A Full Circle

By now you've probably realized that my Facebook, Instagram & Blog consist of

• Charley
• Scout
• Oils

I guess you could say I'm somewhat predictable, right??

Boy have I got a twist for you!

So it's no surprise that Scout has been influential on my feelings about shelters, lost pet protocols, and the importance of microchipping & collars. Although, I'm not sure any of those things could have brought my baby home -- we make ourselves SO available to find if anyone is looking for who could have possibly owned the most perfect dog... IT'S US AND WE MISS HIM.

A four legged guy stole my heart a few weeks ago. Almost filling a void that I thought could never be touched. I'm not saying that Scout has a replacement but there is something happening that is making my heart happy, less broken and more hopeful. 

Saturday June 20th: Ricky, Charley and I were camping at East Canyon.

About 6:30pm the DNR officer brought around a friendly black lab full of energy. He was asking each camper if the dog belonged to them. This black lab had been dropped off to the camp host at 9am that morning it had been 9ish hours and nobody had come looking for the sweet, frumpy fella. The DNR officer assumed someone had to be missing this guy and his owners were probably out boating. I told him about Scout. I word vomit his story anytime I meet a "dog person" in hopes that if/when they find a pet they feel differently about the shelters. I hope that they see the heartbreak in my eyes and the lump in my throat and think of ME AND SCOUT whenever they find a lost pet. I hope that they stop what they're doing and take the honest approach so that someone somewhere doesn't do what they did to us, to someone else. The DNR officer was all about protocol. He agree'd to take him to the shelter if nobody had claimed him by Monday. I told him I would help advertise him on our state Lost & Found Pet's page so that together we could give this boy his family back. 

Monday June 22nd: I called East Canyon to ask if the black lab from the weekend had been reunited with his family. The girl (not the DNR officer) on the other end of the phone told me "OH! *THAT* black lab. Yeah, he lives on the other side of the dam and he always comes over here and then goes back home." I couldn't have asked for anything more. I am always grateful when a family get's their reunion. 

 Saturday June 26th: My soon to be SIL tags me in a picture "Linds it's the dog from the weekend!?" We were both confused. Why is the dog from last Saturday sitting in the shelter?? I thought he went home?? he had been there since Monday!? What in the world!!!? I immediately scrolled and scrolled and found everything I could on this guy. He was sitting out, waiting for his family this whole time -- I thought he was home? I suppose there was another friendly black lab from the other side of the dam? I immediately texted the number tied to the post about this lab. His stray hold was up and he was ready to be adopted. He got a LOT of buzz on Facebook, but I texted her to let her know that I will take him if it boils down to his "due out" day. I wasn't looking for another dog. He found me. I begged and begged Ricky to adopt him but we agree'd that we'd ONLY take him if it came down to his freedom or death. 

Monday June 29th: This sweet lab had a LOT of action on Facebook. Plenty of people fantasizing about adopting a giant, long haired, young black lab but when it came down to it -- he was still sitting in a shelter. In a shelter where one person besides myself cared about the importance of his life. He had more people encouraging permanent sleep than I even want to know about. I told the animal control officer about Scout. I told her how I appreciated the system and why things have to happen this way. I told her I was grateful for her pleading to keep this guy alive when the "experts" wanted him gone. 
He had been described as "aggressive" and "too energetic" he's a 1.5 LABRADOR RETRIEVER. Please tell me what kind of behavior is expected from this 1.5 year old lab?? I didn't (and still don't) buy the aggressive thing (but I'll tell you more in a minute).
Somewhere deep down dislodged in his long body was a microchip tied to a family. I assume it was a family that thought the idea of getting a puppy would be "CUTE" but I don't know for sure. I do know that the must've rehomed him pretty quick because we are his 3rd home and he's 1.5.
Family #2 liked to blame animal control because they kept "picking him up." The funny thing about that is.... if he isn't OUT he wouldn't keep getting "picked up." 

Buddy's FREEDOM ride

Do you know how many times I visited EVERY shelter when Scout went missing? Do you know how many times I would have KILLED to walk into a shelter and see him in a kennel losing his sweet little mind? Do you know how many times I would have LOVED for animal control to pick up Scout so I can pay that impound fee? I would have begged for it. BEGGED.

Family #2 didn't want Buddy. They kept him tied up outside, and he chewed off his rope. It was probably 90+ degree's that day. I wonder if he had shade? Water? Food?
It was a small town with only one shelter. If they missed him or even pretended to care they could have gone into the ONE shelter in town and picked him up. They didn't.

That same Monday someone put Buddy (an intact male) in a kennel with ANOTHER intact male. They got into somewhat of a fight (that's the "aggression" they were talking about). The idiot that put him in a kennel with another male HIT BUDDY WITH A SHOVEL and he tried to bite her.
If someone hit me with a shovel, I would bite too!
Because of the stupidity of this person regularly tending animals he would have been euthanized if I didn't head up there in a timely manner and come to his rescue.
I called Ricky. I told him we HAD to go get him. I loaded up Charley in the car. It was about 8pm and it was an hour away. There is NO way I could have lived with myself had the outcome been different.

