Get the Lead Out

The last couple weeks my obsessive focus has been on avoiding lead contamination, which I had not given much thought to before, despite thinking for years about how to avoid exposure to pesticides, BPA, and other chemicals. I just didn't know about it, but now I'm really concerned for my kids.

Bad news: our apartment has lead paint and Oregon has little-to-no protections for young children tenants legally.
Good news: I can try to be more careful about exposure in the ways that are within my control. As a result, we have matching plates for the first time in our marriage.

Our new plates. 

Upon learning from the Lead Safe Mama blog that most vintage dishes have high levels of lead in the designs, I got rid of all of mine. She specifically tested several pieces I have in my thrifted assortment of Corelle dishes, which made it easy to make a clean break and purchase a brand-new set of white embossed Corelles (verified lead-free). I guess there was some purpose to my and Rob's inability to agree on a Corelle pattern 7+ years ago when we got married, as we never bought a dish set. Now we finally have matching plates.

Goodbye, plates. You have served us well. 

I liked collecting you. 

My teacup collection also had to go. I only used them about once a year anyway. I just tossed the saucers, but it was harder to part with the cups so I made them into succulent gardens.

I'm pruning our leaded belongings in other ways, which is the most effective decluttering motivator I've come across yet. "Do I use it?" "Does it bring me joy?" These can be unclear. "Does it have lead?" "Do I want to ingest lead?" These are more black-and-white. 

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In other news, I started brewing kombucha again for the first time in years yesterday. Store-bought kombucha was one of the ways I could "treat" myself when I had gestational diabetes, but now I'm hooked and I really don't want to keep paying $3/bottle. I am excited to try flavoring it more and adding chia seeds. 

Brewing under the sink.