Giveaway Relief From Spring!

 GIVEAWAY CLOSED: CONGRATS TO ANNE-MARIE! 
Spring is finally here, which is very exciting for those of us who had a snow filled winter! If you suffer from seasonal allergies it might not be such a joyful time. Trees, flowers, grass all growing, blooming and depositing pollen on just about everything including our hair, skin, and clothing.

I suffered from seasonal allergies,  the itchy watering eyes, sneezing and the one allergy symptom that really drives me crazy is an itchy nose.When you suffer from allergies there are other health concerns that can arise. Sinusitis is one of those health concerns. Allergies effect our nasal passages and this can cause swelling and congestion. Which can lead to a sinus infection, due to mucous not draining properly. There are a multitude of other issues that present themselves when dealing with allergies such as a headache, stomachache, fatigue, sore throat and even depression.

What you can do: Stay indoors between  5 AM and 10 AM (when pollen is at its worst)

Wear a hat, gloves, glasses,a paper mask, and a long-sleeve t-shirt to minimize pollen contact

Check your pollen count daily for your city and state http://www.pollen.com/allergy-weather-forecast.asp 

Take a shower after being outdoors to wash off pollen from skin and hair.

Purchase an air purifier for the areas of your house that you frequent (living room, bedroom)

Keeping house windows closed and car windows closed

Use a (HEPA) filter for vacuuming and air filtration

Drink lots of water

I have been able to reduce my allergy symptoms effectively by doing the above but I have also incorporated the following to keep myself symptom free.

 Boosting ones  immunity also aids in relieving allergy symptoms. You can do this by taking Vitamin C
Start with 500 mg vitamin C with meals three times a day during allergy season and increase to 2,000 mg total per day as tolerated by your digestive tract.

Taking Quercetin abundant in  in apples,along with other dark colored fruit and vegetables. But you can purchase it in  the for of a supplement.. Quercetin inhibits the production and release of histamine. Because bioflavonoids work a little more slowly than prescription antihistamines, you need to start taking Quercetin at the start of allergy season ,before symptoms progress. Take 1 to 3 250-mg capsules with meals, three times daily. I will eat 2 organic red apples daily as well as drinking Green Tea. Foods rich in Quercetin are red onions, red grapes, tomatoes, cranberries, citrus fruits, cherries, green leafy vegetable.

 Honey:: The honey of local bees can work like homeopathy on allergies. Taking a teaspoon a day of local raw honey is the recommendation. Children under the age of 2 are not included in this recommendation.

I also have taken Nelsons Allergy & Hayfever pillules this is a homeopathic remedy that works very well.

In our line of Joyful Girl Products I developed 2 items that will help any seasonal allergy sufferer. First our Allergy relief nasal inhaler.Our allergy relief nasal inhaler contains essential oils that will keep nasal passages open, aide in keeping allergens out, and supports  respiratory function. Also it will calm your nose when the itch presents itself. Our second item is our Allergy Relief Aromatherapy Spray. I love this! The essential oils I have used in this spray help control airborne allergens and helps to purify the air. Spritzing through  out the house, on bed linens, in your car with aid in keeping air passages open, and cleansing the air. This blend is very rejuvenating as well. I will spritz my environment then I take 3 deep cleansing breathes. I'm not one for over the counter medications, people do have to make the best choice for themselves. I personally have been able to control my allergy symptoms with natural means. I feel much healthier and happier doing so. Essential oils are wonderful healers and the aromatherapy benefits are extras for me.

Our Giveaway: We are giving away 1 Allergy Relief Kit. Our Kit contains 1 allergy relief nasal inhaler and 1 two ounce Allergy Relief Aromatherapy Spray

Mandatory Entry: Check out my store Joyful Girl Naturals and tell me in a comment another product you would like to see as a giveaway!  You must do the mandatory entry first or all other entries will be deleted.Please leave a separate comment for each entry. If you earn 2 entries then leave 2 separate comments for the action required.

Extra Entries:
2 entries become a public follower thru Google Friend Connect on the Left sidebar.
3 entries: Become an email subscriber, subscription needs to me confirmed
2 entries: Following me on Twitter JGNP
3 entries: Tweet this giveaway
2 entries: Fan me on Facebook

Giveaway is open to US and Canada persons 18 years of age and older. Winner will be chosen thru random.org. Winner will be contacted thru email, please make sure your email is visible thru blogger or in your comments. Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize after being contacted by me. Giveaway closes April 21st at 11:59 pm EST

Toxic Baby

 One of my missions when starting Joyful Girl Naturals is education. I know moms do not like to be told "Your lathering your baby with toxins" or "You could be damaging your daughters reproductive organs" So, I try and not be so harsh. I will then just simply ask you moms "Do you know what each ingredient is listed on the products you apply to your babies, toddlers, children?"

