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vflux33
member
1) On a scale from 1-10, how crunchy are you? Describe.
1 = I'm a venture capitalist who likes to eat pesticide teflon Monsanto sandwiches. I've never set foot in a farmer's market. I wear make up and earrings to the gym. I think nature is for hippies. Also fuck hippies.
10 = I time my menstrual cycles to the moon and and even my mattress is organic, or maybe sometimes I sleep on a pile of hay or dirt. I own a lot of hemp clothing, and I start every conversation about politics by pointing out that the Constitution was, in fact, written on hemp. I always refer to the earth as "mother".
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community?
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ?
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done?
The Crunchy Thread
vflux33
member
1) On a scale from 1-10, how crunchy are you? Describe.
1 = I'm a venture capitalist who likes to eat pesticide teflon Monsanto sandwiches. I've never set foot in a farmer's market. I wear make up and earrings to the gym. I think nature is for hippies. Also fuck hippies.
10 = I time my menstrual cycles to the moon and and even my mattress is organic, or maybe sometimes I sleep on a pile of hay or dirt. I own a lot of hemp clothing, and I start every conversation about politics by pointing out that the Constitution was, in fact, written on hemp. I always refer to the earth as "mother".
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community?
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ?
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done?
Re: The Crunchy Thread
It depends on what- for example, organic oranges are bullshit (they have a think rind that you dont eat), while fruits you eat the skins on I buy organic, although overall organic farms actually are worse for the environment since they require more fertilizer (hellooooo nitrate run-off into the water contributing to PH and algael changes which kill off fish populations etc etc...) so I do try to decrease organic stuff, especially meat. And 'GMO' is just called breeding, so yea, gimme the GMO corn, its fucking delicious. But I do try to minimize pesticide exposure, I absolutely minimize my own personal antibiotic use to reduce antibiotic resistance, I go to acupuncture (although I dont know if it does anything besides relax me) and I love to meditate. I love to buy local (food, clothes, etc) and I would never set food in big box stores like Target or, god forbid, Walmart. I dont like to buy things, especially things put on or in me, made in Asian countries as they have minimal to no regulations.
Long story short, I am gonna put myself at a solid 5.
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community?
I am changed what I am crunchy about based on research over time. My parents are zero percent crunchy and I grew up in the northeast, so a hodgepodge of everyone.
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ? He is less crunchy than me.
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain.
Hell no. Fucking annoying ass fake hippies trying to take the perfect instagram shot. Only Coachella could be worse.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done?
I pay my co-worker for eggs that his chickens and ducks lay at his farm. I dont buy store-bought if I can help it. And NEVER buy eggs in styrofoam cartons!
I'm probably a 7 or 8. I have an organic mattress (keetsa, which I LOVE) because fire retardants scare me (yeah, fires scare me too-- I'm sure I'll just die in one of those). I eat mostly organic, but like @kiwi2628 if it has a thick peel/ is not on the dirty dozen, I'll live. Also don't buy stuff in styrofoam. And I don't ask if everything is organic if I'm at a restaurant. For politics my crunchiness is probably more like a 9, but I don't push my views on others (which, in my view, is part of what true crunchiness is all about!).
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community? I was an early adopter when it comes to eating organic and recycling in my community, but I grew up in a very NON crunchy community in PA. Since leaving PA I've lived in a lot of crunchy places, including Oregon, and I now live in NorCal so my crunchiness is on full display here and I no longer feel like an outlier.
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ? We're about even on the crunch in terms of chemicals and caring about the environment. I'm slightly more crunchy politically, but he hates makeup more. We both don't like perfumes and colognes. You may not know we're crunchy when we're walking down the street though--we both wear normal clothes.
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain. I hate everything having to do with Burning Man, instagram selfies included. They have a millionaire section there now, like WTF is that. That said, some of the sculpture thingies do look cool and I kinda like the "idea" of it all but I'm more introverted than I am crunchy so the idea of having a naked mud party with a bunch of strangers sounds like a nightmare. The ONLY good thing about Burning Man is that SF is totally empty that week and places that are super crowded normally are deserted, which is the best.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done? Neither MH nor I have worn deodorant for the last 10 years. Go ahead, flame me. We like each other's natural smell. If either of us sweated a lot, we'd buy some Tom's but haven't had that problem.
1) On a scale from 1-10, how crunchy are you? Describe.
I'm thinking I'm a pretty solid 8. I don't eat anything processed (other than chocolate when AF is in town), but do still love my wine, and don't hold out for organic wines. I prefer organic, but don't kill myself over it.
I make all my own body products - moisturizer, soap, lip balm, sun block, bug spray, vapo-rub, you name it! For deodorant, I use the mineral stuff, and I do buy an all natural shampoo/conditioner. I haven't used anything with fragrance in years, and am very conscious about what is in anything I buy.
I make most of my cleaning products, and what I don't, I will only buy biodegradable, natural products.
Politics, I'm even more crunchy but like @vflux33 don't push my views on people and often avoid political debates.
