Official Kiwi Families Review by Rochelle Gribble
The set-up:
I’ve never met Wendyl Nissen but for the last week or so, since reading her new book, I’ve felt like she has followed me around. Every time I pick up a cleaning product, I feel a little twinge of guilt: “Wendyl wouldn’t like this”, I think to myself. Nissen’s latest book- Mother’s Little Helper- An old-fashioned guide to raising your baby chemical free is a practical guide to eliminating toxic chemicals from your life and your baby’s. Nissen begins with the premise that there are too many toxins in our products and enthusiastically encourages readers to live like our Nanas- with fewer chemicals in our lives.
I’m liking:
This book is super practical. There are ‘recipes’ to help you create your own cleaning products and homemade remedies that you can whip up in a tick. I felt quite inspired to give lots of them a go and immediately ditched using baby wipes entirely. I also tried making my own yoghurt from scratch- fair to say that my first attempt met with a luke-warm reaction from the whanau but I’m going to give it another shot!
Nissen also weaves her own life experiences into the book and I was so intrigued that I went on to read her autobiography.
Things that made me go hmmmm:
I did begin to feel a bit overwhelmed and, as I’ve mentioned, quite guilty, by the end of the book. I guess the thing is that the book offers lots of ways that you can begin the journey towards minimising toxic chemicals in your home. It’s not about doing everything, all at once, but giving things a go.
The book did feel a touch repetitive at times but it’s a quick read and it’s easy to dip in and out of.
The conclusion:
This book will definitely go on the bookshelf, and I suspect that I’ll find myself referring back to it. I love the idea of making my own cleaning products and even if I don’t do it all the time (or even, let’s be honest, most of the time), it’s a great little resource for getting started.
1 Comment
I was recently given this book, and felt a bit sceptical after reading a recipe in the chapter on pregnancy for homemade mayonnaise – which included raw egg!! Raw or undercooked egg is supposed to be a no no for pregnant women so it seemed a bit sloppy to include that recipe in that chapter. I also agree with the guilt factor – the introduction talks about the guilt of trying to do and be it all as a mother, then immediately proceeds to tell you about how terrible all the nasty chemicals we use are for unborn children. In saying that I am interested in the recipes for natural household products.