Just like we did for our 2023 Gift Guides and our 2022 Gift Guides, we’ve got all three of our gift lists in one singular post right here. So let’s dive right into the 3 categories that we cover each year:
Gift Ideas for Grown-Ups
Gift Ideas for Kids
Gift Ideas Under $12.99
Every year that we make these, we love including actual things that we own and enjoy, as well as things that we’re buying for others (like our own kids, each other, and relatives/friends). Also feels like a good moment to mention that nothing was sponsored/gifted to get into this guide. If something is on these lists, we just genuinely love it and think it would make a good gift (and in some cases, we already own it and truly like it).
Quick note: The “Under $12.99” list isn’t the only one with items priced that low – for example, there are also two gifts under $12.99 on the kids list. And all of the prices listed in this post are just whatever they were when we wrote this post (sometimes prices scoot up or down).
Gift Ideas For Grown-Ups
Whether you’re shopping for someone who likes birds, books, being crafty, baller tech, or bling (yes, I’m still using that word in the interest of alliteration) we’ve got all of that and a bag of chips below (also still using that phrase).
Let’s make things easier by breaking the board into little sections so you can find each link without scrolling up and down ten million times…
Pick from 12 fonts for this minimalist-style 14K gold name necklace. You can get everything from a single initial up to an 8-letter name… or you could do an initial for each member of your family or a fav word (I want one that says C H E E S E).
John and his siblings gifted one of these birdfeeder cameras to their parents this year and it’s been so much fun to get videos of their feathery visitors! It truly entertains literally anyone who likes birds – and everyone who doesn’t know they like birds yet (it’s addicting to see what shows up).
Commemorate a friend or family member’s new home this year with these cute house portrait ornaments that feature a custom watercolor-style image. Or get one made of your very own and put it into your own stocking. So special.
I saw this stunning Biophilia book recently & fell so hard for the gorgeous color photos. It’d make a lovely coffee table book, but I also love the idea of framing some of its pages. I picture 10 of the amazingly symmetrical compositions of butterflies, shells, and shiny beetles in a frame collage in a half bathroom.
Customize this vinyl record display by choosing the record’s color, a photo for the middle, a song name, and even a code to play your favorite tune, first dance song, or other special musical memory. Such a sweet and sentimental treat that feels customized and thoughtful.
This compact portable speaker is waterproof & dustproof, and it comes in 12 different colors. There are over 43,000 five-star reviews (!!!) that rave about the quality, portability, durability, design, and ease of use. Such a great treat for any music or tech lover on your list.
These colorful and customizable embossers are a gift for the bookworm in your life who wants to up their bookplate game. You can choose from 36 imprint designs and 8 metal colors – so it really can be super personal and sweet. I’d love to get this as a gift!
These sets of pet tarot cards come in both dog and cat versions – so they’re fun and whimsical for anyone who loves animals + woo woo (um, that’s me). This would also make such a fun stocking stuffer or white elephant gift that I’d definitely try to end up winning.
Solve a murder AND do a puzzle? Sign John up! Actually I’m coming too. This is a fun twist on a traditional 500-piece puzzle for anyone who loves a true crime podcast, escape room, or mystery. And displaying it on a shelf like a book after you’re done is pretty charming too.
This throwback reel viewer can be customized with 14 of your very own photos, making it a fun way to look back on a vacation, a wedding, baby’s first year, or any other moments you want to memorialize. I’m crazy about this idea for a relative or friend. Someone make me one. Ha!
This well-rated compact movie projector is a great price & even connects to a phone! It’s a great gift for people who want to watch college football outside, project movies poolside, or watch Survivor on their next camping trip. This is literally in our cart as a family gift for our kids.
I’m tempted to get John this “Rizz the Season” shirt (comes in 18 colors) simply because it makes me laugh. Kinda how my teen has me in her phone as “mom cool dabs.” The lingo… is… so skibidi.
Get your favorite taco-loving princess this funny “taco belle” t-shirt (comes in 2 colors). Truly I would come right up to you in the wild if you were wearing this to tell you that I love your shirt. Feels like such a funny family gift or white elephant item.
These dainty birthstone rings can be customized with up to 13 different birthstones and won’t break the bank (just $30!). They come in gold, silver, and rose gold – and I love how a bunch look in a stack like the picture above.
These cute jewelry dishes can be customized with your cat or dog and make a great companion gift to the birthstone rings above! Picking a pet that looks like the giftee’s four-legged friend sounds so fun, and imagine unwrapping it and seeing one that looks like your pet!
Please see my description for item 1 on this list to understand my deep feelings for cheese. And this compact kitchen calendar celebrates a new cheese every month of 2025 with the always-stylish illustrations from Rifle Paper Co. I feel like September got the best one. Agree?
These adorable bookshelf dioramas are part craft project and part quirky decor object to tuck into your home library. You can choose from 8 scenes, including Bookshop, Greenhouse, Floral Corner, and “Sunshine Town.” Legit so cute and magical – and you can say “I made it myself!”
This Black-owned small business sells beautiful all-natural handmade soy candles, and this plum + saffron + cinnamon candle sounds heavenly. The reviews on this shop are all absolutely raving, and I love that they also have candles for specific sentiments like: postpartum, affirmation, manifestation, etc.
John has been talking about getting a drone and this affordable model has great reviews, so it’s very likely to be under the tree for him. He really wants to take aerial videos of the turtles and stingrays in the gulf, so stay tuned…
I love how much you can personalize this is for the grill king or queen in your house. You can literally choose from 32 different designs to customize this branding iron for food, which can be used on meat, bread, and even leather (bonus!).
This great weekender bag can be personalized or just left initial-less. Either way it makes a great gift for any travel fan on your list. John keeps trying to borrow my duffel, which we can’t both use when we travel together… so… it’s time he gets his own. And I love the looks and the great reviews on this one.
Put your favorite young artist’s artwork on a shirt, sweatshirt, or hoodie with these super cute custom clothes. They offer tons of color and style options, too! This is such a sweet gift for a grandparent or even a child who loves art (with their own favorite drawing on it).
Gift Ideas For Kids & Teens
This category is always a good time for us because we get to include things our fourteen-year-old and our ten-year-old already have & love (to earn a mention on here, it’s not merely a few days of playing with something – it’s a real enduring love). Other items we included are literally on our “to-buy” list for our own kids or other friends and relatives.
Once again, we’ll save you a whole lot of scrolling back and forth by breaking things down for you below.
Our son bought these cozy taco slippers a couple of weeks ago and he wears them every single night before bed… and every single morning after he wakes up… and sometimes even attempts to sleep in them.
These were themost popular gift from last year’s list, so we’re including them again this year. You can get the kit with 10 geodes, or the larger kit with fossils, shark teeth, and more treasures for $44.99. Our kids personally love smashing geodes to see what’s inside. Guaranteed hit of a gift.
This fun remote control bumper car set is a literal game of cat and mouse (well, rat) where the player who gets bumped first is ejected from the car! Such a fun interactive game. We know 9 and 10 year olds who play this constantly and LOVE it.
These charming and colorful personalized bead necklaces would make such a cute stocking stuffer. I love that they look like macarons, and the price is great (and fixed, no matter how many letters you use!).
Our son has one of these mind-bending fidgets and the whole family loves it. It stretches, collapses, bounces, bends, etc. Comes in lots of colors too! You may remember ours from an Instagram story I did where I revealed that we call it Corn Potato (since it can morph into both of those shapes).
