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Family Room Rug Makeover with FLOR Carpet Squares

January 28, 2014 0

When we moved into current home – my favorite part was the open kitchen, dining and living room space. Since our home is tiny (1,000 square feet) this is our main living area that we spend almost all of our time in.

Eben likes to snuggle up on the rug with the dogs and his computer. I like to snuggle in the corner of the sofa during movie time and for coffee on the weekends. And you can most likely find the mister comfy in his favorite chair or cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Since this space is so small we can all be in the area doing different things but still be together. (It’s a good thing we really like each other!)

The problem with the space was the rug we had in it was simply too small and made the whole room look and feel smaller. (I wanted to share a before picture, but the mister surprised me by putting the rug together for me when I wasn’t home! However, you can see the rug that was in the space before here.) Since Olive, our French Bulldog is now potty trained (Hooray!) we decided it was the perfect time to get a new rug. We wanted something large, sustainable, beautiful and that would pull all of the room together – and since FLOR has so many different options available, we were confident that we could find something that would be perfect.

Because FLOR carpet squares can be placed in any configuration, pattern or size we knew we would be perfect in our rectangular shaped space. It took us forever to pick out the perfect rug – seriously, the selection is huge, trying to pick just one almost felt impossible! After a lot of back and forth – the mister and I finally agreed on the Vintage Vibe in cream, it’s a modern take on the traditional Moroccan Beni Ouarain rugs with diamond shaped “starburst” patterning with subtle irregularities that honor the characteristics of ancient weaving techniques. It’s made in the USA out of 100% recycled face fibers too! We felt it was the perfect combination of sophistication and coziness!

The installation is quick and simple, the mister just stuck them together with the stickers that came with the carpet squares and within a few minutes we had a nice, cozy rug that our entire family loves!

What do you think?

Full Disclosure: I received a FLOR carpet tile rug to review – however, we have used FLOR before and really believe in the brand, so I would have told you about them anyway!

Florida Goodness: Stubbees Local & Raw Honey

January 27, 2014 4

When we were on our winter camping trip to St. Augustine, Florida last month we couldn’t miss one of our favorite activities, the farmer’s market. St. Augustine has an amazing farmer’s market, full of great local vendors offering everything from art and handmade items to produce and fresh baked goods – but one of my favorite things to pick up is the local raw honey!

We stopped by Stubbees Local and Raw Honey’s booth to check out the bees and pick up a jar of their amazing honey! We learned from Lori and Justin Stubblefield, owners of Stubbess how the local bees actually hang around waiting for the Stubbees to show up on Saturday morning for the farmer’s market. Then, they hang out with the honey jars all day.

I love the creamed honey – it is my favorite in coffee and tea, but I have been known to have a teaspoon here and there as a little treat! I definitely recommend picking up a jar or two of Stubbees Local and Raw Honey!

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month | Grab Your Free Tom’s of Maine Coloring Activity Book

January 24, 2014 0

Did you know that February is National Children’s Dental Health Month? Yes, National Children’s Dental Health Month was designed to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. To jump start this important month Tom’s of Maine announced a free coloring and activity book called “Brushing Fun,” which supports Oral Health America, a national nonprofit dedicated to oral care and prevention. With each free coloring book download, Tom’s of Maine will donate 10 tubes of its Wicked Cool! natural toothpaste (up to 200,000 tubes) to children in OHA’s Smiles Across America program. You can find OHA Health America on Facebook and Twitter too! So cool!

You can show off your kid’s creativity and inspire others to get involved by sharing a photo of a completed page from the coloring book on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #NaturalSmiles (You can see Eben’s here!) for a chance to win a Tom’s of Maine natural oral care prize pack and a $100 Utrecht Art Store gift card to foster their child’s creativity. Five winners total, one each week.

We have been using Tom’s of Maine toothpaste and mouthwash forever – right now, our favorite is the Wicked Cool! We love that Tom’s of Maine is dye-free and doesn’t contain any artificial flavors while protecting our teeth from cavities too!

Eben had a great time with the coloring and activity book – any chance to just relax and doodle is great for him after a long day at school!

Full Disclosure: This information was provided through a #NaturalSmiles paid partnership. 

Green Child Magazine: Simple Nature Mobile Brings the Outdoors in

January 21, 2014 0

Eben and I spent a lot of time hiking and collecting leaves, pine-cones and flat rocks during the fall months. We have a large plate on our family room coffee table that holds all of our favorites. It is a fun reminder of all of our adventures together – and we have a thing from collecting the smallest pine-cones we can find and flat rocks with holes in them, we are crazy that way.

We wanted a way to showcase some of our favorite finds so we decided to tie kitchen twine to them and hang them on some branches in a vase. We also hung some on our dining room chandelier. These have become quite the conversation starters, when guests come over they always comment on our “nature mobiles” wanting to know where we found all of the fun treasures. You can too with this simple upcycled project that I put together for the current issue of Green Child Magazine.

What you will need:
• assortment of found natural items (rocks, pine-cones, leaves)
• kitchen twine
• scissors
• vase

How to Get Started:

  1. Wash and let the found natural items air dry. 
  2. Add kitchen twine, arrange as desired and randomly tie items on the branches or elsewhere.

P.S. Don’t forget to grab your FREE subscription to Green Child Magazine!

Getting Back to Nature in Thailand

January 21, 2014 0

Attracting over 22 million visitors each year, Thailand is one of the most popular destinations in the world, with Bangkok also holding the title as the most visited city in the world. Visitors come to enjoy the culture, historic sights and above all the natural beauty that this amazing country has to offer.

Thailand’s National Parks
With over 100 national parks you are never far from an abundance of natural beauty spots in Thailand. National Parks such as Mae Tho stretch for over 990 metres² and offer mountains that reach 1,699 metres above sea level and lush forest featuring the rarest of wildlife. If you visit the Doi Inthanon National Park in the Chiang Mai province you will have entered part of the Himalayan mountain range with the highest peak sitting at 2,565 metres above sea level. Viewing the 100 metre waterfalls, exploring ancient caves and rafting down the Mae Jaem River are just a few of the attractions at Doi Inthanon.

Khao Lak’s Pristine Beaches
If you are looking to escape the bustle of Thailand’s cities then Khao Lak holidays will provide you with some of the country’s best beaches. Khao Lak is located 60km north of Phuket and is regarded as an almost spiritual place due to its serene atmosphere, secluded beaches and beautiful parkland setting. The region also offers some of the world’s most famous diving sites, beautiful tropical gardens and immense national parks. Some of the most unspoilt beaches in Thailand are located here including Nan Thong, Bang Sak and Bang Niang.

Khao Pra Bang Khram Wildlife Sanctuary
Stretching over 170 square acres the Khao Pra wildlife sanctuary offer some amazing sights, not least of which is an abundance of the rarest birds. Black Hornbills, Wallace’s Hawk Eagles and Blue banded kingfishers are just a few of the birds that can be spotted along the 2.7Km nature trail. Overnight camping is permitted here and visitors can enjoy swimming in the calcium carbonate rich Emerald Pool located at the heart of the sanctuary. After walking the nature trail visitors can also enjoy a rejuvenating dip in the nearby 30C hot springs.


Guest Post by Jennifer Viloria
photo credit

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