I'm a wife, stay-at-home mom, crafter, and blogger living in rural New England. As seen in Martha Stewart Living, Food Network Magazine, and more! | Tutorials, DIY, crafts, parenting tips, recipes, money saving tips, product reviews, local product features, New England living, intentional living, and more! |
Just wanted to share this easy, cute homemade gift idea for anyone with small kids in a snowy climate - DIY Simple Snowman Kits! Since we aren’t able to get together with a lot of family and friends again this year (thanks Covid), we decided to make and send these little kits so our kids could “help” their friends make their own snowmen from afar. | This post contains affiliate links |
Really there isn’t too much to explain for this project — we gathered some basic materials, painted them, and then packaged them together before including a little note from the kids.
EYES: For the eyes we used wooden toy wheels from a craft store (similar ones linked) that we painted black - but you could use just about anything, including painted rocks or scrap wood. NOSE: For the nose I whittled down some pieces of scrap wood into a rough carrot shape, then painted them orange. HEART: For the hearts we glued together two layers of pre-cut balsa wood hearts we had picked up at a craft store (similiar ones linked), then painted them red. BUTTONS (OPTIONAL): We did not include buttons in our kits but you can include painted rocks, small pieces of scrap wood, or actual large buttons in your kits to be used as buttons. GIFT BAG: We packaged our kits up in some organza gift bags I had on hand (similar ones linked), but you could wrap them up in a number of ways including using a piece of fabric that could double as a scarf!
Then I had the kids make the gift tags and write notes to their friends - they loved coming up with special drawings and messages! Our friends really enjoyed getting these kits and I’m excited to see how their snowmen turn out. Hopefully these Snowmen supplies will be something they can reuse for future winters too! Just add snow… ;)
PS - I have a few kits left over listed for sale in my Etsy Shop if you would like to check them out. Just click the button below to shop:
Now through Tuesday November 30th, take 10-20% off everything in our Etsy Shop, no coupon code needed! At the moment we have a variety of great vintage finds, handmade ornaments, our new New England Lakeside Baseball Cap, and more! Quantities are limited and many of the vintage items are one-of-a-kind, so I recommend shopping early if you’ve had your eye on something.
Happy Fall! It’s such a beautiful day I thought we’d celebrate by running a sale - now through Friday October 22nd take 10% off everything in my Etsy Shop, no coupon code needed! At the moment we have a variety of great vintage finds, some handmade ornaments, our new New England Lakeside Baseball Cap, and more! Quantities are limited and many of the vintage items are one-of-a-kind, so I recommend shopping early if you’ve had your eye on something ;)
We’re personally huge fans of consigning and shopping secondhand - in fact everything I’m wearing today is secondhand and name brand (blouse and jeans are Ann Taylor and the leather mocs are M.Gemi, which is a fancy Italian luxury brand I could never afford new). Right now I’m putting together a bag of winter consignments to bring to M&C Clothing and Gifts in Amherst, NH, one of our favorite consignment shops.
We love consigning because the money we earn from reselling our items can be spent at the consignment shops we use for new-to-us clothing and other items - it’s like trading up what we don’t want anymore for what we do. Reduce-Reuse-Recycle.
If you’ve been thinking of giving consignment shopping/selling a try, check out my past blog post where I share some tips on the process:
Recently I realized “Crap. I’m almost in my mid-30’s… and it’s all downhill from here. Time to start proactively taking care of my skin!” Up until this point I was just washing my face and maybe using some moisturizer some days and that was it. Thankfully I don’t really have any wrinkles or fine lines to speak of - yet - but I know they’ll be coming on soon. After some trial and error and consulting some friends that are really into skincare products, I settled on a simple routine that I’m enjoying so far and feel as though I’m getting the best bang for my buck. The best part? Most of these are inexpensive drug store finds, with just a few high-end heavy hitters. | This post contains affiliate links |
Simple Mid-30's Skincare Routine - Everything I’m using as the moment, including occasional treatments.
Disclaimer: I am not a “beauty blogger” or skincare expert, just sharing what I’m using and loving so far. It’s a good idea to consult your dermatologist or a skincare expert for more specific recommendations for your skin type and lifestyle. Also make sure to consult your doctor if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, as certain skincare ingredients should not be used during those times.
AM Routine
Simple Mid-30's Skincare Routine - AM
Step One:Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleanser Every morning I start with using this Neturogena Naturals Cleanser, I really love this one because it's very gentle on my sensitive skin and smells amazing.
