Welcome to the January 2012 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Experiments in Natural Family Living

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have reported on weeklong trials to make their lives a little greener. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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It started because I had an appointment with my chiropractor in early December. I hadn’t been in to see him since a few days before I had Sylvia, so I was in serious need of an adjustment. The point was brought up that I really needed to take better care of myself, because as the mom, if I fall apart, the whole family suffers. I drove home in a sort of stupor. My mother died far too young from a chronic illness that brought a lot of pain to my family. Suddenly, it seemed that although I had gotten myself back on track through the October Unprocessed Challenge, I just wasn’t where I needed to be. I’m an all or nothing sort of person, so picking one area of my life to change isn’t easy for me.

I decided to change 3 things in my life: my shampoo, my makeup and my diet. I was about out of shampoo and foundation, so I wasn’t going to be wasting anything. I hate waste. I used be a vegetarian, so this change wasn’t going to be as hard as it was going to be an exercise in flexibility. My husband and son weren’t really on board with the elimination of meat, specifically beef. In the end, I decided that for myself, I’d only eat meat at supper when the rest of the family was eating, unless I had already planned a vegetarian meal.

Shampoo was the first experiment since I got to that one right away.  I decided that as this was such a major change since our hair and scalps would need to acclimate, I would allow 2-3 weeks for the experiment.  I checked out a post on The Crunchy Chicken and in reading through the comments, discovered that Deanna suggested trying shampoo bars from a company located about an hour away from my home. Thrilled, I perused the website and was even more delighted to note that they offered samples of the bars so one can determine which formula is the best suited for them.  I ordered 2 kinds and sat back to wait.  In the meantime, I used my children’s shampoo from Burt’s Bees since I had had to stop using the shampoo my husband used because in November, I suddenly developed a rash around my hairline after my showers.   The shampoo bars arrived in the mail a few days later and I eagerly tore into them.  Honestly, I debated whether or not I should just hop in the shower again so I could wash my hair right away.  I controlled myself and waited until the next day.  When it came down to it, washing my hair with the shampoo bar was… odd.  It lathered nicely, but my hair felt so strange.  I couldn’t run my fingers through it, with the hair slipping easily through.  Instead, it felt squeaky and thick.  I let my hair air dry and couldn’t keep my hands out of it.  It felt thick and fluffy and just plain healthy.  I only tried the one type of shampoo bar, since it was working and I didn’t want to add another variable into my experiment.  My husband tried both bars willy-nilly.

For about 3 days, there was a honeymoon period.  I loved my hair.  I loved that it wasn’t stripped of all the goodness and I wasn’t piling chemicals on my head every morning.  Then, I realized that my scalp was peeling all over the place.  Not like dandruff, but like I had a bad sunburn.  It was awful.  Bits of my scalp were everywhere.  For years, I’d washed my hair with the same industrial strength dandruff shampoo my husband used, conditioned it and went on my merry way.  I had no idea the damage I was doing to my scalp and the dependence my scalp was developing on the chemicals.   I talked to a friend who also used a shampoo bar and did some research online and came up with a solution.  Mixing together sea salt, tea tree oil and apple cider vinegar I made an exfolliant for my scalp that would not only scrub the scalp, but also aid in the healing process while my skin adjusted to not being bombarded with chemicals.  Finally, I added a vinegar rinse to condition my hair.  The day I added these products, my hair was back to being the way I remember it as a child.  Thick, curly and soft.  As long as I maintain these steps, which take all of 45 seconds, I’m pleased with my hair and scalp.  By the end of week 2, I was (and still am) convinced to keep the shampoo bars in our shower.  I’ve never tried the second kind I bought.  In this case, I found something that worked and I’m happy!

My husband’s hair?  I have bought that man serious dandruff shampoo for years.  I’ve tried natural shampoos, but nothing seemed to work for him.  I was so wrapped up in my own hair issues that I totally forgot to check in with him and see how things were going until almost a week after we had started.  He reported that he liked both bars of soap, except that since I tend to actually rub the bar on my head it had hair woven into the soap.  His complaint was that everywhere he turns, my hair is there.  What he didn’t complain about, though, was his scalp.  Suddenly, after years of him struggling with a flaking scalp, it was clear.  No more flaking.  No more itching.  Wow.

Next up was my makeup.  Since the foundation was gone, I ordered new from HoneyBee Gardens.  Abbie at the Farmer’s Daughter had mentioned it a while ago in a blog post about her beauty product choices.  I ordered the powdered formula and was very excited to see it arrive in the mail.  It’s the same basic concept as Clinique’s Almost Powder Makeup which I had used in the past.  I’ve tried using natural products in the past and was always put off by cost, texture or a distinct herbal smell.  With this, I smelled nothing.  The texture was one I had used in the past and paid nearly double for.  I also added in the mascara since that week my suddenly began to burn whenever I put on what I had in my makeup bag.  Now, I smell honey whenever I put my mascara on.  My attempt to change the products in my makeup bag was a simple, painless change.

