Ryan and I have been talking a lot more about our impact on the environment, living green (so to speak), and eating organic. We already recycle everything under the sun. At any given moment our recycle bin is more full than our trash can. A few little things we are going to add to our routine are CFLs for our next apartment (we're moving in one month), and using a service that will reduce or eliminate our junk mail.

The service is 41 pounds, and it's going to save us a ton of headaches as far as sorting and shredding all that personal information, as well as reducing CO2 emissions and saving a few trees. I can't wait to see how well it works.

Much to my delight Ryan has been eager to purchase organics. We take our little canvas bags and peruse the aisles of Whole Foods like we are a couple of rich people. But in reality, we are buying only staples that are on sale, in bulk, or what we have a coupon for. I was loving it.

Then, one day, Ryan sent me an email from work.

"I checked out the deodorant crystal...other deodorant sticks use various harmful chemicals known to cause cancer."

I knew what he was taking about. I've seen all sorts of articles about the aluminum used in deodorant and other links to carcinogens in traditional anti-perspirant. For someone like me, with a higher risk for breast cancer, I should probably already be using it. But my first reaction went like this:

"Oh, the deodorant crystal is intriguing, but I have heard it doesn't work."

This was true. I've heard from complaining coworkers about ol' hippie Bill or flower-child-Megan, who did tend to smell, and how they must use "that crystal".

Well. It turns out using one doesn't automatically turn you into a guitar-strumming, dope-smoking, smelly hippie. I know, because Ryan isn't one yet, and he's been using it for a week. And it's been working. Believe me, I was skeptical at first. We've discovered that when Ryan uses it, he smells fresh as a mountain breeze, but the crystal seems to have little effect on me. Sigh.

Maybe that's a little more than you wanted to know about our personal hygiene, but there you have it. It's tougher than it seems to try to do the right thing for yourself and the earth.