Fermenting Workshop, May 1 @ 435 South Main

Here's a recap on my fermenting workshop I held at 435 South Main in downtown Gainesville on May 1, 2019!

Holistic treatment for a minor ear infection in dogs (or humans!)

This is a super random post amongst an array of delicious vegan recipes, but I feel compelled to share the miracle working solution I created for Kimmie's ear last night that's left her ear smelling like bruschetta, but has given her immediate pain relief for an infection that was starting to brew. I also include a few tid-bits here on a homemade dog ear cleaner and some miracle workers that cure an unlimited list of ailments in dog AND humans.

How to raise monarch butterflies at home

This blog post (aside from the long-ass life story that precedes the actual instructions on how to raise monarchs) was a request from a friend seeking some help and knowledge in the area of attracting and raising monarch butterflies. I'm no expert.. I still face the troubles of disease, running out of milkweed, aphids DESTROYING my milkweed, caterpillar predation, and lack of monarchs all together just like everyone else. But one thing I do have is a variety of experience from several jobs I've had that actually included the task of rearing a lot of monarchs, and tips and tricks of the trade that were passed on to me from the many people I've met along the way of my monarch adventures.

How to grow your own sprouts in a jar

When I was a little kid, my mom used to have gum bull and vending machines as a hobby/side business and was always looking for new items to fill them with. I remember helping her make "Grow your own bean sprout" kits, by putting a lima bean and small typed up instructions on how to grow it into a small plastic ball that could then be purchased from eager sciencey little kids who wanted to grow their own lima bean plant. She would let me bring these little bean sprout kits with me to school to share with my classmates and they were always a big hit. I never knew that 20 years later I would use what I learned to grow my own sprouts regularly as a staple food item in my home.

DIY Vegan Pore Strips

With so many chemicals and pollutants in the air we breathe and the air our skin's pores takes in, in addition to make-up and crap we put on our faces, and a build up of dead skin cells plus breakouts; black heads and all the grossy nasty stuff that affects our appearance... it's nice to treat your face to a face mask/set of pore strips to literally strip your pores of this gunk.. leaving yourself with clean, smooth skin again.

How to make your own natural bronzer

As warmer months approach us, it's normal for the ladies to be longing for a healthy looking summer glow. Fortunately, there are ways to get it besides baking out in the sun which can put you at a higher risk for skin cancer, not to mention all the burning most people have to go through before getting a desired tan. I've always loved indulging in a natural looking bronzer, which is a safer alternative than soaking the sun's rays, but when you check the ingredients of most make-up and realize that most of the ingredients are impossible to even pronounce, let alone identify- I usually pass on wanting that stuff soaking into my pores and floating down my bloodstream. Even better (and cheaper) is making your own homemade natural bronzer that has only ingredients in it that you WOULD willing put into your body. Try this out!

Custom Sharpie Mugs

Since I've been steering out of my comfort zone of acrylic painting and getting a little more into pen and ink drawings, I've been making more sharpie mugs as gifts and for ourselves. They're fast, fun, and totally useful.

DIY baby shower basket

Have a baby shower basket to go to soon? Save money and have the cutest basket at the shower by getting a little creative with some useful baby items in your basket (such a diapers, baby socks, and washcloths). Skimming cute ideas online, I fell in love with the "sleeping babies" basket tutorials and wanted to combine it with some other fun and practical baby gifts to truly make the gift my own and that would make an all around impressive basket that the soon to be parents will appreciate! Enjoy my steps below on how to make the "sleeping babies" in the basket, and some ideas on other useful gifts to include in your basket.

Gardening and beautifying your yard space on a budget

During the summer months it's nice to have a beautiful yard or yard area to sit in and enjoy the outdoors. We live in an apartment, but just switched units to one that has a nice sized yard area consisting of the court yard from the surrounding apartments. We have so many plants and love being outside so much.. we took the option to upgrade and went through the trouble of moving just to have a bigger and better yard space to utilize. It's nice to have a beautiful place to come home to, and the decor for the warming weather is a way to boost one's mood and earn a lot of compliments from neighbors too. Decorating and gardening is contagious, and you may inspire other's to brighten up the neighborhood.