Step Two: CeraVe Vitamin C Serum (not pictured.. I started using this after I first published this post) After I cleanse and before I moisturize I put a little bit of this Vitamin C Serum on my skin. I feel as though it's made a big difference in evening out my skin tone and brightening. I also really love the way it feels!
Step Three: Clinique Moisture Surge Moisturizer I have been using this moisturizer for years and LOVE it. It's so light and a little goes a really long way. While it is a little on the expensive side, one jar lasts me forever so I definitely get a lot bang for my buck with this one.
What I'm Missing:SUNSCREEN This is a huge hole in my daily regimen and I know that... I have been trying to find a light, mineral based sunscreen for daily wear and haven't found the right one just yet. Once I find one I like I will update this post - and if you have any you love, please let me know!
PM Routine
Simple Mid-30's Skincare Routine - PM Routine
Step One: Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water This cleanser is perfect for end-of-day cleansing and removing makeup. I use the Blue verison since I sometimes wear waterproof mascara and it works like a charm to take it all off (the Pink version is reccomended for regular cleansing and non-water proof makeup removal). I just put a little bit on a cotton round and wipe it all away, no rinsing needed.
Step Two: Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum This serum has come highly reccomended to me by so many people as an important part of their daily skincare routine. It has hyaluronic acid which is supposed to help moisturize your skin and reduce fine lines. While I can't attest to wrinkle reduction (I don't have any yet), it does make my skin feel amazingly smooth afterwards and I'm hoping it will keep fine lines at bay in the future. This serum can be expensive but I find a little goes a long way and I haven't made much of a dent in the bottle at all yet.
These are things I do occasionally, maybe once every 2-4 weeks or whenever I feel like it. I never use both masks in the same weekend though - I spread them out.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrogel Mask This is a great, refreshing, hydrating mask. Love using this when my skin might be feeling a little dull or dry.
Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask This mask is amazing for deep cleaning pores! It comes as a powder and you mix a little in a bowl with some warm water to make the mask - you can also mix it with a little bit of Apple Cider Vinegar to give the mask a little more power. Since you mix it yourself you can stretch one jar for a long time.
Vanicream Lite Lotion I got this as a sample and love it for spot treating any extra dry spots that occasionally pop up, especially after doing a mask. It's fragrence-free too which is a nice break when my skin might be feeling sensitive.
Important Buying Tip: When purchasing “higher end” brands (such as Clinique or Estée Lauder), always make sure you’re purchasing directly from the company or from an established department store chain (such as Nordstrom, Macy’s, etc) to make sure you’re getting real, legitimate products. While you may be able to find high-end brands listed for sale on other online retailers (yes, even the big ones), these products are often knock-offs sold by third party sellers and who knows what could be in them.
In January of last year I wrote a post about how one of my big goals for the year was to use less plastic in our daily lives…. but then as you know, everyone’s daily lives changed a lot due to the Covid Pandemic. Even though it was a very strange year that changed our normal, we still made some good progress towards our goal to use less plastic. | This post contains affiliate links |
Below are the improvements we planned to make in 2020, and how well we carried them out one year later… and how we could have done better:
Reusable Water Bottles. We did great with our goal to use reusable water bottles and not buy bottled drinks when out... it especially helped that we didn't go out much for most of the year, so drinking water at home was very easy.
Reusable Grocery Bags. Through March we used our reusable grocery bags for every trip, but once the Covid Pandemic started our state banned reusable bags in order to try to curb the spread of germs. They have since allowed reusable bags again, but many stores still won't use them at this time. So until the pandemic is over and everyone feels comfortable about reusable grocery bags again, we plan to ask for paper over plastic.
Reusable Produce Bags. This fell to the same fate as Reusable Grocery Bags above, and I have been just using the store-provided plastic produce bags. Though, I did write to the grocery store chain to ask them to make the switch to compostable produce bags... hopefully they will eventually.
Reusable Travel Mug for Coffee/Tea. This was quite easy again since we didn't go out much this year. We made a point to avoid unneccessary stops and we didn't stop at coffee shops much... instead, if we were going for a drive we would make our coffee at home and take it to-go in one of our own reusable mugs.
Silicone "Plastic" Bags. Last year I told myself I would purchase some reusable silicone plastic bags for our kids' lunch boxes once we started to get low on our plastic bags (we had a very large box of them), but then school was cancelled soon after that and we haven't had the need for them yet. However, I have since come across these Compostable Wax Paper Bags, and once school is open again I think I will probably use these until our kids are a bit older and I know they won't throw away the expensive silicone ones by accident.
