Loving Lately Part 2

Hey, hey, hey!
Here's loving lately part 2!

Confession time. I've lived in Colorado for nearly my entire life and I can't remember the last time I owned snow boots. I mean, I know I had them as a kid (purple with white fake fur I think) and that is the last pair I remember. I've been without snow boots for my entire adult life. In Colorado. Normally I wear UGG boots that get soaked through in about 10 seconds when its snowy. This year I knew I needed to get some real boots and get some I did. These boots are so warm, comfy, completely waterproof, and somehow both rugged and cute. I LOVE these boots and they were on sale so it was a win win! I follow this fashion blogger and she is the best. She always alerts me to the best sales.

These are my new favorite accessory! They are leather, so light you can hardly tell you are wearing earrings, and incredibly cute. My friend Emily started a little business making these a few months ago and I couldn't be happier. I love that they come in so many different colors and styles making them a perfect fit for everyone! Head over to EBdesigns to give her page a like and see more of her awesome earrings. 

 

  I've loved Trader Joe's for years. When Jeff and I moved to Washington after we were first married I was pretty lonely. It was strange being a new place and not knowing anyone. When I found out there was a Trader Joe's near our house I was so excited. I soon started to feel like I was heading to a best friends house every time I went shopping:) I still feel those same feelings every time I step into a Trader Joe's. Which brings us to these hash browns. Convenient, cheap, tasty. My kids love them, my husband loves them, I love them. They are so easy to heat up in the morning for a quick breakfast and delicious enough to include in a big Saturday morning breakfast.

 

I got these hair ties from Knapsack for Christmas and they are so great! I wasn't sure if they would hold my hair securely enough but by some magic, they do. It stretches out to hold your hair and then shrinks back to its original size when you take it out! I love how colorful and different they are. Anni loves them too so we've been sharing

 

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Loving Lately January 2018!

Happy New Year! Life always feels so crisp and fresh at the start of a new year. We took our decorations down on Monday (wow, just yesterday??) and I thought I was going to be sad about it but the house looks so clean and uncluttered. I love it.

Now down to business and a little bit about the products that I feature on these Loving Lately posts. As a mom of many small children I don't have a lot of extra time to think during the day. Over the years I've streamlined our daily routine to reduce stress and yelling (crying lol) because I find that everyone is in a better mood when life is predictable. I have favorite things that I reach for each day that make living easy and fun. The items that make it on to my "love it" list are things that I use every day because they are truly the best and have helped to enrich our lives in some way!

I have a long list of things I'm loving this month so look for another post next week!

This week:

These books  by Brad Meltzer. The kids got these for Christmas this year and they are incredible. Brief but wonderfully uplifting histories of some amazing people. They each have a really great message at the end that makes me tear up a little each time I read it. One of my favorites from "I am Abraham Lincoln":
 "In life, strength can take many forms. But there's nothing quite as strong as standing up for someone who needs it.
 No matter where you're from, or how little you have, one thing that can never be taken away from you is your voice.
 When you find something you believe in, use your voice.
And when you see injustice, speak louder than you've ever spoken before." Such a beautiful and empowering message for kids. Such a great way to introduce things like justice, bravery, kindness, etc.

 

I gifted myself these signs from my talented friend Sarah at Kairos Creations. I was able to customize this round one, its double sided, and I love absolutely everything about it. I am so glad I have these beautiful reminders of God's promises to us as we head into this new year. 

 

If you've resolved to start removing toxins from your home in 2018 and like to clean, or even if you don't like to clean but are forced to because living = messiness you must get this cleaner. This bottle is filled with thieves cleaner concentrate so all you have to do is fill a spray bottle with water and then dump 1-3 caps of concentrate in and you're done. It lasts forever and can be used to clean EVERYTHING. Counters, carpets, stainless steel, windows, bathrooms (moms of boys this has been a lifesaver for me...you know what I mean), floors, etc. It smells fantastic and is formulated with oils that have antiviral and antibacterial properties. Here is a great scrub recipe (works so well as a comet replacement) for sinks, tubs, toilets: mix 1/2 cup of baking soda with thieves cleaner until it makes a paste then add 2 drops lemon oil. You can adjust this based on how much you need at the time :)

That's it for this week friends! I love reading your comments so feel free to drop one below!