Oh - and I live on a sailboat and DH and I are building an off-grid tiny house on the side of a mountain.
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community?
It's been evolving for many years, but this is definitely the most crunchy I've been. My parents are definitely not on the same page, nor was my hometown. Now that I live in BC, there are a lot more people like me, but I feel like the majority of them just like the trendy crunchiness, and aren't actually ready to make any compromises (i.e. thinking using Lush products make them super hippy, when they still use fragrance and SLS).
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ? He's getting there! I've been pushing him in that direction since we met. He's definitely into the minimalist/eco-friendly lifestyle, but never really gave much thought to things like the chemicals in soap, etc. He hasn't used traditional deodorant in a few years, because I always complained about the fragrance in them.
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain. Nope! I think it's become way more about the trendy crunchy than real hippiness. Plus, I am an introvert and don't like crowds, so would be stressed the whole time.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done? I think us making the decision to build the off-grid tiny house?
For the tiny house (which isn't built yet), we have no choice. There is no power running to the property, so it has to be completely off grid.
1) On a scale from 1-10, how crunchy are you? Describe.
Maybe a 3? I mean I try to recycle all the plastic that I buy but I still buy it. I do like Farmer's markets but only because there are things you can't find in the store and they are fresh. At the supermarket I generally don't buy organic because it may take me a while to get to it and I think it will spoil faster. I also use regular store bought cosmetics, think GMO foods are better and shop wherever I think I can get the best deal. In fact I hardly walk into stores anymore (except for the supermarket) due to Amazon Prime.
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community? I grew up in a third world country. I guess my parents were more 'crunchy' in their behavior but not because they were trying to be health conscious or eco-friendly. Just because that's how it is there. Now that everything is so much more convenient I think I've just adapted to the American way of life.
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ?
He would probably be a 1. When I pick up cage-free eggs at the store he says 'but what if I like my chickens in cages?'. He's just joking though....I think.
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain. Um from what I googled I'd probably rather die.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done? Don't think I qualify for this question.
1) On a scale from 1-10, how crunchy are you? Describe.
Okay I’m going to say I’m a 3 just because I don’t wear make up and earrings to the gym (or even my wedding ring), I have been to a farmer’s market a couple of times and I like nature. I also work for a battery storage company (ha renewable energy!) but that’s about it. My husband works for the electric utility (I used to work there) in which the main generation is coal, my dad also works in the energy industry (natural gas), we don’t really recycle unless it’s boxes (we do have a can though!), we drink out of disposable water bottles, I don’t eat anything organic because I don’t want to spend money on it, we keep our house very cold, we have lots of big electronics, and my husband is the ultimate consumer, Amazon boxes at the door every day.
Now that being said, I would like to be a little more crunchy. I would love to grow my own veggies and eat better but I probably won’t be able to make it higher than a 5 if I even tried. ETA - I'm just too lazy to be crunchy I think. I'd love to make my own stuff, grow my own food, drive extra time to go to Trader Joe's or a farmer's market but I'm lazy. Anyone know how to be a lazy crunchy person? lol
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community? Not crunchy all the way. As I said above, we work in the energy industry. The most crunchy thing that would happen in our house would be my dad freaking out every time we left the house about people not turning off lights… but that was more for cost reasons. The communities I live in are not crunchy either. Trader Joes is 30 minutes from me and I have no idea if we have a Whole Foods within an hour radius. Where I grew up started to become more crunchy after I left. We do have a year round farmers market downtown and one in our town during the summer though.
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ? Same level. He may be worse. He is totally okay with eating out of cans if I let him.
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain. Haha def not. I actually can't really tell you what happens at Burning Man.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done? I tried to grow tomatoes once… major fail. I also went gluten free for a couple of months, does that count?
Married: August 2014
TTC #1: February 2017 - BFP 7/28/17; EDD 4/8/18; DD born 4/7/18
TTC #2: February 2019
1) On a scale from 1-10, how crunchy are you? Describe.
I’ll say… 5-6. I spend a lot of time in forests, my main form of transportation is a bike, and my day job is doing communications for crunchy organizations, so… hello, granola, let me eat you for every meal. However I’m also a lapsed vegetarian who quit because I got tired of it, and you could def find me in a Target sometimes, or a Costco, or an H&M, maybe feeling a little guilty but also… the deals! I print a lot of paper docs at work and I’m probably definitely a sucker for greenwashing. So, crunchy at heart but no saint.
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community?I've always leaned crunchy but I think I've become a little less crunchy through the years. I remember being a vegetarian in my 20s and talking to older people who had quit because they "just didn't feel like it anymore," and then judging them in my mind while nodding and smiling, and now here I am, one of them! My parents are medium crunchy. I grew up in the South. Not crunchy.
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ?
Similar! Though sometimes we prioritize different things. Like, he's better at energy efficiency, I'm more into organic/free range/etc food.
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain.
