Sustainable & Creative Living
Valentine’s is just around the corner which means I’ve got another scavenger hunt for ya’ll. You can grab this Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt in our Etsy printables shop. Don’t forget to laminate it so you can use it over and over.
Whether you go all out for Valentine’s Day or just buy a few goodies for your kids, this Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt is the perfect addition to your sweet day.
If you’ve ever had yummy Greek treats like spinach pie or baklava then you know that infamous tissue-thin, light as a feather, melt in your mouth crunchy goodness is phyllo dough! The layered crunch comes from being brushed with oil or butter and then baked into light, flaky pastries. Growing up, I remember my mom using phyllo dough to make huge cheese and spinach pies that were never fully eaten and then later stored in the freezer for months. Over the years I’ve learned to incorporate my own twist on a nice family tradition but also scale it down a bit. These tiny Feta Stuffed Phyllo Bites are the perfect finger food for [Read more…]
I’m the first to admit that my feet aren’t my best feature. They’re always dry and cracked, not to mention achy. I’m always either looking for new products or concocting my own DIY recipes to make my feet look and feel better. This easy Banana Yogurt Foot Mask is [Read more…]
This Chocolate Molten Mug Cake is one of my new favorite desserts! Its warm, chocolatey goodness is so yummy and fulfilling, and because it’s so simple to make—I want to [Read more…]
I am always surprised by how many of my friends and family don’t really know anything about shapewear. I’ve been wearing it for years, specifically thigh shapers and I can’t imagine not wearing them. I’m also a big fan of dresses and skirts so that could have something to do with it.
As a fairly new parent, I worry incessantly about my 2-year-old getting hurt, sick, bullied, abducted, or drowning. Sometimes I forget about how dangerous my own house can be. Chemicals, hot stoves, pools, ponds, electrical outlets, and heavy furniture are just a few of the looming dangers lurking in plain sight. As my son gets older and becomes more curious, I fear less about bumps and bruises, and more about ingesting chemicals or wandering to the pond behind our home. This is why I baby proof everything! [Read more…]
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.
It doesn’t have to be winter for me to enjoy a good bowl of soup—especially homemade soup. If I’m making soup, though, it does have to be easy. This Easy Low-Calorie Tomato Soup recipe is super simple and tasty. You can have a delicious hot bowl of it on your table and ready to eat in less than an hour.
This Easy Low-Calorie Tomato Soup is also light and healthy. I like to eat it in the evenings for a snack if I’m feeling hungry but I’ve already eaten dinner—or if I had a big lunch and I just want to eat a light dinner.
Decluttering possessions is something I tend to do on an ongoing basis, and I do a lot of it right after the holidays. It’s the perfect time to declutter, of course, because with so many new items to put away, old ones have to go. This is so true when you have small children and they receive a barrage of new toys for Christmas!
This January I’ve done a lot of decluttering. Even though I’ve always done my usual decluttering, this year was different. For the past several years, my extra time has been taken up by health issues surrounding my [Read more…]
Cinnamon Sugar Candied Nuts make tasty treats for Valentine’s Day or for any special occasion. They also make nice hostess gifts or party favors. They’re so simple to make that you can actually make them anytime at all—because they’re so delicious.
Any nut or combination of nuts will work for this simple recipe. I chose walnuts, pecans, and cashews but all nuts are tasty and healthy. Nuts are full of healthy fats, protein, fiber, and a wide range of nutrients like vitamin e, magnesium, and selenium. These Cinnamon Sugar Candied Nuts make healthy and filling snacks. They also smell so delicious—the last time I made them everyone who came into the house kept asking, “What smells so good? Is that Cinnamon?” These Cinnamon Sugar Candied Nuts were definitely a huge hit!
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.
Just over a month ago I got married! And now I can finally share all the intricate details.
Related: I Got Married
One thing that was really important to Nate and I when planning the wedding was to get the ceremony right. We’re not religious people and we didn’t have the traditional officiant so we planned the entire ceremony ourselves. From the beginning, I knew that I wanted unity ceremony. But not just any unity ceremony, I wanted something that truly reflected Nate and I’s interests as a couple – in other words – something nerdy.
I’ve been taking the last few days, like a lot of other people, to think about goal setting for 2018 and beyond. But this year, goal setting is more of a struggle. Most of this is due to the fact that I’m going through a lot of transition and change in different areas of my life. There have been so many milestones in my life this past year—finally finishing my bachelor’s degree, my youngest graduating high school and then starting college, and of course Christina’s wedding and all the preceding festivities.
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