The Star of the Picture Book: Ducks! — An Interview With A Duck Rehabilitator

From Mo Willems’s upcoming The Duckling Gets A Cookie!? to Tad Hills’s Duck and Goose to Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling, ducks have been the star of many a beloved (and soon to be beloved) picture book.

More than half the picture book manuscripts I’ve written star ducks, and I’m the proud owner of duck pajama pants and other duck paraphernalia. Okay fine, I’ll just say it – I kinda love ducks.

So, I’m super excited to share with you an interview with Tiffany, who rehabilitates injured ducks (how cool is that?) and other fowl, feathery friends.

Welcome to the blog, Tiff! How did you get involved in duck rehabilitation, and what are the most common injuries you see in domesticated ducks?
As soon as I bought a house I got my first pet duck, Mr Flapper. He is responsible for my extra-curricular activities in duck rescue and rehabilitation.

The most common injuries I see are bumblefoot (foot sores) and leg problems, hardware disease (young ducks like to eat shiny things and ingest metal), injuries from dog or raccoon attacks and infections.

After they’ve been nursed back to health, how do you find them homes?
I use my blog to network with people and help find good, safe pet homes for the rescues once they’re healthy.

How many ducks are your own pets, and how many do you have staying with you temporarily? (Names, please! Also, how do their personalities differ?)
The list of permanent and temporary family changes constantly, but here are a few highlights…

O’Malley Peepers is a Muscovy drake duck. He came to us as a baby after being found in a park in Gig Harbor, WA. O’Malley is now 6 ½ years old. He is a lover and a biter. He loves to cuddle and sit on my lap, but if I put him down or try to walk away, he will bite.

Petunia Peach and Ramona are both Muscovy hen ducks. Both came from rescue organizations. Petunia is a sweet, docile girl and Ramona has a wild streak. She is known as “The Ramona Monster” since she chases and bites chickens who get in her way.

Lester Leroy is a rescued duck who has been with us for a year now. He was severely crippled and sent to a vet for euthanasia before getting a last chance with us. Now he can walk and get around really well. He is a great host for other handicapped ducks who come in for rehabilitation.

How can you tell the difference between a domesticated duck and a wild duck?
Wild ducks are light enough to fly well and can migrate to good food sources and warmer climates. Domestic ducks are bred to be larger and can have difficulty flying. Many parks have populations of dumped domestic ducks, but they are not good for the wild populations and they are prone to health problems and in danger of attack from dogs or predators that wild ducks would be able to avoid by flying away. Any white ducks or light brown ducks are dumped domestic ducks. All black ducks are likely domestic as well, as well as extra-large mallard-looking ducks. Those are dumped domestic Rouen ducks. Many people don’t know that it is illegal to raise and release ducks at parks. It is considered pet abandonment and you can face animal cruelty charges, depending on the area.

How do you play with a pet duck? If you meet one, is there any protocol you should follow? (Like, you’re supposed to let a dog sniff you first… but ducks don’t “sniff,” right?)
This is a great question. Ducks are a prey species. They have very few defenses. They fear predators from above like hawks and eagles. They are also hyper-aware and very sensitive to sound and motion. It is important to approach a duck crouched down and quietly. It’s best to let them approach you, and it can take many days or weeks to build trust. Never chase a duck and never taunt them. They do not understand joking behavior and will not trust you. Friendly ducks sometimes like their beaks held gently. I think it reminds them of tucking their beak under a wing. They don’t like to be pet like dogs much, but some will take a light head scratch or beak rub.

When my cat Simon first met Flapper, he sniffed his beak. Flapper sat very still until Simon’s nose was close and then CLAMPED DOWN on his nose and TWISTED his beak back and forth. That was the last duck Simon ever sniffed.

What do you feed a pet duck, and how does that differ from what they eat in the wild?
My ducks eat a crumbled pelleted duck food called Nutrena Waterfowl Maintenance. The best pet duck food is made by Mazuri, but it’s hard to get in the West. Wild ducks forage for grasses, roots and bugs and can find all of their nutrients in the natural environment. Domestic ducks need support from humans just like pet dogs or cats do. My ducks also get to forage on grass and eat romaine lettuce, tomatoes, grapes, peas, corn and other seasonal snacks.

It is best NOT to feed ducks at parks, as it causes overpopulation and water pollution. Also, bread is very bad for ducks. It is basically junk food and will prevent them from finding nutrients they really need to grow and thrive.

