Before I had kids I recycled, used some organic products, and read a ton of books and magazines about how to live a more natural lifestyle, but it wasn’t until after I had kids that I got really serious about it. I was no longer in charge of just my own health and well-being; I had a husband and three tiny redheads to keep healthy and make decisions for. They were looking to me to know how to live. While I knew I wanted to instill in them a love of God, family, and others, I also wanted them to know how to lead the healthiest lives they could by making better choices for themselves—from the food they eat to the products they use—so I set out to change one thing at a time in our household. I didn’t try to do a complete overhaul all at once; that never would have worked, and we all would have been overwhelmed. But making small changes one step at a time add up to big changes over time.
My first step was to buy organic food whenever possible. I then replaced our chemical-filled lotions, soaps, and cleaning products with more natural options. And I eventually traded out those store-bought items for products I made myself using all-natural ingredients and essentials oils! The more I changed, the easier it got. It became a habit to use natural products instead of chemical-filled products. And you know what? My family followed. They began to make healthier choices for themselves—even when we weren’t together. Now it’s natural for us to clean with lemon essential oil or to spray lemongrass essential oil in the house to freshen the air. It’s a part of our life, and I feel great knowing that I’m protecting my family the best that I can in our home by choosing eco-friendly, nontoxic products whenever possible. I can’t protect them from everything outside our home, but I sure can do my best inside our home. That’s my hope for you: that you’ll find small changes you can make in your everyday life that will eventually add up to big changes that make a big difference in your health and well-being.
So pick something to try, whether it’s the baking soda–based Lavender Carpet Freshener or the lemony Multisurface Cleaner (see recipes in Chapter 3). Each small change is better for your health, which is something to be proud of. I hope that you find this book useful, gain confidence in your ability to naturally handle anything life throws at you in your home, and find some everyday solutions that you just can’t be without!