Our son’s latest craft obsession is polymer clay and this mega pack of 30 clay colors has kept him entertained for WEEKS. And we’ve barely made a dent in it (even after baking literally dozens of creations). He also loves this $8 set of 30 cookie cutters and this $9 extruder. Hours of fun, almost every single day.
Our 14-year-old burned through this YA murder series last year (it really ignited her love of thriller and suspense novels). It’s also a Netflix series now, if that earns you any credibility with teens. *Whispers: “I’m not a regular mom, I’m a cool mom.”
Here’s a fun STEM building kit for kids because they end up with a functional Bluetooth speaker that they can customize with paint, stickers, and more. I love the idea of an activity AND a cool room item all in one gift. Plus it’s so functional.
This compact karaoke set comes with a speaker and two microphones, making it a fun gift idea for kids and adults alike. Honestly this would make a great family gift idea – and the price is so good! I think our kids would love this.
These reusable water balloons are easily the most used gifts that our kids received in the past year. Even when they’re not being tossed, they’re fun to squish and link together. Anyone who comes over for a swim ends up loving them, and the kids have made up so many games that involve them. Huge win.
When we asked our 14-year-old daughter if she had any gifts she wanted, she surprised us all and listed a room decor item. This cute strawberry light is extremely adorable – so who can blame her? Definitely going to be under the tree for her.
This is our latest go-to card game around the house. It’s classic Uno with crazy twists that can dramatically shift the game in or out of your favor. Really really fun for groups of two or four or more!
This cinema-style light box comes with 400 multicolor letters and emoji tiles so your kids can customize a message for their desk or shelf. I love the little icons and the fact that it lights up is so fun for any kid’s room.
These games are the brainchild of a mom and a retired Peace Corp volunteer who started this small Black-owned business with the goal of being inclusive and eco-friendly. The games are geared towards young preschool-and-up kids, and a few of their best-sellers are Picnic Panic and Block Party.
These cool hyperbolic building tiles are such a fun toy to create flexible, bendable creations. They sell out early and often, so if they’re in stock and you really want them, grab ’em before they’re gone. Our son is getting some this year!
A chicken nugget keychain would weirdly thrill both of our kids, and you get two bonus ones in this 3-pack of kitschy keychains, making them great stocking stuffers. Honestly the fry and the little shimp tail are just as cute as the nugget.
We have one of these convenient portable chargers and our daughter is constantly grabbing it, so we can definitively say that it would be a great stocking stuffer for a teen or an adult. And yes, we’re buying our daughter her own.
We love all of the Lego Botanical kits, and this assorted set is especially great because you get 9 different potted plants out of it! Which makes it a crowd-pleasing option to share between multiple kids (or adults). Picture these all lined up along a window ledge. So cute.
This Magic Water Elf kit lets kids create their own squishy toys using molds, colored gels, and a magic solution that would excite even our teen. Truly, I think both of our kids would have a blast using this, and the reviews are great.
John and our son love watching videos of marble races and guessing which color will win (weird, I know) so this magnetic alternative to a marble run kit would be right up their alley! Plus you can reconfigure it for a different race each time!
Our son loves the Wow in the World podcast, so this “bonkerballs” fact book was something he found in a catalog recently and promptly put on his wish list. I think it would be a hit for any trivia lover or kid who likes animal facts.
Gifts Under $12.99
We have officially reached my favorite part of the gift guide – not only because I love a deal, but also because I love something that’s budget-friendly AND feels personalized or special. Like it was made just for the person you have in mind. These items could be great stocking stuffers, neighbor gifts, or even a good white elephant idea. They also work for your own stocking (listen we deserve a fun little treat for ourselves sometimes too).
Our whole house is officially obsessed with these amazingly satisfying squishy cubes. We each have one. We have extras for friends and neighbors who ask what the heck we’re clutching. And we have backups for our own… in case they meet a dire end.
These cute kids sunglasses can be customized with your child’s name and come in 11 different colors! These are so cute for stockings, and the little daisies are adorable. And that price!
Wanna help someone let off some steam in 2025? Get them this desktop punching bag that suctions to any surface. It feels like the one thing everyone would steal in a White Elephant exchange – or the one thing everyone will want to play with if you have it on your desk.
Our kids love the meditative calm feeling of doing sticker by number books (they’ve done at least 3 in the last few years – like the entire book!). So we were excited to see some more sophisticated versions with vintage birds and vintage flowers. These look super cool and colorful, and just as calming to stick.
This handy fabric shaver is a great supplement to a clothing gift card or other fashion-themed gift. It literally saves sweaters and leggings and coats (as well as rugs and towels and couches!). Pilled items you think are done-for can look like new! Plus… cute teal color!
These were a hot tip gift from someone I love and they come in handy all the time: deodorant remover sponges! Like why does deoderant end up everywhere? So file this under “another item to add to a fashion-themed gift.” Practical and helpful.
This outlet extender is like a Swiss Army knife for the techie person on your list. It has 5 outlets, 3 USB ports, 1 USB-C port, a shelf, and a built-in night light! I can totally name at least 3 relatives who would love the hub that this one device can create.
Our son loves ketchup and this funny custom printed perfectly-sized label to add to a ketchup bottle is right up his alley. We wouldn’t order that sweet little pun in the pic. Our custom message would say “This is all mine. Mwah-ha-hah.” He’d get a giant kick out of having a dedicated ketchup bottle all to himself.
This series of large hardcover nature books for kids are gorgeous inside & out. Almost like a beautiful modern encyclopedia… and many are marked down a lot! Try the Anthology of Intriguing Animals or Anthology of Aquatic Life to start.
This 4-pack of adorable marshmallow mugs can be split up and stuffed with hot chocolate or smores supplies or even gift cards for a teacher gift, office exchange, or affordable neighbor gifts. Their little faces are just too cute. Also could pot little succulents or cacti in them!
This facial spray is an absolute bestseller that everyone gushes about – and at $8 it’s such a great stocking stuffer for your teen (also works for your skincare-obsessed cousin).
This pair of electric hand warmers are great for the cooler weather and they recharge with a simple USB connection. I think this is such a great stocking stuffer or holiday gift for a relative in a colder spot, especially someone who is outside a lot (like my friends in NYC who wait for the subway in freezing temps).
This tinted lip oil is an “I own it and love it” thing on here that I truly adore. I did NOT think anything for lips that’s this bold & dark (mine’s the color shown: Jam Session) would work on my large joker mouth (trust me, bold lipstick never works). But this is just a healthy hint of a tint and a delightful glossy texture. A gleam that looks healthy and awake without being too much. Superfan for life.
These articulating 3D-printed dragon fidgets are so fun to play with, and our kids each own one and LOVE them. They’re so cool because each tiny part flexes like a fish scale. So they’re posable and movable and they just feel so fun to flex and hold.
These simple stud earrings are beautiful and interesting. The marquise shape is so chic, and the price is amazing. Also… flat backs! Pretty great for $12. I’m getting a pair for me and a pair for my girl.
Calling anyone with a skincare-loving teen/mom/aunt/etc. These eye masks have great reviews and you get 30 in this eye mask set for just $10! There are even three varieties for puffiness, dark circles, etc. Our girl would love these.
This is the current version of the small but mighty milk frother that we own. Truly, you haven’t lived until you use it to froth oat milk and add it to your coffee. Tastes just like a foamy melted marshmallow.