Do you use duck diapers? (And if so, how in the heck do you diaper a duck?)
I have used duck diapers a few times for special cases or ducklings who spend a lot of time in the house. They are easy to use if you start when a duck is young, but even then, some ducks will be too stressed out by them. Ducks generally do not like having anything binding their feathers. And I have found, even in the case of a duck who had never seen another duck, that in as little as a week’s time, ducks will prefer to go outside and live with other ducks over spending time with humans in a house. They are flock animals and do best with their own species.

How noisy is it at your house? Are ducks more or less talkative than the average person?
Ducks are great conversationalists. They have complex vocalizations and different sounds that mean different things. They also learn to listen to other birds’ calls and can tell when the crows are sounding a predator alarm. I take special care to only keep quiet ducks as permanent residents, because I have close neighbors. Muscovy ducks are very quiet and male mallard-descended ducks are quiet as well. Female ducks (except for muscovies) are generally too loud for my house. So most of the time, my yard is pretty quiet.

Where would one get a domesticated duck?
Ducks can be found at most farm feed stores in the spring. Responsible stores won’t sell you just one duckling though, because they really don’t do well alone. Ducks like to be with other ducks.

What should people know before deciding to bring home a duck as a pet?
After years of experience and having made many mistakes myself, I really don’t recommend ducks to most people. There is a book called Enslaved by Ducks by Bob Tarte where he describes them as “more maintenance than the space shuttle.” I’ve always remembered that quote because it could not be more true. Ducks are so vulnerable to predators that it is very difficult to keep them safe. And some ducks still act like dinosaurs much of the time, so different personalities will fight no matter you do. Muscovy drakes can be especially dangerous, so I really recommend against them most of all. They end up dumped or at rescues way too often, and they are extremely hard to place in homes.

If someone is still enamored by ducks and set on bringing a few home, I’d say the most important point is to build a very secure predator-proof pen (all sides, top and bottom covered with hardware cloth wiring is best) with good drainage. I can’t stress this enough. Also know that ducks need care twice a day every day without fail, and it can be much more difficult to find a duck-sitter than a dog-sitter when you want to take a vacation. The most annoying side effects of having ducks are that their food can attract mice and rats (or snakes, depending on where you live) and their poop can attract flies. So maintaining their living area becomes really crucial.

I don’t mean to make ducks sound like terrible pets. They really are a joy. But people should know what they’re getting into so they don’t tire of ducks after just a season. Ducks can live anywhere from 5-years to 20-years on average, depending on the species. I have known a Pekin female duck to live 14 years and a Muscovy drake to live 24 years. They are a much longer-term commitment than many people realize.

Flapper was clearly a special pet for you. What duck in literature or pop culture would you say his personality was closest to?
Mr Flapper Duck was an original. I can’t think of a duck in literature like him. He was full of life and fun, a little bit of mischief and just an overall good guy.

He had more personality than any pet I’ve ever had, and more than any other duck. He was genuinely sweet and lovable, and he felt safe with me. He was a playful character and liked to run and swim and dive and splash. And he loved treats. I looked forward to every day with Flapper from the moment he arrived until he passed away from complications related to old age. I’ve never known any pet or person personally or in literature like him. He was just a special gift.

What were your favorite duck picture books as a child, and are there any you particularly enjoy now?
The quintessential children’s duck picture book is Robert McCloskey’s Make Way for Ducklings. I also like The Little Duck, part of the Pictureback series originally published in 1976 by Random House. I had that one as a child myself and loved it. Duck for President is more recent and did quite well.

Besides their innate awesomeness, why do you think ducks are so popular in children’s literature in particular and/or pop culture in general?
Ducks are very vulnerable. I think people relate to their vulnerability. Yet in spite of their vulnerability, they are also strong and positive, and approach every step with a good attitude. Ducks are go-getters, but because they are vulnerable, they can find themselves in sticky situations. That’s a great set up for many story lines.

Thanks, Tiff! I’ve always thought about owning a duck, but I guess I’ll wait until I have 20 years with no vacation plans… For my writer readers, I hope this helps add some authenticity to your duck characters!

Tiffany works as a Creative Director at an ed-tech company in Bellevue, WA. She has been rescuing and rehabilitating ducks and other fowl friends in her spare time for nearly 8-years. You can find her flock online at Ducks and Clucks or on Facebook. Mr Flapper Duck has passed on, but his life blog remains online at www.mrflapper.com. Here are a few links to some of her favorite episodes from the blogs: Chewy’s Girlfriend Stuffy; New Ducks on the Block; Flapper Plays Lotto; JAWS!

