crafts Archives - Emily Roach Health Coach

The room where recycling fails the grade

I am partnering with the CARE TO RECYCLE program and The Motherhood. All opinions shared here are my own.

With Earth Day on April 22nd, it’s the time of year when we evaluate our level of “green.” Are we recycling enough? Are the kids turning the lights off when they leave the room? How do we educate the need to recycle, and also the how? We have talked about recycling with our kids since they were little and they are pretty fluent in knowing what items go in which bin. Yet there is one room where we can do a better job.

The bathroom.

Did you know only 1 in 5 people say they consistently recycle items they use in the bathroom? It’s hard, I know. Not everything is labeled. You don’t want to make a mistake and put in the “wrong” item. The good news is that so many of the items we come in contact with in the bathroom can be recycled.

Toilet paper rolls
Cardboard cartons from over-the-counter medicines.
Shampoo bottles
Empty prescription bottles
Shaving cream can

Space is often limited in the bathroom so there may not be room for a recycling bin. Our system is to leave these items at the top of the stairs when they are empty. Another idea is to discard the cartons before they even reach the bathroom. Some families can put a recycling bin in their second floor laundry room.

Here are some fun projects to reuse some of those bathroom products too.

Fun toilet paper owls! (source)

Fun pencil holders made from shampoo bottles! Use acetone to remove the print (source)

Cute iPhone Caddy (source)

Join me and other parents as we chat on Earth Day at a Twitter Party, 12:00 EST. #CareToRecycle

What: Did you know that four out of five American adults aren’t consistently recycling their personal health and beauty products? We’re talking perfectly recyclable everyday bathroom items like empty shampoo and lotion bottles. That’s why The Motherhood is excited to join the Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies’ CARE TO RECYCLE® program to help spread the word about recycling in the bathroom. This Earth Day, we’re getting the whole family involved!

During the chat, we’ll be sharing fun, easy ways to teach your kids the importance of recycling beyond the kitchen and into the bathroom, and we encourage you to share your tips, too! We will be joined by two special guests, Keep America Beautiful and Recyclebank, who will be stopping by to share their tips and ideas, as well.

When: Wednesday, April 22 (Earth Day) at noon ET

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #CareToRecycle hashtag to track the conversation. You can see the details and RSVP via this Vite: http://vite.io/TheMotherhoodChats

Prizes! During the chat, we’ll be giving away five prizes to randomly selected participants who correctly answer the trivia questions tweeted by @TMChatHost. Four (4) winners will receive one (1) prize pack of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies health and beauty products. One (1) winner will receive one (1) partner prize pack including a $100 gift card to onetwine.com, courtesy of Recyclebank, and a family pack of t-shirts made from recycled content, courtesy of Keep America Beautiful.

Prizes limited to U.S. participants only. Official rules here.

Hosts: @TheMotherhood, @TMChatHost, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann

Co-hosts: @realadvicegal, @carogonza, @shoppingduck, @LittleUsBlog, @EmilyARoach, @busymomblog, @KBWhiskey, @allthingsfadra, @ALuckyLadybug, @ourpieceofearth

Special guests: @Recyclebank, @recyclesday

See you at the party!

How else can you reuse your bathroom recyclables?

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April 21, 2015/10 Comments/by eroachwellness

crafts, Kids

Egg Carton Crafts for Kids

Who has some extra egg cartons in their house this week? As Easter approaches, everyone is busy dying eggs or crafting eggs with the latest designs. Now what do you do with all those extra egg cartons in the house?

Here’s a round up of fun projects to reuse egg crates. Keep the kids busy as you prep Easter dinner!

Egg carton mask in happy spring colors! Kids can wear them and run around while still on their sugar high. (source)

Help kids learn their letters with this cute Alphabet Egg Carton Game. (source)

Craft a DIY Birdfeeder with the egg crates. I love how easy this project it and when the rain wrecks it, it can compost into the ground.