This cool metallic hair clip comes in both silver and gold, and it’s actually an overlapping item on both my gift list (in gold) and my daughter’s (in silver). I love that it’s a little more interesting than a standard clip and the metallic finish is fun and modern.
Why not bring someone’s workspace a little joy with this small inflatable tube guy that really inflates. Like, hello white elephant winner. Also the $9 price tag is amazing.
Who doesn’t love a good Oregon Trail reference? Give another millennial with a good sense of humor this funny t-shirt. Heck, it works for anyone born in 1900-anything, but we grandma and grandpa millennials truly are from the days of Oregon Trail. (I always died of dysentery).
You can customize this chunky matchbox with your initials and date, and it comes in 6 colors. I absolutely love the look of it. I want a J+S one for my shelves (and it’ll be handy for lighting candles nearby).
NEED MORE GIFT IDEAS?
If you’re still searching high and low for some more ideas, please don’t forget about our Black-Owned Business List (there are TONS of highly recommended products & amazing makers to support). Plus we have an entire post dedicated to our favorite family games with descriptions & categories for the best group games, or super fast games, etc.
We also have these gift guides from previous years (many items are still sold):
*This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
In November of 2020, we published a post called “What’s It Like To Downsize” after living in our smaller home for 6 months. We covered a range of experiences – like the good things about moving to a smaller home (owning less stuff! saving money!) and some of its challenges, especially in the initial stages of downsizing (paring down! figuring out storage!). We still agree with everything in that post, but it had only been six months… and since it has now been over 4.5 years (!!!), we feel like we have a few more to add about the long-haul downsizing experience. Let’s get into it.
We used to live in a 3,150 sq. ft. home in suburban Richmond, Virginia
Now we live in a 1,400 sq. ft. home a few blocks from the Gulf of Mexico
We have 6 rooms (including just 1 bathroom)
Our current house’s lot is 1/10th the size of our last house’s lot
We don’t have a garage, attic, or basement (but we do have a pool/hot tub/firepit)
We wanted a house that’s “walkable” & can now walk to shops/restaurants/the beach
Our family downsizing motto has been to “live with less & be outside more” (alternative motto: “spend less time cleaning & more time in the pool”)
After 4.5 years, we can still confidently say that downsizing was a great decision for us. We devote a lot less time, money, and energy into homeownership (maintenance, renovation, furnishing, cleaning) than ever before – which has freed us up to focus on family, hobbies, nature, and a better work-life balance. Financially it has also been beneficial (we made a whole chart about saving $$$, because although our house is in a warmer location, it’s a lot easier to heat & cool). You can see that breakdown in our original downsizing recap.
We’ve also had our current home longer than ourfirst house, our second house, our beach house, or our duplex at this point (time is wild!). So our downsized lifestyle is hardly a “blip” and we certainly would have changed things by now if it wasn’t a good fit.
So what new advice do we have after nearly 5 years of downsized life? The two things that come to mind are somewhat contradictory thoughts, so bear with me as I explain.
It’s easy to forget you downsized
It’s easy to be reminded you downsized
And yes, these are both more about the mental side of downsizing, but it’s a funny phenomenon that others who have downsized have also seemed to experience (we love talking to neighbors & friends who also moved from larger homes to smaller ones by the beach).
Forgetting You Downsized
Most days it’s easy to forget that we ever lived with (or believed we needed) more space. We’ve lived in this house long enough to fully adjust (both mentally and logistically) to having 1400 square feet. What once felt like an “unconventional” or “different” lifestyle change feels normal and unremarkable. So much so that it’s a little difficult to write this post. We’ve become a little blind to what’s interesting or unique about it!
So why do we draw attention to the “forgettableness” of downsizing? Well, for a couple of reasons.
1. Transitions Are Temporary
First, we hope this reassures anyone facing a similar transition, whether by choice or not. Downsizing can feel challenging at times, but the challenges don’t last forever. Because just like any transition in life – going to college, starting a job, having a baby – the adjustment period is often the hardest part. So let us be an example that, at some point, you’ll be on the other side. You will adjust.
That’s not to say the adjustment is always fast or easy. And different parts may be difficult for different people. We enjoyed paring down our belongings, so that part wasn’t too rough for us (dare I say, exciting?). But after moving into our smaller home, it took us 2-3 years to:
figure out furniture arrangements in a few trickier spaces
So there was an initial “sticking point” in finding the best way to store certain things (or a literal waiting period while we built the storage cabinets or closets that we needed). But now that we’ve figured those things out, everything has a place to live, and it’s a lot more autopilot around here. In fact, if pressed to recall what we struggled with storing or what took the longest to figure out, it might take a 10-minute brainstorming session to actually remember.
2. It Was The Right Move For Us
Secondly (and more personally), the “forgettableness” of our decision tells us we did the right thing. Downsizing isn’t for everyone, so the fact that it has become so normalized for our family is immensely reassuring. We still have people over (our pool & proximity to the beach is a real draw). We spend a lot more time outside as a family. We clean the house together every Sunday in about 30 minutes (all 4 of us have our fav jobs). Six rooms total (and only one bathroom) really have a plethora of upsides.
That’s not to say we don’t sometimes feel the limitations of a smaller home (here is where I would argue that limitations aren’t always bad – like do we want a house with enough space to store literally *anything* we have ever wanted?).
To pick an example of a storage limitation, a few years ago Sherry wanted a few of those 6′ skeletons to hang from our second floor deck each Halloween. She proposed storing them in the crawl space (which could have worked – although skeletons under the house might be a little creepy if someone ever came upon them during an inspection or something). After some thought, Sherry ended up getting four smaller skeletons that fold at the waist and can easily be stored in a basket inside. The kids get a kick out of repositioning them every October (rain chain Miley-Cyrus-In-Wreckingball scenes have been created) so there is no shortage of joy, and it hasn’t ever really felt like a “sacrifice.” You adjust. You pivot. All is ok.
Actually, there’s a peace that comes with a resolute “nope, it won’t fit in our house” that helps us walk away from lots of things without much internal debate (and with money remaining in our pocket). Also, lots of people live without 6-foot skeletons… which is kinda the point. The longer we live here, the less frequently we let our space limitations distract from the positives of downsizing. It’s just a fact of life that we’re happy to live with in exchange for the other things we’ve gained.
Being Reminded You Downsized
Like I said before, this next section sounds like a direct contradiction to everything I just said. How can it be easy to forget we downsized… but also be regularly reminded of that fact? This interesting dichotomy just seems to be a part of downsizing, so I thought I’d attempt to put it into words for anyone who’s contemplating a downsizing adventure.
Since the day-to-day of living in a smaller home over the last 4.5 years has become so normalized to us, there are funny little moments when we’re reminded that our decision isn’t everyone’s norm. One of those funny reminders might be when another person asks us about downsizing and says they could never live without their guest room & their double garage (we usually chat about how downsizing definitely isn’t for everyone – and each person has different things they couldn’t live without).
Sometimes it’s just this moment of being in a larger home while visiting a friend and noticing they have 12 closets or a giant laundry room. It’s not a bad sensation – it’s just a noticeable moment of “oh yeah, some people have all this room! I wonder if they think our house is weird, even though we’re so used to it.”
To take this one step further, comparison is a near-universal truth of homeownership, whether you’re comparing your home to a house across the street or a home that’s featured on the internet or in a magazine. This isn’t specific to downsizing AT ALL. I’m sure many of you in larger homes have envied someone’s even more spacious house at some point. And you may even have felt a pang of yearning for a smaller and more simple home, but don’t actually want to live in one. It can just be a little momentary feeling.
