CALIFORNIA, USA: When “Beauty” Products are Killing Us

CALIFORNIA, USA: When “Beauty” Products are Killing Us

Toxic beauty products

Four years ago I bought my last body lotion and body wash. Two years ago, for several months I went “no-poo”. Around that time I also threw all my deodorants in a trash can.

The only thing I have gotten back to is the shampoo. I do, though, try to make it myself every now and then. The rest of the cosmetics are not very welcome on my bathroom shelf, unless I make them myself.

Because of that, I normally try to stay on top of situations in which I may run out of something (and also  because I simply refuse to use the toiletries that are on my husband’s shelf in the bathroom). Funny thing is that he has way more “beauty products” than I do, and he does not have a lot of them, compared to most people.

… but one day it happened, I ran out of my shampoo…

Luckily it was a shopping day. Happy that I didn’t actually have to make an extra trip to the grocery store just to get a shampoo, with my greasy hair tied in a ponytail, I left the house. Because it was pretty late, and we were pretty exhausted from a busy day, we had decided we were going to stop by only one store, not two, like we normally do. (more…)

Ewa Samples

Ewa was born, and raised in Poland. She graduated University with a master's degree in Mass-Media Education. This daring mom hitchhiked from Berlin, Germany through Switzerland and France to Barcelona, Spain and back again! She left Poland to become an Au Pair in California and looked after twins of gay parents for almost 2 years. There, she met her future husband through Couch Surfing, an international non-profit network that connects travelers with locals. Today she enjoys her life one picture at a time. She runs a photography business in sunny California and document her daughters life one picture at a time. You can find this artistic mom on her blog, Ewa Samples Photography, on Twitter @EwaSamples or on Facebook!

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CANADA: Healthcare Heaven

healthcareAchoo!  Can someone pass me a tissue, again?  It seems like not a week goes by without someone in my family being sick.  It’s ‘cold and flu’ season in Canada, and we sure have had our share.  The whole bunch of us went through countless colds, a couple episodes of a gastro virus, and a brush with the flu and high fevers.

We’ve had so many visits to the doctor’s office to check the kids’ cold symptoms (Is it an ear infection? Is there a wheeze in the baby’s chest?) that the receptionist recognises my voice over the phone.

Yes, it’s me again.  I’m bringing in this child, this time.  No, the other one is doing better now, thank you.

I have three children ages five and under.  Someone is always sick or getting sick.  We live in the land of the runny nose.  Two of my children have serious special needs and they have their own unique medical concerns.  So we go to the doctor, a lot.

And we remain grateful.  Because all those trips to the doctor do not cost me a dime out of pocket. (more…)

specialneedmom2

Angela is a Special Education teacher who blogs about her super-powered special needs family. She has a 3 year old with Prader-Willi Syndrome and a 5 year old with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Sensory Processing Disorder. The odds of these random genetic events occurring at the same time are astronomical. "When you add our typically developing one year old baby boy to the mix, you have a very busy household!", she explains. Angela admits to having too many appointments, too many school problems, and being generally too busy as she tries to live life to the fullest. Please visit her family at Half Past Normal for more of their adventures! If you want to connect to chat, you can find her on Twitter @specialneedmom2 If you are interested in Special Education policies and procedures in Ontario – or just some excellent strategies and accommodations – please check out Angela's other site at Special Ed on the Bell Curve.

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