Tehe. Lots of haters! Me, I've been twice. And loved it, especially the first time. So I’m gonna defend it some. Or at least say why it was awesome for me
So. I'm grown-ass woman who still plays on playgrounds whenever possible and adores Halloween and dance parties and biking and just fucking loses it over museums. And Burning Man is the ultimate Halloween dance party playground modern art museum for grownups who bike. Oh man y'all - the art! You don’t see art like this anywhere, and then you can also climb on it and watch the sun set and maybe then you go to yoga and then a tiki party and then play giant Connect 4. #DreamDay. I did it the old-fashioned way, with tents and no cooks (or showers... just a bag of water to pour over our heads sometimes). And no computers or phones, which honestly was one of the best parts, being off the grid. So it was basically a bunch of friends in the desert, camping and looking at fab art and partying late and having silly times. Then Instagramming it all after
(Not gonna deny the negatives... like dust and horrific portapotties and billionaires who cordon themselves off and helicopter in fresh bread every day because they can, but what’s a week-long desert party without strange smells and a few extremes?)
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done?
An ayahuasca ceremony. And this place: https://integratron.com/. So maybe I'm more like a 7.
I'd say I'm a medium on the crunchy scale. I grew up in a rural community so I like to support local farmers and love going to a farmers market. I recycle everything I can and try to minimize waste. I'm picky about skin care products and cleaning supplies. We are a 1 car family and commute via public transit about half the time
Maybe a 5, striving to be a 7. I enjoy yoga meditation and acupuncture. I use water bottles instead of plastic bottles and all of my Tupperware is all glass, no plastic. I use organic locally made shampoo, conditioner, body wash and shaving cream. All of my face products are also organic with minimal ingredients. I use coconut oil for lotion. I use native deoderant and natural toothpaste. I belong to a csa and try to buy organic when it's not farmers market season here. I try to shop local for other foods like eggs, cheese and meat. I eat processed food which I'd like to eliminate but that's hard. I'm also trying to start composting but waiting until we get an area that won't attract bears.
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community? Grew up on a small farm and raised chickens. Parents are definitely not crunchy and I think massage school helped to kick start my crunchiness.
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ? Not as much but he doesn't complain... except when I try to use tea tree oil on him and he calls it "that hippie shit"
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain.
I have no experience so no opinion one way or another. But I spent 4 days at Woodstock and the port-a-potty situation sounds pretty much the same. No thank you.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done? Hmmmm maybe trying to grow my own veggies??? Not really sure!
@justkeepswimming8 MH works in renewables-ish too! I somehow forgot to mention that in my post. I totally get the lazy thing. I'm no saint either. I second @LadyMillil's suggestion to look into your local CSA and see if any of their delivery packages would work for you.
@quartergreek Yeah, again, I will concede some of the art is super cool! You definitely sound crunchy, and I can tell you're *probably* from CA
@leekat14 We really want to get into composting. We live in a farming area and have a compost garbage bin, but it's only for yard composting and our landlord told us we couldn't put food-related compost material in there, which sucks, because we don't have a good setup to make our own right now.
@justkeepswimming8 I also agree with @LadyMillil's suggestion about the CSA. We also have options where you can pick and choose each week/aren't locked in for the year... It's great for being lazy (no going to the grocery store) AND you get great quality, healthy food! Some of the companies do meat and dairy as well as produce, so you can get almost everything you need.
1) On a scale from 1-10, how crunchy are you? Describe.
I would say 5. It would probably be higher if I could actually do some of the things I want but DH is much less crunchy. Which kind of answers the lower question.
I would probably call myself more "natural" than all around hippy.
I would love to live in a self-sustainable home off the grid. I prefer for myself to do everything I can to not take medicine of any kind. (I love modern medicine and am not anti-vax, I just prefer not to take unnecessary medicine) I have a garden and would love to grow even more, I just find I don't have a lot of time to have a huge garden. If/when I have a baby, I love all the crunchy things that come along with that like delayed cord clamping and placenta encapsulation.
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community?
I have not always been this crunchy. My mom is sort of crunchy but has grown more so in recent years. She has also started a garden a few years ago and grows a lot more than me. My community is not crunchy at all.
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ?
No we definitely differ. A lot of things I mention he rolls his eyes at.
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain.
I actually don't know much about that. From this thread, it looks like probably not.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done?
Well since DH is very not crunchy, I would probably only say my garden at this time because he shoots down a lot of my ideas lol.
1) On a scale from 1-10, how crunchy are you? Describe.
7. I shower regularly and wear makeup. However most of said make up is vegan and not tested on animals. I do own a lot of organic stuff. We compost and recycle obsessively. Avoid anything plastic. Don't eat any artificial colors, flavors etc. And routinely go to farmers markets. I completely believe in moon cycles, horoscopes, the power of yoga, meditation and have recently tried acupuncture and hypnotherapy. And I have been to burning man.... twice.... more on that below.
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community?
My husband is crunchy as fuck. He taught me a lot and I also learned a lot (TW) when we had our son. I became obsessed looking into everything for him, and so I learned a lot and made life style changes across the board. My parents don't get it at all but they tolerate us.
