Welcome to month two of Our Favorite Things, 7 Delightful Finds In February! I started this series last month and it was a huge hit with my readers. Since these are so fun to do you can bet I’m going to keep these posts going as long as everyone is enjoying them!
Our Favorite Things, 7 Delightful Finds In February
Favorite Discovery
This month one of our favorite things was discovering a beautiful garden nursery 1.5 hours away from us. I did not expect they would have much since it’s still winter and since we live in the Northwest, but I was wrong!
As we walked inside and turned the corner we were so surprised to be greeted by the most beautiful and big nursery we had ever seen!
The kids loved every moment there, it felt like a magical micro tropical vacation to us after being cooped up all winter!
I limited my self to only around 6 new plants, which is not bad considering I would have bought at least 20 if I could have! I was careful to select only plants I knew would do well in our home, and that I could keep alive too!
I’m so excited to make a YouTube video for you and introduce you all to all of our new plants!
For now meet these new additions, including a Ficus Repens, Peace Lily, Ivy, and the wild looking one with the green, pink and red is a Stromanthe Triostar.
Favorite Fun Item, Self Watering Planters
Okay. It’s official. I am a crazy plant lady. This month after visiting the nursery I crossed over to 60 plus plants!
Granted, over 40 are babies from the first dozen I bought over a year ago, but still, 60 plants!
I’m pretty pleased with myself because I’ve only killed a couple. I almost killed a third last year but I was able to bring it back.
As you can imagine it’s a bit of a chore on watering day. I actually do enjoy the process though, it’s like therapy to me.
I’ve noticed some articles roaming around about how plants are good for calming anxiety and I would have agree! They’ve definitely been good for me in this area. Of course the kids love them too, and I think all the plants really help keep things cheery through the long, dark northern winters.
I did spring for a few of nifty self watering pots to help me keep up with watering though. The design for these is quite brilliant, be sure to click my Amazon link below to see how they work, it’s super interesting.
It’s been about three weeks and the plants I put in them are very happy! They work especially well for plants you are in the process of propagating since many plants in the propagation process need to stay in moist soil until the roots really take hold.
I especially like that these get the plants off my surfaces and puts them on the wall. Of course they are so pretty too!
Favorite Drink
I love coffee in the morning, and herbal tea all afternoon. I don’t like little cups of tea either. I like big honkin huge cups of tea. That means I need to buy tea in bulk.
Lately I’ve had a thing for Hibiscus Heaven Tea by Starwest Botanicals with red raspberry leaves added.
Favorite Book
I got some books from the local library to help me learn to keep all my plants alive. This book, below, is one of them. I haven’t bought it yet, but I am thinking about it. It’s a beautiful book with an easy layout, and is packed with so much helpful information. I’ve learned a lot from it.
(aff. link)
I’m also eyeing this one too though. I have been enjoying it from the Look Inside feature on Amazon. I’m waiting till next month (budgeting) but I’ll be choosing between these both March 1st! If you have either of them let me know your thoughts!
Favorite Essential Oil
This month it’s a single oil. I’ve been loving Frankincense and have been using it for some issues I’ve been having. I noticed a difference the day after I started using it. Did you know that Frankincense is one of the resins brought to Jesus by the three wise men when He was born? It’s also an extremely difficult oil to harvest.
According to my research, frankincense comes from places like Oman, and must be harvested by locals who know what they are doing, and know the land.
First the locals must trek across rocky regions where venomous snakes are common to where the frankincense trees are growing. Then they have to cut the trees and wait for the sap to seep out.
A week later they return to harvest the resin. Once the resin is collected it is brought back and can be distilled for the oil.
This explains why true, pure frankincense is so expensive!
If you are interested in knowing more about essential oils contact me, I have my masters in herbology and have used/studied oils since around 1996 and would love to help you start using them!
Favorite Bargain
I was at our local dollar store and was surprised to find bamboo toothbrushes with charcoal infused bristles! I had just read a few days before about how unsustainable plastic toothbrushes are, and how they are a huge contributor to plastic waste considering how many most people go through in a years time. The report I read suggested using bamboo toothbrushes instead.
