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5 Eco-friendly Christmas crafts: Upcycled decorations using cardboard
Eco-friendly Christmas crafts make this season of consumption feel more less wasteful and more meaningful. By using materials like cardboard, paper bags, and paper tubes, we can create handmade decorations that are both sustainable and full of charm! Making your own decorations from discarded items around the house is an easy, affordable way to celebrate the holidays while reducing waste and adding something uniquely personal to your home. Whether you’re decorating your home, crafting with kids, or looking to reduce your holiday footprint, these projects bring creativity and sustainability together. Looking for more fun activities to do with kids? Check out past posts here! Why craft with cardboard, paper bags,…
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Stretch your Dollars this Season with these 6 Easy Budget Challenges
We are about to enter one of the most expensive seasons of the year and, with prices skyrocketing everywhere, there’s potential for the holidays to break the bank. It can be difficult to figure out where to cut costs and save money, so I have some budget challenges that can help inspire you to save. Budget Challenge #1: The Pantry Challenge What is a pantry challenge? A pantry challenge is a way to use up items that you purchased in past grocery shops but have been sitting unused in your cupboard. How does it work? Shop your cupboards! (And maybe the back of your fridge too). This is a way…
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Project DIY: Macramé Plant Hanger
We love a good DIY project! It’s not just fun — it’s a meaningful way to create something beautiful without breaking the bank or hurting the planet. This macramé plant hanger is perfect for gifting: made from simple yarn or macramé twine and an upcycled container, it’s budget-friendly, eco-friendly, and a great gift for the plant lovers in your life! I had intended this project as a follow up to the beautiful glass container I shared about in this post, but unfortunately, the container fell and broke as I was trying to tie the bottom of the plant hanger. Lesson learned: use a less breakable item for this step in…
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Fun and frugal activities with kids: National Play-Doh day
Most parents are familiar with play-doh – that soft, colorful dough that kids can spend hours rolling, squishing, cutting, and shaping into anything. My kids have created everything from scupltures to mushy soup with it, and of course I pretend to eat it. In honor of this simple and much-loved compound, today, September 16th is officially known as National Play-Doh Day! That means it’s time to get hands-on with some creative and budget-friendly fun – but there’s a way to do it without the plastic tubs. With just a few pantry staples, you can make your own Play-Doh at home that’s just as good (if not better!)—and eco-friendlier too. We’ve…
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Camping with almost nothing and realizing it’s enough
This year my family’s big summer adventure was a ten day camping trip to Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast. Though it feels like we take a lot while we’re scrambling to pack, it really is relatively minimal: a small duffel bag of clothes for each of us, some basic cooking gear, toiletries, blankets, and some beach toys. This carefully curated (and thrown hastily in the car) bunch of items didn’t include many “just in case” outfits, rooms full of toys, or endless options…and they were enough! Waking up to the quiet of nature, cooking over a small stove, and spending the day with less of the usual clutter of…
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Sustainable living on a budget: The magic of baking soda
If you’re passionate about sustainability and looking for ways to reduce waste and cut household costs, baking soda is a simple and effective answer! This affordable, natural compound (sodium bicarbonate) is a powerful multitasker that can replace many products around the house – helping save money while shrinking our impact on the environment. Baking soda in the kitchen When it comes to cleaning, baking soda’s gentle abrasiveness and natural alkalinity make it a superb choice for tackling grime, neutralizing odors, and breaking down grease. In the kitchen, for example, baking soda shines as a multi-use cleaner. Sprinkle it on stubborn stains in the sink or other surfaces that can handle…
