Simple Steps for Natural Living

Living a more natural life looks different for everyone. And it doesn't have to be a daunting all or nothing deal. Choose what is right for your family because what works for some may not work for others.  If you've ever wanted to give it a good, here are a few tips. 

Start Small:

Maybe it's something as simple as using reusable grocery bags or reusable containers in you, your spouse's, and/or your child(ren)'s lunches. 

Or perhaps you stop purchasing a particular item such as bleach or harsh kitchen cleaners. 
You won't even miss bleach and you can clean your counter with a vinegar solution that's totally natural (recipe below). 

Starting small will help the process feel more do-able and before you know it you'll be making more and more changes and it won't feel like hard work. 

Remember, no change is too small! You're still making a difference in the lives of your family!

There is no one size fits all:

What works for some may not work for others. 

I'll repeat that again: what works for some may not work for others. We all have different lifestyles, priorities, personalities, schedules, etc. So what I may see as no big deal may be a deal breaker for someone else and vice versa.

While cloth diapering is gaining popularity, the majority of my girlfriends still can't fathom how on earth I cloth diaper. But I love it! To me, it's simple and I do laundry constantly anyway so it's no skin off my back. And most importantly I feel good that I'm not putting the chemicals of disposables on my babe's tush 24/7 for two years straight. So cloth diapering works for our household.

An example of what doesn't work for us? 

Homemade laundry soap. 

My husband doesn't ask for much. He's a simple man. So when he does voice a request, 99.99% of the time I happily oblige. 

I used all-natural homemade laundry detergent for about a year when he asked me if I could switch back to Gain. 

So I did. 

I know, I know *gasp* Gain! The horror! But it's all about finding what right for everyone in the family. And maybe I'll eventually find a more natural alternative he approves of but for now we are shameless Gain users.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing:

And that doesn't make you a hypocrite. 

You don't have to become a vegan or trash all your worldly possessions.

If you find that recycling is easy to incorporate into your lives but you just have no desire to "eat clean" you are still making a difference in living a more natural life. If you are able to cut out alcohol but can't give up red meat, you still deserve a beer pat on the back for making a healthy change.

Start with what you already have: 

It doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg to be natural. 

You likely already own many items that can be used in natural ways.

To clean my counters and many other surfaces I use a simple recipe: 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup water, add in about 20 drops of cleaning essential oil blend and shake together in a spray bottle. Boom.  I use the same recipe in our steam mop to clean the floors.

My mom turned me on to essential oils. And now I use them often and diffuse them daily. They are so versatile, but that's a post for another day.

Baking soda sprinkled on the carpet then vacuumed is a good alternate to those chemical filled powders you find in stores.

And the list goes on.

Find your priorities:

That would be my children.

I admittedly use more natural products on them than I do myself. 

I use all natural bath/hygiene items on my kids. But scorch my own mouth with Listerine every night. 

So there's that.

All in all, do what works for you. 
Every little bit helps. 
We all have things we are and aren't willing to do. 

My littlest lad asked me what's the one thing I do prior to getting in the shower everyday, without skipping a beat I said, "I go pee." He nodded as if he were expecting that answer then he quickly informed me how about the gazillions of gallons of water I could save if I peed that one time a day whist IN the shower rather than prior. He was for real, he was ready to show me empirical data and everything, ya'll! Basically, if you've retained nothing else from this post, just pee in the shower. 

Boom. 

Planet saved.

Then you can still drink that beer without the guilt.