If you have a backyard herb garden and try to use your crops as often as possible, but sometimes find yourself not able to harvest them as quickly as you would like, this DIY Tin Can Herb Garden may be just what you need. I had a small herb container garden on the upstairs patio off my kitchen that I had to relocate downstairs because of my mischievous cats. When I found that I wasn’t using my herbs as much as I’d like to because of the trek downstairs and around to the backyard, I came up with this DIY Tin Can Herb Garden. [Read more…]
Paper Roll Caterpillar Pencil Holder
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…]
Earth Day Preschool Activities
With Earth Day coming on April 22 this year, it’s a fun month to teach young kids about the beauty of the world around us, including all the living things in it. The value of recycling is also a very important concept that, if taught at a young age, can hopefully instill a strong foundation and appreciation for reducing waste. Many of these Earth Day Preschool Activities are simple and fun ideas that can be [Read more…]
17 Best Cloth Diapering Accessories
If you’ve read some of my other posts, you know I’m pro-cloth diapers. They’re eco-friendly and healthier for your baby’s delicate skin. I love all the adorable patterns and prints and I feel good about doing something to reduce my footprint. Cloth diapering can be quite a commitment but doable if you’ve got all the right information. Much like using standard disposable diapers, you still need all the accessories like wipes, diaper rash creams, and changing pads. But, besides the obvious, here’s a list of the Best Cloth Diapering Accessories you may not have thought of. [Read more…]
How to Use a Prefold Diaper on Your Baby
Depending on how familiar you are with cloth diapering, you might be thinking, “What exactly is a prefold diaper?” Simply put, it’s a 3 panel, rectangular piece of fabric that contains multiple layers of either cotton, bamboo, hemp, or flannel— traditionally with an extra layer in the middle for extra absorbency. They’re folded and fastened to baby inside of a waterproof diaper cover.
Before I even got pregnant with my son I knew I wanted to use cloth diapers. My mom used them with me and my sisters, and because there are significant age gaps between us, I still remember diaper laundry, safety pins, and plastic pants all around the house. Let me assure you that this sometimes referred to as “old fashion” way of diapering has come along way in recent years. [Read more…]
How to Recycle Mascara Wands – Wands for Wildlife
Last year I saw a viral video on Facebook all about a nonprofit organization that uses mascara wands to clean baby animals #wandsforwildlife. It’s called Appalachian Wildlife Refuge and they rescue and rehabilitate injured and orphaned wildlife in North Carolina.
This organization, in particular, caught my eye because of their unique approach to not only helping animals but also recycling, literally two of my favorite things.
Easy Ways to Make a Wedding Eco-Friendly
When I first imagined my wedding I had dreams of buying vintage china and using recyclable paper for my eco-friendly wedding. In reality, there are some things that are just not always feasible. I definitely had the environment in mind when planning my wedding but I also had my budget in mind. But being frugal and eco-friendly aren’t mutually exclusive – they can work together. And it can be easy! You just can’t be afraid to break the mold a little bit. Once you get past the traditional or more commonplace wedding “essentials” you can move into the creative and eco-friendly zone.
6 Eco-Friendly Holiday Wrapping Tips
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.
So here are some eco-friendly holiday wrapping techniques!
3 Step DIY Distressed Picture Frame
Lately, I have been all about DIY – I’m planning my wedding and it seems like there’s always something to DIY. This week, it’s a picture frame that’s part of a larger project (more info to come later). But you don’t have to be planning a wedding to appreciate this DIY.
You can easily buy a distressed picture frame from TJMAXX or Ross but where’s the fun in that? This simple DIY takes any old wooden frame and gives it a rustic, coastal feel.
9 Things to Always Buy at a Thrift Store
Thrifting is one of my all time favorite pastimes. I love shopping – probably more than most people. Even if I’m just looking around, I’m enjoying myself. But thrift shopping takes that enjoyment to a whole other level.
I love when I can go to a thrift store and just see what different or interesting pieces I can pick up. Whether it’s a cool vintage item or something that can be repurposed, I love it.
Buying anything used and reusing it is also another way to keep from contributing to more waste in the world. When you reuse something it’s one less thing in a land fill. It doesn’t seem like much but it adds up.
10 Ways to Reuse Newspaper
Plastic-free July is coming to an end, and I’m happy to report that I did pretty well at eliminating single-use plastic products from my life. I slipped a few times by using plastic shopping bags, and a couple of times I didn’t use my reusable cup when I went for coffee.
10 Ways to Save Money by Saving Energy
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!
5 Eco-Friendly Travel Tips
In honor of Spring, it’s time to start planning your next travel adventure! Whether it’s spring break or summer break, or just a weekender trip – travel plans are exciting!
That being said, traveling is also usually costly – not just for you – but for the environment too. Usually when traveling people like to indulge and splurge. But in doing so, it causes more waste, more energy, and more emissions than would have been extended before.
Some of the best ways to travel eco-friendly are to travel as though you never left home. You’ll see what I mean below.