One of the recent Purposeful Conception topics–Detoxifying Our Lives–inspired me to once again focus on natural beauty products. I was doing well a while ago, but my deodorant stopped working (so I switched back to my go-to antiperspirant with aluminum in it), and we ran out of shampoo (so I just grabbed some Burt’s Bees stuff off the shelf at the grocery store and later realized it’s not actually very good for me, according to the Skin Deep database).

I worry a lot about antiperspirant with aluminum in it because of the links to Alzheimer’s. I’m frustrated, though, because I sweat a lot and every natural deodorant I’ve ever

Dear Running,

I hate you and I love you. It’s as simple as that. When we started our relationship over nine years ago, you opened me up to new possibilities. You showed me that changing my daily habits can actually change my identity. By showing up to the park five times a week and making the trek around the three-mile loop, I became A Runner. I felt healthier, stronger, less stressed, and more proud of myself. I lost weight, built muscle tone, and eventually got comfortable running in just a sports bra. (I gasp just thinking about that now!).

But there was always the underside of our relationship. I always

I need to buy a new pair of jeans. I’m the kind of person who hangs onto clothing for as long as possible because 1) it’s better for the budget 2) it’s better for the environment and 3) I don’t really enjoy shopping.

But my jeans have a hole in them, so it’s time to invest in a new pair. I’m at a crossroads, though, because I’m not sure what size to get. The jeans with a hole are my pre-pregnancy jeans. I couldn’t fit into them for a long, long time after Henry was born, so I bought a pair that was two sizes bigger, so I had something