Non-Toxic Living Archives - Lola & Me https://healingwithlolaandme.com/category/non-toxic-living/ Tue, 01 Jul 2025 13:55:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/healingwithlolaandme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/cropped-Lola-Me-logo_bright.crisp_.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Non-Toxic Living Archives - Lola & Me https://healingwithlolaandme.com/category/non-toxic-living/ 32 32 237238456 Tips When Moving with Chronic Illness & Dog https://healingwithlolaandme.com/tips-moving-with-chronic-illness/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tips-moving-with-chronic-illness Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:27:03 +0000 https://healingwithlolaandme.com/?p=2297 Let’s talk about moving. Not the cute, “new throw pillows and housewarming gifts” kind of moving. I’m talking about the chronic-illness-kind-of-moving—where you’re managing a healing protocol, working and trying to convince your dog that yes, we live here now.  This move was bittersweet. The place I just left was more than a home—it was our […]

The post Tips When Moving with Chronic Illness & Dog appeared first on Lola & Me.

]]>

Let’s talk about moving.

Not the cute, “new throw pillows and housewarming gifts” kind of moving. I’m talking about the chronic-illness-kind-of-moving—where you’re managing a healing protocol, working and trying to convince your dog that yes, we live here now. 

This move was bittersweet. The place I just left was more than a home—it was our safe haven for 2.5 years. It’s where my healing journey truly began. This was the first home where I felt safe—physically, emotionally, and environmentally. It wasn’t just walls and furniture; it was the foundation for nervous system repair, detox support, and so many small wins. I began bee venom immunotherapy here and gained the confidence to rebuild and repair my mind and body.

I’m adding a video to say goodbye to that space, because it deserves to be honored. But I knew in my heart: it was time.

Time to step outside the safety bubble and move closer to community. To real-life hugs and grocery stores like Trader Joes and Whole Foods (yay!) So I packed up everything (again), said goodbye (again), and started over (again). This time with a little more strength—and Lola by my side.

🧳 I Packed My Life, My Protocol, and My Pup

When you’re chronically ill, moving isn’t just about location—it’s about survival. I needed to ensure my new home was low mold to ensure I was safe to be using BVT, as well as closer proximity to my partner for more date nights!

I thoroughly cleaned everything with a special mold cleaner and did the best I could to stay on top of ordering new air filters and cleaning my dehumidifiers before the big move! It felt like a huge emotional release to purge some things that weren’t serving me anymore.

Pro tip: Always have a “first 3 days” box—something with daily essentials with clean sheets, Lola’s food and 2 fav toys (duh), and your comfiest clothes. Because when you can’t find your PJs or your electrolytes on day one, you may cry. (Speaking from past experience.)

And before moving in, I scoped the neighborhood like a detective on a mission. I was on the hunt for:

  • Quiet walking paths
  • Dog-friendly green spaces for recall training
  • My fav grocery stores and farmers markets
  • Bonus points for a neighbor who loves dogs and waves at 7 am

This move wasn’t about chasing perfection. It was about creating the next level of healing—one with more connection, even if that means a little more unpredictability. Scary but hey that’s life!

🐾 Helping Lola Adjust to Her New Queendom

Let me tell you: Lola has feelings.

She’s part healer, part emotional support fluff, and part tiny security guard. Within 24 hours of moving in, she’d already chosen her window (for squirrel surveillance) and her perfect spot to sleep (not in either of her two beds, mind you).

But even the bravest pups get stressed with change. Here’s how I helped her adjust—and kept my own nervous system in check too:

  • Repeat daily walk routes. Predictability is calming. Even if it’s just to the end of the block and back, it helps build familiarity with all the smells of the new hood.
  • Bring the smells of home and place around the house. Scent = comfort.
  • Place familiar toys around the house and invite familiar faces over for dinner to help her acclimate.

🚶 New Routines, Same Nervous System

My resilience has increased so much the last year, and adapting to my new surroundings much quicker now, thankfully. This helps Lola as she feeds off of my energy. I try to keep it positive for her and my sanity!

Our new routines have became sacred quickly and I am loving thm:

  • Early potty strolls first thing in the morning to ground int he grass and reset my circadian rhythm in the sunshine.
  • Evening routines that feel comfy and safe —amber lights on, jazz music playing, gentle stretching, Lola snoring by my side.
  • A quiet corner of my home to have my sting sessions and listen to my sound bowls.

