Making “Milk”

After opening the fridge one morning, I realized I was out of my usual supply of Almond Milk from Costco… I wanted cereal. What’s a girl to do? Well, make my own of course. I have an awesome vegan book (I am not vegan, but there are some amazing recipes) called “The Plant Power Way” by Ultra Man Champ, Rich Roll. He and his wife have MANY recipes for making vegan milk, (including a great Hemp Milk recipe) and I was inspired by the ingredients I already have! I have Hemp, I have Oats, I don’t have any soaked cashews or almonds, so I decided to go nut-free.

I googled “hemp milk” and “oat milk not slimy” to get my recipes and the ones I ultimately used were from the Minimalist Baker.

Here’s the recipe for Hemp Milk (below). Now, I didn’t have Hemp SEEDS. I have hulled Hemp HEARTS, but blended with the date and vanilla, it works very well!

I like the Hemp milk! It’s not as thick as regular milk, but with the dates, and the vanilla, the flavor is there, and it’s really good. I’ve made oat milk before and it was NOT GOOD. It was slimy and I just didn’t know what I did wrong, or how ANYONE liked oat milk at all. As mentioned before I googled “oat milk not slimy” and that’s where the Minimalist Baker recipe came from. Check out the website for full instructions. The trick is this: don’t over blend & don’t squeeze the filter bag. Just let gravity do its thing.

Oat Milk (left) Hemp Milk (right) and a blend in the center.

I landed on a final product of mixing them both together for a smooth taste and texture. If I had the right straining bag I would have strained the Oat milk once more through something finer than a nut milk bag, like a muslin bag (I have the materials, I should make one!) to get rid of the graininess that can linger after blending oats. I tried it in a homemade iced Chai and it’s a little gritty, but not bad. Better with granola and in a smoothie. Heck, the baby even likes it, so that’s an extra bonus!

Tell ya what, it’s a great milk to make in a pinch! Or just all the time, the cost for oat milk is not bad AT ALL. A tub of oats is $4. You can get many quarts of Oat milk from that, it’s way cheaper than Almond milk! Enjoy!

New Fabric Obsessions

I don’t know about you who sew, but every time I go to the fabric store I see a print, it’s like love at first sight, I need to meet it. I need to feel it out, see if it’ll work in my life, and then take it home. I then want to do everything with that said fabric and I get sad when I run out. I am also a frugal person and will only buy a small amount at a time if I don’t have current plans for the fabric and won’t actually get a large amount to hold me over. Enter, fun new leaf / feather prints and geometric prints that match. Hello new bags!

Shamless self promotion: they are for sale on my Etsy store. (link at top.)

Do any of you get this way over new craft products?

Happy crafting!

Zero Waste: Where to Start

I’ve had a few people tell me that they are inspired by my journey to be more eco-friendly but they really don’t know where to start! To me, Zero Waste means reducing your single use garbage / plastic and when you DO have to buy something new, don’t buy something that can’t be either Re-purposed, Recycled, Composted, or Burned (paper).

Now, I’m not perfect by a LONG shot and I think that Zero Waste is very hard, it’s a commitment that you make one step and one day at a time!

Supplies:

Get yourself a few reusable items to keep with you, either in your car or in your purse in a kit. Reusable grocery bags, reusable Straw, (silicone for smoothies) fabric napkin, bamboo or thrifted cutlery, a reusable drinking cup, (one that does both hot and cold is best!) a tupperware container for leftovers and even a jar with lid for grocery store purchases. You can even turn a mason jar into a drinking cup for hot or cold drinks with this fun lid!

I made a kit for cutlery and dining on Etsy with a straw, straw brush, reusable napkin, and bamboo spork:

Yes I know I’m at an advantage with my kit because I make and sell them, so I get stuff in bulk. If you don’t want to buy in bulk, there are options for buying things one piece at a time on Amazon or Etsy! If you DO, find some friends to go in on, have a craft night, and make your own kits!

Link to Basket. Fair Trade! Support African Women!

Round out your kit with a larger bag or basket to keep everything in. Toss in your jars, containers, cutlery, shopping bags, a pen and small notepad for bulk labels and get ready!

