Send us a Message!

Welcome back to Crunchy Stewardship! We are about halfway through 2026, so we decided to hit pause on our regular deep-dives for a mid-year life update. We are pulling back the curtain to share what we are currently learning, researching, and challenging ourselves with right now. Spoiler alert: we do not have it all figured out, and the crunchy journey is always a work in progress!

In this episode, we are going down some wild rabbit holes. Katie shares her upcoming plans to time a parasite cleanse with the full moon (just as a major parasitic outbreak hits Michigan!), and how she is tackling the 1,000 Hours Outside challenge using a budget-friendly spreadsheet. Chrissy shares her intensive, neutral deep-dive into researching the childhood vaccine schedule, looking at package inserts, and asking the hard questions about chronic disease rates.

We also chat about the value of reading theology and cultural books that we completely disagree with, and how challenging our own perspectives ultimately builds a much firmer foundation for our faith!

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Random Revelation: The recent Cyclospora parasite outbreak hitting the Detroit area, and the best ways to protect your gut (hello, raw garlic and papaya seeds!).
• The 1,000 Hours Outside Challenge: How Katie is tracking her family's outdoor time and using summer camping trips to offset the freezing Michigan winters.
• Vaccine Deep-Dives: Chrissy’s approach to researching vaccines without the overwhelm, utilizing package inserts, and comparing global chronic disease rates.
• Stewarding Our Minds: Why we are intentionally reading books we disagree with, and how learning to form your own logical, biblical arguments strengthens your faith.
• Conspiracy Corner: We touch on the Federal Reserve, bioweapons, and why asking "why" is the most dangerous (and important!) question you can ask in the crunchy world.

Resources & Links Mentioned:

The Books We Are Reading (and Debating!):

• The Secrets of the Federal Reserve by Eustace Mullins: https://amzn.to/4fdIWDL
• Irresistible by Andy Stanley: https://amzn.to/44xkS8x
• Seven Days That Divide the World by John C. Lennox: https://amzn.to/4vBIoMx
• Getting Over Yourself: https://amzn.to/4wKTMaa
• How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates: https://amzn.to/4w5ALz4

Crunchy Resources:

• Earthley Wellness Parasite Cleanse: https://www.earthley.com/products/parasite-detox-bundle
• 1,000 Hours Outside Challenge: https://www.1000hoursoutside.com/
• Just the Inserts (Vaccine Label Resource): https://justtheinserts.com/
• Katie the PA (Vaccine Research on Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/katiec.pac/

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome & The Mid-Year Check-In
02:15 Random Revelation: The Michigan Parasite Outbreak
08:30 Conspiracy Corner: The Federal Reserve & The Power of "Why"
14:15 Theology Talk: Reading Books We Disagree With
27:30 Katie’s Goal: Tackling the 1,000 Hours Outside Challenge
33:10 Chrissy’s Deep-Dive: Navigating Vaccine Research & Inserts
45:00 Empowering Yourself Through Education & Wrapping Up

Remember, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Connect With Us:

Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crunchychristianmama

Follow us on Instagram @crunchystewardship

FREE How to Afford Non-Toxic Living Workbook: https://crunchystewardship.com/how-to-afford-non-toxic-living

Send us a Message!

Welcome back to Crunchy Stewardship! Following up on last week's budgeting deep-dive, we are shifting our focus from saving money to freely giving it away. Generosity isn't just a biblical mandate; it actually comes with incredible physical, mental, and emotional health benefits!

Before we get into the budget, we are spilling our "Crunchy Confessions." We talk about the natural products we completely regret buying, the deodorants that ruined our shirts, and the sticker shock of 100% organic cotton underwear. Plus, Chrissy drops a massive Random Revelation about how the FDA allows companies to hide MSG in your favorite "healthy" foods using sneaky ingredients like citric acid and natural flavors.

When it comes to our finances, God cares far more about our heart posture than our accounting technicalities. We discuss the theology of a cheerful giver, how to build a "blessing fund" into your monthly budget, and why learning contentment is the absolute best financial strategy you can implement.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Random Revelation: The FDA loopholes that allow companies to hide MSG in plain sight (watch out for carrageenan, maltodextrin, natural flavors, and citric acid derived from GMO corn!).
• Crunchy Confessions: Our honest reviews of natural products that didn't work out, including tongue scrapers, Avalon Organics conditioner, and Dr. Squatch deodorant.
• Clean Deodorant Swaps: Why we actually love Cleo & Coco and Little Seed Farms.
• The Cost of Organic Cotton: Navigating the sticker shock of Pact apparel versus the budget-friendly options at Quince and Sam's Club.
• The Theology of Giving: Looking at 1 Corinthians 9:7 and Acts 20 to understand why God loves a cheerful giver and how generosity impacts our physical health.
• The Blessing Fund: How tracking your expenses (like that $400/month coffee habit!) creates the necessary margin to bless others spontaneously.
• Contentment over Scarcity: Why praying for your "daily bread" is a prayer for contentment, and how faithful stewardship of a small budget prepares you for greater kingdom impact.

