How to Live a Crunchy Lifestyle This Summer
How to Live a Crunchy Lifestyle this Summer
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.
Yes, my friends, summer is finally here! As each year passes, I get a little more excited about summer. I don’t mind winter for the first 6-8 weeks, but once March and early April hit, I am ready for warmth and color! I live in Colorado where the weather is unpredictable, hail is a regular occurrence, and afternoon thunderstorms cause a change of plans almost every day around 3 PM. Even so, summer is gladly welcomed after months of drab brown and what felt like a lack of life and vibrance. Today, I’m sharing with you how to live a crunchy lifestyle this summer.
What is a crunchy lifestyle?
If you’re new to crunchy living, welcome! I’m happy you’ve joined us. In a nutshell, living a crunchy lifestyle includes things like making food from scratch and/or growing your own food, drinking raw milk, ethically sourcing clothes or buying them second-hand, using low- or non-toxic home and personal care products, and producing less waste. Essentially, those of us who call ourselves crunchy are trying to live our best Laura Ingalls Wilder/Little House on the Prairie lives with the added benefits of modern knowledge about health. If you’re looking for ways to start living a crunchy lifestyle this summer, you’ve come to the right place!
Grow some produce and/or herbs.
There is no better way to live a crunchy lifestyle this summer than to grow some of your own food. With the knowledge, products, and techniques we have in our modern society, it makes it so easy to do this, even if you live in a city. Gone are the days of needing acres of land to grow your own food! And you don’t need to have an entire year’s worth of food to make a difference in your personal life. This year, I’m starting small. I purchased a cherry tomato plant that already had some tomatoes growing. Soon after I got a mint plant, and I also plan to add basil and cilantro. For this year, that will probably be it. Even just that little bit will help cut down on food waste and grocery costs. To help get you started, here are some items you may want to consider purchasing for your own container garden.
Visit a farm market or farmers’ market.
When I lived in Pennsylvania, I was blessed to live in a rural area that is abundant with farmland. This meant driving five minutes down the road to a farm market for good quality meat, eggs, dairy, and produce. Here in Colorado Springs, things are a little different because it’s very urban. In the summer months around here, farmers’ markets are plentiful. While it’s not the same as getting my food directly from the source, it’s a close second! There are many benefits to shopping at farmers’ markets, like stimulating local economies, promoting sustainable living practices, and eating better quality food. Local Harvest is a great website to see what farms and markets are in your area!
Eat seasonally.
The next way to live a crunchy lifestyle this summer is to eat seasonally, and there is no better time to do so than during the summer months. Have you ever gotten strawberries at the grocery store in those clamshells? They look like Franken-berries! Real strawberries are pretty tiny, glossy, and oh, so dark, bright red. There is something about eating seasonal foods that just tastes so much better. Use the Seasonal Food Guide to help you determine what foods are in season in your area.
Try out some new recipes.
What better way to put all that good local and seasonal produce to use than to try out some new recipes! Summer means lots of fresh and light foods. I love grilled chicken with mango salsa and cilantro lime rice. When tomatoes are in season, I love making tomato pie (it tastes like pizza!) and ratatouille. Some other great summer recipes are summer fruit salad with coconut dressing, street corn pasta salad, Italian pasta salad, and sausage and veggie skillet.
Make your own beverages instead of buying them.
Buying beverages gets to be expensive and can be unhealthy due to added chemicals and sugar. This summer, experiment with new recipes and make your own beverages! Fresh mint makes a great iced tea, or add some mint and lime and a little sugar to seltzer water and you’ve got a delicious mock-jito. Take it a step further and carbonate your own water! Lately I’ve been into this honey mint iced tea and I’m loving a version of this mock-jito recipe.
Spend time in nature.
If you want to live a crunchy lifestyle this summer, spending time in nature is a given! No matter where you are, city or country, nature surrounds you. You just have to look a little for it sometimes. There are so many ways to spend time in nature, whether it’s hiking, walking, leaf collecting, star-gazing, swimming, or making grass necklaces. There is no doubt that there are tremendous benefits to spending time in nature. Even 10 minutes a day can make such a huge difference. And whether you have kids or don’t, this Nature Resource Guide from Richard Louv is a keeper.
Buy better sunscreen.
