I was not always crunchy, quite far from it!

I don’t remember how it started, but slowly I began to navigating the world of natural living in my early 20s.  I quickly realized that the more I learned the more overwhelmed I became, and at the same time my drive to dig even deeper grew stronger.  Pregnancy and children only accelerated the learning curve.

Now, four kids later, I am the healthiest I have every been in both body and spirit and I thrive on sharing my newfound knowledge with both friends and strangers.

I am starting this blog to share my research and experience more broadly, and to document it for my own children to have as they grow.  There are lots of websites writing about natural and crunchy living today.  I hope to prove that mine deserves a special place in cyberland.

Why the title?  As a parent, I have two main goals for my children; for them to be happy and healthy.  My experience has convinced me that both of these are maximized when we adapt our lives to the way nature intended, within the constraints of the modern world.

Without a doubt, happiness and health do not come easily in the stress filled and adulterated environment in which we live today.  However, both are possible and both become much easier to attain with lifestyle choices that are more natural.

If the world of natural and crunchy living is new to you, TAKE IT SLOW!   There is a tremendous amount of information, much of it is very difficult to internalize at first and it all becomes extremely overwhelming very very quickly.  Tackle one topic at a time.  Be prepared to admit past mistakes, to forgive yourself, and others, and to learn how to heal and look forward to a more happy and healthy state of being.  When we know better we do better!

I plan to cover a very wide range of topics, including gentle parenting, natural home remedies, healing cavities, chronic illnesses, GMOs, mindfulness, natural home products, pregnancy, birth, gardening, foraging, chickens, sourdough, kombucha, healthy recipes and much much more.  Please sign up for the weekly newsletter to not miss out on the latest posts.  In the meantime, you can visit Recommended Books if you want to dive into a specific topic and Recommended Products (this is in progress, please excuse the look!) for items we use in our home if you are searching for natural alternatives.

If you read this far and are still wondering why giraffes and what does crunchy mean?  Giraffes because they have the largest hearts.  I learned this from Marshall B. Rosenberg’s incredible book Nonviolent Communication (more on this later).  And, crunchy simply refers to a person that has adjusted or altered his or her lifestyle to be more natural.

**I leave you with a special note and some words of caution.

I am not a doctor, holistic practitioner or nutritionist.  I am a mother of four small children with a “doctorate” from “Google University”.  Take my advice for what it is, opinions based on personal experience, lots of books and lots of time online.

Always seek medical advice from medical professionals.  But also, never lose sight of the fact that doctors (even holistic ones) are human and all humans make mistake.  Get second opinions, ask questions and research everything you are told.

This also applies to advice on parenting, relationships, nutrition, diet and just about any other topic.  No one person has all the right answers for any situation.  Cast a broad net for advice, internalize everything you are told, but ultimately make an informed decision based on your own experience, research and beliefs.  And, do not forget to listen to your gut.  YOU are your (and your family’s) best advocate!

I welcome your comments and questions and look forward to discussing differing viewpoints.  However, ill-natured and offensive comments directed at me or others will be deleted.  Life is too short!