Do you know that Johnson & Johnson has some of the most toxic products on the market? Ahhh yes the lovely un-natural fragrance of Johnson and Johnson's baby lotion with Aloe and Vitamin E is rated a 7 out of a 10 on the ewg . 10 is the most toxic, 7 is not far behind.  The ingredients in this lotion are linked to health concerns such as Developmental/reproductive toxicity, Allergies/immunotoxicity, other concerns are Other concerns for ingredients used in this product: Neurotoxicity, Endocrine disruption, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Miscellaneous, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Enhanced skin absorption, Contamination concerns, Occupational hazards, Biochemical or cellular level changes

Whoooaaa!!! Lets just stop right there. Super Scary right? Yes it is. Everyday I have at least 6 emails from parents who have babies, and toddlers with major skin issues. Eczema is on the rise.. Why is that?

From many recent studies it can be due to the chemicals we apply on our children and the pesticides we feed our children.

Please print off  the  Safety Guide to Children’s Personal Care Products here ewg
this will give you a list of ingredient to stay away from as well as healthier options for toothpastes, body washes etc. Please keep Joyful Girl Naturals in mind as well. I do offer our Joyful Baby Line as well as Toddler Tubtime line and for the older child our Joyful Kids line. O.k. I know a little overboard, but hey we like to have something for everyone! I also make my products from scratch, so I can customize products for your child.
I have many customers who has children with nut allergies, so I make their products with alternative oils

I know it is crazy to some that the lotion, baby wash, shampoo they use on their kids can cause health concerns, reproductive concerns, learning disabilities, etc. It is true, and after a little research you will understand that dressing your little ones in green products can make a big big difference.

Gather up your non green baby products, log onto the EWG and check out each ingredient..Have a trash can near by, cuz once you read about the health concerns listed that are associated with your diaper cream you wont think twice about tossing it.

A Green Baby is a Happy Healthy Baby!

Peace

Charm Factory Giveaway Over At Leslie Loves Veggies

Wow, Leslie Loves Veggies is having another fantastic giveaway. Right now you can enter to win your choice of a finished charm bracelet valued at $24.99.
I personally would love a charm bracelet with all Peace Charms. The Charm Factory has several Peace charms I have had my eye on. The large Peace Sign Hand Charm, The Peace Heart Charm, The World Peace Charm, and the Peace and Love Cut Out Charm.
Head on over to Leslie Loves Veggies and enter her Charm Factory Giveaway. Who knows you maybe be wearing your favorite Charm Bracelet soon!

Super Save Sunday 3/14/10

Our SSS for today is for our wonderful Shaving Cream. 25% off today only! Our shaving cream is made with organic cocoa butter for a moisturizing shave. Our shaving cream can be labeled for the Natural Man or Joyful Girl.

Commercial shaving creams are loaded with skin irritants and toxins. Neither of which is necessary for shaving.

A common ingredient in several shaving creams is Methylparaben. Any ingredient ending in Paraben is an ingredient you should avoid. Parabens contribute to cancers,endocrine disruption,neurotoxicity, and is a known skin irritant.

This ingredient is used to preserve your product. This preservative is used so the shelf life of your shaving cream can be sustained for longer than necessary. Not worth the health concerns it contributes.

Another ingredient that is common in commercial shaving creams is Propylene Glycol. This unhealthy ingredient is linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, Penetration enhancer (opens pores to aid in your skin absorption), brain and nervous system effects. This ingredient is used to contribute to the viscosity of your product and as a penetration enhancer.

Now, these are only 2 ingredients that I pulled from a list of shaving cream ingredients browsing popular products. I would say 90% of the ingredients of these shaving creams contribute to health concerns.

Why is it important to stay away from these ingredients? If your not green yet, you may not realize that these ingredients can contribute to health concerns you are already experiencing. Skin irritations, reproductive concerns mainly infertility, and migraines to mention a few.

Yes it is true that the ingredients in your skin and hair care as well as your cosmetics maybe the cause of your migraines, recent bout with anxiety, skin conditions, even depression.

Our skin is the largest organ of our body. What you put on your skin you are consuming. Now, I know if a bottle of  Propylene Glycol was in front of you, you wouldn't drink it. So why are you putting it on your skin?


If you envision your skin care, hair care, & cosmetics as food you might want to know what your eating!

Eat healthy you only have one you!

Peace

Cancer In A Bottle???

Spring is upon us. Sunshine, cool breezes, budding trees and flowers are on the way. Most of us like to do a little spring cleaning this time of year. In our house we clean green. No harsh chemicals, no coughing, sneezing, opening windows to let out vapors that form from scrubbing bubbles or bleach.
Why go thru that? Why submit yourself and your family members including your pets to an array of cleaning products that also can do the following:

1. Contribute to Cancer
2. Disrupt your endocrine system
3. Create reproductive concerns
4.Irritate lungs and eye tissue
5.Pollute your household environment with toxins
6. Vapors from some cleaning products are absorbed by the skin and lungs. So children and pets are at risk even though they aren't actually doing the cleaning.
This is only a slight glimpse of health concerns that can occur from using chemical laden cleaning products.

