Succulent Terrarium DIY

*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, all opinions and images are my own. We received a gift card from Orchard Supply Hardware which facilitated our review of their products and services, however we are loyal customers of our local store.* 

Back in 1974, after my parents got married they began a small business. Four years after, when I was born began the popularity of gardening and landscaping in the city of Los Angeles and both my parents had their own staff to keep up with business. Their love for landscaping was passed onto us, we grew up visiting local plant nurseries and learning to appreciate the beauty of a well landscaped back and front yard.

While in Costa Rica, I took our almost non-existent garden to a lush tropical garden full of herbs, succulents, colorful flowers and palm trees. I love to garden, so when the time came to move back to the Bay Area we knew we wanted  our new home to have a garden for us to care for. 

Since we moved into our new home last Spring, I've been slowly working to getting our garden to where we'd like it to be. One of the major changes for us is the weather, in Costa Rica it rains 6 months out of the year and I mean rain, rain like I'd never seen before. Here, in California we are experiencing one of the worst droughts ever. Which is why it is important to chose plants that are drought tolerant. 

Just a couple of weeks ago, Orchard Supply Hardware {OSH} mailed us a gift card to visit our local store, shop and work on a project of our choice to add to our new home. When we asked for suggestions we were given the following ideas:

-Terrariums Succulent Garden 

-Lanterns Succulent Garden 

-Letters Succulent Garden 

They know me well enough to know how much I love succulents, they're so easy to care for (just water once a week) and they have so many varieties that are simple yet beautiful.

We decided to work on a terrarium. When we arrived at OSH we immediately headed to the succulent area of their gardening department and began looking at all the options they had, between the kids and I we had a lot of ideas going on. Lucky for us Ash and Tina were there to help us from choosing our materials to working on our project with us. 

One of the many perks of shopping and buying your planter and plants at OSH is that their staff can help you plant your purchased plants for you at no additional cost plus they'll include the dirt and help make it look exactly what you had envisioned for it. 

Ash was amazing with our project and explained each step of it as he worked on it. Here are the instructions so that you too can make your own terranium.

Succulent Terrarium Garden:

1.- Choose the container in which you'll have your terranium, may I suggest a glass container so you can enjoy seeing your succulent garden to the fullest. OSH has many sizes and shapes to chose from, we chose a large fish bowl.

2.- Select the decorative rocks you'll be using, OSH has a wide variety of rocks from blue to gray to white to clear ones. It's completely up to you what color you'll be using.

3.- Chose your succulents according to the size of your container  -I should warn you that OSH has so many types of succulents you will take a while to narrow it down to a few-, for example in ours we were able to fit 4 different plants comfortably. If your container is small think one or two small plants.

4.- Clean your container, place some small stones at the bottom to help with watering. On our container it was about 1-2" deep in rocks, about 1/4 of the container's size. Place cactus dirt inside container roughly 3-4" deep, you want to cover roughly 1/2 of the container with the dirt.

5.- Plant each succulent gently, inside the dirt. You can make space for each succulent with your fingers, as gardening tools are too big to use inside the container. 

6.- top off the plants with small river rocks or small stones in your color of choice.

This is what our terrarium looks like inside:

Easy, right? Best part is kids can help make a terranium and care for it. You can use the terranium to decorate inside your home. We use ours as our dining table's centerpiece, it's like having a little piece of nature inside our home. 

We had part of a gift card with a positive balance on it, so we decided to purchase more plants for our garden. 

The house we moved into has a long rectangle shape in-ground planter, that had dirt in it and along the back wall were scattered trees and plants that in all honesty looked like they needed some TLC.  During our visit to OSH we also purchased plants that would add color to our garden as well as seeds of herbs to plant, as I love cooking with fresh cut herbs such as dill, rosemary and basil. 

Would you believe that these plants come in 4 or 6 packs? That made it easier to get more plants and more budget friendly. As you can see our garden is still a work in progress, we would also love to add mulch or river stones around our new flowers and plants. We hope to have our garden ready in a few weeks. For more ideas on how to refresh your garden and home visit your local OSH, I'm sure you will find experts as friendly as Tina and Ash there to help you. 

Change is the only constant...