Hot Ticket Free Today and Tomorrow!

Just popping in to let you know that Hot Ticket is free today and tomorrow (January 15th-16th) on  Amazon US (UK/DE/FR/ES/IT).

Juliet Robinson is the only sixth grader in John Jay Jr. High who hasn’t received a “hot ticket” from the mysterious ticket dispenser. When one of the dorkiest kids in school – Crammit Gibson – receives a ticket before she does, Juliet decides that the ticketing system has to stop. With the help of her best friend Lucy, a Daria-esque Madeline and her almost-crush Crammit, Juliet is determined to climb a few rungs on the middle school social ladder and catch the ticket dispenser once and for all!

Hope you enjoy!

Musical Hallucinations

In my short story, The Engine Driver, the characters hear music in their head in an effort to control their emotions. It’s like an iPod permanently implanted in your brain, with a government controlled playlist and the ability to pause (briefly) by pressing your fingers together.

The concept came to me as a “What if…?” but I started to wonder — does anybody actually experience anything like this?

Musical Hallucinosis
According to New Scientist’s article Music of the Hemispheres, there are people that hear musical hallucinations constantly, though it’s not a sign of mental illness. Known as musical hallucinosis, it’s actually most common in elderly people that are slowly losing the ability to hear. In the interview on New Scientist, Ramon Mocellin says,

“The underlying basis of this disorder is unknown. One model is that they result from spontaneous activity in the brain as a result of loss of input from the auditory system or deafness. This is similar to the “phantom limb” phenomena experienced by some amputees.

But it is unclear why only some people with deafness experience musical hallucinosis.”

The article goes on to explain that most people that suffer from musical hallucinations are elderly women who are stroke and/or seizure victims, who live alone or have limited social contact. People that hear music are also likely to be previously diagnosed with OCD.

This is all fascinating to me — the brain is trying to replicate what it’s lost, even if it means giving the body false information. (And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that patients tend to be socially isolated and the brain’s answer is music.)

Apparently the body has been doing this long before we all walked around with physical headphones in our ears. An article in The New York Times, notes:

“Musical hallucinations were invading people’s minds long before they were recognized as a medical condition. ‘Plenty of musical composers have had musical hallucinations,’ Dr. [Victor] Aziz said.

Toward the end of his life, for instance, Robert Schumann wrote down the music he hallucinated; legend has it that he said he was taking dictation from Schubert’s ghost.”

All this reminds me of the way writers describe their characters as “talking” to them. I’ve heard characters in my head, though I can’t say I feel like I hear them as one with musical hallucinosis would hear music. When my characters talk to me, it feels the same as when I talk to myself. Other authors, though, have described their characters as speaking out loud, in the way they hear another person in the room.

Do you hear your characters? What do they sound like?

7 Things I Wish Barnes & Noble Would Do

There’s talk about Barnes & Noble separating the Nook into its own business, though I guess I worry that this would ensure the hastier decline of brick and mortar stores.

Truth is, I love my ereader and I love being able to publish ebooks… but I also love physical books and the ability to browse a bookstore.  But the recession has hit bookstores hard, and it seems like it’s possible that my (nonexistant) kids could live in a world without bookstores.  That sounds like a crappy world, indeed.

A few weeks ago, I joked to friends that perhaps the answer is to redefine bookstore and create a “book lounge.” I don’t know how serious I am about that — I like the idea of a book lounge — a bar, a couple cozy chairs, and lots of reading material. But it doesn’t really translate well in children’s books, does it?

I can’t pretend to know what could be done to rejuvenate bottom lines, etc for the online and/or physical store.  But there are things I wish Barnes & Noble would do in order to be more attractive to authors and readers. Specifically:

1.) Add Author Pages
When I click the author’s name for Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs, I get just a search result of his name. But I don’t learn anything about Ransom Riggs. And I’m not even sure that the one result, Mental Floss: Scatterbrained, has anything to do with the author.

As an author and reader, I’d love to have a page (similar to Amazon’s) that gives a definitive list of that author’s works, bio, blog, tweets, etc. It’d also help build support from PubIt! authors, some of whom feel like B&N isn’t as supportive to indies as other retailers are. With KDP Select and now a possible Apple exclusivity program, B&N needs to make it clear that they are worth the effort for indies. The truth is, it’s harder to promote on B&N than it is to promote on Amazon, which of course leads to lower sales and the inclination to put all one’s eggs in the best-selling basket.

