One of my favorite areas to decorate for Halloween is our front porch. It’s the perfect spot to share your Halloween decorations with visitors and neighbors! These painted glass lanterns are one of my favorite projects to pull out of storage every year. They are just so delightful!
1. Spray the glass containers inside and outside.
2. Once dry, paint on the design or face that you would like.
3. Place a rechargeable or solar powered tea light inside.
4. Watch the delight on the faces of your neighbors as they walk by.
Fall is my favorite time of year. It seems like we start to slow down as a family and spend more time reconnecting with each other. (This seems especially important now, Eben is finishing up graduate school and only comes home occasionally!)
Since the days get shorter and it gets dark outside so much earlier, Jayson and I have been using this time to reconnect as empty nesters! Our dining room table used to be filled with card games and brain teasers, but now we’ve been finding ourselves doing puzzles (are we old or what??) and playing Scrabble. The nightly dinners are still full of long conversations and hot, steamy beverages for dessert! (Which is my favorite!)
To get you in the autumn mood and excited about sustainability, check out my 7 favorite eco-friendly ways to welcome fall.
1. Make it Family Dinner Night One of my favorite fall family traditions is having make-your-own organic pizza night a few times a month. I bought Jayson a Gozney last year as a holiday gift, so our pizza game has been ELEVATED!
There is something fun about kneading the dough, cutting up vegetables, and pulling hot pizzas from the oven. When Eben was little, we’d create sweet, smiling faces, and it always ended in a night of laughter and fun!
2. Green Your Overall Health Fall is the perfect time to amp up your healthy lifestyle before winter hits – because with winter comes sniffles, colds, and the flu. You can start by boosting your immunity, packing healthy, organic school lunches, adding some superfoods to your marketing list, and doing a whole-body cleanse. You want to stay healthy through the fun fall and winter holidays.
3. With Fall comes Leaves, Lots of Them When it comes to the leaves that fall in your yard, how you dispose of them can significantly impact the environment. The best option would be to mulch them and use them as ground cover for your garden. The worst option would be to blow them around with a noisy, emission-polluting leaf blower. If you want to have fun with leaves, consider making leaf prints for your family room, or you can always jump in piles of them.
4. Enjoy Your Natural Environment A bike ride is one of my favorite ways to enjoy a lovely fall day with my family. We tend to bike a lot more when fall hits! Another fun thing to do this time of year is to visit your local botanical garden – you could try one of these surprising ways to make it a day full of fall fun.
5. Prepare for Winter Before you know it, winter will be here – and fall is the perfect time to prepare. Now that we live in North Carolina (on top of a mountain), I liked to stock up on non-perishable organic goods, so we didn’t have to go marketing as often. It is also a great time to weather-proof your doors and windows and prepare your garden for the cold winter. I also like to think of fun ways to cozy up our home – this usually means bringing out stacks of books, blankets, and pillows and sipping hot organic tea, coffee, and cocoa.
6. Green Your Halloween Whether you plan to make your own Halloween costumes anddecorations or turn your home into the ultimate eco-friendly haunted house, now is the time to get started. We like to scour our local thrift stores and tag sales for fantastic Halloween decor well before the holiday. It always gets us in the mood for Halloween, and when the holiday comes, we are completely ready!
7. Go Local The farmer’s market season in North Carolina is now popping – the perfect time to stock up on those yummy fall vegetables. I love it when the mister whips up a batch of one of his fantastic soups or seasonal salads in the fall using local vegetables from the farmer’s market. And pumpkins from the farmer’s market, oh my, they are my favorite.
I love oatmeal on cool, crisp fall mornings! Am I the only one? You can make your own organic instant oatmeal packed with flavor in a few simple steps taking your regular oatmeal from ho-hum to yum-yum. Read on to learn how you can make organic instant oatmeal and wake up to a better tomorrow.
Step 1: Bake It! Preheat the oven to 350°, spread 4 cups of organic old-fashioned rolled oats on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
Step 2: Pulse It! Pulse in a food processor until coarsely chopped.
Step 3: Mix It! Mix in a cup of your favorite oatmeal add-ins such as; almonds, walnuts, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, brown sugar, and coconut.
