Reuse: Simple Shabby Chic Storage {Earth Week}

I don't really have a laundry room. It's more of a laundry cupboard. Many of you military spouses out there feel my pain. I have all my cleaning supplies thrown together on the dinky shelf in the laundry cupboard.

Sure it serves it's purpose, but it just ain't pretty. Sure, the chaos is contained behind closed doors, but that isn't the point. The point is, who wouldn't want to brighten up their laundry area?

So I got an idea. I had a couple of those little crates that clementines come in lying in the garage. I knew they could serve a purpose, and I've finally figured one out!

To truly make this cool I need more crates, however you get the idea. I just stuck them up with some Command Picture Hanging Strips. They can get pricey, so nails would work fine too, I just don't like to make holes if I don't have to.

One of the greatest inventions of the 21st century so far!

They have a shabby chic feel, and you could emphasize it more with some sand paper and stain.

The little posts sticking are great for hanging rags and such.

My vision is to have them hanging all around. The bigger bottles of cleaners would have to be in a single crate, but I think that would look pretty cool, like they are pieces of artwork. I'll have to update this as my collection grows.

Anyone have some that they'd like to get rid of?

What do you think? Trashy or artistic?

You can be honest, it won't hurt my feelings :)

I just like that I saved them from a landfill and that it was a FREE project!

-Barbie

Reuse: Thrift Shop Glam {Earth Week}

Raise your hand if you like to shop.

I see I am among friends.

Shopping is great fun, especially if you are a deal hunter like I am. However, it consumes a lot of resources to buy something new. For a good little run down watch The Story of Stuff below.

(You can filter out the political points if you like.)

A simple solution to this problem is to hit up your local Thrift Store. Almost every community has at least one. Goodwill and  The Salvation Army are easy to find, but be on the look out for smaller ones too. They are often not to much to look at, but they can hold some amazing treasures. Plus, it is all second hand stuff. Now, I know some people are turned off by the thought of buying "old" things, but I guarantee you'll get some great goods. I've found tons of stuff with TAGS STILL ON!

You can generally find anything in thrift stores. From clothing and shoes to housewares and furniture, the possibilities are truly endless. If you are willing to put in a little effort in the hunt you can go home with something that is unique and full of character. You are saving it from the landfill, and often time the money you spend goes back into the community.

The best part? Most of the time your goodies will be dirt cheap.

Here is me modeling some of my recent finds:

Shirt: Target
Bracelet: Gigialamode
Earrings: Swapped
Belt: Thrifted
Skirt: Thrifted
Shoes: Thrifted

Awesome find, eh? They are comfy too!

Not only do I love finding new duds for myself, but I'm always on the look out for some clothes/shoes for my Sweetpea. Kids ruin go through clothes so quickly that it's always great to find cheap stuff.

If you are new to the thrifting scene there are tons of blogs dedicated to "the hunt".

One of my favorites is Vintage Revivals.

 Mandi is the queen of Thrift Shop Glam. She has an amazing eye, she sees the beauty in so many things that most would pass over. Not only that, she has the tenacity to re do amazing pieces of furniture. This is my fave:

Before....

AMAZING After!

Mandi has also compiled some great tips for thrifting. Check them out, even if you are a veteran thrifter! On top of that, Vintage Revivals is having an EPIC giveaway right now. I don't think I can do it justice by explaining, you should just go check it out!

Anytime you are looking for a thrifting partner you can count on me. Show me your finds and I'll show you mine.

Until Next Time,

-Barbie



Reduce: BYOB + Giveaway! {Earth Week}

Paper or plastic?

The correct answer is neither!

BYOB

(Bring Your Own Bag)

Reusable bags are everywhere these days, and if you aren't using them you are truly missing out. Not only are you supporting the use of oil and trees to create the junk they use at the store but you are doing yourself a huge disservice.

Simply put, reusable bags rock.

They hold more groceries than a plastic bag (less trips to get groceries in the house) and are much easier to carry (no more painful palms). And who really likes carrying paper bags? Handles are necessary.

And where can you find plastic bags that are this stylish?

Envirosax.com

Loving this one!

This guy is in my purse right now!

While I do have some stylish ones, the majority of the ones I use are plain janes for grocery shopping. I've gotten a few from different places, but so far these are my favorite, and the cheapest. They hold up really well (I've had them for 3+ years and have yet to replace any).

This week you have the opportunity to win some of your own!

Three boxes of cereal, a box of Capri Suns, a four-pack of mac'n'cheese, a box of toaster pastries...and still plenty of room to spare. Try THAT with a plastic bag!

Five reusable grocery bags can be yours!

 All you have to do is be a follower of Treasure & Tranquility, then leave a comment.

You can say anything you'd like, one comment per person.

Giveaway will close at 12 noon, Eastern time, on April 22nd.

Be on the lookout for more earth friendly giveaways this week!

-Barbie

Reduce: Work your bod. {Earth Week}

In celebration of Earth Day {Friday the 22nd} I will dedicate all of this week's posts to Earth friendly practices. I have alot of fun things to feature and will even have some giveaways! Yay!

