Last night, after the toddler went to bed and the bigs were enjoying the remainder of their one day of the week to play xbox- I got one glorious hour to relax on the couch…The momentary struggle raging in my head on how to use that time was an intense moment, but the book worm in me won out, and I delved into an antique book I had started months ago. *A little background story- Hercules (aka my husband) literally spent HOURS last year researching this authoress I told him I wanted to eventually add to our library, tracked down several of her books (quite possibly first editions!) dating around 1860… If I didn’t already love him infinitely, I would have last Christmas!!! BEST. GIFTS. EVER!!!!! But it was just so refreshing to put aside a device we as a society are addicted to, and choose a slower, more restful and calming pastime. It helped me remember the girl that would voraciously read entire books in mere hours. The countless adventures I had as I read the works of Shakespeare, Dickens, Austen, and so many others. It also gave me pause to reflect- how often do my kids see my face glued to a screen versus buried in a book?! How can I encourage them to sharpen their minds in the classics, if I myself don’t make that a priority to model for them? I know, I know- what on earth does this have to do with candles or crunchy mom stuff?! 😅 Simply this… If we want better for our kids, we need to prioritize doing better for ourselves. If we want them to learn the skill of putting technology in its proper place, we need to be able to put the phone down. If we want them to learn how to dance in the rain, we have to let them see us embrace the clouds. Because we all know the saying… “Actions speak louder than words.” So here’s to a new week, a fresh opportunity for us to make wiser choices, set better examples, burn cleaner candles (there’s that pitch you’ve been waiting for! 😉), and LIVE the life we used to pray for… 😘😘😘

Laundry… The never-ending chore we all dread… Mountains of clean and dirty clothes seem to grow out of nothing, and jeer at us as we go about our days… 😝 But although we all dread this chore, we looooove that clean and fresh smell! I think it’s a reminder of a job (at least mostly) well done. 😉 Because let’s be realistic here- who ACTUALLY washes, dries, and puts away all the laundry in one day?! But did you know?! Our beloved clean smelling laundry detergent and dryer sheets could be causing mayhem in our families??? Most detergents are laden with artificial “fragrances” that have been shown to be endocrine disrupters, which in turn are linked to some MAJOR health hazards like birth defects, infertility, obesity- the list goes on. I’ve gradually switched my family’s cleaning supplies (as the budget allows) over the last couple of years, and although I’m loving the clean cleanness, my husband has lamented recently that he misses the SMELLS clean part. So I went a-digging and found this brand HIGHLY recommended in the crunchy circles! I’m so excited to get it today, because wouldn’t you know- tomorrow is laundry day! 🥴 So although I can’t say how well we like this new product just yet, I CAN say that it smells fresh and clean!! And it looks like it’ll last us a decent while! I will be sure to update on our social media platforms, so be sure to follow those for updates! Till next time! 😘

Here's 5 tips to help make your Mondays a little less, well, Monday-ish. Although it's an oldie, it's definitely a goodie! If you want to start enjoying the beginning of your week more and more, check out this short video.

"Look for the bare necessities The simple bare necessities Forget about your worries and your strife I mean the bare necessities Of mother nature's recipes That bring the bare necessities of life" This week I've been noticing a pattern... I feel happier and have a better outlook when I add in some happy, peppy, or worshipful music to my day... Especially if I get the chance to turn it on in the living room while I'm making breakfast. I don't always remember to do it, but man, when I do, there's a SIGNIFICANT improvement in my day overall. Strange, huh?! Don't worry- that tidbit was just a freebie, a peek inside my weird brain. You're welcome! We live in a day and age where bigger is better, more is mandatory, and the next big thing is ALWAYS flashing before our eyes. The average person sees/hears around 10,000 ads a day. We are inundated with so much "stuff" that it's getting harder to weed through the UNimportant to find the important. And as a result, we are becoming disconnected from those things that truly mean the world to us. Which leads me to tie in the title- The Bare Necessities... What is TRULY important to you? Relationships? Hobbies? Work? When was the last time you slowed down and evaluated your priorities? Are your daily habits and routines aligned with your priorities? I ask this, because it is so incredibly easy to get bogged down with all the things that take up "space" but don't actually contribute to our bottom line. And when we get weighed down with all the peripheral details, it's all too easy to start feeling overwhelmed and have no energy or brain space left to feed the important things. Case in point- last night I was looking over my business calendar, checking inventory, and starting to feel a tad overwhelmed. Hercules (aka Hubby) helped me take a deep breath, reevaluate my business priorities, and get refocused. Today we have a "parent-teacher" meeting (it still counts even as a homeschool family, right?!) to evaluate the kids progress in school. We are wading through all the daily "noise" to really focus on a few things that are hugely important and will make life better in the long run. So, I am making it more of a personal priority to focus on those bare necessities, and not get so carried away with all the millions of details that just distract me from the more important things. Wanna join me in getting back to the basics??