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ?
If my husband had it his way we would live off the grid completely self sustaining.
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain.
I have been twice, DH has been five times. Soooo I see a lot of hating, and I agree with some... the celebrity section is a joke. I laugh at people who curl their hair in their RVs daily. We stayed in yurts we built, showered in a solar shower built by DH. We had no electricity, no cell service, it was amazing.... If you do it correctly, it's a beautiful experience. You meet so many people of all different ages, cultures, backgrounds. People are kind and help one another. It's a community I wish existed in the real world and I long to return to the playa one day. So much beautiful art, self expression and creativity. It's the only place I felt 100% comfortable in my skin.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done?
Other than burning man, the envision festival in Costa Rica was pretty hippie as well :-)
I'm probably a 5? I'm a vegetarian from the bay area who was born to suuuper crunchy hippies. I didn't have anything unorganic before my 5th birthday. I shop at Whole foods. I read labels for weird additives. I guess at some point I have to evaluate whether my family was/is crunchy or just a little nuts. Like, my aunt is convinced we all need to have stickers on our cell phones to counteract radioactive waves. And she bought a machine to sing to her water so that her water will cure all of our illnesses. My mom never wore any makeup at all, never dyed her hair, was raw food vegan for most of my life... 100% organic cotton only. No plastic. The list goes on and on. I'm definitely more laid back than that, but I guess I put myself at a 5 because I still have a nagging voice in the back of my head that's like, "the chemicals are gonna kill you." I ignore it sometimes, but it's always there.
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community? see above. I went into too much detail too soon.
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ? He wasn't when we met. When we met 10 years ago, he told me that if we got married, he would DIVORCE me if I refused to feed our children McDonalds. Now, I think if I ever fed a child McDonalds he'd murder me - straight up. He took an animal protection litigation seminar and interned at the Humane Society in law school and now he's the most militant vegetarian of all time. He won't wear leather. He won't buy down feathers. It's actually sort of driving me nuts. He has never even lived in a house (he grew up in Manhattan), but he now dreams of living on a farm and having an animal sanctuary where we all grow our own food.
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain. I would not. I hate other humans. I don't like staying up late. I don't like sleeping outside my own bed. I don't like worrying about ground critters. I don't like drugs, except weed to sleep, but I haaate getting high in public. When we were in Amsterdam in March, I got high AF one night, and DH had to practically carry me back to the hotel because I was not handling the other humans well. My dad fucckkiinnggg loves burning man though.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done? It's hard to explain unless you know what town I grew up in. I grew up in one of the hippiest towns in the bay area. Like, until I was 18 my entire life was crunchy?
1) On a scale from 1-10, how crunchy are you? Describe.
Probably a 6 or 7? I buy mostly organic food and shop and shop small businesses for many things. I generally don't go to farmer's markets, because here in Cleveland we have the West Side Market (which I totally recommend if you're ever in town) and it's a little different. So, I would feel like I was "cheating" on my regular produce people. I avoid GMOs, but not becasue I think they're dangerous to your body, I just think it's not cool that they're patented and the companies that own them generally don't allow farmers to save seeds. I don't eat processed food (not really by choice though- celiac disease). I also recycle and grow some veggies in my yard, but that's about it. I really don't push my views on others, or even really talk about it just becasue so many people I know wouldn't find it that interesting.
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community?
I'm not from a crunchy family at all. My diet growing up was pretty horrendous. The city I live in is pretty densely populated, so there's all kinds of people here. Right now my neighborhood is getting trendy and there seems to be more hipsters, so it's maybe a little crunchy now?
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ?
He's not quite as crunchy as me, but mostly agrees with me.
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain.
No, crowds aren't my thing.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done?
Bought organic tampons?
Edit: Spelling
Married: 10/2013
TTC #1 Since: 02/2017
1) On a scale from 1-10, how crunchy are you? Describe.
I'm going to say a 6. A year or two ago I was probably closer to an 8 but between a loss of income and higher stress levels I've slipped a bit. I'm mostly vegan (was strictly vegan before), only wear cruelty free make-up, shop primarily organic, my soaps are locally handmade and organic, I grow our favorite fruits and veggies on our patio, yoga is my favorite form of exercise, and I will try to cure anything in a homeopathic way before seeking out a western doctor.
potential TW*I plan on a natural birth at a holistic birthing center and if I had it my way, a home birth but FI is too worried to go with that* end TW
But you can find me in Target because I'm too poor to only shop local and artisan. EarthFare and Whole Foods was my jam when I had more income but right now it's Costco, Lowe's Foods and TJs.
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community?
I get crunchier the older I get. I am DYING to get the new Tesla solar tiles and would love an electric car. We dream of the day we have a yard and can grow all our own produce. My mom is pretty crunchy. My dad likes to joke that she came from a hippie family (pretty true) and it rubbed off on all of us.
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ?
