Author Archive | Jennie Lyon

5 Last-Minute DIY Eco Easter Baskets for Green Kids

Can you believe that Easter is this weekend? One of my favorite parts of Easter is putting together a fun spring basket of goodies for Eben every year. This year, his basket will be full of natural and organic candies, naturally dyed eggs, a reusable water bottle, and a couple of great books.

Whether you are creating Easter baskets for your children or someone else that you love, here are 5 other baskets that I am smitten with and that can be put together last minute too!

#1: Just for Fun!
If you have younger children, they will delight in receiving a basket full of fun toys – especially wooden toys. I love these curated items from You are my Fave – the perfect combination of fun toys with just a smidgen of sweetness!

+ via You are my Fave 

#2: Nature Lover 
I love this Greenvine Basket from Pottery Barn – I think it would be a great basket that you could use year after year, changing the theme each time. It would be fun to pack with new books or card games for your child.

+ Greenvine Basket via Pottery Barn

#3: Chef’s Delight
If you have a child who loves to cook, why not surprise them with a basket full of their own cooking essentials? I would also include the ingredients to bake up a sweet treat together!

+ Chef’s Basket via Handmade Charlotte
#4:Bunny Pillows
Who wouldn’t take a bunny pillow over an Easter basket? Instead of chocolate, I would stuff that little pocket with a new book or two!

+ DIY Bunny Pillow via Willowbay 

#5: Little Farmer
This basket might be my favorite and is the type of basket that I would give Eben almost every year when he was younger. I even gave Eben a pizza garden for his 5th birthday – we planted it together and he loved it!

+ via Design Mom

7 Vegan Easter Basket Goodies for Eco-Friendly Kids

If you are looking for simple, sweet, and vegan treats to put in the Easter basket this year, this post is for you! Here are eight of my favorites that will make your Easter basket sweeter than usual. Wouldn’t these all be perfect for this year?

Last Minute Holiday Gift: DIY Vegan Brownies In A Mason Jar

Hello, Friends! We are down to the wire with only 6 days until Christmas. Have you finished your holiday shopping? Don’t forget your children’s teachers and the neighbors. You can still put together organic succulents in recycled paint dipped cans or miniature Christmas Trees made using recycled wine corks. If you are going to be baking this weekend, you can throw together a few simple, vegan brownies in mason jars.

What you will need:

  • 2 cups organic flour
  • 1 cup organic carob chips
  • 1 tbsp organic baking powder
  • 1/2 cup organic brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

You can either layer all of the ingredients separately in the jar or to save time mix all of the dry ingredients and top with the chocolate chips.

Attach a tag with the instructions to add:

  • 1/3 cup of your favorite neutral oil
  • 1 3/4 cup organic almond milk.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Give the Gift of Experience This Holiday Season + 5 Ideas

Give the Gift of Experience This Holiday Season + 5 Ideas

Hello, Friends! Can you believe Christmas is right around the corner? If you’re anything like me, hitting the mall this holiday season isn’t going to happen! No worries, you can still surprise everyone on your holiday list and those gifts can be eco-friendly too! Read on to discover five of my favorite holiday gifts that don’t require you to even leave the comfort of your sofa.

1. Give the Gift of Experience
One of my favorite gifts to give is the gift of experience. A few years ago I gave the mister scuba diving lessons and this year part of Eben’s holiday gift is art lessons. I have given the gift of annual memberships to botanic gardens and science museums. The possibilities are endless, just consider what your recipient enjoys and go from there.

2. Give a Gift that Helps Someone Else
Have a do-gooder on your holiday list? Consider giving a gift certificate to Kiva – your recipient will go through a list of loan applicants and pick a hard-working borrower to give a micro-loan too. This is a great way to help entrepreneurs in other countries who need a little help, the best part when the entrepreneur pays the loan back, you get to re-loan the funds to another entrepreneur!

3. Give the Gift of Your Time
I was telling the mister the other day that the best gift that I could ever receive is the gift of someone offering to take Eben for the weekend. Since we live very far away from most of Eben’s grandparents, we have never left him for a long weekend. Wouldn’t a romantic long weekend with your loved one be the perfect gift! The possibilities here are endless as well, just think of something that you can do for someone else and wrap that up as a gift.

4. Give the Gift of Nature
I love to receive a gift in the form of a living plant or something that can be planted in the yard. Even better when the plant is of edible variety. Eben and I gave the mister a lemon tree one year as a birthday gift – and it is a gift that he seriously enjoys every day. He is always watering, pruning and checking for lemons – and seeing how much the tree has grown is a delight. Plus, giving him lemonade all year long has been a sweet gift that he really enjoys.

5. Give the Gift of Your Expertise
Are you a fantastic chef? Can you sew a mean pair of pajamas? Are you great at web design? A beautiful photographer? Whatever it is that you are an expert at consider giving that as a gift this holiday season. If you are a fantastic cook, arrive at your recipients home with all of the ingredients necessary to cook a fabulous meal for them. Spend the time teaching your recipient how to prepare and cook the meal and then enjoy it together!

Do you give the gift of experience during the holidays? I would love to hear about the gifts you are giving this holiday season.

How to Make an Eco-Friendly Gift Card Snow Globe as a Holiday Gift

If you are giving a gift card this holiday season, don’t just slip it into a card – make it into a snow globe. It will take giving a gift card this holiday to a whole new level – especially if you are giving it to  a child. Eben and I decided to do this project for a Secret Santa party that he will be going to – it was a super fun gift to make, read on to learn how. These are perfect for last minute gifts too!

What you will need:

  • glass mason jar
  • water
  • eco-glitter
  • glue gun
  • gift card
  • tiny ornaments

This is actually a super easy do-it-yourself project that only takes a few minutes to complete. Secure the gift card to the lid of the mason jar with hot glue. Fill the mason jar with water, add eco-glitter and a couple of tiny ornaments, screw the lid on super tight – you now have the perfect way to give a gift card!