Sustainable & Creative Living
With Thanksgiving just about a week away, I’ve been doing some fun turkey crafts with my 3-year-old. One of my favorites is this Thanksgiving Turkey Magnet. Making this with J brought back some fond memories from when I was a kid. I don’t remember much from my early childhood but I do remember doing holiday crafts with my mom every year. I think that’s one of the reasons I make such a point to [Read more…]
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…]
For the past 15 years, our little family, along with my husband’s large side of the family, has been gathering on the white sandy beaches of Captiva Island for our summer ritual of fun and relaxation. One week spent in the same time share, for over thirty years, first began with my husband, his brother and sister, and his parents. A once small, but traditional family vacation, has now turned into a great gathering of friends and family where we share food, wine, laughs, game nights, ice cream, burgers, and more wine. [Read more…]
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…]
Spend Valentine’s Day (or any gift-giving holiday) with the one you love waste-free!
Here are 5 zero-waste gifts that still express love and thoughtfulness as well as care for the environment. Your gift doesn’t have to be an eco-friendly “thing.” It can be a digital gift or even the gift of your time and attention (those are my favorite). [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!
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.
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…]
The holidays can be a crazy time of year. There’s so much going on – decorating, holiday parties, buying gifts, trying not to buy gifts for ourselves… it’s just a lot all at once. But it’s important to remember the bigger picture this holiday season. We are always trying to be our best selves especially with our sustainability practices and that shouldn’t take a back seat during the holidays.
So I have compiled a short list, that doesn’t end here, of eco-friendly brands and potential gifts for this holiday season!
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…]
