HOME & DECOR – Plum Joyful

Last minute easy Halloween costume and decor ideas

PlumJoyful — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 06:19:11 +0000

If you are anything like me than you know what it’s like to be going about your day only to realize that Halloween is four days away and you haven’t figured out your kids costume, let alone your own. And while I did have the foresight to get pumpkins two weeks ago, they sit on our kitchen table uncarved and threatening to go soft like a preteen girl at a One Direction concert. So like the true procrastinator that I am, I have only today begun to kick into real holiday gear and cheer so I can finish out Halloween strong. What I need are easy and affordable ideas that can help me make some spooky magic so the Little Plum can enjoy what I hope will become one of her favorite holidays. I know it was mine growing up. Here is a little accessible inspo for all my fellow procrastinating peeps. For the kids Most parents have some grocery bags and construction or tissue paper hanging around. Check out this awesome ands easy DIY hula girl costume from The Gold Jellybean. I love how simple and fun this costume is, and totally recyclable! Woot woot!!! I love this Shark […]

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Playroom inspiration that is both non-toxic and stylish

PlumJoyful — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 06:19:23 +0000

The little Plum is growing so fast, and her little nursery can no longer contain her and her wild toddler ways. She needs more space to play and let loose. It’s time for a proper playroom that is dedicated to her and her alone where she can let her little freak flag fly. The problem is that our space is limited, and the only area of our home that would work is our dining room. We barely used our dining room anyway, so as sad as I am to see it go, it’s clearly a better use of the space. The only issue is that our dining room is one of the first things you see when you walk into our home. So the challenge has become creating a playroom that is functional, fun and whimsical for our daughter, while still maintaining some semblance of style that is in keeping with the rest of the house. All that and it has to be non-toxic and healthy. It’s been a tougher challenge than I expected it to be. I am in the process of creating the room and thought I would share the things on my inspiration board. When it’s done I will […]

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De-cluttering for Spring: Detox for the home

PlumJoyful — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 08:01:51 +0000

Now that we have been giving our bodies some much needed TLC by gently cleansing with green smoothies, it’s time to start to turn our attention to our home. Spring is a time of awakening and new beginnings. A time to shed all the old dusty baggage from the long winter that has weighed us down. The sun is shining, the air is warm and sweet, and you can’t help but feel hopeful. But just as the energy of your body can get stagnant and sluggish, so can the energy of your home. I know for me winter tends to make me lazy. I’m more prone to want to stay indoors and veg out and unfortunately you can see this reflected in my home. Add to that a new baby and it’s a recipe for accumulating clutter. What was once a beautifully curated and minimal entryway is now a catchall for mail, bags, keys and shoes (we are a shoe free house, so our entryway is literally littered with shoes at the moment). Don’t EVEN get me started on the kitchen. Apparently we get more snail mail then any human on earth because not only is it in the entryway, […]

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Non toxic Nursery: Part Three

PlumJoyful — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 08:00:40 +0000

If you haven’t read PART ONE and PART TWO, on the non toxic nursery, you might want to start there. Now that we have a beautiful, clean and healthy nursery set up, let’s look at all of the accessories that go into this space. Creating a space like this is pointless if your going to be cleaning with traditional toxic products, or filling the space with plastic toys from China that contain BPA and phthalates. Here is a list of additional things to consider in order to keep your baby’s space fresh and clean, while also being kinder to this awesome planet. 1.The first thing I would recommend doing, especially if you have carpeting or are allergy prone, would be to invest in a really good air filter. The one I recommended in PART ONE is considered the very best, and will keep your baby’s room free of allergens as well as VOC’s like formaldehyde. However, the IQ Air is very expensive and rather large, so another more affordable option would be the AUSTIN AIR. I love this one because it’s effective and it’s a nice small compact size for smaller nurseries like ours. This would actually be my first […]

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Shoes: why you should check them at the door

PlumJoyful — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 08:00:29 +0000

There are many ways to reduce toxins in the home, and one of the easiest and most comfortable ways is to leave your shoes at the door. Other cultures practice this habit regularly as a way to respect the home and treat it as a sanctuary. I personally love to be barefoot. Some might find it a bit to hippy dippy, but here are three very compelling reasons to adopt this habit. 1. Bacteria and Virus on the bottom of shoes Studies have shown that we track in any number of harmful substances on our shoes including viruses and bacteria such as C Difficile and E Coli (YUCK!). 2. Shoes track in Pesticides Equally as worrisome, are pesticides that we track in on the soles of our shoes. HERE is a study that shows levels of a certain pesticide called 2,4D, tracked into a home on shoes, exceeds that of residue on non-organic produce, ultimately negating all that healthy organic produce your buying for your family. Many other herbicides and pesticides were found inside the home. Children are far more susceptible to the effect of these pesticides because they spend so much time close to the ground. These chemicals have […]

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Non toxic Nursery: Part Two

PlumJoyful — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 08:00:13 +0000

If you haven’t read PART ONE, you might want to start there. Now for the non toxic good stuff. Furniture. I love interior design. My mother is an interior designer, and it is in my very DNA to be affected by the aesthetics of a room. A nursery should be a place of peace, whimsy, joy, fun and love. I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to create the room I wanted while keeping everything clean and green. I am happy to say that it is totally possible to have a nursery that is vibrant beautiful AND completely clean and safe. Let’s start with the crib and mattress. To me the crib and mattress are two of the most important purchases you will make because your baby will be spending around 12 hours a day with their little faces pressed up against it breathing anything and everything that the mattress and crib are made of. Here is the place where you want to make the necessary investment to get the safest and most non toxic materials possible. First up, the mattress. Most if not all conventional mattresses are treated with flame retardants. Flame Retardants are very dangerous chemicals […]

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Creating a non-toxic nursery Part One

PlumJoyful — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 00:00:31 +0000

When I got pregnant I set about learning all the ways I could create a non-toxic environment in order to best protect my little one from the allergies and autoimmune issues that I have struggled with most of my life. This led me down a veritable rabbit hole of toxins, pollutants and potential dangers lurking in the most innocent of places, our babies nursery! A study done by the Environmental Working Group found an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in the umbilical cord blood of newborn babies. These included pesticides, and brominated flame retardants. More specifically, according to the study, of the 287 chemicals found, 180 are known to cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests. I felt like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz but instead of “Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My!” I was chanting “Flame retardants, Phthalates, and BPA Oh shit!”. The good news is that in the end it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I was worried it would be an impossible task and that I would have to […]

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