Homemade gifts...that don't suck.

We are nowhere near Christmas, yet it's never a bad time to try out your crafty side and fashion a few easy, thoughtful gifts for the next birthday that you are planning to remember.

Homemade gifts do not have to be difficult or complicated, and certainly not LAME. If you are reaching for the Tylenol, then you are thinking too hard! Take a deep breath, brew some tea, and have another go. Personally, I love to receive gifts crafted by the giver. They hold much thought and personality that a simple mass-produced price tag simply cannot bring to the table. If you desire to unleash some creativity on an unsuspecting friend or relative, yet can't seem to hit on a genius idea, here are a few starters...

*Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix in a jar or tin.

*Black and White Picture in a frame distressed by yours truly. (You can distress a frame simply by taking a cloth and rubbing 'antique oil' on it's corners and lines.)

*Freshly canned fruit. (In a funky jar with a cool ribbon...yeeeaaah, now you're picturing it.)

*Craft a vintage apron. (It's not cheesy for those who love to cook, and please pardon the pun. You can find the kits at craft stores all over, and for a reasonable price.)

*Personalized scrap book.

*Candle-in-a-jar. (Vintage jar, that is. Vintage glassware is all the rage right now, and nothing is trendier than a candle. Fill a tinted glass jar with something earthy, like beans, rice, or sea salt. Then place a tea light in the center, and tie funky fabric around the middle of the jar to give it personality.)

*A book that you read and loved. (Add a thoughtful note inside the cover, or on a cute card.)

*Fresh fruit or veggies grown in your own backyard. (Wrapped in an old paper bag, and tied with some jute or raffia...) 

*Small potted flower or herb for their window sill. (Add a cute tab with a personal note made from recycled paper.)

*Cloth napkins in fun fabrics and patterns.

If you read through these few ideas, and remain skeptical, here's another idea. Shop your local farmers' market for the perfect gift made in your area. There are great herbal teas, reusable products, and local art, to name a few great gift ideas.

...and maybe, just maybe, you'll see someone's idea and think to yourself, " Now I COULD DO THAT!"

Scrub-a-Dub-Dub

To begin this blog, I will start by saying...I feel that I have been duped. For months now, I have been using a 'green' spray cleaner that you can find on almost any grocery store shelf in America. It started innocently enough, with me trying to be more health safe and earth friendly. Unfortunately, I believe my first go-around,(which has lasted over months, with multiple purchases), was an epic fail. Not for lack of trying, mind you. I simply did not take the time to read about any products, and blindly trusted what was put on the shelf in front of me. Stupid Consumer Award. 

After my mom did a bit of cleaning for me at my house, and kindly pointed out that, " the 'green' cleaner you've got there doesn't do anything!", I decided to do a bit of reading. I came across an ad in a parenting magazine, and I thought that it was blog worthy...especially because, conveniently following this ad was an article on green cleaning. I dove in. 

Not having personally tested the following product, I cannot say for sure if it is legit, or not. I just want to put it up against a few tried and true methods that are clean, green as can be, and cheap as dirt. Seriously, we are talking practically free. 

The ad here grips you immediately- scenes from an average American home, with the catchy line, " It's about Thyme." Their ad reads, " Protecting Planet Home". Now I am not a self-proclaimed cynic, but I must say, I feel that there is a level of guilt that this particular marketing team was attempting to tap into. A quiet accusation, if you will. " If you don't buy OUR particular product, you are not doing everything that you can to protect your loved ones." Harsh? Maybe. It's a bit persuasive though, with the small child pictured, and the mom preparing food for the family. " Better use OUR cleaner, or you'll all perish from food poisoning and dust bunnies!" Ok...that's over shooting it a bit. 

The spin this company is putting on their product is related to natural plant extracts, and claims to not only kill germs naturally, but also to eliminate odors from your home as well. All with no streakage! What will they think of next... my question here would be, how in the world do they fit all of that deodorizing, non-toxic, all-natural cleaning thyme extract blah blah blah into each bottle, while keeping everything natural? YEAH RIGHT. Now I am willing to admit that I am wrong, if there are those of you out there that have used this product, or any other that is a blend of several (hundred) different things, and found it to work...naturally, of course. I still lean towards the less is more camp, and also the keep it simple philosophy...so let's give that a go, shall we? 

VINEGAR. IT'S NOT JUST FOR DINNER ANYMORE.
It contains NO harsh chemicals, has no additives. It simply is what it is. Add about a cup of vinegar to a sink full of hot water, and you can mop your floors without worrying about poisoning your children, or the family dog. It doesn't smell lemony fresh, but for the price and the safety, I say squeeze your own lemon. 

