6 Ways You Can Make A Difference For Those With Food Insecurity, My $1 Paper Snowflake DIY, A Yummy Cranberry Chutney, And More!
Lifestyle 101
6 Ways You Can Make A Difference For Families Who Struggle Throughout The Holidays and Beyond.
During the holiday’s families in need are highlighted but let’s remember them even after the holidays. Did you know it’s a myth that food insecurity only affects people out of work? Many families just don’t have enough after rent, utilities, after-school costs, and the unforeseen events that come up in daily life. Even though many are employed some don’t qualify for food assistance and their dinner tables are empty each night. Households with children are most likely to be food insecure, even before the pandemic. What a beautiful world this would be if we just did one kind thing for those who struggle.
Donate Financially To Organizations Fighting Food Insecurity.
Donating to these groups helps them source the items they need to help families with specific items. It also allows them to keep doing good because it supports other necessary items that food banks rely on to keep on going like, transportation, storage, and hiring the manpower to continue helping those families.
Contribute Locally
The easiest way to help is to call your local food bank and ask them what their needs are. It may be food but it also might be practical items that help keep them going. Volunteer to help out in whatever capacity you can. You can use Feeding America’s food bank locator to connect with one in your area here.
Turn Your Special Occasion Into A Fundraiser.
Throwing a bash? Ask guests to donate to a favorite charity that supports families in need. Or even better, ask guests to bring a non-perishable item that you can deliver to an organization or food shelter.
Pay It Forward
If you’re in a position to support others in a big way offer to pay for all or a portion of a fellow shopper’s groceries at the checkout. Better yet, purchase a handful of $10-$20 gift cards and hand them out when you see someone in need.
Offer To Pay For Children’s Lunches At Your Local School
Some schools already have policies in place to provide hot lunches to all children in need of one. Call your local school and see how you can help.
Get Your Kids Involved
No Kid Hungry offers a huge list of step by step actions you can take with your kids to help fight food insecurity near you. You can find out more at their website here.
Shopping 101
Thrive
After talking about food insecurity my beauty product selection seems so frivolous. 😓
Nevertheless, I have been a mascara addict from Thrive for a while now. I love their liquid lash extension mascara and the semi-permanent brow gel but I recently added this brilliant eye brightener to my order and love its easy glide-on application and it comes in tons of great colorways. I ordered the Muna. :)
Get yours here.
Food 101
Cranberry Chutney
I love cooking, experimenting, and trying new flavors but this recipe has been in my family for many years now and from what I can tell those kinds of recipes stick around for one reason, they are delicious! This chutney is so quick and easy and should be a staple for all your holiday meals, but don’t limit it to just that, it would still be fabulous with chicken on a weeknight. It pairs well with poultry, brie and I love to make a turkey, cream cheese, and chutney sandwich on my panini grill post-holiday! Dave gives this one 5 ⭐️’s.
Cranberry Chutney
Ingredients
Instructions
DIY 101
Easy $1 Paper Snowflakes DIY
If you are in need of some gorgeous and easy holiday decor I have you covered! These simple inexpensive paper snowflakes add some whimsy and some quick holiday decor. High impact, low effort, and reusable, you really can’t beat it! I sent my man out looking for a specific length natural branch (he loves this kind of scavenger hunt) and I suspended it over my dining room window. Then i draped copper fairy lights over the branch and using 3M hooks I hung snowflakes on the wall in groupings. I continued the theme over my mantel too. She is a show stopper and would be pretty on a railing, mantel, or any way you’d like to get creative!
These are so pretty lit up at night!
What You’ll Need:
7 Paper Bags, any size. (I used white and kraft)
Sharp Scissors
Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks
To Display Them, You’ll Need:
Command Hooks
Thin gauge wire or string
Note: 7 bags makes 1 snowflake
Step 1:
Gather 7 bags, organize them facing the same direction. Place 1 bag on the left with the bottom side face up. Place the remaining 6 bags face down on the right.
Gluing
Heat up your glue gun and starting on the bag on the left make a “T” with the hot glue making sure the bar of your “T” is at the base of your bag. Flip a bag immediately over on the glue so the next bag is face up like the one on the left. Press down and repeat with the remaining bags.
Gluing
Now you have a stack of 7 bags all glued.
Snip, Snip!
Make sure you have sharp scissors! Cut a triangle about halfway down from the top, then add another one on each side. Make sure to not get too close to the bottom of the sack.
Ta Da!
Now for the fun part! Create your last “T” with the glue gun on one side of the star. Slide your hands into each end of the open snowflake and bring the ends together! Viola, you have a perfect star snowflake. Alternatively, you can use paperclips to secure the last glue application and then they will fold flat for storage and you can use them year after year!
You can use any color or size bag, have fun cutting different patterns and hearts to create all kinds of different snowflakes.
Now, it’s time to hang them up!
Going The Extra Mile
If you have some leftover citrus and beads you can easily make some ornaments too!
Styling 101
Easy Snow Globe Vignettes
I love creating a multitude of what I like to call snow globe vignettes around my home during the holidays. They are easy, don’t require a lot and they are especially beautiful at night with all the little twinkling lights. The faux snow I purchased at Pottery Barn years ago. I use it again and again storing it in a large container for the next year. It’s also beautiful on trays with the copper lights and holiday decor!
Here’s What You Need:
A handful of small antique ornaments. (I got mine at Pottery Barn years ago)
Start with a clean glass container. I use apothecary jars, bowls, and vases. Fill the bottom with faux snow like this. Then layer in your copper string lights and make sure the battery pack is facing the wall or tuck it inside but make it easy to turn it on. Next, layer in the larger bulbs and finally sprinkle in the smaller ornaments.
Trust me, these give you all the holiday feels, especially at night!
Organized 101
5 Things That Make Your Kitchen Counters Look Cluttered
Rarely used kitchen appliances: Stash those away. If you don’t use it every day it needs to be re-located.
Food: Cannisters are fine but limit them to just a few, otherwise relocate your food items to a drawer or pantry space for a lighter-looking kitchen.
Knife Block or Bread Box: These can take up a lot of space on your counter. If you have a small space consider a magnetic wall strip to store your knives or a bamboo knife system for your drawer, and add a bin to a drawer for bread.
Cleaning Supplies: There is no good reason to have cleaning supplies on your counters unless it’s pretty dish soap, otherwise it all should be organized under your sink, ASAP.
Random Junk: Create a catchall system with a bin or basket so you can sort and put away items before they become a full-blown junk pile or drawer.
Thank you for stopping by, have a great weekend! xoxo
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