from DipsandPrints

It's the first day of April, and I am ready to start planting! Growing plants has all sorts of benefits, for our mental health- taking care of plants can help us manage our emotions and even prevent depression! Plants can also help our breathing and filter the air. Even if you live in a small space without a ton of room, you can really benefit from having plants in it.

If you want to do some growing, but you don't have a ton of space to spare, Etsy sellers have come up with some ingenious ways to work plants into your decor. These are so pretty, and I can't wait to share them with you!

Looking Sharp Cactus 

This store makes all sorts of beautiful planters, but the one I love most is this door number planter. It looks so perfect for a small space, and even if you don't have a yard, you have a little spot to plant.

ThePottedEarthCo

Oh my lordy, I love these planters. If you life in a small space and want to maintain a minimalist feel, I don't think you could do better than these. They just look super sophisticated but warm, and they could fit in with a lot of people's styles. If you like the look, but are on the East Coast and want to ship a little less far, I think these planters from waldmade.

RopedonCedar

Have a little bit of room outside, but not much? I love these vertical planters from Roped on Cedar that make the most of whatever sunshine is shining on your outdoor spaces. I just think this store is the coolest.

RevisionsDesigns

If you don't even have the floor space, you can green your space with a beautiful hanging planter. There are so many out there, but these ceramic ones from Revisions Designs are my absolute favorite. They look delicate and simple, but not like they are moments from falling apart either. Happy homes for your plants.

AmshaStudio

I have never tried baskets like these before, but they look so pretty and unique. It's a really different style, and I wish I knew a little more about the store, but it's definitely worth it to check them out.




If you don't see one here that you love, don't despair. First of all, every craft fair you visit will have cool planters there. Secondly, etsy is an internet craft fair, so there is an almost endless supply of planters. Try putting your state in the location box and see which planters are actually made near you. Want more to browse? Check out MidCenturyWoodShop, MillCreekMarket, thelostgypsyCo, andrewsreclaimed, and Theplantcycler.

VerdeVeil (San Francisco)

I know we have started working on our yard and will start planting in the next few weeks! We had our first garden last year, and I think we were honestly surprised how much we enjoyed taking care of the plants and growing a little bit of our own food. If you are thinking about growing things but are figuring out where and how to do it, these planting spaces from amazing Etsy sellers might help.

HamersCrafts (Louisiana) makes stacked strawberry planters like this one. It might be perfect if you have a very small space to grow in, but you want to grow some herbs or strawberries. Plus, it is really pretty.





Almost Hippies (Arizona) makes beds with trellises on one side. I think this is genius, as we are debating where to add trellises this year (this stuff gets tall! We were surprised).

Want even more eco-friendly and local shopping inspiration? Check out my Giant List of Ethical and Eco-Friendly Shopping Lists. 

It seems to me that Memorial Day has become an occasion to have a picnic and put up a meme about remembrance. I am not knocking those things, as I think they actually do have a place in doing good for everyone, but I am trying to brainstorm some ideas that might be relatively low impact but still honors the fallen in a more substantive way. We want to do more with our kid so he knows how important this day is.

How does your family remember on Memorial Day? What ideas should I add to the list?

1. Donate to an Organization that Helps Veterans or their Families

There are so many ways to give aid to active soldiers, veterans, those wounded (I wish more specifically to PTSD, but I bet that is coming), and their families. We will never be able to truly repay the debt that American soldiers have paid for our country, but we can still do a lot for their families and those serving now. I know our family could do more. Choose a charity to donate to from this big list or find another one that speaks to you (you can find all types).

One of my favorites is Ruckabye Baby which gives baby carriers to soldiers so they can have that bonding time with their children. So sweet.

Pick something every year. If you are having a picnic today, why not ask your guests to throw in a few bucks (or pick items for a care package) and you could donate as a group! This is an opportunity to put your money where your mouth (or meme) is.

2. Clean Up Your Neighborhood

This one may sound frivolous and silly in the light of their incredible sacrifice, but if these men and women gave their lives for our country, shouldn't we each do our part to make it as great a country as we can? If we all were more active participants in making this country great, I think that honors their sacrifice in the best way we can. A simple walk around your neighborhood until you fill a garbage bag with trash gives you the opportunity to enjoy the weather and take care of where you live.

You know what your community needs- today is a perfect day to get started or get involved!

3. Start a Memorial Garden

Plant a tree or small garden in your own yard in honor of the fallen. A memorial doesn't just have to be a big monument in Washington DC. We can all participate (and a little garden keeps the air that much cleaner).

4.  Go to a Parade or Community Event

In my hometown, there is a parade and a service on Memorial Day. We always went, because my Dad's city band marches in the parade. I have no idea what happens here in Seattle, and that is 100% on me. These kinds of events connect you to your community and the simple fact that soldiers from right where you live died for your freedom. Being connected to our communities is the first step to being a more active contributor, so get out there and mourn with others before you hit the picnics.

5. Don't Buy Anything

Memorial Day has become a day for sales, because companies figure if you aren't working than you must be shopping. Right? There are no other possible things a person could be doing than trying to get a cheap appliance or a bunch of (Made somewhere else) clothes on sale. Don't send the message it is ok to co-opt a sacred American holiday to schlep your wares by giving them your money. Just don't shop. Pretty easy, right?


This is what I have got. Any more ideas?

 I absolutely love our bub's nursery. I know some people feel they spent too much time, energy, or money on their nursery once the baby arrives, but I love that we had this large and fun project to take on before he got here (and let's be honest, for quite a bit afterward).

