A Nice Piece of Glass ;)

Plain  drinking glasses are boring! However, they are also CHEAP (dollar store, anyone?!)! So, I wanted to add some sass to my glass (es). Here's how you can, too :)

A plain drinking glassMod Podge (mine has silver glitter)
A sponge for applying

There isn't much left to do but create! I monogrammed mine with a "S" for my last name and some glittery polka dots ;) Don't be afraid to be creative. Just be careful after its dry. NO dishwasher and NO abrasive scrubbers while washing (ouch!)

 Front

Back

Have fun ;)

Naturally,

Joyful <3

Quick, Yet Messy, Art Time!

My kids love painting. It makes them happy, it keeps them busy, and they simply love it.
But, painting can get a little....tired. So, here is a way to slick up your painting time.

What you will need:

Ice Tray (Yes, you read that right)
water (for the ice tray)
food coloring
baby spoons/Popsicle sticks/toothpicks (you pick!)
paper towels (let's keep it as clean as possible)
paper (thick paper works best!)

As you can see, I used our Superman-themed ice tray (tee hee!) and baby spoons.

Let's get started!

1) Fill the ice tray with water (NOT to the tippy top, you do not want it to spill over)


2) Put drops of food coloring into the tray. One color per cube space.

 

 

3) Put your toothpicks/baby spoons/Popsicle sticks into the cubes. I used baby spoons. Next time, however, I will use Popsicle sticks. I think that toothpicks may be too small, and will result in more mess.

4) Stick ice tray into the freezer- BE CAREFUL!
5) Once, frozen, start painting

RECOMMENDED: For either outside, or a table where messes will not be an issue! "Paint" will melt! Wear clothing that you would not mind getting messy!

 

 

All in all....have fun!

 

Naturally,

 

Joyful <3

Don't Be Such an Itch!

Ah, Summer. Sun, fun, vacations, pool time....and mosquitoes.

They sure do know how to ruin the fun! I hate to see my poor toddler with his leg full of "boo boo" bites suffer through the itch. I was desperate for a remedy that was fast and easy.

I tried 2 options today to see which would work best. Unfortunately, he was scratching last night, and the bites are "open."

First, I tried putting toothpaste on them, and letting it dry. His reaction? I did not see him scratch it at all! That being said, he is a toddler, and he was soon playing on the couch/ground and that resulted in tiny little fuzzies that found their way stuck to his legs. Oops. Time for Mommy to wash that off.

I wanted to try baking soda and water for another remedy. A simple paste of water and baking soda is supposed to help the itch, as well. Yeah....that would be for bites that your toddler did NOT scratch open. I had the paste on for 2 seconds until my son started crying that it hurt. Mommy fail....but lesson learned.

If he ever gets bitten again like this, I will either stick with the toothpaste, or try other remedies (BEFORE he scratches them!) that I already have  such as deodorant, mouthwash (definitely only if it is not scratched open), vinegar, tea tree oil, or essential oil (I have lavender).

This gives me a great idea! My next entry will be a HOMEMADE mosquito repellent!

Have you ever tried a homemade itch reliever?

Naturally Yours,

Joyful

Broken Crayons, No Problem!

Got kids? Then you probably have broken crayons! But wait, don't toss those crayon pieces away- save them! I put them into a small container until I have a good amount, and then I make bigger crayons out of them!

When you are ready to create, make sure you have:

 vegetable spray (such as Pam)
 non-stick muffin pan.
plenty of crayons with NO WRAPPERS on them

*You can trim down the crayons even more, if you desire*

1) Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit
2) Spray the pan with the vegetable spray
4) Place the crayons into the pan
5) Place in the oven
6) Cook for 7 minutes or until completely melted
7) Remove from oven
8) Set aside (or stick it in the freezer) until completely cooled
9) Remove from pan (I look it upside down and banged on the back with my hand until they fell out onto the counter)
10) ENJOY!



Let me know how it works for you! The more crayons that you add to each hole, the thicker the crayon! Experiment and enjoy!

Naturally Yours,

Joyful

An Easy Way to Help the Planet

Dryer sheets.

We all need them, right? They get rid of static and make clothes soft.That is all well and dandy.Here is some sad news about it: they also fill out landfills AND contain chemicals.

I am not going to get all tree-hugger-preachy, but if you think about how many dryer sheets you go through a year, it actually is a lot. Also, what exactly is IN them? Hmmmm.

Plus, how much money does it cost you? Even buying them at the local dollar store can become costly from buying them so often.

Well, I have found a solution. They are called dryer balls. You buy them once, and use them every time you put your clothes into the dryer. Think about it. Buy it ONCE use it FOREVER. Cool, right?

I got mine on etsy, but you can also make your own if you have wool around (I don't).

So there you go. Just throw 1 or 2 into the dryer, and you are good to go. It is quick, it is easy, and it helps the environment.

Enjoy!

Naturally Yours,

Joyful

Activities for Children!


This is day 2 of my blog! Don't forget to check in frequently for new posts, and if you have a blog yourself, feel free to add me, and I will add you :)

Yesterday, I set up an obstacle course for my kids as something "new" to do. You can pretty much set up an obstacle course anywhere. I recommend having something to climb up, jump over, balance on, and slide down! We did this in my in-law's backyard, but I think that we may make the next one at a local park to keep it interesting!

JUST HAVE FUN with it, and it will be successful!
*BONUS TIP* Add water in some fashion on those extra hot days. Can you say water balloons?!!?!

I have added a picture of part of the course- but feel free to make yours however you want it!

Stay tuned for more updates!!

Naturally Yours,

Joyful <3

Good Morning World!
This is my first post on my new blog, and I am SO excited! This blog will not only feature my "natural" tips/attempts/reviews, but also some happy/positive news articles that I came across, and some fun things to do with your children.

I am very excited about this, and I hope that you will be too!

Some of my future blogs will include:

*Making our own pickles
*Our back-yard obstacle course
*Some natural plant-based cleaning products reviews

STAY TUNED!

Naturally Yours,

Joyful <3