Sustainable & Creative Living
It’s back to school for kids across the country. While this may be an exciting time for most, it’s also stressful for many kids. Why? Because there are countless families who can’t afford the basics when it comes to the dreaded back to school supplies list. Many children aren’t equipped with the basics: backpacks, pens, pencils, paper, and binders. According to Adopt a Classroom.org, K-12 teachers spend [Read more…]
We are so excited because we were recently nominated for our first blogging award! This is exciting for us because we have been blogging for just under a year and it means a lot to be recognized.
We’re thankful to both For the Love of Teacher and Jattu Kallon for the nominations. Both are amazing blogs and it’s an honor to be nominated and recognized by them. For the Love of Teacher is a great blog dedicated to celebrating teaching as well as the collaboration of teachers. Jattu Kallon has an awesome lifestyle blog with a little bit of everything, not unlike our own blog. Be sure to check them both out!
The great thing about an award like this is that it tells us that we’re making an impact but it’s also an amazing way to showcase other blogs that recognize. We get to continue a great cycle by nominating 15 other bloggers and recognize them! It’s exciting to be able to spread the love to fellow bloggers.
We here at From Under a Palm Tree always strive to be more eco-friendly in our personal and professional lives. We have made it our mission to decrease our footprint by living more sustainable lives, reducing waste, and conserving resources.
In efforts to improve the quality of our Earth, I have signed the Plastic Free July Challenge and committed myself to Reduce Household Plastic Waste. Single-use plastic bags and bottles can take up to 500 years to decompose in landfills, however, most don’t even reach them. A large number of throw-away plastics end up in our oceans, leaving behind chemicals and toxic particles, destroying marine life all over the world. [Read more…]
Taking a trip to Colorado was definitely one of the best experiences of my life for so many reasons. We got to visit several different parts of the state, I crossed an item off my bucket list, and got to see amazing friends get married!
In part one of this series, I talked about my two days in Boulder, CO. The next part of the adventure took place in Copper Mountain. Copper Mountain is a ski resort in the Rocky Mountains.
With the fourth of July just around the corner, I know a lot of us will be visiting family and friends for pool parties, cook-outs, camping, and probably fireworks. Ahh fireworks!! As a kid, I loved them and always looked forward to the family outing at the local mall where our town gathered to watch the beautiful display of what we, as Americans, associate our Independence Day with. But as an adult and new mom, I’ve come to [Read more…]
One of my favorite treats is this Berry and Greek Yogurt Dessert. I came up with it because I love strawberry shortcake and wanted a tasty lower calorie version. I started off by just mixing and eating pureed berries with Greek yogurt (which I also still enjoy). Adding the rest of the ingredients really give it that yummy berry shortcake-ish taste.
Since I love all the different treats and foods that are served in mason jars these days, I decided to serve my Berry and Greek Yogurt in them for holidays and special occasions! Mason jars have such a quaint and cute appearance. They make just about anything look [Read more…]
Meal time is stressful when you have a growing toddler. One day, all is good and they gobble up anything you put in front of them. The next day, they throw it your face. Dry, salty snacks that are loaded with carbs usually do the trick as a quick and easy snack, but they also get boring. If you’re looking for something a bit healthier than the average toddler snack, try these Frozen Yogurt Covered Bananas. They can be whipped up in a hurry from [Read more…]
This is my all-time favorite salad! It can be served in the summer, spring, fall, or winter. I’m making it in honor of Father’s Day for my husband because I got this recipe from his late Mother many years ago. To be exact, it was 1983. She gave me the recipe so I could bring this dish to a family Fourth of July party. I still have (and use) the original piece of scrap paper that she wrote the recipe on.
Since my son was born almost 2 years ago, I’ve made handprint or footprint cards for loved ones on every holiday. My sister makes jokes that I don’t have to buy a greeting card ever again.
Of course, that’s not entirely true; I’ve yet to make a Mother’s Day card for my mom with my own footprint. For babies and toddlers, on the other hand, there’s no better way to show how much they care than with a handmade card. For older kids, this DIY Father’s Day Space Ship Footprint Card is a fun way to use their imagination while expressing their love for Dad.
Summer is the time of year for light, fresh, and tasty salads. They can be served at lunch or dinner. They can also be served as an easy stand-alone meal or a yummy side dish at a summer holiday party or picnic. My whole family loves this Veggie and Feta Pasta Salad, especially my husband. We’ll definitely be mixing up a big bowl of it for Father’s Day. Why not make some for the special man in your life.
Watching our babies grow up is an inevitable part of life. It’s exciting, sad, happy, fun, terrifying, and occasionally heartbreaking. Basically, a bag of emotions that we sometimes have no words for.
Sometimes just a smile tells the whole story. Other times, laying it all out on the table to anyone who will listen is what really tells the whole story. Either way, watching our babies grow up is one of the most rewarding, gratifying and yes, difficult gifts we as parents are given.
Pizza is, hands down, my favorite guilty indulgence. I love it! One of my favorite pizzas is called the Magical Mystery Tour made by Mellow Mushroom. It has a pesto base with Portobello and button mushrooms, topped with warm, gooey feta and mozzarella cheese, a touch of spinach, and just the right amount of jalapeños for a bit of spice. If calories weren’t a factor, [Read more…]
About a month ago it was Earth Day and us here at From Under a Palm Tree attended a local Eco-Fest. I have been writing a four-part series about different things we learned from the eco-fest and this is the final part in that series.
One thing I love about going to festivals of this nature is meeting and talking to everyone. I also like to get free stuff! And vendors love to give away free stuff because it helps promote their business or organization. The best part is that a lot of the freebies were things that help the cause and spread the eco-friendly message. [Read more…]
