Color Me Green

In addition to my 'Make, Do + Mend' mission for 2018, there's another theme I've been embracing. Simply - if the book falls off the shelf - read it! That is to say, when I feel something in my gut or feel like the Universe is pushing me in a new direction, I should embrace it!

One particular aspect of that is a desire to go minimal and green with all of the consumable products in my home. I'm talking household cleaners, makeup, health and beauty. We already eat organic and hope to be supplying a lot of our own food in the future. I've been a fan of vinegar, baking soda and lemon to clean for years, I use cloth diapers and my detergents are free and clear but I know I could do better for myself and for my family.  I also know that I can't do everything all by myself and sometimes I just have fall back on whatever works. Rome wasn't built in a day, but I'm ready to start laying a better foundation. 

So this is where I'm asking for your help. In the comments, could you share one or two things you've done to either a) make your own cleaning or health/beauty products OR b) found a product that's effective with minimal ingredients? Could I use almond oil instead of body lotion (something I already do - but is there a better option?) I already use aluminum free deodorant (like... every three days or something?) but is there something else that works I could make myself? I've tried baking soda on my hair with ACV rinse but it was not successful. I know better than to trust every Pinterest claim of banana face masks (maybe they do work?) and DIY tooth whitening, but you guys must have some secrets to share, right?

Ladies! Give me your wisdom! 

Jessica Bakes | Lemon Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy Birthday to my darling daughter Beatrix! To celebrate, Felix and I baked her this beautiful cake and guys, it was a) easy AF and b) the most delicious cake I've ever had - tart, tangy and sweet all in one bite - no exaggeration! And the best part - it was from a box! Just a little doctoring up and the results were incredible (of course I had to taste test when we baked it yesterday... Bea will have the chance to smash it tonight! Cupcakes for everyone else!)

Here's what I used:

Lemon Cake

• One box of Lemon cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Super Moist or something like that)
• Sub butter for oil
• Add an extra egg

The butter adds extra richness while the bonus egg makes the cake super fluffy! Bake per instructions on box.

Frosting

• 1 package cream cheese
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 2 T freeze dried strawberries

I use my go to cream cheese icing recipe because it's tangy and not too sweet. After mixing everything together (add the sugar in stages, adjust sweetness to your liking!) I divided the contents in half and set the plain icing aside. Now for the strawberries! I make a powder using my coffee grinder (cleaned thoroughly first!) because it gives such rich true strawberry flavor without any extra moisture. And the pretty pink color is more subtle and natural. 

To get the swirled effect, you'll need three pastry bags. Use the decorating tip of your choice in the first bag and set aside. In the second, fill with plain icing and the third with the strawberry. Now you need to fill your tip bag halfway with each flavor. It sounds a little complicated, but it's not - I promise! 

For the display of our little mini smash cake, I used a small cake stand I received as a gift (this is a cute option and large base). To ice the cake I first did the layer between cake sections and let it be rather messy. Next I made stars and rosettes on top. Using a flat spatula, I smoothed out the middle section and pressed on cute star shaped sprinkles. No need to be perfect! I like the homemade appeal of this beauty (fun fact - I always made and decorated all of the family birthday cakes as a kid!) Lastly, dust the top of your cake with more sprinkles, take a million photos and enjoy as it's smashed to pieces by your one year old baby! 

Happy Birthday little Bea!

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You Might Also Like

• Beatrix's Birth Story
• Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
• Felix Turns One

Notes from the Field | 001

Greetings from the other side! We've had an admittedly rough start to our year. I fell down the steps on New Years Eve which resulted in an ER visit (not broken, just very sore). Three out of the four of us (myself included) have also come down with another round of colds which make mommin' so damn hard. The commercials make jokes of it, but there are no sick days when you're a parent. I could go on and on (see also: frozen pipes, buckets of water, stained ceilings) but I'll spare you because... 

I actually woke up feeling really good this morning emotionally!! I'm finally getting a fresh start that most people feel on January 1. So what if it's a little late? I still have a stuffed nose but I know I feel better because I really want to clean. (Oddly enough I don't think I ever have the nesting instinct before giving birth to either of my kids - maybe because mama is always feathering her nest!) 

Speaking of nests and feathers, I've been reading up a bunch of chicken keeping. In sum, it almost feels like taking on more children for all of the babying they need. Do any of you guys have backyard chickens? Do you free range? Have predator issues? THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO CONSIDER!! The book I just finished and enjoyed is Backyard Chickens, Beyond the Basics by Pam Freeman. I know one book doesn't cover everything so again - suggestions welcome! 

Another random thing on my mind - have you heard of the pegan diet? It's part paleo and part vegan and I know nothing about it aside from what I'm guessing is a grain free vegan menu.  Which seems really hard? I've done both before for extended periods of time. I'm the kind of person that really loves carbs and sugar so a framework to keep me out of the bakery is useful. I also don't like eating tons of meat and the more I think of keeping chickens the less I want to eat them (please no soapboxing on this guys). Anyway, I did get a heavier duty spiralizer for  Christmas and I really love it and the texture of both zucchini and sweet potatoes are such an awesome pasta substitute. The hardest part of either a paleo or vegan menu is eating enough  for me. 

So that's all from me for now! Hope your first week of the year is going better than mine! No pity parties though, I'm feeling a turn around in effect! 

Make, Do, Mend | A New Year's Resolution

The past year has given me the gift of change - something I appreciate both for the challenge and the newness. We've gone from a family of three to four, we upped and moved to the country, sold our first home and I quit my long time fashion blog. It was a big one for us! 

I think 2018 is going to be great too. I've been changing my artistic focus from clothing and personal style to making my house a home. I love interior projects - everything from sewing pillows (like in my bedroom) to cutting and installing new window casing (like my upper living room). When it comes to the actual stuff in these rooms, I've found myself turning to craigslist and thrift stores (or what Adam sarcastically calls my hoarding of decorative items I have collected over the years and live in the attic/garage/basement) and have outfitted the spaces with some really awesome second hand finds. In fact, going to Goodwill and ReStore has become part of our weekly routine. I get a huge thrill out of turning someone's discards into something special in my place! 

So with the spirit of creativity and frugality, my goal for 2018 is to Make, Do and Mend! The saying was popular during the second world war and encouraged people to do more with what they had and to upcycle instead of buying new. And that's what I'm aiming to do. Specifically, I'm cutting myself off from first hand purchases. So unless I can thrift it, get it second hand or make it, I don't need to buy it. Of course consumables (food, toiletries, lightbulbs and project materials) will be ok.  

Along with not buying new, I'm going to be doing some major purging with my closet. I'm ok with the fact that I don't have a use for many of these pieces anymore and they should be passed on to someone else for a new life.

Fresh starts, new beginnings. Happy New Year, my friends.