DIY Crayon Hearts and Valentine’s Day Cards Craft for Kids

January 25, 2024 By Anne

Originally posted 2/6/2014

I was talking to my physical therapist two weeks ago and we were talking about crafts and kids. She told me o a craft she has done twice with her daughter for Valentine’s Day. I decided to try it out and am so happy I did!

Basically you will need:

Crayons – Sharpie – Cardstock – Heart shaped silicone mold ( I found mine at Joanne’s) – Glue Dots ( I got Elmer’s medium thickness.)

Everyone has broken crayons laying around. Okay maybe not everyone. But if you have kids you most likely do. This is a great way to recycle and reuse those crayons. Just peel the paper and break into small pieces. After I did mine I read that if you soak the crayons in water the paper comes off easier. My nails wish I would have know that before…At least my daughter helped me!

I did end up cutting some of the crayons with a knife. We tried to get a red and pink crayon in each heart. Then make sure to read the directions on your silicon mold. I put my mold on a cookie sheet and baked 15-20 minutes at 250. Let cool on rack or place in the freezer to cool. Then the hearts just pop out of the mold.

Then take the cardstock and cut into squares. Write whatever saying you like. We choose “You make my world colorful” But you can also use, “You color my world” or “Happy Valentine’s Day”. Then place a glue dot in the center and place the heart on top!

It’s that easy! I will use this again and again. It was fun and my daughter is so excited to give these to her classmates. I’m thinking I might make some for a craft fair…

What Valentine’s Day Craft are you working on?

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Tips For Running a Sustainable Small Business

August 9, 2022 By Anne

Credit.

If you’ve started a business at home, then you might be concerned about how you can maintain an eco-friendly lifestyle while working. The good news is that working from home can already be a more sustainable option, especially if you consider the fact that you cut down on the commute to and from work.

However, there is always room for improvement and always a good reason to improve how environmentally friendly you are, whether you’re at work or relaxing. Here are some ways to do so.

Use Natural Light Where Possible

When you’re working, it’s important to make sure that you’re in a well-lit environment. This is better for your productivity and your health. Sitting at a bright laptop in a dark room can lead to eye strain, as can trying to work in dim environments.

However, bright lights can increase your energy usage. One way to get the best of both worlds is to take advantage of natural light. If possible, work near windows and in bright areas of your home, allowing you to cut down on the need to switch the lights on. It’s also better for your health, as most people feel better in sunlight.

Sustainable Packaging

If your business involves creating and sending products to customers, then you can immediately improve your sustainability by switching out the packaging. If possible, use less packaging. You should also switch out plastic packaging for recyclable or biodegradable materials, like paper or cardboard.

Instead of bubble wrap or polystyrene, use biodegradable packing materials, such as paper or soybean packaging that can be composted. This also looks better for your customers, who will notice your efforts.

Solar Power

The downside to working from home is that you use a lot more electricity. One way to cut down on your energy bills is to use solar energy, a renewable power source, to keep your home charged.

Use the best solar company you can find to produce your electricity. You can be assured that the energy you use is clean and you could save a great deal of money. The sun is a fantastic natural source of power, so it seems a shame to let it go to waste.

Eco-Friendly Office Supplies

Every office needs supplies, but with a little bit of research and effort, you can make sure that the supplies and stationery you use are more eco-friendly. Use recycled paper and supplies made with recycled materials.

If possible, use natural and biodegradable materials for your supplies and furniture. When purchasing furniture for your office, look for second-hand options. This way, you’re saving the environment and a few dollars.

Reuse and Recycle

Unfortunately, every office will produce a measure of waste. This waste might end up in landfills, where it pollutes the ground and water in an area. However, if you’re discerning about what you throw out and when, you can reduce the amount of waste that you produce. Only get the materials that you need and reuse or recycle wherever possible.

Anne

How You Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint In Everyday Life

November 29, 2021 By Anne

With the world as it is more people need to start doing something to rescue their carbon footprint and become more eco-friendly to help reduce the damage that is being done to the planet. For a lot of people, they are already doing something to help be more eco-friendly and reduce their carbon footprint but for others, they may not know where to start or what can actually be done to make a difference. The first thing you should know is that you can have an impact, many people think they won’t have an impact but this collective mindset is the problem, if you can start then someone else may notice and also try and so on.

If you are looking to rescue your carbon footprint but you are unsure where to start or you are looking for more ideas, then hopefully, these tips will help you to understand what you can do to be more eco-aware and reduce the impact that you are having on the planet.