2.) Eliminate Anonymous Reviews
If there is a literary underworld, it’s the occasional trolling of authors and their friends who anonymously one star the competition, or anonymously five star their own books. The rating system is never perfect and there will always be someone gaming the system, but as an author it’s incredibly frustrating to be hit by an anonymous one star and commentless review before a book has even been sold. It also can’t work in the best interests of Barnes & Noble to have books sunk before they’ve ever had a chance to sell.

3.) Add Tags
Tags can also be used for nefarious purposes, but tags let the consumer categorize the book in ways that the publisher might not have thought of.  It’s also a way that indies help to get their books more exposure, and again, would show the B&N is as serious about their PubIt! program as Amazon is about KDP.

4.) Make It Easier to Navigate The Bestsellers Lists
I hate to say it, but Amazon’s way of categorizing their bestsellers list makes it much easier to find out what the bestselling dystopian YA book with werewolves is than it’d ever be to find at B&N online. Also, when I look at Mockingjay, it says it has a sales rank of “3,” but on the Teens page, it’s the number 1 bestseller. It’d be impressive to see both facts on the page: #3 in all of Barnes & Noble, #1 in Teens. (Okay, so Mockingjay doesn’t need a ranking to help sell it, but other books that may be doing well in smaller categories would definitely benefit.)

To be honest, I find the B&N website to be a less intuitive shopping experience in general.  If I know exactly what book I’m looking for, it makes sense.  But if I’m looking to click around and browse, it’s a different story.

5.) Market Directly To Me
Amazon uses my buying history to market directly to me, and then I click their recommendations. Like any system, the more I tell Amazon, the better results I get. And though this occasionally creeps me out (because, I mean, who needs to know every album, book or pasta machine that I’ve ever listened to, read or bought?), it’d be an easy way to feel like I’m seeing new things all the time. Personally, I feel like when I browse B&N online, I am usually shown bestsellers that I’ve already heard about, instead of maybe some fun new thing I don’t have yet.

6.) Play Up Their Physical Presence
My local B&N has a Nook desk right in the front of the store… but I ignore it because it’s sole purpose is to sell me a Nook. But it could be redefined, similar to Apple’s “genius bar.” One thing that B&N could provide over Amazon’s Kindle is physical tech support, though as of yet I haven’t heard that advertised as a selling point. If I was someone who felt intimidated by technology but was shopping ereaders, I would definitely prefer to buy from a place where a real, live person could help me learn to use the device, or fix it if it was broken.

Also, my local B&N has an excellent children’s staff. They know their kid’s books and they’re happy to talk with you about them. I went in one day for board books and ended up being shown all the hysterical stuffed animals that were based on Sandra Boynton characters. (I was buying another copy of Happy Hippo, Angry Duck for a friend.)

I’ll admit that when I buy an adult book, I tend to buy it online at Amazon. But if I’m looking for children’s books, I tend to go to B&N’s brick and mortar store. (Also, for some reason, I buy foreign language books in person, but not online.) Anyway, I’m not sure if it’s because I prefer to physically browse picture books, or if it’s the set up, or the staff. But my buying preferences are based on what genre I’m buying in.  I don’t know what that means for B&N, but it’s something to chew on.

7. Set Up A Referral Bonus Program
I’m an Amazon Affiliate, so when I link a book in a blog post, it’s towards Amazon.  But if B&N had a similar program, I’d certainly link to both.  I know there are readers who do prefer to support B&N over Amazon, but I have to admit – when I’ve already spent over an hour writing a blog post, I’m less likely to embed multiple buy links for the same book.  As much as I want to support B&N, when I’m tired and blogging my thought isn’t going to be about making sure retailers have equal opportunity.

You might read all this and think, “So you’re saying they should just be Amazon.”  But I don’t think that’s true.  I don’t think B&N can compete with Amazon’s aggressive price matching strategy, because they don’t have as many big ticket items to help make up the difference.  And as far as selling books goes, I think that there are two distinct populations of book buyers and that B&N serves a different segment than Amazon.

Perhaps my main point is really – I want to support you B&N, but you have to make it easier.  I think we all do better when there are more options re: online retailers/distributors. And I would be seriously upset to see my local B&N close up shop.

So c’mon B&N – help me, help you!

Readers – Where do you buy your books, and why do you choose that retailer?

New Year, New Agent!

Happy New Year!

I’ve been saving this announcement for the new year, but as you can guess by my title, I’ve just signed with Michelle Humphrey of Martha Kaplan Literary!