Step 4: Store It! Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.
Step 5: Boil It! Stir boiling water into a cup of your organic instant oatmeal until you reach your desired consistency.
Step 6: Enjoy It! Oatmeal is my favorite on a cool, crisp fall morning – top with honey too!
Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to embrace a healthier lifestyle? Starting (and sticking to) that journey can feel daunting, especially if you’re dealing with challenges like weight issues, fatigue, or skin and digestive problems. But don’t worry—you’re not alone! A fantastic way to jumpstart your wellness goals is by trying a whole body cleanse.
Wait, what’s a cleanse? How does it work?
Think of a cleanse as a much-needed vacation for your body. It gives your system the time it needs to recover from stress, process toxins, and start fresh. While it might sound intimidating, it’s simpler than you think. Personally, I’ve completed several juice cleanses over the years, and though they can be challenging, the health benefits have been well worth it. Whether you go the juice route or try another type of cleanse, here are three key steps to help you get started:
1. Give Yourself a Checkup
The first and most important step is to assess where you’re at. Take inventory of your health habits and pinpoint areas for improvement. Are you consuming too much caffeine, alcohol, sugar, or processed foods? Are you exposed to toxic household cleaners or personal care products? Take stock and start removing those harmful elements from your life.
Pro tip: Before diving into a cleanse, consult your healthcare provider. The first time I tried a 30-day cleanse, I experienced hair loss due to an iron deficiency—yikes! While it all grew back (phew!), it was a scary experience that taught me the importance of professional guidance.
2. Stay Hydrated
Water is your best friend when it comes to flushing out toxins. Keep a glass or reusable water bottle handy and refill it often. This is especially crucial during a juice cleanse to avoid dehydration and those pesky detox headaches. If plain water feels monotonous, spice it up with slices of lemon, lime, cucumber, or even a sprig of mint. And here’s a fun fact: Studies show we drink more when using a straw. So, grab one and sip away!
3. Slow Down and Reflect
Gentle exercise like yoga, walking, or swimming can boost circulation and reduce stress during your cleanse. Afterward, treat yourself to a soothing steam or sauna session—it’s the ultimate reward!
Take a moment each day to reflect on your progress and set intentions for the future. Journaling, sketching, or connecting with like-minded individuals can be incredibly therapeutic during this transformative time.
4. Eat Mindfully Post-Cleanse
Once your cleanse is complete, focus on nourishing your body with whole, nutrient-rich foods. Leafy greens, high-fiber meals, and plant-based options should become staples in your diet. Avoid (or eliminate) processed foods, artificial ingredients, hydrogenated fats, caffeine, alcohol, and sugar. Smaller portions and organic choices will help you maintain that post-cleanse glow and energy.
Do you take time to cleanse your body and mind at the start of a new year? Or do you incorporate cleansing into your routine regularly? I’d love to hear how it’s impacted your life!
The holidays are all about celebrating acts of giving, making it the perfect opportunity to make your gift giving smarter this season. There are so many amazing businesses out there that give back when you purchase one of their products. These companies are tied to doing good somewhere in the world every time a purchase is made. Read on for my 4 favorite gifts that give back – and if you hurry you can still get these goodies by Christmas.
1. Warby Parker Glasses Eben and I both wear glasses and love the stylish, affordable frames from Warby Parker. For every pair of glasses that you buy, a pair is donated to a person in need. If you don’t wear glasses, that is alright – Warby Parker also offers fantastic sunglasses.
2. Feed Bags I have been familiar with FEED Bags for a very long time – I remember first seeing them in Whole Foods back when we lived in Georgia! FEED Bags come in a huge selection of styles and sizes and with each purchase a portion of the proceeds go towards feeding the children of the world.
3. TOMS Shoes Most likely you are already familiar with TOMS shoes – for every pair you purchase a pair is donated to a child in need. With a great selection of shoes for everyone on your list, TOMS is the perfect holiday gift!
4. Bogo Brush Every year I stick a toothbrush in the holiday stocking – this year I will be stuffing a brush from Bogo Brush! Bogo Brush is another company that donates a product to a child in need – in this case, an eco-friendly toothbrush made from waste – because a healthy smile is a happy smile.