Source: Pexels

Recycle and reuse

One of the easiest and best places to start with reducing your carbon footprint is with how you dispose of your waste. More and more people are trying to recycle which is a great start but you should look to reduce the waste you are creating, this can be done with reusable water bottles, using reusable straws etc. there are lots of things you can now get to rescue how much plastic and waste you are creating. If you cannot reuse things then make sure you are recycling them correctly, too much goes to landfills that could have just been recycled and this can have such a big impact on the planet. You should also look to try and donate items you no longer want instead of just tossing it out. If you can try to fix things too instead of replacing them this can help to cut down your waste and make sure you are recycling better.

Switch to sustainable energy

Renewable energy has a lot less impact on our planet than fossil fuels so switching to sustainable energy is going to help really make an impact on the world. This can be done in a few ways, you can find an energy provider that uses renewable energy for their power or you could make your home solar powered. Both choices will help to rescue your carbon footprint but both have different costs. As normal with paying for your power, you will be billed as normal for the power you use.

However, making your home solar powered is more of an investment, you can purchase the solar panels and get connected for an initial cost, then you are going to be only using your solar energy to power your home and batteries should you get them for backup. You can also make money off of the solar to help recoup costs, this is done by putting any energy not used back into the power grid for other providers to use who will actually pay you for doing so, which means you can make your money back and reduce your carbon footprint.

Switch things off

If you tend to leave appliances on or on standby they are still going to be drawing power unless switched off by the plug. Even if you have a phone charger plugged in and it isn’t being used it will still be drawing some power so make sure you switch off all your devices and appliances when you are not using them, and make sure you do not have things set to standby, although this can be convenient it will still be costing you money and increasing your carbon footprint. This goes for your lights as well, a lot of people tend to go room to room and just leave the lights on, try and turn them off when you leave a room and then back on if you reenter it, this may seem minor but can help reduce your bill and your carbon footprint.

If you struggle to remember to switch off plugs or devices then getting smart tech like some smart bulbs and plugs can really help with this as you can switch them off and on with your phone and see what lights are on giving you more control over them. You can also set timers up and things like that to help make sure that things are getting switched off when they need to be.

If you struggle to reduce your carbon footprint or you are unsure how you can reduce it or go greener in your daily life, then these tips should help you to understand what you can do to be more eco-friendly and reduce the impact you are having on the planet.

Anne

How to Incorporate Green Living in Your Household

January 31, 2020 By Anne

https://pixabay.com/illustrations/wood-grass-deco-live-letters-2406456/

In this technologically advanced world, it is easy to get caught off guard with all the things that you have to do that it is often tempting to do something the easier way. Sometimes, a more comfortable way means neglecting the environment. Time and again, the issue of climate change creeps up, especially now that several natural disasters are occurring. That said, here some green living tips you can incorporate in your daily lifestyle:

Use Less Paper

Once you consume a lot of paper, you have to think that to create one ton of paper, about 24 trees are cut down. Necessarily, when you use more paper, manufacturers would need to produce more paper to meet the demand. As a result, they would have to cut down more trees. Use less paper by recycling. Used paper bags can serve many other purposes. Brown bags, for one, can be reused as a gift wrap for any occasion.

Use Canvas Bags

When you go shopping, make sure to bring a canvas bag to carry your grocery items. Bringing canvas bags helps you lessen your paper and plastic use.

Build a Compost Pile

If you want to help the environment, start a compost pile. If you have food leftovers, instead of throwing them away, stash them in your compost bin. It can serve as a sustainable and eco-friendly fertilizer for your plants.

Cut Down On Energy Use

If you haven’t yet, switch to LED lights. LED light bulbs use less electricity and fewer fossil fuel to power your home. LED lights use 80% to 90% less energy compared with standard energy bulbs. Aside from contributing to the environment, it also helps you lessen your energy costs. You can also cut down energy use by using lighting less often. Open your curtains and windows, so you don’t have to turn on your lights and fans. Make sure to turn off the lights and the electric fan each time you are leaving the room. You may also consider using solar panels in your home.

Borrow from Friends

If you are going to use something for only a short period, consider borrowing from a friend instead. Similarly, practice sharing with your friends and family. When fewer people buy specific items, manufacturers would be forced to produce less, and this can result in lesser carbon emissions that can ruin the Earth’s atmosphere.

