It's Not Easy Being Green... is it?

I often wonder why being healthy is so expensive. I'd love to be able to spend $300 a week on organic groceries and products, but the truth is, I can't. I live on a tiny budget in a tiny one bedroom apartment with my husband and adorable baby girl. Now with another little one on the way, we're looking at getting a bigger place which means more rent - and less in the budget for my organic addiction. 
However, helping the earth and your body doesn't always have to be hard or expensive! Every little bit helps, and I thought I'd share a few ideas that helped me get started on the path to a healthier lifestyle.

1. Cloth vs Plastic 
This one has got to be the easiest! For a couple of dollars you can stock up on cloth bags for all your shopping, and say bye-bye to plastic! It's also a good idea to keep a stash in your car for those days where you didn't expect to stop at the store, and find yourself bag-less!

2. Those Evil Air Fresheners
Basically, they're just a vile concoction of chemicals designed to mess with your sense of smell, and an unnecessary drain on your wallet. If something in your house stinks, it's probably because it needs to be cleaned or thrown out. To keep a nice scent floating about your home, try adding some of your favourite essential oil to a dish of baking soda and setting them around the house, or burning some scented beeswax candles. Miessence also has an organic air freshener that you can use too!

3. Watch What You Wear
Fabrics like cotton, linen, bamboo, silk and wool are way better to have rubbing on your skin than unnatural synthetic products. You don't rush out now and throw out your entire wardrobe and spend a fortune on 'healthy' clothes - Just keep it in mind for whenever you're out looking for a new outfit, and your wardrobe will slowly but surely change itself over to a beautiful collection of natural fibres.

4. Gardening
If you have the time and the space, this is a fabulous way to get some cheap food! Even if you don't have a lot of space, there are still ways to grow your own food. Square foot gardening is a great idea for people with small yards, as well as vertical gardening. For those of us who are apartment dwellers, if you have a balcony, use it! You'd be surprised how many plants will squish into a small space!

5. Cookware
Before Teflon, there was cast iron. It isn't coated in toxic substances that flake off into your food, and when properly seasoned, is non-stick. Stone bakeware, glass and stainless steel pots and pans are also much better choices than Teflon. Plus, if you care for them properly, you'll never have to buy another pot or pan again, saving yourself a ton of cash. 

6. Cook from Scratch
Reading ingredients lists and educating yourself on what all the fillers and additives are that companies put in their products will give you a lot of motivation for putting together your own food. Surprisingly, making your own food is also cheaper than buying it. Bread is an easy one to start with - especially if you have a bread machine. Simply pop in the ingredients before you go to bed, and voila! You have a loaf of fresh, wholesome bread in the morning!

7. Cleaning Products
I can't stress this one enough - Eliminating the vast majority of cleaning chemicals you use on a daily basis is super easy, super cheap, and SO healthy!! Pretty much every household cleaning chemical can be replaced with some ingredients from the pantry - namely baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice. Another great option is to kill all the bad bacteria with good! Miessences Probiotic household cleaner is fantastic!

8. Personal Care Products
Oh, if I could pick one thing to have people realize, it's how toxic the products are that they use on their skin day in and day out! Check out Miessences toxic ingredients list for a reality check - Ingredients we shun. Also, if you have a couple other friends who are interested in getting rid of the chemicals in their personal care routine, it's so easy to start receiving free products from Miessence, and begin the process of getting rid of those nasty products sitting under your sink.

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