🐝 The Bees Came Too: Moving with my Bee Hut

Oh, and did I mention I moved with my last batch of bees? I was a bit nervous because they are very sensitive to temperature and stress, but they survived! Sting days don’t pause in my world. I feel better when I am stinging, so I try to avoid skipping days if possible! I have been at 10 stings three times a week now for 6 months, but was ramping up in stings a year prior. Coordinating sting days around the chaos of moving required carefully transporting my bees, protect them from temperature shifts, and ensure I had a clean, mold-free environment where I could safely sting when I arrived.

So I planned the move between sting days, loaded up my detox tools last, and prioritized setting up a sting-safe area immediately after arrival. No candles. No weird paint fumes. Just air filters, bee supplies, comfy blanket to cozy up with Lola and plenty of clean filtered water!

🧼 Starting Fresh with Low-Tox Living

One of the things I was most excited about with this move? A clean slate—literally.

After living in a space that supported deep healing, I wasn’t about to mess that up with harsh chemicals or high mold in my home.  Testing my environment with an ERMI, was step 1. While I am in a new build, the construction can still become moldy while being built. Also, I replaced all air purifier filters, as well as deep-cleaned my humidifiers prior to moving. I have worked very hard on keeping myself safe, while also learning not to fear mold to help me regulate my nervous system! Yay Primal Trust in supporting me on this!

I’ve fully committed to a low-tox cleaning routine, while staying fragrance-free! Think….baking soda, borax, vinegar and a HEPA vacuum cleaner. My newest little splurge was Branch Basics cleaning supplies. I am in love with them already and its giving me a break from plain ol’ vinegar water! 

Check out another blog to learn more strategic ways to keep your air clean here. 

Switching to non-toxic products isn’t just about avoiding irritants—it’s about supporting my immune system, endocrine system and nervous system with every choice I make. From washing Lola’s bowls to swapping out plastic Tupperware to glass, every product I touch either supports healing… or works against it. And I’m choosing support my body with simplicity in my cleaning supplies and overall lifestyle. This leans well into my minimalistic lifestyle very well! 

🌱 Rooting into the Present: Starting My Little Patio Garden

With so much change, I needed something tangible to root me—literally. So, I committed to starting a patio garden. As a farmers daughter, you would think I would have done this before, but nope! Super excited to take you all along on this learning opportunity.

While the intention of this garden is to actually grow things, it also helps to remind me that establishing yourself in a new community takes time, patience, and the right conditions—just like growing this new little garden.

The act of tending to something living (besides myself and Lola) has brought calm to my mornings. It’s a ritual. A pause. A moment to connect with the Earth and remind my body, you’re safe here. And bonus—fresh herbs for all the healing meals I’m making in our new kitchen. Stay tuned for snap peas, tomatoes, lettuce and green onions! Luckily my dad has a much larger garden he always shares with me too.

💛 Final Thoughts from Our New Home

If I’ve learned anything from the dozens of times I’ve had to start over, it’s this:

You’re not back at zero. You’re just recalibrating. Luckily, this was not my first rodeo, so it went very smoothly and Lola acclimated pretty quickly. As long as we are together, we are home! 

Lola and I are still adapting. Still healing. Still finding our rhythm in the chaos. But we’re doing it—together.

So if you’re moving, healing, or starting over: give yourself grace, pack comfy snacks, and know that it will get easier!

Because some of the best chapters start with a relocation… and this time a whole lot of dog hair. 

Thanks for being here and all of your support! I love sharing our healing journey back to wholeness, buzz along for more day to day fun on instagram or tiktok @healingwithlolaandme

Happy Healing!

Lola and Amy 

The post Tips When Moving with Chronic Illness & Dog appeared first on Lola & Me.

]]> 2297 Non-Toxic Ways to Keep Your Home Air Clean https://healingwithlolaandme.com/non-toxic-ways-to-keep-home-air-clean/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=non-toxic-ways-to-keep-home-air-clean Sun, 08 Sep 2024 14:41:11 +0000 https://healingwithlolaandme.com/?p=2021 Environmental toxins are everywhere these days ranging from pesticides on our food, PFAS and heavy metals in our water, sulfates in our beauty products and even dangerous chemicals in our homes air and cleaning products. Keeping your home air healthy will directly impact your bodies health.

