Sustainable & Creative Living
Christmas is just around the corner! Yay!! I just started my shopping the other day at T.J. Maxx and as I bent over the jewelry counter to look at some earrings, I said to myself, “ NOOOO…do not buy any of the girls another pair of earrings! They don’t need them!!” (Of course, I considered getting them for myself, but that’s another subject). I got to thinking about what gifts I could get the special people in my life in the way of experiences instead of [Read more…]
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…]
Every year I try to incorporate as many eco-friendly practices as I can into my gift wrapping routine. This time of year is already a stressful time but that doesn’t mean we put our eco-friendly practices on hold. It just means that we get a little more creative with our holiday wrapping.
Around my house, there’s one thing that’s synonymous with the holidays and that’s my Grandma’s Apple Sheet Pie. For the past 15 years, I’ve been making my Grandma’s apple pie recipe exactly the way she taught me so many years ago. Up until now I never dreamed of changing it, not even a smidge! While I still didn’t change the ingredients, I did mix it up a little with these [Read more…]
Crafting is one of the most enjoyable Christmastime activities there is. Eating yummy treats is about a close second. Making these Christmas Lollipop Candies combines both of these holiday pleasures. They only need 6 ingredients so they’re super simple to make and they taste delicious. These ones are peppermint flavored but other extracts could be used to create different tastes. These Christmas Lollipop Candies can also double as DIY holiday decorations.
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.
It’s unusually cold today in Florida which has got me thinking about the holidays. As if I wasn’t already right?! Christmas is 2 weeks away and I must admit I’m a little behind on my shopping. If you guys are anything like me, you’re still hunting for last-minute stockings stuffers for your children, friends, and family.
As a self-proclaimed shopaholic, Christmas is, of course, one of my favorite shopping holidays. There’s nothing like [Read more…]
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…]
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.
People often give and receive plants as holiday or hostess gifts this time of year. One of the most popular is the Christmas cactus. Normally at holiday time they are healthy and in full and beautiful bloom. This plant can live many years and bloom again seasonally with the right care.
It’s that time of year again when we’re all shopping for that perfect last minute gift. It’s hard these days when shopping is as easy as the 1-Click option on Amazon. You can even order groceries online and have them delivered!
With the world turning digital, gifts are turning digital too! It’s easy to go [Read more…]
A couple of weeks ago, I was standing in line at Publix chatting with the young cashier and bagger as they rang up my groceries. I made a comment about needing to hurry up and put up my Christmas decorations. The cashier told us that her family decorated the tree on Christmas Eve. “Decorating the tree on Christmas Eve was more traditional when I was little,” I told her.
I’d like to say that I decided right then that I would slow down the decorating process and focus on really enjoying it, not just crossing it off the list–but that’s not what happened. The truth is that I just wasn’t in the mood for rushing and stressing, so I gradually decided that I wouldn’t. As I gave up worrying about when and how fast all the Christmas preparations got done, it was easier to enjoy what I was doing and become more mindful in the process. If there’s ever a time to practice mindfulness, it’s definitely at Christmastime!
Finding ornaments and decorating my Christmas tree is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. It’s something most people who celebrate Christmas have in common. It can be a special and different experience for everyone. Some people have themes, some have multiple trees, and some have a design that never falters. In my household, we have one small tree that has no theme, but I like to think it tells a little story of our lives.
A long-standing tradition in my family has been [Read more…]
