projects « ((little fat notebook))

Posts Tagged ‘projects’

Homegrown Collective November 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, food, homegrown collective, pictures, projects, reviews, snacks, subscriptions

22 December 2014

You know you’re an old-timer when you start to see familiar projects showing up! I’m sure I would have been more excited if I didn’t already try two of these projects already, but these are great nonetheless. I think it’s all very seasonal and appropriate.

The Homegrown Collective GREENBOX is $39 per box + $9 shipping (or as discounted as $429 for an entire year, with options in between) and comes with fun and easy projects to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program you can apply to join.

Project #1, essential oil immune boost: When I first saw this, I thought it was the tincture project from last year, but it looks more like the oregano oil one with a twist. I thought it was something you drop on your tongue for a boost, but then I wasn’t sure if it was meant to be inhaled more. Now that I compare it to the oregano oil though, I’m pretty confident you can ingest it as well as use it for a topical solution, since both oregano and peppermint are safe to eat. This is perfect timing what with compromised immune systems all around me at work.

Project #2, evergreen oil lamp: I made this very lamp last year and brought it to our new condo for a housewarming item the first time we visited after it was complete. 🙂 It’s very easy to put together and can burn crazy large flames if you don’t trim the wick down a lot. I like it more for the look and don’t really feel like tainting the wick with a burn. After a few months, the plants inside went brown – I’m not sure if that was due to the heat from the flame or if they’d do that anyway. I’ll have to leave this one around without burning it for comparison.

Project #3, cacao wonder cups: One of the very first projects I ever conquered! This one came in the August 2013 box that was my first and they were fabulous. The chocolate chips are a little different this time around, but no doubt just a tasty. I’ll have to make this for my coworkers sometime. They’d love it! What a nice winter treat.

This was the first time I was a little disappointed with the box, just because it included repeats. Still, the projects in and of themselves are wonderful and I’m happy to do them again.

If you want sweet projects like these, subscribe to the Homegrown Collective now! Why wait? Get an awesome start to 2015.

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Cardboard success!

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog，Tags: boxes, cats, home, pets, pictures, projects, smokey

17 December 2014

Alright, tonight’s the first night we saw Smokey go into her new box of her own volition. Pretty exciting stuff, I have to say. Panda did have to cut the hole larger after the original hole turned out to require Smokey to squeeze in and out of. Now she can easily step in and out of the box comfortably. 🙂

A shelter for Smokey

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog，Tags: boxes, cats, crafts, pets, pictures, projects, repurposing, smokey

06 December 2014

Panda’s been wanting to create a little hideaway shelter for Smokey to use whenever she wants to get away from light and noise. She likes to go sit in our closets sometimes when the outside stuff gets to be too much. We decided to cut a hole into a cardboard box we have that she can crawl into. We put shredded packing paper on the bottom to make it more enticing and hopefully she’ll like it!

plated cardboard box with circle marked for cutting

We used an old box and traced a circle where we’d cut a hole.

cat sitting in cardboard box with white tissue paper padding

Smokey waited nearby in one of her many other boxes.

cat sitting watching cardboard box being cut

As the cutting began, she moved closer for a better view.

circular hole cut into side of cardboard box and cat staring at it

All done! Time to set it up.

cat sitting by card board box cat shelter

She was hesitant to try it out.

cat paw and tail hanging out of hole in cardboard box cat shelter

We eventually convinced her to go in for a whirl.

cat squeezing out of hole in cardboard box shelter

But then she came right out. I guess we’ll see if she takes to it.

Homegrown Collective October 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: activated charcoal, apple cider vinegar, bentonite clay, boxes, charcoal, face masks, food, hair care, hair masks, home, homegrown collective, natural, pictures, products, projects, reviews, rose water, sea salt, skincare, subscriptions, teeth whitener

20 November 2014

This mysterious package seemed to have gotten lost along the way, but it finally made it to me when we were out in Hawaii. I was really excited to get it and finally see what it had in store. I’m loving how useful all of this is.

Project #1, activated charcoal: It seems quite strange to brush teeth with charcoal powder, but I’ll trust them on this one… as soon as I work up the nerves to not freak out that my mouth is black and foaming. I wonder what it will taste like. I’ll have to take a picture of my teeth now (certainly a lot more yellow than they used to be back in my teenage years) and compare after however many number of brushes with this craziness. As for the face mask, I’m far more comfortable with putting charcoal on my face. I love using soaps with it and I’m pretty sure some of the face masks I’ve tried have contained it, so I hope this one is a good formula for me!

