Thank you Thyme!

Brought to you by a short, catchy song that rings in the summer! Listen!

Our dance recital is coming up in a few days and I have THE BEST backstage moms this year!

Backstage moms can make or break the backstage "vibe". I need to be able to count on them to keep order, be aware of how the show is going and know how to keep it fun, energetic and CALM backstage. Thankfully, the moms are all that and more this year. They are super prepared; they've already told me the snacks and activities they are bringing, are armed with first aid kids, a ton of bobby pins and hair spray and are prepared to deal with glitter!

I wanted to give them something a little more thoughtful than a gift card and something that they can look at and remember throughout the year.

These are little flower pots that I decorated and filled with an herb plant. I made little tags that said, "Thank you for your Thyme!" and tied them to chalkboard stakes. Turned out really cute!

Here's what you need:


> flower pots
> plants
> gift tags
> plant stakes
> chalk marker (found mine at Target)
> letter stamp kit & ink (also at Target!)

Infusions

This post is brought to you by the incomparable Coldplay. Have a listen.


We are snowed in, classes have been cancelled and I already have cabin fever.
The house is clean, laundry is done, I'm not in the knitting mood, whatamIgoingtodowithmyself. Mr. B braved the elements and was able to get to his office. He texted me when he arrived safely this morning and told me to have my boots ready when he gets home because he's going get me out of the house and to take me to dinner tonight. Bless him.

So I did a really slow yoga session and then settled into doing two things that I have been procrastinating FOREVER on: listing our old phones on eBay and making Sage Infused Vinegar. I don't know why I've put off making this vinegar for so long, because it was EASY and FAST!

Cleaning with vinegar is safe and all natural and when the power of herbs are added, you have yourself an effective and clean smelling all purpose cleaner! This concoction needs to infused for a minimum of 2 weeks, preferably 4 weeks.

Here's what you need:

//fresh sage
//distilled white vinegar
//glass spray bottle

Break off the biggest velvety soft leaves and separate. (Use the smaller leftover leaves for cooking and then throw the stems in your garbage disposal to clean and refresh!)

Start to wring the leaves gently (like wringing a wet towel). Squeeze, press and bruise the leaves until aromatic.

Poke the sage leaves into the glass bottle.

Pour the vinegar into the bottle until 3/4 of the way full. Twist on the lid and give a gentle shake to submerge the sage leaves.

Place in a cool, dark place for 2-4 weeks.

To use, simply spray and wipe as you would any cleaner.

wuv, true wuv

Love birds we are!

I'll spare you the mushiness, but Mr. B is my one true love and I prayed HARD for a man like him! I am very thankful for the sweet husband he is. 

We got some cozy winter photos taken last week with a local photographer and I love how they turned out! I was able to wear my sweater that I had been working on and I think it added a nice pop of color. I also made the headband and the cowl. 

I also wanted to share a little project I'm working on for Mr. B for a Valentine's Day gift.

Shortly after we got married, I would text him the kissy-face emoji and say, "Kisses from your Mrs!" (Any excuse to use my new title as a Mrs!) So that became a thing and I was so excited to run across this printable that I found on Pinterest!

I found a manly looking jar at Target (it looks like a Yankee Candle Woodwick jar) and filled it up with Hershey's Kisses (dark chocolate; his favorite!)

 



And done! I think it'll look great on his desk, plus I made sure he could take the tag off if he wanted and use the jar for something else.

And this bread is on the menu for Valentine weekend!

Sweet Soft Cherry Bread with Almond Glaze for V-day.

Do you know how long it took me to find maraschino cherries in the grocery store?  Embarrassingly long. I started running into the same people multiple times. The dang cherries are not located where one would think.

Canned fruit aisle. Nope.
Uhmmm, maybe next to the ice cream? haha, no.
Ok, are they where the syrups and spreads live? Try again.
MAYBE THEY COME REFRIGERATED! No, Lauren, they don't come refrigerated.

You want to know where the maraschino cherries are hiding out? I'll tell you where they are, they are on the top shelf in the baking aisle, squeezed in between the nuts and the olive oil. Because that makes total sense to me! (NO.)

But anyway, this recipe looks so yummy and I think it's be great not only for Valentine's Day but also for a baby girl shower or a Mother's Day brunch!

Y'all have any Valentine plans?

Laundry Maid Status: Dryer Balls

This post is brought to you by Bon Iver. Listen with me.

