May the Thrifting Odds be Ever in Your Favor

Today was another epic day of thrift shopping for me. I've been hitting up Goodwill a lot lately - even more so since the beginning of the year when I decided to try to only buy second hand or make what I needed (or wanted!) 

I've written about some of my tips in the past here and yes, I usually take both kids with me. It involves a quarter for the gumball machine at the door (we just can't quit those damn gumballs!) and a stroll through the toy aisle in search of a ninety nine cent distraction. I should also note I'm usually not looking for clothes and definitely not trying on when both kids are tagging along.  

I also have a pretty standard routine of what I look for - wooden items, dishes to match my antique china, lamps, cooking tools and what I lovingly call decorative items (vases, mirrors, oil painting, etc). I think I usually have luck is because I go often and I also really happen to like your grandmas 1970s castoffs! If your style doesn't have a boho slash cobbled together vibe, I dunno if it's gonna be your thing. But mine is, so cha ching! Gimme all the octagonal mirrors and wooden candlesticks!!

Anyway, today was my day!!! I found a smattering of baskets I'm using in my new laundry room update, some weird and tacky wall mount candle holders and something almost bought straight from the baking section of the craft store... A donut pan! Just typing it feels a little lame but I shouted with joy (not too loud, I'm only 85% weirdo) when I found it! I'm going to start using my go to paleo banana cupcake recipe and top with honey and peanuts! I'll share soon if it works out!

Back to the thrift store - we also spotted a new version of a vintage toy - this particular item containing more of the pieces our old toy came with (the first one - a playskool cash register, only had one yellow coin - the new one came with 5!). And a Paw Patrol lunch box (see earlier point on distractions).  

if you have any interest in seeing any of these doodads, I have an Instagram story up right now or just stay tuned for my laundry reveal that's coming soon (waiting on one last thing for my floors!)

I also had good clothes thrifting juju last weekend when my friend Indiana was in town. I haven't gone with a friend in years and it was So. Much. Fun! Aside from some random woman who saw me try something on and was like "don't even look!" (No one asked you, lady!) A girl needs a partner in crime once and a while. We also went after a brunch cocktail which made it even better.

Lastly, I think I've just been in sync lately because I just keep finding things I've been looking for around the house and garage. I'm kind of ashamed (only to tell you, I really don't care IRL) that we still have an entire unpacked garage bay full of boxes. If they're still there come garage sale season, they're going going gone (to whomever will venture way out here in the country to buy them). 

Sometimes you just find exactly what you're looking for - may the thrifting odds be ever in your favor!

My New Favorite Breakfast

In the past month or so I've been adding more vegan meals to my daily eating habits. I'm not 100% there and I don't plan on going all the way but it feels good to get so many plants into my kitchen! 

My favorite thing to eat these days is a banana and chia seed coconut pudding. I top it with nuts and berries, honey (technically not vegan) and mint. The mint is what makes it feel like a brunch worthy dish. And it's so pretty! 

To make my pudding I use one can of whole day coconut milk, one banana, and about 1/3 cup of chia seeds. Oh! And a dash of cinnamon! I let it sit overnight in the fridge and it makes about three servings. It's a good plant based far source, especially as a nursing mom!

Speaking of nursing, if you have concerns with your milk supply, go easy on (or skip) the mint. Plants in that family are sometimes used for oversupplies or weaning. 

There are so many goodies you can top this off with or add in - I've used leftover quinoa, any fresh or dried fruit and lots of different kinds of nuts!  

Jessica Makes | Butterfly Embroidery

Ta da! I finished up a quick embroidery project yesterday and I'm so happy with this little blue butterfly! I've always liked the look of butterflies for home decor, but never loved the idea of catching and killing one for the sake of decoration. This lil gal is the perfect compromise - a relaxing lap project for when my kids are quietly playing or watching a movie and a nice pop of color for my book shelf!

The project took me around four days to complete and I worked on it on and off when I had a chance! I do have some experience (see my embroidered denim jacket here) but I think this project would be reasonable for someone new to needlework too! I had some interest via my Instagram page for a DIY kit to make your own, so I am pre-selling them for $20 which includes shipping to US addresses.

Each kit includes:

• 10.5" natural cotton with printed butterfly pattern
• 6" wooden hoop
• Black, Blue, Teal and Yellow DMC embroidery floss
• 2 embroidery needles (sizes 5 and 10)
• Written instructions 

To pre-order (ships week of Feb 12 or sooner if I'm able!) your DIY Butterfly Embroidery use this link and be sure to include your current mailing address (please double check your PayPal account!)

Homemade Foaming Hand Soap

First things first - a huge thank you to everyone who made suggestions (here and on instagram) on where to buy green products, companies you recommend and your own homemade recipes for green cleaning. I'm eagerly awaiting deliveries for a few things and have starting making some of my own products at home too! 

Today I'm going to share something that has already blown me away - a homemade hand soap. I've also been using it for dishes and cleaning my stove (which was SO crusty and hard to clean - even with strong chemical products designed specifically for that task) so I want to tell you about the recipe right away! There are a lot of variations online, I sort of combed through them and used what I had at home for this! It's so easy!

Foaming Lavender Hand Soap

• 2 C water
• 3 T castile soap (we use unscented Dr. Bronners)
• 10 drops of pure lavender essential oil
• Foaming Pump

Mix it all together and that's it! You could omit the essential oil or use a different scent. I'm going to try eucalyptus for my next batch! 

With two children, cold and flu season and a dozen diaper changes a day, I wash my hands a lot. I'm weary of over using antibacterial hand soaps and I like knowing everything that's in this mix. It's also really economical (we also use the castile soap for bathing and a little goes a really long way!) I used a leftover pump, but they're also on amazon if you need a fresh bottle.

I also made my own label, which you can use too if you want (it's available for free here). I stamped on a little lavender print to make it pretty and secured it to the bottle with packing tape. Nothing says bored housewife like printing your own labels for all of your kitchen containers #amirite? Whatever! I can't wait to make more for things like homemade jams and canning projects this summer (kind of like the honey labels!) 

Heads up! I use affiliate links in this post, which means I make a small commission if you use it to make a purchase. You can probably get everything at Target or your local grocery though!