I have a little secret to share—one that any suburban stay-at-home mom in 2015 might hesitate to admit. Here it goes: I don’t shop at Whole Foods. (Gasp!) Honestly, my excuse isn’t that convincing. The nearest one is a good 15 minutes farther than my go-to grocery store, and laziness is a powerful motivator in my life.
But let’s be real; even if I did muster the energy to haul my three cranky kids on that extra trek to this organic paradise, I’m convinced they’d turn me away at the door. Our family seems to exist in this weird limbo between striving for excellence and just barely scraping by. Here’s how:
- We drink organic milk, but it’s cow’s milk. I know, right? The horror of consuming milk from another animal! What are we thinking?
- I whip up homemade mac and cheese, but I rely on pre-packaged shredded cheese. Is it any healthier than the powdered stuff that could probably kill a small army? Who knows!
- We don’t indulge in fast food more than a couple of times a year, but we do let the kids munch on those cheap no-name freezer pops and Star Wars fruit snacks.
- I only buy organic fruits and veggies when they’re on sale, but I make sure we eat some every day. (And yes, wine counts as a fruit—don’t judge me!)
- We don’t drink soda, but we can demolish a family-sized bag of Cheetos quicker than you can say “yellow dye #6.”
- I don’t own those trendy reusable canvas grocery bags. My groceries go into old-school plastic bags, which I recycle (take that, planet!) for wrapping up toddler man-poops. Honestly, I’m pretty sure my kid’s rank diapers contribute more to air pollution than anything else. (I know, San Francisco, I get it. I wouldn’t be welcome there either.)
- I’ve never used cloth diapers, not even for baby messes. My washing machine and I have a loving relationship, and I wouldn’t want to ruin it!
- I use baby wipes and paper towels like there’s no tomorrow, but I’m also a recycling champ. Every beer and wine bottle gets tossed into the ever-crowded glass recycling bin. We’re trying to do our part for Mother Earth—at least most of the time.
- I don’t buy juice boxes, but three times a year, I’ll grab a massive jug of 100% apple juice if the kids are under the weather (and yes, it’s store-brand because I’m also a bit of a penny pincher, even when my kid’s got a fever).
I know I can do better. If I want to unlock the doors to that chemical-free wonderland just 15 minutes away, I really need to step it up! But let’s be honest, keeping up with the latest trends is exhausting. Remember when butter was deemed bad, then good again? And soy milk was the hero before being dethroned by almond milk, which is now being overshadowed by coconut milk? Give us a break!
I’m doing my best (sort of), and hey, at least my kids aren’t growing up in a cloud of tobacco smoke like I did. That has to count for something, right? (Sure it does, I tell myself as I pour my daily dose of “fruit.”)
To read more on topics like this, check out our post on home insemination kits—it’s a great resource if you’re on a similar journey. For more expert advice, you can visit Make a Mom for your fertility needs, and don’t forget to explore Science Daily for the latest in pregnancy and fertility research.
In summary, while I may not fit the Whole Foods mold, I’m doing my best to navigate this chaotic parenting journey with a few compromises along the way.