BAKING SODA FOR SCRUBBING...AND STINKAGE.
Use a bit of baking soda mixed with hot water and scrub your cares...and smells...away. Talk about a natural deodorizer, and you can't beat how quickly it'll shine up your stainless steal sink!

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE. THIS STUFF IS MAGICAL.
Okay, so it's not exactly fairy dust, but it will clean anything. Use it in place of any of your other go-to cleaners. You will notice a difference...in your wallet. It will literally disinfect and clean anything, and it's safe! 

Those are a few cleaner...ehem...cleaners, and there is one last tid bit I would like to add: I want to own a Dutch Rubber Broom! I've just discovered them, and for a cleaning nerd like myself, it was created on the 8th day. Check those out on Amazon...seriously. You will have a love affair...with a broom.  

A few thoughts on life...

Many apologies for the lack of blogging as of late. Unfortunately, we experienced a death in the family, and have been pulled in many different directions recently. Out of the past weeks experiences, however, I have found  myself thinking about the 'stuff' in life. What is needed, and what is simply excess? How simple do you live to be healthy, and how do you go about simplifying, should you choose to do so? 

I have always been for the common cliche, " Less is more." After having experienced a personal death, and seen what life is reduced to here on this planet after we vacate, it was clear how much the 'stuff' was just that- stuff. (Here I will pause, as I am reminded of many a stuffed toy that we have brought home to our dog...only to be reduced every time to a small squeaker, and a gigantic white mess...of stuff...ing.)

As this blog is dedicated to a simpler, more responsible way of living, I will ask: what does it mean to pare down to necessities? How much of what you strive for daily really adds quality to your life? Are the ways that we go about obtaining what we 'need' reflecting a Godly stewardship of what we've already been given? 

Thus, a conflict of interests is born. We are living in a catch 22. We are required to work our hind ends off to make ends meet, and yet we are told that life is not about what you have...except that when you have nothing, you can do nothing, and therefor become nothing. (How uplifting.) Nothing like a little Monday critic to brighten your day. Don't worry, it gets better.

It becomes clear rather quickly that where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also...to quote a good author I know. I have been reading an interesting book as of late, which reflects on the direction our lives will take, depending on where our plans and purposes are directed, and whom or what we are pursuing. Another verse comes to mind that we must lose our life to really find it, etc. For the longest time, I didn't REALLY understand that...at all. Lose life to find life- for me, that simply meant die to self, live for Christ, the end. There is so much more to that than first meets the eye, and I would say that it takes a bit of life experience- maybe even going around the horn once or twice- to really hit home with the theme of this idea. Make a few misguided decisions, and suddenly it starts to become real...and then you begin asking questions.

What is it that I am living for, exactly? What's the point of this whole thing? I don't know about you, but I have been caught between the urgency of the everyday grindstone, and the argument within myself that there is more to it than that. Only recently have I even begun to realize that it's both. You can't have one without the other- and that's how it should be. We can't be too quick to throw out the every day, because that's where we were created to exist. Take away the dream of bigger things, however, and something dies inside. Put the two together with a pursuit of knowing God in the moment, and suddenly purpose is found in the simple. 

Look at where God has you in THIS moment. Notice the people He has in your neighborhood, at your coffee shop, and in your office. THIS is life, right here, in THIS now. Be in pursuit of Godly moments constantly. The rest is just stuff.  

Spring has sprung...and so have the markets!

It has been a short while since the last post went up, and Spring in all its windy glory is fully upon us. You know what that means?! The market season is here! This last Saturday, my husband and I, and our baby boy, ventured downtown to our city's Farmer's Market, and it was glorious. Covering several city blocks, there was everything from fresh herbs and spices to local wines, fresh bread, and several artisan booths. For only the second official weekend, the crowds turned out in mass. It was such a great experience to be in the middle of local vendors, doing their thing, and local consumers supporting them. This particular market brings in several million dollars for the city every year, which speaks to the health of supporting your local economy whenever possible. I am so grateful to live in a city that celebrates diversity and creativity in local business!

Green Tip!

Stop throwing away plastic!
Plastic water bottles are a bad idea. They take thousands of years to decompose in a landfill, and if left in heat or in the sunshine (say, in your car...) the chemicals from the plastic will leach into your water, causing you to consume cancer-inducing poison. Oooh goody. Besides all that, they are so not hip.

Here is a much more stylish (and sustainable!) option: STAINLESS STEAL!
They are easy peasy to use, refillable, and hello? They come in all kinds of fun colors! You can find them everywhere- I purchased a lime green one on clearance at Target, and love it! Go grab one!

Yoga...a pain in my butt.

