Crunchy Mama.
Doesn’t that phrase just evokes all kinds of weird images?
But back to the point Karin.
I’m sure if you’ve hung around the Truncation world for any length of time, you have probably figured out by now that I’m not necessarily a crunch mama.
But what you may not know is that I actually choose not to be.
As in, I actively stay away from doing things in a “crunchy way.”
That may sound weird, but let me give you three reasons why we choose to separate ourselves from that phrase.
- First: I very purposefully choose to live (and model) a life of balance. In other words, we eat organic veggies and candy. We have hummus, tofu, fish and cake, doughnuts, and ice cream. I’m very intentional about this because one of my goals as a mother is to raise a child who has a healthy mindset about food. Nothing is off limits, which means there aren’t any unhealthy fixations on one type of “bad” food. This idea of balance translates to other things as well: TV time and outdoor playtime for my daughter and downtime time and exercise for me. Productive time for the whole family and lazy time for the whole family. We eat most meals as a family, but we eat in front of a movie on Friday nights. Kit has some structured play time, but mostly we just let her be creative and come up with her own fun. And like I said, we do this purposefully.
- We don’t exclusively use organic products. Sometimes Kit gets regular sunscreen (gasp!), we buy the diapers we can afford. I tried the Norwex kitchen cloth and I hated it. But you know what? I’m more concerned with teaching our children to live within their means than teaching them that death lurks behind every rock in the bathroom cabinet. Do I like organic products? Yes. Do I use them when possible? Absolutely. Will I shrivel up like the bad guy at the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade if I use some spray on sunscreen? Probably not.
- And finally: we take medicine (I know). I would love it if essential oils truly worked as well as people claim they do. But here’s the thing, I get massive migraines and I always feel like laughing hysterically anytime someone suggests I try a little peppermint oil on my pressure points. I mean, don’t get me wrong, if all I had to do was take some peppermint oil and squeeze my thumb and index finger together then I would absolutely do it! But a whiff of oil isn’t going to cure a migraine strong enough to keep me in bed all day. I also went with the epidurals instead of taking a whiff of lavender every time a contraction hit. And you know what? I actually really enjoyed both of my labor and deliveries (I know, I’m weird, but really when else does a busy mom get to just sit and sleep all day?!). We don’t balk when doctors prescribe medicine (I mean, mostly because they went to medical school so I’m not surprised when they treat illness with medicine), instead we praise the good Lord for modern science that has given us cures to illnesses that could have meant death just 100 years before.
Our little household is slowly moving toward a slower, more minimal approach to life. And we do try to be mindful about what types of products we’re consuming or putting on our bodies, but I choose not to beat myself up when we don’t do things perfectly. I try to be okay with balancing real life with our ideal life. I think sometimes the stress that comes when we try to control every little thing in our surrounding can actually be more harmful than drinking a diet coke here and there.
What do you think? Would you label yourself a crunchy mama? Have you figured out how to balance those ideals in every day real life? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time,
Outfit Details:
Tank: Old Everlane. Similar.
Denim: Thrifted. Similar USA Made. Non Denim Responsibly Made Version.
Clogs: Lotta from Stockholm.
Fedora: Old J.Crew. Similar USA Made.
Mother Necklace: Nandi Jewelry
Stroller: Baby Trend.
I’m a crunchy mama who struggles with the world’s rampant consumerism/chemicals/plastic/TV….. But your post has made me feel like I need to let a few things go. Not just for my sake but for the wellbeing of my kids. Thank you!
I totally get it Emily! I get so worried about what the girls are consuming and what they’re coming in contact with, but I’ve learned to let some things go (as you said) and realize that as long as we’re putting our best effort in, a little misstep here or there isn’t going to hurt anything.
It sounds like you have a great balance. I feel I am similar in my way I approach life. I eat mostly local food in season, but I don’t beat myself up if I need to go to the store for an ingredient I can’t find locally. I always try natural remedies first- sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. I make my own household cleaner and use natural dish soup and laundry products, but still use Windex and toilet cleaner when I deep clean. And while my daily cleansers and cosmetics score low on the Environmental Working Group skin deep rating, I am known to whip out my Sephora products for a special occasion. 🙂
Also, I just read “French Women Don’t Get Fat”. I love how the French approach eating. Nothing is forbidden, but consumed in small amounts of the highest quality you can afford. I believe that can and should carry over to other parts of our lives as well.
Love that picture of you in front of the vintage truck! I would love to drive that! ?
I’ve always thought you seemed well balanced Rebecca (that sounds funny, but it’s true haha!). I just picked up that book and it’s SOOOOO fascinating! I’m loving it so much so thanks for the tip!
