Lavish & Lime - Every Purchase Plants a Tree

Posted by Mark and Kat in Beauty, Body, Go Green, Health and Wellness, Home Design, Shopping, Wellness

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Lavish & Lime is an "online boutique," created by a husband and wife team who wanted to make eco-friendly products easier to find for the green conscience consumer. It all started with the research and preparation for their growing family.

"When the girls came along – like most new parents – we started thinking more about ingredients, materials and the impact we were having on the environment with diapers, baggies, etc. We found there were lots of great eco-friendly products out there, just not necessarily readily available – and Lavish & Lime was borne."  

Louise, of Lavish & Lime (True Cuddles interview) 

Here is just a sampling of some of the greener attributes (for you and the planet) of products for sale at Lavish & Lime -- Lead-free wooden toys, PVC-free bags, Chemical-free beauty supplies, 100% Biodegradable sporting accessories, Water-conserving timers, Organic skin care, Reclaimed jewelry.  

Not only will you feel good about living a little greener with these safe and healthy products for your family and loved ones, but a tree is planted with every purchase you make. Lavish & Lime partners with the non-profit organization, Trees for the Future, to continue to pay it forward to our planet and the people who enjoy it. Check out their website for some great products for you and your loved ones.

Lavish & Lime, Eco-Friendly products for Greener Living and Giving

Dust Furniture

Posted by Mark and Kat in Home Design, Nursery Decor, Shopping

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Want to add a bit of whimsy to your child's bedroom or playroom? Check out these fun pieces from Dust Furniture. Artist, Vincent Thomas Leman creates "abstract traditional furniture." He and his wife, Jessie, launched Dust Furniture and decided to add a witty reminder to people to keep furniture clean, or to have people "dust furniture." 

"Maintaining that art can be both beautiful and functional, Vincent combined his knowledge as a fine woodworker and his engineering skills to create gravity bending furniture with personality, while leaving function fully intact."

Thred up - Swap kids clothes online

Posted by Mark and Kat in Go Green, Kiddos' Threads, Shopping, Threads

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ThredUp.com makes it easy to have your own virtual clothes swap and outfit your kids with "new-to-them" clothes for the extra low price of just $5, plus the cost of shipping. Each member can post a box of clothes on the website to be swapped, so you just choose the boxes that you like and pay $5, plus shipping, and it's yours! It's free to join and once you do, the website keeps track of your swaps for you, that way everyone plays fair ... it is a swap, so you have to give and take. Check out thredup.com for full details and have fun swapping!

Coloring is Green!

Posted by Mark and Kat in Activities, Creative Projects, Go Green, Shopping

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For your little artist, it's all about the process ... and when it comes to kids, that means getting messy creating their fridge-worthy masterpieces. Luckily there are art products that are safe, natural and eco-friendly. Clementine Art™ provides a host of art supplies with wholesome ingredients for your little ones to let their creativity run wild.  So when your tot gets more paint in her hair than on the paper, you can rest assured knowing that her colorful appearance isn't harmful to her health. 

Wonderful things can happen in a kitchen by a teacher who wants to solve a problem. Clementine Art™, was created by a teacher who wanted to promote creativity, with safe art supplies for your child and the planet. Clementine Art™ is available at a number of retailers across the USA, including select Starbucks, Whole Foods, and babyGap retailers.

Hoping this Hiatus Ends Soon!

Posted by BJ and Shalene in Girl, Kiddos' Threads, Threads

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As I've mentioned in a previous post, we're in the process of a little remodeling. Unfortunately, it's taken a bit longer than planned, and though Internet recently returned, my desktop computer is STILL out of commission. Thus, I've had to take a hiatus from posting, since my ancient laptop makes it difficult. Soon I will hopefully be back up and running! But in the meantime, I wanted to share with you one fun find.

Kayce Hughes is a mother of 7 and clothing line designer who has an adorable line of duds for women and children. She also has a charming home, and I'm delighted to say I'll be featuring her house tour on Domestic Ease in a few weeks. It's sure to be worth checking out, so make a note to click over there on Sept. 13. And until then, stop in at her online shop to browse these fanciful threads!

This Week at Domestic Ease

Posted by BJ and Shalene in Domestic Ease

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Today I'm over at Domestic Ease. As our internationally themed month at DE continues, I'm talking about all things Asian inspired, including this yummy kid-friendly sushi recipe by Weelicious. So hop on over there, and take a look.

