You've raked up the leaves, now what?   Leaves, leaves, leaves…everywhere I turn there are mounds of the crunchy reminders that fall is in full swing. The maple in our front yard has almost finished dropping its crimson jewels; now we have work to do. But rather than look at it as a chore, I see another opportunity to Go Green and Save Green.   According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 27 percent of U.S. waste is leftover food and yard trimmings. That’s more than a fourth of our trash that could be turned from a problem into a valuable.. Read More »

Sneak Peek of Our 2013 Catalog Photo Shoot! The theme for the 2013 catalog shoot was “Old City, Modern Americana.” For those not familiar with Knoxville, Tennessee, there is an area downtown called the Old City. This restored district includes cobblestone streets, quaint coffee shops, and eclectic boutiques. We were inspired by several Maggie Bags sets in our Polyvore collection featuring both classic and vintage looks, with a modern twist.      We began the day at Old City Java, which serves amazing lattes and delectable pastries to get your morning started right. We first worked on pictures of the.. Read More »

The kids are excited for Halloween, but are you? Kids don’t realize the work adults put into holidays and the preparations it involves. There may be only a few days left to prepare and many things that need to be done but if you start now you can be ready in a relatively short amount of time, with no stress! Tricks or Treats? First, make sure you have your treats for the Trick-or-Treaters! You can order or buy locally in bulk to save on trash and to save money. Many websites and local wholesalers offer discounts for buying larger quantities... Read More »

Here’s the coolest things we saw this week on Pinterest! Filed under “Why didn’t I think of that?” … Using an upside down table as a toddler bed. What a genius way to upcycle and old piece of furniture How to deseed a pomegranate. I wish I had known about this long ago. Growing up my mom would give us pomegranates and it would keep us busy for hours trying to get the seeds out to eat. She probably knew about this trick but didn’t want us to know so we’d stay out of her hair! :)   What’s the.. Read More »

Here's part of the Maggie Bags team, planning the photo shoot for the retail catalog. Pictured (left to right) is Callie (our designer), Kerri (senior marketing director) and Amanda (chief operating officer.) Fun times! Read More »

Don’t you love getting a second use out of  household items while also getting to break out your glue gun?  I sure do!  Like many busy moms,  after a long work week I love crafting with my kids and teaching lessons along the way.  For instance, my little girls have found there are sometimes treasures in what some may consider ready for the trash.   If you have any old floral arrangements hanging around the house, don’t throw them out just yet – you can make them into funky fun hair accessories for your kids or yourself!   Here are.. Read More »

What's Making My Skin So Dry?  About three years ago I noticed a major change in my skin - mainly on my palms. In the center of each palm was a dry, scaly, itchy patch of skin. At first I thought “Is this the stigmata?” but then rational thought kicked in and I decided to try dousing these spots with lotion. The lotion didn’t seem to be working, so after a few weeks I went to a dermatologist friend of mine. He said that as we get older our skin becomes dryer. He asked if I’d changed soaps or lotions... Read More »

The Coolest Things I Saw on Pinterest This Week  Recently after a get-together at a friend’s house, we had tons of used plastic cups. We washed them out and I’ve been trying to think of something to do with them. Well here it is! What a wonderful idea and so functional too.   The second thing I saw that I absolutely love is this idea for a headband holder.  Take an old oatmeal canister and paint it. You can store brushes, ponytail holders and barrettes inside of it and then use the outside for headbands. Genius!   Alert! Pinterest Fail  I.. Read More »

Meet Laura Owens If you read our blog yesterday you noticed a new name - Laura Owens.  I am so thrilled to introduce Laura to our Maggie Bags fans.  Laura has joined us as the Online Marketing Coordinator. Her enthusiasm for Maggie Bags and creativity in finding new ways to connect is a great addition to the Maggie Bags team.         Laura’s primary focus will be to keep the conversation going across all of our social media platforms so that we can better connect with you – our fans and customers.  She will be “talking” with you on Facebook,.. Read More »

Soup for Fall - Delicious and Easy! Tomatoes are completely underrated. These nightshades have zero cholesterol, are rich in anti-oxidants and contain about 20% of your daily Vitamin C. This year I grew tomatoes in my garden but made this recipe before the harvest, so used canned tomatoes. I always recommend using fresh, organic foods when possible. Feel free to substitute fresh, stewed tomatoes (remove seeds and skins) for the canned tomatoes. This is a recipe from my mom and I've altered it to make it somewhat healthier. The original recipe calls for - gulp - 3/4 cup of butter!.. Read More »