Myself and the Animal Control Officer were the only ones that saw something in him. Something worth saving. I agree'd to foster him. I didn't know what I was doing but I knew it was the only option.

A few days in I could not believe what a GOOD dog he was. Hardly jumped, never barked and friendly like most labs are. It was refreshing. Our current dog loves dogs, but hate's people. His social skills have dramatically improved but he doesn't exactly scream "I want to be your friend" in the way that buddy does. Ziggy walks up to people with his hair up and his eyes angry. Buddy walks up to people with his tongue out and his tail wagging. I have forgotten in the past year and a half what it's like to have a dog that likes people. Scout loved people. I see the mannerisms in Buddy that I forgot that Scout had. 

7/6: I became a failure (Foster Fail) for all the right reasons and Buddy became ours. 

So I suppose this is some kind of sign from the universe letting me know that it's possible that just maybe Scout did end up in a good home. Maybe it's just as good of a home as mine and maybe miracles do happen. Maybe Buddy is here as a staple that even after so many homes and shelters happy endings CAN happen.

Anyhow, 

Buddy is now furever ours. 

The Monthly Diva: The Toxic Truth About Tampons

Since my post about birth control pills was so popular, it's time to talk about lady parts...again.
No matter what route you take when it comes to "birth control" our monthly friend is usually inevitable. Or at least at some point it will be. Especially if you're going the au naturale route.

There's some mysterious "unladylike" insanity that causes us to be irked about about our own vagina's. Most people aren't even comfortable saying the word, and make it out to be some kind of innuendo.What in the hell. It's not taboo or impolite, it's a body part and a pretty important one at that!
It's time to start talking.

I know this is going to seem a bit extreme to most, but doesn't at least part of you think if there's nothing wrong with a product the ingredients should at least be on the box!? Do you think there's *maybe* a reason they're keeping it so secretive? I have never been told (or even really thought about) the dangers of tampons and pads. For most of us, there's not much of a choice so we assume they'd have to be safe, right? Kind of like toilet paper on steroids or something of that nature. At my young age I don't assume anything anymore. I'm not an anti-conformist, I just read. When I don't like what I'm reading (or lack there of -- ingredients not listed) that warrants a little caution.

It seems like the tampon and feminine pad advertising get more and more awful which is kind of humorous to me because their products are getting equally awful, and more toxic. Can we just have a moment of silence for all the amazing, favorite pair of panties that are forever ruined from Aunt Flo. REST IN PEACE.

Alright, in all seriousness not only is your skin your largest organ; but it is also the thinnest organ. There is less than 1/10th of an inch that separates your skin from potential toxins (ie: lotions, perfumes etc). (If you've followed my blog regularly I sincerely apologize for beating the dead horse)
Ladies, the skin around your vaginal area is obviously extra sensitive, which also makes it more sensitive to toxins, along with the skin inside the vagina as well.

The old saying is "don't put anything on your body that you wouldn't eat" and this needs to hold true for our feminine products. In some cases what we put on our bodies is actually worse because the enzymes found in our saliva and digestive track break down our "toxic" food to some extent and flush them out of the body. When we put things on our skin, there is no filter, the products are absorbed right into the blood stream. (This is exactly why oils work so well when applied topically). When products containing chemicals are applied this way (with no enzymes to break them down) they tend to just build up which is pretty much a ticking time bomb. Build up can cause cancers, hormonal imbalances, other deficiencies. The list is truly endless.


The average woman uses between 16,800 - 24,360 tampons in her lifetime.
This isn't counting pads or panty liners, this is *JUST* tampons.
That's a pretty high number to have the federal government merely turning the other cheek. Not to get political here and regardless of your stance on politics. The fact of the matter is that things going IN and ON our bodies NEED to be labeled correctly, and we as a consumer have every right to know what is in the products even IF we aren't one to read labels.

Why aren't our tampons and pads labeled with their ingredients?? 
Isn't it just cotton anyway??
Okay now for the parts that piss me off:
Tampons & pads are considered a "medical device" & because of the way they are categorized their ingredients do not have to be disclosed to us, the consumers. 

The people putting the product inside our bodies.
Ummm. About that...
A) This means companies looking for higher profits (and who isn't??) could add literally anything in order to reduce costs and make their profits. I mean products "better." 
It's business, right??
B) Why doesn't my insurance cover my $15 worth of tampons and panty liners every month??
Here's the deal. Yes our grandmothers and everyone else has been using tampons forever with no problems but back in the day, they WERE just cotton. They weren't laced with chemicals. Chemicals in personal care products is pretty new-age. 