Project #2, pacific sea salt: How cool! Smoking my own sea salt?! Where do they come up with these fascinating ideas? I do not have a grill, but Panda does have a set of grilling tools he got as a reward from work, so perhaps these should be compelling reasons for us to get a grill. I’ll have to see what (if any) are allowed in our community, or perhaps there’s a public one somewhere that I can use for a few hours. That could be a fun thing to do come spring – picnic & grilling! I love how this is an edible project, which is pretty unique so far.

Project #3, bentonite clay: While we’ve received bentonite clay beforeqqqqqqqqqq`qqq`, I’m happy that they included new ways of using it for very different purposes. I’ll definitely try it in the bath (I hate those bath soaks that stain the tub, so since this isn’t supposed to stain, that would be awesome) and on my hair and skin too! The recipe for hair is perfect for the coming cold, as hair will dry out more and probably get brittle without intense treatment.

I’m always impressed with the themes that they come up and the creativity they have to offer all types of projects, from personal care to home care and more. I’ve yet to be disappointed by anything from this company, which is just fantastic. It’s totally up my alley both as an environmentally-conscious person and a new homeowner! Now I just need to actually get off my lazy weekend butt and start doing these projects. I even put together a list of what I need to do (and it is plentiful). I should set a goal of doing one each week…

If you want in on this cool stuff, subscribe to the Homegrown Collective now! Your home, your family, and your health will thank you for it.

Homegrown Collective olive oil & vinegar infusion project

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, reviews, subscriptions，Tags: cooking, food, home, homegrown collective, pictures, projects

21 October 2014

I’ve been meaning to share the infusions I did from the May Homegrown GREENBOX, so here they are! This was a simple project that wasn’t super messy and didn’t require too many components – mostly just time. I chose to do the cold infusion method since it’s easy to let things just sit. I didn’t read their instructions online, so I missed the memo on the apple vinegar at the end, but I still like my results!

olive oil and balsamic vinegar infusion project ingredients

First, I laid out all the ingredients.

balsamic vinegar infusion project ingredients

I decided to infuse the vinegar with the japones peppers and rosemary.

balsamic vinegar infusion in jar with japones peppers and rosemary

I hope I put enough in there!

I chose the lemon peel and basil leaves for the olive oil.

olive oil infusion in jar with lemon peel and basil leaf

Everything floating happily.

olive oil and balsamic vinegar infusing in jars by window

Infusing time! I let it sit for over three weeks.

infused olive oil and balsamic vinegar with extra flavor in jars

All ready and in their brand new jars. 🙂

The olive oil flavor is more subtle and doesn’t appear too much different, especially when I’m using it as part of cooking. The balsamic vinegar was definitely stronger due to the peppers! Overall I’m happy with the level of infusion for the vinegar and I’d do a second round of infusion for the oil next time to get a stronger flavor since the ones I chose were milder to begin with. This was a nice project and I’ve been using these as my go-to items when I need these ingredients for cooking.

New furniture!

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses，Tags: furniture, home, household, online shopping, panda, pictures, products, projects, smokey, target

26 July 2014

I’m so excited about the newest additions to our home – a (real) TV stand and a dresser! Panda and I got a chance to put everything together today, so I feel super accomplished.

pieces of tv stand furniture before assembly

I came home from volunteering to find Panda starting to put together the TV stand.

We got it on Brookstone’s website because we had a Groupon to use.

instructions for building tv stand and nearly finished product

The instructions were stapled on the right corner. Who does that??

new tv stand with tv and cable box set up

Yay, new TV stand all done! Now the other table that came with our sofas can actually be used as a table.

box for room essentials black 4-drawer dresser from target

Next up was the dresser we got at Target for like 40% off.

This was sooo heavy we just let the pieces slide as we opened the box.

cat sitting on pieces for dresser yawning impatiently

Smokey was already impatient for her new playhouse, aka the drawers.

