I believe this to be the crux of the "crunchy" natural lifestyle. I found this out actually when we were going through a very tight budget time of life a few years ago and sometimes I would just have to figure out how to make something that I would normally buy. This is what I believe helps get us to our roots. When you take something that you would normally run to the store for, and instead you decide you are going to purposefully going to figure out how to do it yourself, you are on your way to natural tendencies!
A few times I ran out of maple syrup but the kids wanted pancakes...hmmm. I opened the cupboards and took a look around. I wondered what would happen if I just used brown sugar, water and vanilla? A new staple around our house was born! I simply "made do" with what I had and the end result was a success!
I had horrible broadleaf weeds in the yard but I did not want to use Round Up or other poisons on the yard so I got to searching and discovered that a perfect weed killer was right under my sink...Vinegar! (post here)
I wanted to find more natural ways of cleaning my toilets (and something better for my septic system then bleach) so I began looking around and came up with baking soda (something that old timers have used for years!)
I needed an ant killer, and had a precocious toddler who always was freaked out by the little ants...found a natural remedy for using the sticky nasty traps you can buy at the hardware store. Peppermint essential oils and water. (here is a pic of my little guy killing ants with a perfectly safe spray)
A few times I ran out of maple syrup but the kids wanted pancakes...hmmm. I opened the cupboards and took a look around. I wondered what would happen if I just used brown sugar, water and vanilla? A new staple around our house was born! I simply "made do" with what I had and the end result was a success!
I had horrible broadleaf weeds in the yard but I did not want to use Round Up or other poisons on the yard so I got to searching and discovered that a perfect weed killer was right under my sink...Vinegar! (post here)
I wanted to find more natural ways of cleaning my toilets (and something better for my septic system then bleach) so I began looking around and came up with baking soda (something that old timers have used for years!)
I needed an ant killer, and had a precocious toddler who always was freaked out by the little ants...found a natural remedy for using the sticky nasty traps you can buy at the hardware store. Peppermint essential oils and water. (here is a pic of my little guy killing ants with a perfectly safe spray)
I wanted to learn how to make my own teas...I just did a few internet searches and there we have it! (post here) I could make my own peppermint tea, for FREE! Oh, and being sick? I found a tea for that too. (post here)
That whole bread making thing that I posted on day 3 of this series...taught myself that skill too. And the funny thing is that is a dying art, breadmaking, so many people don't know how to do it so that when you show up to a dinner party or a neighbor's home with a fresh baked loaf they just may look at you like you just walked on water.
So, to become more natural, crunchy, grounded, whatever you want to call it. Teach yourself something. There is a saying that I quote to my kids during our homeschool days. It goes a little something like this:
My job is to teach you how to read, write, and understand mathematics, the rest of the world becomes your teacher once you can master those skills.
So, my challenge to you for this post is to try something new. If you are out of brownie mix, find a recipe and make some from scratch. If you are running low on dishwasher rinse aid...pour in some vinegar. Whatever it is, try something new.
Want to be sure you don't miss a single post in this series? Be sure to subscribe to my email notifications to get emails about new posts...top right corner of the screen, just add your email and you will also be entered to win a natural freebie at the end of this series!
That whole bread making thing that I posted on day 3 of this series...taught myself that skill too. And the funny thing is that is a dying art, breadmaking, so many people don't know how to do it so that when you show up to a dinner party or a neighbor's home with a fresh baked loaf they just may look at you like you just walked on water.
So, to become more natural, crunchy, grounded, whatever you want to call it. Teach yourself something. There is a saying that I quote to my kids during our homeschool days. It goes a little something like this:
My job is to teach you how to read, write, and understand mathematics, the rest of the world becomes your teacher once you can master those skills.
So, my challenge to you for this post is to try something new. If you are out of brownie mix, find a recipe and make some from scratch. If you are running low on dishwasher rinse aid...pour in some vinegar. Whatever it is, try something new.
Want to be sure you don't miss a single post in this series? Be sure to subscribe to my email notifications to get emails about new posts...top right corner of the screen, just add your email and you will also be entered to win a natural freebie at the end of this series!