We picked a theme that sounded like it would be very loud or overstated, but it actually turned out pretty subtle.  I really loved the idea of a travel theme, and I showed some more antique looking nurseries to my husband (because I wanted something where our decor could mostly be re-use, not brand new), and it reminded him of steampunk designs. I love that it combines travel with something more fantastic and otherworldly, and it was a really fun theme to play with.

Our theme needed a few key touchpoints- Maps and globes, mechanical gears, Victorian elements, patchwork, and flying machines.  We chose a relatively simple color scheme- muted teal and gold, then all metallic colors- greys and bronzes.

Once we picked the basic ideas, we spent months looking in antique stores and flea markets, as well as regular baby stores, for details we liked, then transformed furniture we mostly already owned into the key pieces in the room . We looked everywhere for a globe we liked, bought grown up looking frames we can reuse, and turned our diaper cake into our favorite art.

Our regular style is a little bit retro and colorful. We want things to feel comfortable, and everything is a balance between my more bohemian, busy style and The Boy's clean, minimalist taste. This room is the only one we have ever done from start to finish at the same time, so it made it especially fun.

These are some of our favorite parts.

We received a few Authentic Models hot air balloons from our baby registry, and they hang like a chandelier in the center of the room from the skylight. These models are super pretty and basically tie everything together. They are just hung with fishing line from hooks.

The room has pretty low walls, so we knew we would have to bring the decor in other ways as well. We moved our old futon into the nursery and covered some spare pillows with map covers off of Etsy. We picked a mix of blues and neutrals to bring all the colors in. Also on the futon, we have a fox from his Uncle Thomas and Aunt Bry, the teddy bear we made two days before the Bub was born, and one of his Uncle's old tiggers. The rocking goldendoodle was a gift from the Bubba's Uncle Carlo, and it is basically the prettiest thing in the whole house. It fits in with the colors perfectly.


I moved all of my clothes into the Boy's wardrobe, and we took my old dresser and turned it into the Baby's changing table. We sprayed the black dresser a bronze color, and The Boy replaced the knobs with nozzles, to play into the steampunk mechanical feel. I think it turned out great, and when the theme changes, we will just change its look again.



We did buy two pieces of furniture- the bookshelves (bought first for their height since the room's proportion was weird) and a crib from Pottery Barn (in retrospect, I would have chosen something Made in America). We picked it for its low profile, because we are short and the room is short, and the wood matched the futon. I am not sure I would pick it again, but it works fine. On the other hand, the shelves have really grown on me, and I love that the bottom shelf is a toychest. The Bub already uses it.

We also bought vinyl copper-colored gear vinyls to use here and there in the room to highlight the theme and add a little interest. The walls in our house are so textured that this is the only one that lasted, but I think they could have added a lot in a different circumstance.


My absolute favorite part of the room is the mobile, lovingly made by The Bub's dad for him. He wanted a mobile of flying machines, but he couldn't find it, so we bought felt in the room's colors and he worked on them until they were perfect. It is so gorgeous from the little metal details to the big gear they hang on to the clouds covered in buttons. He probably made it over months while I made all the Christmas ornaments. If we can do it, you can do it. Learn a blanket stitch, make some testers, and take your time.


I love the goggles we bought in an antique store and the bears- one is from my Mom and the other was made by his Aunt Shelly. The Tinker Toys are a gift from his grandma from her trip antiquing.

Our advice for making your nursery:

- Get a big head start on things. Pick a theme you are excited about early. We had picked the theme way before we knew the gender, and I think we would have only changed a few things if the bub was a girl. It gives you time to play, find things in consignment or on Buy Nothing, and to get a look out for deals. In the best case scenario, your shower might have the same theme, and that can help a lot with decorating.

- Don't pick a theme that is too constricting- You don't want what you choose to be so set that you can't play off it in fun ways or have something in the room that doesn't match without it being bizarre. Don't pick a color scheme that is all black and white- you will get colorful toys and blankets! Don't go super modernist/minimalist unless you have a good plan for clutter. It will be a room that works harder than most the others, so it can't live as a showroom.

-It's for you, but that is ok. Before you know your spawn, your life is about them, but in this sort of theoretical way where you can't do anything about it. Planning a room can be a fun way to speculate about who they will be or what you want your family to be. When they show up, they will mess with everything they can reach, and their favorite thing will be a fan or curtain or something totally banal.

-Make stuff and use stuff you already have. Having a nursery with a theme doesn't have to be expensive. Think about how to put things you already own to use in a new way. Also, think about how the things you buy could have life in your house beyond the nursery. A bunch of clown themed stuff won't translate into other spaces, but if you like modern and bright, maybe a bunch of clean white frames, or a biomorphic set of wall hangers, or a pillow case will. It doesn't all have to work that way, but it's nice if some of it does.

-Think about storage- the first year of baby's life is a constant transition from size to size and holder to holder. Nothing seems to last that long, so you need a place for objects to wait in the wings.

-Take on projects, but not too many- Projects can be fun and keep things interesting, but you don't want to be so ambitious you can't finish it all. We still have a cool steamer chest sitting in our basement waiting to be finished. The Bub has never complained, but it's sad to have spent the money (cheap, because it was a mess) and the time (way more of that) and never use it. Plus, it taunts The Boy.

-Think about Future Babies- Again, this is just about choosing what hits the theme, and what stays neutral. It's tempting to get bedding that is exactly on point, but something more neutral that can graduate to more babies might make more sense if that is your plan.

-Have Fun! This is true for all adult stuff you are "supposed" to do (except paying your bills and taxes and the REALLY not fun things). If it isn't interesting to you, just don't do it. Your baby will not care. Whatever seems fun, do. Otherwise, don't.

Want more of my ideas about how to make baby's life awesome? Check out my Baby Registry lists, which feature all eco-friendly and made in America stuff, that just happens to also be awesome.