Weekend Wishes

Well, my entire week was shot due to my being sick, I am lucky that I had enough energy to get dressed and put some deodorant on… I am still not 100% better but I am no longer a puddle of misery on the couch. =) I am keeping my weekend wishes pretty basic because let’s face it- when mom is sick the house goes to the kids! I got some major cleaning, laundry, and grocery shopping to do! But sprinkled in there are some fun goals of my own:

to make some of these lovelies…. sunshine on a stick!

make some fun Dr. Seuss shirts, read The Lorax, and eat green eggs

go to Target and ONLY get what is on the list!

watch some chick flicks and catch up on my painting and Etsy store stuff

Find me some yummy Pyrex!

make some of my own cleaners and laundry soap

And that is about it for me. Rest, plan for some upcoming projects, teach dance, blog…

what’s in store for your weekend??

Etsy Picks: Valentine’s Day

Hello friends! It seems like love is everywhere you look and Etsy is no different, with a great selection of gifts for your true love whether it is your kids, husband, wife, mum… here are just a few beautiful handmade goodies I have found:

1. Ultimate Sweetheart Valentine Cake Pops

2. Pretty Sterling Silver Valentine’s Heart Necklace

3. Dusty Rose Infinity Scarf

4. Ceramic Bunny Love Bowl

5. Conversational Heart Soaps

6. Lovely Elf Plush

7. Deep Ruby Canvas Ruffled Bag

There are many treasuries as well devoted to the day of love (or un-love if you are in the Anti-Valentine’s Day group) so be sure to check them out if you are in need of a unique gift for your love!

Saturday Loves

Oh my goodness have I been seeing the best crafts, DIYs, and recipes lately… I just have to share!

1. Matchbox Mini Art - finally a cute way to display Kinder toys, Squinkies, or Lego people!

2. Bookmark Valentines -an adorable valentine for the bookwork in your family

3. Boarding School Badges – a great gift for Harry Potter fans, or to hand our special duties in your home… I would totally be the Librarian!

4. Pretty Plastic Cup Lampshades - I love how these look for a playroom or a bedroom… clever!

5. Two Ingredient Valentine’s Day Fudge – this just looks yummy and whips up pretty quick!

6. Easy Peasy Nutella Cookies – tried these are LOOOOOOVE them… seriously, make them. =)

There are a lot more fun links to share so check back tomorrow!!

Book Review: I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Christmas is only 50 something days away and already the commercials are going, ads are out, and stores are setting all their displays up. I don’t really mind the early arrival of the decor because it is one of my favorite times of year, plus I get a head start on my shopping strategy for the girls. Even though we have the 4 gift rule, I still put a few surprises under the tree from Santa and us.

One of my objectives this year is to make it a little greener and actually par down our house a bit. I plan on using fabric to wrap gifts, removing and recycling packaging before present opening, and more. When I spotted the book I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas at our local library I had to give it a peek.

Inside this pretty book you will find easy recipes, ideas for eco-friendly decorations, and ways to cut down on the environmental impact of the holiday season. I really enjoyed  some of the gift ideas like the recycled tshirt potholders and the recycled cashmere pillows. This is more of an adult based book rather than geared towards a family. It touches on buying organic caviar and sending e-greetings rather than sending actual Christmas cards. All in all, I thought that there were great ideas for making your holiday easier on the Earth while still enjoying many of the traditional happenings of Christmas.

I would have like to see more information geared towards a family with smaller children and crafts that they could participate in, there was one page that had about 6 ideas for eco-friendly gift giving. It is a visually pretty book and the photos are pleasant to look at, very calming.

How do you try to keep your Christmas a littler “greener”? Is this a book you might consider for your own holidays?