Take a Tour of your house:

Seriously, take a tour and ask yourself, will I throw this away when I’ve used it once? Paper towels, trash bags, cracker and cereal boxes that come with a plastic bag inside, frozen meat Styrofoam, almost anything you order on Amazon will come wrapped in plastic or with air bubbles in it. Produce bags or single wrapped items like chips, granola bars, Snickers, that drive through cup and lid… Is there another way? YES. Is it easy? NO. Will it be worth it? YES.

Shopping:

Grab your kit and get ready to go!

Ok, so you will kind of be mad the first time you go grocery shopping Zero Waste. “Why can’t I get the CHEETOS. They’re organic doesn’t that count for something?! UGHHH.” This was me. It’s not only a lifestyle choice but kind of a diet too! (Sarcastic YAYYYYY said in a monotone voice.)

Welcome to “Nailed it”, Zero Waste edition!

You have to rely on your baking and cooking skills a LOT more. No more boxed cakes, only scratch ones! No more crackers, gotta break out that rolling pin and make them! Gonna have to make multiple trips to the Farmer’s Market, Bakery, AND grocery store to get everything. Some orders on Amazon Pantry will be useful too. And you can try and specify with the vendor that you DO NOT want plastic wrapped things. This is the part that’s a pain in the butt if you wanna go Zero Waste.

Get ready to “Bulk” Up.

There are most likely stores in your city where you can get a lot of things in bulk. Our local Festival Foods, and Fresh Thyme have bulk items. All you need is jars or containers, weigh them on the scale yourself or with help from a friendly cashier and fill em up! That way you forgo bags and plastic containers for things like flour, rice, noodles, nuts, spices, crunchy snacks, peanut butter, honey, and oh yeah, CHOCOLATE.

Go to the local grocery store’s meat counter and bring your container to skip all that plastic and Styrofoam. Do the same for lunch meat and sandwich cheese. (You KNOW your mom gave you a 24 pack of Tupperware for Christmas… use it!) DISCLAIMER: Some people say to NEVER let raw meat touch plastic containers. For this you can use those rectangle glass Pyrex baking dishes with lids or stainless containers. Cooking that day? Go ahead and get the butcher paper wrap from the counter. It’s not nearly as bad as shrink wrap.

Baked Goods:

Hit up the local bakery or farmer’s market for bread (bring your own bag. Save the bags from the bread you already have at home! or use paper bags or fabric produce bags.) Get some cookies, a loaf of bread, and even some macrons. Store your goodies at home in a bread box, reused bread bag, or over sized Tupperware container.

Produce & Etc:

Go to the Farmer’s Market for veggies, eggs, herbs, and even cheese, dog biscuits, bread and flowers. Start a garden! Say no to single wrapped produce and bring your produce bags to the store or just don’t use the ones in the store. Don’t get eggs in Styrofoam, just paper cartons. Remember to bring your Zero Waste Kit!

But, Roxanne, I need my (fill in the blank) Doritoes. Oreos. Twizzlers. Gluten Free Cookies. (Things that come wrapped in plastic.) I won’t say you should NEVER get those things. If you make a conscious effort to cut back, you’re doing great!

Household Changes:

• Switch to Shampoo Bars and bar soap to replace bottles.
• Only get Toilet Paper wrapped in paper, not plastic.
• Get some Bees Wax Wrap to replace shrink wrap at home.
• Our Farmer’s Market hands out FREE shopping bags every week. Get some bags there or at your local grocer for as low as $1 a piece!
• Make your own toothpaste or switch to a Bite toothpaste drop, and switch to Bamboo Toothbrushes (below).
• Switch to DROPP Laundry detergent to give up the plastic jug.
• Switch to Ecover Dishwash soap pods or make your own to replace the plastic jug. You can also get a dishsoap block / bar instead of bottle!
• Switch to wood instead of plastic for toilet scrubbers, dish scrubbers.
• Switch to rubber or velvet lint rollers.

Making smarter choices don’t cost much more than wasteful ones, and will last longer. Think of it as an investment in the planet.

