Sustainable & Creative Living
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…]
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.
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…]
Who says you have to slave over a hot stove every morning making delicious homemade oatmeal?
It’s the 21st-century people and times have changed. Yeah, oatmeal is still the same- nutritiously packed full of fiber, fluffy, and filling but the way you cook it doesn’t have to be the same.
Caring for a one-and-a-half-year-old child and working full time is hard work. Making meals, doing laundry (diapers and clothes), fishing dog food from my child’s mouth, and picking up the hundreds of toy cars is a full-time job in itself. The last thing I want to do is [Read more…]
I went through a period in my life a little over a year ago where I was really struggling with some transitions and changes. Some I knew were coming but they were still hard to deal with. Others were unexpected and, therefore, even harder to deal with.
These big changes include our youngest daughter graduating from high school. My own graduation from college (finally) with my Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities/American Studies. And finally, dealing with the transition surrounding [Read more…]
For those of you who have read my previous posts, you know that I got married 7 ½ years ago on beautiful Sanibel Island. Naturally, it’s a moment in time that my husband and I will cherish forever and always remember fondly. Every summer we [Read more…]
Attention dog-parents everywhere: this is why you must pick up after your pooch!
I have to admit, I have been guilty of not picking up after my two beagles on occasion. And by pick up after, I mean scoop their poop. It’s not pretty, maybe we don’t like to talk about it, but it’s a reality for any dog owner. Dogs go #2 and it’s up to us to clean up after them.
This year on Earth Day, we here at From Under a Palm Tree had an exciting outing at the Tampa Bay Eco-Fest. We were able to speak to all kinds of organizations and vendors with the intent to live more sustainable lives. That’s always our goal here at From Under a Palm Tree. [Read more…]