There is this misnomer that our cleaning products have to smell medicinal, or have that bleach type smell in order for them to kill germs and really clean our homes. This is simply not true. Distilled White Vinegar has proven to kill most germs, bacteria and mold.
Heinz states that its vinegar when using a 5 percent solution kills 99.9 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of molds and 80 percent of germs including viruses. That is pretty impressive. Considering you don't have to worry about the health concerns that we pay for in most supermarket cleaning products.

Did you know that there are over 80,000 chemicals being used in the United States? Most of these chemicals have never been tested for safety. Hmmm makes you wonder why the US has the highest cancer rate, obesity rate, infertility rate etc etc etc.

 Understanding the dangers to our children alone should prompt you to safely dispose of your chemical laden cleaning products and make the switch to green cleaning products.

Reading the facts about the hazards of chlorine one chemical used in many cleaning products, will have you shaken in your boots!  Did you know that in the making of chlorine bleach trace amounts of mercury are leached into the environment as well as into your cleaning products.There are many other facts that are terrifying pertaining to chlorine bleach.

Think about it, become informed as to what you are wiping your high chair tray with, the toilet seat, your kitchen counter tops and door knobs.

You can learn about safe green cleaning at Care 2 make a difference. This is a great website with an abundance of information for being green.

To get you started on making the switch to cleaning green I'm going to give away one  Cleaning Green Kit to one of my followers.

Your kit will include :
1 -8 oz bottle of our   Kitchen Cleaner 
1 -8oz bottle of our Bathroom Cleaner
1 16 oz tub of our Multi Fizzy Cleaner 

Not only will these products clean and disinfect your household but they provide aromatherapy benefits as well. Invigorating, Uplifting and Revitalizing benefits due to the essential oil blends. 

To enter our Green Cleaning Giveaway you must do the following:

Mandatory Entry:Be a follower of my blog via google friend connect (left upper sidebar) leave me a comment that you are now a follower. If you are already a follower just leave me a comment letting me know. You must complete this action first or all other comments will be deleted

For additional entries:Leave a separate comment for each entry

1 entry: Become a Facebook fan (left side bar) leave a comment letting me know you are a fan.

2 entries: Subscribe via email or Rss feed. Leave me a comment that you are a subscriber or that you are already a subscriber.

3 entries: Tweet this giveaway leaving your tweet link in a comment

3 entries: Tell me one health hazard you learned about one of your current NON GREEN cleaning products.If you are already cleaning green tell me one important reason you switched.

This giveaway is open to US residents only 18 years of age or older. Contest will end March 20 at 11:59 EST. Winner will be notified via email (Make sure your email address is visible in your blogger profile or leave it in your comments) The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email,

Super Saver Sunday 2/28/2010

Today our SSS is for our  Natural Deodorant. Buy 1 two ounce deodorant and receive a free 1 ounce matching scent. Our deodorant is all natural. I infuse oils with organic lemon and myrrh. Lemon and Myrrh work as an anti bacterial to fight odor.
You do not have to choose a chemical laden deodorant for effectiveness. Natural deodorants DO work if they contain ingredients that act as anti bacterial agents. My deodorants are effective due to my infusion process. The natural deodorants on the market do not take the time to fill a jar with herbs and oils, and let them infuse for 6-8 weeks, then strain and repack with herbs and repeat the process. I will then strain the oil, and use this oil in making my effective natural deodorant.

For me it is essential to use a natural deodorant. We have cancer in our family. My mother is an ovarian cancer survivor. Recently my mother had genetic testing done. Which confirmed that she is a carrier of the BRAC 2 gene. I have to be diligent in creating effective natural products for myself, my family and for you.

Women specifically should not use deodorants which contain chemicals that contribute to cancer. Nor should we use  antiperspirant .

The ingredients used in such deodorants clog pores, keep toxins trapped, in order for your underarms to stay dry. These ingredients are toxic. I'm looking online at a popular deodorant for women and here are some of the ingredients and concerns.
Aluminum Zirconium Tetraclorohydrex is used as an antiperspirant agent it contributes to these health concerns: Developemental reproductive toxicity,Strong evidence of  Human nervous system toxicity moderate evidence,Organ system toxicity (non reproductive)
Cyclopentasiloxane is linked to cancer as well as neurotoxicity
Fragrance: Remember Fragrance oils are NOT essential oils. Fragrance oils are chemically derived, where as essential oils are plant derived. Fragrance oils are linked to Neurotoxicity, Allergies-immunotoxicity
Mineral Oil: cancer, environmental toxin, allergies-immunotoxicity, skin irritant
Silica: Cancer,allergies/immunotoxicity, organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
Methylparaben :allergies-immunotoxicity,organ system toxicity (non-reproductive),neurotoxicity,cancer,
endocrine disruption. biochemical or cellular level changes(Interferes with gene expression) skin,eyes, and lung irritant.
Triclosan:cancer,developmental-reproductive toxicity,endocrine disruption,organ system toxicity(non reproductive) irritation to skin, eyes, lungs,

These are just some of the ingredients on the label of a popular commercial deodorant.