My main point here is that lots of little desires or yearnings can exist at once in your mind, and those momentary pangs don’t mean you hate what you already have or must change things. Insert that quote about the grass always being greener. So if you’re thinking about downsizing, it would be smart to take stock of how these comparisons really make you feel over a longer period of time (fleeting desires aside).
If you’re someone who can say “that’s so cool for them, but I don’t think I’d want to clean those four extra rooms” – you might really be ready (and excited!) to downsize. But if seeing those grander homes stirs up some kind of burning desire (versus being a passing moment of “woah, they have a theater room!”), maybe take some time to dive deeper and ponder if downsizing actually feels right for you.
When we walk into giant open houses or showhomes, we are very happy to soak up all the inspiration & appreciate every detail and then happily return to our cozy little house. Touring these “bigger and better houses” is fun for us, and it’s also an exercise that reaffirms our choice every time.
Again, for us, living with less = needing less money = working/cleaning/maintaining/organizing less = more time for family/friends/hobbies/nature. There is a big “why” behind our choice. So seeing someone’s bigger/nicer house often becomes a good moment to savor the clarity we have around our goals. Is it beautiful? Yes. Is it worth spending more time maintaining it and working longer hours to afford it? Not for us.
I’m especially grateful for that clarity given the wide variety of homes around us. One unique thing about living here is the wide range of house sizes (and, shall we say, fancy-factor?). The homes in all of our previous neighborhoods were relatively the same. Some might have a newer kitchen or bathroom, a finished attic, or an addition on the back, but the differences usually weren’t more than a renovation away from the house next door.
In our current area, however, the range is truly WILD. You can find lavish & large waterfront homes worth eight figures just a short walk away. Every day we see everything from little cottages like ours to towering multi-family vacation homes. Thankfully that wide range doesn’t make us second-guess anything about our decision to downsize. But I imagine it would be harder to handle if we felt like our house really was too small and we were squeezed in there like sardines while those around us had all that room and then some.
All this to say, I would not choose a neighborhood like ours if you’re prone to house-size envy or if you worry you’ll second-guess your decision to downsize. Sherry and I actually enjoy that our house “stands out” in our neighborhood as being one of just around two dozen “original cottages” that were built earlier on when our streets were sleepy and slow (it’s a great conversation starter!). But I think a younger me who was less sure in my choices might’ve preferred to blend in and keep up with the Joneses a little more. I think that would’ve made this process more difficult. So… know thyself.
Would We Still Choose Downsizing?
If it isn’t already glaringly obvious, YES!
In the almost half a decade since making this choice, we’ve only grown more steadfast in our decision. We were so focused on the logistical and financial aspects of downsizing in our earlier downsizing recap, I don’t think we had really digested these mental aspects enough to explain them. We were also only 6 months in, and very much loving our new home, new location, and new lifestyle – but it would not have been easy to see it from as wide of a lens as we can today.
And now, 4.5 years after downsizing, any sort of honeymoon period that may have occurred is over and we’re still very happily married to it. We’re amazed by how normalized it has become to us, and how easy it is to brush off any “temptations” around us. Sherry says that like getting tattoos, paring down and simplifying is addicting. Except I guess when it comes to the occasional jonesing for large skeletons. But even that can turn out ok…
More Posts About Downsizing
Want to read more about our experience downsizing to a smaller home?
My best friend and I live in different parts of the country (we’ve been best friends for 24 years, and have only spent about 1/3 of them in the same city), so we love taking trips together. Let me tell you, the joy of packing light (only for yourself! not the whole fam!) and having a few nights of sleepovers in a fun new place and exploring so freely (just us eating dessert for breakfast if we want to!)… it’s euphoric.
And our latest trip that we enjoyed was a completely new spot for me! She grew up going to Sedona with her family, but I had never been! She didn’t have to work hard to sell me on it though – the gorgeous views, the warm temperatures, magical mystical vortexes, shops full of crystals, and this pool? Sold!
Where We Stayed In Sedona
We splurged to stay at Enchantment Resort, which is a resort that my best friend has always wanted to experience. I mean look at this lounge room located next to one of several gorgeous outdoor pools:
It was definitely expensive by our standards (about $500 a night each for the 3 nights we stayed!) but we had a sudden realization that bff trips might be an ideal time to splurge because (sorry John!) it’s two households splitting the cost of one room! Our philosophy probably also has to do with the fact that John and my best friend’s husband don’t really have any interest in staying at a nice resort – so splitting the cost and enjoying this place together just makes sense. Is that, my friends… girl math? Whatever it is, we loved our stay!
We also should take a second to acknowledge that we are grateful to be married to partners who understand that these trips are deeply fulfilling for both of us and encourage us to make time for these little reconnection soul-filling trips and they’re happy to stay back with the kids. We both do that reflexively for our partners too (wherein they book something hilariously not-restort-y). Actually both of them went to a cattle ranch once. There were also many chickens. It’s great for everyone to get away from time to time – even if the destinations might look wildly different 😉
Back to my stay at Enchantment Resort with my bestie. It was basically this amazing “village” of casitas with so much to do right on the grounds. We shared one suite, which had a little kitchen area, a beverage fridge, this adorable fireplace, and a giant gorgeous bathroom as well as a lovely balcony with a view of the mountains! Every morning we stepped out onto the balcony and saw a different wild animal on the ground below. More on that in a minute.
I cannot underscore how great this was as a home base for our trip. We loved walking around the resort to get to the pools and various restaurants. They also had some nice shops and even a fancy spa and things like a crystal meditation room. So much to see. There were also various free events while we were there, from star-gazing expeditions, and we even stumbled upon the chef’s garden, where they grow all the fresh herbs and vegetables they serve in the restaurants.
When I say that this resort is IN THE MOUNTAINS, I mean it is literally among them. The novelty never wore off. It was STUNNING. Towering mountain views almost everywhere you looked.
I have a lot more photos of the trip to show you, but first please enjoy this AI poster that my bestie made before our trip. I mean. Vertexs! Sheiry! Girts Girls Trxps! Jetepes! It really has it all:
I’m also glad this poster design is the “modiated version” – whatever that means! Sidenote: doesn’t it seem like the easiest thing AI can do is spell girls and jeeps and vortexes and YOUR OWN ENTERED NAMES correctly? That being said, it’s very entertaining this way.
Also please notice that one of us is playing a flute above. Just a work of art.
Quick Video Recap Of Our Sedona Trip
Before I get into a lot more photos and info, this video does a great job of capturing a ton of our trip highlights in under 2 minutes. Feel free to book a trip just like ours and tell me how great it was so I can live vicariously through you because we both left immediately wanting to do it again. Also please do not stop the video before you see my unmatched athletic prowess at the end. It will surely take your breath away.
And now back to all the extra photos and details that those two minutes couldn’t contain, like…
How We Got To Sedona
There are no commercial flights into the Sedona airport, so most people fly to Flagstaff (about 45 minutes north of Sedona) or Phoenix (about 2 hours south of Sedona). We chose to fly into Phoenix because those flights were cheaper and easier to come by. My best friend even got a direct flight from DC to PHX! Meanwhile, I got to meet this adorable therapy dog at the airport while I waited for her to land.
