“We don’t need a handful of people doing sustainability perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”

— Anne Marie Bonneau

Many people think that “going crunchy” requires a complete lifestyle overhaul—one involving homemade from scratch foods, expensive organic hauls, and hours spent DIYing all your own…well, everything.

In reality, it is more like Anne Marie Bonneau said; the most impactful changes aren’t from people being perfect. It is imperfect people just like you and me, choosing better materials here, opting for fewer chemicals there, and just making better choices where we can without making ourselves crazy.

Here are the simplest swaps I’ve made to help me create an imperfectly scrunchy life that is more Simple. Natural. And Sustainable.

DIY Swaps

You do NOT have to DIY everything (or anything!) to move into a more natural and sustainable lifestyle. However, I find some DIY swaps are really simple and easy to fit into my life and some are actually enjoyable. For example, making my own essential oil products such as the recipes I shared in my post DIY Essential Oils: Craft Your Own Natural Product Line!.

I also make my own soaps as I shared in my Fresh Milk to Silky Suds: Everything You Need To Know To Get Started Making Goat’s Milk Soap post. This one is a bit more involved and requires more time and dedication but it is one of those swaps that I enjoy.

I make a few food items from scratch as well so I know what’s in them. Sourdough is the main thing that I was intimidated about but there is no reason to let the notion that sourdough is complicated stop you. It may not be for everyone but it can fit in anyone’s life if you want it to. I go into depth on this in my Dough It Yourself: Make Homemade Sourdough Work For You post. I also make my own chocolate which is ridiculously easy. Find recipes for sourdough, chocolate and more on my Recipes page.

Not into DIY? That is OK! You can purchase the above things from people who are! Here are my other swaps that are not DIY!

Other Swaps

Could I DIY these things? Yes. Do I want to? Nope. So here are some of my swaps that I purchase rather than making them myself.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. I will never recommend something unless I have first hand knowledge of it and genuinely believe it to be valuable.

Wool Dryer Balls

One of my first swaps was getting rid of dryer sheets and buying some natural wool dryer balls. Swapping dryer sheets for wool dryer balls is the ultimate scrunchy swap: it saves money, reduces drying time, and keeps your air and laundry clean. The balls physically bounce between clothes to naturally soften them and reduce drying time by up to 25%. If you miss the scent, you just add 2–3 drops of an essential oil or blend (my current favorite laundry blend is lavender and lemongrass) directly to the wool balls.

You can find a wool sheep farmer and buy homemade wool dryer balls or you can purchase these 100% New Zealand Wool Dryer Balls which is what I use. If you are going to make one swap, start here!

Detergent Sheets

My next swap is also in the laundry room – I swapped out liquid detergent for detergent sheets! The Clean People Detergent Sheets is what I use now. It works for our dirtiest, stinkiest laundry and it has simple, effective ingredients and no harsh chemicals. Compatible with all washing machines (top loaders, front loaders, and HE), and septic tanks as well.

Personal Hygiene

I could (and have in the past) make my own shampoo/conditioner and deodorants. I just don’t want to. So my choices for these products are as follows: Alpine Provisions Natural & Organic Shampoo, Alpine Provisions Natural & Organic Conditioner, and Each & Every All Natural Deodorant. I recently started my kids and myself on Boka Nano Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste which is made to be safe and gentle while helping to clean and re-mineralize teeth.

Health

I stopped taking a multi-vitamin and swapped to using Proper’s plant-based health supplements. They are water soluble powders with great flavors and better ingredients. I started with just one of their formulas and have slowly added more until now I have four of them that I drink daily. The four I drink every day are The Yellows Metabolism and Energy Boost (this was my coffee swap and gives me energy throughout the day without a crash and has even helped me shed a few pounds), The Oranges Immune Support (this has all the goodies such as Elderberry, Vitamin C, Zinc, and Echinacea), The Greens Veggie Superfood Powder (think Wheatgrass, Spirulina, Chlorella, Probiotics, Etc), and The Pinks Digestion and Bloat Relief (this has helped tremendously with my reintroduction of foods after the strict diet during my treatment for AGS, MCAS, and HI).

Once I have gotten my superfoods in, I switch to Ultima Replenisher Electrolytes for the rest of the day. The only way I stay properly hydrated!

Illness

I use some of the DIY essential oil options in my DIY Essential Oils: Craft Your Own Natural Product Line! post when illness comes for my family but Plant Therapy sells quality ready-to-use products if you prefer that. Plant Therapy has many options available and specifically kid-safe product lines. My favorites are Germ Destroyer and Quiet Cough

When my kids are under the weather, we all love Zarbee’s Children’s Honey Cough Syrup + Mucus and Zarbee’s Children’s Honey Cough Syrup + Immune. There are daytime and nighttime formulas for both with wonderful, natural ingredients that help them feel better – and it tastes great too! We keep all four of those on hand all the time and start the immune formula as soon as an inkling of a sickness rears its head and switch to the mucus formula if a runny/congested nose shows up. My kids ask to take their medicine – no fighting to get something in them and I know what I am giving them is only helping and not harming!

Outside the Home

I do composting – with chicken poop, kitchen scraps, wood chips, etc – which makes a great general fertilizer but for a few of my fruit trees, I like to be more specific to their needs without making it a full time job. For this, I have loved the results I get from Down To Earth All Natural Organic Fertilizer – Citrus Mix and Down To Earth All Natural Organic Fertlizer – Fruit Tree Mix. These mixes have all the natural ingredients you would want in a fertilizer you made yourself if you wanted to take on the job. My trees absolutely thrive when I use these fertilizers and I don’t have to worry about what chemicals are being put into our food source!

Transitioning to a more natural lifestyle doesn’t happen overnight, and it certainly doesn’t require perfection. It’s about the small, intentional choices we make every day—like ditching the dryer sheets or swapping to a more natural medicine for cold and flu season. Being scrunchy means finding the balance that works for your life, your budget, and your sanity.

I’m curious to know where you are on your journey! Are you a total beginner looking for your first swap, or a seasoned pro with a great swap that I haven’t tried yet?

Drop a comment below and tell me: What was the very first ‘crunchy-ish’ swap you ever made? Or, if you’re just starting, which one are you trying first?