The Modern Hippy

THC Organic Market, Long Beach WA

     After you make a huge change in your lifestyle, it can be a little challenging when you go to plan a vacation, whether it be camping, travel over seas, road tripping, or just a mini-break spent at your father and step-mother-in-laws on the Long Beach Peninsula. Do you change what you eat, or use or do normally to make it easier? (Is that even an options?) Or do you soldier on, sticking with your convictions?

     Rick and I went away for a few days recently. Over the last few years, as we have been students and changed careers many times, have not had a ton of money to spend on travel. Also, until recently, Rick couldn’t do much traveling anyway, his health complicated simple trips of more than a few minutes. At the moment at least, he’s doing well and we can plan to act like a “normal” couple, taking little trips here and there. We are just learning how to do the green, organic, gluten free “hippy” way of traveling. It’s scary, exciting and very fun so far!

     Before we left, we did searches looking for gluten free options (as this is the most important part of our life) anywhere near Ocean Park, where we were staying on the peninsula. I wanted to find anything. And we found THC Organic Market in Long Beach, the town. I was so excited! I was going to take pictures, shop and generally be a total hippy nerd.

     Not long after we left, I realized that I had forgotten our shampoo. Shoot! What was I going to do? I was agonizing over it while we drove. Because though I don’t wash my hair daily, there was going to be one “hair wash day” in the middle of the mini-break (UK version of mini vacation – I have friends from there and think “mini-break” sounds better). I don’t like using my plain castile soap on my hair, I had tried that once with very little luck. Although, to be fair, my hair was really long then, not short as it is now.

     The first full day that we were on the peninsula, Rick and I went on a mission. Rather, I was on a mission and Rick was along for the ride. We searched and searched, following google maps directions on his phone, to find THC Organic Market. Nothing, it wasn’t where it should have been – according to the map. I’ve discovered since living in Bellingham, that Google Maps don’t always do everything perfectly. Just as we were going to give up, we drove further into town, and stumbled upon the market! There it was, at the end of a long building, just across the street from the Neptune – the local movie theatre. I just about lost my self control I was so excited!

     There was a little “A” frame sign with the days soup special(if I remember correctly) out front. Inside we found a smallish store, packed seven or eight feet high, with all the stuff I could find at the Bellingham Community Co-op! I was in heaven! There were organic products everywhere! (I know the name has “organic” in the name, but you never know.)
After a few minutes of being completely ridiculous, I settled down and looked for stuff I might need. Tea. I had woken up with a sore throat that morning and didn’t have any of my soothing tea with me. I found a whole section of Yogi teas. Review on the tea itself will be coming soon!

     As I was browsing, resisting Rick’s urges to get going, I ran across my shampoo brand. Actually, found my exact shampoo, that doesn’t burn me or make me itch. (Also, should do a review on that as well.) My day was complete. I could wash my hair the following day without worry. Yes, I am a teeny, tiny bit neurotic and prefer my hair washed once it’s passed the three day mark. So far in my hair experiments that is as far as I have gotten. Anyway, getting side-tracked.

     We ended up getting some of our “normal” groceries at THC Organic Market. We were able to enjoy organic butter on our gluten free rolls(from our co-op), cups and cups of Throat Comfort Yogi Tea, and a good shampooing the next morning (okay, almost afternoon). It was so awesome we went back the next day to show Rick’s dad and step-mom, George and Judy – and get gluten free donut holes and buffalo jerkey.

     So if you ever find yourself on the Long Beach Peninsula in need of tea, shampoo, pet food, organic anything. Check out the THC Organic Market. Get their address, get the Neptune Twin Theatre’s address for reference. Or if you don’t mind talking on the phone(like I do), give them a call for good directions. Just don’t rely on Google Maps, (sorry Google,you are cool but the maps needs work). Mapquest?

     To read their story, check out their site closer, or for updates, click on the following links:
Website: THC Organic Market
Facebook page(updates): THC Organic Market Facebook Page

Indoor view - THC Organic Market, Long Beach, WA

     A few months ago I started a hunt on etsy to find someone whom provided safe cosmetics. I read through countless ingredients list, profile pages. I managed to narrow it down to what I was looking for specifically – mineral foundation and eyeshadow. Which really, only narrowed it down a little. I eventually decided to try a sample pack from a little shop called Orglamix. I liked what she said, her ingredients lists, and the pictures were just so fetching!
     I love her stuff! I’ve ordered from her several times in the last few months. My makeup case has been recreated without chemicals. Cheri is my makeup girl!
     In December I ran out of my foundation so I ordered the large size for winter color. And got it, along with a couple of sample eyeshadows. Lovely! (The other time I ordered from her she sent a sample as well. I love samples!)
     Then yesterday, Rick got the mail and brought me yet another package. I wasn’t expecting anything. I already had my handmade shoes delivered a week ago. (Yes, handmade! With vintage fabric! I’m in love with them and will eventually do a post on them in the future.) I opened the package to find two of my foundation color! With the order form from December. I was confused to say the least. Today, I sent her a message and asked what I should do. I offered to pay for them, ship them back, whatever she wanted me to do. She sent me a quick note that it was a mistake, but don’t worry, they were on her! I still feel strange about keeping them. But since I plan on ordering from her indefinitely, she will definitely get more money from me. (I wish there was a way to tip through paypal)
     I wanted to tell everyone whom reads my little blog that Cheri at Orglamix is super awesome! Thank you Cheri for your kindness, and great service!

