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play
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Cuddles & Chaos - motherhood, for real
  • Home
  • about
    • contact
    • Writing, Editing and Marketing Services for Small Businesses
  • self care
  • motherhood
  • kids
  • decor
  • 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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child wrangling, Giveaways, Kids

Keeping the Messiest Kids Clean (+ Target gift card giveaway!)

messy kids + WaterWipes

This post was sponsored by WaterWipes as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review.

I’m not going to lie to you. There’s nothing that I find cuter than a really messy kid. I mean, bonus points if I’m not obligated to clean the kid, but even that is kind of irresistible. Take a look at Ellie up there. She’s a drippy, sticky mess. There’s ice cream in her hair, her eyebrows, and I even found some smudged on her chunky little ankles. And do you know what? The kid could not care less. She’s completely lost in a moment of pure bliss. There’s really nothing more enjoyable for a momma to watch.

That said, the whole cleaning her up part is much less enjoyable. First, there’s the enormity of the task at hand (what is the best way to make a kid stand when almost every inch of her is covered in chocolate?). Then there’s the fact that I’m becoming more and more neurotic about the products I use. It started out with our cleaning products and has slowly moved into products that we use on our bodies. I find myself wanting to use the most gentle, natural products I can find.

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Wellness

My Favorite Green Cleaning Products

favorite green cleaning products

favorite green cleaning products

When I was younger, I never really gave a second thought to the ingredients in my cleaning products. As long as they did their jobs, who cares, right? But then I had a baby. And babies? They bring out the neurotic in people. Suddenly I was really thinking about my cleaning products. It started with the bathtub. The thought of cleaning it out with harsh chemicals and then plopping a fresh new human inside made me a little crazy.

When she got bigger, I started to think twice about the products I used to wipe down toys and tables and her high chair tray. When everything finds its way directly into her mouth, did I really want it coated in chemicals?

For me, the answer was a big, fat, bold, NO. And that no got bigger and bolder once my second (much messier) daughter was born.

Since then, I’ve tried a bunch of different products and found some that I loved and some that I hated.

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Beauty, DIY, self care

Beauty | Going Shampoo Free

going shampoo free (no poo)

going shampoo free (no poo)

I know the title of this post probably has about half of you turning your noses up and doing a little shudder. I get it. The idea of ditching what is widely considered a personal hygiene staple might seem totally bizarre. I mean, I’m sure I thought it was crazy the first time I heard about the whole “No Poo” thing (that term is so gross).

But, as with most things, I was slowly pulled towards it until I finally decided to brave it. And you know what? I haven’t washed my hair with shampoo in nine months—and not once has anyone questioned my hair routine (and believe me, there are people in my life who would have no problem asking why I’m such a greaseball).

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for the home, nest

Spring Cleaning Tips, Tricks and Ideas

The other day I was looking around my disgusting mess of a bedroom, trying to figure out where the heck to start the 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge (if you’re unfamiliar, it’s basically spring cleaning with community support). That’s when it hit me. For someone who has so many organization and cleaning posts on her blog, I’m a pretty big slob.

I mean, I try. I do. Even if my husband disagrees. I just tend to get overwhelmed with life and prioritizing. Cleaning is generally the first thing that gets removed from ye olde list of must dos. But I am trying. Mostly because I just can’t handle the clutter anymore. It’s making me even more crazy and flustered and disorganized.

So I took a deep breath and I did it. I got something done. Like a boss.

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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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