What Else can I do?

• Make coffee at home, skip the cafe unless you have your own cup.
• Say no to straws when you order drinks.
• Use the library! Books, and movies, and music, oh my!
• Give gifts wrapped in fabric, or decorated rolls of craft paper.
• Second hand shop for things like clothes, kitchen goods, toys, kids stuff, home decor, and furniture.
• Host a clothing swap among friends.
• Start a compost! You can start one even if you’re in an apartment. Watch this video to see!
• Make an effort to remember your kit and restock it if used.
• Try to adopt a minimal lifestyle, less is more, people!

Can you do it?

Yes! I’m proud of any of you that made it this far! For those that skipped down to the bottom: Bring your own bags and containers. Reduce waste. Say no to straws. Be kind to the planet.

Together we can make a huge difference. Take it one day at a time. Don’t kick yourself for slipping up. Some things are unavoidable (cat food… medications… ) But all in all, you got this!

Low Waste Easter Basket

I know I’m late in posting this, but hey, it’s the thought that counts! Every year millions of Americans wake up on Easter morning to something they have found joy in since their first time celebrating the holiday. Easter to most is about church, family, a smoked ham and deviled eggs but also – the treasured basket. The beloved, gleaming Easter basket, filled to the brim with it’s Cadbury Eggs, jellybeans, stuffed animals, peeps, and plastic grass lining. The basket that, until this year, I didn’t think much about how much trash it was producing so I could incur a few more cavities.

This year my husband and I have decided to try a “Zero Waste” Easter basket. I started with cute little baskets from Target for $2 each, made of wooden reed. Even though the tag was held on with a little bit of plastic, I thought this was a good place to start! If I hadn’t found those, I would have gotten a thrift store basket, or reused one laying around the apartment or from the wedding decor.

1. Paper from Oriental Trading Company. 2. Paper Mache containers from Hobby Lobby. 3. Egg from Oriental Trading Company or Etsy. 4. Fillable Carrot is DIY from Make it Love it Blog.

Bare Necessities: Once you have your basket, shred some colorful paper, or get some paper “grass” to line your basket from Etsy or Oriental Trading Company. Skip the plastic “grass”! How about containers? Try some wooden eggs from Oriental Trading Company, some mini drawstring bags, paper mache containers from the hobby store, reusable jars, or plain ol’ tupperware you already have.

Here are a few ideas on what you can put into a “zero waste” or “low waste” Easter basket to celebrate, yet reduce all of those tiny pieces of plastic.

Bulk candy! No plastic waste, all the same sugary goodness.

Bulk Candy: Take your mason jar, or an empty jar from home, say the cute little peanut butter jar, to the grocery store where you can get bulk goods, get the cashier to get the tare weight on the jar, and fill with candy! At our local Fresh Thyme there is bulk chocolate, malt balls, jelly beans, gummy worms, and wayyyy more goodies. Why get small individual candy bars when you can give someone a JAR of chocolate? Jazz it up with a ribbon or fabric cut lid liner.

Stuffed Bunny from Blablakids on Etsy.

Stuffed Animals: This is an easy one, stuffed animals are always a win. I made a stuffed bunny this year for Desi with fabrics I had laying around.

Books: Check ANY bookstore within your budget, yard sales, or even Library Book sales for a cute addition for a basket!

What about these cute bird earrings from Etsy?

Clothing Accessories: Hair accessories, ties, socks, watches, wallets, tiny baby shoes, cute novelty socks, blingy rings, or anything that fits in the basket that didn’t come wrapped in plastic fits the bill.

Hobby Things: Does your recipient fish? Draw? Garden? Why not go to your nearest hobby store and get them something to fuel their creativity like paintbrushes, pencils, seed packets, new cute gardening gloves, fishing lures, or a deck of cards?

Fun Tea Towel from Etsy.

Baked Goods: If you’re gonna sugar your friends and family up, why not try some home made brownies or cookies?

Antiques: Go to the local antique store and find some linens, tea towels, tea cups, costume jewelry, tools (for the woodworker!), or an awesome vintage action figure.

