Basic H2: Cheaper Than Vinegar Water

One of my primary instincts is to ask, "How much is it going to cost me?"  With my detail-oriented tendencies, balancing the budget for our home comes naturally.  In an effort to manage our income wisely, I'm always looking for ways to save a dime or dollar.  I used to think I was being super thrifty and all- natural by using a spray bottle of vinegar mixed with water.  But lo and behold, I’ve found an even better deal than Grandma’s vinegar cleaner  - Shaklee's Basic H2®.

No longer do I have to worry about clipping coupons for window or all-purpose cleaners.  My supplies are so cost effective that it'd be silly to think otherwise.  In addition to being easy on my wallet, I can rest assured that Basic H2 is totally natural and perfect for homes with children and pets.  Like most cleaning solutions that give off strong fumes that can affect the respiratory system, Basic H2 is fume free and pharmacist approved from yours truly :)

So you want the proof?  I’m happy to give it.  Let’s compare the cost savings of a few cleaning brands. 

Comparison of All-Purpose Cleaners

That’s right, the Basic H2® cleaning concentrate makes 384 bottles of all-purpose cleaner!  If I wanted to purchase the same amount of vinegar to make the same amount of all-purpose cleaner, I’d have to spend almost $40.  What’s even crazier is that if I wanted to buy enough 409 All Purpose Cleaner, I’d have to spend near $708!

According to the product bulletin, “many all-purpose cleaners may contain toxins that can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled. Synthetic solvents may cause hormone disruptions. Organic solvents such as butyl cellosolve are neurotoxins and nasal irritants. Another toxin, morpholine, can cause liver or kidney damage. Glass cleaners contain ammonia,a poison that can irritate skin, eyes, and the respiratory system.”  Basic H2 contains none of these.

As showcased on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Shaklee’s Get Clean product line offers powerfully clean alternatives without harmful toxins and fumes.  It is a natural and nontoxic dirt fighting cleaner.  

It was even a part of Oprah’s “favorite things.”

So, in addition to the cost of the cleaning products you buy, have you ever put thought into what chemicals you are bringing into your household?  Especially if you have young children, please consider the fumes that commercial cleaners create within the home.  Please, consider making your household a cleaner and safer place to live.  

You can order here.

Product Brief. 17 September 2012. http://member.myshaklee.com.
White Vinegar and 409 Prices, accessed 17 September 2012. shop.mywebgrocer.com/shop. 

Using Vinegar as an All Purpose Cleaner. www.cleaningwithvinegar.com

Take Just A Moment

Earlier this summer, I made a goal for myself.  That goal was to "become bolder."  What I failed to do though, was decide what that meant or would look like.  Some of my girlfriends asked me at the end of the summer if I had reached my goal.  Because of my lack of planning, it was hard for me to answer.  I love to plan and organize, but for some reason I chose to change something about myself without allowing for further direction.  I made a statement.  I thought of a change I wanted to make.  I did not truly set a goal though.  I did not define the goal.

By nature I'm an introvert.  Being a "people person" is not my forte.  Actively getting to know other individuals has been a lifelong lesson with skills that I am constantly trying to sharpen.  I am curious about many things but cautious to give details about myself.  Maybe that's why I want to be "bolder"....to allow others to see what I truly care about.  

So why did I fail to plan ?  Good question.  I plan for trips and I see the result of the trip...fabulous restaurants, interesting activities, and amazing memories.  Our most recent trip was to go to NYC.  If you've never been, it's at least a once-in-your lifetime must-do trip!  I need to change my mindset though.  Working in a retail pharmacy, there's so many "things" you have to do, calls to make, prescriptions to follow-up on, that it becomes very easy to never focus on one task for too long.  This repetitious action of jumping from one topic to another creates the five blog entries I've started but never finished.

In a way, this blog is a constant exercise.  It forces me to sit and think and write.  Researching answers to health questions allows me to revisit old topics.  A New Leaf on Life is a way for me to realize what I love and care about most so that I can put myself out there and become bolder.  My mom's life story circles around "finding your passion and doing everything you can to realize your goals".  By typing each post, I am discovering what I care about and what intrigues me.  

This blog is my goal.  Through it I am becoming bolder, no longer as afraid to show others who I am.  I can learn.  I can teach.  I can do.  

