It’s beginning to feel like Fall… And in less than two weeks the season will officially be here. Bring on all the cozy: the sweaters, boots, scarves, hats, hot apple cider (call me old fashioned but I like it better than PSLs), Fall decor, candles, baking……. all of it. I’ve started adding some Fall touches around the house and as much as I love LOVE candles, I wanted a flameless option to add a seasonal scent to the house.
This little DIY was inspired by none other than the food dehydrator that has been a staple in my kitchen for the past few weeks as we pick fresh herbs from the garden to dry (we have a round one like this one and love it). I’ve seen lots of cute ideas with dehydrated oranges (warning: this may not be the last one you see here 😉 ), and this DIY is a great way to add to the coziness of your home for the Fall by making it smell amazing. You can choose any scent combinations you like, but I really like the smell of coffee and added citrus essential oil to help keep the house smelling fresh. I opted to make a sachet that I can tuck out of reach from the kids, but pouring everything into a jar or vase would also make for a pretty home made potpourri to display (those dried oranges just make everything look pretty). This is also a great option if you’re trying to avoid artificial air fresheners- simply switch up the scents for the season to keep your home smelling fresh.
Materials
1 large navel orange
Citrus essential oil
Piece of paper towel or tissue paper
1- 2 cups coffee beans
Paper bag
Lightweight fabric bag (or use a piece of fabric tied at the top)
Directions
Begin by cutting the orange into slices not quite 1/4″ thick
2. Place slices into a food dehydrator (or you can preheat your oven to 250 degrees and dry the slices for 2- 3 hours)
3. When the orange slices have dried, allow to cool. Add a few drops to a piece of paper towel or tissue paper.
4. Pop all of the items into the paper bag- the dried orange slices, coffee beans, and paper towel/ tissue paper- and wrap it up so nothing can fall out. To be extra secure tape the seams so no coffee beans fall out.
5. Pop everything into the fabric bag and tie at the top. Pick where you want to have the scent in your home and place the sachet. You can tuck into a closet or add it to a Fall display/ vignette.
As I mentioned, you can also dry the orange slices in the oven at a low temp for a few hours, but I love the option of a dehydrator and the round one we have gets a lot of use. If you’re thinking of buying one, this one is similar to the one we have and works great.
S U M M E R. There are so many great things about this season and I wanted to do a round- up that includes a little bit of everything from some other bloggers and a few of my favourites featured here on OHP. There are some recipes, DIYs/ printables, local activities, fashion tips, and a few other goodies in the mix. Scroll down and check out some fun ideas for these warm and sunny days!
Hand Lettered Summer Bucketlist Printable- Lemon Thistle
How’s everyone handling the heat? I thought now would be a good time to put up a recipe that’s delicious anytime, but especially good when you’re looking for a refreshing treat. I used this recipe as the base with a few adjustments, and was really happy with how they turned out. Adding turmeric to these citrus popsicles gives them a nutritious boost and adds a unique flavour, and as long as you don’t add too much, you’ll only just be able to taste it as a nice compliment to the sweetness of the orange. Add a little mint or basil if you want to experiment with flavour combos a little more.
Ingredients
2 ripe bananas
2 – 2 1/2 cups orange juice
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Directions
1. Pop all of the ingredients except the turmeric in a blender and puree until smooth. Add another 1/2 cup orange juice if necessary to help the mixture blend well.
2. Add turmeric a little bit at a time and taste as you go. Add as little or much as desired until you reach the flavour balance you like.
3. Pour the mix into popsicle molds and freeze until ready. That’s it!
Want to add some patriotic decor to that Canada Day BBQ or party you’re having this weekend? I’ve got you covered with these printables! Hang inside on a wall or outside above a patio to add that pop of red and white. Just print, cut, add some string, and hang! Oh Canada? Oh yes! 😉
I’ve got a few options to choose from, so you can pick your favourite: red with white lettering, white with red lettering, a combo version, and a bunting template with stick- on letters (use the shape as a template to cut out your own bunting from paper and then glue on the letters or just print the letters and tape onto twine/ string for a smaller garland). There has definitely been a patriotic theme here around OHP this week and I couldn’t resist sharing something to help celebrate day- of! Big or small, I hope your Canada Day celebrations are full of fun! See below for instructions. T- minus 2 days until Canada Day!