Remember that  your skin is the largest organ of your body. Whatever you put on your skin gets absorbed into your blood stream.  Just think of feeding your skin, like how you put food into your mouth. It all gets absorbed with our bodies.

You do not have to keep your underarms from smellin by applying hazardous chemicals to your pits. Natural deodorants are effective, my deodorants are effective.

If you have questions pertaining to my deodorants, not sure which one would be right for you, or you need a different blend due to being allergic to any of my ingredients, feel free to contact me. I can accommodate you.

Love yourself, Love your body, Make healthy choices!
Peace,
Shelly

Giveaway Green Ink Organic Tee Shirt

This Giveaway Is Now Closed!
Our winner is chosen by random.org #27

alysiajuanita said...

I follow you on Twitter. alysiajuanita art.in.me@gmail.com I have emailed the winner and she now has 48 hours to get back to me.

I have a great giveaway! Green Ink is giving one of my followers 1 Organic Cotton  t-shirt, Your choice!

Green Ink is a fairly new business. Owners Michael Blahut and Matthew Douglas believe that what you wear is an expression of what you believe.The two are brothers, and they are my sons!

Michael just came back to the states in July 2009. He had been in Fiji serving 2 years with the Peace corp. His title there was "Environmental Advisor" he was the environmental advisor to the king.
Michael got involved with coral conservation there in Fiji. He has an environmental degree from VCU

Matthew is a web developer who has a passion for creating and designing and has his own business at http://www.mattdouglas.me/  

Together they decided to form Green Ink. Their motto "Wear the Change" speaks volumes.

Here is some information about Green Ink taken from their site:
"We believe that what you wear is an expression of what you believe. To make real change happen we have to stick to what we believe in. To keep ourselves and our planet healthy and happy, we need to start changing the way we do things. When you buy something as simple as a t-shirt, you can contribute to a more sustainable and healthy future."

Matthew and Michael designed and screen printed all the shirts themselves.

I have all the shirts for women from Green Ink. I love that I can dress them up with a jean jacket, skinny jeans, and ankle boots.  I have put them all thru the washer and dryer just fine. No major shrinkage.

The shirts are super soft which is important for my reactive skin. I love the fact that they are all organic.
The shirts are $21.95. This is a great bargain for a organic shirt with original artwork

The shirts are conversation starters. Save the Humans, and the Tribal Turtle are their best sellers.  I do have to say every time I wear a Green Ink shirt I get asked "Where did you buy that?" The detail in the graphics grab your attention.

The California shirt is like an I spy shirt. Michael drew palm trees, skateboards, waves and many other items that you would find in CA in the outline of the state.

They have shirts for men and women, and are working on a kids line. Affordable, Sustainable clothing. How cool is that?

I'm proud of my sons for making choices that promote a healthy environment and support sustainable ideas
.
I'm proud that they want to make a difference to be proactive in creating a better environment.

Yes, the male models at Green Ink are my sons!

Buy it: you can purchase a Green Ink Shirt at the online store.


Win it: One lucky reader will win 1 organic cotton shirt of their choice from shirts  shown at Green Ink


Mandatory entry: Become a follow of my blog publicly using  google friend connect then leave a comment. If your already a follower leave a comment letting me know.

******You must perform the mandatory entry first before getting additional entries***** 
leave a separate comment for each entry. If you earn 2 entries then you must comment twice. Example I'm a subscriber, #2 I'm a subscriber. thus leaving 2 separate comments.

Additional Entries:
1 entry: Check out the shirts at Green Ink and leave a comment with your favorite one.

1 entry: Fan Green Ink on Facebook

1 entry: Follow Green Ink on Twitter

1 entry: Fan Joyful Girl Naturals on Facebook (left side bar)

1 entry: Follow me on twitter JGNP

1 entry: Tweet this giveaway and comment back with your tweet link

2 entries: Read "Our Roots" at Green Ink and comment back with something you learned

2 entries: Subscribe to my blog via email (left upper side bar)

3 entries: Become a follower of my other blog Joyful Canine via google friend connect

5 entries: Blog about this giveaway linking to Green Ink and Joyful Girl Naturals Blog and comment back with a link to post.


Contest is open to US residents 18 years of age and older.1 winner will be drawn using random.org on March 13 at 11:45 pm EST. Winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond.