Perfect Perfuming

Good evening readers! Today I want to talk to you all about one of my VERY favorite things in this world--perfumes. Ahhhhhh. I am a self-proclaimed "perfume snob." I love true "single floral" and "floral bouquet" scents in particular. I tend to layer on flower waters, lotions, oils, and perfume. I rarely wear just one scent, I love making them my own by combining. I have quite a collection of mostly french perfumes and oils, and I pride myself on smelling scrumptious :) Perfumes are some of my best and oldest friends. BUT there is a dark side to them as well. Have you ever wondered what's in your favorite perfume? Not only does the quality of the perfume impact the smell (I have always had a nose for the good stuff), but it has implications for our health as well, and the health of those around us--spouses snuggling up to us, kids in the bathroom while we spray, babies nursing and nuzzling, and the lady next to you in yoga or spinning. Are you content to spritz absentmindedly, or do you dare to delve deeper? I am here to uncap the secrets if you care to take a whiff. Okay, I'm done with the perfume puns. Now on to the perfume facts. You might be surprised by what you learn...

A Better Bathtime for Baby

Noëlle after her bath

Good afternoon all my chic, savvy and crunchy mamas and dadas (I am in constant toddler mode.) Last week a friends messaged me on Facebook to ask me what bathtime products I use for Noëlle because she has a baby girl on the way! I was delighted that she asked! After that conversation I thought I would share with all of you what I told her, and more: healthy bathtime essentials, what products to avoid, and what little extras can be done. Back when I was pregnant and researching products for my baby-on-the-way, I was absolutely astonished by how many were truly UNnatural. It dawned on me that most people probably don't understand or know what toxic ingredients are, and what's more, they simply trust the household brands to make their products with integrity without doing the research. Maybe you can't trust a lot of the companies out there, but you can trust me! I do my homework, I try different things, I decide on my favorites, and of course I share what works...

First, a quick quiz. Name the product to which this list belongs: 

Cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium trideceth sulfate, PEG-80 sorbitan laurate, PEG-150 distearate, fragrance,  tetrasodium EDTA, polyquaternium-10, quaternium-15, yellow 10, orange 4, sodium hydroxide. Is it...

A. Engine degreaser

B. Car coolant

C. Baby shampoo

D. Roach killer

What Would a Crunchychicgal Do (WWCD)?

Good afternoon my chicly crunchy readers! So people ask me all the time what exactly it means to be "crunchy-chic." How I put it into action and not just words. How I spend my days. What I do for fun. How I eat out mindfully. Where and how I shop. Etc. Many of you are already living like I do in one way or another, and many of you probably have some marvelous examples from your own lives--things I may not be doing--and I hope you will share with all of us! To stay true to the theme of my blog, which is to just share my own experiences and wisdom, I will not tell you how to live or how every "crunchy chic" gal earns her title; I will simply share what this crunchychicgal does (WTCD)...

You Matter!

Hi all! I missed writing to everyone on the day itself, so I will exclaim with glee, HAPPY EARTH WEEK! It deserves a full week, right? Noëlle and I were out and about last Monday, enjoying spring's blossoms and birds and the long-awaited Pacific Northwest sunshine. We walked by the river, sat outside in the grass and appreciated the natural beauty around us. Later that day I stopped for a coffee at one of my local roadside stands, and while ordering a latte I struck up a conversation with Ange, the delightful barista and owner, after asking whether the soy milk (which I rarely order) was organic. Well not only did she have organic soy milk, she also had organic coconut, almond, hemp, AND rice milk. Waaay outside the box for a small town coffee shop, and I was overjoyed! So I ordered hemp. Then she cheerfully demonstrated her approval by sharing that "hemp is better than soy, which acts like estrogen in the body." Wow! My pretty, local barista offered such thoughtful information! Had I not already known this, I would have been extremely grateful for the enlightenment. As it was, I appreciated her boldness and willingness to share, to choose helping others and passing on important information over fear of speaking up or of being "annoying." As I drove away, sipping my 12-oz. iced latte, I started thinking how truly connected we all are and how vital basic communication and information sharing is. I was also appreciative that Ange had hemp milk. And I got an idea for a post...