Ahh, yes “everything in moderation.” I went to a makeup party last night and learned the US is the worst at labeling toxins, synthetic, etc. I’m basically sensitive to perfumes, but essential oils I can handle. I don’t swear by EOs, but do enjoy the whiff of smell occasionally. It is not meant to heal all wounds, especially when my 9 year old smashed his finger under a rock and woman wanted to add EO to an open wound-of course, Mama Bear came out! I do enjoy my new ZUM laundry detergent with patchouli EO. I think as far as what we put into our bodies, water, water, and more water. And, to listen to your own triggers, like dairy sensitivity, spicey foods, etc. I eat meat, but maybe 1 a week and prefer fish, chicken, lamb. ok, well I’m yet to read a book on diet and apparently need to do so. Any book suggestions. Also, any app suggestions for detecting toxins? I know of one called “think dirty”-not in the literal sense. Love this topic of balance for Mama’s Thanks for all you do! ?
You would enjoy the book Crazy Sexy diet by Kris carr. I love this topic too and learned so much about nutrition from her!
I’ve never heard of that one either! Yay for new books!
The Environmental Working Group is a great resource for information on risks behind different ingredients. I wouldn’t worry about labeling things as “toxic” or “non-toxic”; every chemical (btw EVERYTHING is a chemical) has risks associated with it so you just have to find what you’re comfortable with.
Sounds like a great resource Lauren! Thanks for chiming in!
I’m guessing it was Beauty Counter? I have a friend that sells it and I’ve heard her say that. 🙂 I definitely utilize essential oils! Especially for relaxation and skincare, but like you said they aren’t going to work for everything! And yes to water! Rebecca just commented and mentioned French Women don’t get Fat and I just picked it up and love it so far! I also love the book Intuitive Eating. I mostly use Think Dirty as well!
“I’m more concerned with teaching our children to live within their means than teaching them that death lurks behind every rock in the bathroom cabinet.”
? I love this. Totally with you on balance. Stress is ultimately the worse thing for the body, so being obsessive isn’t going to help.
Thanks girl! I know stress is so hard on my body! P.S. Love seeing your boys on Facebook!
Oh! Also, that Snap and Go stroller is my favorite thing ever.
It’s SOOO good!!
EOs were a part of my “bag of tricks” in learning how to deal with and *almost* get rid of my migraines! But it’s my bag of tricks, not anyone else’s. And there’s also prescription drugs in that bag of tricks :-)It works for me and my family right now at this point in our journey, and I’m learning that more and more – this whole crunchy thing is a journey, we are all at different points, and we take what works at a given time and add it to our bag. Our bag necessarily changes as seasons, people, and finances change. 🙂 I try to hold back my crunchy opinions until someone asks for my opinion – which is hard sometimes, but I’m trying!! Especially as a birth doula – I’ve seen mamas at all stages of the crunchy journey, and have TOTALLY seen mamas who ROCKED their birth because they could choose an epidural!!! 🙂
That’s great they worked for you Kayla! I’m definitely not against them, and I wish they worked! My migraines are hormonal related and so can’t be treated with EO’s (though I’ve tried!). I think you’re wise to keep opinions to a minimum (unless you want to start a blog in which case you can say whatever you want and not have to see people’s reactions in real life haha!). I’ve definitely found that with the things I’m passionate about (minimal living, ethical fashion, etc.) people will ask me if they are interested. If they don’t ask me, they don’t want to know and have a tendency to get annoyed when I push it. I think leading by example is the best way to go!
I just fell on your blog and it’s totally resinating. I think of myself as super uptight but I think you just showed me that I’m more balanced than I thought and I can let go of any guilt around the non-crunchy parts. I also have hormonal and diet related migraines. No gluten, no coffee and no chocolate for me. A tough trifecta but I’ll do about anything not to be knocked out for three days (and ridiculously cranky). What have you found to balance your hormones or at least deal with a migraine. I’ve tried all the crunchy things possible and Advil and Advil migraine. Nothing touches them. I just have to wait it out and try not to throw up or yell too much.
Thank you Megan! Definitely let go of the guilt! Trust your mama gut. 🙂 For me, the only thing that has worked is prescription Imitrex. I used it in college and then tried to go without it for about eight years after college and just couldn’t do it. I would be laid up for hours to days (I suffer from hormonally caused cluster headaches) and sometimes weeks because of them. I finally broke down and went back on the Imitrex and it has given me my life back! I don’t love being on such a strong prescription medication, but it’s the only thing I’ve found to work. I’m not necessarily saying you should go on a prescription medication, but it might be worth talking to your doctor about it! I hope you find some relief… migraines are truly horrible!
Definitely needed to read this today! The struggle is real and it certainly doesn’t have to be.
I’m glad it helped Laura!
You have a such a talent for capturing the moment in photos in a real and beautiful way. And I agree that it’s important to not become consumed by fear of the dangerous lurking in our medicine cabinets and shopping carts. We’re all just doing what’s within our means and what keeps us sane. And I would absolutely not mind the label of “crunchy mama” if someone called me that; my old co-workers used to call me a “modern day hippie”. I take both labels as a compliment 🙂
Thank you friend! I love that label! haha! It’s perfect!
Non crunchy mama here – I really enjoyed this post. I like to think of myself as a scientifically evidence based mama (not as catchy, I know ;)) and I wholeheartedly agree, the medical profession is here to help and not to be feared. And heck yes to epidurals and diet coke! 🙂
Haha! I probably fall more in that camp as well. 🙂