Ingrid Callot: Revealing the most harmful home cleaning ingredients

From Ingrid Callo February Photos. Photo Credit: http://houseandhome.com

Hello! This is your friendly blogger, Ingrid Callot, living the green life.

Last night, my son Jacob was kind enough to volunteer to do the dishes for me (though he found it hard to reach the sink). I let him help me with the dishwashing but this morning, he woke up with red blotches on his hands. I suppose it was an allergic reaction to the dishwashing liquid I bought two days ago.


So today I wrote this blog to talk about the dangers behind some cleaning products that are commonly found in households. Believe it or not, it’s ironic how many of the things we use for cleaning are the same ones that pose potential health risks to us, our beloved children (who are more susceptible to diseases than adults do), and even to Mother Earth.

Ingrid Callot is a wife, mother, and blogger. She is known in her neighborhood in Van Nuys as a recycling goddess.

From Ingrid Callo February Photos. Photo Credit: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com

Some cleaners contain unwanted toxins that pollute indoor air or penetrate the skin, leading to adverse effects on the body including allergies, asthma, and even certain cancers. Now, that’s totally scary! So let’s face the facts here. There are some dishwashing liquids sold in the market that contain phosphate which leads to skin irritation and burns. Laundry detergents have linear alkyl benzene that causes reactive dermatitis. Toilet cleaners have harsh chemicals, like sodium hypochlorite that result to breathing difficulty and eye irritation.

I know it’s incredibly impossible to live in a world free of toxins. But we can still do something to make things better by making an effort in using natural cleaning products like baking soda, vinegar, or cream of tartar. We can also minimize the use of harmful chemicals by reading the labels of the products we buy.





For more eco-friendly tips from Ingrid Callot, follow her on Twitter.

From Ingrid Callo February Photos. Photo Credit: http://www.anthropologie.com

Illuminating the home naturally: Ingrid Callot on the benefits of installing skylights

“Looking great, Ingrid Callot!”

Vicky, my long lost friend (I haven’t seen her since college graduation!) greeted me as I walked into her charming abode. It’s one of the most beautiful homes I’ve seen in years. Her house was overflowing with character and grace, thanks to the unique Italian antique set of furniture that greeted me. What caught my attention was how each piece of furniture was highlighted with natural light. Not only that, the entire home was flooded with a generous amount of the sun’s brightness and warmth. So what made her home so bright and welcoming? “It’s the skylights,” Vicky answered proudly as she pointed at the strategically placed skylights in her house.

Ingrid Callot Photo credit: Hexocon.ca

When I shared to her of my vow to healthy and green living, she got excited, and said, “Ingrid Callot, you won’t believe how huge this is not only in cost reduction, but also in everyday living,” she said, pointing at the skylights, and then she went on discussing more about their benefits.


As we toured around her lovely crib, she said that skylights don’t only provide natural light. They also add insulation to reduce energy bills. Quality skylights made of polycarbonate are 200 times stronger than glass or plastic, so they protect homes from extreme weather conditions. The better part is they give an open and airy atmosphere to any space. And of course, natural light enhances the home and mood of everyone in it, improves sleeping patterns, and encourages vitamin D production.

Ingrid Callot Photo credit: Belvederehomeimprovements.com

Visiting Vicky’s house left me wanting to have my own skylight at home. So now that I’m back home, I’ll call one of my husband’s architect friends and maybe they can help me design a skylight!

Ingrid Callot photo credit: Belvederehomeimprovements.com

More eco-friendly tips from Ingrid Callot can be accessed at Twitter.

Plants for health: Ingrid Callot and saving your lungs

Hello, blog readers! This is Ingrid Callot once again, happy and excited to share with you some groovy green secrets to a healthier living.


There’s no doubt that having plants in your living room or dining area invigorates the spirits and perks up a rather tiring day. A pot of green plant can even brighten up a gloomy abode. But did you know that plants are also beneficial to your health?

