Sustainable & Creative Living
Ever get stumped when it comes to giving someone a Valentine’s Day gift? Did you put all your best gift-giving ideas and money into Christmas gifts like most of us? This DIY Valentine’s Day Gift Basket is a simple and affordable gift you can put together for anyone on short notice and limited funds. You can buy most, if not all of the items, from your local Dollar Tree. This is especially a great little gift basket for kids.
Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned Popsicle in the heat of summer? I used to make them a lot when the kids were little but not so much anymore. Until the other day, that is. I saw some cute, colorful silicone push up ice pop molds in a magazine a couple of months ago and, on a whim, I bought them. When they came in the mail, I decided to make myself this old favorite treat. These DIY Coffee Ice Pops are a perfect adult style refreshing summer treat. [Read more…]
I’ve always been one of those people who wash their hands a lot during the day, but now I do it even more. For a while, much like most of the country, I was concerned about running low on hand soap so I started making my own. It’s actually much easier than you might think it would be. This DIY Peppermint Hand Soap is simple to make, super affordable, and it’s free of the harsh ingredients that may be found [Read more…]
If you have kids, I’m sure you have or have had a bean bag chair in your home at one point or another. If you’re like me, you’ve probably tried and failed a few times when refilling bean bag chairs or ottomans. And then finally given up and just Amazon Primed a new one after the huge mess you just created all over the floor. Well, if you’re tired of replacing your bean bag chairs and ottomans every year, check out the easiest and fastest way to [Read more…]
If you and your little ones are crafty, then this Paper Roll Caterpillar Pencil Holder is an easy craft you can make at home with items you probably already have in your supply. This little craft is one of my favorites for a few reasons. One, I can grab from my stock of saved up toilet paper and paper towel rolls and two, when it’s complete, it doesn’t have to end up in the trash! [Read more…]
If you or your little one loves Mo Willems’ classic children’s book Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, why not bring the beloved character to life with a fun and easy DIY Pigeon Costume? This homemade pigeon costume is perfect for book character days, Halloween, or just for some imaginative play!
This Chocolate Molten Mug Cake is one of my new favorite desserts! Its warm, chocolatey goodness is so yummy and fulfilling, and because it’s so simple to make—I want to [Read more…]
Learning to recognize sequences and patterns is an important part of beginning math skills. Even the simplest form of patterning can help a child learn and develop the skills they will need to master math concepts like times tables and addition. There are many ways to help your preschooler develop these skills without spending a lot of money. One of mine and my son’s favorite ways to practice learning sequences and patterns is with [Read more…]
With Christmas just about a week away, I’ve been doing some fun holiday crafts with my 3-year-old. A few weeks ago, during Thanksgiving, we made a turkey magnet which you can see here. It was so easy and quick that I decided to also make a Christmas Tree Magnet. We made a couple to give as gifts to grandparents and the few who can really appreciate a toddler’s one-of-a-kind artwork. [Read more…]
Every Christmas I love making special holiday-themed crafts with my son so that he can give them to grandparents and other family members. Sometimes we make handprint Christmas cards or festive DIY ornaments. This year I combined the two and made this Christmas Tree Handprint Ornament.
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…]
These days more products than ever are being recycled. Many of these items are things a lot of us never
considered to be recyclable. These 5 Items You Should Be Recycling are just a very few of those
products. I don’t know about you, but I find myself feeling more and more guilty when I throw something in the trash without trying to first figure out a way to repurpose or recycle it. At any given time I have 2 or 3, [Read more…]
When I asked my 3-year-old son what he wanted to dress up as this Halloween, he said with confidence, “A racing car driver!” So I thought, ok this should be easy. I’ll just get a costume at Target or on Amazon and we’re set. Jumpsuit—check. Helmet—check. I thought I was done but to my surprise when my little firecracker tried on his new racing car driver costume, his next question was, “Where’s my car?” I LOL’d because he was right—how could I forget the car! So, I scoured the internet for boxcar costume ideas and found this DIY Race Car Box Halloween Costume. [Read more…]