An easy and fun project to celebrate A Very Hungry Caterpillar. Use the time to talk to the kids about nature and the transition of a life of a caterpillar to a butterfly. (source)

Cut out each egg holder and thread into a unique mobile. Hang them outside as the weather warms up.

What other crafty ways have you reused an egg carton?

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April 2, 2015/5 Comments/by eroachwellness

Holidays, Kids

Easy Preschool Tissue Paper Easter Eggs

After pouring through way too many Easter craft ideas on Pinterest, I finally landed on Tissue Paper Eggs. When you have little kids, it needs to be fun, easy and hopefully not crazy messy. There are loads of dye kits that create those sweet pastel eggs, or you can use natural kitchen ingredients, but I knew it would lead to spilled bowls of dye in my house. Tissue paper eggs are even easier because all I have to buy are white eggs.

Gather scraps of tissue paper in various colors and patterns. The pattern ones were really fun for the kids to play with on the eggs and see how they changed once they were cut into small pieces. The kids spent time cutting the paper in small pieces (less than 1″) and gathered them all together.

The eggs were hard boiled so it’s easier for the kids to work with. JJ remembers a delightful project we did last year where we gently cracked the eggs and then dyed them to create a crackle effect. All he wanted to do this time was crack the eggs. Connor took the same approach and every egg we gave him he tapped on the table. Oh well. Just eggs.

Apply the tissue paper with Mod Podge glue, or white school glue. The kids use a paintbrush so hopefully just a little glue goes on at a time.

Layer them, leave some white, let them get creative. After the first round of tissue paper eggs, the kids moved on to embellishing their eggs with Easter stickers. Still cute.

Hope you all have a happy Easter. Eggs and all!

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April 1, 2015/1 Comment/by eroachwellness

green, Kids, organizing

5 Steps to a Greener Playroom

This story has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BringingInnovation #CollectiveBias

Creating a healthy learning environment for a child’s playroom is key. But is the space really healthy? What could you be doing to make it a greener space for everyone in the family. If you have kids like mine that are constantly in and out of their playroom, I want to make sure I am creating a healthy space for them to play and learn in.

Today I’m sharing 5 Steps to a Greener Playroom. As Earth Day approaches next month, now is a great time to start having talks with your kids about how they use their resources. Encourage them to turn the lights off in the playroom when they leave. Put the caps back on the markers so they don’t dry out. By talking about consumption we can educate our kids on living a more eco-friendly lifestyle without having to be an “ego-nag.”

Use eco-friendly toy cleaners. There are lots of choices now on the market. You can use an all-purpose spray for the majority of the playroom. I like the Babyganics Toy & Highchair Cleaner. Want to make one yourself? Take a peek at my DIY Green Cleaner Board on Pinterest for lots of easy to make cleaners using basic ingredients like vinegar, castille soap and essential oils. Also, skip the snacks in the playroom. You will avoid having to clean up sticky spills that may need stronger cleaners.
Limit the number of stuffed animals. This may seem a little harsh, but it’s not just for your health, but your sanity when it comes to clean-up time! Stuffed animals tend to harbor dust mites and allergens. Limit the number you have and remember to give them a little run through the washing machine on occasion. Our new dryer actually has a sanitizing setting and a flat tray that I can put the animals on for a little spring cleaning.
Chose Eco-Advanced Batteries. Let’s face it, kids do love their electronics. Whether it’s the batteries in the remote control or the ones for a Leap pad, as parents we go through A LOT of batteries. Energizer has come out with the new Eco-Advanced Battery and it’s the first one to use recycled batteries and materials. It’s also their longest lasting battery so you can also feel good about cutting down on your purchases too.
Choose old toys over new ones. Ask neighbors if they are ready to part with toys if they have older kids. Legos seem to last forever so they are a perfect choice to pass along to friends and family. You can also look for local consignment sales for kids, like the Parent Talk Semi-Annual Used Clothing/Toy/Gear Sale on May 2nd. (yes, shameless plug. )
Create a recycling bin for kids to use freely. I got this idea after reading this book and it’s been working great. Not only can the kids reuse the back of paper for their own projects, but I am also encouraging them to repurpose their art into new creations. The kids paint all the time and we truly don’t have room for all their masterpieces. They have helped me take their watercolor art and repurpose them into gift tags and mosaics.

