Emergency Surgery On Elephant. Doc McStuffins Style

There was a major injury to Elephant today, he was basically gutted. Elephant has become a favorite toy of our dog Pipes but he gets a little to strenuous in his play and ended up tearing Elephant apart. 

I broke out my $1 Dollar General sewing kit and stitched him up!

Sadly he came out of surgery with only one leg, but he's gonna make it!

He rather resembles a parrot now I think but I don't think Pipes will care much. My sewing skills could definitely use some improvement. Perhaps I should consider a Craftsy class.

Either way, Elephant is still with us! All is good.

Can't you tell he's sorry?

Disclosure: My Journey to Living Well uses affiliate (marketing) links whenever possible. This post may contain affiliate links. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Craftsy Flash Sale October 12th & 13th - Up to 63% Off Your Favorite Classes!

Hey all you Crafty crafters, Craftsy is having a 48 hour sale! Get up to 63% off of your fav Craftsy classes this weekend only!

Don't miss out on these great deals, a Craftsy sale is always a good one!

Disclosure: My Journey to Living Well uses affiliate (marketing) links whenever possible. This post may contain affiliate links. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Homesteading Subscription Box - Get Started Now

I've had dreams of being self-sufficient for a good long time now. I've read countless books and articles on the subject and have gotten a good start on gardening. Except for that, I'm lost. There is just so much information out there and so many things to do that its hard to know where to start.

That's where The Homegrown Collective comes in. They offer a homesteading subscription box that sends seasonally appropriate boxes for you to complete at least one homesteading project per month.

If its cold outside, your family can tend to get the sniffles right? Well during the winter months The Homegrown Collective sent out boxes related to making your own herbal cures for simple ailments.

Spring time? Planting time! And that's exactly what one of the spring boxes will contain. Its a no-brainer really!

Each month you get a new box with a new project and I'll just bet that that one project will spark even MORE ideas for you to work on.

If you've been reading articles and buying the books, why not just head over and get the box instead? We all have to start somewhere, with this homesteading subscription box, you'll have a great headstart!

They also have a blog filled with information and homesteading resources.

Get started now!

Disclosure: My Journey to Living Well uses affiliate (marketing) links whenever possible. This post may contain affiliate links. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Homegrown Collective - Unlike Any Subscription Box I've Ever Seen

Today I stumbled upon a site called Homegrown Collective. You know I like to garden so it must have been the "Homegrown" part that caught my attention. What I found there was really surprising!

I've seen plenty of subscription boxes. I've even seen green subscription boxes, but I've never seen any subscription box like this one:

December Box "Holiday"

Free Mini-Courses at Craftsy!

Did you know that Craftsy offers FREE Mini-Courses?! 

They have a whole page full of them! I've included a few of them here that I'm going to be taking but there are so many more. To check out all of the free mini-courses click here.

 

 

• The Hand-Painted Cake: Elevate your cake with Erin Schaefgen's freehand painting techniques. Create beautiful and edible works of art with Erin's tips and tricks.
• Creative Quilt Backs: Make the back of your quilt just as interesting as the front! Oh, Fransson! blog author Elizabeth Hartman walks you through everything you need to know to make beautiful quilt backs.
• Modern Buttercream: Learn to use buttercream like a pro! Discover the tricks and tips to construct and create a beautifully finished buttercream cake.
• Short Rows: Don't fall short because you find short rows intimidating! Learn four different techniques to creating short rows, and discover how they can make shaping a knitted garment a snap.
• Sewing Machine 911: Give your sewing machine some TLC with the help of this free course. Learn to clean and maintain your sewing machine with tips and tricks taught in this class.
  
  

  Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

Live Well Tip Number 1: Make Your Own Natural Body Wash

Living a better life means different things to different people. To me it means feeling good about what I do, what I say, how I act, and the way I treat the world. I've made small changes in my life that are really starting to add up and they each make me feel a little better about how I'm living. 

I believe that taking small steps is the way to go for me and to prove it, I'll be putting together a list of tips that I've implemented so far. 

Living Well Tip Number 1

Make Your Own Eco-Friendly Body Wash

This is one of the first things I did to make my home more eco-friendly. When I get out of the shower now, I can feel good knowing that I haven't added any more chemicals into my body or into the environment that don't belong there.

1. Find an old body wash container and rinse it out (not as easy as it sounds but you should only have to do it once)
2. Mix Equal Parts of your favorite Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castille Soap and Water

If you look around the web you'll find many variations of this recipe using various essential oils and other ingredients. I've found that its best for me to keep things simple. This works. You can't get any simpler than that.

This post contains affiliate links! If you purchase a product through one of these links I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting My Journey to Living Well!

Spring Cleaning Naturally with Plant Therapy Essential Oils

I understand that some parts of the country are still having snow right now, but here in Tennessee my thermometer has topped 80 degrees for the past 2 days! I'm ready to get some fresh air going in here and get my spring cleaning going. 