The post Non-Toxic Ways to Keep Your Home Air Clean appeared first on Lola & Me.

]]>
Clean-Air-Plants

Environmental toxins are everywhere these days ranging from pesticides in our food, PFAS and heavy metals in our water, sulfates in our beauty products and forever chemicals in our homes air and cleaning products. Due to my health issues, I had to learn how to find non-toxic ways to keep a clean home, while not breaking the bank!  There is ALOT that we can touch on for cost-effective ways to keep a clean and healthy home, but let’s start with air quality. 

The Troubles with Clean Air Quality

I am sure we have all been there. Walking into someones home and smelling a purge of synthetic fragrances hit us in the face. For me, this is a nightmare. Ever since, I was a kid I couldn’t handle strong smells, but since dealing with lyme and mold toxicity – it has magnified 100000% with instant headaches, rashes, asthma symptoms and/or sinus pressure. I have been told by my medical team this is due to potentially Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), which is typically triggered by various food sensitivities, stress, environmental toxins, infections and even the heat! 

The truth is 75% of households have been found to use some sort of air freshener in their home. Sadly, air fresheners are among the most toxic products you can put in your home. This ranges from sprays, plug-ins, potpourri, or oil stick diffusers. They are the primary source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in our environment, which create formaldehydes, free radicals, phthalates and acetaldehydes. 

In masking the smells this will only cover up a potential deeper issue in the home – like mold from water damage. Covering up a musty smell in a home will not fix the root cause!

Why are air fresheners so bad according to scientists?

Ultimately, they are terrible for everyones health, not just people with compromised immune systems like me! Plus, I don’t want Lola to be exposed to this stuff either! We need to keep our furry friends safe as well, especially since their noses are incredibly sensitive. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) “86% of plug in air fresheners tested contain phthalates, which have been shown to cause negative effects on cardiovascular and reproductive systems.”

Phthalates are endocrine disruptors, meaning they interfere with our hormone balance. These chemicals bind to the same receptor sites that hormones can and hijack hormone function and quantity. They have been referred to as “xenoestrogens” for their ability to “mimic” estrogens. Because of this, phthalates have been linked to lowered sperm counts, low testosterone, damage to sperm, genital defects, and early puberty. 

Additionally, plug-in air fresheners are also known to release formaldehyde which is a known carcinogen that has been linked to cancers of the nose and throat, ongoing irritation of the throat and airways, and frequent nosebleeds.

Below are non-toxic ways to ditch the air fresheners and say hello to fresh clean air quality in your home!

  • Find the source of odors & fix.
  • Buy an Air Purifier
  • Buy Dehumidifier 
  • Use HEPA vacuum weekly 
  • Routinely deodorize each living quarters
  • Utilize natural non-toxic cleaners, plants or natural fragrances 

Find Source Of Odor & Fix

I am a root cause kind of girl (obvs!), so finding the source of the odor and taking action to fix it is step #1! 

I can smell mold from a mile away. My body tells me instantly. Thanks to my hard work with Primal Trust and brain retraining, I do not panic anymore. I just take note and take the right precautions in that moment to lesson the stress on my body! This means removing myself from the situation if possible, a bit more sauna that day and binders to help support my body in detoxing it out of my system. Nervous regulation was key to helping me navigate this to start living again.

But if this was my home, I would absolutely start with getting an idea of the amounts and types of mold in my home. A great starting point is a test called ERMI from EnviroBiomics. Then find the source causing the mold damage and go from there. I have never had to truly remediate a home because I have always rented and moved if mold became an issue. What I do know is many people find success in hiring mold sniffing dog (amazing what dogs can do!)! How cool is that? 

Every 3 months, I routinely check my home for any indication of water leaks or areas of moisture accumulation to get ahead of the issue. I got lucky and Lola girl is very tidy and doesn’t get into much around the house, but pets can definitely cause some water messes, so be sure to stay on top of that! Also, I open my balcony door on a nice breezy, low humid day to help with ventilation!