I don't know about you, but I like my laundry to smell fresh and clean. It lets me know that my laundry is, well, clean. Like many of us, we use scented laundry detergent, fabric softener and dryer sheets to get 'that clean smell'.

Well, here's the sad part . . . 'that clean smell' can be one of the most toxic things you are bringing into your home.

Unlike food, there are no laws in place which require manufacturers of these products to list all the chemicals used. *red flag*
You'll see something along the lines of, 'biodegradable catatonics softeners". Basically the stuff that makes our laundry static-free and fluffy. A.k.a toxic chemicals.

"When people use dryer sheets, they are coating their cloths with a thin film of artificial chemical perfumes. Just like other perfumes, a person’s sensitivity to these perfumes decreases over time to the point where they don’t even notice how potent these artificial fragrance chemicals are. None of this would be interesting if it weren't for the fact that these fragrance chemicals are extremely toxic. They are known carcinogens. They cause liver damage and cancer in mammals.” Mike Adams

Read more from Mike Adams' article here. 


Here are the most common chemicals found in dryer sheets: (and this is just dryer sheets! Detergent and fabric softeners are just as bad!) 

• Alpha-Terpineol causes central nervous system disorders. Can also cause loss of muscular coordination, central nervous system depression, and headache.
• Benzyl Alcohol causes central nervous system disorders, headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, central nervous system depression, and, in severe cases, death.
• Camphor on the US EPA’s Hazardous Waste list. Central nervous system stimulant, causes dizziness, confusion, nausea, twitching muscles, and convulsions.
• Chloroform on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list. Neurotoxic and carcinogenic.
• Ethyl Acetate on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list. Narcotic. May cause headaches and narcosis (stupor).
• Linalool causes central nervous system disorders. Narcotic. In studies of animals, it caused ataxic gait (loss of muscular coordination), reduced spontaneous motor activity, and depression.
• Pentane causes headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, and loss of consciousness. Repeated inhalation of vapors causes central nervous system depression.

Every chemical that touches the skin finds it's way into the body and eventually the bloodstream.
You can read so much more about it here, so I won't go into any more details. Seriously. Read this.

I have sensitive skin and skipped fabric softener completely, just relying on dryer sheets for smells and softens. My bad. I am changing my ways.

While we can't control every toxin in our house, we sure can control this one.


Here is the solution to dryer sheets . . . dryer balls!

Dryer balls are small balls of wool (about the size of a tennis ball) that you put in the dryer along with your laundry. Dryer balls can help your dryer run more efficiently. They fluff up your laundry, prevent clothes from clumping and increase air circulation which means that will cut down on the time it takes your clothes to dry! Dryer balls also replace dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener, which, over time, saves money. Dryer sheets and fabric softener aren't very expensive, but the same set of dryer balls can be used for years! Fabric softener makes your towels less absorbent. The chemicals in fabric softener products leaves a film behind on your clothing. It feels nice, but it actually makes your towels less effective. This isn't an issue with dryer balls. Dryer balls are biodegradable. Dryer sheets aren't. Because you'll probably never throw away your dryer balls (which are 100% wool, by the way, not a plastic-y mesh sheet) you'll use them for years. And, in the event you want to make new ones, these make fun cat toys. Or, pick them apart and spread the fibers outside so the birds can use them to build nests. Boom. Biodegradable.

Make your own!

• fiber (I used a total of 3 oz of merino wool. The brand is Lunabudknits; I found mine at Kanawha City Yarn Company.)
• pantyhose or a sock (I used an old pair of tights from my dancing days!)
• scrap yarn

YOU CAN ALSO used yarn wound into balls, just make sure it is 100% wool. If it is a blend, i.e. wool/acrylic, it will NOT felt. Excellent tutorial for felted yarn balls here.

1.) Unwind your roving and cut in half.






































2.) Tightly wind into balls.

3.) Using scrap yarn, fasten off each ball into a pair of hose/tights/socks.

4.) Throw into your next load of laundry. Wash and dry.

To use, sprinkle a few drops of essential oil on each ball and throw it in with your next load.

Aaaaand done.

If you prefer to just purchase your own, this brand is the best that I've found.

Quick impressions: Fluffy and dry! Check. I can definitely smell the essential oils on my clothes much more than when I just use essential oils in my detergent. The scent does linger longer. However, the static still remains. I recently washed a blanket and noticed how that static was not quite eliminated.Hmm.

Have you ever used dryer balls before? What did you think of them?