No, he's not. I've rubbed off on him a bit but not tons. Mostly he just plays along to make me happy.
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain.
I don't think I would have fun. I like the concept but I hate crowds and camping and sweating and being dirty. Blech You know what I would LOVE to go to? A Wanderlust festival! That's the kind of crunchy I am.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done?
Wore elephant pants while wandering around the Redwoods in California and doing yoga using my locally made all natural bug spray (really oil) to keep mosquitos at bay.
@hollieileen I'm loving your style!!
@LadyMillil That delivery service sounds great!
@hollieileen If burning man was what I hear it used to be back in the day I wouldn't feel as negatively about it. Not trying to be a total hater! I like the concept, but physically being there? Nope, not in a million years.
@doxiemoxie212 Dude, that water singing machine sounds kinda nuts. Also that's cool YH changed his view on McDonald's. I feel like in general awareness about fast food has gotten so much better over the last 10 years.
I am realizing I may need to downgrade my crunchiness after reading some of these. I've always been conflicted about vegetarianism. There are newer crunchy arguments against it that I find compelling, but I do feel bad about eating animals. MH refuses to go vegetarian and I don't think I could manage a big diet change like that if he's not on board. I guess my crunchiness feels crunchier to me since I grew up only eating boxed foods and Wendy's. Like I lived off bagel bites for my entire childhood so I guess in a way I'm like "I just ate raw broccoli! I'm crunchy as hell!" But in the grand scheme of things I am definitely getting out-crunched on this thread.
*TW tiny bit of politics but not trying to convince anyone* @Cricket648I'm with you on the GMOs 100%. I avoid them more because of politics and the chemicals in Roundup than being afraid of consuming what's actually in the GMO foods themselves (California just last month started forcing a carcinogen warning on Glyphosate/Roundup and I'm pretty excited about that). I mean, since our votes don't really matter, I figure voting with $$ is all I've got...
Re: tampons I buy organic ones too BUT I'm super into these special magic AF underwear called Thinx, which I totally recommend. Also have flirted with the idea of a diva cup but haven't taken the, er, plunge.
@Sailing_Mama Your tiny house sounds effing amazing!
@vflux33 I've heard such awesome things about Thinx! I was thinking about trying Thinx and/or Diva Cup out this summer (ya know, when I can go to the bathroom at will just in case things don't go as planned).
Married: 10/2013
TTC #1 Since: 02/2017
EDD: March 24, 2018 - angel baby at 21 weeks
1) On a scale from 1-10, how crunchy are you? Describe.
I would say I'm a 3-4? Trying to get to a 6-7. Like others, I believe in vaccinations and modern medicine but I never take unprescribed medicine. I.e. I would rather fight colds with teas, smoothies, etc. I also want a natural birth but in a hospital with a doula. I'm getting better with growing my own vegetables/herbs and buying local. I like to cook from scratch a lot rather than eating processed foods (but life often happens) I'm in the process of switching to more natural beauty products but some things are hard to give up!! Also, I prefer the term natural over crunchy.
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community?
I'm improving every year! My parents are absolutely not. They buy diet pills from ads on Facebook, ugh. I try to help them but they just don't get it. I grew up in NJ, so no, not crunchy.
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ?
eh. He plays along with certain things to make me happy but he does like to be energy efficient and takes pride in his recycling skills. I would love to get him off of the Advil and cold meds though!
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain.
Not hating but but absolutely not. I appreciate the people that enjoy that type of thing, but completely not my style.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever donE?
Hmmm. I think giving up all types of medicine and pain meds might be it. I don't think it's that crunchy but people usually seem to be shocked.
EDD: March 24, 2018 - angel baby at 21 weeks
about 7 or 8.
We have a huge garden that we eat out of during the summer. We also can, flash freeze and store most of our food. We don't spray so everything is fresh and organic. We have a compost and a recycling garbage so we only take our regular garbage out like once a month. We clean with vinegar, lemons and salt. For health ailments we rely on herbs and caffeine- unless serious medical intervention is needed. A headache- have a cup of tea. Cramps- a heating pad and some anti inflammatory herbs. We use oils or herbs for whatever we can.We make most "beauty" products.. lotions, lip balms, etc. we have a conservative house and have minimal decorations; we have rooms that echo- but we like the basics. I buy only in bulk and store everything in glass containers. (This includes salt, pepper, oats, dried fruit, etc) I get 99% of our goods at farmers markets and those items that I can't I try to find biodegradable.
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community?
My mom is high maintenance but my dad is totally granola. He grew up poor and then served in the military for 30 years and became very minimalist. He passed the "living with less than you need" mentality to us kids.
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ?
he's equal, but in a different way. He's more spiritual.
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain.
I can appreciate where burning man came from and the idea behind it- but I feel like it's become mainstream and if you have to take pictures and post them- you're missing the point. Years ago we would take vacations, get lost in the desert, take drugs and have a life changing experience. Burning man isn't that. I've also grown and come into a new career where that isn't possible anymore.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've done?
we are pretty organic - i can't think of anything ton specific.