We rented a car and drove 2 hours to Sedona. I would recommend an early arrival so you don’t have to drive late at night. Our flights didn’t arrive until around 9pm PST, but the rental car line took forever so we didn’t get to Sedona until after midnight… which was nearly 2am my time (and 3am my best friend’s time!).
The Wildlife In Sedona
Yes, I’m giving this an entire section in this post, because it was SO COOL! When we arrived and saw a tiny lizard on the curtains, which felt just like being at home in Florida. But the wild mule deer and javelinas that roamed the resort were SO DIFFERENT than anything I’ve ever seen!
The mule deer were… like a donkey mixed with a deer? Very different than the ones we have here! And I had never seen a javelina in my life. They look sort of like wild boars, but we learned they’re more closely related to rhinos and hippos! They were really fun to watch.
I realize I used a lot of caps lock in this section of the post. I stand by it. We both had so much fun walking around the resort (usually after a giant delicious meal) and spotting all the furry friends.
The Activities That We Did In Sedona
We really embraced our woo-woo-loving selves and leaned into all the cool mystical vortex-and-crystal-related things you can experience in Sedona. And we also did some fun “adventure” stuff that definitely got my heart pumping.
1. A Guided Vortex Tour
A few weeks ahead of our arrival, we booked a Vortex Tour through Blue Bear Tours. It was REALLY FASCINATING, and taught us a lot of the history of a few spiritual spots as well as the lore of many vortexes in the area.
It was an amazingly small group of us (6 people total), and our guide Robert drove us to each spot and taught us about things we had never seen – from the trees that grow in a swirl pattern to the experience of entering a medicine wheel and learning the significance of each entry point. We loved visiting the Stupa (“Peace Park”) that you see above, and the highlight for me was standing inside the medicine wheel (Robert did sort of a “cold read” on all of us based on where we walked into the wheel). All of us cried. Not even kidding. It was GREAT.
There was a fair amount of hiking and standing, so wear comfortable shoes.
Also I held these rods (see below) and they went crazy, crossing and then flapping out and hitting my arms. I only wish I had a video. The guide was like “wow, that’s a lot of energy” and my best friend said “stuff like this always happens to her” while laughing hysterically. It truly was a mystical and deeply bonding day. I wanted to get everyone’s numbers afterwards because we all had this fun experience together.
So I highly recommend using Blue Bear Tours and booking Robert for the vortex tour if you can. By the way, no part of this trip was sponsored or gifted in any way. We paid for everything that we did and nobody knew me from Adam. Although they might now remember me as the lady who made the metal rods go crazy.
Ok, onto our next adventure, which was pure adrenaline and adventure, and zero percent woo-woo unless you count when you ask a higher power not to let you careen off a mountain.
Pink Jeep Tour Of Broken Arrow
My best friend had actually done a different one of these tours (Pink Jeep Tours are available in many cities) and she said it was a fun way to see things from other vantage points while really appreciating being alive. So we also booked this tour (specifically of a park called Broken Arrow) a few weeks in advance of our trip.
After stepping out of the Jeep after a 2-hour jaunt up and down an extremely steep and craggy mountain, my best friend’s description of the tour = a true statement. By the end you are like “WOW! I survived!”
If you are a person who is afraid of heights (me) and you don’t love a Jeep doing a donut near a giant dropoff (or charging down or up a 45% angle and then pausing in the middle of the grade while your brakes scream) you will definitely have moments where you think “WHY AM I PAYING FOR THIS?!?!?” but we absolutely loved our tour guide: Rick. My best friend made me pose with him because he’s from Iowa (which is where she’s from, and where most of her family still lives). Rick was THE GOAT. Like I think he could do the tour with his eyes closed. But I’m very glad he kept them open.
Chapel of the Holy Cross
We actually learned about this next activity from some other women who did the Jeep tour with us (there were 6 of us on the Jeep tour total), so we made time to visit this beautiful chapel that is literally built right into the mountains.
It’s definitely a huge tourist spot, so the parking lot is pretty packed, and you have to climb up a ways to get to the chapel after parking. They had these pretty carved stone paths in some areas that led to the chapel. And once there, the views and the chapel itself were breathtaking. We also really enjoyed the gift shop downstairs, so check that out if you stop by.
It was absolutely a giant tourist destination – hence me posing for all these photos because my best friend saw everyone else stopping to take them and kept saying “let me get one more for the blog post!” She’s the best.
Also I feel like I should add a note about the weather while we were there. In the mornings and late at night it was sweater weather (around 60-65 degrees) but otherwise it was very very hot (85-90+). Yes, it was “a dry heat” but I’d describe it like “being in the microwave.” Literal waves of heat radiating into my body. Not much breeze, and not much shade in most places. Remember your sunscreen and your sunglasses! By the way, we went in early October, so I’m sure the weather isn’t like that year-round, but hopefully that helps anyone else planning a fall visit.
Our Favorite Shopping Spots In Sedona
Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Vilalge
We LOVED Tlaquepaque, which was a small area full of shops and a few places to eat. The buildings themselves and the lush plantlife was GORGEOUS. We also found some really lovely little businesses in there, so it’s where we got all of our souvenirs for our kids.
I mean, look at this pumpkin display:
You can see from the photo above and below that it feels like a little village with charming old stairs and pathways, and fountains and the most lovely mature greenery that literally grows all over the buildings and walls. Magical.
Our absolute favorite shop was the one you see on the left of this photo below. It was called Cocopah Jewelry, and it had so many cool “curiosities.” From really interesting fossils, shells, and butterflies, to beautiful beads & jewelry-making supplies (also – CRYSTALS!) they felt like a tiny shop full of treasures. I got tiny carved crystals in the shape of a few animals, as well as a gorgeous glass evil eye. So many cool items. My best friend got a necklace with a tiny bell on it for her daughter. Just lovely. The woman who worked there was wonderful too.
The Shops In Sedona
Walking around Sedona was also really fun. There were lots of places to grab a bite to eat (or dessert!) as well as some very enticing crystal shops, various other places to get souvenirs, clothing stores, etc. I mean, look how excited I am:
We also were very happy to come across this shop that sells incredibly specific things, like jewelry and jerky (and then they added flutes to the mix!). You can easily spend a full day walking around Sedona (by contrast, Tlaquepaque can probably be checked out in a few hours – it’s much smaller).
We also really wanted to get our tarot cards read, and stopped into four or five places until we both had that THIS IS THE ONE feeling! And I’m so glad we took our time, because the woman who read our cards was named Monet and she was SO WONDERFUL. I legitimately tried to find her on Instagram afterwards because I want to be her real-life friend, but she’s mysterious and un-find-able.
Monet works in a shop called Green Witch Creations, right next to an amazing gelato place (more on that in a sec). My best friend and I both got “angel readings” + “charm castings” done (she has you pull charms out of a bag and interprets them, along with having you pull a bunch of tarot cards). It was a meaningful hour of our lives. We both cried. Monet, if you ever read this, be my friend in real life! We loved every minute of our reading.
Ok, I know I teased a great gelato spot next door to this shop, which brings us to…
What We Ate In Sedona
We really ate our way around this town, and it was all extremely good (one place was so good we went back again the next day!). I’ll start things off with the gelato spot that was right next to our tarot reading:
I got cherry and chocolate and my best friend got mango and vanilla. Both very good.
Probably the most memorable meal of the entire trip was the one fancy meal we had at one of the resort restaurants, which was called Tii Gavo. This appetizer that we split was grilled peaches + burrata + mint with oil and honey and pistachios. When I tell you it was out of this world, believe me. I still daydream about this.
