“LITTLE CHANGES”
Contributed by Representative Erin Demory
Our feature author this month seems very appropriate because, in a sense, she is a lot like the MiCommunity Team members: She has found her calling and is extremely passionate about it, and her calling, like ours, is the elimination of toxic chemicals from her life and the move towards making sustainable and environmentally conscious decisions. Plus, she is doing so while educating and sharing her journey with others in a lighthearted manner, reassuring us we are not alone as we enter an often confusing and overwhelming territory, and ultimately helping us to make wiser choices. Like the MiCommunity Team, the more she learned and made changes, the more she wanted to share her knowledge and experiences with others. With that said, we are very excited to introduce Kristi Marsh and her book “Little Changes”.
Diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer at age thirty-six and with three young children at home, Kristi started on a quest to eliminate harmful chemicals from her life and environment. Now a proponent for environmental health, Kristi’s passion is to share her knowledge and journey with others. “So many people are reluctant to make changes in their lives because they think it’s going to be expensive or time consuming. But making little changes over time in the products we smother on our skin, foods we devour, and surroundings in which we immerse ourselves, doesn’t have to be difficult.” Kristi founded Choose Wiser, an organization dedicated to educating people about the interaction between environmental toxins and their health, and empower and encourage them to raise the bar on the products they purchase and bring into their homes by becoming savvy, aware consumers.
In 2009, Kristi started sharing her dynamic message with women home-party style, visiting mom’s groups, book clubs, and church groups. In a few short months, her audiences grew, as word spread of her engaging talks and workshops. She has presented her message to nurses at Faulkner Hospital, and to women’s conferences in Boston, Springfield, MA, and Dallas. Kristi will also be speaking at Purdue University in 2012. She empowers her audiences to choose wiser products with kinder, simpler ingredients, giving themselves the gift of the best life possible.
Her first book, “Little Changes”, is a succulent swirling lollipop of lessons about the products we smother on our skin, foods we devour, and surroundings in which we immerse ourselves. A gut-wrenching roller coaster of emotions, her adventure involves a Western Grebe, farm stand spinach, a meaty love story, a rock in Wyoming, and some pioneers-which eventually captured national attention.
With a cup of humor, a smidgeon of sarcasm, and a wallop of mainstream motherhood, Little Changes enlightens readers about the simmering, swelling, epic transformation of our generation; becoming self-advocates for their own environmental health.
Kristi has been recognized by Prevention Magazine’s Picture of Health, Clean Water Action’s 2011 John O’Connor Award, Healthy Living Magazine’s Champion of Health 2010 Awards, and Greenschool’s 2009 Outstanding Leadership Awards. Her dynamic speaking skills earned her 2nd place in Toastmasters 2011 International Speech Contest in Massachusetts. She was the visionary behind the Black Tie and Denim Gala, a fundraising event that raised over $40,000 for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. She lives with her family near Boston, Massachusetts. Checkout Kristi’s website Choose Wiser for tons of great “getting started” tips, blog posts, and more.
WIN 6 AUTOGRAPHED COPIES OF KRISTI’S BOOK and A MIESSENCE GIFT CERTIFICATE
In the month of July and August, many of us will be reading Kristi’s book and really hope you will read along too.
- We would love to hear what has inspired you to make “Little Changes” in your lives.
- If you haven’t yet, what has kept you from making the changes?
- What do you fear as the biggest hurdle in sticking with these changes?
By sharing your thoughts with us, you will be entered into our summer raffle to win 6 autographed copies of “Little Changes” to share with your book club or circle of friends plus a Miessence Certified Organics gift certificate to help you on the road towards elimination of chemicals in your home.
To enter, simply send us an email and share your thoughts on the questions above with your Miessence Rep, by August 28th at 11:59 pm – 6 weeks from now. The raffle winner will be notified by September 15th. Don’t forget to include your contact information so we can notify you if you win!
New subscribers to our newsletter between July 17th and August 28th will also be automatically entered into the raffle, so if you know folks who might enjoy our monthly inbox magazine, please forward this to them and let them know they can gain two entries for the raffle – one for subscribing, and one for sending in their thoughts on the questions above.
If you’d like the ‘fine print’ on the raffle, please download a copy of the terms & conditions from HERE.
Enjoy the book!
I have challenged Anthony at the Whole Foods Wellness Center to see if they could recommend an alternative crust. I’ll report back if we find anything good.
