“ Adopting a crunchy lifestyle is like working out . You can ’ t wake up and expect to be able to run a marathon if you haven ’ t run a mile since that one time in high school gym class . “
water , or even ( gasp ) kefir
When people start their crunchy journeys , they often think it ’ s all or nothing right off the bat , but if you ’ ve made it this far into the book , you already know that ’ s not true . Adopting a crunchy lifestyle is like working out . You can ’ t wake up and expect to be able to run a marathon if you haven ’ t run a mile since that one time in high school gym class . Starting out , you aim to be able to run a few minutes , then you work your way up . You may never make it to a marathon ( or , in this case , being the ultimate crunchy family ), but won ’ t you be in better shape than you were before if , in the end , you can run a 5K ? You have to realize that everyone is on their own journey , and they don ’ t have the same experiences or convictions that you have . That ’ s okay .
Thankfully , these days there are alternatives to any conventional , mainstream chemically laden product . If there are changes you want to make as a family , start with a simple internet search for “ natural alternative to ________.” I like to try DIY alternatives using simple ingredients I can pronounce .
Sometimes that doesn ’ t work out . My husband doesn ’ t like putting egg whites in his hair because “ it doesn ’ t work as well as American Crew ,” but I searched and found a hair product we were willing to invest in . If you don ’ t have the budget for thirty-dollar hair wax , you can try the egg whites or even sugar water , lemon juice , or beeswax . If those don ’ t work , look for a “ regular ” product that is fragrance-free . Again , make changes incrementally as they make sense for you and your family .
From my experience , and from talking to friends and reading thousands and thousands of comments on my videos , I have found that spousal confrontation is not the only concern . There ’ s a ton of confrontation between parents and grandparents or extended family pertaining to the topic of kids . I get it — you have standards for your children and convictions on how you want them to be raised and what they should consume . I decided when I was pregnant that it was important for my kids to have a relationship with their grandparents . I didn ’ t have that kind of relationship , and I don ’ t want my kids to miss out on that . As I said before , my parents did their best with me , but I don ’ t want my kids to have the same childhood I had , so I knew I had to set some boundaries .
“ Adopting a crunchy lifestyle is like working out . You can ’ t wake up and expect to be able to run a marathon if you haven ’ t run a mile since that one time in high school gym class . “
I started my motherhood journey with a set of lofty ideals , although it really looked like a big list of don ’ ts , and then I resented when my parents weren ’ t offering to help with my kids as much as I thought they would . I think they may have been scared they were going to make a decision I didn ’ t approve of . There ’ s no room for fear or resentment in a healthy relationship , so I decided I had to
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