I got a tavern burger as my main and it was GREAT TOO. I know sometimes fancy resorts don’t have great restaurants and it’s smarter to leave the resort for good food, but I can vouch that this one is worth staying in for! We also ate this on their back patio overlooking the mountains with a firepit roaring nearby. It was delightful.
Ok, here is the spot we went to twice! It’s a local favorite called Coffee Pot – and their breakfast is SO GOOD. Would you believe me if I told you that they have 100 omelettes to choose from? Yes. A Hundred. And our waitress had them all memorized by number. So you could be like “do you know what #76 is by heart?” and she’d say “avocado and bacon! It’s easy! We all know all of them by heart!”
I got exactly the same thing two days in a row, and please forgive me for forgetting the actual number of my omelette, but it had bacon and cheese and chirizo or sausage I think! Maybe #47 or #74? Also, yes I did get a big heaping scoop of COTTAGE CHEESE as my side both days. I was in heaven.
One of our other food-related favorite things to do on our trips (besides getting dessert at any time of the day) is to visit a grocery store to get little snacks and treats. We grabbed some cheese & crackers and wine one night, and even melted chocolate in the microwave to make chocolate covered strawberries another time. What can I say? We love a good DIY.
Another day we got hot wings from the grocery store and devoured them in our room. For sure there was a good balance of eating out, as well as little grocery store treats that we worked in there.
We also got to witness the most beautiful wedding while we were staying at Enchantment. It was for a couple named Tommy and Baltazar, and it was a STUNNING sight to behold. They got such a gorgeous night for it and it was fun to see lots of well-dressed wedding-goers moving around the resort for the festivities. They looked so happy and sweet. We totally shared in their joy and cheered when they passed through the resort to get to the reception you see below.
They got married at the base of one of the giant mountain ranges on a sunny evening, and the above photo is a while later when they moved to their meals at the reception. Truly if you or anyone you know is looking for a breathtaking venue… look into Enchanted! It looked amazing.
Our Day Trip To Jerome, Arizona
On our way back to Phoenix to catch our flights home, we had fun exploring the “ghost town” of Jerome, which my best friend had done many years ago. She said we just couldn’t miss it, especially because it was on the way to the airport and I’m so glad we stopped there! This self-proclaimed “ghost town” gets its name due to having a very small population, and also a lot of ghost lore – especially about a former hospital that is not a hotel at the top of a hill. There are some great creepy stories, as well as a lot of fun shops and even a pretty famous restaurant. Many of the homes are built right into extremely steep mountain ranges, so it’s really cool to see.
This copper shop, called Copper State Gift is something you see pretty quickly when you get to Jerome. It was full of treasures and cool things! Definitely worth stopping in if you see it. You’ll probably notice the copper wind spinners out front first!
The photo on the right below, is also a really cool kaleidoscope shop called Nellie Bly in downtown Jerome. We really liked a lot of the shops there, and it was fun to browse a bunch of them.
I got John the cool skeleton shirt at The Coppertown T-shirt store that you see him sporting below:
We also heard, from literally everyone, that we had to go to Haunted Hamburger for lunch. It was one of those buildings that was carved right into the edge of a mountain. So when we walked through the building and were shown to our seats…
… this was the view! We learned we got lucky because there are hardly any balcony seats available, but since we were just a party of 2, that’s what was open and we got to enjoy the view.
Also, yes I was craving burgers this entire trip. We ordered a wedge salad & a bacon mushroom cheddar burger and split them. It was a very good call.
After this, it was off to the airport to go our separate ways home, with full hearts (and aching stomachs from laughing so hard). In terms of a girls trip (and we have done MANY) this one is at the top of the list. Highly recommend!
Girls Weekend In Sedona: An Overview
Other Trips We’ve Taken
If you’re interested in our take on other destinations or are in search of family-friendly trips, you might also enjoy these posts:
Dyeing your clothes can sound difficult, messy, and downright scary. But guess what? It’s none of those things! After all, I’m the girl who dyed her wedding dress so I could wear it again. Trust me, anyone can dye clothes at home because it’s easy, straightforward, and crazy affordable. And it’s a great way to make things you just aren’t wearing a lot more wearable instead of just giving up on them. Or giving them closet space but never reaching for them because the color just isn’t your favorite.
Dyeing fabrics is great way to customize, alter, or reinvigorate your clothes with a new hue. I wasn’t really wearing this shirt, jeans, or sweater much, so I was on the verge of getting rid of them. The white shirt and jeans had a weirdly yellowed tint that made them look a little dirty – and the green sweater was old & faded. Then I realized I could dye them my favorite color (duh… black!) and they’d be easier to incorporate into my wardrobe. So in the end, I got 3 “new” pieces of clothing from one $4 bottle of dye!
Note: This post isn’t sponsored by Rit. It’s just a dye that’s extremely easy to find (they even have it in our grocery store!). We’ve used other brands with equal success in the past.
My Best Clothes Dyeing Advice
The #1 thing I tell people worried about dyeing their clothes is to stay open-minded about the result. Achieving a precise color is difficult, even for professionals. That’s because MANY factors influence the outcome: the fabric blend, the item’s original color, your dye concentration, the time soaking, etc. So this process is more about moving clothes towards a color (darker, greener, pinker, etc) than hitting an exact color target. For example, black dye turned my button-down and jeans below darker and closer to black, but neither one is a true deep black. The good news is I also love gray and it eliminated the yellow tint they both had. So ultimately I like the result a lot more than before!
Personally, I think that’s part of the fun of this DIY project. You never know exactly how things are going to turn out! And with these clothes (and with my wedding dress) any outcome would be an improvement over the current versions that weren’t getting worn.
Supplies Needed To Dye Clothes
Here are the materials you should gather before dyeing fabrics. We like to use the “bucket method” (it can also be done in a sink or tub). If you are dyeing larger items like bedding or curtains, you can also use your washing machine.
1 cup of salt (for fabrics with cotton, rayon, ramie, or linen)
1 cup of white vinegar (for fabrics with nylon, silk, or wool)
1 teaspoon of mild dish soap
Large stick or spoon to stir with
Rubber gloves
Hose or shower sprayer to rinse
Washing machine
We chose to work outside so we didn’t have to worry about spills or splashes. If you are working inside, it’s best to protect your work area with a dropcloth, plastic tablecloth, or towels. The dye doesn’t tend to stain if wiped up quickly, but it’s always best to cover your work surface just in case.
Rubber gloves are also recommended to prevent potential skin discoloration from the dye.
What Fabrics Can I Dye?
Rit All-Purpose Dye is great on a wide range of fabrics, especially natural fibers like cotton, wool, linen, ramie, and silk. It also works on synthetics like nylon and rayon. For fabrics containing more than 35% polyester, acrylic, or acetate, Rit recommends their Synthetic Fabrics Dye. You cannot use the bucket method with that dye (it must be done on a stovetop). So check your clothing tags before beginning to ensure you’re using the correct product and method.
Step-by-Step Instructions
The whole process took about an hour (minus washing time in the washer), so grab your supplies, cover your work area, and let’s get started. Here’s an overview of the steps.
Pre-Wash Your Clothes
Prepare The Dye Solution
Add Clothing
Stir
Rinse Thoroughly
Wash Again
1. Pre-Wash Your Clothes
Fabrics must be clean and free of stains before dyeing. Send everything through the washing machine before you begin, and treat any stains. Don’t use fabric softener, since that can interfere with dye absorption.
