Branching out

Here at Beloved Earth, we like to take a fallen branch, and give it a new life. I personally use a large one as a centerpiece at our dining room table. Strung with christmas lights, and held in a glass vase, trinketsaccording to season can be dangled from each smaller branch, like so:

Currently, our branch is still decorated with a valentines day theme, as that is the last holiday we sort of celebrated. Plus, hearts are pretty! <3

Another use of a branch can be to store things you actually need to use on a regular basis. Jewelry for example:

This is a small portion of the jewelry collection which my mother and I have together accumulated over the years, mostly things that are shiny and pretty, but also heavy and outdated, or perhaps just not practical with any of our current outfits.

'Branching' is an easy way to bring a litle bit of nature into your home. Its simple, people always admire it, and its a way to show off the personality of a person (or a room!) in your house.

PlEaSe NoTe: this can get really fun.. Grab a small can of spray paint from your hardware store, and paint the branch any color you want! Decorate the tips with glitter, or perhaps press a few faded silver or bronze sequins on for a little extra flare. The possibilities are endless, and its a super creative & environmentally concious way to warm up your home.

Bottle Cappin'

Easter is just days away, and we've got a new idea for decorating & displaying your easter eggs this year! Before you run out this weekend to a craft store for dye, consider this instead:

Get the kids (or adults!) to make some stamps out of leftover bottlecaps and scraps of felt.

<---- Like so!

Create the profile of a bunny rabbit, or little egg shaped circles which can later be dotted or striped. Spring flowers, sunbursts, and whatever reminds you of the celebration of warmth can be easily made.

Use a hot glue gun to secure felt or rubber to the tops of bottle caps, and with a gentle hand, press the shapes onto hollowed out eggs, greeting cards, or anything else!

The Exterminator

As spring nears, so do insects. Prepare by prepping for their unwelcomed visits with a few herbs and essential oils.

Ants: Use a damp sponge to wipe cabinets & sprinkle with 6 to 8 drops of  peppermint or citronella essential oil. Additionally place 3 to 5 drops of the same oil on windowsills, doorway cracks and in the corners of cabinets under the kitchen sink. The strong concentrated scent should make them wary of continuing their journey to your cereal shelf.

Centipedes, earwigs, silverfish: They like to hang out in areas that collect moisture such as basements, garages and cabinets that house plumbing fixtures. So place several drops of peppermint, eucalyptus or citronella essential oil in areas surrounding such things. You can also add about a teaspoon to your natural cleaning solution when you're cleaning or wiping down surfaces near the ground.

Cockroaches: These disgusting little creatures DON'T DIE, and the only thing they seem to be good for is entertainment for my cat, who used to chase them through the shampoo bottles of one of our previous homes. (Mmm, lil extra protein for kitty) Regardless, try sprinkling a mixture of washing soda and sugar in dark areas where roaches like to hide, it should help veer them off. But avoid this method if you have children or pets...Cockroaches are gross, if they're really bad just get them out and consult an exterminator.

Mice: They can be cute and fuzzy! But when you're reaching for a coffee mug at 7 am and one scampers by your sight of vision to hide behind a teapot, you're probably not in the mood for cute and fuzzy. Place sprigs of fresh peppermint between pantry items in your cabinets, or make a solution of 2 cups water and 3 teaspoons of peppermint essential oil and spray it wherever you find mouse droppings.

Mites and weevils: Ew. Place a few whole nutmegs in flour containers.

Other insects: Hang a big "Bugs be Banished!" sign at your front door by placing loose bay leaves in kitchen cabinets or wherever else you find evidence of unwanted pests.

"Hmm, it smells good in here!"

While many women and men are out searching for their new signature spring/summer scent of 2012, you can be doing so as well, only for your home.

Sprinkle essential oils onto cotton balls, and stash away in the corners of your home, or car. Keep in mind, peppermint keeps you alert, lavendar calms you down, and warm cinnamon or nutmeg tones are nice for a subtle background in a kitchen or large living area.

Edible Forest

You're walking back to your parked car after window-shopping all day. You cross a street, round a block, and take a shortcut through a park to get to the street on the other side. Only as you pass through, you reach down for a few rasbperries, spy a few fallen walnuts fresh from the trees, and collect a pear for the drive home. Where are you? Seattle, Washington.

The Beacon Food Forest project is already underway, and plans to take up 7 acres of space, just 2.5 miles from downtown Seattle.Their mission is to inspire their community to “gather together, grow our own food and rehabilitate our local ecosystem.”

Additionally, the Forest will provide free, healthy fruits and nuts which may be otherwise unaffordable to families, but are stellar for a healthy diet.

The final date for opening the Edible Forest to the public is unclear, but if this project succeeds, the future of urban cities, and the American diet has the potential to change for the better.