Something happened to me when we moved in to the RV.  I’m not really sure how it happened.  I started to become a little crunchy, a little  more holistic and a little more natural.  Although I haven’t completely sworn off all forms of traditional or over the counter medicine (Motrin will probably stay in my cabinet until I die), I have slowly started replacing chemically laden hygiene products, cleaning solutions and medicines.

It all started during our first Full time Families RV Rally in New York.  Suddenly I was surrounded by other Moms speaking a language I was not familiar with.  Diffusing, Kombucha, thieves, activated charcoal, and colloidal silver were just a few of the words thrown around that I found myself blatantly unfamiliar with.   I would nod politely during these conversations as if I understood what they were talking about.

During this time,I also had a horrific and painful rash covering both of my legs.  Traditional medicine had no answers to my rash.  I was treated for shingles, poison ivy, and a staph infection over a  three week period leading up to the rally.  Nothing helped.   One of our neighbors asked me if I had tried anything natural for the rash and of course I looked at her like she had two heads.   Hesitantly, she suggested she would make me a concoction of Colloidal Silver, Dragons Blood and Golden Seal Powder.  I agreed to try it, though I was full of doubt that something that sounded so weird would actually make a difference.  I laughed at myself as I lathered on this smelly weird paste onto my legs.  However, I wasn’t laughing the next morning when I woke up to find my legs almost completely healed.

This was how the crunchy transition began.   Fast forward almost two years and most of my home on wheels is filled with essential oils and holistic treatment options.    Most of our household cleaners have been replaced by enzyme cleaners and essential oil mixes.  Though my husband continues to sneak in some traditional cleaning products because he doesn’t completely buy into the crunchy.   We utilize activated charcoal for any stomach/intestinal issues.  Colds are met with a force of vitamin C, raw honey and a variety of essential oils.  My essential oil diffuser puffs away its crunchy goodness throughout our RV everyday.

My favorite replacement has  been our toothpaste.  We are no longer bound to the standard Crest and Colgate brands to maintain our oral health.   About a year ago, a friend introduced me to an amazing tooth powder she makes on her own.  After using it for six months, all four of us had the best dental reports we had in years.  Our nine year old has had a cavity at every dental visit since she was five.  However, six months using a natural tooth powder has made her cavity free!   Due to the expense of purchasing the tooth powder from my friend, I decided to try to make my own.  I searched for recipes all over the internet as apparently homemade tooth powder is quite popular.   I ended up combining three different recipes and adjusted to the taste preferences of my family.

Here is the recipe we use:

1/2 cup of Benzonite Powered Clay

1/4 cup Organic Bob’s Baking Soda

1/8 cup Organic Bob’s Arrowroot Powder

1 full dropper of Organic Liquid Stevia

15 drops of Peppermint Essential Oils

10 drops of (Thieves-Young Living  OR Ongaurd-Doterra)

Mix with hand held blender or in food processor until all liquid is dispersed evenly.    Place in a airtight glass jar.   I have smaller containers that I fill to keep with our toothbrushes.  The mixture as measured above will last our family of four approximately 3 months.

Someday, I may make a separate page on our blog for some of the DIY remedies I have found that works for our family.     Have you always been on the “crunchy” side?  If not, what convinced you to make the switch?  Do you have any tried and true remedies that you would like to share with us?  Let me know in the comments!