New Website

I am excited to launch an all-new It Takes Time! This updated and revised site offers new recipes, tutorials and suggestions for making healthy change -all in the context of less pressure. Check out It Takes Time here. I began my Mold Recovery blog in 2008 as a means to keep others updated about our journey - a journey that began soon after we made the connection between our health issues and toxic mold. I soon sensed a need to share...

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Cheap and Effective Body Care

Baking soda is the ultimate cheap, safe ingredient for beauty care. I recently listed 4 ways to use baking soda  over at Adrienne's Whole New Mom. One of my favorites is microderm abrasion.Stephanie Tourles, author of Organic Body Care, says this recipe rivals expansive spa treatments. Stephanie’s Secret Microdermabrasion Recipe: Ingredients 1 Tablespoon baking soda 1.5 teaspoons water 2 drops helichrysum essential oil Method 1....

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Sifting Through Sugar

Do you find yourself confused by the different options for sweetening your food? Wondering if unrefined sugar is truly better than refined white sugar? Is honey better than agave? How about xylitol or stevia? One of the key considerations is the amount of fructose, which gives food its sweet taste. Fructose makes up 50% of table sugar, and occurs naturally in fruits and even some vegetables. Fructose, like alcohol places a burden in...

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Our Kitchen: Then and Now

Our kitchen table as we left it Oct. 4, 2008 When our family vacated our home in October of 2008 we left everything behind, including the contents of our spacious pantry. Because of legal action (which has since been dropped), we had our home inventoried. Every item in every room of our five-story home was accounted for and priced. The following is a partial list of the products in our pantry. 1000 ISLAND DRESSING ANNIES HOMEGROWN...

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Shampoo-less and Proud

I haven't used shampoo for 4 years. I’d like to keep this a secret from TODAY's Kathie Lee and Hoda, however. If they find out they might laugh and ridicule me like they lambasted Jacquelyn Byers. Jacquelyn has written about her decision to stop using shampoo on her blog Little Owl Crunchy Momma. The media picked up on  her chemical avoidance, including NBC's TODAY show. Before you continue, view this 2 minute conversation...

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Culturing in the Cold

If you make foods like sauerkraut, kefir and kombucha, chances are you've noticed a change in the way your foods culture during the winter. Cooler indoor air temperatures can slow the growth of  the bacteria and/or yeasts. Optimal temperatures vary, but most microbes enjoy what we enjoy - in the mid 70s to 80. I don't know about your house, but our house frequently goes below 70 degrees in the winter. Before I discovered...

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A Toxicologist Looks at Mold Remediation

The book of Leviticus makes it clear that if mold is still present after remediation, the home is unsafe. This is a radical approach to mold, one shared by leading toxicologist Dr. Jack Thrasher. Dr. Thrasher, author of the article The Biocontaminants and Complexity of Damp Indoor Spaces: More Than What Meets the Eyes, says it is best to flee a home rather than remediate when serious health issues exist and when a serious infestation...

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