larissaswayze, Author at Of Houses and Trees

How To Make a Simple Paper Orb From Old Book Pages

Learn how to make this simple paper orb from old book pages. You could also use old newspaper, magazines, flyers - or any other paper product!

I’m currently redecorating my living room after deciding to keep out some of the nature-inspired decor items I had used at Christmas. You may recall (depending how closely you pay attention… don’t worry, there won’t be a quiz) that I also incorporated books into my holiday decor since I have oh-so-many of them. In fact, I have so many books that one of them dropped off a shelf the other day and smoked me in the face. Ouch.

After I had set my birch logs and twigs out, I realized I needed something else to help fill up the space and add a touch of paper to all that wood. Enter this DIY paper orb made from old book pages. There are a lot of DIY paper craft projects out there – and a lot of paper orbs in varying degrees of complexity. I wanted to do something super simple, which in truth is so unlike me. But it’s spring and spring is a time for new beginnings.

Can You Afford an Eco-Friendly Home? Yes!

Now more than ever – it’s easy to be green. Companies are putting out more eco-friendly products. Businesses are turning to eco-friendly practices. Governments are bringing about change through incentive programs and new laws. However, for an individual or a family it can still feel pretty overwhelming. This becomes even more true when coupled with an already overwhelming situation like building a new home. So it’s understandable the first question someone asks when considering a green build is – can I afford it?

The answer is – yes!

Easy Vegan Gravy Recipe Made with Only 5 Ingredients!

Light brown gravy in a silver gravy boat.

I write about a lot of different things on this blog. Design and decor, sustainable living, green products, healthy eating. I would say I possess a sufficient amount of knowledge in all of these areas. But there is one area I can confidently claim to be an expert on. And that area is gravy.

Perhaps being both a gravy expert and a vegan is an anomaly. But remember, most vegans did not start out that way and thus I consumed more than my fair share of gravy in my pre-vegan days. In fact, I’m quite famously known in my husband’s family for the time I drank A&W gravy through a straw on a road trip. Is it my proudest moment? No. But it’s up there.

How to Stage Your Home for Sale the Eco-Friendly Way

Tips for staging your home for sale - with an eco-friendly slant. Readying your home for sale can be stressful. This handy list will simplify the process!

With the build of Our House in the Trees just around the corner (yikes!), we’ve begun readying our current home for sale (yikes again!). Getting your home ready to sell can feel very overwhelming, but there’s one thing I find that always helps in a situation like this – and that thing is a list.

So I’ve put together some tips on how to stage your home for sale. Even if you feel you have a pretty neat and tidy home (like I used to… before I had kids) there are still a few things you can do to make it more enticing to buyers.

And, since a post on this blog wouldn’t be complete without an eco-friendly slant, each of these tips for staging your home is accompanied with a Green Tip.

Hope these home staging tips and tricks help you out!

Eco-Friendly Dance Supplies

A dancer wearing grey clothing on a stage with a black background.

I consider myself a pretty passionate person. And if you’ve been reading Of Houses and Trees for any length of time, you’d probably agree that when it comes to sustainability and preserving our beautiful planet – I’m all in.

But I’m passionate about more than making the world a greener place. Literature and the art of writing. Listening to and composing music. Creating interior spaces that tell a story. And – for as long as I can remember – dance.

I consider myself very fortunate to be able to work not only as a freelance writer, but also as a dance teacher, and that in the past (and hopefully again in the near future) I’ve had the opportunity to perform as a professional dance artist.

As you can imagine, I get pretty damn excited when I get to combine the things I’m passionate about – such as writing, dancing AND sustainability. It creates a lovechild of sorts. This blog post is one such lovechild.

5 Simple and Unusual Uses for Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil essential oil has long been used to treat acne, cure infections and soothe bug bites. But did you know it can also be used to clean glasses?

If you aren’t already into essential oils, then I highly recommend giving them a try. Essential oils are all natural and thus so much more earth (and health!) friendly than other scented products. They can replace air deodorizers, cleaning supplies, medicinal supplies and more.

I think everyone who uses essential oils has a favourite – and mine is tea tree oil (melaleuca alternifolia). Tea tree oil essential oil has such a clean, fresh smell reminiscent of tree bark and dirt and rain. Maybe others would describe it differently, but it smells like nature to me. And when I wash my face with my tea tree oil soap and breathe in the scent of the earthy suds… oh man. Heaven. In my nostrils.

There are a ton of online resources listing things you can do with tea tree oil. Make cleaning supplies, treat acne, cure infections, soothe bug bites… But instead of reiterating those, I wanted to share a few more unusual tea tree essential oil uses. Most of these uses I just stumbled upon and did no research before trying. But they worked wonders for me! Maybe they will for you too?

How to Make Asian Coleslaw in Under 60 Seconds

This easy asian coleslaw can be assembled in less than 60 seconds with cabbage slaw, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds and almonds.

This is one of my favourite fast salad recipes and it really does take less than 60 seconds to make (well, after you assemble the ingredients that is). I even filmed a video to prove it! In honour of this recipe’s no-fuss attitude (can coleslaw have an attitude?), I will jump right in… after I quickly tell you why coleslaw is so good for you.

Of course, regular mayo-laden coleslaw is definitely not good for you (to make it healthier – and vegan – sub in Vegenaise!). But the main ingredient of any coleslaw – the slaw itself – is packed full of nutritiousness in the form of raw, shredded cabbage.

Eco-Friendly Craft Supplies for Kids

Craft supplies for kids are usually non-toxic, but that doesn't mean they're earth-friendly. Here are few non-toxic AND eco-friendly craft supplies.

Ever since my eldest daughter could hold a crayon (without eating it), she’s been a crafter. Colouring, stickering, cutting, glueing – she does it all and loves it all. So, of course I’m always on the hunt for the most eco-friendly craft supplies I can find. You’d think it would be easy – after all, most kid’s craft supplies are non-toxic. But just because something is non-toxic to humans doesn’t mean it’s environmentally friendly. I’ve rounded up a few of the greenest craft supplies I could find. All of these products are made from natural materials or recycled content or both!

Let the crafting begin!

How to Print a Pinterest Board – ON A MAC AND A PC!

A laptop with a Pinterest board on the screen and a piece of paper with the same images from the board printed on it.

Design boards just seem to scratch several of my itches all at once. My love for beautiful spaces, furniture, patterns and colours. My love for seeking out inspiration. My love for creating order in a world full of chaos.

Aside from helping to suppress said chaos with pictures of (eco-friendly!) console tables and fabric swatches, design boards also come in super handy when planning out the design and decor of a room. I mostly use photo editing software to create them, but not everyone has access to such a program nor the know-how and time to work with one. Enter Pinterest – everyone’s favourite online inspo gathering tool.

5 Harmful Products to Stop Buying Right Now

These five unsustainable products are harmful to both humans and the environment and aren't even necessary when there are so many awesome alternatives.

We can all do with a little less stuff, am I right? So, this year, one of my resolutions is to stop buying unsustainable products. These five common items are harmful to both humans and the environment and aren’t even necessary when awesome alternatives are readily available. These days, there are so many environmentally sustainable products and methods out there, ranging from those used by our grandparents (cleaning with vinegar!) to those we can thank new advancements in technology for (period panties… for real!).

Here are five harmful, unsustainable products I’m not going to buy this year. Join me in the boycott!