Crunchy Endeavors

Everyone who knows me knows that I like things on the natural side, especially when it comes to parenting.  It really started with wanting to cloth diaper due to financial reasons, and has spiraled from there.  The more that I read about all things natural, the more that I find new ideas.  Here are a few of my "crunchy" new endeavors....

1. Cloth wipes.  I was soooo against this one from the beginning.  The cloth diapering we started soon after Ava was born, and I had heard about cloth wipes but honestly, I thought it just sounded weird.  Wipes really don't cost that much money, nor do they take up that much space in the trash.  And the thought of using them seemed, well, kind of gross. 
One of the reasons why we love cloth diapers is how well they keeps Ava's sensitive skin rash-free.  Disposables have tons of chemicals in them that can cause irritation, and her skin just does not seem to respond well to them.  So over the last few months we have been battling diaper rashes....and then we realized it was due to changing the brand of diaper wipes.  So we decided to take the leap and try the cloth wipes, and surprisingly...I am in love.  We bought a few packages of Planet Wise wipes and they are super soft, thick, and absorbent, as well as big!  They clean the poop so much better than the disposable wipes, which was a great surprise as well.  I found a way to fold them so that they pop out of the container, and I poured water with a few drops of tea tree oil over them.  Perfect!  And no more rash! :)

2. Extended Breastfeeding.  Never thought I would nurse past a year - NEVER.  But here we are, 16 months later.  Overall when people find out, their response has been a positive "good for you!" but to be honest, I just don't care what others think.  There, I said it.  (That being said,and in case you were wondering, I will NOT be breastfeeding a 4 year old!!)

3. Oil Cleansing Method.  I know exactly what you are thinking, because I thought the exact same thing when I read it - clean what with oil?  Your face!  I know this sounds crazy, I thought so too when I started, but I thought it was worth a try.  I have very oily skin, but all the products I was using were very drying and were making my skin flaky and dull.  On top of it all, I now have hormonal acne which has been terrible since I went off of birth control 3 years ago.  So I thought, "What do I have to lose?" and jumped right in.  I bought some castor oil (which pulls out the impurities) and sunflower oil (carrier oil) and mixed it in a 1:3 part solution, added some tea tree oil, and rubbed it all over my face.  I saw softer, less dry, more radiant skin immediately.  And a month later?  Less blackheads and acne, and much softer and more glowing skin!  Who would have ever thought??!!  Another crunchy success!