Ingrid Callot Photo credit: i.istockimg.com

I remember in my biology class (gosh, that was such a long time ago!) that lesson on how plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. But that’s not all what plants do! Amazingly, they do a heck of a job at draining and absorbing particles of air pollutants and toxins.

Ingrid Callot

is a wife, mother, and an advocate of the three R’s of the environment – reduce, reuse, recycle.

This is good news for me and my husband, Roger, as we continue living on the green side. So, we took a little trip to a nearby nursery to spot on some natural greenery. Thankfully, we went home with three kinds of house plants. They’re now neatly placed in our sitting room, in an area where they can bask under the sun during mornings.

Ingrid Callot Photo credit: Greengrowerindia.com

My first choice was the dragon tree or Dracaena (the bonsai version), since it’s not only pretty, it’s also easy to take care of. Roger’s pick was the goosefoot plant or Syngonium podophyllum. He loved how intricate the marbled leaves look. Our third buy was the purple waffle plant or Hemigraphis alternate. It looked a bit funky for me, but the nursery caretaker was kind enough to tell us that it was one of the most rated ornamentals for combating air pollutants.

Ingrid Callot Photo credit: Media.eurekalert.org

So, there! I hope you’ll also buy some plants of your own and display them inside your house so you can enjoy clean air all day, every day.



More healthy and sustainable tips from Ingrid Callot can be accessed on Twitter.

Eating like a celebrity: Ingrid Callot on having great skin

Hello! This is Ingrid Callot, a steward of healthy and green living. My family and I have recently adopted healthy eating, too. Our fridge in the kitchen has a lot of organic food and personally, I’ve started losing all those extra pounds I gained!

Ingrid Callot Photo credit: Necolebitchie.com

One day, my friend Edgardo Versoza and I were watching E! and looking at all these celebs who have also lost weight after choosing to live healthy.

Of course, celebrities have all the moolah to hire the best trainers and nutritionists to come up with the best exercise regimen and diet combinations for them. If you watch entertainment news programs like I do, then you’re familiar with the healthy weight loss story of singing sensation Jennifer Hudson, the post-dancing trim-down of Ricki Lake, and post-pregnancy slim-down of Mariah Carey.

Ingrid Callot is a wife, mother, and an advocate of eco-friendly living.

Aside from the huge weight loss, these celebs are also getting noticed for their clear skin. And I think that every woman should take great care of their skin, especially my generation – ladies, we are not getting any younger! So I found some tips on the Web on how to take better care of your skin. And guess what! These tips are also being practiced by celebrities!

Ingrid Callot Photo credit: Bittenanbound.com

Will Caton, a celebrity trainer in Brentwood, California, encourages eating dark green veggies to achieve clearer and younger-looking skin. It’s better than loading up on fruits which have more sugar. Cutting down on sugar not only prevents certain diseases and encourages weight loss, but also helps avoid wrinkle formation. Dermatologists say that sugar breaks down collagen which leads to wrinkling. Piling up on protein is also great since it produces collagen and elastin to tone the skin.

Ingrid Callot Photo credit: Themoviezones.com

More healthy living tips from Ingrid Callot can be accessed on Twitter.

Doing your "business" the eco-friendly way: Ingrid Callot on composting toilets

Ingrid Callot teaches you how to keep your toilet smelling fresh and clean with the following blog. Read on and join the green side!

From Ingrid Callot Photo Credit: www.eburcat.com

Ever since my family and I decided to lead an eco-friendly lifestyle, I have gotten rid of almost all the plastic in my house, and we’ve started eating organic food and using only sustainable products. Recently, we also had a composting toilet installed in our house. At first my son Jacob was in no way convinced with the idea and said, “Mom, isn’t that gross?”

I just smiled and answered, “Just wait and see, darling.”

From Ingrid Callot Photo Credit: Blogs.Nbcuni.com

"Ingrid Callot is a wife and mother, and is known in her neighborhood as a recycling goddess."

