Think Dirty!

If you thought this was a post about gardening, you're mistaken!  And as cute as Ebby is, it's not about Dexters giving themselves clay facials, either!

This post is--believe it or not--a review of an App!  Don't worry, this is still a farm blog, but I just have to share this great App--which I found through my interest in essential oils--because it helps me "live clean."

One of the first ways I used essential oils was putting thyme, lavender and eucalyptus oils in hot compresses on Ebby's udder when she was newly-freshened to give her comfort and help her relax.

It wasn't Ebby that introduced me to Think Dirty, however.  I discovered this app when it was recommended in a Facebook group.

The website states:  "Think Dirty® is more than just a mobile app - it’s a consumer revolution for safer cosmetics by learning one ingredient at a time, changing to cleaner options, one product at a time.  Join me to take back our power to vote for products that are safe, clean, and not “Dirty”. The time is now."

It sounded like a great idea, so I got the App and tried it out Sunday afternoon.  Using Think Dirty is very easy and rather addictive in a fun way, although the results were a fairly damning indictment of my bathroom contents!

I've never even used the scanner thingy on my iPhone, but I could figure this App out without much trouble.

Enable the camera on your phone, then hold the camera over the barcode of the product you want to scan.  You'll see a small window appear with a red line through it, and the barcode shows up inside the window.

This photo is so blurry because it's easier to do this than to take a photo of oneself doing it, using a camera in the other hand!  The Think Dirty scanner works so quickly I could barely get a photo of the scanning process.  At least you can see how the barcode shows up in the window with the red line through it.

If products are already in Think Dirty's system, they pop up fairly quickly, showing a "Dirty" rating from 0 (good) to 10 (bad).

Here's a decent rating of 3.  It's easy to remember, green means "go," so you can go ahead and keep using this one.

Look at the"Dirty Meter" on the left.  You'll notice that nothing pops up under the "Carcinogen,"  Developmental & Reproductive Toxicity," or the "Allergies & Immunotoxin" scales.

Here's a cream for sensitive skin that I used to slather all over myself during the winter.  It gets a half 'n half rating of 5--yellow for "caution."

Now look at the "Dirty Meter."  The allergic index isn't too bad (unless you consider that this product is made for sensitive skin!), but do I really want a 5 out of 10 on the Carcinogen scale soaking into my skin all winter?  Not really!

Think Dirty offers a lot more than a numerical rating and the Dirty Meter, though.  Notice the "Ingredients" tab in the center.  The 19 ingredients in this product don't all show up on this screen shot, but the six worst ones do.

The "5" rating on this product corresponds to the ingredient with the highest score.  It's not an average, which is a good thing because 18 low numbers averaged with one very high number could lull you into thinking the product is safe.

Finally, check out the "Our Picks" tab on the right.  Think Dirty provides 54 alternatives to this product and gives you their score to compare.

That makes Think(ing) Dirty a great thing to do while you're shopping.  In fact, I can't wait to go shopping and Think Dirty!  Last time I looked at "healthy" shampoo options, I ended up not making a selection because I couldn't narrow the choices down.  With Think Dirty, I can easily weed out any that aren't "clean" enough and find good alternatives.

I think this picture is worth 1,000 words.  This is a product I bought for my grandchildren to use on their cuts and scrapes.  Look at "Developmental Toxicity" in the Dirty Meter.  And this would go directly into their bloodstream--Yikes!

Think Dirty comes with ready-made lists you can save your products under as you scan them.  You can also create new lists of your own choosing.

Here's part of my "Dirty Products" list.  Next time I go shopping I can look up suggested alternatives for each one to be sure I replace them with something safe.

As I scanned items in our bathroom, these three came up as 5's.  I decided, however, that we aren't going to brush our teeth with something that's 5 out of 10 on the Carcinogen scale!

These items ranged from 6 (on the left) up to 10 (on the right).  I plan to replace them all with the help of Think Dirty.  Notice that lots of words on their labels don't mean what you and I might think they mean:  "natural, therapeutic, herbal, pure and nursery."

One final, great feature is that if a product you scan is not in the Think Dirty database, you have the option to send it to them and request it to be added.  It's easy to do, and I sent quite a few in myself.  Now I just have to wait on the notifications to decide the fate of these items.

If you care about your family's health, I highly recommend that you start to Think Dirty!  What's not to love about an App that does all this--AND has a name that just begs to make puns?

Think Dirty about the Bare Necessities of Life . . .

Think Dirty cleans up your life . . .  Sorry, I couldn't resist!  Try Think(ing) Dirty yourself and let me know what you think!

After the Turkey is Gone

Our Thanksgiving dinner was pretty much like everyone else's.  It's what came next that was different . . .

While much of the nation was being inundated with rain and cold, we were blessed with a sunny day of shirt-sleeve weather on Thanksgiving and again on Black Friday.  So Herb blew a huge pile of leaves to make the perfect photo backdrop.

Monique and Jim and the grandkids . . .

. . . Jean-Marc and Jenny and Tai . . .

 . . . and Kara and Bonnie.

Later that day the grandkids wanted to visit the horses.  Julie was happy to see the kids and generously gave out pony kisses.

The horses haven't been ridden in a year, but Romeo, Angel and Brandy stood so still while the kids sat on them bareback.