It was 1992, we were all listening to our Science teacher. He was showing us how change is the only constant while mixing different chemicals and materials. We had a divided class that stated it applied to life and the rest opposing this by stating life wasn't science. Fast forward to today and I'd say he was right, change is the only constant in life. We are always changing, evolving and growing be it physically or mentally. What we liked yesterday or since we were kids is now what we dislike and what we disliked while growing up we now like. Take for example zucchini, it was the vegetable I didn't like right along with broccoli and asparagus and now they're some of my favorite so much so that I try to incorporate them in most meals - have you ever had scrambled eggs with zucchini? delicious!

A month ago we were packing up our home in Costa Rica, preparing to leave friends that had become family to reunite with family and start a new chapter in our life back in California. We were excited for the change, because it meant we would be a 6, 8 or at the most 10 hour drive from grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and so on. We were excited because it meant we would be home. "Home is where the heart is", it's so true. Our hearts were here with our family. 

Our last day in Costa Rica came with its own set of challenges, I got food poisoning and it wasn't fun at all. The worst I've ever experienced, it was so bad I had to have 3 different medications injected into my body in addition to another 3 pills. I was determined to not be left behind to recover and so Saturday morning I woke up got ready with as little energy as I had since I hadn't eaten anything for the past 12 hours, walked into the airport and had them wheel me to the nearest red cross station explained what was going on and 2 little magical pills later we were on route home. 

We arrived to cold {I believe it was 48ºF} and rainy weather to the Bay Area, our toes were purple within a few seconds of walking under the rain in flip flops. After 2 years of living in 80ºF weather with 95% humidity,  our bodies had become accustomed to the tropics; flip flops, shorts and a tank top were all we ever wore and what we had in our suitcases. Luckily, family was there to welcome us equipped with weather appropriate clothes. Within 12 hours my body finally started feeling better from the food poisoning. 24 hours later we had finally settled into our new temporary home and had began planing for the week ahead. A week that would be packed with school registrations, doctor visits, shopping for our new car and house hunting!

Moving back home seems like an easy task, I mean it is after all where you lived most if not all of your life before. At least that was what we thought, but somehow living abroad changed us and shopping for groceries was overwhelming.... So many choices! For one item there are at least 10 different options to chose from. You need to buy milk, ok well there's rice milk, almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, cow's milk, goat's milk, soy milk, low fat, nonfat, whole milk and the list goes on. We at our home drink cow's milk, 1% is what we usually buy however I couldn't help but notice all the different options. 

As the guy at the local starbucks responded when I was ordering a kids' milk: "what kind of milk? almond milk, soy milk, low fat, nonfat, whole, organic? which one?" He paused as I looked like a deer in the head lights, he then said: "not enough options miss?" I smiled and just said "too many! I just want regular milk..." Now he smiled back and said in amazement: "really!? we usually get complaints that we don't have enough options! just earlier a customer over reacted because I didn't have cashew milk!" 

We take such little things for granted, I remember when there were never enough options and now I think there are way to many. These are the comforts our beautiful country offers us, you don't like something? well guess what, you don't have to settle you can always get something else. 

Change is the only constant and as such we are going through change, re-adjusting to life back home and while going into this re-adjustment period Stroller Adventures will go through changes too. This blog will reflect the changes we are going through. I will still share about Costa Rica, because I do have so much more to share about it and the beauty it has but I will also be sharing local events, occasionally I will have reviews {as always only choosing what our family likes and finds useful}, of course I will continue to talk food because I enjoy cooking and a good meal just like the next person and I have not quit my fitness/weightloss journey I did however take a break while preparing for our move and I'm ready to jump back on board. 

And there are also the small changes we will be making to make this space reflect more of me. Did you check out the new header? It was designed by my good friend Kelley from The Grant Life, she is awesome!

Adjustments

Life after a big change or shall I say move is always an adjustment, looking back at last year it took us all about 3 months to get into our new routine. Have everything out of boxes and in place. Making new friends wasn't that difficult mostly because of school, our 7 year old made friends from day 1 in NorCal. She did miss her friends from SoCal and continued to stay in touch with them through snail mail, facetime and phone calls. Our 3 year old son made friends with neighbors that had children in his age range. For me it might've taken a bit to get acquainted with adults. I did meet moms in my daughters class, but still it wasn't as if we were very close. Two moms in particular welcomed me from day 1, one of them was a parent in my daughter's class and the other mom was from a different class. 

I was not lonely because I am a talkative and a social person, but I was longing for friends with whom to go grab a cup of coffee... have meaningless chat or deep conversation where we talked about parenting and who we were before children. 