Resources mentioned:

• Clean Deodorant: Cleo & Coco | Little Seed Farms
• Organic Cotton Apparel: Pact | Quince
• Book Recommendation: Redeeming Money by Paul David Tripp
• Financial Coaching: SeedTime (Mission Driven Millionaire) https://checkout.seedtime.com/referral/rNllzz8e/hFtmrylRRW7I0zu8

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome & The Health Benefits of Generosity
02:15 Random Revelation: Hidden MSG, Citric Acid, and Natural Flavors
09:30 Navigating Food Allergies & Post-Junk Food Detox Breakfasts
13:45 Crunchy Confessions: Tongue Scrapers & Pit Stains
17:20 Clean Deodorant Swaps & The Sticker Shock of Organic Cotton
23:50 The Theology of a Cheerful Giver (1 Corinthians 9)
27:10 Chrissy’s Testimony: Blessed to Be a Blessing
31:40 Creating a "Blessing Fund" & Finding Margin in Your Budget
36:15 Tithing: Before or After Taxes? (Heart Posture vs. Accounting)
41:20 Paul Tripp, Contentment, and Praying for Daily Bread
48:00 Wrapping Up

Remember, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Connect With Us:

Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crunchychristianmama

Follow us on Instagram @crunchystewardship

FREE How to Afford Non-Toxic Living Workbook: https://crunchystewardship.com/how-to-afford-non-toxic-living

Send us a Message!

Welcome back to Crunchy Stewardship! You’ve asked, and we are finally delivering! Today, we are taking a detour from our usual health topics to talk about a different kind of wellness: financial health. Since both of us are certified Christian money coaches, we decided to dedicate an entire episode to answering one of the most frequently asked questions in our Facebook group: How do you actually afford to live a crunchy lifestyle?

Let's be honest—buying organic food, sourcing fresh-milled flour, and swapping out conventional medicine for holistic remedies can feel completely out of reach when you are on a tight budget. We are sharing our personal financial journeys, from paying off debt by making homemade laundry detergent to viewing preventative health as the ultimate long-term financial strategy.

We break down how to track your spending, set up high-yield savings accounts, and create a "medical sinking fund" so you are fully prepared for those out-of-pocket holistic care expenses. Budgeting isn't about restriction; it is about faithfully stewarding the resources God has given you so you can live optimally for His kingdom!

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Random Revelation: Katie shares a tool to look up your county's exact agricultural glyphosate exposure (and the results for some areas are shocking!).
• Our Financial Journeys: How Chrissy used homemade bread and $5 DIY laundry detergent to help pay off debt, and how Katie’s background in real estate and budgeting led to a passion for medical cost-sharing.
• The Preventative Mindset: Why investing in organic foods and holistic health upfront actually saves you thousands in future medical bills and pharmaceutical costs.
• Free & Cheap Health Hacks: From grounding outside to mouth taping to prevent cavities (yes, it really works!), how to maximize your wellness without spending a dime.
• Medical Sinking Funds: What they are, why you need one, and how to use high-yield savings accounts (like Ally and Capital One) to let your money work for you.
• Budgeting Tools: Our favorite apps (like Monarch) to track your spending and how to give generously as a reflection of the Gospel.

Resources mentioned:

• Check your local pesticide exposure: Glyphosate LookUp
• Katie's Financial Coaching: SeedTime Money Coaching
• Our Favorite Budgeting App: Monarch Money
• High-Yield Savings Accounts (for your sinking funds!): Ally Bank

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome & Why We Are Talking About Money
02:15 Random Revelation: The Glyphosate Exposure Map
09:10 Our Personal Journeys: Paying Off Debt & Going Crunchy
14:30 The Preventative Mindset: Health as a Financial Investment
18:45 Upgrading the Medicine Cabinet & Ditching Pharmaceuticals
24:20 Free Health Hacks: Nose Breathing & Mouth Taping
28:30 Budgeting 101: Tracking Spending & Monarch Money
32:45 Creating a Medical Sinking Fund & Using High-Yield Savings Accounts
38:10 Biblical Stewardship: The Parable of the Talents & Generous Giving
44:00 Wrapping Up & How to Work With Us

Remember, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Connect With Us:

Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crunchychristianmama

Follow us on Instagram @crunchystewardship

FREE How to Afford Non-Toxic Living Workbook: https://crunchystewardship.com/how-to-afford-non-toxic-living