Printing tip: make sure to select ‘fit to page’ to ensure the bunting templates print as they appear. You can also scale the size down if you’d prefer smaller bunting pieces (I scaled down to 35% for letter garland).
TRIANGLE ‘HAPPY CANADA DAY’ BUNTING
Here’s a sample of what the different styles look like:
The love for all things Canada continues today on OHP! Canadian- themed decor is pretty trendy right now, but the cabin/ woodsy/ lumberjack themes have been classic style trends for home and style for as long as I can remember. Whether you like to incorporate it into your home or your wardrobe (or both!) there are plenty of options out there to choose from. Have some fun with your style and decor with this selection of 10 items that celebrate Canada (with everything costing $75 or less!).
No matter where in Canada you live, there’s no place like home and I’ve rounded up 10 favourites for home and style as part of my #Canada150 celebrations here on the blog. Being from BC, the woods, ocean, and outdoors play a big part in my life and I couldn’t resist including a few provincial items too. Whether you just like them for the Summer, or use year- round, I hope you like these ideas for adding some ‘Eh’ into your life!
Confession: this post was a lot harder to put together than I thought it would be! There are so many fun pool floaties out there, and it was hard to narrow down choices to include. I’ve rounded up 20 to help make the most of all the hot days spent poolside and at the beach to come from two of my favourite places to shop online: Amazon.ca and Indigo (tip: from May 23- 25 enjoy free shipping when you order online at Indigo). Some of these are more of a splurge than others, but the fun (and photos!) will be worth it. Scroll to the bottom for where to buy info.
There has been a lot about Mother’s Day on the blog this past week or so (don’t miss the Mother’s Day Gift Guide with Ava to Zoe and this Mother’s Day high tea post!). And I’m totally ok with that- any way we can show some love and appreciation to the amazing ladies in this world is ok with me (hi Mum, love you!). Motherhood- parenthood- is one helluva journey and as the saying goes ‘it takes a village’. But what about those single mamas out there doing everything they can for their kids without a partner to help them?
This year The Cake Mama and Ever Red Fresh Designs have teamed up to offer gift ideas that give back. These two ladies have brought their talents together to create Mother’s Day Gift Boxes with a portion of the proceeds being donated to Cause We Care Foundation, a local organization that supports single mothers. Each gift box will contain 6 sugar cookies hand decorated by Izabela (The Cake Mama) and a floral crown or arrangement created by Nicole of Ever Red Fresh Designs. These gift boxes are a lovely idea if you’re looking for something handmade with the added bonus of supporting local businesses and a good cause through your gifting. See below for more info and photos of what you’ll find in these gift boxes!
Details:
Preorders open from April 18- May 6, 2017
Pick up available in Langley or Vancouver on May 13, 2017
Price: $65- $95 CAD
Please note: cookies will appear as in photo; flower crowns and arrangements will include a selection of Spring colours including white, yellow, pink, and purple. Colour requests not available.
Looking for some last- minute Easter decor for this weekend? Buntings are a cute and simple way to add a pop of colour to your home and make for a fun craft project for the kids. All you have to do is print, cut, add some string, and hang (plus a little glue for the letters- easy!)!
I’ve got two different printable buntings below: a solid colour lettered bunting and a bunting template with stick- on letters (use the shape as a template to cut out your own bunting from paper and then glue on the letters or just print the letters and tape onto twine or string for a cute ‘Happy Easter’ garland). I’ve created each in a variety of colours so you can pick one to match your Easter decor or favourite Spring colour- I even created grey versions in case you prefer a more monochromatic option. See below for instructions. Hope everyone has a happy Easter!
Printing tip: make sure to select ‘fit to page’ to ensure the bunting templates print as they appear. You can also scale the size down if you’d prefer smaller bunting pieces (I scaled down to 35% for letter garland).
By now I think it’s well known I love a good DIY, and Easter is no different. I wanted to try doing naturally dyed eggs at home, plus a few other simple ideas for decorating eggs: chalk paint and glitter- covered eggs. I thought a variety would be fun plus Ari loved the chance to help decorate them. The chalk paint and glitter eggs are quick and simple to make, but I’ve provided info on how we did the natural dye eggs since there was a little more involved with them.