Over the last few years, sunscreen has taken center stage as a debate topic. The brands we grew up with in the 90s are filled with toxic chemicals that aren’t good for you or the environment. The powers that be have us believing that the sun is a big, scary ball of light that does harmful damage to the body. This is so far from the truth. In fact, according to an article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI), increased sun exposure can actually reduce rates of cancer! Many of us aren’t getting enough sunlight in general, so we burn more easily. In this case, if you do plan to wear sunscreen, check out the Environmental Working Group’s recommendations. They have a great selection on Amazon!
Forego sunglasses.
Ok, this one is another controversial take, but if you truly want to live a crunchy lifestyle this summer, give up the sunglasses. Getting sunlight within the first 30 minutes of waking up is so important. It allows your body to regulate its circadian rhythm and can even begin to help regulate your hormones and ovulation! We’ve been told that we must wear sunglasses to shield our eyes from UV rays; however, by not allowing our eyes to perceive the effects of natural sunlight, we can become overly sensitive to the sun. From personal experience (not medical advice), I stopped wearing sunglasses almost a year ago. My eyes are better adjusted to natural sunlight and I rarely squint when I go outside anymore. I highly encourage you to listen to this podcast episode from Culture Apothecary about circadian rhythm. It is life-changing.
Go barefoot in your backyard.
If you don’t have a backyard, this may be a little tricky, but grounding (or earthing) is so beneficial for your body. Decades ago, we were more connected to the natural world. We spent more time outdoors naturally and terms like “grounding” and “earthing” didn’t exist. Nowadays, in our busy, high-tech, cooped up society, it’s becoming a necessity to take time to do this. Walking barefoot has proven benefits including natural detoxification, regulation of the nervous system, reduced anxiety, and improved blood flow. If you can’t regularly stick your bare feet on the ground, you have alternatives like using a grounding mat, grounding sheets, or a grounding mat for your bed.
Do some hiking.
If you are blessed enough to live in a state that isn’t completely flat, another way to live a crunchy lifestyle this summer is to get out and do some hiking. Not only are you getting into nature and breathing fresh air, you might also get a great workout. While some hikes might be short and flat, others are scorchers. Recently, my husband and I visited the tiny mountain town of Ouray, CO and did two hikes. Our second one took us up a 1,700 foot ascent to 11,300 feet elevation! Whew, was it tough, but the exercise felt great and the views were stunning. For hiking suggestions in your area, sign up for a free account with AllTrails. It’s an awesome resource.
Give the screen-free life a try.
Low-screen living is almost a default setting for crunchy people. Technology is constantly bombarding us: Smartphones, laptops, desktops, TVs, smart watches, drones, gaming consoles, digital cameras, home security cameras, smart speakers, Wi-Fi routers, smart home systems. It all seems overwhelming and daunting and nowadays, it feels like almost anything can be controlled from a touch screen device. However, not everyone wants to be bombarded by endless amounts of technology. If this is you, you’re not alone. In 2024, I wrote a post on how to reduce your tech usage and be a little more productive. Summer is great time to start this because it’s a time to get out of the house and try plenty of different activities.
Get up early and have a slow morning.
If you work away from home and have typical morning to evening hours, take inventory of your time. What does your morning look like? Are you frantically rushing around to make sure you get out the door on time? If this is the case, consider waking up earlier so you can have a slow morning. I absolutely love sitting on my porch in the morning while I read my Bible and sip a cup of coffee. Slow living is desperately needed in our fast-paced culture. Not only that, but waking up early has proven to help others be more productive with their time. If you wake up at 7 AM and aren’t ready for a 5:30 AM wakeup call, consider setting your alarm for just 10 minutes and go from there. It truly will make a difference.
Open your windows (and doors) every day.
Our final way to live a crunchy lifestyle this summer is to open your windows every day. It’s tempting to keep them closed when the AC is running all day. However, especially in the morning when it’s not ridiculously hot, opening your windows is really important. Not only are you getting fresh air, but opening your windows also allows for air to freely flow through your house. This can help keep the air clean and naturally filtered. In turn, this improves air quality and can help reduce sickness. Not to mention, fresh air is so much better than AC any day!
I don’t know about you, but I love summer. Even those stiflingly hot days give me a reason to enjoy everything about the season. Whether you are indoors or outdoors, there are a plethora of things you can do take live a crunchy lifestyle this summer. Stay crunchy, my friends.