In the past spring cleaning has meant the smell of Pine Sol and/or bleach but I'm going all natural this year courtesy of Plant Therapy's Essential Oils. 

I received some great oils to get me going on some homemade cleaners.

Tea Tree

Tea Tree Essential Oil is best known for its antimicrobial activities. It contains the compound Terpinen-4-ol which is thought to be the responsible for fighting all three categories of infectious organisms (bacteria, fungi, and viruses)

Peppermint

Peppermint Japanese Essential Oil has long been credited as being useful in combating stomach ailments. It is also viewed as an antispasmodic and antimicrobial agent.

Lemon

Lemon Essential Oil has been historically recognized as a cleanser. It is reputed as being antiseptic, and as having refreshing and cooling properties. 

Eucalyptus

Diffuse Eucalyptus Globulus essential oil into the air to help with frequent sneezing, flu, respiratory problems, headaches and improving concentration. Also can be used as an insect repellant.

Craftsy Spring Sale! Save up to 75% Off Select Classes

Oh No! This sale is over! Don't miss another Craftsy Sale! Get their Newsletter!

Great news for all my crafty fans! Craftsy is having a Spring Sale where they offering up to 75% Off Classes!  Starting April 5th through April 8th, a different set of Craftsy classes will be on sale each day, up to 75% off their normal price. Don't see the class you want on sale? Check back tomorrow - a fresh pick of courses will be on sale! 

Make sure to sign up for their newsletter while you're there so you NEVER miss another sale at Craftsy!

Did you know that Crafsty also offers FREE mini-courses? Click here and scroll to the bottom to check them out!

This post contains affiliate links! I like Craftsy and want to share it with you. If you like it too and purchase a product through my link I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting My Journey to Living Well.

2013 Gardening Journal - Entry Three March 16

Another great day for gardening prep!

I got this raised bed kit from Big Lots after last year's gardening season was over. By then they were 75% off I think, made it around $7.50. I used the back of an old mattress instead of black plastic for weed control. If you have old mattresses around don't throw them out, there are lots of good parts in there if you break it down!

Here is the finished product after adding 4 bags of top soil I got from Lowe's the other day. The bags cost $1.30 each. I think I'll top it off with a bag or two of some compost. By this time next year I hope to have my own compost pile ready to go.

Here is another piece from a mattress! This little ladder-type thing was the inside support of a full-size (I think) mattress that was destined for the dump. There are still lots of pieces left in that mattress that I plan on using in some other garden projects. This little bed is right off the front porch and is going to be used for herbs.

Overall it was a productive afternoon!

UPDATE MARCH 17, 2013

Looks like someone else found my garden beds attractive. Grrr. I knew I may have to worry about the neighborhood dogs, I didn't think I'd have to worry about my dog. Afterall, all he ever does is lay around all day. Hmmm. Say hello to Pipes.

Other Links from my Garden Journal:

2013 Gardening Journal - Entry Two - March 12

Getting Ready for Spring With The Girls - March 8

2013 Gardening Journal - Entry One - February 24

Homemade Taco Seasoning

If your recipe calls for taco seasoning and you don't have any on hand, you can make this recipe up really quick!

Mix the following ingredients well.
Makes enough to replace one packet of store-bought taco seasoning.

1 TBSP Chili Powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried chopped onions
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Optional, but healthy ingredients I like to add:
1/2 tsp wheat germ
1/2 tsp flax seed

Use as you would a packet of taco seasoning for any of your recipes!

DIY Valentine's Day Gift for Kids

This Valentine's Day let's focus on what Valentine's Day is all about. LOVE. With a little bit of preparation, you don't have to spend a fortune on Valentine's Day. We all know that the best gifts are the ones that come from the heart. Here is a great DIY Valentine's Day Gift for kids!

Mod Podge a Photo onto Wood!

If your kids are like mine, they LOVE to see pictures of themselves. What better way to preserve a memory of Valentine's Day than to give them something they can keep forever?

I found these tutorials online and I hope you find inspiration from them. Think hearts and kisses!

The Photo to Wood Transfer from Whollykao.com 

This one has step-by-step photos

How to Transfer a Photo to a Block of Wood from petapixel.com

This one is a video tutorial

You can edit your photo before hand or add mod podge elements after. I made this one using PicMonkey, its free!

Remember that your words will be backwards so you'll have to flip it first! Another good idea would be a family photo or a picture of all of your kids together. Get creative.

If you want to think BIG I heard that Walgreens.com is offering an 11x14 print for .25 cents right now. I haven't checked it out yet but think of the possibilities! Update ~ expires 2/2/13

If you're not feeling crafty, you can always order photo gifts online. Shutterfly is offering up to 50% off.

Shutterfly Special Offers. Save up to 50% on selected items such as photo books, calendars, wall art, photo gifts, and more. Offers change frequently.

And you can use coupon code SHIP30 for Free Shipping on orders $30 or more.

(Why yes, these are affiliate links. Gotta make a ~small~ living :)