This is one of those books I just sat down and read. And read. And then ran to my bathroom to check the ingredients of my makeup. Then read some more.

It’s full of useful tips on how to be green without really going out of your way. And the section on the chemicals in your makeup and household products really surprised me. I had a few on Uliano’s red alert list, which made me feel all kinds of guilty for exposing my family to toxins. (I know, I know, a little overreactive).

Uliano provides lots of easy to start ideas toward greening up your life. She includes resources for organic clothing, cleaning and products that she has tried and approves.

Her website also offers tips and products for the eco-happy girl. Uliano is coming out with another book, Do It Gorgeously, in June. Can’t wait!

Recently when I attended National Moms’ Nite Out, I won a copy of Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano. It’s a great book that is making me more aware of certain things that are harmful for me (and the earth). Today I want to focus on makeup.

I already use Karma Organic Nail Polish because the idea of having formaldehyde in nail polish is gross. But beyond that I really don’t (didn’t) know much about the chemicals in makeup. Now I do.

Here’s the list Sophie gives as the absolute worst (read: throw out anything with these ingredients NOW):

• Coal tar
• Fragrance
• Hydroquinone
• Aluminum
• Triclosan
• Phelnylenediamine
• Lead and mercury

It’s hard to read labels on makeup, but I think I’ll print up this list (or put it on my phone to be more green) and take it with me when I shop. She also recommends several brands that are chemical free and good for you.

It never ceases to amaze me how many chemicals we put in our bodies. How did we get to this point? I guess it was cheaper to use chemicals to get the desired effect, and only now do we realize these might be the things causing cancer and diseases.

Speaking of cancer, it makes me crazy that no one can pinpoint what’s causing it. My dad was a healthy eater and active, and he died of a brain tumor. I just know he got it due to something(s) that were in the house. Things that people use every day. It’s frikkin scary. So whatever I can do to eliminate these toxins from my house, even if it means spending more, I’m dedicated to doing.

PS I’m still reading the book, but it’s fantastic. I highly recommend it. And so does Julia Roberts.

First we went to my favorite bakery, Mueller’s, for a donut (sprinkles. him) and eclair (with weak coffee. me). Then we went to the flea market. And later we watched Where the Wild Things Are. This book had special meaning since, well, yes, since the main character is Max. Like my son. Got it? Let’s move on.

So they take the simple, short story and transform it into a 2-ish hour movie. The cinematography was great. It was so…artistic for a kids’ movie. I wanted to freeze several frames and make photos out of them.

The story was good. It gave depth to who Max is, why he acted like a wild animal, and even gave backgrounds to the monsters. The costumes were amazing. Their personalities made me laugh.

The only part that left me dangling was this one monster, Carroll. He has anger management issues, and I’m not clear why. I want to say this was a magical, perfect movie, but there was a bit of darkness to it…that didn’t really manifest. I was surprised to see the dark side creep in, but had they taken it all the way I would have respected that more than just the toe-in-the-water approach with everything ending the way it’s supposed to.

Sorry I’m being so cryptic. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but if you’ve seen it and want to talk about it, email me!

I’m definitely glad we saw it, and I recommend you see it too.

It struck a nerve.

In trying to better myself, complaining is definitely something I can do without. It makes me feel dirty and negative, and I just don’t need that in my world. So I put a rubber band on my wrist and have been working toward not complaining.

It’s hard.

The first day I realized how much I do complain. I’ve had a day here or there without complaining (or else I forgot to notice that I did) but I’m a ways from my 21 days in a row.

When you do this exercise, you notice how much other people complain. I’ve just not responded when someone’s spewing negativity and they usually stop.

Max even got in the game, and when he whines, he’ll usually say, “Oh! That was a complaint!” and switch his band.

I urge you to take this challenge with me. Read the book if you’re interested, or just put on a rubber band and stop complaining.

I thought Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert was some sort of key to better health, by the title. But then my best friend in the universe, Andrijana, whose book tastes run identical to mine, told me otherwise.

I have a strong belief that certain books come to us when we need them most. When I read this, I needed inspiration and a little adventure. And it made the decision to move to China a little easier.

The author’s going through a bad divorce and a bad rebound relationship. She decides to take a year off and travel to Italy, India, and Indonesia for some mental, spiritual, and physical rest. I love to travel, so of course this appealed to me.

She finds challenges, like surviving a silent retreat, that are completely relatable. But I also envied her, because she’s my age (ish) and did things I could never see myself being capable (traveling around the world for a year alone being one).

Still, I loved this book. In thinking about China, I have determined that I need to have some sort of spiritual goal to make it a better trip. I am Buddhist (did ya know?), so being where Buddhism sprang up, was repressed, then rose again, will be inspirational. It will provide a different spiritual context for my life. I would also like to start meditating. I suck at it, so I hope to find a meditation class. Other than that, I want to slow down (yes, honey, I do listen to you) and enjoy life more.

What about you? Did you read the book? What did you take from it?

I’m discovering a whole underground movement of books about the struggles moms really have, as well as a slew of blogs dealing with the same thing. I don’t feel so alone.

This book was great because it tackled the major issues (not enough time for ourselves, frustration with partner, getting impatient with the kids) and shared other women’s stories. It also gave some great advice. It made me laugh, it made me cry.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

“I forgot to strap my newborn daughter in her car seat. When I got home, she just kind of fell out.”

“I have tremendous pressure from all ends. A lot of it is self-imposed. I feel like I’m trying to be perfect in so many ways: spend as much quality time with my kids as I can, be a supportive wife, still keep my career on target. The standard is very high. The majority of women in my community look perfect all the time, seem so fit and helathy. They act like decorating the house for Thanksfgiving is the best thing in their lives.”

“It’s OK to lose it. We all lose it.”

“I don’t know how to ask for help. I just know how to scream at my husband.”

I’m so pumped! There’s a book out called Dirty Little Secrets From Otherwise Perfect Moms by Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile. The book sounds like it peeks into mothers’ lives to get a little dose of reality involving feeding kids less-than-ideal meals, bribing them with candy, and cussing in front of them. Right up the alley of this lil ole blog.

I’ll read it and review it soon!