My 3-year-old son is finally at an age where we can do crafts together. I have found that over the past 6 months while teaching him the alphabet, I have used crafts to not only teach him letters but to also connect with him. Over Thanksgiving, we took a break from the alphabet to just focus on fun holiday activities. One of which is this [Read more…]
Easy Rice Pudding
How to Prepare Your Kids for Daylight Savings
It’s almost that dreaded time of year for parents….Daylight Savings! You know spring is officially here when moods are crazy, schedules are off, and kids are not going to bed or waking up on time! Ahh, the sweet taste of daylight savings. [Read more…]
5 Practical Uses For Lemons
Nothing is quite as refreshing and energizing as the scent of lemons. Sometimes I’ll inhale lemon essential oil for a quick mood booster or have a cup of hot water with lemon slices for a soothing and relaxing hot drink. Lemon juice has so many varied uses, but these are my favorite 5 Practical Uses for Lemons. [Read more…]
DIY Stress Relief Balm
I recently attended a Young Living workshop in my community with my mom and sister. I didn’t really know what to expect other than a sales pitch about essential oils. We were pleasantly surprised to not only thoroughly enjoy the woman delivering the Young Living “sales pitch” but to also be so drawn in by the way this woman spoke about her journey through discovering the Young Living Essential Oils brand. [Read more…]
How to Create a Calm Space
What do you do when you’re having a stressful day? Where do you go? What do you want?
Lately, I’ve been noticing energy everywhere I go. When I walk into a house or a room I notice it – the positive or negative vibes from people or a space. Sometimes there are really calm and relaxing energies and other times I’ve encountered negative energies. It’s hard when you find yourself in a place with negative vibes because you just want to get away from it. It creates a sense of uneasiness or even stress. [Read more…]
DIY Toilet Cleaning Pods
DIY Toilet Cleaning Pods are the latest cleaning pod I’ve started making. I absolutely love using DIY pods for other home cleaning tasks (see my post here for DIY laundry pods and DIY dishwashing pods), but using them for toilet cleaning is especially satisfying because this is one of my least favorite chores.
All of my DIY pods are easy, quick, and cost-efficient, but with only 3 ingredients these DIY Toilet Cleaning Pods are the simplest and most economical of all.
Vacation Countdown Calendar for Kids
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…]
5 DIY Natural Plant Insecticides
This is the time of year I like to go to my local nursery or the garden departments of all nearby big box stores. I try to stick to easy to grow plants as much as possible. Check out my post about Low Maintenance House Plants & 5 Essential Tips for their Care. But no matter how easy plants are to grow, they’ll still need some care. One item of business with plant care is [Read more…]
Chemical-Free Coconut Oil Toothpaste
A few weeks ago I shared my recipe for Homemade Coconut Aluminum-Free Deodorant so this week I’m sharing another one of my homemade personal care products. This recipe for Chemical-Free Coconut Oil Toothpaste is all-natural, chemical free, and eco-friendly. Over the past few years, I’ve really been trying to eliminate products from my life that are laced with all sorts of unnecessary chemicals in an effort to lead a more natural lifestyle. It’s not easy giving up products that I’ve relied on my whole life but with a little effort, I’ve slowly made some transitions. [Read more…]
10 Eco-Friendly Laundry Tips
If you’re trying to adopt natural and more eco-friendly cleaning habits, one of the easiest places to start is with laundry practices. There are many different alternatives to harsh detergents if you want to go green in the laundry department.
Natural laundry practices are especially important because clothing actually touches our bodies, as opposed to the surfaces in our homes. Of course, we’d only want non-toxic substances touching our skin. [Read more…]
The Vanlife Adventure Begins!
After many months of planning, things are finally happening! A little less than a year ago, before we were married, my significant other, Nate and I decided that we were going to travel the country.
We’ve always been travelers, from the very first year of dating. So it kind of feels like everything we’ve done together has been in preparation for this trip. It started out as a small idea inspired in part by our first trip to Colorado. Another bit of inspiration came from when two of our best friends went to New Zealand for a year.
10 Uses for White Vinegar
As a parent, keeping my children safe is always a priority. We think about external factors but what about the toxins in our own homes? Most of the time we have control over the products we use so why are we using cleaners full of toxins? Our homes should be a safe haven from toxins!
Over the past couple of years, I’ve given up using almost all synthetic and toxic household cleaners and detergents in favor of more eco-friendly and natural products. One of the products I use a lot of these days is vinegar. It’s all natural and extremely versatile.