Pushing together those drawer pieces.

pile of screws, dowels, cams, and other hardware for dresser

That’s a lot of screws and cams and whatnot.

cat sitting in newly built drawer for dresser

As soon as we had the drawers made, Smokey made sure to test them out.

cat sleeping in corner of drawer with face squished

Soon enough, she was passed out in another drawer. Must mean they passed QC!

adding drawers glides to side of dresser wall

Things got a little confusing when we started adding the drawer glides.

frame of dresser created and cat sitting on upside down drawer nearby

We were getting close and Smokey decided she needed to try the support of the drawer from the underside.

black 4-drawer dresser newly assembled but with one brown drawer

Alright, dresser! It wasn’t until we put the drawers in that I realized one of them didn’t quite match… looks like I’ll be calling for a replacement piece.

We’ve designated one drawer for Smokey’s enjoyment and I finally get to move my underwear from a suitcase to a drawer!!

Homegrown Collective June 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, bug sprays, cats, eco-friendly, green, household, insect repellants, lotions, pets, pictures, projects, reviews, skincare, sprays, subscriptions, summer, sunscreens

09 July 2014

I am constantly amazed at how the folks over at the Homegrown Collectiv e come up with these awesome projects month after month. This box comes perfectly timed for the summer months and I was so eager I started one of them even as we left for Pittsburgh Thursday night.

cat sniffing aloe included in homegrown collective june 2014 box with summertime & the livin's easy theme

Smokey was a big fan of this box too.

Project #1, after-sun aloe lotion bars: Ducky molds?!! I LOVE IT. How playful and fun are these? I really look forward to making them and playing around with my little ducky lotions. So adorable! And of course these will be super useful in the summertime to help soothe the bites and scratches that seem inevitable.

Project #2, all natural insect repellant: This is the project that I already have underway and just need to finish up today. What perfect timing – Panda and I went out catching fireflies last week and got bites all over, so next time we go out we’ll have protection against those bugs. I sure hope this is super effective at repelling mosquitoes since we both seem to taste extra good to them.

Project #3, all natural organic sunscreen: Woo hoo, a third project again! I hope they keep this up so I can play around with even more projects. Making my very own sunscreen is fantastic. I wonder if it will have that “sunscreen smell” that we’re all too used to? I doubt it, and that is a very good thing indeed. I had no idea soybean oil could be so useful for bug spray and sunscreen! Fascinating.

Can you say summer soothing in a box? This is amazing. I can’t wait to see how effective everything is! And those ducky molds are precious. I feel like making jello with them… 😛

You know you want to get in on this action! Just subscribe to the Homegrown Collective and you can enjoy these fantastic projects too. 😀

Homegrown Collective May 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: food, greenbox, homegrown collective, kitchen, olive oil, pictures, products, projects, vinegar

04 June 2014

Woo hoo, the main projects of this box will be most welcome with some bread! I love carbs of all kinds, but especially a nice piece of bread dipped in olive oil and vinegar. I didn’t realize it at first, but the grapes part of the theme is referring to the balsamic vinegar! I just never made that connection before. These projects are super easy and I can’t wait to outfit my kitchen with more awesome gear.

Project #1, foot soak & scrub: I could totally use a good foot treatment. My poor feet are always abused and achy. I love how this remedy for softer feet is so good it’s basically edible! Using the olive oil and something granular, like salt or sugar, I can scrub my feet and soothe them. Then a combination of herbs and salt in hot water make for a healing soak. They included a pumice stone so I can really smooth out those heels. This is going on my list of things to do this weekend, for sure.

Project #2, olive oil & vinegar infusion: The focus of these sheets is definitely more towards the oil infusion and I’m more used to seeing infused olive oil. I don’t really know which herbs might work well with vinegar, so I’m hesitant to try that. I’ll have to do some research and see if their blog provides more insight on that front! When it comes to the olive oil, the possibilities are teeming! I don’t want to go crazy mixing too many flavors, but gosh I want to have all sorts of goodies in there. I’ll have to make a few batches and see what combo I enjoy most. [update: check out the completed project!]

Can I just say I was super excited about the adorable strainer and the bottles?! Thank you Homegrown Collective for providing me with all the kitchen extras I could hope for! I don’t know if these count as two or three projects, but I look forward to them all. I get so happy about the knick knacks and the concept of the projects that I don’t even care about the value so much. After seeing the info card about infusion, I wish they’d also included a project for making a salve, ointment, or rub!

Ready to embark on your own green project adventure? Subscribe to the Homegrown Collective now to join in the fun!