Take a moment for yourself to just think.  When is the last time you made a goal for yourself?  Was it that New Year's resolution nine months ago?  You can make changes any day of the year!  If you do make a goal though, envision what that means, and plan for the change.  Remember, every day is a chance to turn a new leaf  :)

Ice Cream vs. Frozen Dairy Dessert

I love ice cream.  If I had to make my own sunday it would be many things chocolate and caramel.  I'm a lover of Cold Stone's Germanchokolatekake concoction in a delicious waffle cone that tempts me the moment I come within smelling distance.  However, there's a new treat in my life that I almost gravitate to more (notice almost).  Frozen yogurt shops.  I love the frozen yogurt shops where you choose all your toppings, as many that can fit on your cup.  The tangy "original" or strawberry or chocolate flavors topped with fresh berries and granola leave my sweet tooth satisfied and my waist line a little more relieved.  So good!

Well, onto the topic of today's discussion though.  What does your so-called ice cream container say?  Is it labeled ice cream? Light ice cream?  Frozen dairy dessert?  What's frozen dairy dessert though?  Well, it's a dairy product where "there is not enough cream in the product to allow the manufacturer to label the product as ice cream." (Tracy)  I searched to find the legal definition of "frozen dairy dessert" within the Code of Federal Regulations but came up with only definitions of ice cream.  If anyone can help me sort through the legal jargon and find the definitions within our federal regulations I'd appreciate it.  

Legal Definition of Ice Cream

Nova Scotia Definition of Frozen Dairy Dessert

Someone close to me, let's call her Tracy, has worked in the food ingredient/preservatives business for many years.  "Food ingredients and preservatives are necessary for food safety and wellness.  They inhibit the growth of microorganisms and bacteria that would be harmful to humans should they remain unchecked in food.   It is when food ingredients and preservatives are used to manipulate the food for the purpose of cost savings and marketing where I start to alter my purchasing habits."

 I remember at a family birthday party she told me that the only ice cream she'll eat is the kind that completely melts into a puddle.  "The cheaper the ice cream, the more likely it is to contain stabilizers that hold the ice cream’s shape even as it thaws, to have fillers that provide aeration, products that allow them to reduce the cream levels which gives a cost savings, and then products to counteract the reduction in cream by providing a creamy mouth feel."  Creamy mouth feel you say?  Is that what I'm purchasing?  Enough cream in the container to resemble ice cream but additional ingredients to make my taste buds feel like there's creaminess?  That idea makes me feel a little cheated.

My task at hand: to see how ice cream melts.

Now, before I go any further, let me say something upfront.  I am not advocating that any of the ingredients to be mentioned in the studied desserts are harmful to one's health.  I am not an expert on food safety, preservatives, and other ingredients found in "ice cream."  All we will see are my observations and opinions over the melting of various ice cream versions.  So, let's see how ice creams melts then.

I went to the store and grabbed an all-natural Harris Teeter container, a "light ice cream" Edy's container, and "frozen dairy dessert" from Breyer's.  Yes, I just said Breyer's!  I thought of all ice cream brands, Breyer's was the staple of all things natural dairy....so wrong, so disappointed....

I took 4 scoops out of each container and placed them on a plate to melt.  Breyer's is left, Edy's is center, and Harris Teeter is on the right.  After about an hour and a half, the scoops had melted and I proceeded to take a video.  Please excuse my first attempt at making a video.  It's not my forte :)

If you have an ice cream container marked "frozen dairy dessert," I dare you to leave it out overnight and see if you like what you see in the morning.  I left out my container before tossing it.  A friend came over before I could throw it out and she wasn't too thrilled either after seeing what was left.

After searching my nearby grocery stores, I know that Food Lion and Harris Teeter both contain store-brand ice cream flavors that are all-natural.  I can read all the ingredients and feel good about what I'm buying.  It may cost a dollar more, but if you look for sales sometimes you can find even better deals than buying "brand names."  For example, a few weeks ago Harris Teeter ran a "Buy 2, Get 3 Free" deal.  Let's just say I stocked up.

Happy ice cream eating!


Extra Creamy Chocolate Nutrtition Facts.  6 September 2012. http://www.breyers.com/product/detail/113847/extra-creamy-chocolate
Slow Churned Chocolate. Nurtional Information. 6 September 2012. http://www.edys.com/SlowChurned/Flavor/2312
Southern Milk Chocolate. Ingredients on Container. 6 September 2012.