We are all painfully aware of one thing in today's American society: We are addicted to oil. There is no political bias when I say that, it's just the honest truth. A big culprit of oil consumption (and of carbon emissions) are our cars. We Americans love our cars and I'm no exception. After being a one car family for a couple years I now relish the freedom being able to take off whenever the mood strikes.  However, I've learned that there are other modes of transportation that are just as effective (meaning, it gets me there and back haha).

Disclaimer: I have the luxury of living on a military base. I have the added luxury of living very near to my commissary and exchange. I say this is a luxury because I understand that a majority of people don't have shopping areas as near as I do. Because of this, I understand if your car is pretty much your only option when it comes to going places. However, I do encourage you to lessen your environmental impact by planning your trips and carpooling.

The first solution is easy: walk. The most ancient mode of transportation works just as well today. Sure, it takes a bit longer to reach your destination, but there are benefits that people tend to forget. You not only reduce your carbon footprint, but you get fresh air and exercise. Yes, that nasty "E" word that seems to allude every mom's schedule. You can burn about 100 calories for every mile that you walk; strap the kids into a stroller and burn even more.

If you do push a stroller be sure to keep your body upright and close to the handles while you walk.  Keep your chest up and roll your foot all the way from heel to toe, like a rocking chair, to engage your entire leg. Hunching over may seem to get you up a hill better, but it is actually just putting strain on your back. Maintain your posture and the hill is an automatic butt blaster!

 It is multitasking, plain a simple. You are getting to a destination, while burning calories, and giving your children more too see of the world than the inside of your minivan. Everything from bird nests to dandelions can be a learning experience for your little ones.

My favorite mode of transportation in the warmer months is my bike. I have a trailer for Sweetpea to ride in which was freecycled to me (so lucky!). I use it for running small shopping errands, trips to the park, and for hitting up the community library and Thrift Shop. My daughter is old enough to walk a short distance, but not without complaint after a while. She is too big to ride in a stroller, making the trailer a perfect solution. I can also go farther, faster. And again, you are getting a great workout; you burn an average of 200 calories for every 30 minutes of biking, and that's NOT including pulling your little ones in the trailer. My thighs definitely feel the burn after a short ride, and it feels great!

Ignore my messy garage.

While having a bike with a trailer is definitely an investment, it doesn't have to break the bank.  Bicycles can be pricey if you are an avid rider, however I got a cheap one from Target for about $100. Does the job just fine. Trailers can range from about $100 to $300 depending on how big you need. Mine is a smaller model, but still seats two children and has a weight limit of 100 pounds. Add in the cost of helmets (a must!) for everyone and other accessories like a pump and a lock and you can probably add another $100 dollars to the bill. But keep in mind that those are prices for all new gear. Chances are you can find a bike and/or trailer on Craigslist, at garage sales, etc. for much cheaper. Just keep your eyes out and be willing to do a little searching and you can be traveling in style for a great deal.

So why not do your body and our earth a favor? Skip pushing the gas pedal at least once this week and see how much better you feel. It's healthier all the way around.

Keep checking back for more Earth friendly posts today and all week!

-Barbie



Beautiful Butterfly Printables {Perfect for Gallery Artwork}

Remember the gallery artwork that I did for my front room?

Well Kellie from This Blessed Nest has some lovely printables from a vintage {1900!} book that would be perfect for spring.

This Blessed Nest

Some of the prints on her mantle {using DT frames, of course!}

If any of you do use these I would LOVE to see the final results!

-Barbie

Yum.

That was the last piece of banana bread. I thought of doing this last night at 2:00 AM when I couldn't sleep. Now if you excuse me I will be using the rest of my frozen bananas to bake more bread.


*Update*

The banana bread recipe I use is from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, which I think is the best cookbook ever. It's a quick bread so it's really easy. You can get the recipe here. The only change I make is substituting 1/2 cup of the white sugar for brown :)

Ridin' the Web. {Websurfing Wednesdays}

Do you ever websurf? I don't do it too often, but when I do I always seem to discover some really awesome stuff. The internet will never bore me.

It all started at my MSN homepage...

(click on images for links)



Where there was a slideshow of the "World's Wildest Houses"...

Where I found a link to this cool tree hotel in Sweden...



There is an English option in the top right corner, click the Union Jack!



Where they talked a bit about Sami culture, of which I knew nothing about and since I'm a huge nerd you know I had to learn. Wiki did the trick...

While browsing the article I found a link to a Sami musician name Sofia Jannok...



Check out her music!



And I am in love with her! I haven't the darndest what she is saying, but I love the way her voice bounces around, it just sounds happy. And check out how cute she is in this video:

Warning: Arm yourself with a blanket, watching this may make you chilly as it is shot near the Artic Circle.

I wanna start a theme of Websurfing Wednesdays. You know, one of those trendy blogger things.

We'll see if it catches on, I admit it was really fun to do this. I'd love to see where your surfing sends you. Heck, I'd never guess I'd be a fan of music from northern Sweden! Those guys create some good stuff: massages, meatballs, IKEA, etc.

You like?