Who's Your ND?

Hello everyone and a GREAT BIG HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all you wonderful gals!

It's been a couple of weeks since I wrote, but I had good reason. 2 weeks ago I got the shingles, and then last week my baby girl Noëlle got the chickenpox. What? Yep, you read it right. Nightmare. I am a healthy 30-year-old without any chronic illness. My immune system is top-notch and I rarely get sick. In fact I don't remember the last time I had the flu or a cold, and I live, as you well know by now (wink), a healthy lifestyle of mostly organic eating, time in nature/country living, lots of exercise, no smoking/drug use, and very little alcohol except a glass of wine or two. So what's the deal? 

Food, Meet Baby. Baby, Food

Hello everyone! Today's post is especially for you mamas and mamas-to-be...and for dads too. We have started introducing solid food to my daughter, Noëlle, who is now 7 months old, and I wanted to share our experience. I exclusively nursed her for her first 6.5 months, not wanting to introduce foods before my girl was really ready. Even now that she is eating a bit, her primary food source is still breast milk. It provides her with the nutrients she needs in a form designed just for her, is easily digested and assimilated, doesn't inflame the system the way formula can and often does and may actually prevent allergies, and it delivers antibodies and probiotics to build her immune system, which keeps her healthy and protected from illness. So now, on to food!

When to Introduce Solids? Some parents introduce solid foods as early as 4.5 months. That just didn't sound right me and there is a lot of evidence suggesting it isn't best. I have even witnessed cases of doctors recommending that babies begin eating solid foods early (some at 3 or 4 months!), only to have those babies react very poorly. I was in fact one of those who did not handle solid foods well when my mom's doctor said to start me at 4 months on rice cereal and cow's milk (hard on new digestive systems!). I also know some moms wait a long time...and I do mean a long time (12+ months!). And this didn't feel right either. So when was the right time for Noëlle? I have always suspected that every baby is different and each is ready at different times, and I wanted to be absolutely sure that we did wait until she was truly ready. But how important is waiting? And how would I know when she was? I talked to my naturopathic doctor and did my own homework. And I discovered some pretty compelling stuff along the way that helped me decide...

Oh Baby, What an Experience

Good afternoon everyone! So today marks the day before I was born 31 years ago AND the day before Noëlle, my beautiful, funny, happy baby girl, came into the world just 7 months ago. This morning on our walk I reflected on the last 7 months, 16 months (since I became pregnant), and the last 31 years. And it occurred to me that while I have the privilege and wisdom of 31 years of experience and reflection as a young girl and then a young women, I have only 7 months of reflection as a mama. I am a baby at mamahood! And I am learning more about myself, about being a mother, and of course about my new daughter every day. I will spare you the 45 minutes of reflection on being a mom, but what I want to talk about today is how absolutely fantastic my experience was with the model of care I received during pregnancy, during my labor and delivery and in the weeks postpartum. It was an experience that I want to share in the hopes that you may also really explore this model and not just write it off as I almost did in the beginning. It's too important to not give it the time and energy and focus that it truly deserves.

My Healthy Hair Guide

Sure, hair is just hair. I get it. There is so much else more important. But I can't help it...I love a healthy, shiny, voluminous head of hair and find that it's one of my favorite accessories. For me, hair can transform a look. I do different styles with different outfits, and often I plan my outfit around my hair; I part my hair every which way according to my mood; the color changes with my inspiration and often with the time of year; and my cut is constantly evolving thanks to a brilliant hair stylist with whom I collaborate ;) I have even been known to cut bangs on a whim when I thought it went better with my look that day. I have FUN with hair.

Better than Popcorn!

I love this time of year! Last night Aaron and I carved the pumpkins we got from our local pumpkin patch. Great fun that always takes me back to my childhood...especially when Hocus Pocus with Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker is on tv. That and ET. It was a perfect night. What I want to share is certainly not news to many of you, but I know that there are those who don't think to do this when carving pumpkins: roast your pumpkin seeds! Make sure the pumpkin is good quality and grown without pesticides and/or certified organic first before deciding to eat the seeds. Since ours were, I gathered as many seeds as I could from the pile of mush that was left over after cleaning our pumpkins.

Cruelty-Free is Easy

Ok so I am a total animal lover. I am. Since I was a young child, I have had such a soft spot for animals. And I do mean all animals. We were the family who rushed injured birds and squirrels to the vet. I think moles  are adorable even though they destroy our grass; I pick up snakes when I see them. We had every kind of pet growing up. You name it: mice, snakes, ferrets, chinchillas, rabbits, horses, goats, and the usual dogs, birds, and cats, etc. At age 7, after driving an hour from my aunt's house in WA to hike the Cascades, I found an injured monarch butterfly at the trail head and, bless them, my patient uncle and young brother obliged me and drove an hour back home so I could place the butterfly in a shoe box and feed it water from a bottle cap. I was devastated when it passed. It's true--I am a bonafied friend to all creatures great and small :)

So I wanted to take today's post to bring some awareness to animal exploitation for the manufacturing of popular cosmetics and hair/body products. No idea whether your favorite companies do test on animals? Check it out here.

