Eco-Friendly Laundry Switch
I try to use as many eco-friendly products and practices in our home as possible. But products have to work too. Especially when it comes to laundry for my dirty boys. 😜
Enter Tru Earth Eco-Strips!
Each Tru Earth laundry strip packs ultra-concentrated, hypoallergenic, eco-friendly cleaning power into a tiny, pre-measured strip of liquidless laundry detergent that you just toss in the wash. 🤯
The smart hypoallergenic laundry detergent formulation seeks out and dislodges dirt molecules and stains, keeping them in suspension until they are rinsed away. It makes your laundry washing chore easier, healthier, more economical, and much kinder to our planet. That’s a mama win-win!!
Plus, Tru Earth strips are gentle for you skin too, even the most sensitive skin. They are hypoallergenic, paraben free, phosphate free, free of chlorine bleach and added dyes. Plus they are vegan and made in Canada!
Best of all, they work. Even on muddy boy clothes and stinky baseball uniforms. Mom approved!
So if you want to make a switch that’s healthier for the planet and your family, Tru Earth laundry strips are it!
XX,
Jess (a mama with dirty boys and clean laundry 😉)
Frame Hanger Project
I love old picture frames. All kinds. I’ve got a hallway of empty ones upstairs. Sometimes I fill them. Sometimes I paint them. And sometimes I do something fun with them…
This frame I once painted black with a silver line. Years ago. I was over it. (Ignore the ugly paneling in the upstairs hall we hope to rip out soon)
I wanted something lighter and brighter for my office. And I needed a place to hang some of my beautiful Parabo Press photos. (If you haven’t ordered from them, you must. They are gorgeous)
So first I lightly sanded the frame. Then I painted it white. I used wall paint for this project because it’s what I had. And its quarantine. And this step wasn’t super important for this project. It took 2-3 coats, but doesn’t need to be perfect.
Then I sanded with a foam sanding block. I scraped the edges and roughed up the centers. Go slowly and start lightly. Keep going until you love it.
Then, because I wanted just a little something more for this one, I used a small brush and “dry brushed” on some charcoal gray paint. This means I dipped a tiny amount on the brush and then swiped most of it off onto a paper plate. When the brush is almost dry, wipe it on the frame. It will give you just a tiny bit of paint and give a smudge-y look. I used a paper towel to rub this in as I added it too. It came out nice and weathered.
Then to add some wire. You could use twine or ribbon, or whatever you have. I had some picture hanging wire from a hanging kit. I cut it slightly longer than the width of the frame, maybe a half inch extra on each side. Then I pulled it tight across the frame and used a staple fun to staple it in place. I twisted the extra ends into a little ball to help keep it in place.
You can get tiny clothes pins on Amazon.
And viola!
I’ve also done this before with chicken wire…
What do you think?
Doing any quarantine projects?!
XX,
Jess
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Again For Mom ;)
I had to share Eshakti one more time. I couldn’t help it. They are just that awesome!
I was on the hunt for the perfect fall into winter dress… and knew just where to look. Eshakti! Plus, I’m on a major leopard kick right now! 🤣
Again I was able to fully customize this dress. The sleeve length, the hem length, the neck line, and even my size measurements. And again it fits perfectly and looks just like I had envisioned.
This one happens to be a crepe material, is double lined, has modesty buttons so that you can open up some in the neck or bottom, and has pockets too! Love!
I wore this out for my birthday dinner the other night and had so many compliments. I just can’t help but to keep telling everyone, its Eshakti, check them out!
Don’t forget that you can use code JESSI10 on their gorgeous dresses and clothes too!
XX,
Jess
Just for Mama
Had to share something else that I got to try out recently and fell in love with. Eshakti! They are an online women’s clothing store. They specialize in customize clothes to your specifications and size. And let me tell you, their dress selection is almost overwhelming! 😍
I was on the hunt for a dress to wear to my cousin’s wedding and found Eshakti just in time.
I was not only able to make sure my dress would fit my size and shape exactly, but I also chose to make a dress they showed as long sleeved into a sleeveless one. You even get to see immediately online what it will look like! Wow! And it came out perfect!!
I absolutely loved the casual vibe of this dress with an almost denim look to it and the white stitching. The dupioni silk and long length dress it up just enough.
But the point isn’t the dress. It’s that you can design whatever you want! And the perfect fit! Plus, they had it to me in under two weeks. I’m going back. For all kinds of clothes. I love them all!!
One last tid bit. You get all of this, without an exorbitant cost! It was totally affordable! I mean it. We are looking for the step-daughter’s prom dress there too.
Right now, use cose JESSI10 on your purchase too!! 😘
Xx
Jess
Birthday and Decor!
My birthday was last week!
I got so many awesome gifts, so here is just a sneak peek:
My brother also got me the book, “The Magoc of Writing: How to Write and Publish the Book that is Inside You,” by Linda J. Falkner. So, now I have another project I’m working on 😉
Among many great gifts from family and friends, I also got a few decor related things to keep my occupied in the house for a while. Check out this funky antique alligator trunk:
Is that not totally rad?!
I had drooled over this trunk earlier this fall while browsing antiques. Sweet, eh?
Thanks everybody! Now I have some fun projects to play with!
All Dressed Up
Last weekend was the annual Red Ribbon Dinner and Great Art Auction. The dinner is a fund-raiser for HIV/AIDS. The company I work for puts the dinner on every year, and it is a huge deal, so, of course, Tony and I got to go this year! Here is the outfit I put together. Fun for cocktails and partying, but also professional:
The dress I picked- wish I could wear this everyday!
The ring to match the belt on the dress.
Not the best picture of us, but you get to see the outfits! 🙂
We just had fun being dressed up and out on the town for a night. We even bid on some art, but got outbid in the last minute. Aw.
On An Organizing Spree
After being so impressed with my organizational skills with the jewelry in the medicine cabinet, I decided not to stop there. I moved onto the closet next. Mostly we were already pretty organized in there, but rearranging a few things helped free up some space. I also hung a hook on one of the walls inside the closet to hang a few extra long necklaces from my costume jewelry collection. Things seem so handy and visible now. Here’s a peak inside the space of our home that everyone is afraid to share:
This is a view of the closet as a whole. The shelving was already installed when we moved in, so we are using it as-is. It is helpful, but we do not have "sides," just "areas." A little confusing at first, but now it works.
We hang belts, scarves, and ties on the low bar, along with a few of my shorter shirts. My giant shoe rack fits in the corner.
This is the hook of necklaces that I hung along a side wall of the closet. This is so helpful!
Here is a close-up of the hook I used. It is actually a hook that fits over a door, so one end is flat, which I use to hold multiple necklaces. The other end is curved, but I twisted it with pliers to hang agianst a wall. So simple I even did it myself.
Make Mine Eclectic 