Misc: How about things they might need? Kitchen utensils, lighters, small candles, or incense (that’s still a thing for some people!)

OTHER Non candy snacks: How about a can or bottle of their favorite beverage, paired with some local jars of jam or nut butter?

Check out these other GREAT ideas!

1. Easter Basket Fillings from a Blessed Nest Blog.
2. This ADORABLE basket from Beijinhos Events (below).
3. A Baby’s Easter Basket from Natalie and Josh

Happy Easter Everyone!

Baby Stuff: What I Use

Baby Products: The Good, the bad, and the never even used…

As many of you know, I had a baby in May 2018 and as a first time mom and long time thorough researcher, I looked into reviews, other mom’s opinions, and pricing of just about every baby product on the market… Like EVERY product. Thanks to the Babylist, where I also had my baby registry, I could find a lot of this info in one location. I wanted to share with you what I use, and what I got but never used, and what has been a life saver!

Nursing / Feeding:

Boppy– I used this every day, still! It’s a life saver for resting arms while feeding and holding a sleeping baby for hours.

Tommy Tippee Bottles – Desi couldn’t figure out the Doc Brown bottles with the longer, narrow spout and only liked the ones with the larger / wider tops. Plus they are anti-colic and have a temperature changing strip in the center to let me know if the formula / milk was too hot.

Pump: I got the Spectra2 with my insurance for FREE (through Aeroflow) and used it often, but not exclusively. I wish I had gotten the Medela because the storage kit I got was from Medela and bottles didn’t fit the pump and I had to get converters, and believe me, the less parts, the better…

I also got a few nursing bras, (like sports bras you can wear to bed), some Bamboobies (leak protectors), and a nursing sweater that has a slit in the middle that lifts for easy feeds. Otherwise it can be hard to nurse in normal shirts, be ready to wear 2 shirts. One you can leave down and one you can pull up. I didn’t mess with nursing covers since I have a TON of lightweight scarves.

Travel:

Car seats and Strollers and Carriers, oh my!

This carrier (above) by Infantino was by FAR the best buy we made. It was only $29 on Amazon and we used it all the time! It’s easy to use and baby can face in or out. At 9 months he’s just about outgrown it and we will move onto this one:

Lillebaby All in One Carrier this will work great when he gets bigger, he didn’t like it when he was really small since he kind of got lost in it. I got it on clearance for just $80! It’s originally $125. AND he can be in it till he’s a toddler.

He did NOT like: the Boba Wrap. Nothing against the Boba Wrap, he just hated being constricted. Every baby is different though!

Chicco Bravo KeyFit 30 Stroller and Car Seat: This car seat / Stroller combo was the best travel system for the price, and got amazing reviews. It’s easy to use, lightweight, and I found it easy to clean when Dad spilled coffee on it at the farmer’s market… The tray for the babe with a cup holder didn’t come with it, I had to get it separate.

Cozy Cover: We didn’t use this as much as we thought, a blanket did just fine to keep him warm in the car seat in the winter.

Diaper Bag: We tried a tote style from Skip Bop but ended up switching to a backpack style from Swishbaby ($40) since I needed to be hands free.

Also: Mirror for the car and window cling for sun protection from Target, and a jingly stroller toy for distractions from Skip Bop.

Sleeping:

Noise machine! I got this one on a lightning deal and it’s awesome because it doesn’t have a timer. You just let ‘er rip all night long.

Nightlight: I used a salt lamp for the first few months then I got this fun Star projector night light when Desi got a little bigger and it was a total win. He loves to watch the spinning stars on the ceiling, and there’s a timer so don’t have to run it all night if you don’t want to.

Rock N Play Sleeper– We got this the second night after we brought Desi home since he didn’t want to sleep laying flat and it was a LIFE SAVER. Folks. He slept in this till he was almost 5 months old. No he didn’t get a flat spot on his head. He napped in it, we took it everywhere when we traveled. We always made sure to buckle him in even after late night feeds so he didn’t slide down in the sleeper. The motor started to get loud after a while but the babe didn’t care. We retired it once he could sit up on his own.

