Introducing SKIN DEEP

My slow year is progressing as we are experiencing new things and making adjustments in our daily living. We are learning to be self-sustainable and learning the real meaning of "wants" and "needs". In understanding this, our life is becoming more simple and stress-free, without the pressure or worry of keeping up with everyone else!

Some new changes recently:

1. cancelled our cell phones. Using only our prepaid phone for out of town trips or emergencies. We're now saving 80.00 a month!

2. Up to 5 no-spend days! Easy to do if you keep errands to one day a week,and meals are planned for the week (I have to do 2 weeks at a time).

3. Not using the dryer or dishwasher! I'm cutting back MEGA kilowatts now! whoo-hoo and with fall weather here, my clothes are drying super fast on the clothesline!

4. showers in the morning so no lights are being used(we have a bathroom window)!

5. Now on a fifty dollar a week food budget! Yes it can be done! I can get stuff tons cheaper from the farmers here! Eat leftovers for lunch. Pack hubby's lunch.

6. Now giving all hubby and two sons haircuts. Saving 32.00 a month! They like to wear high and tight so it was getting pricey at the base barber.

NOW one thing I'm starting this week....

We are building a solar oven this week!!!! Which means I will be saving lots of $$$ and kilowatts. Well, at least until winter comes....then I pretty much only use my crockpot!!!

I wanted to reccomend this website to you. It's called SKIN DEEP! We have chunked a lot of cosmetics that were "all natural". Yeah, you can't believe everything you read! They will put ANYTHING on labels to make that extra buck!!!!! Oh yeah, and all those exfoliants you pay lots of $$$$ for....they are NOT pumice stone, walnut shells, avocado ect....they found that almost every single one on the shelf had microscopic PLASTIC beads in them!!! That's what's exfoliating your skin girlfriend! Then of course these pretty little beads go down the shower drain into the water/ocean back into the water we drink, and all the sea creatures bellies...yeah...they found their little bellies full of these plastic beads!!! (oh and I don't like beanie babies!)How do they do it? Well, of course they're not going to write "PLASTIC" on the label....but the plastics ARE there people, in the name of... micro-fine polyethylene granules, polyethylene spheres or beads, or plain old polyethylene. Check the labels, honey!

Anyways, the whole point of my ranting was to let you know that Skin Deep lists pretty much every cosmetic form on the market, even eye care products, and gives you the rating from low hazard, moderate hazard, and high hazard!!! Yes there are products out there with 0 hazard...meaning that it didn't kill the lab rats, give the hamster a tumor,or grow fur on the lizard! Mainly that it won't give YOU cancer or other illnesses, or allergens. Select the link at the top of the webpage, like hair care and it will start with the list of least hazardous to the highest. It may freak you out! It will tell you WHY it's rated high hazard too! Very informative! European authorities on their cosmetic industries will not allow over a thousand chemicals to pass for manufacturing in their products...American cosmetic authorities ONLY band 11!!! hmmm....J' utilise francais le savon!!!!!!

You can use SKIN DEEP as a guide to help you purchase cosmetics that are TRULY safe for your family!! I hope this is a help to you!

Have a wonderful, safe week!:)