I am still settling into our new life in Costa Rica, I realize that I have yet to make friends. My adult conversations are with hotel staff members, on the phone with friends, the cashier at the grocery store and my husband. I miss dropping off kids at school to join friends for a cup of coffee. I know it is an adjustment, but still sometimes you just want to have a few minutes to enjoy friend's. 

Today I am raising my coffee mug and saying cheers to my friends in Cali, you know who you are and I just wanted to let you know how much I miss you. 

Ever moved and have to start all over again? 

Welcome to Pura Vida!

Last Friday we had an adventurous day!  We flew to our new home. I have to admit both my husband and I were a bit worried about how the kids would deal with the packing of our home and then the traveling part. You see last week marked a milestone in our family, movers came to our home and packed everything into a moving truck to take to the port and ship to Costa Rica. We won't see any of those items for at least 4 weeks, so the kids had to choose enough toys, books and personal items that fit in a carry-on.  

We've taken several trips in the past in which we flew to our destination however all of them were less than a 2 hour flight each way and we weren't moving, it was just a vacation. In addition we did not have 10 suitcases to check-in as we did this time around. Nonetheless we were excited and happy with the plans. 

Our day began at 5 am when we got up and ready for our flight. By 5:45 am we were out the door and on our way to the airport. 

Check-in was surprisingly a breeze! With all our luggage, the kids, in addition to our last travel experience I thought it would be a tough one. Our 3 year old has matured so much in the past month I keep getting surprised with how patient he has started to be. Our 7 year old has also been matured in the sense that she is more helpful and this in all honesty makes life easier. 

Each child had a carry-on suitcase the kind that can also be used as backpacks, they were in charge of that and moving it from point A to point B. I had a full backpack with snacks, a change of clothes per child in addition to some reading material for me and my handbag. My husband had his backpack and after thinking about it for a long time we decided to take the carseat with us on board which he was in charge of. We choose to take the carseat for the toddler because it would make it more comfortable for him, he would be able to sleep on flight comfortably and he would be relaxed the whole time. Believe it helped so much, he was comfortable and felt secure, he took a short nap on the second flight.

We had a layover in Dallas, 2 hours between flights which allowed us to walk around and eat. Beautiful airport and larger than I had expected. This sign caught my attention, specially since the TVs around the terminal was showing a tornado alert for Oklahoma. I kept thinking about all the affected areas and hoping that they would be safe. 

Our travel went pretty good, the only little issue we had was the last 30 minutes of our flight from Dallas to Costa Rica. While landing both kids had pressure in their ears and our 3 year old couldn't stop crying. Everyone around us was very understanding and when we had finally landed and arrived at gate they shared stories about their children going through the same when they were younger. 

When we arrived in Costa Rica it was raining, it had been raining for a while and it was already dark. Did you know that they only have sunlight from 5 a.m. - 6 p.m., regardless of the season? I didn't. 

Getting our luggage was lots of fun, not only due to the amount but also because everything was at the same place! so you had not only 1 but 2 flights waiting for luggage and then we found out that there is a separate place to pickup odd shaped packages. In this place is where my MAC, stroller, carseat would be. I have to admit I was a bit panicky when I didn't see my computer arrive... Then I was told to try the other carrousel glad I did! :D

Clearing through Immigration and Customs was easy too, you fill out the forms onboard the plane and have them readily on hand for when you get off the plane. Every country has their own rules and laws just like the U.S. so it is always important to abide by the laws and respect them as you would in your own country. 

In a nutshell this was our travel day, we were finally settled into our hotel at around 10 p.m. and ordering room service so the kids could get their baths and relax before bedtime. All in all we feel it was an easy move and travel. 

Glad to be here and ready to begin our "Pura Vida" {Pure Life} lifestyle! 

Top tips when moving

Since moving to Northern California we've met some amazing people, it's so different than Southern California yet it is so much alike.  One of the major differences I've noticed is that it is very common for people to relocate to this area and within months pack up and leave to a new City, State even Country!

I'm always impressed at the ease of their move even when they find out within weeks of it happening. It's been over 6 months since our move from San Diego to San Jose and although I will be honest it was not as easy as it looked to pack up after 12 years and leave and start a new life within a couple of hours. Add school aged kids to the move and you are in for a stressful event. Many friends in Southern California asked how we could manage such a daunting task? It really was simple: we researched. I'm so thankful that  Grace and Jessica {who are local to the Bay Area} helped me figure out where to move and what doctors to take my kids to.  