I was tickled to find these for just a dollar a piece! So if you have a dollar store near you you might head in and see if yours has any. FYI, they also have charcoal toothpaste for a dollar as well and it really does whiten teeth!!
If you cannot find these at your local dollar store I did find some footwork and I found some that are fairly close in price on Amazon. I linked to them for you below.
Favorite Homeschool Product
Our favorite homeschool product would definitely have to be Math U See’s newly released Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) program!
We’ve been using it for almost two weeks now, and it’s definitely working! I’ll be publishing a post on it on Thursday so look out for that.
AIM is a program to help kids learn and retain math facts. Not only are we finding it works, but it works quickly!!
That’s all for this month! Stay tuned because I’ve already got some great idea’s for you for next month!
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LOVE your list of favorites!! I especially love the essential oil one.
I totally need the self watering planters! I only have a few houseplants, but my record with them is not great…BTW, I love your succulent and citrus pictures hanging on the wall. Super cute!
I am so in love with your decor! SO absolutely amazing!! Love it.
What a great list of favorites! Loved your favorite plants! Makes me want to go and grab some myself!
I love all the greenery throughout your home! And that tea sounds amazing!
Seeing these gorgeous photos really inspires me to add some to my home! My home doesn’t have a lot of them but I just love the mood they create.
I love all the pictures of these plants! I need to get a better green thumb!
Fun! The tea sounds lovely, and i LOVE those toothbrushes! Nice!
i love the list, the photos, and this idea too!!! and agree with others about your plants.. (my thumbs are definitely nowhere near green!!)
I love all your plants. I had ivy until my daughter pulled it off the shelf and almost had it land on her head. I probably could get house plants again now that they are older.
I enjoyed watching the pictures with your house plants, it is amazing the quantity you have and how well all those look. I have only 4 and sometimes not enough time to water those.
You just brought back memories of having house plants. My mom always had hanging ones and huge palm like things in her house. I lived with my dad most of my childhood but the plants were one of the positive memories I have from my mentally ill mom. Love how you decorate with them! They are so good for you! We live in the desert so I haven’t even tried. Between how dry it is and the dust, it just seems like a lot of work. lol!
Beautiful photos on your home! I love drinking my coffee and tea in big mugs too! 🙂
Your plants are beautiful and thriving!I can not keep plants alive. I need a cactus or something that is extremely hard to kill. lol, cause I just don’t have a green thumb, no matter what I try.
Your plants are so dreamy! I need that book How Not To Kill Plants. That is my problem. I either over water or underwater.
I absolutely love all of this! I wish I had more time to tend to my house plants. I’ve killed a couple of succulents on accident!
Great finds. I love how many plants you have in your house. It just looks so peaceful and green. I love using frankincense in skin care products. I make my own blend of oils to use as moisturizer.
Love all the info. Mahalo for such great insights
I love Frankincense, there are so many uses it for it! I never knew the history behind it though until now. Great post!
great roundup! Looking forward to your post on the AIM!
I absolutely love your plants!! So pretty and I bet your home feels so peaceful with them.
I love all your plants! My mom had tons of plants when I was growing up and I loved it.
These are great February finds. I love plants.. I work in a greenhouse and I have to use a lot of self control not to buy them all!
We need more plants in our home. We only have a couple because they are low maintenance.
I love loose leaf tea! When we still had a Teavana store in Utah I’d go buy big tins of tea all the time!
That is what I need self watering planters because I will kill a plant!
Aww I love Peace Lily, always struggle to keep them alive but reading this has inspired me to try again, thinking I might invest in the How not to kill your houseplants book this time round to give me extra luck x
You found some great stuff! I need to get that houseplants book because I do kill them on accident. All the time.
These are all great things. I love how many plants you have in your home!
Oh man, I love tea with raspberries, I need to check that out
I need the book on how not to kill your houseplants. You give me a houseplant and it’s a death sentence for the plant.
Charcoal toothpaste AND bamboo toothbrushes for $1? That is a crazy-good deal! Wonder if I could find such around here at that price…