Loving lately - December 2017

Hello again old friends! This time of year always has me thinking of my favorite things. There are a lot of things on my list but here are my top 4 this month:

This pine syrup from Dram Apothecary. One of my favorite stores in town, Knapsack, started carrying this syrup and I was intrigued the moment I saw it. PINE flavored syrup that you can use with anything from tea/coffee to meats? What? You guys, its GOOD! It doesn't taste overwhelmingly piney. It's sweet, has a subtle taste of pine (reminds me of gin), and it really does taste amazing in tea/coffee or my favorite, sparkling water. It's like a light, fresh tasting soda. I'm in love

In my mind, Rifle paper company can do no wrong. Everything they make is both functional and a work of art. I love love love this cute little journal. Its absolutely beautiful, not too bulky, and the soft cover can easily be opened and laid flat or tucked underneath for easy writing. These make excellent gifts for just about everyone. Check them out!

 Every year around thanksgiving I pull out Christmas Spirit and Idaho Balsam Fir and diffuse away until sometime in early spring haha! This combo gives me all the Christmas/winter/cozy/chestnuts roasting by an open fire feels and I love them. Not only does Idaho balsam fir smell amazing, it works wonders on sore muscles and supports the respiratory system! You're welcome ;)

 Little Giraffe baby blankets are the best! All of my kids have a small one that they have had since they were born. They are SO soft and the perfect size for small hands to carry around. The boys have loved theirs so well they are completely ripped and discolored now. Calvin will be getting this new beauty for Christmas! These also make great gifts and there are so many adorable styles and colors to choose from

Tell me what YOU are loving lately! I always enjoy trying new things

Natural home cleaning products

Sometimes I go out of my way to make things that I could just as easily buy at the store. Usually my projects take 10x longer than they are supposed to and look like scary pinterest fails when I'm done with them. Once in awhile a project is really worth the time I put in and comes out looking fantastic and working well. Not only are these household cleaners super quick and easy to make, they work just as well as the chemical cleaners I've used in the past. I used to wait to clean until the kids were in another room or napping because I was so worried about fumes from the cleaners (or the mushroom cloud of comet dust when cleaning the bathtub). The ingredient list on these simple cleaners is short and sweet and they all smell fantastic thanks to essential oils (which also do wonders in the cleaning process). Grab the ingredients and try these recipes out! You'll thank me ;)

First up: Laundry detergent! This detergent is safe for all washing machines, even HE :) I use 1-2 Tbsp depending on the load size. I tend to use about 5 drops of each essential oil per batch but you can always add a few more if you want. Some of my favorite essential oil combos: Purification and lemon, Peppermint and lemon, Lavender and eucalyptus

 Next: cleaning scrub! Let me start by saying that I'm a HUGE fan of comet. I love it. It has always worked so well for us. I never thought I would find a product that could work as well. Then I made this cleaning scrub! It has minimal ingredients so I don't have to worry if there is a little residue in the kids' bathtub or if I want to clean while the kids are around. It smells so fresh and so clean and is a cinch to whip up

 Thieves cleaner. Young living sells a thieves cleaner concentrate that I can't live without. Love it (and you can clean everything with it, truly multipurpose). This do it yourself thieves cleaner is also wonderful. It makes cleaning fun :)

One of the main reasons I tend to not make my own cleaning products is that I hate ordering the supplies! Here are links to some of my favorites. You can order all of the containers on amazon and have them shipped to your door :) I get my vinegar, washing soda, epsom salt, etc. at target or walmart. Most of the bottles and containers come in bulk so invite some friends over and have a party! 

Glass spray bottles

Mason jars

Shaker lids