Crunch Factor

I read a lot of "crunchy" blogs. Or, rather, blogs written by crunchy folk. Baby wearing, cloth diapering, homemade hummus eating, TV banishing kind of people.

There's a part of me that really wishes I could be like this. And, in some ways, I suppose I am. But, I just can't make the total commitment. I like Cheetos and paper towels and hot dogs too much. I like thick, fluffy 42-freakin' ply toilet paper. I like my SUV. I like American Idol.

So, I have decided, I am quasi-crunchy. I've been looking for a way to use quasi these days, anyway, so quasi-crunchy it is.

Here's why I think I qualify for the quasi:

I made granola yesterday. My very own. And just because I was slightly confused about what ancient super grain I was using (kamut, not spelt, although I debated both in the store) doesn't make me any less crunchy. (The brown sugar I used instead of who-knows-what may have taken me down a notch, which is why I can't be fully crunchy.) Still, the stuff was awesome.

I bake our bread. (Most days. Some days I just get lazy, and grab a loaf at Target.)

I make my own cleaner. Baking soda and my lemony vinegar/water stuff takes care of just about everything in our house. I have reusable, washable sponges. (A handy bottle of bleach for the toilets, and Clorox Wipes for the toilet seats are my compromise.)

I tried to wear Wiggle Man as a baby. He wasn't big on it. Not the baby carrier, nor the wrap (which required a minimum of a Master's Degree to understand how to tie the baby to yourself) nor the traditional Maasai carry (which he actually fell out of.) But I like the idea of it, you see. I'd even give it another go, should I ever find myself needing to carry around a baby. The point is, I tried.

I tried to make hummus. It was gross. I tried store bought hummus. Also gross. In fact, the only hummus I like comes from a local restaurant, located on the "other side of the mountain", which makes it less local and more like halfway across the country. So I don't get it often.

I'm also a little on the crunchy side when it comes to female health. That's all I have to say about that (thank you, Forrest) for the sake of my male relatives and friends who read this blog. You're welcome, guys.

So there you have it. My crunch factor is about a quasi crunchy. Not earth mother, but not, well, whatever is at the other end of that spectrum. Somewhere in the middle, where most of us reside. Because regardless of where you view yourself on that spectrum, if you're making the best decisions for you and your family, that's all the crunchy you need.