Stop Abandon

Every year in the United States, 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters (3.9 million dogs and 3.4 million cats).

That's right. Every year million of people realize that, their companion animals are nothing else than a burden to them. The problem is, a companion animal is living, breathing and feeling. It's not a toy that you get for Christmas and certainly not a teddy bear !

Dogs and cats can live up to 20 years. So, once you decide to welcome them to your family, it's important to know that it's a life commitment. I wanted to approach this topic today because recently, I witnessed something upsetting.

Not later than yesterday, I went hiking. It was an amazing experience and the landscapes were breathtaking !
But when I arrived at the top of the mountain, someone unexpected showed. Here he was, an abandoned dog. He was desperate for help. He still had his necklace but by the way he looked, he had been here for a while. He was terrified, hurt and dehydrated. He was desperate for help. I wondered, how can you wake up one day and tell yourself "Today I'm going to abandon my dog on top of a mountain where he will be starving to death" ?

I wanted to scream but instead, I decided to write this post. People need to think about their choices, especially when it includes the life of another living being. If you can't take care of an animal, don't have one. And if you can't take care of your little companion anymore, please, at least take him to an animal shelter (which is where the little guy was brought.)

Don't abandon them.
http://www.safeplaceforanimals.com/

Are periods killing the planet ?

Every month, women swim in The Red Sea. That's right, today I'd like to talk about a more feminine subject: periods. Or period protections to be precise.

13 times a year and 520 times in her life, a woman needs a pad or a tampon. It represents a consumption of 1447 pads every second, or 45 billion every year, worldwide.

Sanitary protections such as pads or tampons are not so disposable on the environment.. Indeed, it takes 500 years to this products to faut degrade, which means just as long as a plastic bottle. According to Greenpeace, it makes the sanitary protection industry one of the most polluting in the world.

However, we can find some alternatives such as the cup, and even washable pads. I've personally been using a LadyCup for 2 years now and it has changed my life. For the little bees who don't know what is a cup, here are some explanations. A menstrual cup is made in a flexible medical silicon (non allergen). You put it at the entrance of your hoohah and it directly collects the blood.

These are the two ways to insert it, the picture is pretty explanatory.. ;)

The pros of this cup are:
it is
- ecologic: zero waste,
- economic: once you buy it, it lasts for 10 years,
- invisible: you can't see or feel it ! Which is great when you exercise or go to the beach for example.

The cons would be:
- it can be expensive: it costs around 20 to 30 dollars. (I bought mine durig the sales and had it for only $9 !)
- you have to know your body: indeed, you insert it with your fingers so, if you're not comfortable with that it can be a problem.

If you're using regular protections, pads and tampons represents 0,5% of your waste. You could think that it's nothing. However, we are more than 3 billion women in the world. That makes a lot of pads... Right, girls ? ;)

Bubbles and soaps

In the last article, I talked about the dangers of using showers gels and other cleaning products that we usually have in our bathroom...

Today I'm going to show you my alternative, tested and approved. 

Organic and/or hand-mand soaps ! I've been using them for a little while now, and I can tell you, my skin is happier now.

For my face, I'm currently using this local hand-made soap. They are 100% natural and based solely on olive oil, coconut oil, grape seed oil, and sweet almond oil. They are free of animal fats, chemical synthetic additives, odor scavenger and paraben. The one I choose smells absolutely amazing ! It's a mix of citrus (lemon, orange, mandarin), lavender and black tea essential oils.

For my body and hair, I'm using Alep soap. Be careful though if you want to try it. A lot of fake Alep soaps are out there..
Real Alep soap is made with olive oil, bay laurel oil, water and soda plant. No solvent or dye are used and it doesn't contain any animal fat. Completely harmless ! Olive oil hydrates the skin and keep it smooth, so if you have dry skin or skin problems such as eczema, use it !

These kind of soaps are also good for the environment. They're package free ! No plastic bottles are going to swim in the ocean once you've finished them.

So, if you can, choose the cruelty free option. Cruelty free for the animals, the environment and your body.

Shower gels... What if they weren't as clean as we think ?

What is letsbegreenblog ?

Welcome my little bees !
I created this blog to share you my thoughts and tips on the green lifestyle.
You'll also find tests and reviews on natural products and so much more !
So stay tuned, and I hope you'll enjoy it !