Since this is my first anniversary of writing for Bella Online, I’ve decided to take a moment to share what natural living looks like in our family and the areas in which I feel we need to improve.

Natural Foods and Beverages

Improving our diet is one of the first changes we made. Fortunately, I’m able to find natural foods at most supermarkets now, but I do make a monthly trip to Whole Foods. We eat natural foods at home that are free of additives and always buy organic poultry, dairy, and eggs. With produce, we do as much organic as we can, but I don’t fret if I have to buy conventional produce from time to time. In addition, we had a whole house water filter installed in 2005 so we no longer have to buy bottled water for cooking and drinking.

Reduce, Re-use, Recycle

This is a basic one but something that is worth mentioning. Before we had kids, we didn’t recycle. We live in an area where many still don’t recycle. Now we make sure to save containers and re-use them and also recycle as much as possible.

Nontoxic Cleansers

Our home is totally bleach-free now. I clean mostly with Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap, baking soda, and vinegar. I do sometimes buy other natural cleansers at the store, but I prefer to stick with these three.

Natural Personal Care Products

We use natural toothpastes, shampoos, soaps, and more. We haven’t had much luck finding a natural deodorant that works for us here in Florida over the summer, but we’re going to keep trying. These products get pricey so I am not picky over brands and usually get what’s on sale online or at my local health food store. I’m especially careful about what I use on my children such as sunscreen and insect repellent.

Cloth Napkins, Diapers, and Menstrual Pads

We’ve been cloth diapering since 2003 and even hubby prefers cloth. We use Fuzzi Bunz and would recommend them to anyone. They’re wonderful for a multitude of reasons and also have a great resale value. Loralei has been in the same 16 diapers for more than a year now. We also use cloth napkins for meals and I have made the switch to cloth menstrual pads (something I thought I’d never do).

Limited Use of Disposable Kitchen Items

As stated above, we’re using cloth napkins now, but we’ve also eliminated sandwich baggies, replacing them with the Wrap-n-Mat and the SIGG snack box. In addition, we’ve finally switched to stainless steel bottles. We have four Klean Kanteen bottles so each member of the family has their own reusable water bottle for outings. We also switched over this year to using a set Earth Tote shopping bags for groceries.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs and Rechargeable Batteries

These are two areas we really improved in this year. We haven’t totally made the transition for either but we’re working on it and hope to be completely converted in a couple of months.

Natural Childbirth and Non-Circumcision

In my article about natural birth options, I shared the story of my daughter’s birth which occurred at a freestanding birth center. I had considered a homebirth but didn’t feel comfortable at the time but would plan a water birth at home if I ever had a third child. While my son wasn’t born naturally, we did our research and made the decision to leave his body the way nature intended and uncircumcised, just as we would if our first child had been a girl.

Breastfeeding and Babywearing

I formula fed my first and breastfed my second. Breastfeeding is the more natural and healthier choice for everyone involved. I carried her during the day and slept next to her at night just as other mammals do. What could be more natural?

Delayed Solids and Homemade Organic Baby Food

This last time around, I made most of my baby's first meals using fresh organic fruits and veggies. Her first food was actually soft chunks of organic avocado, and this is still her favorite food two years later. I did buy Earth’s Best jarred food for when we were out and about simply for the convenience factor.

Selective Vaccination and Holistic Healthcare

We practice selective vaccination, focusing instead on nutrition and other preventative measures. We lean towards natural remedies when a little one is sick (which is rare in our family) but are comfortable with conventional care when necessary.

Improvements Needed

There are several, but the big ones are that we’re not composting, driving hybrids, or utilizing solar power. Sure, we need to improve in some areas, but we’re living more naturally than ever before!