Pike’s Peak Rocks geode review

laelene Posted in reviews，Tags: colorado, escape monthly, geodes, nature, pictures, products, projects, reviews, rocks, stones

30 March 2014

I got this super cool “break at home” geode in my January Escape Monthly box and I finally decided to break it open today! It was my reward for cleaning up my room and getting more organized. Nearly all of my boxes upon boxes of stuff have been put into categorized boxes: face, body, bath, food, etc. I even have ones for packaging materials, paper goods, and other random stuff.

plain looking rock that is actually geode

You’d never guess what’s inside based on appearances.

hammer and two screwdrivers used as tools to break apart geode

It took quite a bit of pounding to break this fellow.

geode broken into four large pieces and a pile of small pieces

I wonder of they offer different colors or if all these break your owns are white-ish.

pieces of broken geode arranged on towel

I wish I knew how to break it into two halves! Looks better like this, don’t you think?

It was fun breaking this apart and seeing the beauty within revealed. I would have loved it more if it was a cool color (*ahem* purple), but it’s still a fascinating phenomenon to partake in. For a few dollars, I would totally get another to attempt to break into just two large pieces – I’d go for a strategy of a flat blade going around instead of alternating flat and pointed on a concentrated area like I did this time. I look forward to playing with these pieces and finding a nice way to display them.

Homegrown Collective December 2013 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, cures, diy, eco-friendly, essential oils, green, health, illness, medicine, pictures, projects, remedies, reviews, sickness, subscriptions

09 January 2014

While I was away for the holiday break, I got my Homegrown Collective GREENBOX for December and I was itching to get my hands on it! I finally did this week, but didn’t have daylight to take pictures so I got up early yesterday to snap these shots on the freezing cold porch. Can’t wait til we’re at the condo and I can easily get good lighting indoors.

inside of homegrown collective box with the info sheets on the inner lid and white homegrown collective sticker on brown paper wrapping

This time the sticker was artistically off to the side.

Project #1, oregano oil: I just love everything I learn from each month’s box. I had no idea oregano was such a powerful plant! And I certainly didn’t know essential oils are THAT potent. Just one or two drops for that bottle? Wow, this cure will last a long time. I’m totally going to have Panda try this since he just got sick and tends to be more prone to illness in general. Of course I shall be taking it too so I can ensure I don’t catch anything! Is it just me or is that amber dropper bottle just adorable? I assume you drop some on your tongue but I’ll have to make sure how to use it best. In researching, I discovered it’s great ingested or topically – it can help everything from respiratory issues to acne (OMG I NEED THAT PRONTO). If it helps with my breakouts I will be thrilled.

the homegrown collective december 2013 products for oregano oil

I laid out all the essential oils before noticing you only need the oregano one for this project.

Project #2, herbal tinctures: A tincture?? Another completely new concept for me. At first I thought I was supposed to get all three herbs but then on the last info sheet you see that you get either the echinacea and elderberry OR the St. John’s Wort. All these herbs sound great, so really trying any of them would be cool. I’m cautious about the alcoholic content here since I don’t drink and I have no idea what 80-100 proof alcohol means. But since you only need a fraction of a teaspoon I think it’s much like taking some cough syrup.

Project #3, eucalyptus vapor cups: So cool (literally too right?)!! I have shower bombs and never really knew what it’d take to make them. I’m so excited about this one, though I might wait til we move to the condo to make them. I can just see myself using the kitchen there having a blast! I also love those little baking tins, which will be so fun to use to make chocolate cups and maybe even little cupcake things in the future. One of the side bonuses of HGC is the awesome tools and jars and accessories you get, which can be reused for plenty of things.

the homegrown collective december 2013 products for eucalyptus vapor cups

Yeah, I decided to keep the oregano oil in there even though you only use the lavender and eucalyptus for this one.

And a quick roundup of the amazing box, with some info on essential oils. What a fantastic way to start off the new year healthy all naturally! What are your thoughts on the last box of 2013? If you want in, be sure to sign up for your own Homegrown Collective boxes soon to get the January one (and beyond).

First Prev 1 2 3 Next Last

((little fat notebook))

Posts Tagged ‘projects’

Homegrown Collective November 2014 review

Cardboard success!

A shelter for Smokey

Homegrown Collective October 2014 review

Homegrown Collective olive oil & vinegar infusion project

New furniture!

Homegrown Collective June 2014 review

Homegrown Collective May 2014 review

Pike’s Peak Rocks geode review

Homegrown Collective December 2013 review

Follow Me! :)

laelene

Categories

Top Posts & Pages

Recent Posts