So now that we know just how absurd the industry is let's add some more toxicity onto this awful idea.
I know! 
Let's make them smell like flowers and things that are pretty!! What a great idea!!

Scented tampons and feminine washes are about the most reckless thing a girl could do. If you are washing your perennial area regularly you shouldn't need any "scents" down there. However, this is a sensitive area and there could be an occasional itch or funk so I understand the need for feminine wipes from time to time. Again, stay away from the scented products!! 
Most feminine washes actually have adverse effects, even the fancy "pH balancing" ones.

Learn how to make your own feminine wipes here.

**Note** feminine wipes and washes are not categorized as medical devices and are categorized as cosmetics. Still a pretty lax industry, but at least we have some, not all ingredients shared with us as consumers.

This video is pretty much all we need to know.... (If you're on mobile click here for the video)
Foam. In pads. That are touching our sensitive areas. Good idea!
I know this all doesn't seem like a big deal because it's only *touching* your skin. But remember what I said before about how that can be so much more dangerous.

Because this toxic concoction isn't enough... the fibers of our feminine products are BLEACHED so they're white and "clean."
Using chlorine bleach creates dioxin. Studies have shown that dioxin collects in your fatty tissues. Dioxin is considered a serious public health threat with NO SAFE LEVEL OF EXPOSURE. But I'm sure after 16,000+ tampons you'll probably be fine.
Dioxin is kind of the least of your worries, though.
Most name brand tampons are made from cotton (I mean, duh) and actually contain pesticides (Cotton crops are only 2.4% of the worlds land, yet $2 billion is spent on pesticides for the cotton crops). Since most of our cotton is genetically modified, you can likely count on your tampons containing GMO'S (again-- more dangerous than eating GMO's)
Tampons and pads with neutralizers and artificial fragrances are basically a toxic slurry. The ingredients used to make neutralizers and fragrances are known to cause birth defects, hormonal disruption, cancer, dryness, and infertility.

It's kind of funny to me how tampax, kotex and every other brand out there gives you an entire page warning you of TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome) which is incredibly rare, yet we have no warning about the dangers lurking in their products literally all the time. The real kicker though is that WE DON'T EVEN KNOW ALL THE DANGERS BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE IS IN THEM!! 

You might be terrified to ever use a tampon again and of course I wouldn't share something so horrific without providing you with a safer, better alternative.
As a consumer, every time you purchase a product you are essentially casting your vote. For example, when you purchase products like tampons and pads you're basically telling the manufacturers "it's okay, we don't need to know what kind of chemicals are in your products."
You'd think an ethical company would just disclose the ingredients to begin with, right? 

Never mind the discomfort associated with tampons and how at some point every single brand will eventually leak at the most inconvenient time or just feel like a dried cactus grinding on your vaginal wall. And I'm not saying that the 16,000+ tampons you use in your lifetime are going to kill you, because they've been around forever. But what they are likely going to kill is your dreams of having a family, your hormones, and potentially if they do enough disrupting and cause a terminal cancer, then yes they very well could KILL YOU. 

So what do we do?

Feminine cups.
Ever heard of them?

I'm only going to speak about the one that I have used but I am sure there are other equally great ones out there.
So about 3 months ago we were heading on a road trip and of course my cycle decides to show up.
I mean the timing couldn't be better, right?
I don't know about you but the thought of riding in the car for hours with a tampon just sounded like torture. I had been looking into feminine cups, reading reviews and was basically desperate.
I purchased The Diva Cup 

They have 2 models, one is for before kids and one is for after kids (regardless of the way you gave birth). I'll save you the full the story about how I purchased the wrong one, got home and realized it, and how the poor innocent man at the counter exchanged it with absolute horror on his face -- don't worry it was still sealed in the package.
...THAT WAS AWKWARD
Anyway, if you plan more ahead than I did they're a whole lot cheaper than they are at the store. Most major retailers don't even offer them as a matter of fact, I got mine at a pretty much organic grocery store and paid almost double what they sell for on Amazon.
So I'm not going to lie to you, it's a little intimidating and kind of awkward at first but oh MAN are they completely worth it.
Guess how many pairs of underwear I have ruined since switching??
ZERO.
It is entirely more comfortable. Most days I don't actually even remember that I am menstruating.
You can pee without having to change it and depending on your flow you can change it as few as 2x per day without ANY risk of TSS or anything else. 
It doesn't feel like you have a dry cactus in your crotch on the last days of your cycle, either.
The diva cup is made of silicone and it's free from chemicals, BPA, artificial dyes etc. It's reusable, month after month and you will NEVER miss tampons, unless you really like cactuses... in your crotch.
I've been dying to write this blog but I had to make sure I was never going back to tampons, because I wouldn't want to lie to my lovely followers! 

Pms problems? Check out this awesome study! 

We can't raise awareness alone. SHARING IS CARING <3