Today is our 15th wedding anniversary! It feels good – really, really good! As we chatted in bed this morning, we talked about some of the milestones in our marriage so far. We moved into our first home in Salt Lake City, gutted and remodeled it. We moved to Florida. We moved to Georgia. We moved to Colorado. We moved back to Florida. We bought a handful of homes, we sold a handful of homes. We have traveled all over the country. We lived at the beach for a summer. We have had 6 sweet dogs. We had one amazing child!
It is a wonderful thing to be a part of a happy marriage. While we have definitely had our challenges, we have always been able to work through all of them and ultimately it has made our relationship iron clad. We have grown together and I am thankful to spend every day together.
I love recycling. It makes me feel like I’m doing my little part to help save the world. I also feel a little guilty whenever I drop my recycling off because I’m always thinking of ways to reuse things. A great spin on reusing your recycled and no longer needed goods is “upcycling” which you may have heard of before. Upcycling is upgrading something that would otherwise just be recycled. It’s so simple, saves money, and turns anyone into an artist!
I am an avid upcycler, and love to reuse anything I can get my hands on. A few years ago, I found an old, 70’s or 80’s style coffee table, and turned it into an ottoman with about $15 worth of supplies. It was super fun, and I got so many compliments! I also upcycle clothes, since I’m a huge thrift shopper. When I find something I can’t wear right off the rack due to size, I whip out my sewing machine, and get to work. All it takes is a few stitches to turn an old skirt into a dress, or make a quilt out of a bunch of T-shirts. Now, you don’t have to do anything complex to upcycle, all it requires is creativity and an ever-inspired mind.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to upcycle:
1. Turn old pallets into furniture, wall gardens, and more. I’ve even seen pallets turned into movie theater styled seating, how awesome!
2. Take an old rain barrel and turn into a composter for your biodegradable scraps and use the compost as fertilizer for your garden.
3. Wine glasses and glass bottles can be used for so many things. I used mine as wall decorations and a night light for my bathroom.
4. Turn bottle caps into tea lights with shoe lace and wax from used candles.
5. I’ve never done this one, but have always wanted to – turn an old TV into an aquarium!
I hope I got those creative juices flowing – it’s only a matter of time before you’ll be thinking about what you can do with all that stuff left on the curb on garbage day.
Have you upcycled before? If so, tell me your favorite or most memorable upcycling project in the comments section above!
I have been using aloe vera very for many years now. I was first introduced to this amazing plant by my grandmother who was the queen of all things natural – she knew all of remedies that always seem to work. Now most of us know that aloe vera can sooth the painful sunburns that we all dread, but that isn’t the only thing our friend Mr. Aloe can do! Here are some other great ways to make use of it – read on to check them out.
1. For Your Beautiful Face Back in my teenage years I didn’t have the best of skin. I had a lot of breakouts and my skin was very oily. My grandmother came to my rescue! She told me to use aloe vera as a facial mask, so one night I gave it a try. I took a chunk of aloe from the plant and I rubbed it all over my face, yes it is a bit slimy but I experienced amazing results! It also helps with your happy lines (aka wrinkles).
2. Drink It If you’re having some tummy problems, aloe vera can help. Aloe helps with your digestion and gets rid of those unwanted toxins. Use with caution because aloe vera is a super laxative – however, when used in moderation your tummy will be feeling better in no time.
3. For Your Scalp Aloe has been known to treat dandruff and help sooth an itchy scalp. Your everyday dandruff products can be very strong in smell and many of them are loaded with harmful chemical and toxins. I remember growing up my dad used Selsun Blue, I could smell it from across the hall! Instead, grab some aloe to relieve your scalp naturally.
4. For Minor Cuts Aloe vera can also help heal minor wounds such as a cut or a graze, although it is not recommended for deeper more serious cuts. If you fall off your bike or if your child has a small scrap on her knee, avoid the squinting and the ouch! And rub on some aloe vera.
Do you have other ways that you use aloe vera? We would love to hear!
Fall is the perfect time to get creative outside with your children. For the fall issue of Green Child Magazine, I created a simple recycled fairy bridge that will have your child embracing their wonder of the magical world of fairies. Grab a few simple supplies from the recycling bin and craft closet to get started, then head outside to bring the fairy bridge to life. You can check out the instructions above (you can click on the photo to enlarge it) – then, grab your free subscription to Green Child Magazine and check out the fall issue too!
Hello, Friends! How are you doing? How was your week? Busy? Laid back? Anything fun and exciting to report? Any fun plans for the upcoming weekend?
I am ready for it to cool off just a little bit here in Florida, just enough so we can start eating dinner outside on the patio! There is something about eating outside that just makes any meal taste better. Do you agree? It is one of my favorite things about fall time in Florida. In fact, I should probably spend a little time cleaning our patio – it could use a good scrub down!
While I get to cleaning the patio, here are a few green things to take you into the weekend:
