Toddler Activity: Leaf Bracelet

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My daughter and I went for our daily walk this morning. But instead of our usual routine, I decided to let my "mini me" build some creative thinking skills and hunt for leaves to make a leaf bracelet. I can't remember which website I had seen this on and if any one finds it, please let me know so I can link back to that site. Our leaf hunt was cut short unfortunately due to rain (It came out of nowhere!) so I'll have to remember this again for another time...

Picture courtesy of my daughter haha

What's Cookin' Wednesdays: Pumpkin Bread

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So I teased everyone Monday on my FACEBOOK PAGE about my house smelling like Fall. Well since this past weekend was the start of Fall, I HAD to get into the spirit! And what better way to start than by making Pumpkin Bread. I adapted my own recipe from one called Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread. Reviewers raved that this bread is even better the day after. They weren't kidding!! I'm actually stuffing my face as we speak...No seriously, I just can't get enough.

5 Health and Beauty Benefits Using Apple Cider Vinegar

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You know that old saying, "An apple a day, keeps the doctor away."??? Well what about Apple Cider Vinegar? It's made from apple juice and is fermented to hard apple cider. It's then fermented a second time to apple cider vinegar. I've found hundreds of uses for this unbearably strong smelling vinegar on the internet and apparently a lot of them claim to be health related. Apple Cider Vinegar is a completely natural product. And I'm talking about the raw, organic, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar (the cloudy stuff).  It has been used for over 10 thousand years for it's healing properties and to treat various aliments. According to several natural-health sources, ACV contains vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, beta-carotene, bioflavonoids, acetic acid, propionic acid, lactic acid, enzymes, amino acids, potash, and apple pectin. It's no wonder people say it's good for you! It's packed with some healthy stuff!! Since I've got this HUGE interest in alternative medicine, I'd like to share with you a few things I have discovered (and might even try after I pop this baby out) about ACV and how it can benefit you health wise....

Homemade Laundry Detergent for Sensitive Skin

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One of my first blog posts was how to make Homemade Laundry Detergent. Not only am I saving money but I am also watching out what kind of chemicals we use in our household. Store bought detergent = Not so safe. Homemade detergent = Safe. But now, with the new baby coming Oct 23rd, I have had to find homemade products that are safe(r) for the little guy.

I have made an adaptation from my homemade laundry detergent recipe that is not only safe for the new baby but also for anyone with sensitive skin.

Homemade Hairspray (And it WORKS!)

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Since going No Poo, I have slowly been replacing a lot of my commercial hair/body care products with more natural and non synthetic ingredients. The next thing I can cross off my list is, HAIRSPRAY!! Living in South Texas, the humidity here is God awful. So what every woman needs to keep her curls from going flat or her hair looking like she stuck her finger in an electrical socket, is hair products. Hairspray mostly. But what's in commercial hairsprays?? Poisonous fumes that should not be enhaled!!! Sure it can be safe when used properly but with the chemical compounds it contains (Polyvinylpyrrolidone, Propylene glycol, Polyvinyl alcohol, Hydroflurocarbon, Denatured alcohol and Carboxylmethylcellulose), you are taking a very large risk on your health over time. And let's not forget that it is HIGHLY flammable. Especially the hairsprays that are aerosol. These synthetic products are NOT necessary! Make sure you Educate Yourself. I know this seems very one sided but with all the other health problems we could potentially face in our lives, do we really need to add on to it??

What's Cookin Wednesdays: Charro Beans!!

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If you were to walk into my house right now, it would literally smell like a good, authentic Mexican restaurant. Or in my case, grandma's house. All those deep earthy spices topped off with the aromas from spicy chile peppers. MMmmm! It's beaner heaven!! Yes, I said beaner because I am one! Today, I'm making Charro Beans (which literally means cowboy beans) and I'm sharing MY very own recipe to you.

Every Hispanic home has their way of making charro beans but they all have one big thing in common: Time. It takes about 6-8 hours to make a real good pot of beans. Best thing about this though, if you have a crock-pot, all you have to do is let them cook over night and they will be done in the morning. Just in time for breakfast!! Mash them up and make some refried beans with those babies..Ohhhh yeah, my stomach is howling right about now haha

How to Make a Diaper Wreath

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Yesterday's tutorial was on How to Make a Diaper Cake. Adding on to that, I have decided to make a Diaper Wreath. There are a couple of ways to do this. One being the Rolled Version and the other being like the one I will show you in this tutorial. I'm not sure what to call it...The Tied Version???                              Anyways...Since I've made this for MY own personal baby shower, the theme will be sports. 

Supplies:                                                        

-Wire hanger (a foam wreath will work also)       

-Curling ribbon                                                       

-Hot glue gun                                                         

-Diapers (size 1 or newborn)                          

-Any embellishments or decorations you wish to use to go with your theme.   

-Baby items (onesies, stuffed animal, shoes, etc.)

Start by taking the wire hanger and opening it up till you have a circle, leaving the "hook" part in tact. If you are using a foam wreath, don't worry about this step.

Take an unfolded diaper and slip it under the wire. Fold the diaper closed and it should be wrapped around the wire hanger. Then take curling ribbon and tie a double knot leaving the ends loose.

 To make those pretty little curls simply take one blade on a pair of scissors (be careful) and run it along (starting from bottom to top) the DULL side of the curling ribbon. Note: When doing this the ribbon should be between the blade of the scissors and your thumb.

Keep adding diapers and tying off with ribbon all the way around your wreath. You don't want there to be any holes so make sure they are pretty snug and close together.

I added a bow on top of my wreath. You don't have to add one like mine but if you do, I went to youtube and used This Technique. I also found that using wired ribbon works best because it is so easy to manipulate.

Start adding your decorations and embellishments to your wreath by simply tying them in between the diapers and around the wired (or foam) wreath. You don't want to hot glue anything to the diapers because this makes them unusable. We want the mommies to be able to use the diapers!

For anything that does not have a way to tie on to (like balls or wooden letters) simply put a small dab of hot glue on the back and lay a ribbon on top. You will then be able to tie it around the wreath!

Cool right??? I know I'm not the first person to think of this, but I felt pretty darn smart after I did. And my brain hurt because it took me about 15min to figure it out haha!

To hang something in the center, you can use ribbon, fishing line, or if your using a baby toy take the plastic hook and hook it around the neck of the hanger. 

I then tied a toddler baseball glove using curling ribbon around the monkey's neck..Poor monkey...

This is what the final wreath looks like.  I have to give a lot of credit to a friend that helped me out. She's been helping me put together my baby shower and I think the both of us have come up with some pretty creative ideas. I think the wreath and the cake came out amazing for our FIRST TIME EVER making one. But of course, I biased.... Thanks Clarissia :)

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below. I LOVE COMMENTS!