Use Eco-Friendly Home Cleaning Products

Most commercial home cleaning products use harsh chemicals, and this can have a devastating effect on the environment. If you hire home cleaners, make sure that they are using eco-friendly cleaning products, as well. Most house cleaning services in Fort Wayne use eco-friendly products as their way of protecting your home, their crews, and the environment.

Buy Energy-Efficient Appliances

If possible, try replacing your appliances with models rated by Energy Star. Make sure regularly used appliances such as ovens, washers, refrigerators, and stovetops are energy-efficient, so it is easier for you to live sustainably without changing your lifestyle drastically.

Try Making Your Own Products

If you are pretty handy with repurposing and recycling, you can help the environment by trying to make your own products. Some of the items that you can produce on your own are soaps, toothpaste, and cleaning products.

Avoid Single-Use Plastics

If you have the budget, buy items packed in reusable packaging. Also, make sure to purchase things that are not packed in single-use plastics because they’ll just end up in garbage pits.

Buy Only What You Need

Green living means that you have to live sustainably, and buying items that you don’t really need just because they are on sale is something that you should avoid. Declutter if you must.

Running a green household should be a part of our lifestyle. When it becomes a habit, it won’t be as taxing to do. Start now, and thank me later.

Anne

Play, Return, Repeat! with Toy Library (Review)

October 6, 2018 By Marijean

As a parent to two children, I am very familiar with toys. Toys EVERYWHERE in my home. So many that my children play with, and never touch again. Especially Lego’s. They will build Lego sets, have fun with their creations for a total of 5 minutes, and then the set is destroyed never to been seen again. Come on, who is with me on this? So much money spent on these sets only to be played with for a short time. There has to be something better. Well, there is! Let me introduce you to Toy Library.

How it works:

You pick two toys each shipment
We mail cleaned & sanitized toys
Play & return or keep toys you like
No charge for normal wear
Plans start at $24⁹⁹

You can view the toys they have before signing up. Toys are based on age. There are so many cool toys to choose from. They have name brands such as Disney, Lego, American Girl, Hot Wheels and so much more!! Toys are based on a credit system/value system. The more the toy is worth the more credits it will be. Take a look at the plans below for more info.

Plans:

Toys are 1 to 3 credits (based on value) Shipment includes two toys. Always Free Shipping.

Novice Monthly

$24 ⁹⁹/month
2 Credits/month
2 Toys/up to $80 value
500+ Toys Selection
Free Shipping, Clean and Sanitized

Let Me Try

Wizard Monthly

$39⁹⁹/month
4 Credits/month
2 Toys/up to $140 value
500+ Toys Selection
Free Shipping, Clean and Sanitized
Get large STEM toys!

I Want Only The Best

Einstein Annual

Save $30

$269⁹⁹/year
24 Credits
24 Toys
500+ Toys Selection
Free Shipping, Clean and Sanitized
Get large STEM toys!

I Want A Year Of Joy

I was sent the Novice Monthly subscription. All toys come in a mesh bah with tag on it showing what is included and how many pieces are included. This included two toys up to a $80 value. I told them my children’s ages (7 and 10) and was sent the following for review:

Nerf: Nerf N-Strike Reflex IX-1 2-Pack

Value is approx $20-$30

My son loves Nerf Guns (he has way too many!) so he was thrilled to received these. He played with his sister for a while. The great thing is he can play as much as he wants with these, and then we send them back!

LEGO City Heavy Cargo Transport 60183 Building Kit

Value is approx $29.99

Ahhhh a Lego set I do not have to keep! This set my 10 yr old put together in about 35 minutes. It is a lot of fun and my kiddos have enjoyed playing with it. It was brand new as you can tell from the pictures, so when I returned I made sure to include all packaging back in the mesh bag.

I also received the following for my kids to keep:

This Lego bracelet is the coolest! It comes with some Lego pieces to build on the bracelet and wear around. My son loves it!!

As you can see, I did receive over $60 worth of toys. Instead of paying that, you can pay just $24.99 per month and keep the toys as long as you’d like! Put all toys/pieces back in their assigned mesh bag, and mail back with the enclosed return label. No shipping charges! Bye Bye Lego set!! 🙂

In conclusion, I think this is such a great monthly service to join. No more clutter around the house, no more playing with a $50 toy for 5 seconds and not knowing where it ends up after that. This would also make an awesome holiday gift, whether it be monthly or signing up for the full year. The parent will love you for that!

For more information and to order, please click this link:ToyLibrary

*I am working with Toy Library and their Influencer program. I will be reviewing toys they send me and letting you know what I think of them. This post also includes an affiliate link.