The dilemma I am having is this: Does seeking out something better need to mean that you are not grateful for what you have? Isn’t personal growth about not being satisfied with where you’re at and always reaching higher? Why not seek out a nicer television or car if it will bring you more pleasure? Why not seek to constantly grow your business if it means you can thrive financially? My desire to make things better for me, for my family, for the world, does not mean that I am not grateful for the blessings that unfold in my life every single day. In my tradition there was a great leader that once said “Always be happy, never satisfied.”

A new way to look at gratitude is as a way to improve your life. We can always strive to be better, to do better.  Much like gratitude itself, it is a choice. We can choose to focus on blessings rather than burdens and it can transform your life.

Another approach is to live with two ideas simultaneously: “Things can be worse” or “Things can be better”. “Glass half full”, or “glass half empty.” One way makes you feel better about where you are and what you have been given, the other motivates you to improve it. In this approach, you need not make the choice. You can be grateful for your blessings all day long, and in between, work hard to make things better.

During this holiday season I am going to be grateful for my ability to hold two competing ideals side by side and not have to settle. I will embrace pleasure, yet seek meaning. I will be open to new ideas but know my own limitations. I will be humble, yet bold enough to do big things. I will be grateful, but never satisfied.

Gradually phasing out?? Is that something you as a parent are willing to wait for while you rub a known carcinogen on your baby? Even though the levels may be low, why risk it? Especially when there are natural, safe, effective and affordable alternatives.

· In a study conducted over a 15-year period, women who worked at home had a 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who had jobs away from the home

· Day-in, day-out exposure to the toxic chemicals in household cleaners are 3x more likely to cause cancer than air pollution

· Every year, 5-10 million household poisonings or burns are reported. Most of the victims are children.

Look for a dishwshing detergent that is made with 100% nontoxic ingredients. Shouldn’t everyone you know be using a phosphate-free dishwasher concentrate that leaves dishes sparkling clean?

Stubby Pencil Studios Pencils and Erasers:

These personable pencils and erasers are made from eco-friendly resin. They are recyclable, free of lead, paint, phthalates, PVC and latex. Stubby Pencil Studio also manufactures ‘Shape Pencils’ made from chemical-free, recycled rubber wood and finished with non-toxic colors. As a bonus, Stubby Pencil Studio gives you one free Shape Pencil with any purchase.
How much: $1 for erasers and $3 for a set of four pencils.
Online: stubbypencilstudio.com

Reusable Food Containers for Packed Lunches:

Ditch the disposable baggies and pack your kid’s meal in reusable food containers. This apple shaped container comes in bright green or red, and perfectly houses sandwiches from getting crushed in transit. Bonus: it’s made out of 100% biodegradable plastic! Graze Organic also makes an adorable line of organic and reusable cloth sandwich and snack bags with a variety of labels and graphics.
How much: $15, $24
Online: gretel.com & grazeorganic.com

Vapur: The anti-water bottle

Colorful reusable water “bottles” that are foldable, washable, freezable, and attachable. The Vapur anti-water bottle is 100% BPA free, made in the USA, and odor, taste and stain resistant. The bottle can be folded, thrown in the dish washer, frozen so you can use it as an icepack, and you can even write your name on it on the white space on the non-bottle.
How much: $9.99 .5L non-bottle; $15.99 for two .4L “fun size” non-bottles.
Online: vapur.us

Ecojot Paper Products

All of the paper and board in Ecojot’s sketchbooks is made from 100% post-consumer waste. They come in a variety of designs ranging from ABCs and milk trucks to robots and planets. Also, for every eco sketchbook sold, the company donates a school workbook or pencil to an impoverished child via their Buy 1 Give 1 program.
How much: $8 – $11
Online: ecojot.com