Hello, one and all! This blog post finds me scrambling to get my website update completed (I swear I was only going to update some SEO, but ended up creating an entirely new website), get the kids cleaned up and in bed, and pause long enough to shrug the last few hours out of my tense shoulders. Thankfully the dishes were just finished by Hercules, so that's one less thing to worry about tonight. Don't get me wrong, I love my life! It is infinitely more beautiful than I ever fantasized as a girl. But some days, when mama has some work that needs tending to, the kiddos just seem to know (yes Squishy, I'm talking about YOU!) and decide to do all the things that you don't want them to do. ;) But I digress... I've made it a goal of mine to blog once a month about *something* that has helped my family on the road to a more balanced way of life. Whether that's the new vitamins we switched to, or the new cleaning products we use, to a new candle or product we're launching, here is where I will share our very real, very authentic journey of eliminating the bad, adding in the good, and growing as individuals, a family, and a business. Stay tuned for more (you know, when I have a few more seconds to jot down some thoughts!) ... xoxo, Allie aka Crunchy Mama

Oh, hey there! Is it just me or is time just flying by at warp speed?! This last week I've really been chewing on this whole concept of rest- what it might look like, how to actually apply it, and all that jazz... One thing, though... I think it's super important to acknowledge that we as a whole have been programmed to think of rest in two very specific ways. Rest is usually portrayed as simply getting some sleep (very important, but not the end all be all.), aaaaaand it's typically cast in a selfish, negative light. When utilized properly, rest is neither selfish nor simply sleeping. It's restoring balance to different aspects of your life. Ok, so HOW can we add elements of rest to our crazy busy lives??? Glad you asked! Give yourself permission to rest... I know, I know... That seems a bit odd. But when we tell ourselves we are allowed to do something it helps "lessen" the guilty feeling (in a utopian world we would feel NO guilt, but hey- we gotta start somewhere)... Evaluate what type of rest you need. Some days that nap is the number... Sometimes an electronics-free weekend does the trick... Take a few minutes to slow down and reflect on which part of you feels most in need of some R&R and go from there. Remember- sleep isn't ALWAYS the answer (unless you're an exhausted toddler mom- then it most likely is!). Add it to your calendar! This may seem kinda silly or "over the top", but it's a sure-fire way to make it happen. Whether it's a weekend getaway, an afternoon nap, or an hour in the evening sipping some wine and reading your favorite book- pencil it in! DO THE THING. Stick to the plan and even if it's one of the hardest things you've done to date- rest! Unplug and recharge. As you become better at implementing rest it will get easier to quiet that inner voice that's screaming at you to GET BUSY. Give yourself grace. It will not always be easy. There might be times when you just cannot follow through and that's ok, as long as you get back up and try again next time. In the words of my favorite speaker- "Fail forward"! I'd love to hear how YOU plan to incorporate some R&R into your schedule, so drop a comment and share! Maybe you can inspire someone else!

Well, here we are almost a month after our last big vendor event... It's been a hectic month, filled with stress (the toddler is suuuuper clingy and that makes everyday stuff rather difficult to manage), the flu, a family emergency and now- a head cold. I would love to brag about how we are taking all of this in stride, but the brutal truth is- I am exhausted... Hubby is exhausted... The bigs are taking it in stride, but the toddler's sleep is showing that she's not doing so well either... I've been treating my cold with all my usual homeopathic remedies, but today I caved and got some OTC cold meds because I just.don't.want.to.be.sick anymore. #balance So. With all these things we've been juggling, I've had some time to reflect on REST... As a society, we've become so lost in the idea that rest is laziness and that there's always SOMETHING to get done. We feel judged (by ourselves or others, or both) if we carve out some down time to just slooooooow down. We find ourselves fighting the urge to get back to work when we are supposed to be resting... But maybe if we understood WHY rest is so important, we'd be more willing to incorporate it into our routines and resist the urge to keep on truckin'.... Rest boosts your immune system. The Mayo Clinic says: “During sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines, some of which help promote sleep. Certain cytokines need to increase when you have an infection or inflammation, or when you’re under stress. Sleep deprivation may decrease the production of these protective cytokines. In addition, infection-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced during periods when you don’t get enough sleep.” Rest/sleep helps maintain emotional and mental health. Harvard Health stated: “The brain basis of a mutual relationship between sleep and mental health is not yet completely understood. But neuroimaging and neurochemistry studies suggest that a good night’s sleep helps foster both mental and emotional resilience. On the other hand, chronic sleep disruptions set the stage for negative thinking and emotional vulnerability.” Rest/sleep helps us age gracefully. The Huffington Post quotes a study: “Researchers found that those who didn’t sleep well exhibited more signs of skin aging including fine lines, uneven pigmentation and reduced skin elasticity. The researchers also found that those who enjoyed quality sleep were more quick to recover from stressors to the skin such as sun and environmental toxins.” *Cue the "ugh, you're right but I don't want to admit it" eye roll*... Me too, my friend, me too... So how can we start to incorporate one or two "tricks" to achieve better rest??? Stay tuned for a few ideas!