incorporating those into our diets though and am so excited about that….

The thing I am learning though is that we all need to find balance with where we are in life.

I turn 30 this year. My metabolism is gradually slowwwwingggg down and I do not have time to work out like I use to. 4 kids will do that to you! :) – I am blessed with a pretty decent metabolism thankfully but I have noticed that I cannot eat the way I use too… not only because ill pack on the pounds but also because it makes me feel sluggish…. breaks me out and so on.

Since going organic and changing the way we eat my face remains clear… my hair feels strong and grows crazy fast… I feel good over all but one area I still battle is fatigue and the middle of the waist bulge that I just can’t seem to shake. Uh… well it does shake HAHA…. but you get what I am saying.

So to wrap it up.

Thank you to those who shared your info with me on Paleo. Thank you for your honesty and tips. I love that :) – and here is to learning a few new methods of bringing in that lifestyle into our already pretty healthy way of eating. ;-)

If you guessed pool your right :) let the fun begin.

Note: The pool photos have nothing to do with healthy living ;-) – we just happen to go to the neighborhood pool yesterday and I thought these pictures were sweet. So I figured all the non-instagrammers may enjoy seeing them ;-)

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I use to be anti-organic….

Written on 03/17/2013 by Dreawood in eco-friendly, food, struggles

Isn’t it funny how years change people? Obviously looks change… I can look at my own photos and see that. Although sometimes, years do not create change… especially if we don’t want it.

Years ago… I would say about 6? around the time Taite was born…. I remember thinking those who purchased organic products were buying into a fad…. and that it was a waste of money.

I remember commenting on peoples blogs who were all into organic living, questioning the wisdom in it, because it “was more expensive.”

I for years had a small “nift” with those who forked out extra cash for things I felt were a waste…. and I remember thinking “I don’t have the time for that…. or the money… so why try.”

Funny how time… and age I suppose, changes things.

I now am learning the great importance that comes with living a healthy life style and that to do so, it does involve time… and yes, more money… but its something well worth budgeting for.

It has taken me 6 years to realize this…. and while I want to shake many and help them see what I see… I realize and completely understand that this is a process…. and sometimes this process takes a long time…. and you know what… THAT IS OK.

I am finding that putting this out there, is important however… and while I know many who read my “eco-ish” facebook updates… or instagram photos, may roll their eyes… or think “there’s no way….” to maybe realize, that there are ways… even if you feel there is not.

Over the last few years we have made moderate changes to our diet…. while I considered myself a pretty healthy eater personally… I relied heavily on convenient foods for my family, as well as eating out. I remember using the cheaper price tag to justify buying it. I remember priding myself in being able to keep my grocery bill under a couple hundred a month… and thinking “Im being an awesome steward!“… but what about being a steward to our bodies?…. a temple that God gave us to take care of.

The cold hard truth.

Eating real food will cost more.

Yup.

It does.

…. but

It is worth it.

I just want to encourage those starting their journey in this… to hang with it…. seek wisdom from those who have done this far longer… I DO all the time… and to take baby steps.

Start with one thing…. and grow from that.

I also would like to echo what I said a few weeks ago…. if you have $2.99, rent Genetic Roulette on Amazon Prime, and watch it!

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Ignorance can be Bliss… or can it?

Written on 03/05/2013 by Dreawood in eco-friendly, family, food

One thing that for some time I have heard about is the term GMO. I am sure many of you have heard this term as well.

Here is a quick mini-over view of what it is….

My brother the other night sent me an article on GMO’s… and even though I knew GMO’s were a no no…. I will admit… I have been putting off educating myself on what it all involved, because I honestly didn’t want “anything else” to deal with. I already felt as if we lived pretty healthy lives… but deep down I knew my ignorance to what GMO’s involved, was not benefitting our family… and so I began to research things more heavily.

The research out there bringing to light the affects of GMO is scary honestly… and one thing that just made me cringe, was the fact that almost every single baby formula on the market had GMO in it. For a mother who was unable to nurse, this is crushing to hear… and I felt trapped… all I knew was that I had to do something… and even if it couldn’t be fixed in one day, I would take the proper steps to fix it in time.

I have since switched Reed’s formula to a GMO free organic brand… it cost A LOT more than most formula’s in main stream stores… but you know what.. its worth it. We budget for luxuries, cell phone, and shopping for new clothes… we can budget for Non-GMO foods for our infant and children.

The Organic Formula is the 1st step… but I plan to look into making my own baby formula from raw goat milk…. and am just praying for the proper guidance and wisdom through others here who are much more educated in this than I am. Thankful to be in an area that has these resources available for us….

Today I went through our pantry and cleared it out… there is work to be done… and I want to get it done and work hard to bring real food and goodness into my family.

