Sustainable & Creative Living
I know the first day of Fall isn’t until September 22nd, but by Starbucks’ calendar, it’s officially pumpkin spice season so I’m in full swing. While everyone in Florida courageously awaited the arrival of Hurricane Irma this first weekend in September, my son and I walked the bare isles of Target trying to keep our minds off what was coming. When we came upon the dollar spot (a.k.a. Bullseye’s Playground), one of our favorite sections to browse, I immediately took notice of [Read more…]
Bird watching has never been an intentional hobby I took on but it became an especially enjoyable and interesting hobby when I moved to my home on The Gulf of Mexico. I’ve just always been fascinated by seeing these creatures and all their different shapes and colors. And so many find their way to my backyard; like Great Blue Heron, Egret, Roseate spoonbill, Osprey, and even Eagles; Hummingbirds capture my attention more than any other bird.
While these tiny birds appear fragile and delicate, they are actually quite resilient—migrating thousands of miles every year. Hummingbirds can fly forwards, backward, sideways, and even hover midair. Their wings beat 70 times per second and three times that rate when they are diving. No wonder they’re so eye-catching!
Although the area I live in is naturally an attractive location for wildlife, I do a few simple, but key things to make sure I attract hummingbirds:
I’m always on the lookout for a quick and easy dinner recipe. My wheelhouse is 5 ingredients or less! After working all day and taking care of a 2-year-old, I desperately need a quick and easy dinner recipe or odds are I’m not cooking.
To be honest, I don’t do a lot of the cooking. My husband and I share a lot of the responsibilities when it comes to the housecleaning, laundry, and grocery shopping. But when it comes to meal prep, [Read more…]
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…]
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…]
Now that summer is in full swing, many of us are spending a lot more time outdoors enjoying picnics, beach days, and just hanging out in the backyard. Unfortunately, outside activities can expose us, and our loved ones, to all kinds of dangerous situations—some minor and some not so minor.
One of those situations that may seem minor, but sometimes isn’t, are Mosquito bites. Mosquitos carry and spread all kinds of diseases such as malaria, dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, West Nile virus, and Zika—to name a few. Over one million people worldwide die from Mosquito-borne diseases. Mosquitos also transmit diseases and parasites to dogs and horses.
Registering for baby gifts is one of the most exciting and highly anticipated stages of pregnancy for most expectant parents. Most can’t wait to send the barcode scanner into overdrive scanning anything and everything from diapers and bibs to car seats and strollers.
I was sick most of my pregnancy so no supermarket sweeping the baby aisles for me. I registered the boring way…online at Target.com and Amazon.com.
I did, however, end up really enjoying registering this way because it allowed me to [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.
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.
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…]
Everyone likes to save money, right? What if I told you, you can save money by saving energy? There are so many things we can do to save energy in our homes that actually translates into money savings!
This past Earth Day, we here at From Under a Palm Tree attended a local Eco-Fest. We were able to meet with all kinds of organizations and vendors, with the intent to live more sustainable lives. In the second of a 4-part series, I want to share some of the energy-saving, money-saving tips we learned from Eco-Fest!
Coffee Made Me Do It! It’s true, there’s something about the way it smells, tastes, and makes you feel. The instant “ahh” moment right after you take a sip will have you slurping lattes all day long. Before you know it, you’re 10 cups deep, on edge like a junky looking for [Read more…]
One of my favorite DIY crafts is candle making. I love to burn candles…especially at mealtime. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, there’s nothing like the light from a burning candle to give any meal a special ambiance.
I used to make candles from paraffin wax, but now I only make soy wax candles. Do you ever notice the black around the rim of candles? That’s what you’re [Read more…]
