Recent Reflections

I have often referred to myself as "soggy granola". By that I mean that I do follow some "hippy" or "organic" ideas...but not all. I do shave my legs. My son eats goldfish crackers (by the pound). I use Johnson & Johnson's baby soap. We used disposable diapers. But I also try to buy/provide more whole foods. Fresh or frozen fruits and veggies. Home-cooked meals. I made a lot of his baby food. I'm a big believer in breastfeeding and was neurotic about protecting my supply. So. I mean, pretty soggy I guess, but a little bit granola. 

Part of the reason I'm soggy (as opposed to crunchy) is the cost. To be a full out crunchy granola nut is expensive! It's just not an option for our budget right now. Another reason is Mr. Random. He's not really even granola. He's conscientious perhaps. He's maybe oatmeal, if that's close to granola, but not quite. He just doesn't buy into a lot of it. He did read a book that opened his eyes to the horror that is American Consumerism and a lot of environmental issues...but I guess it didn't translate to worrying about the horrors that could be in our food. Or clothing. Or our son's diapers. 

And you know what. I'm having a hard time deciding where to draw my lines. When does it realllly matter? Part of this came from deciding if I wanted to "pollute" our home with scented oil diffusers. I mean. Surely those aren't healthy...right? I tried Googling on the matter and felt like there was very little reputable information to be had. Most of the naysayers assuring me that putting these things in my home equals death...had a vested interest because they were selling "essential oils" which are supposed to be so much healthier and have healing properties. But. What's the difference really? One website even talked about how plugging the oils into an outlet is disrupting the molecules of the oil and so instead you should warm your oil using the natural heat of the sun.

Um.

I'm sorry. But what's reallllly the difference there? The heat from the sun is generated in a cosmically huge nuclear reaction. Sure it travels millions of miles to get here and then is filtered by our atmosphere and magnetosphere. But you're telling me that the energy from the sun is not going to disrupt the molecules...but the energy from my outlet is? 

I don't buy it. Energy is energy. If heating the oils by outlet is bad, so is heating them by the sun.

Others talk about the other chemicals used to aerosolize the oils. Ethanol is one. Acetone apparently can be another. And many wax on and on about how the industry is not regulated so all that has to be listed in the ingredient list is "fragrance" which can be any number of things. So instead, you should use essential oils and boil them on the stove.

Um.

Again. You're taking a "fragrance" product - sure, now we know exactly what's in it - and aerosolizing it using...well I'm not sure. Do I boil it in water? Oil and water don't mix. I doubt that would work. What is IN the essential oil then that allows it to boil and aerosolize? Is it just the oil itself burning off? How is that really any better? The oils themselves are chemical in nature. Are you telling me that that chemical is "healthy" and the ethanol is not. Maybe. I'm skeptical (can you tell) and further, don't think it's safer for my son to have a boiling pot of oil on the stove when I want a nice smell.

And that was the other common thread. Don't pollute your home to cover a smell - get rid of the smell! Well...I'm not trying to cover a smell. I just LIKE how these things smell. I want my home to smell like fresh cut flowers. And this is much cheaper than cutting fresh flowers every 3 days. What about that? It's like they don't even consider the possibility we LIKE how these things smell.

So. I bought some oil diffusers. I plugged one in in my office last night. It smelled alright in the store. I kinda hate how it smells at home. All that trouble. I probably should have just left it well enough alone.