Lately, I’ve been thinking about something that seems pretty simple, but the more I think about it, the more questions I have.

What are we bringing into our homes?

Not just the furniture, the decorations, or the things we buy because we need them. I mean the things we eat, cook with, clean with, wash our clothes with, put on our skin, and use around the people and animals we love.

I don’t remember thinking about any of this when I was younger. Maybe it’s because we simply didn’t know as much. Or maybe life was just different. We bought the soap on the shelf, cooked with whatever pans we had, stored leftovers in plastic containers, and never really stopped to wonder what was in all of it.

But the more I learn, the more questions I seem to have. And I don’t say that because I’ve suddenly figured everything out. Quite the opposite. I’m still learning.

As much as I would love to turn our home into some perfectly “clean” or toxin-free house, honestly, I don’t think that’s even realistic. And I certainly don’t want to spend my days worrying about every single thing that comes through our front door. What I do want is to become more intentional. Maybe that sounds small. I actually think small is a pretty good place to start.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve started making little changes here and there. Some were things I researched myself. Some came from people I follow online. And some were simply products I happened to stumble across and thought, Why not give that a try? And when I look around our home, I realize some of the changes have actually been happening for quite a while.

Our garden is a good example.

There’s something different about walking outside and picking a tomato, pepper, bean, or handful of greens that you grew yourself. I know what went into growing it because I was there. That doesn’t mean everything that comes from my garden is perfect. Believe me, there are plenty of gardening fails around here. But growing even some of our own food has made me think differently about what we eat and where it comes from.

And then there are the chickens.

Our girls have become part of the rhythm of our home. We feed them, care for them, clean their coop, collect their eggs—and then those eggs make their way into our kitchen for my family and our dogs. There’s something pretty special about that. It’s a small connection to our food that I didn’t have before.

Maybe that’s part of what I’m really after. Not perfection. Connection.

Knowing a little more about what we’re bringing into our home and where some of it comes from. One of my most recent little changes came from our trip to the Prairie Peddler Festival. I came home with a bar of dish soap from Wander Lather Soap Company. It might not seem like a big deal. It’s just dish soap. But that’s exactly what I mean. These are the kinds of little things I’m starting to pay attention to.

I’ve also started making my own laundry soap after finding a recipe from an Instagram account I follow. I have to admit, there’s something pretty satisfying about making something we use all the time instead of automatically reaching for the bottle at the store.

I’ve made changes in the kitchen, too.

My stainless steel percolator is one of those things I love—not only because it makes a great cup of coffee, but because it feels like a small step away from some of the things I’ve become more conscious of.

I’ve started replacing some of our plastic storage containers with glass.

And then there’s the bread.

If you’ve been around Rooted in This Chapter for a while, you already know about my gluten-free sourdough adventure. I started making my own bread because finding a gluten-free loaf I actually enjoyed was difficult, but somewhere along the way it became about more than just having good bread. There’s something comforting about knowing what went into the loaf sitting on our counter. There have been some pretty dense loaves along the way, too.

Not every experiment has been a success, and I’m okay with that. I’m learning.

Even the pets have gotten in on this journey. I’ve been looking for less-toxic options for flea and pest control rather than automatically using whatever conventional product happens to be sitting on the shelf.

Again, one little change.

Then another.

And another.

None of these things are going to transform our lives overnight. I know that. But I’ve started thinking about how many little things we use every single day.

The soap we wash our dishes with.

The products we use to wash our clothes.

The containers we put our food in.

The cookware we use.

The food we make.

The things we use on our pets.

The things we grow.

The eggs we collect.

The products we bring into our homes without ever really thinking twice about them. And I think that’s where this whole thing started for me. Not fear. Not trying to eliminate everything. Just paying attention.

I’ve learned enough to know that there are things I would rather avoid when I have an easy alternative. And when I find a simple swap that works for us, I can make the change without turning it into an enormous project. That feels much more manageable to me.

Because I’m already learning that this chapter of life isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about doing things a little differently when we know better. And maybe that applies to more than just what we bring into our homes.

We’ve been making other changes in our lives because we want to be around for a long time. We want more years to make memories with our friends and our children—and hopefully, someday, grandchildren. That makes these little changes feel a little more meaningful. I don’t know if every swap I make will make a noticeable difference. I don’t know if I’ll stick with every homemade recipe or love every product I try. And I definitely don’t have all the answers.

But I’m curious.

I’m paying attention.

And I’m making changes where they make sense for our family.Maybe that’s enough for now. Because sometimes making a healthier, simpler life doesn’t happen through one huge decision. Maybe it happens in the little moments. One small choice at a time. That’s what I’m trying to do in this chapter. And honestly, I’d love to know what you’re doing, too.

What little changes have you made in your home or your everyday life that you feel good about? I’m always looking for ideas, so tell me what you’ve tried—and what you’ve loved. We’re all just figuring this out as we go.

Thanks for being here. I’m glad you stopped by!

Kristen

Rooted in This Chapter