The fabric also needs to remain wet, so skip the dryer. If your clothes are already dry, soak them before beginning. This is where our 2nd bucket came in handy!
2. Prepare The Dye Bath
Mix your solution in a container big enough for your clothes to move freely. This can be a sink, bathtub, bucket, or bowl. We chose to work outside this time, but we sometimes put a bucket or bowl in the sink or bathtub.
To prepare your dye solution:
Start with hot water
Rit recommends 3 gallons for every 1 pound of fabric. Water should be hot, ideally a minimum of 140º. We used a mix of hot tap water and 2 pots of boiling water. We used a kitchen thermometer to check, but precision isn’t necessary. Leave room for your fabrics to be added, so don’t overfill the container.
Add salt or vinegar
Use a measuring cup to add 1 cup of table salt (for cotton, rayon, ramie, or linen) and/or 1 cup of vinegar (for nylon, silk, or wool). These will help enhance the color.
Add dish soap
Next, add 1 tsp of mild dish soap to your solution. This will promote even dyeing across your fabric.
Add liquid dye
Now, add your Rit Dye to the water. Rit recommends 1/2 bottle for every 1 lb of fabric. However, more can be added to achieve a bolder or more saturated color. We used a whole bottle. Mix your ingredients well.
Note: Rit also sells concentrated powder dye. It’s only a dollar cheaper ($2.50 vs $3.50) but only goes half as far as the liquid, so we usually opt for the easier, pre-mixed liquid version.
If you’d like, you can test your color by dipping a paper towel into the mix. This is not precise, but it is a quick way to see if you need to add more dye or dilute with more water. This is helpful if you’ve combined multiple dye colors to make a custom color.
3. Add Clothing
Wring out your clothes by hand so they are wet, but not dripping. Add fabrics to the dye bath and use your stir stick to ensure they are fully submerged. We dyed all 3 pieces of clothing together.
4. Stir, Stir, Stir
Slow and continuous stirring helps achieve an even and consistent color across your fabric. At a minimum, stir continuously for the first 10 minutes. You can continue this process for up to an hour. Some fabrics (like nylon) need less time, while others (polyester) need more. We did this batch for 30 minutes, stirring slowly and continuously the entire time.
John did this part while I photographed the process and brought various things to him as needed (it’s nice to have an extra set of hands but very possible to do this solo too – I’ve done it fully alone before). To stay entertained by the waiting-and-stirring stage this time, John watched Survivor on his phone while I picked up one of our kids after school. The point I’m making here is that this project isn’t very rigorous. It’s generally pretty fun. If you’d like, you can periodically check the color during this waiting period. Just remember that wet fabrics appear darker.
5. Rinse Thoroughly
Prepare a place to rinse your clothing before removing it from the dye bath. We used our spare bucket outside to get most of the dye out and then moved inside to the bathtub for a more careful rinse. But first, we wrung out each clothing item over the bath.
Then we used our garden hose to spray off most of the excess dye. You can already see how different fabrics reacted to the same dye solution!
Ultimately you want to rinse your fabric until the water runs clear from the fabric. This takes time! We probably spent 15 more minutes inside rinsing with our shower sprayer. Use cool water for this step.
It’s not necessary to rinse in two locations. The white bathtub just made it easier to see if the water was clear.
6. Wash Again
Finally, wash all items in your washing machine again with warm water and mild detergent. Throw in an old towel with your clothes to act as a “color catcher.” This process removes the remaining dye and help to set the color. Dry as normal in your dryer. We typically repeat this process twice just to be safe. If your washing machine has an “extra rinse” setting, it doesn’t hurt to do that too. This will just help eliminate dye running during future, regular washings. Note: don’t skip the color catcher towel. Ours catches SO MUCH COLOR.
The Final Result
Like I said up front, part of the fun of dyeing your clothes is seeing the final result. These 3 pieces turned out everything from a light gray to deep charcoal (I wouldn’t call any of them a “true black” color). But this definitely achieved my goal of making them a lot more wearable for me.
More Clothing & Fabric Projects
Here are some other projects using fabric, dye, or optimizing my wardrobe.
*This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
As the weather warms up, thoughts of a beautiful spring garden can take hold. Whether you are new to gardening or a seasoned pro, this guide to planning a stunning spring garden will provide you with plenty of ideas, considerations, and inspiration. From selecting the right plants to designing your layout, this blog post will help you create a vibrant spring garden that you can enjoy all season long. So let’s get started by discussing the basics of creating a stunning spring garden!
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Table of contents
Define your gardening goals
Spring is the perfect time for a “spring cleaning” of your garden and a great time to plan any changes or updates. To help you pace yourself and tackle each task as it comes up, create a checklist of all the tasks you want to complete before the season begins.
The checklist should include any spring bulbs you need to plant, checking for any empty spots in your garden where you might want to add a few new plants, and any maintenance chores that need to be done. Taking care of these tasks early will give you more time to relax and enjoy your landscape throughout the summer.
Additionally, take note of any existing spring plants that are beginning to flower — this is a great indication of what you might want to add to your garden in future seasons. Planning your garden goals now will ensure that your garden looks stunning this spring!
Choose the right plants
When planning your spring garden, you want to make sure you choose the right plants for the season. If you pick plants that aren’t well-suited for the springtime, you won’t get the best results. There are a few things to consider when selecting your plants, including the region where you live, the amount of light your garden will receive, and the growing season.
The best plants to start in spring depend on where you live and the climate conditions. Generally speaking, vegetables and flowers that thrive in cooler temperatures are best for starting in the spring. Some popular spring vegetables include lettuce, spinach, carrots, radishes, and beets. Flowers such as pansies, snapdragons, and petunias are also great choices.
In addition to vegetables and flowers, you’ll also want to think about selecting spring plants that are low-maintenance. Plants like roses and azaleas require more care than something like lavender or daisies. Choose plants that you can easily care for throughout the growing season.
Spring garden maintenance is also important when selecting your plants. To ensure the health of your garden, make sure to water regularly and provide ample sun or shade depending on the needs of each plant. Be sure to fertilize periodically, remove weeds, and protect your plants from pests.
With some careful planning and a bit of research, you can create a beautiful spring garden full of lush flowers and delicious vegetables!
Spring garden maintenance
Surveying the yard and assessing the trees, mid-level, and ground plane of your garden is key to beginning your spring garden maintenance. You will want to check for any damage sustained over the winter months, and decide if any pruning or trimming needs to be done. You can also choose to add new spring plants to your garden in order to make it more vibrant.
Before getting started, it’s important to have the right tools for the job. Tune up tools such as bypass pruners and wooden handles and make sure you have enough supplies to get the job done.
Once you’ve checked your tools, you’ll want to give your lawn some attention. Refresh the lawn by sending the mower and leaf blower for servicing, clearing the lawn of winter debris, and looking for areas that need reseeding before mowing.
Prune shrubs by removing dead, damaged, and diseased branches, thinning and trimming summer-blooming shrubs, and pruning cold-damaged wood after plants resume spring growth. If you don’t have a garden bed established yet, then you can prepare one by creating a new planting bed.
Once your spring garden maintenance is complete, all that’s left is to enjoy your hard work! Sit back, relax, and watch the beauty of nature come alive.
Consider the layout of your garden
When you plan your spring garden, consider the long-term goals for your yard. Not only do you need to decide what you want to plant this season, but also the overall look and feel of your garden for future years. Make sure that the plants you choose are suitable for the amount of water and sunlight available in your area, as well as able to withstand your local climate.
