Where do we get our information, inspiration, and ideas? It’s a mix of personal experience, research, and ‘opened eyes.’

We’ve listed our top sources below and will continue to add or update new resources and inspiration. If you want to see lists of actual products that we use in our home and daily life, go to our Products We Use and Brands We Trust pages.

Books

     

Pretty much anything by Michael Pollan. Seriously, start with Food Rules (the Illustrated Edition is pretty fun and great for kids) and then read In Defense of Food and The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Pollan’s journalistic style of writing is not only easy to read, but incredibly informative. He’s not chef or foodie, or even an organic advocate, but is truly interested in the way things work. And a few chapters into his journalism shows his findings and reasoning into how and why the industrial food complex is not working. Cooked is one of my favorite books, and an incredible Netflix series.

There’s a great Michael Pollan boxed set that has Cooked, Omnivore’s Dilemma, and In Defense of Food for a pretty reasonable price as well.

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Websites/Blogs

Environmental Working Group

Think of the EWG as the Consumer Reports for environmental and organic related issues. The yearly Dirty Dozen / Clean Fifteen produce guides are referenced a lot in this household.

Wellness Mama

Tons of great advice, recipes, product reviews, and more.

100 Days of Real Food

Yep, it’s cookbook and website (see below)!

Breadtopia

Eric is a really good dude who is very passionate about sourdough bread and teaching others how to make it. My first sourdough bread was made from a recipe from Breadtopia and was very simple and delicious – I was hooked from the start. If you are just getting started or are thinking of jumping in, I recommend taking a look at Breadtopia.com and that first recipe. Plus, he has his own shop where you can purchase all of the tools and equipment you need to make quality sourdough!

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Cookbooks

100 Days of Real Food

Yes, it’s a website and a cookbook, but it pulls double duty for us. This cookbook sits right next to our oven, no joke. When we aren’t at home (or right next to the oven…) we will pull up Lisa’s website on our phones to look up tips and recipes. Many recipes are variations of or were inspired by one of Lisa’s, and we regularly recommend it to people starting out on this journey. Her experiences and tips mirror ours – it’s a must have.

100 Days of Real Food: Fast and Fabulous

Lisa’s second cookbook is a continuation of her first, and a great resource for when you don’t have as much time and need something quick and healthy! I’m sure all of us can relate to that!

Both of these books are dog-eared, have food stains on multiple pages, and sit prominently on our kitchen counter for quick reference.

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Documentaries

The Human Experiment

Fed Up

Forks over Knives

Food, Inc.

Cooked

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Shopping

Farmer’s Markets and CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture)

Our ultimate goal is to be no more than 1-2 steps removed from the food we eat. That means we grow it ourselves, we can look the person in the eye that harvested that food, or we know the person that knows the person that harvested the food. That way, we can ask questions about that food – How was it grown? Was it grown responsibly? Is it (really) organic?

The best way to do that is to seek out farmer’s markets, talk to farmers, and join community supported agriculture programs. Fortunately for us, Milwaukee has a great network of CSAs and farmers markets throughout the area. Many parts of the country are the same or are getting there – do some research and you should be able to find some close to you! Search LocalHarvest.org to see if there are farmer’s markets and CSA’s in your area.

Thrive Market

Organic shopping can be pricey, but not with Thrive. You have to pay a membership fee, but it’s paid for in the savings they pass on to you – and then some. We’ve seen products priced double the Thrive Market price when in stores! There’s no need, especially when there’s free shipping on orders over $49.

If you don’t have a membership with Thrive Market, we have an offer for you. Click on the logo above to start a free 30-day trial membership and get 25% off and free shipping on your first order!

Favorite Grocery Stores

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Essential Oils

Young Living

When you see or hear us talking about essential oils we are usually referring to Young Living brand. We use their oils every day, including their blends like Panaway and Thieves.

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Non-Toxic References

Textiles and Products

OEKO-TEX® is a multifaceted operation that certifies textiles to be made safely and without toxic chemicals. They also provide a really comprehensive list of products and manufacturers that carry valid certifications. Want to find men’s pants made in North America and are certified to the Oeko-Tex® standard? Those and more can be found in their product listing page.

Chemical Safety

The Environmental Working Group studies and releases findings on a number of toxin related issues, especially in agriculture and cosmetics. Their Cosmetics Database is both comprehensive and easy to understand, making it a go-to for any ingredients that we don’t know or understand.

Whole Foods Body Care Standards

Whole Foods has both a Premium Body Care Standard and Organic Body Care Standard that they use to judge and classify the products that they carry. Both are also good references for chemicals and ingredients that you aren’t sure about, especially in cosmetics.

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For transparency, you should know that many of the product links are affiliate links, meaning we get a kick back if you purchase that product. It does not mean that you are being charged extra, sometimes it’s actually the opposite. But, know that we do not endorse nor list any products that we do not use or fully believe in using. Period.