Melaleuca Eco-Sense Botanical Disinfectant and Biodegradable Wipes

Sol-U-Guard Botanical Disinfectant is the only EPA-approved natural disinfectant to kill 99.9% of common germs, viruses and bacteria including E. coli, staph, H1N1 and rotavirus. It uses the natural power of thyme and contains no chlorine bleach or harsh fumes. If you prefer pre-moistened wipes, try Tough & Tender biodegradable wipes. Just because other wipes are disposable doesn’t mean they’re biodegradable too. In fact, nonbiodegradable disposable wipe waste is expected to clog landfills with an additional 100,000 tons a year by this year. Plus, Tough & Tender wipes are naturally free of bleach and harsh chemicals, and they’re safe to use on almost any surface, even natural stone like granite and marble. They’re only $3.49 for a pack of 30. Buy them for your kids’ classrooms and score some bonus points with their teachers.

To purchase online and save 30-40% off retail, email me at melashira@gmail.com.

Why is this important? Disinfectants are usually phenol- or cresol-based and deactivate sensory nerve endings. They attack the liver, kidneys, spleen, pancreas, and the central nervous system (CNS) and it takes over a year to eliminate the unhealthy effects of spraying 2 ounces, even with heavy cross ventilation.  Bleach, also commonly used as a disinfectant, is the number one chemical involved in household poisoning.  Hypochlorite (bleach) was the source of 54,433 poisonings in 2005.  Bleach may cause reproductive, endocrine, and immune system disorders.

If you think I am being dramatic try this simple test at home. Ask your children to write their names on a piece of paper. Then wipe down the table where they are sitting with a Clorox wipe. After it is dry, put the paper back and ask them to write their names again and see what happens.  After performing this at-home test, some moms reported their children wrote messier, too small to read, or even backwards, just as a result of inhaling the bleach fumes.  So in my opinion, Clorox wipes should be avoided at all costs. Fortunately Sol-U-Guard only costs $9.99 and it’s concentrated formula will make two spray bottles worth. It can be used with a paper towel to wipe surfaces. If you prefer the convenience of pre-moistened wipes, ask me about Tough & Tender wipes from the same eco-friendly manufacturer. With a safer alternative, I don’t see why anyone would want to use Clorox wipes except for lack of awareness. But that’s what I am here for.

1) Organic Milk

2) Organic Raw Cane Sugar

3) Organic Vanilla Flavoring

Preparation:

1. Add ingredients to a pint size zipper freezer bag and zip shut.
2. Place that bag in a larger (quart or larger) zipper bag and add ice to outside bag until bag is half way full.
3. Add about 6 Tablespoons salt (rock or regular) to the outer bag.
4. Zip outer bag shut and shake, turn, toss, and mix the bag.
5. In about 5-10 minutes you will have cold hands and yummy ice cream.

The dangers of swallowing poisons are obvious. What most parents are not as aware of are the dangers of the air pollutants in your home caused by the chemicals in your household cleaning products. It may surprise most people to learn that poisoning by inhalation is more common and can be much more harmful than ingestion.  According to the EPA, most homes have airborne concentrations of hazardous and toxic chemicals that are two to five times higher indoors than outdoors.  Our children are much more vulnerable to chemicals than we adults are. Their nervous and endocrine systems are under development and are much more likely to be disrupted by these harmful chemical messengers. Very young children are especially vulnerable because they crawl around the floor and when they put their hands into their mouths they transfer the toxic chemicals right into their systems.

The good news is the biggest source of chemicals in your home are the easiest to replace.  There are safer, effective alternatives that can help make your home a healthier, safer place and can actually be purchased for less than their toxin-laden counterparts.  One example is Sol-U-Guard Botanical™.  It has a patented disinfectant formula that is even EPA-approved for use in a wide variety of commercial facilities, including day cares, schools, and nurseries.
Send me a private message if you’d like to know more about this and other products I use in my household.