Find the new Energizer Eco Advanced Battery at your local Walmart. We had some fun girl time on our shopping outing.

If you want to take a peek at more stories about living a greener lifestyle, Energizer has pulled them together here and there are tons of fun ideas for your family.

What other ways can you create a greener playroom in your home? Leave a comment and share with everyone your great idea!

GuiltFreeEnergy Giveaway – $1,000 in Gift Cards

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March 24, 2015/7 Comments/by eroachwellness

crafts, organizing

How to Tackle Your Creative Stash of Stuff

The new year brought about a renewed awareness of “stuff” in our house. Do we need it? Do we love it? Does it add value to our everyday life? As I sorted and purged through the nooks and crannies in our house, I was able to make a quick decision on most items. (Especially after reading this book.) The trickier things are those that are project driven. The scrapbook supplies for the baby book I didn’t put together, the fancy stamps for card making, the old sweaters to cut into fingerless gloves. How do you know when it’s time to let go?

It feels wasteful to just toss some of these things, and I am not quite ready to give up on making time for more creative endeavors in my life. After pulling everything together, I tried to think about the stuff in this light.

If I finished the product, where would it go in my home or closet?
How much will I use my creation?
Do I still enjoy this hobby?
Could I borrow like items from friends if I decided to let mine go?

As the sorting continues, I saw that an eCourse is part of the new Ultimate DIY Bundle called “Use Your Stash” and written by Elise Joy (who’s podcast Elise Gets Crafty is awesome!) I consider it a little kick in the pants to get moving and just DO something. It will encourage you to use up the stuff you have and enjoy the process. Make something fabulous and be okay with using something up.

This even can apply to your kids craft supplies. Let them go a little wild and use their stash. There is no need to hoard pompoms and pipe cleaners. Let them use their stickers. Set out their creative bits and bobbins and see what happens. Adults can learn a thing or two about freedom of expression as you watch the kids use their stuff with abandon.

This sweater is so beautiful, but it has moth holes. Now what?

If you are encouraged to use some of your creative stash, but need a little jumpstart, there is the Ultimate DIY Bundle available Jan 21-Jan 26. There are 76 ebooks, which cover photography, sewing, writing, small business and more. My favorite part this go round are the ecourses- Use Your Stash and the Photo editing one both look awesome. The value of everything is $1200 and is only $34.95.

I’m not going to read more than half of what’s included, but the ones I do want to read would cost:

Reuse, Refresh, Repurpose $3.99
The Social Spread $129.99 (amazing deal on social media update ideas for a year!)
Say No to Auto $10.00
Easy DIY Crafts for Every Season $10.00
TOTAL $153.98

So I bought the bundle. I saved $119. Plus I may finally make those sweater covers for mason jars I keep seeing on Pinterest…

What will you make?

Disclosure: I have included affiliate links in this post. I bought it on my own and think it’s a valuable resource. Read the fine print about this bundle and read the answers to frequently asked questions about the bundle.

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January 21, 2015/8 Comments/by eroachwellness

christmas, crafts, Family, Kids, preschool

Christmas Craft A Day Update

Just wanted to share a few photos from the Christmas Craft a Day project. If you are following along on Instagram (I’m there as RandomRecycling), you can see the latest photos and find them under the hashtag #xmascraftaday. On the Random Recycling Facebook page, you may or may not see the updates. The Facebook metrics have changed so the daily updates don’t reach as many people as I would like. Stop by the page to comment on a post and you will hopefully see the updates again.

If you need directions for any of the projects above, let me know in the comments and I’ll reply with the details. Share the craft ideas for later and pin them to your Christmas or holiday boards. You can find all my Pinterest boards here.

Happy crafting!

P.S. Today is the LAST day for standard shipping via Amazon. Now might be a good time to order a few stocking stuffers and avoid the lines at the stores! If you shop via my Amazon link, it helps supports this site, at no cost to you. Thanks!