Alright people, we are taking a step back from the focus on clean eating...to talk about excercise! Oh boy. The truth is, and I am sure that most of you are aware of this, you can lose or maintain a healthy weight simply by eating correctly. It's true- excercise is not required to fit into those awesome jeans. (This tells me that I really do eat crappy sometimes. Yikes!) However, as you well know, there are so many other health benefits to consistent excercise that we would be foolish to leave it out of our daily routine. Heart health, bone health, core strength...I could go on and on.

With this in mind, and since giving birth to my first little one, I have been working at getting back in shape...for 6 months now. Sometimes, I would rather just poke myself in the eye. There have been more than enough discouraging moments, as well as a few lazy ones thrown in the mix. Training yourself to expect more out of yourself is a daily task- inside and out. That being said, I would like to spotlight my new favorite indoor (or outdoor) practice: YOGA.

A few weeks ago, I began running again, and soon after, began to develope what could have potentially turned into a knee injury. Simply because I was doing too much with too little strength behind it. So, with instruction to give my knees a chance to get strong before I hit the pavement on a consistent basis, I sulked to Walmart, and found a Jillian Micheals DVD. (Don't judge.) Now, I have attempted Yoga before- but it always came across BORING. I enjoy pushing myself, and at a fast pace, so you can imagine me, in my living room, falling asleep mid-camel pose. (SNORE.) Leave it to Jillian Micheals to wrench me from my naptime. She adds reps to different poses, and in the end, you are sweating  your tush off...literally.

I felt like a moron when I discovered what little core strength I actually posessed. It was pathetic. Here I was, attempting to do these (INSANE) Yoga style push-ups, and I am sucking carpet. The dog and the cat kept coming over to make sure I hadn't died. Now, to be fair, that was my first time, but still. I have been a proud athlete all my life, and that day, I was humbled by a Yoga DVD.

I have heard it said a number of times recently that our bodies were made to do much more than any of us ever even attempt. We were created to be strong, healthy machines- not flappy and floppy couch potatoes. Now this doesn't mean that everyone should be a certain size, with all the same outstanding abilities. What it does mean is that we are all capable of achieving physical strength that most of us never dreamed of. Do you have to run an Ironman to prove it? Not necessarily. Could you if you really push yourself? Absolutely.

My mom was telling me about an article that she had read which talked about a study on the human body. This particular research showed that every individual is made with a bent toward certain physical activities- ones in which they will naturally do well. Some are natural swimmers (NOT ME!!!), while others are what they call, "built-in runners". Irritatingly enough, my husband falls into that second category, while I huff and puff behind him. Still more are physically more capable of sprinting shorter distances, and the list goes on. Every person has a physical, muscular make-up which allows for different activities to come more naturally. I found this very interesting, as well as encouraging. Our society typically just tells everyone what they should be able to do, when really, our job is to be in the best shape that we can achieve, doing things that we are most inspired by...and maybe even enjoy on a good day. 

I have made it a personal goal this year to find this core strength (physically) and push myself past limits that I may have previously set for myself. You can do the same! It is different for every individual, so you have no one to compare yourself to but yourself. With that encouragement in mind, try different things every week! Change it up! Not only will this help you get into shape faster because you will be confusing your muscles, but you may also stumble upon your 'niche' as it were. Once you find that place, push yourself a little more each day. For me, this means tackling that crazy Yoga DVD. Creating core strength simply by pitting my muscles against one another- sounds like a party. (NOT!) Yoga is a great starting point to achieve better physical strength because you don't need lots of knowledge with machines, or any other equipment, and you can do it anywhere. It teaches focus, perseverance, and mental stamina- all good things to practice. If you're looking for a fresh start for Spring, try yoga. I have only been at it now for about three weeks, and I can already tell a big difference. I am much stronger than I was just a short time ago, and I am continuing to push myself mentally as well.

So, to kick off Monday with a bang, I will leave you with a quote from our beloved Jillian..." GET COMFORTABLE WITH BEING UNCOMFORTABLE!"

Well alrighty then.

Announcement!

Hope you are all having a fabulous week! Spring has sprung...well mostly. With it, new growth, and new things are happening all around us. In the midst of all the budding, GreenBean would like to announce the official launch of its new product line! To further promote sustainable living, GreenBean will now be offering funky, hand-made products that are fun to use, and easy on our planet! Take a minute to take a look...

Each piece is individually hand-crafted and unique- no two pieces are exactly alike! To maintain the individual designs, there are only a few of each item available. GreenBean will always be releasing new designs, patterns, and recycled fabrics! The design/product that you choose will always be uniquely your own!

Coffee Sleeves

Tea Satchels   

                                                                            

Burlap Tealight Holders

That's just a preview- keep your eyes peeled for original tote bags, and loads more!

You can stay up to date by becoming a fan of GreenBean on Facebook. You can also visit our official website at

http://gogreenbean.vpweb.com/ !