The other day, a friend and I chatted about some of the quirky things we do that go against the norm. I’ve been doing some of these things for so long that I sometimes forget they’re considered unusual. So, I thought it’d be fun to make a list—a sort of “How Weird Are You?” quiz. Not everything here is necessarily weird, but they’re not the statistical norm, so I included them. Do you do any of these things? What would be on your list that I might have missed?
Here’s what’s on my list:
– I’ve given birth without any pain medication, more than once. But I was also grateful for modern medicine when it saved my life due to placenta previa.
– I’ve had a home birth, even with breech and VBAC.
– Consumed my own placenta, though it was in capsule form.
– Currently have a placenta stored in my freezer. Once, I accidentally left one in a hospital’s guest fridge—sorry to the cleaning crew!
– We use cloth diapers. It’s easier than you might think.
– We chose not to circumcise, which is more common now but still controversial.
– I make homemade natural baby products instead of buying them.
– Co-sleep with babies until they’re between six months and three years old.
– I carry my baby in a sling all the time.
– For minor illnesses or teething, my kids skip meds but get warm baths, chamomile, soup, care, and close monitoring.
– I encourage my kids to play barefoot in the sun because it’s good for them.
– We homeschool our children.
– I’m actually hoping for my kids to get chickenpox but no one gets it anymore.
– For sickness or infections, I use breast milk or coconut oil.
– My kids don’t recognize characters like Big Bird or Dora but know Tom Sawyer, Moses, and Aslan.
– I make homemade vitamins, gummy vitamins, and even marshmallows.
– I’ve sucked out my baby’s congested nose—with a little help from a tool.
– I let things like Kombucha and fermented veggies purposely rot on the counter.
– Allow milk to sour intentionally and drink raw milk.
– We don’t have a microwave.
– I add a lot of saturated fat to my coffee; it’s delicious.
– We skip grains, beans, processed sugar, food dye, and soy.
– Consume organ meats and fermented fish livers daily.
– Always have a big pot of bones simmering on the stove.
– We eat and use backyard “weeds” like dandelion and plantain for food and medicine.
– Use a water filter.
– Drink and use jello in various ways.
– I own enough mason jars to stock a factory and use them for all sorts of purposes.
– Clean my face with oil instead of soap.
– Prefer squatting to use the bathroom.
– Keep animals that can provide food, but not pets like cats and dogs.
– Skip wearing sunscreen and instead opt to eat foods beneficial for skin.
– Swish oil in my mouth for about twenty minutes intentionally.
– Use reusable menstrual products.
– Sleep on a grounded mat.
– Often go barefoot or wear minimalist footwear.
– Use a standing desk for better health.
– Make homemade laundry soap, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, bug spray, lotion, lotion bars, magnesium oil, magnesium body butter, and even make-up.
– Replaced our coffee table with a trampoline for exercise and rebounding.
– Brush teeth with charcoal.
– Avoid using artificial hormones for family planning.
– Enjoy mud baths.
So, what did I miss? How many of these do you do? Are you as “weird” as I am? Feel free to share!