Yesterday after returning from a preschool function for parents and children, my 5-year old Elan told me he did not like going to events where there were so many people. I was surprised to hear this. He looked like he was having so much fun playing with his friends while I relished the time sitting on the sidelines chatting with the other moms. I asked him why he didn’t enjoy himself. He said he doesn’t like when I talk to the other moms and he doesn’t know where I am. I reassured him that I would never leave him alone or leave him behind.  I was still confused as to why he felt so insecure when he was in the familiar environment of his school playground and I was clearly in his line of vision at all times. I told him when he was busy playing with his friends and having fun, Mommy was there to watch over him and make sure he stayed safe but that he didn’t REALLY need me. He was silent for a minute while he contemplated.  Then he looked at me in the eyes with the most tender, loving look you can imagine.  He placed his little hand on my cheek and said “Oh but I DO need you mommy.” My heart melted. I wanted to squeeze him forever and never let him go.

I try to nurture independence in my children. Some day they will grow up and not need me as much and I will miss the moments when they turned to me for everything. I know I will continue to complain for years to come when I have to be on beck and call. But I secretly confess that I hope I will always feel as loved and needed as I felt in that moment.

Once upon a time there was this quaint little village.  It was a great place to live except for one problem.  The village had no water unless it rained.  To solve this problem once and for all, the village elders decided to put out to bid the contract to have water delivered to the village on a daily basis.  Two people volunteered to take on the task and the elders awarded the contract to both of them.  They felt that a little competition would keep prices low and insure a back up supply of water.

     The first of the two people who won the contract, Ed, immediately ran out, bought two galvanized steel buckets and began running back and forth along the trail to the lake which was a mile away.  He immediately began making money as he labored morning to dusk hauling water from the lake with his two buckets.  He would empty them into the large concrete holding tank the village had built.  Each was enough water for the village when it wanted it.  It was hard work, but he was very happy to be making money and for having one of the two exclusive contracts for this business.

     The second winning contractor, Bill, disappeared for a while.  He was not seen for months, which made Ed very happy since he had no competition.  Ed was making all the money.

     Instead of buying two buckets to compete with Ed, bill had written a business plan, created a corporation, found four investors, employed a president to do the work, and returned six months later with a construction crew.  Within a year his team had built a large volume stainless steel pipeline which connected the village to the lake.

     At the grand opening celebration, Bill announced that his water was cleaner than Ed’s water.  Bill knew that there had been complaints about dirt in Ed’s water.  Bill also announced that he could supply the village with water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week  Ed could only deliver water on the weekdays…he did not work on weekends.  Then Bill announced that he would charge 75% less than Ed did for this higher quality and more reliable source of water.  The village cheered and ran immediately for the faucet at the end of Bill’s pipeline.

     In order to compete, Ed immediately lowered his rates by 75%, bought two more buckets, added covers to his buckets and began hauling four buckets each trip.  In order to provide better service, he hired his two sons to give him a hand for the night shift and on weekends.  When his boys went off to college, he said to them,

    “Hurry back because someday this business will belong to you.”

     For some reason, after college, his two sons never returned.  Eventually Ed had employees and union problems.  The union was demanding higher wages, better benefits, and wanted its members to only haul one bucket at a time.

     Bill, on the other hand, realized that if this village needed water then other villages must need water too.  He rewrote his business plan and went off to sell his high speed, high volume, low cost, and clean water delivery system to villages throughout the world.  He only makes a penny per bucket of water delivered, but billions of people consume billions of buckets of water, and all that money pours into his bank account.  Bill had developed a pipeline to deliver money to himself as well as water to the villages.

     Bill lived happily ever after and Ed worked hard for the rest of his life and had financial problems forever after.  The end.

When you contemplate your financial future, ask yourself “Am I chasing cows or am I building a fence? Am I building a pipeline or hauling buckets?”  If you truly want to learn how you can build your own fence, you need to understand the power of leverage and how it can be used to build a rock-solid source of residual income.  You can work hard or you can work smart. The choice is yours.