Just as I shared Mother's Day gifts that give back recently, I want to offer ideas for Father's Day gifts that help others in some way. Gifts from companies and brands that donate to worthy causes are my favorite to purchase. My ideas for 2019: Give a fishing kit to a person in need. The dad who has everything and loves to help others would appreciate this gift in their name. It gives a family ... Read more
Christmas at the Flora House
This has been a special Christmas for us: It was the first in our new house, and it was Addi's first! V had some new traditions, too. Our Christmas recap: I love our tree this year despite never finding a tree topper after ours broke. I plan to also purchase a new tree skirt next year. We chose to stay in Chicago for Christmas this year vs. traveling to Arizona or Kentucky. We wanted to ... Read more
Riding the 2018 CTA Holiday Train in Chicago
We continued our tradition of riding the CTA Holiday Train in the Chicago area this year. If you're not from Chicago and have never heard of it, it's a holiday-themed train that only runs on certain L Train lines at scheduled times. In 2016 and 2017 we caught the train on the Red Line, which runs north-south through the city. This year, we picked the Purple Line in Evanston because we live in the ... Read more
Thoughtful Etsy Small Gift & Stocking Stuffer Ideas
** This post contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Floradise! I know by now many people have an idea of what to buy their loved ones for Christmas/the holidays, but I wanted to share a quick post on four stocking stuffer ideas found on Etsy. I am a huge fan of the site for personalized gifts as ... Read more
Why the Holidays Are a Perfect Time for Decluttering
I recently decluttered yet again, but this time I did it differently. In previous declutters I would take everything out and sort through items one by one, KonMari style. I don't have that kind of time to devote to decluttering in my current phase of life, so this time I tackled my simplifying in a different way: I decluttered as I went. What this means is that when I would open a drawer to grab ... Read more
The Coziest Gift You’ll Ever Give
** This post is sponsored by Isotoner but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. Hibernation season is upon us here in the Chicago area, and I'm all about being cozy and warm at all times as we approach the holidays. While I completely believe in getting dressed and ready for the day, I do like to keep my feet comfortable as I get my daily work done and care for my family. I want ... Read more
Dia De Los Muertos: Our Family’s First Ofrenda + DIY Sugar Skull
** This post contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Floradise! This year we decided to create the first Flora family ofrenda for Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. While I have celebrated the holiday with family in Mexico in the past, I have never made an ofrenda of my own at home, so I ... Read more
Eco-Friendly Easter Basket Ideas
This is my first time putting together an Easter basket! Last year I totally failed and didn't things done in time, so this year we are making it up to V. I wanted to incorporate some eco-friendly Easter basket ideas to minimize waste we create this year. While I am not done with her basket, I wanted to share some ways I found to cut back on waste and be more intentional with my Easter spending. ... Read more
CTA Holiday Train 2017
In you live in the Chicago area or plan to visit in the month of December in the future, I recommend trying to find the CTA Holiday Train, especially if you have kiddos! The train already stopped running for 2017, but you have plenty of time to plan for next year. We took Victoria for the first time last year and she loved it! The Red Line is most convenient for us, so we waited for a day when it ... Read more
Holiday Magic Experience at Brookfield Zoo
We've been doing all the Christmas things lately! After a mostly quiet weekend at home, Graham had the idea of going to see holiday lights at Brookfield Zoo. I bought our tickets to the Holiday Magic experience online to save $1 per ticket and we made our way to Brookfield, which is typically a 45-minute drive from our place. We underestimated how popular this event would be, and our ... Read more