On Saturday we saddled the horses and went for a real ride.  Well, some of us rode!  Herb led Brandy for Kol to ride.

Jean-Marc led Romeo with Jenny up bareback.

Jim led Julie and Charis.

I led Angel with Monique and Eden riding, although Jim took over for the photo op.

Notice that every rider wears a helmet.  We are firm believers in the importance of wearing protective riding helmets and teaching the kids to wear them, too.  They may not be pretty or "cool," but they're an indispensable part of horsey fun on our farm.  Helmets have kept various members of our family safe on multiple occasions throughout the years.

We have much to be thankful for this holiday season--family, food, falling leaves, and fond memories made on this beautiful farm.

Fall Fun on the Farm

The kids and grandkids were here last weekend, and we had a beautiful day to enjoy the farm.  One of their favorite activities is to go out and see the animals.  Siobhan loves the treats as much as the kids love handing them out.

This little wheelbarrow is just the right size.

We took a "six month anniversary" photo with Seb (at left) and Ebby six months after his birth during Eden's birthday party.

Sir Loin came up to look for treats and made everyone smile with the bit of greenery stuck under his ear tag.

Wellie struck a handsome pose, glowing bright red in the sunlight.

There was fun to be had indoors later in the evening as Jim swung the kids . . .

. . . sending them flying through the air to land on the couch.  Inside or out, there's never a lack of fun on the farm!

Helping Me Over the Hill

As I mentioned back in June, the month of July was scheduled for a big family get-together.  It ended up being a month-long celebration to help me "over the hill" for the Big 6-0.  My two sisters, Barbara and Karen, arrived July 1 to kick things off.

Of course visiting me means hanging out with my Dexters.  Barbara has met them before, but it was Karen's first time here on Zephyr Hill Farm, so she had to meet the whole crew.  Here she is petting her first cow, Ebby.

Barbara discovered that when there aren't enough barn boots to go around, cowboy boots work fine for mud, too.

We did some civilized, "girly" things, too, like antiquing--an especially appropriate activity for an old-timer like me!

The last time the three of us were together was five years ago, so this was a special time for us all.  Someone has to be the oldest and hit 60 first, so it might as well be me.  As I like to remind my sisters and my kids, "If I can't be a good example, I'll just have to serve as a horrible warning."

Sadly, the girls had to leave before my actual birthday, but others came to take their place . . .

We celebrated that night at my favorite restaurant with all of us locals: Jim, Monique, Herb, me, Katie (who came in from Houston), and Kara.

Before Katie headed back to Houston, we modeled our new Billy Bob teeth.  What can I say?  It's a family tradition!  She also took me shopping while she was here, so now I actually clean up nice.

Kara had spent weeks planning a special birthday menu that spanned much of July.  Since we love ethnic food, she cooked up an Around the World Food Tour of places we've visited and cuisines we enjoy, including German, African, Persian, Egyptian, Italian, Greek, Spanish and Mexican.

This was the twelve-course Persian meal she prepared one night with a little help from her Minions.

Jim and Monique brought the grandkids for a weekend, and they kept me young at heart.

Jenny and Jean-Marc came down from Ohio to join the local yokels, and we all got our own pair of teeth for some family photo fun.

Misty had to get in on the act, too, and the kids couldn't bear to take out their teeth, so the "serious" photo was only about as serious as it ever gets in this clan.  Fun times to remember, though!

When everyone else had to go home, Jenny and Jean-Marc stayed on.  They were able to use up some leave and get some rest before heading to their new base.

About the time Jenny and Jean-Marc left, Barbara came back with the rest of her family for another week of fun and laughter, like enjoying my youngest nephew's attempt to walk on water.  (Just kidding--see the swinging rope over his head?)

The month of July finally drew to an end and so, like all good things, did the longest-ever birthday bash.  After we waved goodbye to the last of the family, Herb turned to me and jokingly said, "Well, it's over.  You're not special any more."

I didn't believe him, though--I had an entire month full of lovely memories to remind me otherwise.

Taking a Break

We have a big family get-together planned in July, and my well-worn china barely has enough pieces left to feed us all for one meal.  It's time to get some new china, and I thought restaurant china might be a good idea.  If it can survive the treatment it gets in a restaurant, it might even be able to last here!

After pricing some restaurant china at an outlet, I lamented to a friend how expensive it is, and then she told me about Deck's Glassware and Salvage in Chattanooga.  After reading about it online, Kara and I decided to go today, and what a fun experience!  Here's one of the blog posts that inspired us to go.

Part of the back room at Deck's.

More of the back room.  There was lots more, but I stopped taking pictures and started hunting for china!  By the time we'd finished, I promised Kara lunch and a huge cold drink, which she'd earned.  Then it was time to head home and wash the china.

My 20 dinner plates.  That's Misty having a roll in the background.

20 dessert plates and 20 cereal/salad bowls.  We also bought 20 brand new, white pasta bowls.

Getting ready to wash the china.  I soaked it in water with Dawn and vinegar, then washed it with a scrubby sponge.

My sparkling clean china, ready to go in the dishwasher.

Everything washed up beautifully.  I found two plates with small cracks that hadn't been visible through the dirt, but at 50 cents apiece I'm not too worried.  It gives me an excuse to go back and get some more!

All in all, this was a fun and welcome break from everything that's been going on around here lately.

I think it's going to be fun setting the table from now on!