The diet was a much greater challenge than I had imagined.  I was a vegetarian from the time I was 9 all the way until I got married at age 24.  Every now and then, I’d have meat in college, but for the most part, I stuck with my vegetables.  I know how to meal plan as a vegetarian, I know how to grocery shop.  This experience for me, opened my eyes to the staples I grew up with in my cupboards that no longer took up residence in my own.  For instance, I am currently craving an Indian side dish comprised mainly of Dal.  I have no idea where to purchase this in my town.  My parents belonged to a food co-op.  I don’t.  Aside from the cupboard challenges, I realized that I needed to plan a little better so lunch wasn’t goldfish crackers and apples.  And I need to expand my protein sources.  I know I used to live on beans, eggs and cheese, but it’s taking longer than 2 weeks to get my digestive system back in order.  I checked a few books out from the library and am still working my way through them.  Since I’m still nursing, I am relearning some things concerning protein intakes.  The biggest lesson I’ve learned by changing my diet is that breakfast is absolutely essential.  Since I’m not eating a turkey sandwich after Sylvi’s 330am feeding on a regular basis, I can no longer justify coffee only until lunch.  Breakfast has changed my life.  Even just a bowl of Cheerios has an impact on how my day goes.  I have decided that while I won’t be returning to a vegetarian lifestyle, I am going to keep up with the general idea of my experiment.  Since the food I’ve been eating isn’t as heavy, I need to be a little more mindful about what and when I’m eating.  I’m still working out the details, but I’m enjoying trying new recipes and tinkering in the kitchen.

All in all, I’m glad there was the challenge to experiment since that challenge helped me to have a reason to try the shampoo bars and makeup.  And once I got to thinking about how I was changing these things on the outside of my body, it wouldn’t hurt to make a greater effort with what I was putting in my body.  I’ve made a decision that I need to take better care of myself and in order to do that, little steps needed to happen.  The reason why I rarely change course from the normal is because I hate the experimentation.  I don’t like to set up an experiment and then not have a successful outcome.  I was a little anxious starting these experiments.  To tell the truth, I didn’t leave my house for the first 3 days of the shampoo and makeup.  I already am a mother of small children and look like it.  I didn’t want my hair to add any more fodder to the thought that I don’t take care of myself as well as I should.  As a final result of this experiment, I’ve decided to keep the shampoo and makeup, be flexible with my diet and add in regular sessions of yoga to help strengthen my back.  I’m anxious to continue these changes in the new year and make even more as I seek to eliminate the toxins in our home, plant our first garden at this home and expand my culinary skills!

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Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

(This list will be live and updated by afternoon January 10 with all the carnival links.)