I’ve been eyeing up the naturally dyed Easter eggs that I’ve seen others share about and finally thought I’d try making them this year with Ari at home. I’ll admit that it takes a little while to make the natural dyes and you’ll want to put down some paper to avoid spills/ stains, but it’s fun to try and Ari had a blast. For some other fun Easter ideas scroll to the end of this post to see the Easter party I teamed up on with Creative Wife & Joyful Worker (where you’ll find her DIY for making those gold foil eggs) and Discovering Parenthood.
NATURAL DYE EGGS
Making the dye for all 4 colours of eggs starts with the same mixture of ingredients + whatever additive is needed to create the colour.
For the dye base:
4 cups water
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp salt
For pink eggs- 4 cups roughly chopped beets
For yellow eggs- 4 tbsp ground tumeric
For green eggs-6 cups spinach, chopped + 1 tbsp ground tumeric
For blue eggs- 4 cups red cabbage, chopped
Directions:
Combine water, vinegar, and salt in a large pot, followed by the dye ingredient for the colour you want to make.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for half an hour uncovered.
Strain the dye liquid from the solid ingredient (for the tumeric used for the yellow and green dye you can use cheesecloth to help strain). Transfer to a large canning jar or other container to cool. Repeat until you have all of the dyes for the colours you want to make (I added some of the tumeric dye for yellow eggs to the green dye mixture because I didn’t think the green dye from the spinach would turn out. I’m glad I added it because the eggs turned out really green).
Once the liquid has cooled, submerge your eggs and leave over night in the fridge.
Tip: I’d suggest using hard boiled eggs, since they sink and will absorb the dye equally over the whole shell surface. We tried using artificial white eggs plus hard boiled brown and white eggs to see how they would turn out. The artificial eggs didn’t absorb the dye as well and came out more pastel (which is still pretty, just might not be the result you want), plus I found it was easy to wipe the dye off of them after we took them out of the jars, so the coverage wasn’t as nice/ even. I like the artificial eggs more for the other two styles of eggs I made- chalk paint and glitter- covered.
CHALK PAINT EGGS
Materials:
Eggs (we used the artificial eggs left over from the natural dye batch and I liked how they worked for this)
Chalk paint in various colours
Sponge brush
Directions:
Using a sponge brush, paint one half of each egg (either top or bottom) and allow to dry in an egg carton. Flip and repeat.
Apply a second coat if needed (I found the second coat gave nice coverage)
GLITTER EGGS
Materials:
Eggs (we added glitter to some of the chalk paint eggs, but I love the idea of doing this with plain white eggs as well)
Liquid glue or mod podge
Glitter
Sponge brush
Directions:
Using a sponge brush, coat one half of the egg in glue and sprinkle glitter over top and allow to dry in an egg carton. Flip and repeat.
Tap loose glitter to remove. If you want to avoid glitter getting everywhere, add a second coat of glue or mod podge over top to seal the glitter.
Like I said, I love the chance to make a mess and get a little crafty. I guess it’s about that time to start adding some Spring and Easter decor around the house and these eggs are perfect for that (but I’d maybe just stick with the artificial eggs if they’re going to be used for more than a day or two 😉 ). They’re pretty displayed in glass jars and vases or scattered on your table for Easter dinner. See the photos below for some ideas of how to style an Easter table/ party and the links to the other Easter projects included in the Easter collab with Creative Wife and Joyful Worker and Discovering Parenthood.
For other fun Easter ideas see these posts from our Easter collab:
It’s finally SPRING! And that means longer days, warmer weather, aaaaaaand Summer isn’t too far away! Whether you’re planning a beach- y holiday or are just looking for some cute pieces for the warm months ahead, this post is all about the things to help you make the most of sunny days. So grab the SPF and your favourite pair of sunnies, it just gets better from here!