We’re working on a super fun picture book project that I haven’t talked much about on this blog, but I can tell you that one very mischievous duck is involved…

Bad Quack.

Anyway, we’re looking at both new and previous works, and Michelle has a great editorial eye, so I’m excited! (She also represents Kekla Magoon of The Rock and The River, which you should go read right now if you haven’t already.)

In celebration (and because I’m slowly learning how to use Photoshop), I’ve made these Hot Ticket Print Outs that are pretty close to the Hot Tickets that the ticket dispenser distributed to everyone (well, almost everyone) at Triple J.

They don’t know it yet, but someone already has a Hot Ticket waiting for them in their lunch bag right now. (It’s for not throwing up on the way to work, which is always worth a Hot Ticket… more so if you’re actually feeling sick.)

Anyway, you can click the link above for the .pdf file, or you can click this .jpeg below to save the file:

I did them in black and white, but feel free to color them orange or print them on orange paper.

Now, with great power comes great responsibility, so I trust that I won’t get any angry phone calls from principals, bosses, loved ones or frienemies because of careless Hot Ticket usage. (Seriously, I can only help one person escape from the Principal’s office a year. And usually, it’s Juliet.)

Lastly, here’s my Hot Ticket for you!

Happy Holidays and Free Holiday Short Story

Happy holidays my bloggerinos! (Do you think that bloggerinos is the Italian word for blog readers? It should be.)

Anyways, wishing you and yours love and peace during the holiday season!

(Also, did he just say “alligators?” If so, major improvement.)

I have an exciting announcement for 2012, but for now, I want to let you all know that George & Ophelia’s First Christmas is free on Amazon US (UK/DE/FR/ES/IT) from today until December 26th.

Also, I don’t know how long this will be true, but Effie At The Wedding is still free on Amazon UK and Haunting at Heidelburgh Mansion is still free at Amazon US.

I hope you enjoy! See you in the New Year!

Totes Ridic!

You may have noticed that this blog now sports a tag cloud (aka ‘Taggy McTaggenstein.’) But in doing this, I noticed that I’ve Twittered all the Hot Ticket blog stops but haven’t shared them with you here.

So basically, that’s a big book blogging fail on my part.

(Or, as Lucy would say, it’s, “Totes ridic.”)

So, here are some nice things that people have said about Hot Ticket that I swear I didn’t pay them to say. I hope you check out their full reviews and show them some bloggery love!

“I felt like I could relate to the middle school need in this book to fit in and to have your successes highlighted. I can also relate to how uncomfortable and sad it can be when you feel like you aren’t fitting in.”

– Figuring Out The Small Stuff

“The best thing about Hot Ticket, however, is the plot. It’s a mystery concerned with exactly the kinds of things that its audience cares about. It explores ideas of popularity and exclusion, of peer influence and self-esteem, and does it in a way that can’t help but hold the reader’s attention.”

– Agrippina Legit

“I really enjoyed reading this middle grade novel… My favorite line (because it’s probably one I can really relate to) is, ‘Cindy’s left ear is probably cooler than my entire body ever will be.’”

– The Literate Mother

“I also think the concept of the tickets is a stroke of genius. There have been a lot of stories about popularity written for this age group, but the idea of an actual ticketing system is a clever – and cruel – way to highlight who is hot and who is not. The ticketing system gave the author a lot of interesting scenarios to play with, and brought new life to an often overused topic.”

– Secrets & Sharing Soda

“The whole mystery of who the sender of the hot tickets is was well done. Just as Juliet’s clues and evidence kept her changing who she thought it was, the reader is kept uncertain as well.”

– The O.W.L. (Also, check out my guest post, where I talk about 6th Grade, rabbits and poop.)

“Children will be eagerly awaiting the next volume in this series to see where Juliet Robinson will take them next.”

– The Crypto-Capers Review

I also talk a bit about children’s lit in this interview at 21st Century Writer.

And, I want to share this song with you, which I have also missed the boat on perhaps, but it’s pretty excellent.

(In case you’re curious, Madeline would definitely dig this song. Juliet… she’s probably not musically mature enough, yet!)

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running…

My friend, Antlers, ran the NYC Marathon this year, so a celebratory deer painting was in order:

George and Ophelia’s First Christmas – Free Today Only!

Hello my lovely bloggerinos. There’s much in the works and I’m keeping the amount of fingers-to-keyboard time rather steady, but I wanted to pop in and let you know that:

1.) I’m Trying KDP Select with One Title
I like experimentation. I like being able to control free promotions. And I like staring at my computer screen like an addict, watching numbers move in ways they typically don’t on a normal sales day. Refresh! Refresh! Mmmmaaaaarrrrhhhh! I need MORE!

