A lot of blogs and sensationalist media reports want you to think that our public health departments are knowingly and intentionally poisoning us. That we are so far behind Europe because they’ve banned hundreds more chemicals than we have in North America. But the truth is, our governments just take a different approach. I believe
Chemical flame retardants are in electronics, children’s pyjamas, car seats, mattresses, carpeting, and most other petrochemical-based materials (i.e. foam, polyester, etc.). Halogenated flame retardants have been around for 40 years, and we are now learning how hazardous they are to our health. In fact, they are found in just about everyone across North America, at
I started my own green living journey because of environmental reasons, nearly 15 years ago as an engineering student. 10 years later when I was pregnant with my first child, I realized that there were some pretty good health benefits to what I was doing too. But the messaging was all wrong. Maybe you’ve seen
When it was time to up-size my kids’ beds, I spent my time worrying about the mattresses and forgot about the bedding until the last minute. In fact, my daughter’s new bed was assembled, with the mattress in place, before I clued in that we had no sheets. So, I took my her on a
I have avoided this topic for a loooong time. Why? Because essential oils are contentious and there’s a lot of internet hate for those who share their opinions. But since I get asked about oils all the time, I decided I needed to have the answer. Welcome to the results of my latest deep-dive research project
One of my recent clients suffers from respiratory issues and multiple chemical sensitivity. She was advised by a naturopathic doctor to detox her home to help alleviate her symptoms, and called me for support. When we started going through her cupboards, she was shocked at how many household cleaners there were – some of which she
We just booked a 9-day backcountry canoe trip in Algonquin Park this summer. 4 adults and 4 kids ages 2.5 – 7 years. When I tell people that we go backcountry camping with kids, I usually get a response of raised eyebrows with an undertone of either “that’s amazing!” or “you’re crazy!”, or maybe a little
Earth Hour is a campaign by World Wildlife Fund to raise awareness about and inspire action against climate change. The idea is to turn off as much power as you can for one hour from 8:30pm – 9:30pm; this year, Earth Hour happens on Saturday March 25th. Participating in Earth Hour is a nice gesture,
It seems crazy that something we spend one third of our lives on might be toxic. Yet while your mattress isn’t toxic in the sense that it’ll kill you on contact (well, not likely anyways), it may have some less-than-desirable ingredients. Most people think of non-toxic mattresses for a new baby’s crib – but we