First up: swim suit. Pretty much a staple when it comes to Summer and a necessity when you’re hopping on a plane to sit on a beautiful beach somewhere. This peachy suit is a 2- piece from The Secret Closet, perfect if you aren’t a fan of one- pieces but still like a little extra coverage. And for bikini lovers like me, you’ll also like that the strap is removable and the bottom is reversible (this one has a pretty floral print on the other side) and can be rolled down if you like a lower- lying bikini bottom. Also: anything with a little bit of sparkle makes you feel kind of like a mermaid, and how can you not have fun when you’re channeling your inner Ariel? 😉 You can visit The Secret Closet owner, Nicole, in Maple Ridge to try on the swim suits so you find one that’s the perfect fit and style- the hardest part is narrowing down all the cute choices!
Next up: beach essentials. Think cover up, towel, and bag. For travel, I think anything with a zipper is a good option to keep your personal belongings like wallet and travel documents safe. This striped beauty is my go- to for everyday and has doubled as a carry- all when I go away for a few days. If you’re in charge of plane tickets and passports when it comes to vacations, a passport holder is a great idea to help keep everything together and organized. The one below is made by Pecan Tree Creations, and there are a few options available including holders for up to 6 passports, so if you’re travelling with the whole family you can keep everyone’s passports and documents all together. It has an elastic closure to keep everything secure and you can pick from several pretty prints (how perfect would this be to give as a grad gift with some money tucked inside for someone you know planning a post- grad trip?).
If you like to cover up while you hunt down the perfect beach- side ice cream cone, there are so many cute options and I’ve shared two completely different ones below. The first is this pretty cover up from Jammy and Co that doubles as a dress when you wear a slip underneath. It’s lightweight and perfect if you want a light layer over top your swim suit, or want something that serves double- duty when you travel and saves on packing space. I love that it goes with anything and you can take it from beach to dinner with a quick change out of your swim suit and into a light layer underneath (they also make cute options in kids sizes if you’re looking for something for your little lady- how cute would twinning at the beach be?!).
If you’re like me and love a good towel for the beach, or want a plush one to take on vacation, this wearable poncho towel from LOLL is a great option. Throw it over your other beach layers to stay warm with the ocean breeze, use it dry off, or use it to change in and out of your swim suit underneath. There’s a zip on both sides or pop it on and off over your head. I love how soft and thick it is- plus the hood is a nice added bonus to keep warm. Whether you lie on it to soak up some sun, or throw it over your bathing suit it’s great for the pool and beach (think walking to and from the beach/ pool at a hotel on vacation). If you’ve ever been on a cruise, you know that walking on deck while the ship is moving can make for an extra cool breeze and this would be perfect to stay warm, especially for those late- night dips in the pool. 😉 Also- how perfect would this be to curl up in for a fresh air nap? There are several designs available, including Turkish towel options and thick terry towels like this one. Whether for the beach, to take to a sunny vacation spot, or for Summers spent at home, this is a towel I’m glad to have discovered. Now I just need Summer to hurry up and get here!
OK, last thing I want to mention: I feel like vacations are an excuse to buy a few cute outfits. 😉 Or if you’re staying close to home this Summer, now’s the perfect time to start thinking about your warm weather wardrobe. You can’t beat a classic t- shirt, and the great thing is you can wear them year- round. Hawaii holds a special place in my heart and I love Aloha Kai’s line of apparel inspired by the Islands. This ‘You Had Me At Aloha’ tee goes with everything and is super soft and comfortable. Wear it with jeans until it really warms up or pair with shorts or cute skirt (might have to try this with a pretty tulle number as well 😉 ) … And then there’s this pineapple skirt from Lone Wolf Boutique– I don’t think it gets more fun than this! (I also can’t wait to wear this skirt with my swim suits this Summer). Owner Stephanie and I actually went to high school together and I was so excited to get to include her in this post (she’s also got a watermelon print skirt I’ve got my eye on that’s super cute). This outfit just makes me smile and I think is a great example of some of the fun things you can work into your Summer wardrobe. And seriously- just try not to love that pineapple print. Just try. It’s just plain fun and that to me is what Summer/ vacation and the clothes that come with it are all about.
I hope this post gives you some ideas for the warm weather ahead! BC in the Summer can’t be beat and for those of you lucky enough to be heading on a vacation this year, I hope you enjoy a yummy cocktail on the beach for me. Now it’s just a waiting game until the hot days of Summer get here!
Thank you to all of the brands that provided pieces for this post and to Ally for always being game for my crazy blogging antics (it was snowing earlier in the day that we shot these photos!).