DIY - So Easy Being Green

How Does She Sleep!? DIY Stuffed Animals Storage

Seriously - How does she sleep in there!? Before Sophia was born, I had an unspoken rule - no stuffed toys. From my experience in a childcare setting, I just knew what a breeding ground of germs they are. But then Miss Sophia fell in love with Mickey and she got the set from the Disney store. Then her Papaw got her a special dog on Valentine's Day. Then she got another that "I just love, Mama!" then another... and another. We've had to implement a new rule. Only 3 stuffed animals in Sophia's bed at bedtime. The rule gets broken, oh, I don't know every other night, but we're limiting that's for sure. So, I started scouring Pinterest for ideas on how to control the animals that aren't in her bed instead of having them thrown all over the … [Read more...]

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Lindsey

Filed Under: children, diy · 1 Comment

Easy and Green: The Homegrown Collective Box

If you haven't noticed already, I'm kind of a sucker for anything easy. If it's easy and green, well, my ears are perked. The Homegrown Collective Green Box Subscription is just that. It's easy - comes straight to your door with tons of instructions and it's green because it's packed full of products to help you live sustainably and sufficiently. The Homegrown Collective is dedicated to providing its members with products that foster self-sufficiency and promote environmental stewardship and sustainability. Just like many subscription style services, The Homegrown Collective sends out a new themed box every month. I received the January box which included the HOME Remedies and Cure-Alls products. When I say full, I mean full! I was so excited to see what was inside. I … [Read more...]

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Lindsey

Filed Under: Finished Giveaways, Green · 8 Comments

Nighttime Potty Training {& a DIY Mattress Pad Cover}: When Parenting Gets Tough {a series}

Today I'm tackling one of the toughest parts of parenting a toddler - Potty Training. Well, specifically Nighttime Potty Training. I would almost guarantee that every parent would list Potty Training on a list of Tough Parts of Parenting {well, that is until they reach the teenage years} and although there are a ton of methods of Potty Training out there - one doesn't work for everybody. Luckily, Sophia started potty training very early. She was wearing panties at 18 months, but still had occasional accidents and actually still does. It's really hard for a 2.5 year old to pause in play to take a potty break. But now we're dealing with Nighttime Potty Training. Nighttime Potty Training Nighttime Potty Training isn't quite as predictable as day potty training {is any of it predictable, … [Read more...]

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Lindsey

Filed Under: diy, Green, parenting, potty training, sewing · 20 Comments

My Beginner Sewing Projects

Rob bought me a sewing machine for Mother's Day last year. I had such big plans - I wanted to learn to make so many things! But, I never even took the cover off of my machine for a few months. Even then I only did a few straight stitches, nothing special. But I'm determined to go from Beginner Sewing Amateur to a Sewing Novice {but only for personal hire}. ;) Finally I decided to tackle my first project. I was having a fun, coffee-theme party for some friends and I wanted to make cute coffee cozies for them to take home. I jumped right in and was pleasantly surprised at how well they turned out! They were a big hit - and a successful beginner sewing project, but would you believe I hadn't tried to make anything since!? There have been quite a few life moments between … [Read more...]

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Lindsey

Filed Under: diy, sewing · 30 Comments

Our New Headboard from Walls Need Love

Isn't this vintage headboard lovely!? Would you believe it's a vinyl sticker? If you follow me on Pinterest, you know that I have a board dedicated to "for our bed". I've been wanting a headboard for, well, four years now. When Rob and I got married, my cousin gave us her King sized bed. They had just purchased a new one and I was ecstatic to get a King size! It was only the frame and a mattress, but it worked for us! Last year with Christmas money from our parents, we were finally able to upgrade our mattress but we were still lacking a headboard. When the sweet folks behind Walls Need Love contacted me about trying out their vinyl wall stickers, I said sure, of course. I love vinyl stickers and have quite a few in the girls room to help decorate with a theme. … [Read more...]