Sweet Finds for Little Girls

Posted by BJ and Shalene in Creative Projects, Girl, Home Design, Nursery Decor

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Baby girl is due to be here in 4 weeks, but we're still frantically preparing for her arrival. Thank goodness she really just needs milk, a warm place to sleep and a dry diaper. Of course, I have it in my mind that she needs much, much more, which means I have sewing projects coming out my ears, and a cabinet maker will be invading our home on Saturday. But in the meantime, I wanted to share some finds I've discovered as we prepare for her.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

I may have blogged about this before, but I'm making her a bird mobile using this free pattern from Spool Sewing. All you seamstresses, check it out.

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CUSTOM THANK YOUS

These are custom Thank You cards I designed to send out following my recent shower. I designed these sweet cards via DownloadandPrint and printed them on cream card stock. DownloadandPrint has a host of free template designs that can used for a variety of events. Hop over there and get inspired.

RUG QUANDRY

I'm currently trying to decide on a rug for her room. The first one makes my heart go pitter patter, but I'm worried I'm bringing too much neutral khaki into her room. Rug 2 is the second runner up. The fabric for her bedding is this paired with pale pink. What do YOU think? Any preferences?

Rug 1, via Calypso.

Rug 2, via Layla Grace.

Sip & See

I don't know yet if I'll have a Sip & See, but if I do, I'd love to serve lemonade or some bubbling refreshment using these pretty labels.

Or perhaps these.

POSY PARASOL

I'm loving these sweet parasols, which would make a darling photo shoot prop for toddler girls. Parasol pattern and image via Martha Stewart.

PERFECTION

And speaking of photo shoots, I am head over heels with this simple image. So sweet!

Image by Jose Villa via Shelter.

SCHOOLED

Bloom has a great post detailing what your child(ren) should know before they get to kindergarten. It has me thinking about the best ways to educate little girl and her brother.

INSPIRED DESIGN

And in my never-ending search for nursery inspiration, I came across these two sweet rooms and wanted to share. If you're looking for more inspiring nurseries, check out Nursery Notations or the featured nurseries at KenziePoo.

Nursery by Theophile & Patachou, via Nest Egg.

Nursery via Shelter.

Meal-Planning Mondays

Posted by BJ and Shalene in Meal-Planning Monday, Recipes

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UPDATE TO MENUS: I was a bit disappointed with the Quinoa Falafels (Monday). They were crumbly, and the taste was so-so. If you still want to make falafels but would like another recipe, I'd recommend this one instead.

It's been way too long since I've posted a weekly meal plan. Between preparations for our little girl arriving in four weeks (fingers crossed she won't be too late), a variety of family members who have come to stay and some remodeling projects on the house, things have been a bit crazy around here! But delay no more ... it's time to share my weekly meal planning again. So without further ado, here's what's on our menu. I hope it will bring some inspiration to your meals as well.

MONDAY

Quinoa Falafels with Tahini Sauce

Pita Bread

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I just discovered The Sprouted Kitchen, and I'm loving it! It will surely become a go-to recipe destination for healthy meals. The photography is beautiful (taken by the adorable blogger's fiance), and the blogger herself looks like someone you'd want to instantly call a good friend. Her recipes look absolutely delightful as well. There are several I'd like to try. For now, I'm starting with these Quinoa Falafels. I'm serving them with pita bread for a heartier meal, and a side salad, if I feel like whipping one up!

TUESDAY

Hamburgers

Coleslaw

Organic grass-fed beef was on sale last week, so hamburgers are on the menu. I also received a head of green cabbage in my organic produce co-op, and coleslaw is a great way to use it. This coleslaw recipe is right on.

WEDNESDAY

Fish Tacos

Black Beans

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Yep, they're on the menu again, but these fish tacos are some of the best we've had! Our two-year-old even loves 'em. Serve with a side of black beans.

THURSDAY

Black Bean, Spinach and Cheese Quesadillas

Green Salad

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I still have spinach to use from the co-op, so it will be going into quesadillas. Top a tortilla with Monterrey Jack cheese, black beans, fresh spinach and some more cheese. Fold in half, then grill in a panini press or stovetop. Serve with a side of black beans.

FRIDAY

Pizza

Green Salad

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For a couple months, I couldn't stomach my homemade pizza. But I'm back to making it now, and I'm using only basil pesto as my sauce. It adds so much flavor! Use this recipe for basil pesto and homemade pizza dough. I also like to use half pine nuts, half walnuts.

SATURDAY

Corn and Summer Vegetable Sauté

Grilled Cheese

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With so much fresh corn in abundance right now, this recipe takes advantage of in-season veggies. Save some to top salad greens for lunch the next day. Serve with grilled cheese or crusty bread for a satisfying meal.

SUNDAY

Left-overs or dinner out. Enjoy the last few hours of your weekend!