Buy a Dehumidifier

In order to keep the humidity low to avoid mold growth, resulting in musty smells and even worse mycotoxins in the air, getting a dehumidifier in the home is an excellent way to remove excess moisture from the air. Things to consider when buying a dehumidifier is the size of your space, noise and tank capacity or need for a drain pump. Needing to empty everyday all day is a drag – been there! Whole house dehumidifiers can be integrated into your HVAC system as well. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the indoor humidity should be between 30 – 50% to preserve air quality. In the summer months, using your AC will help reduce the moisture in the home.

Buy an Air Purifier

Purchasing a Quality Air Purifier is key to maintaining healthy air quality in your home. While they do not remove moisture from the air, they will pull toxins from the air, such as mold spores, mites, viruses and other allergens. There are plenty of good air purifiers on a budget, but just make sure to look for a HEPA filters. Personally, I own and love AirDoctor.  I also bought a small air purifier for my car as well and its super handy for when I travel!

Use HEPA Vacuum Weekly

Although simple, vacuuming is actually one of the best ways to remove odors in the home. Vacuuming once a week is best practice, but for me – I do it every other day! Aussies are quite the shedders, but I love her regardless!

Finding a vacuum with a HEPA filter (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) is extremely effective at trapping extremely small micron-sized particles – so very fine dust and allergens such as pollen, pet danger and even mold spores. When I was at my worst and triggered by EVERYTHING, I wore a mask when cleaning as a precaution and also when emptying the cartridge. 

Routinely Deodorize Each Living Quarters

Keeping up with regular deodorizing and cleaning of bedding, carpet, furniture, closets, clothes and refrigerator seems like a full time job, but worth it in the long run! Make it routine to alternate and routinely deep clean certain aspects of your house quarterly, especially closets & your garage. Hello spring cleaning! Check out a few best practices below that are healthy habits for me now:

  • Keep your refrigerator smelling fresh by wiping down weekly, along with adding baking soda boxes to absorb and deodorize food odors. 
  • Add Borax, white vinegar and baking soda to your laundry.
  • Vacuum your furniture weekly with HEPA vacuum. (Especially if you let your furry friend on the couch!) 
  • Buy washable rugs, bedspreads and shower curtains and wash quarterly.
  • Declutter paperwork and decor – this is good for the mind, as well as keeping those dust bunnies away!

Utilize natural non-toxic cleaners, plants or natural fragrances to keep your home air clean

There are plenty of low cost, natural ways to clean your home that leave a neutral smell or a lovely hint of natural smell if desired. Below are a few ideas:

  • Use white vinegar and baking soda throughout the home as they are both odor removers. Keeping a spray bottle of vinegar water on hand is helpful when I want to neutralize any odors from perfumes, smoke or cooking odors. (1 tsp of white vinegar in a pint of distilled water). Baking soda can be used by sprinkling on carpets or shoes to absorb odors then vacuum out. 
  • Try Charcoal Air Fresheners – They are great to absorb odors and you can either DIY or purchase. I bought mine to through in my car from Moso Natural!
  • Find houseplants that act as natural air fresheners whose flowers leave scents in the air as well as oxygenate the air! Here are some ideas for you.
  • Select indoor plants improve air quality by cleaning the air and even reduce humidity! Popular plants include Boston ferns, English Ivy, and Peace Lily.
  • Grind up lemon peel while running hot water into your garbage disposal to remove odors and freshen kitchen air. 
  • Grow basil, mint, lavender, thyme, in your kitchen etc. to act as natural air fresheners.
  • In the fall, I love to simmer a pot full of various ingredients to eliminate lingering kitchen odors. Some great combos include: cinnamon and cloves; sliced lemon, rosemary springs and cinnamon sticks; cranberries, cloves and apples.

Disclaimer – when growing plants indoors, be mindful of mold growth and do not overwater plants! Also, if you are immune compromised, always ensure you are protected when cleaning to lessen your risk of exposure with a mask or another protective barrier. 

Final Thoughts

Keeping your home air quality clean will directly impact your health! Make sure to do your diligence on making your home safe for you and your family with the tips I provided, such as finding the source of the odors and fixing, buy a HEPA air purifier and vacuum cleaner, purchase a dehumidifier, routinely clean and deodorize your home and utilize natural non-toxic cleaners, plants or natural fragrance to freshen your home when needed! Trust me, I am happy I adopted all these lifestyle habits for lifelong practice and you can too! 

The post Non-Toxic Ways to Keep Your Home Air Clean appeared first on Lola & Me.

]]> 2021