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Lindsey

Filed Under: diy, family, Review · 11 Comments

Toddler Crafts with Green Kid Crafts

I've been working on putting more effort into Sophia's "School Time" everyday. It's getting a bit easier now that Moreaya is on a good schedule and Sophia love love loves doing crafts, practicing her alphabet, drawing, and doing crafts {did I mention that a couple times? Well, that's how much she enjoys it!}. I've gotten a lot of my ideas for toddler crafts from Pinterest, which are all pretty much DIY. I love Pinterest, but it does take some time to gather up all the supplies and by gather, I mean go buy them at the store because most I don't have on hand, and do it all myself. That's why when I came across Green Kid Crafts, I totally wanted to try them out! Sophia received her first box in the mail and this box's theme was "Feathered Friends". I was so … [Read more...]

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Lindsey

Filed Under: diy, family, Green, Review · 3 Comments

Sophia’s DIY Ice Cream Shop

So, I apologize... I teased you all with Sophia's cute new Ice Cream Shop a few weeks ago on Facebook and promised a tutorial soon after but never fulfilled! Well, better late than never - right!? We bought a double jogging stroller and a bike trailer at about the same time, so I had 2 big cardboard boxes that I hated to just throw away! So, I went to Pinterest for some inspiration. I got some great ideas from here and here - and made up my own! Here's a tutorial to make your own cardboard ice cream shop! 1. You'll need a big box! 2. I taped the flaps up, to make the shop taller. I reinforced the flaps with smaller pieces of cardboard, taped in the creases. 3. I chose to cut out the back of the box, leaving a bit of the sides intact to keep it sturdy. One of the tutorials I saw cut one of the … [Read more...]

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Lindsey

Filed Under: diy, Green, parenting · 4 Comments

Preparing for Sophia’s 2nd Birthday Party! #ExpressYourself

I have been quite a busy Mama over the past week or two! I've been planning, crafting, and shopping for Sophia's 2nd Birthday party... which has become a job {but quite a fun one} all on it's own! Last year we had a fun, 50's and Rock 'n' Roll 1st Birthday theme, so when I started thinking about themes for her 2nd Birthday Party, I immediately decided on a Dora Party. I started pinning away and was really getting into the theme until I was discussing the party ideas with my Mom and Sophia overheard. She proclaimed, "I don't want a Dora Party. I want a Mickey party!" I've told you all that this little lady knows what she wants... so, guess what kind of party she's having!? A Mickey-inspired party! Once themes changed, I still took to Pinterest for some ideas and then picked and chose what I liked and came up with my own … [Read more...]

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Lindsey

Filed Under: cbias, family, parenting · 6 Comments

Make your own Diaper Sprayer – DIY Diaper Sprayer (Tutorial)

Tip of the Day: Extra tough stains? Mix Lemon Juice with Water and spray on your inserts while sunning them... Eco- & Cloth Diaper-Friendly Bleach-er! Be sure the inserts are wet when you spray, then sun. Throw them back in the washer for one last rinse cycle when done (to avoid any reactions on your baby's bum!). One of the most dreaded parts of cloth diapering, to newbies at least (it definitely was to me), is the poopy diaper. At first you worry about the "ick" factor and then it evolves to the "oh, no, my beautiful diapers are stained!" factor. A diaper sprayer will help both of those concerns. I've read numerous times that if your baby is exclusively breast-fed (EBF) that their poop is water soluble and can be put directly into your washer. I don't know about you, but I just didn't like the sound of that. So, … [Read more...]

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Lindsey

Filed Under: cloth diapers, diy · 5 Comments

DIY Wool Dryer Balls

Tip of the Day: Here's a quick tip to extend the life of your velcro and keep the tabs from curling so much. When you put them in the wash, attach one to it's laundry tab, then bring the other over to attach on top. This works with any diaper that has tabs similar to Bumgenius (Rumparooz, Thirsties, Bummis, etc.). Wool Dryer Balls seem to be the major craze right now in cloth diapering accessories. There are lots of WAHMs that make them, but none seemed ready to part with a pair of balls for a giveaway for this event. So... I decided to DIY it up! Lucky for you... I did the research and you get to reap the benefits... it's all here in one place! I used the goodmama tutorial, but did my own tweaking. [1] Supplies: You will need: Wool Yarn (be sure it's 100% wool), Regular Acrylic Yarn, … [Read more...]

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Lindsey

Filed Under: cloth diapers, diy, Green · 9 Comments