The Power of Words

There really is nothing like a compliment. Being told that you look good makes you feel good, which makes you more confident, which changes your entire bearing. Kind words can do wonders... so I realize that I am going to sound like I am staring the gift pony right in the chompers when I write what I am about to write, but let me assure you, that is not how this is intended in the least.

The thing about words is that they have power. What you say, and more importantly, how you say it has ramifications. Upon arriving home yesterday, with my daughters in tow, I bumped in to a neighbor. In the midst of our conversation she said to me, "you look great! Really beautiful. So thin."*** I smiled and said thank you, but oddly, I did not feel the compliment. I wasn't puffed up, or proud the way one normally should be in such an instance. I didn't think much about it at the time, but later (probably around 3am after one of WeeOne's feedings) it surfaced again, and I wondered at my lack of good feelings about her kind words. (And they were definitely kind.)What is wrong with me? Isn't that what all women long to hear? Shouldn't I be thrilled to be told that someone thinks me thin and lovely? And I answered myself...

"Well, no. Not really." You see, the problem is not that she thought I looked nice. Being told that I look nice definitely gives me the warm fuzzies. The problem is that her compliment, like so many in our society, seemed to imply that beauty and being thin are inseparable... and it was said in front of my daughters, which perpetuates a cycle. Now I know, of course, that my neighbor did not intend any of that. She had no way of knowing that my brain would go bibbledy over the potential future social ramifications of her nicety, but now that I am aware of it, I want to do something about it.

I pledge, and I hope that you will too, dear reader, to be very careful with my words, even my kind ones. I promise to say, perhaps, "you look beautiful. So healthy!" or, "you look so lovely and happy today!" instead of equating someone's beauty with their BMI, especially... especially if there are young girls anywhere near the conversation. I fear for my girls in this age, where 75% of my beautiful friend's facebook status messages are about how fat they are, how much weight they need to loose, or how they hate themselves for something that they ate today. Eating a donut should not be a death sentence for your self confidence. (It should be a yum sentence for your tummy!)So, I have a dream. A dream where my amazing daughters will be judged, not by the inches they can pinch, but by the content of their characters. It's a big dream, but it's not impossible. Words have power. Your words have power. If you are a mother to daughters, your words are power to them. Be kind, but in your kindness, be conscious of that power. Speak wisely, gently, and with the knowledge that your words can change the world, one compliment at a time. Be Well- Melle

*** In the interest of transparency and faux journalistic integrity, I feel the need to state that I have not, in fact, lost weight. (unless you count not being pregnant anymore.) I have, however, made the conscious decision to work with the body I have instead of fighting against it, and so I bought some clothes that fit more like clothes, and less like a circus tent. For me, it is a huge step in the right direction. You, and your beautiful self (yeah, I may not know you... but you're still beautiful) should do the same.

Happy Holidays, Citizens of the World!

We here at Naturalized Citizen would like to wish you all a very happy holidays! As was once said by the brilliant philosopher, Kermit the Frog:

"I don't know if you believe in Christmas
Or if you have presents underneath the Christmas tree
But if you believe in love
That will be more than enough
For you to come and celebrate with me
For I have held the precious gift that love brings
Even though I never saw a Christmas star
I know there is a light
I have felt it burn inside
And I have seen it shining from afar.

Christmas is the time to come together
And put all our differences aside
And I reach out my hand
To the family of man
To share the joy I feel at Christmas time.

For the truth that binds us all together
I would like to say a simple prayer
That at this special time
You will have true peace of mind
And love to last throughout the coming year.

And if you believe in love
That will be more than enough
For peace to last throughout the coming year
And peace on earth will last throughout the year."

From our family to yours- Whatever, wherever, and with whomever you choose to celebrate, may your season be filled with love, light, laughter, nog, nibbles, noels, and rest. May your head be quiet, may your heart and belly be full, and may your skin be beautiful!

New Suppliers = Better Peoducts!

Good day, Citizens! We have been having some real issues with suppliers recently. As a small business, we want to support other small businesses, but we also want to be able to produce a safe, reliable, and non toxic product for you. It recently came to my attention that one of our suppliers uses a trace amount of mineral oil in their coco butter wafers, this same supplier has been not very reliable with their turnaround time, and so we are dropping them. As of today we have a new supplier, pure, organic coco and shea butters, and (hopefully) quicker turn around on orders. Here's us looking out for you, and here's hoping you are having a wonderful start to your holiday season! Cheers- Melle

Over the past three years, since the birth of my first child, I have been making strides to make my life, and the life of my family, happier and healthier. I began doing a lot of research into organic and sustainable living. I also began fighting a near constant battle with my post pregnancy hair and skin. I purchased product upon product that was supposed to help my troubled skin, only to find that they made the problem worse. Finally a friend turned me on to a website (http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/) that shows you just how many toxins are in various brands of beauty products. I was appalled. The products I was buying to "help" me were, in fact full of toxins that were likely perpetuating the problems. I found a number of brands that were toxin free, and earth friendly, but few, if any of them were in my budget, which just made me more determined to find a way. My worlds of research began to collide, and my intellectual curiosity got the better of me. I began to teach myself herb lore, read old wives tales, and use myself as a guinea pig to make products that are all natural or organic, toxin free, inexpensive, and most importantly, that really work. My skin and scalp are back to their pre-baby calmness. Then I started making it for friends and neighbors, all of whom started clamoring for more, and I realized that I might be on to something here. I am really excited to introduce you to my new venture. I hope that you all will love it as much as I do.

Why Does it Matter?

You've heard the expression that you are what you eat? That goes for your skin as well. Your skin is your largest organ, it is also the one that is most easily and most often exposed to toxins, and is highly absorbent. When you put chemicals on your skin and scalp they are absorbed into your cells, and bloodstream. Over time they can collect there, and ultimately affect your overall well being.

I always ask folks to think of it in terms of their children, their pets, or another loved one. Would you knowingly, and willingly expose your child to immune suppressants, formaldehyde, or known carcinogens on a daily basis? Then why would you do it to yourself? In fairness, it's not all your fault. Billions of dollars are spent every year to make sure that you think it is not only right, but normal, and necessary to do so. What they don't tell you is how few regulations are put in place to make sure that Big Beauty companies are keeping you out of harms way. Here is another great resource for toxin checking your skincare.

We here at Naturalized Citizen are getting involved in the beauty revolution. We want to help you set your skin free. It may take a little while for you to get used to things. Natural skincare looks, feels, and smells different than what most of us are used to, but the results speak for themselves. As your skin normalizes and naturalizes you will notice a new glow, and softness that you haven't seen since your toddler years. We hope that it might be the first step in your own personal self care revolution. We also help that you will let us walk with you every step of the way.