Do you spend hours carpooling kids, coordinating sports practices and shopping for your family each week? You probably have much in common with Kristi Marsh. This happy stay-at-home Massachusetts mom had the good life, busy as it was.
Then breast cancer stopped this thirty-something in her high heeled tracks. If you're like one in eight women, you'll sadly have that in common with her, too. While she endured treatments and side effects, Marsh pondered where life would go after cancer. She wrote, "Whether my life offered me one day or forty more glorious years, I suddenly had direction. I wanted my actions to be guided by one priority: health. Cancer would force me to take time off. Fine. I decided to use this gift to plan my future, to figure out how I could encourage a healthier lifestyle for myself and for my family."
Marsh's three children and husband learned along with her as she started making the Little Changes that would eventually become the title of her book. Readers are now invited along as she relates discoveries about ingredients of concern lurking in the average home or shopping cart. This experienced marketing professional politely turns the tables on marketing claims and seeks the truth behind ingredients in popular products. Her book is chock-full of educational resources and useful lists. She shares from the perspective of a consumer, calling herself a Reluctant Home Eco-Momics Pioneer.
While the beginning of the book is mired in details of cancer diagnosis and coping, this merely sets the stage for the majority of pages filled with hope and actions. Marsh is clear to point out that she never intended to write another book about cancer. This was simply her path toward becoming a more enlightened consumer. Her goal, through her book, her website Choose Wiser and in-person workshops, is encouraging others to make their own progress, at their own pace. Whether you're adjusting to life after cancer or simply looking for a modern home resource, Little Changes has some encouragement for you.