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motherhood
kids
decor
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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DIY, Gift Guide, nest, play

DIY Body Butter Recipe + a FREE Printable Gift Tag

simple DIY body butter with coconut oil and shea butter #handmadegift #diygift #diyskincare

I recently perfected the recipe for the best DIY body butter ever—the mother of all DIY body butters, if you will. Get your pinning finger ready, because you are definitely going to want to save this one for later!

I originally posted a recipe for a creamy, luxurious DIY body butter just in time for Mother’s Day back in 2013. It was pretty awesome, but it had one drawback: you had to refrigerate it in the warmer months to keep it from melting because it was coconut-oil based. Now, I love me some coconut oil so I was not about to eliminate it from the recipe. But I did find a way to make it hold on to its creaminess.

Today, I’m completely updating that post to give you an even better recipe that doesn’t require refrigeration and that makes the perfect budget-friendly gift for any lady in your life (yourself included) who might need a little pampering.

My daughters, who are experts in the art of papering, are obsessed with this stuff and have been slathering it all over themselves ever since I made it. Note to self: double the recipe next time and stash some where they can’t find it! 😉

simple DIY body butter with coconut oil and shea butter #handmadegift #diygift #diyskincare

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Jennifer Garry Designs

Jennifer Garry Designs

Jennifer Garry Designs | love is a verb necklace - handmade, hand-stamped, mantra necklace

Jennifer Garry Designs | love is a verb necklace - handmade, hand-stamped, mantra necklace

I’m making and selling jewelry (again)! Jennifer Garry Designs is slowly but surely filling up with lots of super simple, hand-stamped pieces that whisper positive, empowering, sometimes sassy messages in your ear (or from your chest) to remind you of what’s really important.

I’ve loved making jewelry since I started dabbling in it before Ellie was born. There’s something about it that I find so calming. I’ve opened two different Etsy shops and made jewelry for a few weddings and sold pieces to people all over the world—but each time, I lost momentum and let the whole thing slip away.

I think part of my problem was that I had no real focus. I was making a lot of one-off pieces that were pretty but couldn’t really be replicated (whether it was because I was using reclaimed supplies or didn’t have a reliable place to get them from). I was more or less walking into Michaels, finding beads I thought were pretty, and making whatever came to mind once I got a chance to sit down and play with them. While fun, that’s a hobby—not a sustainable business model.

This time around, everything is different. The idea to do hand-stamped pieces came to me months ago and I let it swirl around in my brain a little before I decided to act on it and order myself a metal stamping kit. Then, after ruining a bunch of metal blanks trying to figure out how in the hell anyone does this, I finally started to get the hang of it.

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boss lady, Jennifer Garry Designs, self care

#supermomsquad Prizes

#supermomsquad

#supermomsquad

I am so incredibly excited about this #supermomsquad contest. So many fabulous ladies have helped me to spread the word and I can’t thank them enough.

But now we need you to get in on it! Don’t be shy! We want to see and hear all about what makes you a supermom. Whether it’s super sweet or absolutely ridiculous, there is no wrong answer here! It’s all about lifting moms up and celebrating the fact that, while our lives may be chaotic, we’re awesome.

And the prizes? They’re pretty awesome too.

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Gift Guide, nest

Gift Guide | My Wishlist

gift guide for women

I’m exhausted, but do you know what makes me feel better? Tapping out for a few minutes to put together a collection of really pretty (and pretty damn serene) pieces that I want to find under the tree this holiday season.

If you’re being pulled like taffy in a million different ways like I am, I highly recommend taking a few minutes to drift off into a world that’s all about you. It doesn’t matter if none of the pieces you find will actually make their way into your possession. What matters is taking a second to relax and give yourself a little smidge of the love you throw out to the rest of the universe.

And with that hippie dippy sentiment fresh in my head, I’m going to ease myself back into the madness…

gift guide for women

clockwise from top left: Urban Outfitters crescent planter // Have courage and be kind print by Indigo Eleven // Xhilaration pillow // Harry Potter pullover // Rachel Corcoran sister print // Brooklyn Global buddha planter // Farm2Fashion wrap // TOMS silver glitter wool classics // Urban Outfitters jewelry box // Emily McDowell mug

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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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