@vflux33 this is a great thread!!!!'
Started Dating: 2003 Married: 2013
Started TTC August 2016
BFP: 2/1/17 MC: 2/8/17
BFP: 3/8/17 MMC: 5/1/17
BFP: 7/23/17 EDD: 4/5/18
BFP: 2/27/20
I'm gonna go with a 7. I am a yoga teacher who can diagnose your chakra imbalances, I use a diva cup because I think tampons aren't great for your vagina, I eat grass fed/ free range/ organic. I use essential oils instead of tylenol or clariton. I shave my legs only when I feel like it would make other people uncomfortable. I have audio meditation guides to help me through IVF. I wear a moonstone crystal on a necklace to encourage fertility. All the makeup/lotion/shampoo,conditioner, body wash I have is all pthalate free. My water bottle is glass because fuck bpas. I use essential oils for house cleaning. I attended both the March for Women as well as the March for Science. Prior to TTC we used coconut oil as lube. I am perfectly happy backpacking in the wilderness for long periods of time. Probably a bunch of other stuff I'm not thinking of at the moment, but you get it. I wouldn't give myself any higher because I don't buy into any nonsense that is anti science. Anti-vaxxers can stay farrrrr away from me and I don't believe that positive vibes can cure cancer.
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community? Mostly yes, but moreso as I have gotten older and had the ability to obtain information and purchase my own products. My parents are ideologically crunchy and my mom is open to my crunchy ideas when I bring them up. Nope, I would say my community is mostly conservative, red meat loving, wal-mart going types.
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ? I am slightly more crunchy but he is the same level of crunchy when it comes to food, which is nice because he does all the cooking.
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain. No. The cultural appropriate would drive me absolutely insane. But I'm going to a music festival called Lost Lake and I'm very excited for that.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done? Ummmm. I hiked up a mountain to an energy vortex in Sedona, AZ and did yoga while someone played the pan flute.
@haylsbayls "diet pills from ads on Facebook" made me laugh. Totally something my parents would do!
@vflux33 FX that your bw comes back normal! Keep me posted!
Married: 10/2013
TTC #1 Since: 02/2017
My crunchiness is always evolving I think, but right now I would put myself at a 5. I don't wear makeup. I eat meat, but only free range, antibiotic free chicken, free range eggs (because if I'm going to eat chickens or eggs, I want them to at least be free, happy chickens), grass fed, antibiotic free beef, and wild caught fish (no thank you to PCBs). I also eat 90% organic produce. The 10% non organic is usually if I need something for a recipe and can't find it in organic. I consider my crunchiness to be hard science based crunchiness though. I have a pharmaceutical chemistry degree and classes like environmental chemistry were huge contributors to my crunchiness. After I graduated several years ago, I could literally find a reason not to eat any food or use any personal care product. I've since calmed down a bit because you can't reasonably avoid everything that could potentially harm you or the environment, IMO. Not to get political, but I side eye the crap out of antivaxers and anyone who thinks that essential oils can truly cure a bacterial or viral infection because science. I think that drugs are a great resource in treating illness (including the common cold, allergies, etc) and I'll usually jump right to treating the symptoms of a cold in myself with meds over natural remedies. **TW** Re: "natural birth" I really personally prefer the term, "med free" over "natural" because all types of birth, IMO, are natural due to that fact that procreation in and of itself is natural. With DD, I thoroughly planned for a med-free, mindfulness based birth. What I actually got (due to a medical condition that I have unexpectedly complicating things) was an (non walking) epidural and several injections of epinephrine throughout my labor. If I ever get to that place again, I'm going to ask for all the drugs up front because, though that wasn't my original plan the first time, I'm all about the epidural now. It was amazing. That's just for me though, and everyone else should obviously go with whatever they deem appropriate based on their comfort zone and their own beliefs. **TW** As for environmental stuff, we don't recycle because you have to pay for it here and DH refuses, though I would like to. I believe that climate change is a serious thing that deserves our attention (because, again, science) but I don't know that I'm doing enough on my end right now to combat it, which I feel bad about.
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community?
My parents aren't crunchy at all. We did not grow up crunchy, aside from recycling because where we lived had a great program to encourage city wide recycling. My diet growing up was pretty horrifying (mostly processed food, canned veggies only), but I've got respect for it because it's what my parents could manage at the time.
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ?
No. DH is not crunchy. At all. His cruchiness is limited to what I force on him because I do all the grocery and household shopping. He also doesn't believe that climate change is legit and I actually had to explain to him the chemical mechanism of ozone depletion by CFCs one time because he thought it was bs and didn't know what the ozone layer was or that it was actually a thing. (???) I pretty much bite my tongue with him on most environmental stuff because he has strong beliefs that have no science backing and I just can't with that. But I love him and he obviously has tons of other redeeming qualities, so he gets a slide from me on that.
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain.