Homemade Organic Bird Seed

Did you know that bird seed is not regulated like human-grade foods?

An obsession with mason jars (and a bonus guide to grains & plant based proteins)

DIY T-Shirt Plant Hanger

So we have a huge garden growing outside.. and with apartment living it's hard to find space for all of our potted plants! We have been hanging some that came in a hanging basket, but I wanted to find a way to create a DIY hanger for some of the other potted plants we have. Better than just finding a tutorial for making one out of store bought macrame or lanyard, I found the perfect step by step instructions to make one out of an old T-shirt! Because I love recycling/upcycling old unused items, this is an eco-friendly way to get ready for the spring and summer weather by doing some spring cleaning in your closet AND sporting your plants inside or out in a truly fashionable way. Plus I promise that this project is much easier than it looks! If you don't have plants yet, go and get yourself a nice plant to hang in a plant hanger because not only are plants beautiful, but they help make the air cleaner for you to breathe and help lift your mood and spirit. Just don't forget to water them and hang in a spot that gets enough sunlight.

Some non-conventional Valentine's Day ideas

With only a week to go til' Valentine's Day... (AKA as a superficial holiday Hallmark basically made up to make stores and businesses lots of money) who really cares anyway right?! We should show our loved ones how much we care EVERY day of the year.. not just February 14th. It is a good time to just give a little reminder though, if you forget to every day, just to make someone else feel special. Whether it be a special someone, your best friend, your mom... it doesn't matter but let's just try to show the love here. If you want to give a gift, I have always felt that DIY is the way to go. If you're single this year, well just remember that you won't be wasting your time waiting in line for a fancy restaurant or blowing all your money on overpriced flowers and specialty chocolates and useless stuffed animals like a majority of frantic people do, but instead you can focus the day and night on yourself and those you care about.

Paint your keys

Have a ton of keys on your keychain and have a hard time telling them apart? A cheaper option than getting all of your keys remade into those fun patterned keys, or putting bulky key covers over them is to customize the ones you already have. Nail polish is a durable handy paint you probably already have, and by painting each key a different color it will be easy to tell even the plainest of keys apart at first glance. The best part? Just soak them in nail polish remover to clean off the paint if you ever have to return your keys or return them to their regular color.

DIY Wedding Party Gifts

I finally want to share some of the gifts I made for my wedding party. Not going to lie.. it took me months to complete everything since it was all done by hand, especially because we had a larger wedding party.. but it was SO worth it to make personalized gifts filled with love and thought instead of something generic that was store-bought. In addition to these, I put a bunch of fun little accessories and memorabilia in my girls' tote bags to accompany them on the big day.

V-day Sharpie Dish

Here's a fun craft for Valentine's Day or a nice gift for any occasion. A pinterest favorite, this craft has been all over the internet. Usually one to veer away from fads and trends though I had to try it for myself. It's basically decorationing a ceramic item with sharpie markers, and making the design adhere permanently by baking it in an oven. Here is the dish (I saw it in a shop in town) that was my inspiration. 

My teeth whitening secret

So here are my secrets to whiter and brighter teeth.... 

Monarch Manicure

I have been getting a lot of compliments on my "monarch manicure". My current job is working as a research/field technician for the monarch monitoring project for the NJ Audubon in Cape May, NJ, where I work hands on with monarch butterflies; so anything monarch related is always appropriate (and earns itself plenty of compliments!). I have people ask me every day how I did this manicure, and I'm excited to share with a step-by-step tutorial (below). This manicure is perfect for the butterfly enthusiast or nature lover who wants to stray away from the more "conservative" or typical manicure. Just be prepared for compliments! Even the most un-outdoorsy person will recognize these nails as resembling a butterfly's wing, and no one will believe that you did it yourself.