All-Natural Face Paint  Halloween is just around the corner and the kids are all excited! Everyone is talking about what costumes the kids will chose, what candy they will pass out and what decorations they’ll hang. Why not add in some great, simple ideas to make your Halloween as eek-o-friendly as possible? It’s far easier than you could ever imagine!                                 When it comes to costumes, being “green” is incredibly easy! Not only is it easy, but its fun to set up a costume swap with a local parenting group. You can trade.. Read More »

The Skinny on GOTS Certfication Organic clothing: you see the words and you think it’s a good choice, but is that all there is to it? Many people simply have the opinion that organic is better. While in some instances that can be the case you still want to look into things a bit further. Clothing that is made from organic fibers may not be organic after it is converted into a piece of clothing. Have you ever thought about the manufacturing process and what cotton goes through to become clothing?  Cotton fibers go through a lengthy process from washing,.. Read More »

It sure smells good in here... With fall upon us, it’s not as easy to simply open the windows and air the house out. We’ve been having some pretty chilly days here so it’s time to freshen up the house in other ways. When you purchase air fresheners or candles many times you don’t know what is in them that could be harmful to your family. Why not go with natural air fresheners that you can make right in your home and without spending a lot of money? One of the simplest ways to naturally freshen your home is with.. Read More »

DIY: Tie Dyeing with the Natural Dye Turmeric! Anyone that has ever made a curry from scratch and gotten some on their apron knows turmeric is an incredible natural dye. Today I will show you how to purposefully dye fabric with this rich natural pigment. I'll also show you how to tie dye a heart shape design! Once you've purchased the turmeric and have dyed to your hearts content you may be wondering what else you can do with this root that has such a colorful history. One can add turmeric to food for it is excellent in reducing joint.. Read More »

Green Clean Ideas Abound! When I began having children I started looking into everything that was unsafe in our home. One main thing that most homes have: chemicals. All of the cleaners under our sink and in our bathroom had harsh chemicals in them, which means the floors I clean and the countertops and everything else has chemicals on it! The very things my babies would be crawling on and touching were filled with chemicals. I knew I had to get rid of the chemicals just to have peace of mind with my babies in the house, but what would.. Read More »

The Case for Organic My journey to going green started with a lot of research. I wasn't sure what changes we needed to make in our home, what order to make the changes or even where to begin. I began researching things that can affect the health of my family and that immediately took me to the foods we eat. The more I learned, the more I knew we had to make changes. I did have concerns because I knew there was no way that we could afford all organic and natural foods. As I continued on my search I.. Read More »

  Just in time for Back to School!  Effective July 17, 2012 production of the Maggie Bags diamond weave line was discontinued.  This is great news for three main reasons. For all of you bargain hunters out there this means that prices on the diamond weave bags have dropped significantly.  Shop Clearance Now. Note - discounts are already taken - no need for a discount code. The discontinuation of these bags will allow the Maggie Bags design team to create exciting and new styles to keep Maggie Bags fresh. The deep price reduction on the diamond weave bags created an.. Read More »

Recycled Candles! Collect wax from your old candles and reuse them to make new scented candles with the changing of the seasons or give them as a gift.   What you'll need: Candle Wick cut to fit your jar Jar or Candle Mold Essential Oil you like Ladle Cloth and Rubber band to sift dust and old wicks from used wax   I found this jar at my local co-op and thought it was the perfect reusable candle container, but you can use anything you can think of: an old tea cup, soup can, mason jar, etc. 1. Melt your.. Read More »

Cloth Diapering vs. Disposable Diapering Cloth diapering scared the daylights out of me when I was first introduced to it nearly 3 years ago. The thought of all of the additional work with laundering the diapers and the fact of having to clean out dirty diapers made me want to run. I didn’t know if it was for me or not but I was leaning towards the “not for me” answer. Fast forward to today and I am a happy, cloth diapering mama of two little ones. Why did I do it? Let me tell you what convinced me. When.. Read More »

Clean well! By now you probably know I am all about D.I.Y. As a creative person it is empowering and over time living on a budget can allow for those dream vacations to finally manifest. So to help you arrive on that sunny distant shore in good health and with ease I though I'd share this simple lavender dish washing liquid recipe with you. Here is what you will need: 3 Tablespoons Lavender Castile Soap 2 Tablespoons White Vinegar 2 teaspoons vegetable glycerin 2 Cups warm water 10 drops Lavender essential oil Simply combine all ingredients in a jar and.. Read More »