A composting toilet is a system that eliminates nasty odors from human waste while avoiding water wastage. Plus, you can use the waste as fertilizer in your garden! I learned there are several ways of doing it, but basically it works like this:

• When doing ‘business’ in the composting toilet, I let my family use a bucket to place their you-know-what in. I also put a pile of sawdust (hay, woody mulch, or even shredded paper will do) ready at the side to cover up the you-know-what in the bucket. This keeps the unpleasant smell from leaking out and prevents uninvited pests from coming in.

• When the bucket is good to go, I put it in our backyard, under the sun, to stand for two weeks. The heat of the sun, especially when the heat reaches more than160° F, is enough to kill the microbes in the bucket. I can then use the compost to fertilize my beautiful plants.

• The bucket is then cleaned and ready to be put back in the composting toilet.

From Ingrid Callot Photo Credit: Themarriagechecklist.com

For more eco-friendly DIY projects, follow Ingrid Callot on Twitter.

Leftovers are not rubbish: Ingrid Callot on proper food storage

My husband Roger and I, Ingrid Callot, would have starved yesterday if not for the leftovers in our fridge. There are days when I just can’t find the luxury of time to prepare a complete meal. Yesterday was no different. For this reason, up my sleeves is a variety of food storage ideas to preserve food properly.

From Ingrid Callot Photo Credit: http://www.showmomthemoney.com

Of course, as an advocate of eco-friendly solutions, I prefer to use sustainable storage containers. I’m sure many of these are probably in your kitchen already.

From Ingrid Callot Photo Credit: http://www.health24.com

Here are some valuable tips on storing food the eco-friendly way:

Buying glass containers

Glass is the most ideal storage choice. The reason: it’s safe and it saves you a lot of money in the long run. Ingrid Callot here invests in glass containers. A glass container may be more expensive than other choices you might find at the store, but it’s an investment, and a worthy one at that. I recommend borosilicate glass since it holds true to its safe and eco-friendly character like Pyrex. It also safely withstands extreme temperature changes.


Re-using product containers

When buying grocery items, find food products that come in containers or packages that can be re-used for a period of time. There is a wide array of brands and goods that are good enough for that purpose. An example for this is Eden Foods’ tomato products. The company addresses concern about BPA by using amber glass jars. BPA is Bisphenol A, a chemical found in the linings of canned goods and other containers.

From Ingrid Callot Photo Credit: http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk

For more eco-friendly tips from Ingrid Callot, follow her on Twitter.

Sweets for your sweet: Ingrid Callot on how to make homemade truffles

I am Ingrid Callot – mother, wife, recycling goddess, composting queen, fan of Oprah, the Dalai Lama, Martha Stewart, Julia Child, eco-friendly living, and physical fitness. I am also known in my neighborhood for my DIY crafts – aside from saving money and getting to recycle, I love the thought of making my gifts instead of merely buying them from stores.

Ingrid Callot Photo Credit: Whistlers.com

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, prices of flowers, stuffed animals, chocolates, greeting cards, perfumes, and lingerie have been rising steadily. Fortunately, you don’t always have to spend a bundle to let your special someone feel the love. I believe that it’s always the thought that matters –handmade gifts are more precious than those from stores.

Ingrid Callot Photo Credit: ScottishGourmetFood.com

Chocolate truffles make elegant gifts this season, and you can easily make them at home. Ingrid Callot here has made several batches of these sinful sweets through the years. Allow me to share my favorite recipe, courtesy of Food.com:

Homemade Truffles

Ingredients:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
ground nuts or dry coconut powder , toasted

Directions:

*Melt chocolate in microwave on medium power.
*Stir occasionally; set aside.
*Beat cream cheese until smooth.
*Gradually add sugar, beating until well blended.
*Add melted chocolate and vanilla, mix well.
*Refrigerate for 1 hour.
*Roll into 1 inch balls.
*Roll in nuts or coconut.
*Store in refrigerator.

Place them in a pretty box, tie with a ribbon and enclose a love letter, and you’re all set for Valentine’s Day!

INgrid Callot Photo Credit: Rozannegold

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