No. Like @doxiemoxie212, I loathe other humans generally. I also hate camping. To me, burning man has a stigma of lots of wild drug use and a bunch of people being smashed and I'm not about that either. Though, I'll also fully admit that I'm not totally familiar with the philosophy behind burning man or the actual point of it.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done?
See question 1 I guess? I kind of turned it into a DD.
I do have a question for those of you who use natural cleaning products. Say I'm cutting chicken and get some on my counter...what would you use to clean that?? I want to use less harsh cleaning products in my house but I also want to get rid of bacteria. What do you guys use!?
dusting- lemon oil, olive oil and water.
stains in glass pots/containers- i pour in salt, lemon juice and ice. Then a few splashes of water and shake. (I use this in my coffee pot.)
cleaning wipes- vinegar, alcohol, essential oils.
vinegar and hydrogen peroxide for counters after meat has been on the counter. (We did a lot of research and hydrogen peroxide was very effective)
We do have a few "regular" cleaning items but they rarely get used. We started switching over to the more natural ones because we didn't like the chemicals in cleaning products or adding them into our water waste. Plus my dsd was about 2 at the time and her mouth was on everything and it was weird to think that she was sucking bleach off of stuff. Not everyone is comfortable using natural products because they don't think they're effective. I will say though that we hardly ever get sick. I haven't even had a cold in probably 5 years. But I also will drop something on the floor, blow off whatever I can see, and pop it in my mouth. Obviously I wouldn't do this at a restaurant, but in my own home I'm comfortable with it.
@Redpuma119 Do you have any cleaning suggestions that don't smell like vinegar? @50wife I sometimes use water, but rely more than I'd like on the 7th Gen stuff in situations involving chicken juice. You have to be careful with some of the cleaners, as red puma says that say "natural" but are way not (I think "Honest" brand is one of those, ironically). I DID find a USDA certified organic laundry detergent --brand is called Greenshield Organic.
@antoto My mom is OBSESSED with the Sedona energy vortex. Like I mentioned to you I once lived in Tucson and she is still pissed I moved because she loved it there and goes back every year. Also 10 crunchy points for having a friend who plays pan flute
@kbamomma33 Yeah MH really pushed the med free (agree on the terminology just forgot) birth thing until I told him the epidural doesn't cross the blood brain barrier, and now he's cool with it. As far as recycling: reusing your own products (and buying less plastic etc.) as much as possible is probably better than actually recycling IMO anyway because the recycling process takes so much energy and, unfortunately, a lot of places that say they have recycling actually just put it in a separate landfill with the hope of reusing later (MH first informed me this --he is more educated on the environmental stuff than me because of his scientific background).
I forgot I also eat raw milks and cheeses! Anyone else here eat raw milk products??
*TW bit of politics but again not trying to convince people* I'm pro-vax, but I don't like that the companies who produce vaccinations can't be sued if something goes wrong. I have a legal background and the fact that you just can't sue them like you can other companies is total BS. (I should mention one of my big crunchy areas is being wary of pharmaceutical companies... but it's not a vague "Fuck big Pharma!" thing it is targeted i.e. drug prices being insane, and I think medicine is needed a lot and research is good, etc.) I wish they would space out the vaccines better --when we were all kids they only did a few at a time, now they do like 50 at once. We should be able to ask legit questions about vaccines without being labeled as an antivaxxers, but when those questions are answered, yes, vaccines are good.
I'm in love. Seriously, I could talk all day about how much I love it.
Bu tI probably shouldn't answer these questions because I am probably a 0.
Diagnoses: RPL, Endometriosis, MFI (count, morph, DNI, DNAS, multiple bilateral subclinical varicoceles), low progesterone
Check out my Infertility blog
Check out my Infertility Instagram
BFP: 15 August 2015, loss confirmed 23 August 2015
BFP: 16 November 2015, loss confirmed 22 November 2015
BFP: 18 July 2016, loss confirmed same day
BFP: 04 March 2018, loss confirmed 23 March 2018
BFP: 12 June 2018, TWINS; D&C 06 July 2018
Met with OBGYN in January 2016
Me: all clear, H: OAT
November 2016: HSG = All Clear!
January 2017: H tested again, High DNA fragmentation and stainability
February 2017: Clomid + TI + Progesterone = BFN
March 2017: Clomid + HCG + IUI + Progesterone = SA/wash: zero count on attempt #1, <1,000 on attempt #2= BFN
Varicocele Embolization- 5 May 17
December 2017 SA: Zero improvement after embolization
January IVF- 25 retrieved, 11 mature, 8 fertilized, 3 frozen day fives (3AA, 3AA, 3AA), 1 frozen day 6 (5BB), 1 frozen day 7 (3CC)
Three PGS normal (3AA, 3AA, 5BB), one inconclusive (3AA)
FET #1: 27 February 2018, 3AA & 5BB, one stuck! BFP 04 March 2018.... Loss confirmed 23 March 2018
May 2018: SHG/SIS = all clear "beautiful uterus"
FET #2: 04 June 2018, 3AA PGS normal embryo, 3AA PGS hatching inconclusive embryo.