DISCLAIMER ON ROCK N PLAY: I know there’s a recall on this item (as of April 2019), but I was SUPER careful and always buckled him in so he didn’t slide down and slump over, and was in the same room with him when in use. Once he could sit up (around 4-5 months old), we didn’t use it anymore.

Pack n’ Play– Desi didn’t really use this for sleeping when he was little, we kept it in the living room and used the changing station on it and he occasionally napped in it, and now that he’s 9 months old, he naps in it a lot and we bring it with us to family functions for a safe play space since he’s crawling.

Rocking Chair from Walmart: For the price, ($240) this was really the best chair. It rocks, swivels and it’s a recliner. It’s hard for me to push the foot rest back in since you have to do it with your feet but for the price, totally worth it.

We got the Baby Merlin Magic Sleep Suit ($39) when he got bigger (around 5 months) and he only used it till he outgrew it at 8 months but it helped him sleep since it almost created a big hug feeling for him. I also tried sleep sacks and he just didn’t like his feet stuck constricted.

Toys:

Sleep Sheep from Pottery Barn. This soft and cozy sheep can velcro onto the crib and has a white noise maker in it. It’s on a timer though so babe might wake when it shuts off.

Lovevery Play Gym: Desi loves this playmat! It comes with flashcards with black and white shapes, and pictures of other baby faces and a tent and sensory activities on every corner of the mat. It’s a total win.

First Year Stack Cups are a total win! He loves to put things in them, and when I build a stack, he loves to knock them over.

And of course, a bunch of other things like the Sophie Giraffe, Oball, Skip Hop Xylophone, my old Glow Worm from when I was a kid, other random things from family members, rattles, buckets, and many, many books.

Docking Stations: Because sometimes you just need somewhere to put the baby.

Bumbo: We used this from when he was 3 months (he could hold his head up) till he was 9 months (crawling on his own) and it’s been great! We used it when we cooked in the kitchen, while I ran to the bathroom quick and needed some place to set him, or to family functions before we got a high chair. You have to be careful if you put it on a kitchen counter if your baby can kick the counter but all in all, it’s been great.

COLORTREE Activity Center: (above) Desi loves this SO much and it’s something he can grow into! It goes from an activity center where he can stand and play, and chew on the soft toys and push the light up keyboard, to a place where he can safely pull himself to stand, and will convert to a table when we are done using it for a docking station for the baby. I love things he can grow into!

Jumper for a Door: We got one, and returned it after one use since the only door it fit on was the closet in the bathroom, the 1900’s trim in the rest of the house was too tall for the jumper to attach onto, otherwise I think he would have really enjoyed this toy.

Other:

We registered for and got this Divinci 4 in 1 Crib so Desi can grow into it. I bought the matching dresser afterwards.

Bathtub: We tried the Puj tub for a while but it never really fit in our sink and he slid around a lot… so then we got the Skip Bop Whale tub from Target and we love it! He’s 11 months old and we still use it, I wish we had gotten it from the beginning.

We subscribe to the Honest Company Diaper and wipe package every month. For just $79 a month you get all you need! The Honest Company is one of the ONLY if not THE only company with a wipe that is made from plant based materials and not polyesters and plastic blends. If I’m going to use disposable diapers, this is the brand to use!

We got a wipe warmer for the nursery, but it’s not really necessary. I just felt bad putting a cold wipe on a little tush.

I got this changing mat from Target from Skip Hop. You can wipe it down which was the main selling feature! No putting it in the wash every time he pees into the air, and trust me, it’s a lot. It also fits on the dresser we got for him. I still put something soft under his head though like a burp towel because the mat feels rubbery and I don’t know if it pulls at his hair at all.

SOOOO this seems like a LOT of stuff for a baby but a baby needs a LOT of stuff in the first year and we didn’t have another baby have hand me downs, nor did we know anyone that gave us hand me downs. I also didn’t know what Desi would like so we tried a lot of different things like bottles and places to sleep. So everything we got was given to us at the baby shower by family and friends, or we bought it with money I saved from my job before I quit to stay at home with the baby. But hey, now WE have the base for another baby, or hand me downs for family when they start having babies!