Adding pops of color is a great way to bring your garden to life! Incorporate flowering spring plants such as pansies, daffodils, and tulips, or bright colored foliage such as purple fountain grass and coleus. If your yard has shadier areas, look for plants that thrive in less sun like ferns and hostas. Consider other features such as pathways, benches, bird baths, or sculptures to complete your design.
Finally, don’t forget to include some native plants to attract beneficial wildlife like butterflies, bees, and birds. By considering the layout of your garden and adding colorful accents, you will be able to create an inviting and thriving oasis. With some thoughtful planning, you can turn your garden into a stunning space for the entire family to enjoy!
Get inspired by other gardens
One of the most fun parts of planning a spring garden is getting inspiration from other gardens. From traditional cottage-style plantings to lush and luxurious botanical gardens, there are plenty of ideas to draw from. Look for commonalities in garden designs that appeal to you and think about ways to incorporate them into your own garden. Look for ideas on different ways to feature spring plants, like beautiful flowering shrubs, showy trees, and seasonal annuals. Consider color schemes, form and texture, and unique accents like structures and water features. By taking some cues from these stunning examples, you can create a spring garden that reflects your personal style and is perfectly tailored to your needs.
Gardening is a wonderful way to express your creativity and make your home look beautiful. With the right combination of spring plants, you can create a stunning spring garden that adds color and life to your outdoor space. Whether you’re planting an herb garden or creating a vibrant flower bed, planning your spring garden can be an exciting and rewarding experience. Be sure to take the time to plan out your garden in detail, so that you can enjoy a lush and blooming paradise for the warmer months. And don’t forget to keep your plants well watered, fertilized, and pruned – your spring garden will thank you for it!
There are many uses for olive oil beyond what you might normally think of in the kitchen. It’s an incredibly versatile ingredient that you can put to good use in a lot of interesting situations. It’s great for everything from your skin and face to polishing furniture and fixing that squeaky door!
Nutritionists will continue to tout olive oil for its high content of healthful, monounsaturated fats, like oleic acid, and polyphenols. The fruit oil practically propelled the entire Western world in antiquity and is mentioned in nearly every sacred text this side of the Tigris and Euphrates.
Health benefits of olive oil
As a cooking fat, it’s high up on the heart-smart list…which works out, ‘cause it tastes darn good. Did you know that olive oil is not just a tasty addition to your meals, but it also comes with a range of health benefits?
Olive oil is loaded with healthy monounsaturated fats, which are great for your heart and can help lower bad cholesterol levels. It’s also rich in antioxidants, which can help reduce inflammation in your body and protect your cells from damage. Additionally, studies have shown that olive oil consumption may have a positive impact on cognitive function, as well as reducing the risk of certain types of cancer. So, the next time you’re cooking up a storm in the kitchen, consider reaching for some extra-virgin olive oil for both its delicious flavor and its many health benefits.
As a tip, Consumer Reports has rated Goya brand extra virgin olive oil (from Spain) as the best general-purpose olive oil, and as their best buy. I whole-healthy-heartedly concur.
There are plenty of other olive oil uses around your home, outside of the sauté pan and the salad dressing. There’s no need to waste your expensive Greek or Spanish Extra Virgin for these tasks, just grab a bottle of inexpensive, domestic olive oil for around-the-house use. You can cut down on excess oil by investing in a refillable spray can, such as the Misto.
Top 25 uses for olive oil
Here you’ll find 25 of our favorite ways to use olive oil, along with a handy cheatsheet to download and print.
1. Shaving cream. Olive oil can provide a safe and natural lubricant for a close shave. Rub in an extra teaspoon after washing your body or face once finished.
2. Wood Furniture Polish. Wipe with a teaspoon of olive oil and a soft rag. Add a bit of vinegar of citrus juice to bulk up the cleaning power, and add a fresh scent.
3. Fingernails. Use a bit of olive oil to moisturize cuticles, or mix oil and water and soak your hands before a manicure.
4. Easy cleanup of measuring cups and spoons. Rub or spray olive oil on your measuring tools for easy clean-up of sticky substances like honey, grain mustards, sugar syrups, molasses, and nut butter.
5. Control hair frizz. Comb a bit of olive oil through dry hair to tame the frizz and flyaways on humid days or in the winter. Pop a shower cap on if you want to use it as a deep hair and scalp conditioner and avoid getting it on your upholstered furniture.
6. Free a stuck zipper. Use a cotton swab to apply olive oil to the teeth of a zipper, then gently ease the tab down to unstick a stuck zipper.
7. Care for your kitty. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to your cat’s food to help prevent hairballs, and provide a shiny coat.
8. DIY Lip balm. Mix olive oil and melted beeswax in a 1:1 ratio, with essential oil for fragrance, and say goodbye to dry and chapped lips.
9. Stop Snoring. Take a sip of olive oil before heading to bed. It might lubricate your throat muscles, and stop yourself, or your partner, from snoring.
10. Shine stainless steel and brass. Rub a bit of olive oil on a clean rag to prevent streaks, corrosion, and tarnish.
11. Exfoliate your face and hands. Rub your skin with olive oil, then scrub with sugar or coarse salt, and rinse.
12. As you bathe. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to your running bath water. You’ll be amazed when you towel off.
13. Remove makeup. Dab a bit under your eyes, on your cheeks and forehead, then wipe with a damp cloth.
14. Cure an earache. Very carefully, use a cotton swab to apply olive oil to the outside ear cavity to help with earaches and remove excess ear wax.
15. Remove paint from your skin. Rub on olive oil onto messy hand and arms (or faces) and allow the oil to soak into the skin for five minutes, then rinse with soap and water.
16. Treat lice. Apply olive oil to your youngster’s hair, and leave on for at least 40 minutes. Shampoo twice, then apply a preventative.
17. Stop a throat tickle. Take a sip of olive oil to stop the itchy flicker that is making you cough.
18. Fix a squeaky door. Use a rag or cotton swab to apply olive oil to the top of a problematic or rusted hinge in your home or automobile.
19. Shoe polish. Rub down your shoes with just a spray of olive oil to maintain their shine.
20. Massage oil. It works…
21. Soften your skin. Rub olive oil daily on notoriously dry areas, such as your feet or elbows, especially after a shower, shaving, or waxing. Bonus, olive oil contains vitamin E.
22. Easy clean up of garden tools. Spritz some olive oil on your tools to cut down on dirt buildup.
23. Condition leather. Rub olive oil into worn leather, such as a baseball gloves, furniture or leather shoes, and let set for 30 minutes, then wipe away any excess.
24. As a hair tonic. Comb some olive oil through your hair for the vintage look of pomade without the build-up, or add a bit to wet hair for a grungy, but clean, look.
25. Cure diaper rash. Gently wipe on thin layer of olive oil to your baby’s bottom to help with the irritation of diaper rash.
There you have it, folks! As you can see, there are countless uses for olive oil beyond just cooking. From polishing your furniture to nourishing your hair and skin, this versatile oil has got you covered. And not only is it great for your home and beauty routine, but it’s also packed with health benefits, making it a must-have in any kitchen. So, the next time you’re looking for a natural, multi-purpose ingredient, reach for a bottle of olive oil and let its magic do the rest. Happy exploring!
Curious about alternative uses for vinegar? Check out this useful cheat sheet!