BFP: 12 June 2018, EDD 20 February 2019
Ultrasound, 25 June 2018: There are two!
Lost Baby A 02 July 2018
Baby B not growing, D&C 06 July 2018
Laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, chromotubation: 23 July 2018: blocked right tube, heavily inflamed, covered in endo. Removed right tube. Removed more endo from uterus, tubes, ovaries. Endo remains on bladder and bowel.
ER#2 ~Jan 2019
1) On a scale from 1-10, how crunchy are you? Describe.
Boy oh boy, I thought I was pretty hippie, but a lot of you ladies beat me hands down. I'd say I'm maybe a 5 or 6? I live off-grid, 5 miles up a dirt road in the heart of the Emerald Triangle (but I don't smoke weed). Our house is perpetually half-way done (currently sitting in a room with exposed insulation still waiting to put drywall up 9 months after the room was built). I make candles as part of my income. We eat mostly organic, and only eat free-range/organic, preferably locally produced meat. I'd rather be vegetarian than eat industrial/factory farmed meat. In fact, we're usually about halfway vegetarian, but my brother's staying with us right now and he can't handle not having meat with every meal. I make my own soap, and used to make most of my own body products, but haven't had time lately. We use basically all hippie dish soap, cleaners and shampoos, BUT, I totally have to wear real deodorant. I've tried probably a dozen different "natural" deodorants, but man, I sweat a lot and stink, even sometimes with the real stuff, so I'm sticking with it. DH on the other hand has never worn it, so bully for him. We also grow lots of our own veggies, my mom and dad raise chickens for eggs and meat (so sometimes I help slaughter chickens) and I can a lot of food in the fall. All that said, I'm all about science, definitely not anti-vaxx, but pretty much stay away from GMO's - partly because I don't think they've been tested enough, but mostly because I don't like the increased use of pesticide/herbicide (RoundUp).
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community?
I've always wanted to be as hippie as possible, but so much of it depends on income. When I was young and broke, we just ate and bought whatever we could afford. Even now I'd love to have an organic mattress/drive an electric car/own all organic cotton clothes, etc., but we're just barely getting by as it is. My folks are pretty crunchy, but maybe a little less than me. I did grow up off grid with no TV for a long time, and they've definitely gotten more so as time goes by. Our community is definitely super hippie, although somewhat red-neck as well.
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ?
Probably about the same.
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain.
Eh, probably not. I'm not really into crowds/people/festivals/drugs, so not really my scene.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done?
We're pretty into fermenting things - DH brews beer, I make kimchi, sauerkraut, sourdough, kombucha, yogurt, etc. It seems like there might be something more out there, so I will edit if I can think of it.
Started Dating: 2003 Married: 2013
Started TTC August 2016
BFP: 2/1/17 MC: 2/8/17
BFP: 3/8/17 MMC: 5/1/17
BFP: 7/23/17 EDD: 4/5/18
BFP: 2/27/20
OMG yesss I love this
1) On a scale from 1-10, how crunchy are you?
I would say 7-8, I am ***possible TW pro midwife, homebirth, cloth diapering, delayed cord clamping, placenta encapsulation.**** DH and I spend our weekends and vacation time camping/backpacking. I will always try a natural remedy before a pharmaceutical (within reason) that being said, I am not anti-science or anti-vaxx and I am doing IVF right now (which is weird for me, but I have made peace with it). I try to eat organic. I wear Birkenstocks every day once it goes above 60 degrees. We are trying to buy a house that will allow us to raise chickens and maybe one cow. I would go completely off grid if DH was down ( he is not).
2) Have you always been this crunchy/not crunchy? Are your parents crunchy? Did you grow up in or currently live in a crunchy community?
I have definitely gotten crunchier over time, but I did an alternative senior year in high school where we sat on the floor and were allowed to strum guitars during class and we did 2 through hiking backpack trips for our gym class requirement. My parents are NOT really crunchy at all, but are into alternative medicine (to a point) my dad treated his cancer with alternative methods in conjunction with radiation. I currently live in Brooklyn so moderately crunchy for being in a big city I guess.
3) Is YH the same level of crunchy as you, or do you differ?
He is less than me but I have made him crunchier for sure. He likes being outdoors and camping and stuff and will use essential oil remedies if I make them for him, but he wouldn’t do it on his own.
4) "Yes", "No", or neutral on the question of "would you have fun at Burning Man?" Explain.
I think I would’ve like 5 years ago, but not now. I am doing a yoga retreat weekend for Memorial day that will have yoga classes to live Grateful Dead cover bands, which I think is more my speed now.
And finally, 5) What's the crunchiest thing you've ever done?
I think see above yoga/Grateful Dead situation. I am also doing a year-long intensive fiber class called Sheep to Shawl where we spun yarn with a rock tied to a stick and spent 2 hours “experiencing” the color yellow (painting) and then journaled about it.