But, I’m not crazy about exclusivity, and I’m not sure that being in the lending library is really a benefit to moi at this point in my career. (At least, not in the KDP Select terms. Overdrive or anyone that wants to pay me per circ, please feel free to give me a holla’!)

Sooooo…

2.) George & Ophelia’s First Christmas is free TODAY ONLY
Today only, you can download George & Ophelia’s First Christmas on Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR, Amazon ES and Amazon IT.

3.) BUT…
You can also now buy the first story that started it all, Effie At The Wedding at Xin Xii. (For my fellow Americans, Xin Xii is a German-based company that is like the Smashwords of Europe.)

Also, big “THANK YOU!” to Ereader News Today and Daily Cheap Reads, Jr. for featuring The Effie Stories!

4 Quick Ways to ‘Green’ Your Beauty Routine

This is a bit off-topic, but for the last two months, I have been ‘poo free. (As in shampoo free, you sickie.)

Back in August, I’d started thinking about the number of chemicals I use in my daily routine, and how many of them were unnecessary and potentially toxic. So, here are four quick things I did to green my beauty routine:

1.) Switch your shampoo for baking soda.
I’ll admit, I was skeptical. But I took a handful of baking soda, added a bit of water and rubbed it in, and when I got out of the shower my hair was literally squeaky clean, and had more volume.

My hair did take a few days to adjust, and in the beginning I would have an oily day or two. But I’m two months in and I’m sticking to it. You can also just do baking soda once a week to help reduce build up from your regular shampoo.

As a natural alternative to conditioner, you can dilute apple cider vinegar in water, pour over your hair and rinse. I also picked up some essential oils to dilute the smell of the apple cider vinegar. (My hair doesn’t smell though. Really. It doesn’t. … Why are you backing away? Come back! I’m not done!)

Why did I switch?
I’m trying to avoid sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) which is the chemical that creates lather in shampoos and soaps. I’m also trying to avoid parabens and any of the PEG’s.

I’m not going to go into the research here, because I’m not a scientist and I think it’s best to read through the material and decide for yourself. One site to start with though, is the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetics Database. Another thing to know: Cosmetics are not tested or approved by the FDA. The FDA is concerned that they are packaged and labeled correctly (ingredient list, etc.) but the onus is on the cosmetic company to ensure that the products and materials are safe for use.

2.) Ditch body wash, look for a natural soap.
Our local farmers’ market sells goats’ milk soap, and it is fabulous. My skin is ridiculously soft, and they make all different scents using essential oils. The bar I picked is basically lye, goat’s milk and olive oil. It’s more expensive than a traditional bar of soap, but I don’t have to moisturize as often. And, it supports local farmers – Huzzah!

Why did I switch?
Here too I’m trying to avoid SLS, parabens, and PEGs. Also, antibacterial bodywash tends to contain triclosan, which is in antibacterial soaps, sanitizers, face washes and toothpaste.

3.) What’s good for your hair, is good for your teeth!
My dentist sandblasts my teeth with baking soda every six months during my regular cleaning. But I’ve taken to using baking soda every day instead of toothpaste. Wet your toothbrush, stick it in the baking soda, and brush. You won’t see lather (but you will see purple if you just had a glass of wine…), but my teeth look and feel just as clean.

Why did I switch?
Again, when I counted the number of times I exposed myself to triclosan, it was something like 10 times a day (my face wash, my toothpaste, liquid hand soap, etc.) The FDA is reviewing the safety of triclosan, but in the meantime, if I can use a natural product in its place, that’s what I’m going to do.

4.) Natural anti-aging products exist!
I switched my face wash for SukiFace’s Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser and it’s been great. I’m all the way through one jar, and I’m duly impressed. Softer skin and less break-outs, and the ingredients are all natural. (I found it through Saffron Rouge, which is a great starting point for finding beauty products with fewer chemicals.)

Why did I switch?
Same as with shampoo and body wash, I’m trying to avoid triclosan, PEGs, parabens and SLS, which were in my former face wash.

What’s next for me?
As much as I would love to toss everything with a sulfate, paraben or petroleum-base, I frankly can’t replace all my make-up and such all at once. But as I work through the stuff I have, I’ll do the research and find a better alternative. Eventually, I’ll have a completely paraben-free beauty routine!

In the meantime, have any green beauty tricks for me?