New Look, New Name, New Products!

     Hello! green vanilla baby has morphed into Thistle Lane Naturals. While you can still order custom-made crocheted and knit things, there are new fun things available. Check out the Products page for more information on what's new in the line of natural health care, and the Upcycled page for this-n-that (I like to call it "repurposing my clutter".). Things are limited at this point because this is all quite new (not to mention I'm also full-time mommy to four and a housewife) but look for more products and options to become available.

     I'd like to briefly discuss oral health care. If you're like me, you probably don't care much for dental visits. Or dental offices. Or dentists. (Personal disclaimer: if you are a dentist or work for a dentist, I don't dislike you, I promise. You are good people!) And if you're like me, you might also have an interest in natural health. Maybe it's a niggling interest, or maybe you spend half your day researching the benefits of alternative and non-traditional healthcare. Or you might be in-between, hard-core, or just thinking about making some changes to the way you take care of yourself and your family or the products you use. Even a small change is an important one! Also, being unsure of swapping your traditional products and lifestyle for a more natural one can be scary. That's fine- no judgment here, I promise! One of the hardest things for me has been making the switch to non-traditional oral care. Let's face it... it's so easy to go to your nearest store and find any number of commercially-made toothpaste and mouthwash. So what's wrong with that?

     First of all, I like to think that if you can't pronounce an ingredient (for reasons other than that you're just not good at sounding stuff out), it's probably not *that* beneficial for you. Have you read the ingredient list on your commercial toothpaste? Do you know what each of those things are? Chances are, if you Googled each one, you might have second thoughts about putting it in your mouth again. If you're ok with it, then that's fine too. To each their own- like I said, no judgment. But if you're suddenly doubting the safety of your toothpaste, then maybe you're more ready to make the leap to a natural version than you thought.

     Next post: what's really in your toothpaste. Without getting on a soapbox or lecturing about the dangers of certain ingredients or crying "Conspiracy!", I'll touch on the commonly used things in most commercial pastes and what they do or don't do. Just a simple informative, without pointing fingers or demeaning anyone. This will be a guiding tool for you, to help you decide whether or not you're satisfied with your current oral health products. So stay tuned!!