     I hate to be the one to bring this up. It is after all not yet Thanksgiving. However, with the economy in the crapper many of us may want to try to spread out our Holiday shopping over a couple of months rather than one month.
     Rick and I always try to get a head start because when December rolls around we don’t always have a ton of money to blow. We started shopping in the spring for Christmas. Each time we go to Target together, we peruse the sale items looking for the fun item to make someone laugh or something useful that didn’t get completely bought out. We also love to go to the Antique Mall in Shoreline and try Goodwill on occasion. There are other options to consider though.
     Earlier this year I discovered something called Etsy. It’s great! It’s a lot like Amazon or Ebay except there is no bidding and everything has to be handmade or vintage. I bought a reusable grocery bag on Etsy a few months ago and it has been a life saver. I window shop at Etsy now and again looking for something unique.
     I decided to look under the vintage category to see what was listed. Some of the things weren’t overly exciting, some of them were great though. So far I’ve bought one thing for Rick for Christmas. I can’t post about it right now because, though he says he doesn’t read my blog, I don’t want to risk him reading it on a whim and spoiling the surprise. You’ll just have to look back after Christmas for my awesome Etsy gifts.

     So a plug for Etsy: if you are gifting handmade items and you don’t want to make them yourself or don’t have the talent, or you want to find something vintage that no one else has think online and support these artists and craftsmen and craftswomen. Support the little men and women instead of your local Wal-Mart!

I’ve tried to find more “green” ways to clean up around the apartment. Actually, I’m trying to make our whole lives more environmentally friendly. It’s slow going because I don’t feel like I can just go out and blow a bunch of money all at once and replace everything. We don’t have that kind of money. But just about every time I go somewhere I pick up one more thing. And I’m always on the look out for new things for cleaning etc.

We have made this choice to try a little harder to be better people, better stewards of our planet in the more recent months. We changed our diet to better suit Rick’s health problems, the result being that we eat more “green”. So why not take it full circle and surround ourselves with biodegradable things that won’t be harmful to us, our pets or the planet? Also, I want to protect our future health. My mom is allergic to everything under the sun. I am the only one of our family whom does not suffer from typical allergies other than a possible gluten allergy and a definite milk/lactose intolerance. I think that if we don’t stress our bodies out by requiring it to try to digest preservatives or things that really can’t be found anywhere in nature. Nor make our lungs breathe a wide variety of toxins found in most house hold cleaners than perhaps we can avoid developing allergies and live longer healthier lives.

So what have I done so far? I got rid of Soft Scrub. I now use baking soda to scrub the tub and sinks and counters. I have found that it cleans more thoroughly than the other alternatives. It doesn’t hurt my hands, only exfoliates them a bit. I don’t have to worry about not breathing in the fumes like I worried with Scrubbing Bubbles. I have found it also seems to absorb grease. I broil a lot of our proteins and the fat gets all over the inside of the oven. It grosses me out and starts to smell a little if you don’t clean it out. I used it to start scrubbing the oven out one night. I was not able to finish so left a coating on the bottom of the oven. A couple of days later, when I had time again, I went back over it with a damp paper towel and it came up with the grease!

I also got rid of the off brand imitation of Pine Sol. I used to use that all over the house, the bathroom and kitchen, where my food would end up. I now use a mixture of white vinegar, water and essential oils. I don’t mix it precisely, I’ve seen a ton of different recipes for these cleaners and it seems that one does not need it to be equal parts water and vinegar. I do 1/3 vinegar, 2/3 water and several drops of essential oils. I use several kinds of essential oils. This is one area I know a little about. Tea tree oil is a great one. Lavender is also very good. They are also smell better than some of the other oils. I included oregano and orange. It depends on what I have available at the time. I try to always have tea tree though, it is the “super-cleaning” oil.

I changed my dish soap from Palmolive to Seventh Generation soap, which is completely biodegradable. They have a pretty cool line of house hold cleaners including dishwasher detergent, and laundry soap. The dish soap has a couple of different options for scents that actually smell like the real thing. You can almost always tell that something is synthetic and not “real” if it doesn’t smell like it’s natural counter part. Lavender for example, is a very common scent, but rarely do they use real lavender. Seventh Generation does. I hate dishes and it makes for a more pleasant experience for me. It also is gentler on my hands.

I’m going to try some more things. I’ve read that Borax, castile soap and corn meal can be used for several things and I will keep updating my efforts here. Green cleaning to all!