Some day’s I wish I didn’t have the conviction to learn about these things. It honestly would be so much easier to remain ignorant to the truth…. and do as I please, eat what I want… and rely on modern conveniences…. but the truth is right there… and I think it is important to be aware…. and work hard.

One thing I began watching tonight is Genetic Roulette. I had found it on a website but also someone on my facebook mentioned my needing to watch this documentary. I found it on Amazon Insta-view and for $2.99 you can watch it (and keep it for a week). It is well worth the $2.99 and I encourage anyone out there interested in learning more about GMO’s to watch it!

Here is a link to it on amazon. We stream it from our Wii… but you could easily watch it via a laptop or ipad.

This may open up a can of worms :) – hopefully not… Im really not wanting to offend or start anything… I am just spreading the news of what I am learning and changes I am going to make.

This evening I even went out and began the process of buying better choices of foods for my family…. and like I said above, while I did make steps to do this before… it wasn’t consistent…

I hope to post more as I learn and grow in this area…. just wanted to put my thoughts out there tonight while it was on my mind.

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Our new Step – Goat Milk Stuff

Written on 10/27/2010 by Dreawood in eco-friendly, products

Ever notice that once you become a mother, it gives you the strangest new addictions.
Like SIPPY CUPS? Am I the only one who loves finding cool sippy cups for my kids?
Caleb now laughs when I ask him if he wants a sippy. He tells me “no, a straw and a cup.” :)

One thing that has stood out to me over the years however are ingredients in baby soaps, lotions & shampoos.

I always remember wondering “what on earth is in this stuff?” after reading through a label…
I pretty much pushed those questions from my mind over the years, just because…
After all, they used the Johnson and Johnson soaps in the hospital on all 3 of my boys. Its just what you use, right?

For years now I have been using natural soaps for myself.
I purchased them through a site called THE LOTE TREE for a good while… but she has since stopped selling online… so I had to find more shops.

The thing is, if Im using them, why not my kids?

Why am I washing my babies with soaps filled with things I have no knowledge of?

There is a website called SKIN DEEP that list THOUSANDS of products… from toothpaste – make up – & of course soaps.

You would be amazed at what is actually packed into these many “popular” baby products…

Skin Deep is a NON PROFIT organization that spent who knows how many hours, days, months, years… compiling this information… and why?

“Because the FDA doesn’t require companies to test their own products for safety.”

Im not going to go through all sorts of baby products here…
You can learn all about that over at the SKIN DEEP website…
but I figured id list one of the most popular baby washes I’ve seen used… and actually one IVE USED MYSELF…

HUGGIES baby wash – extra gentle:

Has these moderately hazardous ingredients in it.

PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Fragrance, PEG-150 Distearate, Quaternium-15, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Citric Acid

Now what do those actually do?

Heres a quick list of what each ingredient is linked to.

• parabens – may cause breast cancer due to hormone mimicking properties
• fragrance – often means Diethyl Phthalate or DEP, which is an endocrine disruptor that has been linked to reproductive and genital abnormalities
• propylene glycol (Disodium PEG-12 Dimethicone sulfosuccinate) – FDA says is safe for general use but can cause cancer and contains toxins that affect reproduction
• sodium laureth sulfate – can cause skin and eye damage
• PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine and PEG-150 Distearate – unless vacuum stripped, contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which has been identified as a probable human carcinogen by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
• Quaternium-15 – may release formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen and can cause contact dermatitis from preservatives.
• Citric Acid – can cause burning in the eyes.

Now my point to posting all this is NOT to make those who use these soaps feel bad.

I for one can admit I like the smell of these soaps and I have used them on all my children… UNTIL NOW.

It was just the convenient thing to do… so I thought.

Dr’s handed these samples out at the hospital… there are coupons in the paper…
Walmart sells it, and walmarts, well, its right there… so for me, It just seemed easiest.

But there are many more options out there for us moms…
and it didnt have to cost me $15 a bottle for the “so called organic brands – or more natural stuff.”

The soaps I am now using on my kids (and myself) are from a website called

GOAT MILK STUFF
I was introduced to this shop by Jennifer over at MckMama. Many of you may read her blog :) – its packed full of awesome information.

They smell amazing…
and the lather is perfect.
& best of all, they really are affordable.

My kids have since learned that their soap doesn’t come from a bottle :-)
- but rather a bar, that they rub on a loafa and are good to go.

I have also opted not to use conventional shampoos on my kids.

That’s an entirely new post on its own :-) and maybe I can get away with this because I have boys ;-) but I just dont see why its needed as long as we bathe our kids properly… and scrub their head well. If they are really messy, rub a little bar soap on their head, it works fine.

