From homemade lotion to composting scraps, my family didn’t sign up for this… And here we are!
Let’s be honest: deciding to live “naturally” sounds simple and wholesome in theory. You envision a peaceful, garden-rich lifestyle filled with herbal tea, birdsong, and handmade everything. Let me just tell you, when you’re knee-deep in macadamia nut oil, explaining to your teenager why store-bought deodorant is banned in your house, things get… complicated.
Here’s how the journey played out in our house, according to the people I lovingly dragged along with me. 🥰
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Stage 1: Denial
“You’re not seriously putting that on your face… are you?”
This was the era of confusion and mystical dreams. I’d be in the kitchen whipping up lotion, listening to Viking chants, and my family would wander in looking concerned. They didn’t believe I was replacing our household staples with things I grew in the yard or fermented on the counter. They thought it was a phase…
Oh, sweet summer children.
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Stage 2: Mockery
Cue the nicknames: “Witch,” “Hippie Queen,” “Dr. Bronner’s Long-Lost Niece.”
Every new recipe I made got a full roast session. “So this lotion smells like old tea and regret?”
Correct. Also… it works.
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Stage 3: Resistance
They drew the line at shampoo. My DIY apple cider vinegar/ fenugreek rinse caused a minor family mutiny.
Eva whispered, “I think it’s trying to kill us.”
Taylor stared down at the bottle like it owed him money.
Kodah ran every time I opened my essential oil box (he was also not safe during this time.)
And I held firm anyway.
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Stage 4: Accidental Buy-In
One day I caught Eva using the lotion. “It’s just for my face real quick,” she said.
Next thing I knew, it was in her car, her vanity, her backpack.
Interesting… 🤔
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Stage 5: The Betrayal
I found a bottle of big-brand lotion in the bathroom.
Gasp! 😮💨
“IT WAS ON SALE!” they shouted, as if that made the betrayal less personal.
They’ve since repented (it’s probably because I’m also guilty of this one…)
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Stage 6: Tolerance
They no longer flinch when I say things like “infused with calendula” or “crafted under the waxing moon.”
They now call my potions “magic,” and they no longer hide it under the sink!
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Stage 7: Curiosity
“So what exactly does comfrey do again?”
Ahhh. Music to my ears.
Now they ask real questions. They even listen!
Sometimes they brag about how I “know all this herbal stuff.” 😏
Growth.
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Stage 8: Pride (private and public)
They’re handing out my lotions to coworkers and friends like I run an underground apothecary!
“Yeah, my mom made that. All-natural. Works better than the store stuff.”
Oh NOW it’s cool.
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Stage 9: Overconfidence
They start giving my remedies to other people.
“She has a tincture for that. I’ll get you some.”
Excuse me, did you just promise my tincture cabinet? Do you even know which one’s for allergies and which one’s for dysentery? If we were on the Oregon Trail, you’d be dead…
Didn’t think so.
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Stage 10: The Takeover
Suddenly, they’re asking if we can make a “summer collection” for Pampered Potions.
Requesting customized lotions like I’m a personal potion stylist. (Which I love, by the way 😉)
Who even are these people?
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The Grand Reveal:
This whole thing, the herbs, the lotions, the soil under the fingernails and the homemade ranch dressing in the fridge, wasn’t just about living naturally. It was about reclaiming our health, our connection to the land, and our ability to choose what goes into and onto our bodies.
And maybe, just maybe, it was about leading my family, kicking and screaming (mind you, I’ve put them through veganism before) back to something real.
Now, they might still joke. They might still sneak in a bottle of something mass-produced now and then.
They’ve also become my biggest testers, tasters, and truth-tellers.
(And yes, I am making a summer lotion collection. Because they asked so nicely! 💗)
Yard 2 Yield! 