How Crunchy is my Granola?

No, this photo has nothing to do with the post. Just gotta have a picture of the little boy! :)

With some of my more natural living tendencies, I thought I was well on my way to being a crunchy mama! I had a natural labor and delivery, I add coconut oil and Vitamin D to my coffee, I give my baby probiotics, I make my own deodorant, I breastfeed and do (mostly) Baby Led Weaning. And I do wacky things like put breast milk up my baby's nose (and sometimes up mine too!).

But after doing more research and being more involved in natural mom groups online, I've discovered I am far, far from crunchy!! I don't eat organic. I generally don't worry about GMO's, parabens, pesticides, refined sugars, etc... I certainly don't use all natural body products (not even close!) or cleaning products (though I do use vinegar and/or Dawn dish soap for just about anything!). I vaccinate Grayson. I don't spend a fortune taking countless supplements. I don't exclusively buy my groceries from farmer's markets or Whole Foods.

Some of those things, I wish I did. When I read more about the dangers of some of these things, I do worry. But I don't always have the time, energy, or resources to do something about it. And sometimes there are things I do feel strongly about, but I don't always follow through. For instance, I feel pretty strongly that we should seriously limit our use of antibiotics, particularly in babies and young children. I did NOT want to give any to Grayson. But he ended up with a double ear infection and pink eye. The doctor even told me that I didn't have to give him the antibiotics, that his body would probably fight it off on its own. But when your baby is crying in pain and won't nurse - which is the one thing that usually calms him down no matter what - you become a little desperate. Suddenly my strong opinions were out the window in an attempt to comfort and heal my baby. And after the first dose, I immediately worried that I had made the wrong choice. I regretted my decision, but you have to finish the dosages once you start them. So, I just upped his probiotics for the week and had to give myself some grace. Because no one is perfect, and I was just trying to care for my baby.

And I guess that's what I have to keep coming to. Do what I can. If I'm really concerned/interested about something, I'll research it like crazy. And then I'll feel panicked for a couple days thinking about all the cancer causing, deadly things I'm surrounded by each day. But then I'll stop and figure out what I can do. Is it realistic for me to live a completely natural lifestyle? I don't think it is. Maybe it's possible if I tried hard enough to make it a reality, but again, I don't always have the time, energy, or resources available for that. So, I do what I can, and try to let the rest of it go. And if I slip up and do something I regret, I have to let that go, too.

We live a healthy lifestyle, in my opinion. We eat a balanced diet, albeit not all organic. We indulge in sugary sweets and food from boxes, cans, and fast food sacks on occasion. But we also eat fresh fruits and veggies and healthy fats. And in all honesty, life is too short, and this is so far removed from the overall importance of living for God and serving others, to spend so much time and effort worrying about every little thing. At least that's my humble opinion.

So, maybe I'm not a crunchy granola mom. Maybe I'm crunchy-lite? Like Rice Krispies. ;)

What about you? Do you struggle with feelings of guilt or fear when it comes to natural living? Join me in doing what you can and giving yourself grace for the rest! I think it will be very liberating!