Here are some helpful tips based on our experience:

1.- As soon as you find out you "might" be moving do your homework and research the City you will be moving to. You can search demographics to see what a specific neighborhood is like. You can find information such as annual income, race, religion, ages, highest level of education and even crime rate. This is all helpful information specially when you have never been to your future city. A great site for demographics and statistics by city and/or state is City Data

"We moved around so much before kids. This time if we had to do it again, I'd say research schools, churches, hospitals and grocery stores. You'll need to know how to get supplies and how far they are from you" says Mary from Let's Play O.C. 

2.- Since it is a new place for you and your family at the beginning you might feel lost and it is completely understandable -specially if you've never been there- which is why we suggest you find for a place to live that is close to your new job. Commuting to and from work can be stressful if it's 20 miles away and with traffic it takes you more than an hour. 

"AAA TripTiks is a life saver!" says Tee from That's It Mommy

3.- Finding a new school for your kids can be a challenge, but now you can easily find information and details on schools online just visit  Great Schools or if you know local families ask them about what schools they can recommend. Keep in mind that the best way to choose a school is to visit them in person. In addition some schools are at full capacity so it is always best to contact them directly or their school district office. If it is out of the country you can do an online search, many schools have a Facebook page so give them a "like" and be in the know of what school life there is about. You also need to find out if they have a different school year calendar than the one in your country. For example in countries that are South of the Equator the seasons are different so their school year may start in February and end in December which means their summer break is December - February. 

4.- One of the most important decisions when moving is healthcare. Within the U.S. Doctors transfer your file for you others have a fee of $50 to provide you with that information and for you to hand deliver to your new physician. Make sure you contact your healthcare provider first and ask if they know any physician's in your new area. Insurance companies are also good help since they have lists of physician's that can fit the list of your requirements. 

"Start a binder once you know for sure you are moving with tabs: Moving checklist, healthcare {Doctor, Dentist referrals}, moving company information, school information, utilities, DMV and maps, address change list, connections, etc. This will help to find documents easily" says Raquel from Organized Island.  

5.- Inform your bank of your move so they don't block your debit/credit card thinking it was stolen. Also if you bank at a local Credit Union make sure you are allowed to live in a different City or County if not you will need to find a new nationwide bank and if you move outside the U.S. ask your bank if they are affiliated to any banks in the Country you will be moving to. 

6.- If you are moving within the U.S. your vehicle can be moved with you, but if you are moving abroad you have to make sure you have a pink slip for your vehicle to be exported. Legally you can't take a leased vehicle outside of the country or one that is still owed to the bank. 

"Learn to use local transportation" suggests Mary from Let's Play O.C.

7.- Does the country you are moving to speak the same language you do? If not consider taking some language lessons before moving. 

8.- Housing can be a bit tricky to find from a distance, you can search craigslist but the best way to choose and lease a place is to visit before and check out each possible option for yourself. Reviews are always helpful, but not all properties have them. Here in the Bay Area craigslist is the best way to go, since most properties offer exclusive offers that are valid for a week. Leasing is the best option, until you are certain that you will not be moving in the next 6+ years. 

"Go to the websites of your favorite stores. Search for store locations near where you are looking to live. For example: I always search for Starbucks, Target and Nordstrom. I want to that know I can get coffee, go buy my essentials and enjoy an afternoon of shopping within reasonable drive." says Suzanne from Sprinkled Nest

9.- Will you be moving your belongings? if not make sure you contact moving companies and ask for a list of their service in writing. Quotes are accurate only when they have visited your home to see the volume of items they will be moving. Look for a company that has insurance in case your belongings are damaged or missing. Do not trust over the phone quotes.

10.- Moving is stressful, but you can make it work. Keep a list of all items and identify boxes. Start packing as early as you can and consider downsizing your belongings. Maybe you won't need that many books? or there are toys your kids do not play with anymore. Take advantage and make a "sell", "donate", "give" and "keep" pile and sort through every cupboard, drawer and closet. You might be surprised at all the things you no longer use or need. 

11.- If you are moving outside of your country of residence make sure you have all your documents in order. Such as passport, birth certificates, apply for visas and contact that country's consulate to see what you need to live there. 

"Make sure you know where the U.S. embassy is in your new home country. Also make sure you have an international prepaid phone -Net10 has one and their international plan is $65/month" says Xenia from Raised by Culture.