AGAIN, I have boys… and no tangles :) – if I had a girl with curls, I can imagine needing some detangler or something.

I have tried the “no shampoo” route… but I am just not there yet. I do however skip days washing my hair, and just rinse it to style.. so instead of washing with shampoo 7 days a week, I am down to like 3.

I think we have to take baby steps in these processes… and these are just some of mine.

Want to give it a try?

PJ over at Goat Milk Stuff has agree’d to issue my readers a special 10% off promotional coupon code! If you purchase any soap or products from her website, use “drea10″ at check out to save 10%.

That promo code is only good until Nov 11th! So act fast.
The soap PACKAGES would make great christmas gifts ;-) hint hint, wink wink.

Any time you order from her site you also earn points.. which then equals discounts for you. Each order also qualify you for free samples! Its really a great deal and her soaps go a long way!

PJ btw is a mother of 8!! YES 8… and she uses goat milk soap on all her kids.
I got to share a picture of her beautiful family…

*Learn more about PJ and her Family HERE*

ALSO if you want to try making your own wash for baby… heres a recipe I found online today…

NOTE: I have never used this recipe… but it looks like it be fun to try.
(I would not use it if you have milk allergies)

Baby Bath Milk
1 cup powdered milk
¼ cup corn starch
¼ cup finely ground oats
2-3 drops lavender, rose, or chamomile essential oils

Mix ingredients together and put in a shaker style bottle. To use, sprinkle a small amount in warm bath water.
Recipe taken from HERE.

Like I said before. This isnt a “Ooooo Im more eco-chic because I use natural soaps” :) – It really is just a choice I felt was important and I wanted to share why I chose to do so.

If you have any natural products you love, list them! I love learning about new things.

Again shop www.goatmilkstuff.com – using the promo “drea10″ and save 10% – valid through Nov. 11th

*Note: Another goat milk shop I recently learned about that I have to give a quick shout out as well, is the Thankful Goat. Shes a local in my area and her soaps are incredible too. She doesn’t have an official shop up yet, but I have been encouraging her to do so! So maybe in time I can link you all to an etsy shop for her, but for now her blog has info on how to order from there as well.

—disclosure: Goat Milk Stuff did not send me any free soaps. I bought all of these myself. The only thing I requested was for a promotional code to help you all get your jump start on buying these awesome soaps. To those curious what soap I use on myself. I use two kinds. Main soap is the ORGANIC CASTILE & the TEA TREE one. I got the boys a cotton scent I believe as well.

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Homemade Detergent

Written on 09/13/2010 by Dreawood in eco-friendly

I’ve had people still emailing me about my “homemade detergent” recipe.
I thought id post a new post with the recipe again, for those who missed it years ago :-)

To start, heres what you need…

Ingredients:

1. 1 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated OR 1 bar of Goat Milk Stuff soap (amazing soap, I prefer it to the Fels Naptha soap. Clean Cotton or Honeysuckle are the best)
2. 1 c Borax

It cost around $2.00 a box

3. 1 c Washing Soda

They were around $2.50 a box

4. 1/4 c OxyClean (not necessary, but can be added – I personally do not put this in, but have heard that if you have lots of messy grass stained clothing, this works well to include. )

Directions:

I recommend doing all this outside… grating SOAP makes a mess!
(note: the dollar tree sells a grater for $1 that works well, its a hand held one, I have since purchased it to use just for my soap grating… that way my cheese one doesnt get dull or have bad after taste when used on real food.)

Mix it all together into a bumpy, granular mix. Don’t worry about stuff getting correctly dispersed, even if it doesn’t quite look like it does.

Use 1T for a light load

Use 2T for a large or dirty load (It’s true! Only 2 Tablespoons per load!)

This recipe came from HERE.

I’ve used this recipe for almost 2 years now! It works great and I have never had a problem with it.
To those curious where my “scoop” came from.. I got it from an order of home made detergent years ago, but I found the same scoops online for under $5, if you wanted one like it. Then again you can go to the dollar store and get a table spoon scoop for way less ;-)

Whenever I make my detergent I do a double batch. It fills up the glass jar in the photo at the top of this post. That one jar will last me well over 6 months, if not longer! – and I do A LOT of laundry :-)

To those curious if it saves money. I believe it does.
Heres what the recipes source website says about the cost savings:

Cost to make your own: Around $2 per batch.
This is about 5.7 cents per load (using 2 tablespoons for each load, you get about 35 loads).
Arm & Hammer laundry detergent is about 12.4 cents per load.
Tide detergent is 30 cents and more per load.

Do the math.. its way cheaper and last way longer.
Its worth the effort.

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