Sustainable & Creative Living
I know the first day of Fall isn’t until September 22nd, but by Starbucks’ calendar, it’s officially pumpkin spice season so I’m in full swing. While everyone in Florida courageously awaited the arrival of Hurricane Irma this first weekend in September, my son and I walked the bare isles of Target trying to keep our minds off what was coming. When we came upon the dollar spot (a.k.a. Bullseye’s Playground), one of our favorite sections to browse, I immediately took notice of [Read more…]
When times get stressful sometimes all you want to do is escape the daily grind. One of my favorite ways to do that is by indulging in the supernatural/fantasy genre. What better way to get out of your head then to be in a world so unlike your own? Especially right now at the peak of hurricane season in Florida, we’re all still reeling from Hurricane Irma and all I want to do is think about something else.
I’ve always loved fantastical stories. From a young age I was all about Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings; as I’ve gotten older I’m realizing how much I truly love supernatural and fantasy storytelling. Books and TV shows really capture my attention because there is so much content to be consumed and the worlds really open up with long-form entertainment. So I have compiled a list of a few of my favorites, I mean obsession-worthy, supernatural/fantasy TV shows you need to be binge-watching!
With hurricane season at its peak right now in Florida, it’s time to make sure we’re all prepared for natural disasters and emergencies. As we’re getting our families ready for evacuations, it’s important to remember our furry friends. It breaks my heart to read stories of pets left behind in a storm but if you don’t have a plan in place I can see why it happens. [Read more…]
I am constantly listening to music – but more than simply listening – I am waiting. I’m waiting for the next great song to add to my playlist. I am obsessed with finding new music to listen to.
Whether it comes from a movie, a TV show, Spotify alerts, or even commercials (you know I’ve Shazam-ed commercials), I’m always secretly listening to what’s playing in the background everywhere I go.
This is something that has been on my mind for the past few months. It’s a pretty well known and common tradition that when a couple gets married, the bride takes the husband’s last name.
I can honestly tell you that the idea of doing this, throughout my 7-year relationship, crossed my mind maybe less five times. Truly, I rarely thought about it, except for the passing Pinterest browsing. It’s never been something super important to me.
When we got engaged, I still didn’t think about it for the first few months. Then it started popping up in my wedding planning. At first, I thought, no big deal, just some paperwork. Then I started really thinking about it. Throughout this entire wedding process, I have grappled with which wedding traditions to hold onto and which one to leave behind.
One of the issues I struggle with most in my life is a balance. I often say I want more of it, and yet I often take on more projects and new responsibilities. I know that I really don’t want to do less—I want more time to do more things. Obviously, since I will never have more than 24 hours in a day, I try to be more efficient.
Summer is coming to close and school is back in session (at least here in Florida) and we’re all excited about it.
While I haven’t been in school for years, “school” supplies are still my favorite thing ever. I guess you could also call it stationary and office supplies. At my corporate finance job, we were obsessed with office supplies. We were always buying new sticky notes, notebooks, pens, and anything else we could find for each other. This year I had at least 3 new planners.
I think anyone who shares the obsession understands why back to school is fun for everyone, not just students.
Road trips are tough on everyone. Especially little kids. Wait, no they’re tougher on the parents. When my little J was an infant, he hated his car seat so car rides were very stressful for Mommy. Even a 2-mile ride to the grocery store felt like a 20-mile ride. I tried everything that I could think of to soothe his cries and keep him entertained. Mirrors, squeaky toys, rattles, teething toys. Nothing worked.
I even took one blogger’s advice and made a [Read more…]
Bird watching has never been an intentional hobby I took on but it became an especially enjoyable and interesting hobby when I moved to my home on The Gulf of Mexico. I’ve just always been fascinated by seeing these creatures and all their different shapes and colors. And so many find their way to my backyard; like Great Blue Heron, Egret, Roseate spoonbill, Osprey, and even Eagles; Hummingbirds capture my attention more than any other bird.
While these tiny birds appear fragile and delicate, they are actually quite resilient—migrating thousands of miles every year. Hummingbirds can fly forwards, backward, sideways, and even hover midair. Their wings beat 70 times per second and three times that rate when they are diving. No wonder they’re so eye-catching!
Although the area I live in is naturally an attractive location for wildlife, I do a few simple, but key things to make sure I attract hummingbirds:
Thrifting is one of my all time favorite pastimes. I love shopping – probably more than most people. Even if I’m just looking around, I’m enjoying myself. But thrift shopping takes that enjoyment to a whole other level.
I love when I can go to a thrift store and just see what different or interesting pieces I can pick up. Whether it’s a cool vintage item or something that can be repurposed, I love it.
Buying anything used and reusing it is also another way to keep from contributing to more waste in the world. When you reuse something it’s one less thing in a land fill. It doesn’t seem like much but it adds up.
I may have mentioned it once or twice that I’m getting married soon but I want to take you back to the beginning – to engagement rings!
I’ve always felt like the idea of spending an exorbitant amount of money on an engagement ring was kind of silly. I knew I didn’t want something that cost more than my rent on my finger – nor do I need that. You should do what’s financially comfortable for you and your significant other, as well as what fits your personal style. Just because you’re getting married doesn’t mean you have to fit any certain mold.
Plastic-free July is coming to an end, and I’m happy to report that I did pretty well at eliminating single-use plastic products from my life. I slipped a few times by using plastic shopping bags, and a couple of times I didn’t use my reusable cup when I went for coffee.
In just a few short months I am getting married! I have been working on all kinds of DIY projects for the big event. Since it’s a barn wedding, we’re going for the rustic feel with touches of our love for all of things nerdy. [Read more…]
