What Would a Crunchychicgal Do (WWCD)?

Good afternoon my chicly crunchy readers! So people ask me all the time what exactly it means to be "crunchy-chic." How I put it into action and not just words. How I spend my days. What I do for fun. How I eat out mindfully. Where and how I shop. Etc. Many of you are already living like I do in one way or another, and many of you probably have some marvelous examples from your own lives--things I may not be doing--and I hope you will share with all of us! To stay true to the theme of my blog, which is to just share my own experiences and wisdom, I will not tell you how to live or how every "crunchy chic" gal earns her title; I will simply share what this crunchychicgal does (WTCD)...

Crunchychigals make their mark by...

1. Buying locally to support small business owners and economic diversity

I hope everyone understands
"animal testing"

2. Reading the labels on EVERYTHING and only buying products that don't contain synthetic chemicals
3. Reading the labels on EVERY beauty product and only buying those that are cruelty-free in addition to #2
4. Asking servers, managers, business owners for information on their food and products and conversing about options and alternatives
5. Getting involved in local philanthropic causes: environmental, animal, humanitarian efforts, etc. both by donating and volunteering
6. Sharing whenever possible with people to help them discover easy ways of living healthier and more mindfully
7. Giving feedback to local businesses and contacting government officials to share how you think they're doing, what they could do better, etc. Helping them help us!
8. Supporting organizations that produce conscious, eco-friendly, fairly traded and organic goods (Tom's, Faherty Brand , ecoSkin, Feral Child, amour vert and others; see an upcoming blog post on my favorite crunchy chic--some of which are very chic--clothing brands!)

Crunchychic gals have fun by...

Aaron and Noëlle at the Olympia Arts Walk in April

1. Attending local events such as arts walks, food festivals, wine festivals, and music festivals and engagements featuring local artists (any opportunity to support a local movement, business, artist, or band)
2. Making homemade meals for a picnic on a nice days instead of eating out. Such fun!
3. Experimenting with new recipes and using only fresh, organic ingredients (as much as truly possible)
4. Searching online or in newspapers/magazines for great organic, locally-sourced restaurants to try
5. Making dresses using basic patterns and their own natural fabric picked out from a local fabric store
6. Taking old garments and making them into something entirely new (eg: I recently asked my brilliant seamstress friend Tina to remake a DVF dress I have had since 2006 into a fabulous pencil skirt!)
7. Hiking, camping, swimming, snow-shoeing, and other outdoor activities with little environmental impact
8. Gardening (weeding, planting, harvesting edibles, etc.) without any machinery, just hands and trowels
9. Distilling brandy from homemade fruit wine (will let you know after we buy the sill and try it!)
10. Going on walks and pointing out all the sights, smells, and sounds in nature for our children to behold

At the Chehalis River Cabin in Chehalis, WA for Mother's Day!
A beautiful spot owned and rented out by a lovely gal named Brenda

11. Riding a bike or walking when possible instead of driving
12. Frequenting, enjoying and supporting small, local getaway spots instead of just the large resorts
13. Planning "SWAP (Shopping with a Purpose) Events" where friends get together and swap "old favorites" or "hardly worn" fashionable clothing items, shoes and accessories with one another while enjoying food, champagne and a good time! Swapping is an alternative to shopping for new clothes. (I am hosting my first one next month! Stay tuned for my blog post afterward!) (Read more here about the negative impact of overproducing and overbuying clothes.)

Lovely, lemony Doug Fir tip tea!

14. Attending "wild edibles" classes and workshops to discover the plethora of wild food growing around us that can be used! (thanks to my first class, I now take the new bright green ends off of Douglas Fir trees and steep them for a lemony vitamin C-packed tea!)

Crunchychicgals love to buy...

1. Organic food, and local whenever possible, shopping very rarely at supermarkets, mostly at co-ops, farmer's markets and health-food stores. The quality and impact on the community justifies a premium
2. Produce and other perishables at least twice a week, only what is needed for 3-4 days to ensure freshness
3. From fun, crunchy (fair-trade, organic, mindfully-sourced) shops (Radiance and Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art import shop in Olympia are two of this crunchychicgal's favorites! If you live nearby or are ever in the area, check them out! To find more Fairly-Traded companies, check FairTradeUSA.org)

Once you learn about fair trade and what
it means for people, it is hard not to care

4. Fairly-traded and organic coffee beans (our Yelm Food Co-op has Equal Exchange), which truly supports and uplifts the farmers
5. Organic cotton, rayon, hemp, and linen clothing and blankies for our babes as much as possible!
6. ..or rather ADOPT their pets from a local animal shelter/service instead of buying from a breeder
7. Those amazing flower bouquets, kombucha, honey and other specialty goods from farmers markets

But wait! Before you let this saint-like profile either overwhelm OR sicken you, allow me to make an important point: this is not to say she does these types of activities 100% of the time, because it's just too hard.  A crunchychic gal is still modern and connected, which means she probably--and this is a true story--drives a car and buys non-organic clothing (it is hard to be only organic, trust me, but my hope is that it gets easier with time and popularity.) She probably uses the internet and has a cell phone (although only for emergencies and it's a pay-as-you-go flip phone). She may eat at a non-organic restaurant, order a non-organic coffee (begrudgingly) and have dinners with friends without rudely demanding to know whether everything is organic or local. She is always of course gracious ;) But she sticks to her guns and doesn't compromise certain things that are within her control. She is flexible and yet unwavering in her commitments. She is always happy to share with others for the sake of helping. And she aims to look fabulous while doing it all.

If you have other fun and low-impact activities you like to do that you think would make the WWCD list, please share with all of us on this blog post below! And if you like this and other posts, I hope you will subscribe to received them by email! It's time for me to blend my protein shake and think about winding down for the evening. Before we meet again, I hope you give some of these things a shot. I think you will enjoy yourself. I certainly do! Take care of yourself and your family, always.