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play
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Cuddles & Chaos - motherhood, for real
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    • Writing, Editing and Marketing Services for Small Businesses
  • self care
  • motherhood
  • kids
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  • play
  • book store
for the home, handmade products, nest

9 Handmade Products That Will Help Your Family Produce Less Waste

9 Handmade Products That Will Help Your Family Produce Less Waste - Marleys Monsters unpaper towels

From cleaning up messes to wrapping up leftovers and going grocery shopping, having kids can lead to a lot of garbage. If you’re looking for ways to help your family produce less waste, I’ve found some great eco-friendly solutions that don’t sacrifice style or quality.

Think of all of the stuff you throw away in a typical day.

There’s the plastic straw you stick into your smoothie on the way out the door. Or the disposable cup you grab at the local coffee shop. There are the flimsy plastic bags you shoved some fruit into at the grocery store to corral them in your cart and the giant wad of paper towels you used to mop up that juice spill. There are also all of those layers of packaging for individually wrapped items and the cotton balls you used to scrub the mascara from under your bleary eyes at the end of the day. And that’s just you!

A whole family can create a ton of garbage in a single day. It’s crazy if you start to really think about how many things we throw away. And while I’m not suggesting we all run out and plan to become zero waste familyies, I do think there are some simple changes we all could make to produce less waste.

I took to Etsy to find some creative—and really freaking pretty—products that can help us all be just a little bit more eco-friendly.

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handmade products

8 Feminist Etsy Finds to Celebrate Women’s History Month

Women's History Month - feminist - Creating Monkies

In celebration of Women’s History Month, I put together a few of my favorite feminist Etsy finds—from t-shirts and wall art to an enamel pin and a onesie. These pieces are perfect for celebrating womanhood all year round. 

Confession: I don’t understand women who say they’re not feminists.

I mean, how is that even possible?

Being a feminist means you want the sexes to be treated equally. That’s it.

Like any group, there are endless opinions on the right way to achieve this. You’ll agree with some and think others are batshit crazy. And that’s fine. But, at the end of the day, if you’re a woman and you don’t think women should have the same rights and opportunities as men, I just don’t get it.

My daughters should have just as many options and chances to succeed as your sons. Their ideas should be taken seriously and they should not be constantly told to smile or have their worth measured by their looks. We are not there yet.

I think part of the problem is that the word feminist has gotten so entwined in politics that to some, it has a negative connotation. To them, it means being liberal and angry and burning your bra and growing out your armpit hair and hating men. And, yes. Some feminists do and are all of those things. But it’s not an essential part of feminism.

If you disagree (and if you agree too!), feel free to sound off in the comments. I’m more than willing to discuss it further.

In the meantime, I couldn’t let March come to a close without a little dose of feminist love in celebration of Women’s History Month. I put together a roundup of some of my favorite feminist pieces I’ve stumbled across on Etsy.

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Gift Guide, Good Samaritan Saturday, handmade products, nest

Good Samaritan Saturday | To the Market Gift Guide

To the Market | 22STARS Bitalo Ugandan Paper Bracelet

“No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.” —Aesop

In hopes of talking less and doing more when it comes to helping others, I’ve started a series I’m calling Good Samaritan Saturday. On Saturday mornings, I’ll post a little something you can do to start your weekend out with positive vibes by helping to lift someone else up…

I’m super excited to start this mini series-within-a-series this week! For the next few Saturdays leading up to Christmas I’m going to be featuring some fantastic, socially conscious companies that are great places to do your holiday shopping. Not only do they offer beautiful, unique products, but they all give back in some way. And I’ve teamed up with them all to offer you a little something special too!

To the Market | 22STARS Bitalo Ugandan Paper Bracelet

First up is To the Market, a shop full of survivor-made goods. TTM showcases gorgeous handmade pieces by artisans who have overcome abuse, conflict, and disease and also allows these survivors to tell their stories. I absolutely love their mission and the incredible goods they sell—and I’m pretty sure you will too!

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handmade products, nest

Etsy Finds | Yellow

Etsy Finds | yellow

Are you there, Spring? It’s me, Jennifer.

It’s another cold, gray snowy day in New York. I’m done and I’m pretty sure everyone else is too. To combat the gloominess, I put together some bright sunshine-colored finds. Maybe the cheeriness will wear off?

Etsy Finds | yellow

By Samantha world map | Dressing Bree mustard dress | BAM craftymommas reusable coffee sleeve | The Hope Stack jewelry organizer | Tie Obsessed tie | Laurels by Laurie spring wreath | Honey Pie Design love pillow | Posh Peanut Kids dress | MeDusa Brand vegan clutch | Haddon Co baby cardigan

handmade products, nest

Etsy Finds | Last Minute Valentine’s Day Printables

last minute valentine's day printables #etsy

last minute valentine's day printables #etsy

This post goes out to all of you people who are just like me: you have the best intentions and tons of big plans but you kiiiiiinda fall apart when it comes to the whole follow through and execution. You might have fabulous Pinterest boards and endless crafting supplies, but it all kind of just sits there waiting for you to take action.

I’m here to tell you it’s not too late to save Valentine’s Day. Those elaborate plans you stored up while you weren’t sleeping at 3 am? There are people to help you make them come to life. They’re the creators of printable goods on Etsy and they will make your dreams come true.

Seriously though. All you have to do is find a cute design and print it and then package your special something however you see fit. Semi-homemade goodness at its absolute best. Check out the Valentine’s Day printables I’m loving…

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about the momma

Hi! I'm Jen, a freelance writer and girl mom who loves reading the newest children’s books as much as I love a good psychological thriller. I believe fiercely in the power of kindness, empathy, and really good quality chocolate. When I'm not knee-deep in glittery crafts and girl talk, you can probably find me sprawled out on my couch in the middle of a Netflix marathon with dark chocolate smeared on my face. The struggle is real. Learn more about me here.

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