My Wellness Bag of Tricks

Hello all you stylish, conscious ladies! As the cold and flu season is upon us, I want to take this opportunity to share what I use to keep me and my family healthy. Everything we use and recommend serves one primary function: strengthening and supporting our bodies, particularly our immune systems. Remember one basic fact: healthy immune systems = healthy people! All year long, my family and I work to maintain a level of health by eating well and supplementing with good quality vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and certain herbs and essential oils. Much of what I know was passed on to me by my mom.

Who Doesn't Want to Label GMOs?

Today a family member sent me this list showing which food companies are boycotting Proposition 37, also known as the California Right to Know Act (GMO labeling). And I had to share with my readers. For those of you who know a little--or perhaps nothing at all--about what genetically modified really means, I urge you to do your due diligence as a consumer and a voter in our democracy. Genetically-modified crops and the companies developing and promoting them are just plain bad for the food system. They are creating resistant super-bugs, making livestock sick, contaminating non-GMO crops, and suing those farmers who end up with contaminated fields, etc. And there are countless studies showing serious adverse affects on the body. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine stated after their conclusive study, "GM foods pose a serious health risk...by causing damage to the various organ systems of the body." How much damage?

Ahh Banana Bread with...Chia Seeds?

I decided to blog about this today because I just pulled one out of the oven! And the whole house smells amazing. It's a Sunday ritual for us, making banana bread (see my last post ;) after picking up weekly groceries including "Eat Me Tonight" over-ripe bananas from the Yelm Food Co-op. A childhood favorite of mine, banana bread is warm, comforting and absolutely delicious. My husband Aaron loves it just as much--if not more--and he seems to have a little extra pep in his step when it's baking.

A Lesson Learned and Lavender Used

Two nights ago, while making some coconut banana bread (my husband's favorite), I stuck my finger into an immersion blender to free up butter that, as it turned out, was still too cold to fully blend (you're not really supposed to use an immersion blender for baking, my chef-aunt told me yesterday). The blades are extremely sharp, but I always take great care when reaching in. Well...my right hand didn't exert the same caution, or it had a vendetta against the left. For whatever reason, it hit the ON button!

Thieves to the Rescue!

Yes, you read it right: Thieves. I want to share with you about this potent and powerful essential oil blend that I have been using for years with wonderful success. Thieves, manufactured by an essential oil company called Young Living, is a mixture of cinnamon bark, lemon, clove, eucalyptus, and rosemary. And it has a very interesting history!

Your Farmers' Market

Sure, you may know what a farmers' market is, and perhaps maybe you have gone to one. Some of you may even shop at your local market on a regular basis. If so, bravo! You are doing something that has so many wonderful--and perhaps, little known--effects. Farmers' markets may just seem trendy and intriguing right now (which does delight me, by the way), but they are so much more to so many people. Particularly, for many small, local farmers who simply cannot--and perhaps DO NOT--want to compete for market share in an increasingly monopolized and degraded food economy, farmers' markets represent their livelihoods. In an industry that has turned its back on and become foe to the small-scale farmer, direct-selling venues such as the farmers' market are the last bastion. For those of you who care to know when, where and how your food was grown or raised (and if you don't care, you really should!), farmers markets are the answer.

"Crunchy Chic," huh?

Hello reader! Welcome to my blog, and my very first post. Let's start with an important intro: what I mean when I say, "crunchy chic." I suppose one could define it in any number of ways, but this is my blog so I make the rules. To me, "crunchy chic" is a way of being that is low-impact to animals, the environment and our fellow man, that doesn't compromise--and often enhances--style and quality. If you want to get technical, "crunchy" is defined as "socially liberal," "environmentally conscious," and "health conscious." All of these phrases are familiar enough, but let's face it, they're vague. I know that secretly you've probably wondered, "How do I do that exactly"? And even if you have some idea, the next question might be, "To what degree would I have to commit to living in this way before giving up all that I love: my food, cosmetics, fashion, and more?" Well if you are one of the many, you have come to the right place. I am here to teach you to live a crunchy life in the chicest way possible. To be respectful, caring, open-minded, and truly healthy while maintaining your fashionable life. I hold that living mindfully is always chic. Maybe for others of you, you need more convincing. Well, if you haven't paid attention, every big haircare line these days is coming out with a sulfate-free shampoo, cosmetic companies with organic and cruelty-free lines, cleaning companies with "greener" products, farmers with meat and dairy that is hormone- and antibiotic-free and foods that are labeled "non-GMO." Restaurants are buying from farmers markets again and those haunts devoted to sourcing locally are profiled all over the Food Network and Cooking Channel. Even websites where small, independent artists can sell their wares are all the rage. It seems now more than ever phrases like "buy local," "eat local," "cruelty-free," and "know where your food comes from," rule the rhetoric of the young and fashionable. Crunchy is becoming très chic. And all I have to say is: it's about time! So look at me as your guide and this blog, your map. I will show you where to shop, and how to buy beauty, cleaning and other products; choose delicious organic and/or locally-sourced restaurants; partake in fulfilling, low-impact activities; select--or easily grow--truly fresh foods; adopt healthy cooking practices; and take advantage of easily-accessible alternative therapies. Weekly, everything I profile will be of a quality that not only benefits you and your family (and those precious babies!), but honors our planet and saves animals from exploitation. So I hope you will take this journey with me as I show you that you don't have to give up your standards of style, beauty, food, and entertainment to live a crunchy life. I will share what I know and what I learn, and I hope you do the same! To a blissful, mindful, and joyful life!