Sustainable & Creative Living
I’m back at it again with hand and footprint cards this Mother’s Day. The last few cards I’ve made were with J’s footprint because I couldn’t quite get him to be still enough to use his handprint. He was always squirming around or fighting to get out of my arms and play with the paint. Somehow the feet were just quicker and easier to capture. [Read more…]
If you only have the time or desire to try 1 DIY project right now, be sure to try these Quick and Easy DIY Laundry Pods. Not only are these laundry pods super simple, they’re also inexpensive to make and they save so much money on laundry costs.
Another big benefit to these Quick and Easy DIY Laundry Pods is that their ingredients are much safer for your family and the environment than the standard laundry detergents we’re all so used to using. With so many perks to these DIY laundry pods, why not give them a try. I know I love them so much, I can’t imagine ever going back to using regular detergent.
Using too many paper towels around the house is my biggest vice when it comes to lowering my carbon footprint. Every time I swear I’m going to do better, I end up slipping back into my old bad habit. Then I give up for a while and concentrate on other eco-friendly practices that, for me, seem easier to adopt.
I don’t really know why the paper towel habit has been so hard to kick. Years ago I practiced eco-friendly habits like using cloth napkins and canvas grocery bags before it became popular. Then owning and running a business along with raising three kids consumed all my physical and mental energy and those practices got put aside. While I’ve gotten back to my old eco-friendly practices, this paper towel thing has been, I like said, a hard habit to break.
I’m always looking for ways to soften and soothe my tired feet. Still, I often have a hard time sitting still to let my feet soak—even if I happen to be watching T.V. I want to be able to jump up at any time and run and get a drink or find my phone—or whatever. So, if I’m going to confine myself to one spot for 30 minutes, there has to be a worthwhile payoff. This Lavender Peppermint Foot Soak is an excellent way to take care of my feet and relax at the same time.
I’m always trying to come up with fun activities for my 2-year son to do while I’m at work. This Mini Construction Site Sandbox is a perfect tabletop activity that can help develop his sensory and motor skills.
If you’ve read some of my other posts, you know that I bring little J to work with me every day. He’s been coming with me since he was 6 weeks old! As he’s gotten older, I’ve had to come up with new and exciting things to stimulate his little mind. Right now he’s into PlayDoh, coloring, painting, cars, and soccer. [Read more…]
Recently, after making some face mists, I learned how versatile and beneficial rose water can be. Rose water is a super simple DIY beauty tonic that anyone can make in a hurry. In less than an hour, you can have a multipurpose beauty potion that is both functional and fun.
Face mists are a great way to hydrate your skin all year but are especially refreshing during dry weather season. Not only do they soothe and calm irritated skin, but with their pleasant scents, they’re also a great mood and spirit booster. I love the way mists relieve my dry skin and make me feel refreshed. After inadvertently spending $17 on a face mist for oily skin, I decided to start making my own mists. I’m so glad I did – they’re more cost effective and I can tailor them to my own skin and the scents I love.
I tend to save scraps and odd pieces that are supposed to be discarded. I always think, “Hmmm…could I make something out of this?” That’s how I came up with these Snowman Ornaments. They are made from Ashland candle jar lids from Michaels (but you can use anything circular).
Every time I get a candle with a lid I [Read more…]
This year Christmas kind of snuck up on me. If you haven’t been following our social media, you may have missed that I just got married. For the past year, wedding planning has just consumed my life. Now I’m finally ready to get into the Christmas spirit, and I wanted to do something a little different this year.
Instead of buying more (expensive) wrapping paper from all over, I wanted to make my own. And what better way than to use some materials I already have at home. First of all, a roll of kraft paper from the Dollar Tree or Walmart is perfect and will go a long way! It’s so much cheaper than a roll of traditional wrapping paper that won’t last the season. Secondly, it’s just a little more heartfelt to make your own paper. You can do all kinds of variations of this design but I thought Christmas trees were a good place to start.
This Christmas I decided to make my own Sock Garland Advent Calendar for my two-year old son. He may not totally understand the concept of the Advent Calendar but I can tell he loves the mystery that surrounds getting to find out what kind of surprise is in each sock. We check it every evening after dinner; it’s quite an [Read more…]
If you’ve checked out any of my other posts you know I have a toddler that I love doing crafts with. Okay well maybe I’m doing the crafts and he’s chillin on the couch with his cars while I paint, glue, and glitter everything in my house. I’m hoping as he gets a little older he’ll enjoy making things with his momma a bit more. Right now, I’m working on a creative art space for my little man so check back soon for a blog post about that!
One of my favorite crafts to do with J around the holidays are hand and footprint cards for dad, grandparents, and other family members. I always try to give each card a cute holiday spin that will [Read more…]
One of my favorite things about the holidays are the smells! I love everything from the cinnamon scented pinecones to the all the smells of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.
So this year I wanted to make something that encompasses some of my favorite smells of the holidays as well as a nice hostess gift for one of the many holiday parties this season.
The fall season kind of snuck up on me this year. Trying to plan a wedding in the middle of the holiday season has not left much room for actual holiday planning. But I’ve been seriously missing that holiday feeling this year so I wanted to come up with an easy craft that could take my mind off wedding stuff and decorate for fall.
I’m sure if you’re inept at crafting you’ve seen the yarn pompom craze that’s been sweeping the internet. But my favorites, are the yarn balls before they become the pompom poof.
First, I made garland inspired by this post, just something simple and cute for me.
