DIY- Vintage Baby Cot- Photo report

As I already mentioned few posts ago, we've been busy with some DIY projects on green carpet. My personal favorite lately was my baby's cot.
In terms of anti-consumerism and boycotting low quality short usage products and choosing vintage instead- it's as green as can baby cot be- it's mine. Literally. I slept in it when I was a baby, my two brothers slept in it and now- my little princess will! (And I am sure- all our future children as well)
It all started with my husband cleaning it from previous paint and then I used linseed varnish and baby paint with  Zero VOC. Great guys in the store mixed all three colors I needed from one tin of paint so we don't waste more than we need!
I wanted this cot to be natural so I left some parts without a paint, just linseed varnish, which is also healthy option for little one to teeth on the upper parts of the bet as I remember my brother to do :)
I wanted this cot to be spring colorful so I chose my three favorites for my little princess- purple, spring green, yellow- all very light.
I wanted this cot to be fun for her, so I painted some butterfly, bee, snail, caterpillar silhouettes on the natural wood parts.
We took off one side of this conventional cot to turn it to a co-sleeper since I consider it as one of the basic 'pillars' of natural parenting- being close to your offspring also during the

Now it's already in our room, it seems so big comparing to our Roba co-sleeper that will go to our city apartment.. Coco and buckwheat mattress is already in place, organic cotton mattress cover and bed sheet as well, Oko-tex approved wool filled blanket is already within a cotton flannel cover made by me. We have a 'second hand' canopy thanks to our dear friend. I also hanged a linen bag of lavender and a bag of meadow sweet on her bed for calm and relaxing sleep.
Umf, now I kind of feel she's really growing and it moves me, makes me happy with a little hint of sadness- I already miss her being this tiny little baby. But I love her. And I love that she loves my DIY Vintage Cot!!!!

But here's the most important- PICTURES:

A project done with pure and unconditional love...

Home SPA- photo report and recipes

There is one very special tradition on green carpet- me and one of my very best friends are going to our country sauna and turning it to a fantastic SPA. We did this actually long before the term "SPA" became so popular- starting from our teenage years it was our health, beauty and friendship quality time.

All the best products were taken into the washing room of our sauna and home made scrubs, masks and other substances were created beforehand. 

So when she visited us back in Latvia it was our No1 on the list. Here's a little photo report and recipes how we did it!

Even though most of Latvians would take beer when going to sauna, we usually choose either water or hot homegrown mint tea that fits perfectly in our health and beauty day. 

Prepare: 

• our sauna is heated by wood fire, so it takes about 1,5h to get it hot
• prepare all fresh scrubs and masks
• put all the soaps, shampoos, honey, masks and other stuff in the huge basket
• take the basket and large batch of towels and/or robes to the sauna
• make the mint tea and leave the baby with someone you trust for couple of hours!

Enjoy:

• Warm up your body and sweat out all the toxins in sauna couple of 'sessions' and let yourself to cool in between them. In warmer weathers we would jump into the pond nearby, but during winter we just enjoy the cold air or jump in the snow if attending sauna as regular practice. However, during our SPAs we enjoy milder experiences. 
• Wash all the dirt off! This time we enjoyed Organic Rose shampoo by Urtekram and hand made coconut soap my parents brought from Zanzibar. 

• Scrub it! Our all times favorite is a coffee scrub, this time we mixed it with smashed cranberries- mmmm, delightful. Future notice- it's better to use blender for berries rather than just smashing them...
• Mmmmmmask time! Apply masks to face, hair, body and get back into the sauna for another 15min to let them feed your winter-starved skin. 
• Wash everything off gently, rinse the hair with a dash of apple cider vinegar in water, dry and apply Absolute Organic face cream and Weleda Rosemary Hair Lotion. 
• Drink tea, chat, relax and enjoy yourselves throughout these couple of hours!  

Recipes:

• Scrub: take your morning coffee ground and mix it with smashed cranberries. Scrub gently your face and body, harder other 'problematic' areas. Advice- cellulite hates coffee and antioxidants in cranberries!

