Hello, Friends! How was your week? Are you glad it is Friday? Me too! Tonight, the mister and I are going out on a date! Yes, a real-live-adult-conversation-only-date. Having only one child, we always take Eben with us everywhere. EVERYWHERE! And while I love that little guy to pieces, I am looking forward to having my big guy all to myself. Ha!
Tomorrow, we are going to spend the day visiting the mister’s grandfather. We are taking him out to lunch at his favorite Jewish deli. The rest of the weekend, we plan to spend paddleboarding and soaking up the sunshine. We haven’t taken the paddleboards out since our trip to the Florida Keys. What!?
While I figure out what to wear on my special date night with the mister, here are a few green things I thought you might enjoy:
One of the best ways to celebrate the great outdoors every day is by bringing plants into your home. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, growing organic plants can be easy if you choose the right ones. Here are my six favorite plants that are easy to grow and care for. These plants are all perfect for inside your home and they are great for gardening with children. #1. Aloe Vera: Aloe Vera may be one of the easiest plants to care for. They require very little water, thrive in medium to bright light and they grow quickly. Since it does grow so quickly it is a great visual for children, they will also find the medicinal uses of Aloe Vera very interesting.
#2. Chives: Chives are fantastic because they are easy to grow and can grow almost anywhere in all different types of climates. They are resistant to disease and do well in full or partial sun. Not to mention, they are super yummy on a baked potato or salad. This is a great plant to grow with children, you can teach them how to clean, dry, and use the herb. Plants that you can eat are extra special!
#3. Beans: Everyone remembers growing beans in elementary school because they are simple to grow. You can start growing beans by placing the seeds on a towel, spraying with water and covering with another towel. Place the towel in a warm location and keep moist – in less than a week you will have sprouts that can be transplanted to soil. Beans are great for kids because of the changes they make from seed sprouting to plant, helping children understand the plant’s life cycle. #4. Spider Plants: Spider plants are easy to grow and care for making them fun for everyone. They are fun plants for children because they produce smaller dangling plants (spiders) that are fun to cut off and plant in their own pots.
#5. Cacti and Succulents: Both Cacti and succulents are easy to grow because they require very little water and thrive in medium to bright light. Succulents are my favorite plant hands down, I love the colors, shapes and sizes – which is another reason children will love them too. If you are going to introduce cacti plants to your child, wait until they are older – since cacti can be dangerous.
How about you lovely readers, what plants do you love to keep in your home? Which is your favorite for growing with your children?
NOTE FROM SWEET GREENS: This post, 4 Eco-Friendly Personalized Gifts for Girls was written by Jenna. Jenna is a freelance writer who focuses on personal finance, eco-lifestyle, and health. Her normal writing topics include things like how to find the perfect gift for your daughteror how to afford a green home makeover. When Jenna is not writing she is reading her favorite blogs or riding her bike!
When it comes to shopping for my daughter, I quickly found that picking the right gift can be touch. Especially since she is at the awkward tween age where she doesn’t want toys anymore, and I don’t want to spend a fortune on designer clothing either. It’s even harder if you are an conscious parent like myself and you want to find the right gift for your daughter that she will love, but won’t hurt the environment.
Tween girls love anything that is personalized, so after really thinking about the things that my daughter enjoys – I came up with a list of four items that really delighted her on her special day and they are eco-friendly to boot. Read on for the 4 eco-friendly personalized gifts that I gave my daughter this year for her birthday, I hope it inspires you when you do your birthday shopping. #1: Personalized Eco-Friendly Candles
I bought a couple of beautiful handmade candles from Wooden Elements. I thought this would be an amazing gift for my daughter showing her that I understood she was getting older and that I trusted her to be more responsible. Then, I used eco-friendly paints to hand paint designs that matched her bedroom decor on the candles. It was a huge hit! The best part, once the candle has been completely burned, we can clean out the wax residue and reuse it again with new candles.