• Make your own moisturizer! — Megan at boho mama whips up a winter skin-friendly moisturizer.
• Cold Water Only — Brittany at The Pistachio Project talks about how you do not need hot water to wash laundry.
• Family Cloth… Really?? — After lots of forethought and consideration, Momma Jorje finally decides to take the plunge with family cloth.
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle : 5-5-5 Things A Day — Luschka from Diary of a First Child writes about decluttering her home in an attempt to create a gentler living space. She takes on a new project where she sets a goal of reducing, reusing and recycling every day.
• Pros and cons of family cloth — Lauren at Hobo Mama would love to continue replacing paper products with family cloth … if she could only get over how damp she feels.
• Craftily Parenting — Kellie at Our Mindful Life finds that crafting makes her a better parent.
• Changes — Laura at Pug in the Kitchen couldn’t choose just one area to experiment with, so she wrote a long post about all the fun changes initiated in her life!
• Life without Internet: Not all it’s Cracked up to Be — Adrienne at Mommying My Way tries to go a week without the Internet, only to realize a healthy dose of Internet usage really helps keep this stay-at-home mom connected.
• My Progression to Raw Milk — Kerry at City Kids Homeschooling shares her natural parenting progression all the way to trying raw milk.
• mama’s new little friend. — Sarah at Bitty Bird tries a menstrual cup to “green her period,” and is pleasantly surprised when she falls in love with the product!
• Before you throw it out, try homemade laundry soap! — Jennifer at Practical OH Mommy shows visual proof that homemade laundry soap is cheaper, easier, and works better than the store-bought chemicals!
• Oil, Oil, No Toil, No Trouble — K from Very Simple Secret talks about her foray into the oil-cleansing method.
• I Need a Hobby — Amanda at Let’s Take the Metro couldn’t decide which experiment to run, so she did them all.
• 7 days of macrobiotics for a balanced family — The Stones make a [successful] attempt to release the “holiday junking” with 7 days of macrobiotic meals to balance their bodies and souls. Elisabeth at Manic Mrs. Stone includes an explanation of macrobiotics.
• Chemical Free Beauty Challenge — Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction turned to natural alternatives for her daily beauty and cleaning routine, with great results.
• Greening my Armpits!? My Green Resolution — Shannon at The Artful Mama talks about how she decided to give up her traditional antiperspirant and make the switch over to crystal deodorants and definitely isn’t looking back!
• Going Raw (for a while) — Jenny at Chronicles of a Nursing Mom shares her family’s experience with raw food.
• Do we get to eat gluten today? — Sheila at A Gift Universe has been trying to figure out if her son does better with or without gluten in his diet … but it’s really hard to tell for sure.
• Hippies Can Smell and Look Fabulous Too! — Arpita of Up, Down And Natural details her experience of going shampoo-free and overhauling her cosmetics to find the balance between feeling beautifully fabulous and honoring her inner hippie.
• Our cupboards are full…but there’s nothing to eat — Lucy at Dreaming Aloud takes on the challenge of chomping through the contents of her storecupboard rather than going shopping — but there’s something that she just can’t bring herself to do …
• Elimination Experiment 3.0 — MudpieMama recounts the messy adventures of her baby daughter trying to be diaper free.
• Family Cloth Trial — Amyables at Toddler in Tow talks about making and using family cloth wipes in the bathroom for the first time.
• Taking a Hiatus — Amy at Peace 4 Parents shares how her experience of much less internet interaction affected her family and how it will change her approach in the future.
• Trying Out the Menstrual Cup — Lindsey at an unschooling adventure ditches the tampons and gives menstrual cups a try.
• Managing Food Waste in Our Home — Tired of the holiday waste, Robbie at Going Green Mama takes a weeklong focus on reducing food waste in her home, and learns some lessons that can take her through the new year.
• Going Offline, Cloth Tissues, and Simplicity — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama muses over her time away from blogging and social networking. In addition, she shares her newfound love of cloth tissues and simplicity.
• The Oil Cleansing Method — Erica at ChildOrganics explores an easy, organic and natural way to tackle skin care.
• Experiments in Natural Family Living – Natural Toys! — Lani at Boobie Time enjoys the silence of natural toys and being more present with her son.
• Discovering a New City and Organic Foods — Amy at A Secure Base describes her family’s switch to and search for organic foods for one week.
• My Experiment in Homemade Bread — Crunchy Con Mommy tried — and loved — baking her own homemade bread.
• Menu Planning: Stop the Excuses — Gaby at Tmuffin stopped the excuses and started planning her weekly meals, drastically cutting her grocery budget and stress level and improving the quality of foods she fed her family.
• My First Menstrual Cup — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children was pleasantly surprised with her first experience using a menstrual cup.
• My Natural Beauty Regime — Christine at African Babies Don’t Cry shares the results of banishing cleanser and soaps from her bathroom, as well as a couple of natural homemade recipes that have worked well on her skin.
• Unplugging and Creating a Rhythm: Our Experiment in Natural Family Living — Dionna at Code Name: Mama focused less on gadgets and spent more time with her family to create a healthy rhythm for the new year.
• Experiments in Natural Family Living: 5 First Steps Toward Preparing for a Natural Birth — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama discusses how she tackled the pressing matter of how to begin preparing for a natural birth.
• All you need is…vinegar! — Kristen at My Semi-Crunchy Life learns that one household product can replace all the cleaners in her cabinet.
• Nope Nada Ixnay Negative Pass Decline — Zoie at TouchstoneZ finds out what shakes loose if she says, “YES!!” to anything anyone asks of her over the space of 10 days.
• Reducing our exposure to toxins found in plastics — Syenna at Gently Parenting Twins throws out the melamine and BPA plastics which have been hanging around the kitchen for too long.
• Duh! — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment shares how she began the process of helping her 2-year-old son stop physically acting out.
• Experiments in Natural Parenting: Starting, Stopping, and Gaining Perspective — Melissa at Vibrant Wanderings explains how pregnancy brain interfered with her attempts to complete an experiment, but how she gained some interesting perspective as she started and stopped several.
• From Experiment to Lifestyle — Abbie at Farmer’s Daughter shares her experience avoiding processed foods for a month, and deciding to make it a permanent lifestyle change.
• From Disposable Paper to Reusable Cloth – AGAIN! — Terri at Child of the Nature Isle stops flushing trees down the toilet and switches to the softest ever butt-wiping material: cloth.
• Extra! Extra! Water Heater Turned Down, Mom Doesn’t Notice! — Thomasin at Propson Palingenesis finds an energy-saving experiment that’s so easy she didn’t even realize it was happening.
• Worm Tea — CatholicMommy isn’t sure how successful her worm bin will be, but she’s having fun anyway.
• Miles to Go … — Rachael at The Variegated Life learns that when it comes to sleep debt, she’s in real deep.
• My Month With Water Kefir — Paige at Baby Dust Diaries experiments with a new fermented probiotic drink homemade in her own kitchen.
• OMG Mom is Home… All Day Everyday: A Week-Long Experiment in Connecting — What a difference a week makes! Ana at Pandamoly is afforded a week off from work and takes the chance to reconnect and reattach with her 16-month-old son through an experiment in simply being there.
• Creating Healthy Family Recipes — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares her experiment with healthy, gluten-free recipes and a chocolate muffin recipe that was created during the experiment.
• Adventures in Alternative Haircare: No ‘Poo — This guest post at Natural Parents Network from Amy at Anktangle chronicles a months-long journey into the world of no ‘poo.
• My Experiment in Natural Family Living: Natural Family Planning — Birth control options are seriously limited for those of us trying to live a little closer to the earth, so Mama Psalmist experiments with natural family planning.