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December 18, 2013/1 Comment/by eroachwellness

crafts, Kids, summer

Creative Ways to Use Your Beach Treasures

If you frequented the beach this summer, there is a good chance you have collected a stash of seashells, sea glass or driftwood. On our beach, we are lucky to also collect sand dollars. The big question at the end of the season is what to do with all of our beach treasures? Here are a couple of easy ideas you can make with just a few craft materials.

Easy sea glass wreath using a foam wreath form and a hot glue gun.

Embellish some plain candle votives with sea glass to bring a little of the beach to your table.

Love this beach inspired mason jar craft too.

Layer pieces of driftwood to create a textured mirror. Use a flat mirror to start with to make it easier to apply the driftwood. (Ikea made this one.) Check out this fancier driftwood mirror if you have a big collection to use.

This post shares more driftwood project ideas.

Watercolor paints work great for painting sand dollars and seashells.

Got seashells? Here are 20+ ways to use them.

Share your creative ways to use seashells in the comments.

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August 29, 2013/3 Comments/by eroachwellness

crafts, decorating, recycling

Recycle Your Flower Pots Into Cute Containers

As people start planting flowers and vegetables in their gardens, there is a plethora of leftover plastic flower pots to deal with. My friend Andrea shared this clever project, recycling her plastic flower containers into cute containers for her girl’s room. All you need is some Mod Podge glue, cute fabric and some spray adhesive and you’ve got yourself some cute new containers for a bedroom, kitchen or home office.

Recycled Flower Pot Container

The first steps are to clean out the flower pots thoroughly with dish soap. Dry well.

Recycle Flower Pot Project

Pick up some cotton fabric at your local store.

Mod Podge and Fabric Project

Cut the fabric to fit around your pot. Spray adhesive in a well ventilated space and then wrap the fabric around the pot. Once dry, paint the pot with Mod Podge glue to finish the look. (Alternatively, you can skip the spray adhesive and just use the Mod Podge only.)

Let the pots dry thoroughly before using.

Match the containers to your kid’s room, or pick some fun fabric to dress up your home office. The options are endless.

Do you have a fun recycling project to share? Send me an email with the details and you may be featured here!

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May 30, 2013/2 Comments/by eroachwellness

cleaning, crafts, decorating, green, home management, Kids, organizing, project simplify, storage

Create a Craft Cabinet for Project Simplify

It’s the first week of Project Simplify and the focus is on shelves and drawers. I decided to put my efforts into creating a craft cabinet that is easily accessible,pretty and organized. Since we have limited storage space on our main level of living, I found the kid’s toys and crafts creeping into every corner. I like having a variety of crafts to play with, but I don’t want them too accessible for the kids. J.J. tends to draw on everything, including the walls and his sister. The elevated cabinet in our half bathroom became a good spot to keep things handy, but out of the reach of little hands.

Source

I had already organized the left side of the cabinet a few months ago and used the Martha Stewart labels so I stuck with the same color story for the right side. The robin’s egg blue color is pretty and the material is pretty durable if I need to wipe off some markers or play dough from a box.

The first step is to clean out and take an assessment of what you own. Organize it into like items, purge what you don’t need, move seasonal crafts (i.e. Christmas stickers) to the basement, and then decide the storage system that will work for you. I like the document boxes because I can reuse them long after the kids outgrow this craft organization system.

I enlisted some help organizing the crafts. However my helper was quickly distracted by all the fun craft projects she found on the table.

My organizing supplies came from Staples. I got free delivery and it basically came overnight since they are local. Nothing makes like easier than home delivery! I got three document boxes, a desk organizer with drawer and metal book-plate. Everything fit well, except the drawer didn’t quite have enough clearance to make it easy to pull out. I decided to separate the drawer from the box which created a two tier organizer for papers and coloring books, which actually worked out better. The drawer is open storage at the top for larger items like play dough and accessories.