#2: Personalized Organic Cosmetic Bag:
Accepting that your daughter is getting older is tough for any parent to deal with. My husband and I debated on whether our daughter was ready for any type of cosmetics. In the end, we decided it would be fun to show her that we recognized she was getting older. We picked an eco-friendly cosmetic bag and personalized it with a photo of herself and her best friend. We then filled the bag with organic finger nail polishes and vegan lip balms.
#3: Personalized Green Jewelry
When my husband found a silver daddy’s girl necklace, he had to get it for her. We were able to personalize it with her name. It was a gift from the heart that she would cherish for years to come. Another option is to purchase a vintage heart necklace, take it to a jeweler and have it engraved. Or better yet, give a piece of your own jewelry to your daughter – it is a keepsake that she will enjoy forever. #4: Personalized Reusable Bag
Our daughter has been in ballet for years, and her ballet clothing is always stuffed in the bottom of her backpack. We decided to surprise her with a reusable bag personalized with her name to carry all of her ballet clothing to practice. The bag is adorable and she is happy to carry it with her every day, she hasn’t forgotten her clothes for ballet yet!
Like all little girls, our daughter likes to get gifts that reflect her personality and have a personal touch. There are a number of great gift ideas out there for girls that bring personalized ideas to reality, without harming the environment. Just think about the things that your child really loves, find an eco-friendly version of it and get it personalized, it is sure to be a hit!
I am a huge lover and admirer of owls – whenever we visit an animal sanctuary it is the first animal that I want to see. While thrift store shopping a couple of years ago, the mister noticed this set of ceramic owls in the window. We immediately went inside to check them out. I was drawn to their quirky shape and giant eyes – when you turn them over they each have a beautiful, hand painted floral design on the back. I knew I had to have them – they were a steal too, only $3 for the set. While doing a little research on them this morning, I found out that they are vintage Mexican Tonala pottery. I found several similar owls on eBay and Etsy but nothing exactly like the set that I have – ranging from $18-$40 for a set.
I use to have the hardest time falling asleep at night – and then, when I did fall asleep I would toss and turn all night long, only to wake up the next day feeling anything but rested. Have you had a restless night or two this week? After a few-too-many sleepless nights, I tried a few techniques and am happy to say that I have been sleeping much better. Here are my 5 favorite steps to a better night’s sleep, try these tonight and see if you sleep like a baby.
#1: Keep a Bedtime Schedule This seems to be at the top of my list – if I stay up too late, I simply do not fall asleep quickly and wake up over and over again. I also tend to feel less rested if I sleep in too late, so I also set an alarm in the morning and get up when it goes off. Between going to bed and getting up at the same time and always getting 8 hours of sleep, I have been feeling more rested.
#2: Make it Cool It’s summertime, which means that I tend to get hot during the night. Our new bedroom has a ceiling fan that we have been flipping on every night. It is perfect for cooling down the room and we don’t need to run the air conditioner on full blast all night long.We also switch out our bedding in the summer with a lightweight duvet – it helps to keep us cool during the night.
#3: Make it Dark Something as simple as the low glow of any electronics will make it impossible for me to sleep at night. Before climbing into bed, we make sure that everything is turned off, the blinds and curtains are tightly closed and an electronic lights are covered up.
#4: Don’t Eat Before You Sleep I try not to eat anything within a few hours of bedtime – if I do, I can feel my stomach working overtime and it makes it hard for me to fall asleep. Plus, crumbs in the bed would drive me crazy.
#5: Pillows, Pillows, Pillows In order to get a good night’s rest, I absolutely need to have a comfy pillow or three. I am a stomach-side sleeper that must have a pillow under my head, left leg and belly. Seriously, when I sleep somewhere else I don’t have access to three pillows, it’s a deal breaker – I can’t sleep.
#6: Comfy Organic Sheets Nothing is worse than scratchy sheets – especially if you sleep all-natural! I highly recommend investing in a great set or two of high quality organic sheets. Sheets that are comfortable make falling asleep that much easier. #7: Get it On It’s true – sex is good for sleepy time. It relaxes your entire body, releases tons of brain chemicals and laying in your partners arms is just too comfy to move away from. I say go with it and get some sleep.
What tricks do you use to get a good night’s sleep?