• Hair mask: mix olive oil, honey and egg yolk in about equal parts. Advice- dry your hair a little bit with towel before applying the mask. Too much water on the hair retains all the good stuff from getting in. 

• Face and body mask: mix equal parts of fresh or sour cream and honey and add a half a part  of bee pollen. Bee pollen is especially precious for our bodies both inside and on us. Pollen is full of live energy, so be careful to apply it on the evening, you might have hard time to fall asleep. Advice- leave it for a while in a warm place and stir again to have a smooth paste. We added also few extra vitamins and a drop of green tea extract. 

A note on Bee Pollen:

• They are a source of bio-active agents, antioxidants
• They are full of vitamins B (B1, B2, B6, PP), vitamins C, E, A, Carotene, a bit of D. 
• They contain various ferments
• They are a source of amino acids 
• Depending on collection time and area they contain various minerals- K, P, Si, Na, Ca, Mg, S, Cl, etc. 
• They have both energizing and nerve balancing properties. 
• They both heal and prevent illnesses, also help to recover faster after being sick. 
• They also work as one of the best anti-aging substances. 
• They will help in cases of both physical and mental loads.  
• They activate leukocytes in blood and have powerful regenerating properties.   
• They are perfect for detoxifying your body. 
• They improve general health condition, sleep quality and energy levels. 

I consider Bee Pollen one of the super-super foods in our world, so be kind to bees and use with gratitude and care what they give to us!

Home SPA is one of those precious, indulging moments I share with my friend and I hope some day will share with my daughter as well. If you have an opportunity to do something like this- be adventurous and creative, especially now in early Spring, when our skin and body is so tired and starving for vitamins!

Spring meditation

As Winter for me starts with the first snow, the Waiting-For-Spring Season starts right on my birthday!

Here on green carpet you can already feel the changes in the air despite the snowy roofs and ground.. birds know and they're chirping and whistling it out loud... and the way air smells.. 

And I feel.. I feel I need some invigorating, vivid energy in me.. it's dreaming somewhere in me, so I'm going in there to look for it, to awaken it... 

I close my eyes sitting on my yoga mat after few Sun Salutations and Pranayama exercises, straighten my body, calm my breath.. I open the door within me and it takes me to my Sanctuary, my beautiful secret garden.. It has all four seasons within it to feel, it has eternal fire, water, air, earth in it's center.. I thank them for balance in my life..
Sun is shining bright and warm and then I sit on that white birch bench in the Spring garden.. See how the drop of water from the melting snow of birch branches is falling on a spot of dark, rich ground.. See within the ground, how it travels soaking through the soil that smells so bittersweet.. Be the drop of water yourself, feel yourself both traveling and receiving the moistening gift.. It carries all the warmth and energy of sun to a little seed deep in the ground.. Be the tiny seed that awaits to be awakened, feel how the little drop brings you back from your long winter sleep with an explosion of energy that shoots through every cell of your body... It's time to grow, to reach for the sunlight and pure air up there.. Reach up with your whole body.. See how green burgeon begins to sprout up, it grows brighter in color and stronger in stem.. Be the little sprout and feel the vivid juice traveling through your body, enjoy and explore the urge to grow multiplying your energy.. Grow through the soil and see the bright and warm sun, let the rays caress your new green leaves... Breathe in the pure and refreshing air that smells so crystal clear and invigorating.. Look how the tiny plant forms a white bud and opens it in the sunshine releasing beauty of nature and sweet smell that resembles true happiness.. Harvest the energy from your surroundings, collect the Spring energy and be that little flower- bloom and enjoy it!
I look at the little flower and bow in Namaste in gratitude for the lesson of insistent and vivid reaching towards your fulfillment and opportunity to bloom and bring happiness to myself and everyone around me..
I take a long breath leaving my Sanctuary energized for the day to come, joyful to be where I am and to do what I plan.. I'm full of Spring sensations and even here, in my room, the smells and freshness of the coming Season are present and surrounds me and my sleeping baby...
The new day has begun..

I hope you will find your own Sanctuary and enjoy at least few slow living moments that we all need to be content in our lives!