How to live like every day is Earth Day

In honor of earth day I wanted to share some of the things me and my family do daily to be "green" and also our goals to improve our lifestyle  and health as an Eco friendly family.

Simple ways to be Green:

1. Always turn off lights, tvs, radios and computers when not using them
2. Unplug all electronics when not using them. We unplug our coffee pot , toaster, cell phone chargers etc because even if they are off they are still using energy. (this will save you money too)
3. At night we try to use candles for light when we can
4. The obvious :RECYCLE ! Recycle paper, plastic ,glass, grocery bags, batteries , electronics, clothes and furniture(remember ,donating to organizations such as Goodwill is still recycling !)
5. Use plastic reusable containers for food instead of one time use bags

DIY Painted Mirror

I love garage sales and Goodwill and always seem to find something I like, but sometimes it's not exactly what  I want so I have to make it my own. Today I painted this wood floor length mirror a minty blue/green. My room is mainly neutral colors so I thought that this would add a nice springy pop of color ! I only did one coat of acrylic paint (Americana in sea breeze) because I wanted just a hint of the wood to still show through the paint to get a little "shabby chic". I have painted all sorts of goodwill items such as frames, clocks, candlestiks, even a basket I now use in my baby's nusery to hold his blankets.
Pick out some paint at the craft store, get a couple different size brushes and get painting !
Don't forget:

• wear old clothes
• always lay a tarp or newspapers down first
• have paper towels and water there for mess-ups
• plan ahead!

My Spring Cleaning Checklist

My spring cleaning checklist does not have every single cleaning to-do on it. I leave out some of the daily/weekly/monthly to-do's and try to concentrate on things that are often left unnoticed by me. I also find that I get inspired to get rid of things I don't use or wear anymore during springtime  ( probably so I can make room for new things !)

1. Go through food pantry- check expiration dates, wipe off tops of cans with wet rag, drop off food to shelter that has been sitting on your shelf for months

2. Go through fridge- again check expiration dates, take everything out and clean/disinfect entire fridge ( don't forget under and on top too!)

New Momma Tip # 4

Dollar stores are my new favorite place to get cleaning products, personal items, décor, craft items and more !
For most cleaning products , dollar stores are the place to go. I get my "pledge", glass cleaner, bathroom cleaner, toilet cleaner, and even wipes for my wet Swiffer! The only product I buy from other stores is a natural kitchen cleaner that does not contain any harsh chemicals.


Decorative items are also great finds at the dollar store, if you know what to look for and how to use them. Picture  frames , candles, incense, vases, etc. are super cheap  ways to add charm to your home. I love to get simple small baskets and use them for decorative storage around my home. Baskets can be quite pricey so buying them for a dollar means you can buy several !

DIY Nursery Decorations

One of the handmade decorations I crafted for my baby boys nursery is an easy cheap wall decoration that I made in under 20 minutes. I had the materials needed already in my home so this project cost nothing !
First I picked out a piece of ribbon and decided how long I wanted it to hang down on my wall. Then I searched on Google for a clipart shape of an elephant. (You can use any animal shape or a flower or umbrella... anything that matches your nursery theme!) I don't have a printer so I just traced very lightly the outline of the elephant right off my laptop. Once I had the "stencil" drawn out I took several different pieces of scrapbook paper and cut the elephant shape out very carefully. I then glued each elephant to the piece of ribbon  just a couple inches apart from each other. After I let it dry I then hung it up on the wall with a tack. SO EASY! so get crafting !! : D

makeup review

I bought a couple products from Target the other day and wanted to share what I thought of them.
The first is the NIVEA Lip Butter in Raspberry rose kiss. It feels exactly how it sounds- it glides on like a thick creamy butter but doesn't make your lips sticky. It really hydrates them and it tastes and smells great! There are other flavors ( caramel cream and original )and I am definitely going to have to try them. Hopefully they come out with more !

The second makeup product I bought was the new Cover Girl Clump Crusher. I am pretty picky about mascara and I have tried all sorts of types and brands. This one is now one of my favorites. It makes my lashes very long , a bit volumized and  you can layer several coats of mascara and it won't clump ! I also really like these types of mascara brushes.

Purse Organization Tip

Today at Target I discovered a way to keep all my reward/loyalty cards in order. For around $6 I bought the "Organizher". Then I got a $5 simple credit card and ID holder from Target as well. I had this huge fat wallet that limited what type of purses I could use and was so crammed full of stuff I never could find anything anyways ! This will make finding cards much easier! If you are a rewards junky like me- I highly recommend getting one of these !