Silicone "Plastic" Wrap. We ended up getting some Silicone Covers and have loved them - they work great for covering leftovers in the fridge or cut-up fruit and it saves us from using a lot of plastic wrap.
Glass or Metal "Tupperware". We were planning on waiting on this one as we still have very functional plastic Tupperware and don't need to replace it yet. Once we need some new containers we will make a point to get more eco-friendly, non-plastic options.
Sustainably Made Wooden Toys. Our kids are still loving and playing with the wooden toys they have gotten in the past. I don't think we added any new ones this year, but I still think that getting some heirloom quality, sustainably made wooden toys for young kids is a great idea.
I thought I would do a quick round up of my Favorite Finds of 2020. These are products or items that we loved or used frequently and were new to us this past year or became a staple in our routine - best of all, most are under $30! | This post contains affiliate links |
Favorite Finds of 2020
“Unpaper Towels”
I know I've talked about this several times now, but making the switch to these "Unpaper Towels" has definitely been my top Favorite Find of 2020. They save us money every month on buying paper products and since they're reusable they're good for the environment in the long run. So happy we made the switch!
Stars Above Pajama Set
With the year that it's been having a cozy PJ set has been a must. I got this Stars Above Pajama Set from Target (just added it on to my online order) this winter and they have quickly become my favorite. They are SOO soft and luxurious feeling, perfect for lounging around at home.
OXO Cold Brew Coffee Maker
My husband got this OXO Cold Brew Coffee Maker as a birthday gift and we've both been enjoying it all year. Now that we can't go out for coffee all the time it's been really nice to be able to make our own cold brew concentrate right at home.
Mask Lanyards
Mask Lanyards have been the unsung accessory hero this year. We've been using them every time we go hiking so we can have our masks at the ready if we unexpectedly come across others. We chose ones with a breakaway feature for some added safety.
This year I've been using my Aura Cacia Lavender Aromatherapy Spray on our linens every night before we go to bed - it's so relaxing and spa-like and we find it helps us fall asleep. (Make sure to spot test on your linens first, but we've had no problems using it on our fabrics.)
Powdered Tide for Cleaning
This year I jumped on the Powdered Tide bandwagon - for cleaning, not for laundry. Just a little Powdered Tide mixed with warm water does wonders for washing smudgy walls and built-up grime on surfaces. I keep it under my kitchen sink (in an airtight plastic bag so moisture doesn't get to it), so it's ready to use anytime. It's such a great cleaning hack!
Hug Patrol Shoulder Wrap
I mean, who couldn't use a hug this year? Hug Patrol makes weighted wraps, blankets, and more. I collaborated with them last January (you can read that previous post HERE), but the wrap became a wonderful addition to my routine. It's so peaceful and comforting to curl up on the couch with a good book and the weighted wrap across my shoulders.
L.L. Bean Sweater Fleece
I've actually had this L.L. Bean Sweater Fleece for a few years now, but it's really gotten a lot of use this year as my go-to for "Driveway Visits" with family and friends. We've been having socially distant driveway visits (outside, everyone standing far apart and masked, no contact) to see our family and friends when we can. This Sweater Fleece has been great as a casual and cozy layer that still looks nice for those chilly visits outside.
With the Covid Pandemic still unfortunately raging, we've been playing more board games the last few months while we’ve been home. To be honest, I had forgotten how enjoyable board games can be and our kids have also come to really love playing them too. I thought I would share some of our personal family favorites in case you’re looking for new ideas too. | This post contains affiliate links |
Our Favorite Board Games
Puzzles - Puzzles are always a family favorite here... they're just so relaxing! You can find them for just about every age and skill level which is great too.
Chutes and Ladders - This is a personal favorite from my childhood and our kids have come to love it too.
Battleship - Our six-year-old really loves this game. She gets so excited when she sinks a ship.
Candy Land - A cutesy game perfect for young kids who can't read or count dice yet, but still enjoyable for older kids and adults too.
Jenga - Our three-year-old has gotten surprising good at this game. She's beat me several times now.
Connect 4 - Like tic-tac-toe but more interesting and so easy to play.
Zingo Sight Words - A great educational game for kids just learning their sight words and how to read.
Apples to Apples - Great for adults and teenagers. I have so many great memories playing this game a lot in college with my roommates and friends.
These were just a few of our favorites and I’ll be sure to add to this list as we find more we love. Do you have a favorite family-friendly game we should try next?
