Chad D. Thomas: Embarking on a Non-toxic Journey & A Tour Inside Our Cottage

Embarking on a Non-toxic Journey & A Tour Inside Our Cottage

Aunt Frannie's - Non-toxic cleaning #HomeSweetBiome #HealthierHousekeeping #PlantBased #NaturalCleaning

* This week we joined the movement for healthy cleaning with Aunt Fannie’s Cleaning products as part of a sponsored post for Aunt Fannie’s. All opinions are my own. I only support brands I use regularly and believe in their business practices.*

It all started with alpaca balls….

Let me explain. Last spring, as Chris and I were moving into the cottage we’re renting, my godmother sent me a house-warming gift. I opened the package to find alpaca wool dryer balls.

Attached was a description explaining how dryer sheets can contain chemical fragrance which sticks to your clothes (to make them soft) but can get on your skin. We started giving the balls a go. I was pretty amazed to see there was a noticeable reduction in the acne on my back (which I’ve suffered from for years.)

It was a bit of lightbulb moment. Just like that, I started hearing and reading so much more about toxic ingredients in things that we use all the time around the house and in our cleaning products.

I’ve done a little digging to see the evidence behind these chemicals being safe or not. It looks like many of these products pass the government’s standards. However when I saw for my self that my skin dramatically changed by simply replacing dryer sheets, I realized maybe it’s not worth risking my health to save a couple bucks using conventional cleaning products.

Obviously I’m not a scientist or researcher. I’m not claiming to know everything about toxicity in cleaning products. I do firmly believe that if there are cleaner, less-toxic alternatives, that are accessible AND effective, then why risk it?

pace yourself when going non-toxic to protect your stress and sanity

I realized that this could quickly escalate into obsession of non-toxic everything and I could slip into feeling anxious about all chemicals. Before I started making the switch from conventional products, I was mindful that it didn’t have to happen overnight. None of these things would kill me in the coming years. It’s a long game. I also realized that stressing out and going into full obsession mode, would probably do more to disrupt my stress hormones and overall health than using conventional products for the next year.

I think this is important and it’s not talked about enough. Baby steps are ok. Especially when you actually want to make a long-term change. Just like diets (that never work) going from 0 to 60 might not be sustainable or pleasant. Mindfulness and stress management is an absolute pillar in my health. If that goes out the window to make other healthy changes, then for me, it’s not worth it. So I’m here saying whether it’s going organic, non-toxic, reducing plastic, etc. it’s ok to go slow.

We decided to use the strategy of replacing versus buying all new products all at once. I wanted to take the time to do a little research on the brands on ze google and asking friends. We started with all of our laundry products. I’m super lucky because while I’m the laziest launderer in the world, Chris LOVES doing laundry #teamwork. I figured because these products are touching out clothes which touch our skin all day they would be a great place to start.

Then I found Aunt Fannie’s

Then Aunt Fannie’s reach out. I was really thrilled when I got an email from Aunt Fannie’s asking if I wanted to try their cleaning vinegar. It’s funny how the universe works. It’s like they knew we were on this journey. I was sent a glass & window vinegar wash, a cleaning vinegar, cleaning vinegar wipes and a bottle of Aunt Fannie’s Fly Punch.

A rundown on What Aunt Fannie’s Is:

Non-toxic Cleaning Products Made with Vinegar – they helps protect the good micro biome in your house that is destroyed by other harsh chemical cleaners
Pet Safe & Kid Safe

We live in a really small cottage, it’s about 500 sq. feet. Every inch is being utilized. It also means the place gets dirty and cluttered quickly. In the mornings, one of my favorite rituals is to tidy up and clean all the surfaces. I just feel like a clean space just clears the mind. Otherwise I get overwhelmed so much quicker if my space isn’t clean.

I was surprised how much I liked the smell of the Aunt Fannie’s Glass & Window Vinegar Wash! It’s really fresh and I found it to be super effective on our mirrors and windows. I’m one of those annoying tooth brushers who destroys the bathroom mirror on the reg… sorry Chris.

I was most excited about the Aunt Fannie’s Fresh Lime Mint Cleaning Vinegar. We have wood floors so I’m always wiping up messes, crumbs, spills etc. This spray did have a slight vinegar sent but it faded quickly and you could mostly smell the mint and lime.

I’m planning on buying the Aunt Fannie’s Floor Cleaner to mop with. Peace out Pine Sol.

Aunt Frannie's - Non-toxic cleaning #HomeSweetBiome #HealthierHousekeeping #PlantBased #NaturalCleaning

I’m Excited for the Non-Toxic Movement to Keep Growing

I’ve loved making this 500 square foot cottage our home. I’ve only ever rented in apartment buildings so having a space that really feels like ours is so special. I often day-dream about going H.A.M. decorating and making the space perfect, however that’s not exactly in our budget…yet. In the mean time I want to appreciate and care for the space and things we do have as well as the best gift, our health.

I am so excited to see brands like Aunt Fannie’s emerge, where I genuinely do trust what I’m using. It’s really hard these days with so much green washing (conventional brands slapping on meaningless “natural” words that are just marketing hype to trick consumers), not to mention inadequate regulations on products that go on our bodies, clean our homes and even the food we eat. For now it’s important we keep having these conversations and supporting brands who are doing things differently, and not just to make as much money as possible.