Part of what works in any organization system is making it easy to use and also making it pretty. I think it’s easier to maintain if both of these factors are met. So far I just love opening the cabinet and not seeing a jumble of crafts and “other” stuff. It’s amazing how many random things were tucked away on the shelves. I finally tossed some scented candles that I just don’t want in my house any more. I felt guilty throwing out something that worked, but I just don’t want the toxic fumes in my house. I already feel better that the clutter is gone.

Up next week is closets…which one is on your list? If you are tackling any spring cleaning projects, please share in the comments. I’ll be sharing my post over at SimpleMom each week of Project Simplify.

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April 12, 2013/3 Comments/by eroachwellness

apps, books, crafts, Family, ipad, Kids, parenting, Pottery Barn, reading, toddlers, travel

Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s Birthday

This is the week to talk about Green Eggs and Ham and The Lorax with your kids. Why? Well it’s Dr. Seuss’s birthday on March 2nd. Dr. Theodore Geisel’s wonderful story books deserve a special time to celebrate the silliness of them. Our own collection of Dr. Seuss books are hand-me-downs, some from my own childhood and others from my younger cousins. I love sharing them with my kids and laugh at their questions about all the funny things everywhere. We had a fun Dr. Seuss party and here’s some fun food and decorating ideas.

READ

No question the best way to celebrate Dr. Seuss book’s is to read them. You may be reading aloud with your little ones like us, or you get to listen to young readers work their way through funny phrases. Read Across America Day is this week and there are numerous events to get involved. “Grab Your Hat and Read with the Cat” is the theme of Read Across America week for 2013. Pottery Barn Kids will be hosting a special story time and craft activities to celebrate Dr. Seuss. A “Cat-a-Van” will travel the country stopping at 17 cities to promote literacy and giveaway more than 20,000 books.

Be green and borrow Dr. Seuss books from your local library. If you want to fill in your own collection, Toys R Us has a special buy 2 get the 3rd free sale this week. We also have the Dr. Seuss app from the Apple Store. It’s a collection of stories and it has both the read aloud or read to me functions. I love having these books on hand when we travel!

WATCH

My kids are PBS kids and they love watching The Cat in the Hat. My daughter calls Nick and Sally “friends.” This Friday, there will be two new episodes on PBS Kids. THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! will feature two brand new episodes. “Rumbly Tumbly / Planet Name Game” features a super shrunken trip into Thing One’s stomach as well as a whirlwind trip to each of the eight planets, and “Top of the Sky / Jiggle Bones” follows the Cat, Nick and Sally as they travel to Audrey the Astronaut’s space station and visit Dr. Giggles to see why bones are important.

LEARN

Use the books as inspiration to do a project with the kids. Here are a few I came across that look fun!

Create silly photo props. Let the kids take some pictures with their Thing 1 and Thing 2 hair.
Make Silly Socks. We may need these for “Wacky Wednesday” at preschool this week.
Who-ville hair anyone?
Decorate a Lorax door. Talk about the message of The Lorax and share some ways to be green with your kids.
Handprints Thing 1 and Thing 2.
Did you know Dr. Seuss is a SigEp? My husband reminds me every time we read one of his books. 😉

Happy Dr. Seuss week! Please share any events or happenings in your school.

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February 26, 2013/11 Comments/by eroachwellness

Posts

The room where recycling fails the grade

Join me and other parents as we chat on Earth Day at a Twitter Party, 12:00 EST. #CareToRecycle

How else can you reuse your bathroom recyclables?

Egg Carton Crafts for Kids

What other crafty ways have you reused an egg carton?

Easy Preschool Tissue Paper Easter Eggs

5 Steps to a Greener Playroom

What other ways can you create a greener playroom in your home? Leave a comment and share with everyone your great idea!

How to Tackle Your Creative Stash of Stuff

Christmas Craft A Day Update

Creative Ways to Use Your Beach Treasures

Share your creative ways to use seashells in the comments.

Recycle Your Flower Pots Into Cute Containers

Do you have a fun recycling project to share? Send me an email with the details and you may be featured here!

Create a Craft Cabinet for Project Simplify

Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s Birthday

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LEARN

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