Work of the Heart

Spring shopping is a little different this year. No window shopping, no stopping in to try on and no long walks through target with a Starbucks in hand. We are all spending lots of time at home. Unless you are a glutton for punishment, jeans are not happening. I found myself typing in things like ‘women’s loungewear’ and ‘athleisure clothes’ into my favorite online retailers search bar..  I have put together my favorites. Things that are comfy for all day teaching homeschool... but if you walk to the mailbox or take out the trash your neighbor won’t be suspicious whether you are in your jammies still. Athletic clothes are a must have... we are taking lots of walks and bike rides. Side note, we live in the South where it is already experiencing days of sunshine and hot weather. So most of my choices are warm weather friendly. Old Navy & Target are a couple of my favorite retailers for reasonably priced athletic gear. These blush 4’’ inseam athletic shorts are so cute (Ol...

I am seeing tie dye everywhere. So we decided to hop on that train. If you are like me you are looking for ways to mix up the fun being at home all day. I ordered a basic tie dye kit from Target . I ordered shirts from amazon and searched our own closet. This is an outdoor activity. I put out a tarp on our back porch as our work space. The kit really comes with everything, you just add water. I recommend having paper towel, baby wipes, grocery plastic bags and baking cooling racks. Don't be afraid to get creative.  The last shirt that my oldest daughter did (pink purple ombre) we mixed colors and really had a great time!  My other tip, spend the money on the nicer shirts.  I bought a pack of plain cotton tees...They turned out so cute that I wish I had bought softer more comfy shirts for the kids! All of use really enjoyed it and are super pleased with how this turned out. We will definitely do this again!

Like everyone across the country and world... we are in the midst of the corona virus pandemic. Kids are home, social distancing is a word in our everyday vernacular and life is different. We happen to be on spring break this week. So we have a week off of homeschooling and are enjoying a relaxed schedule. I have been trying to do a craft project a day with the kiddos. Painting rocks, Easter cards etc. today.... cloud dough. I absolutely abhor making slime and things like that! But this dough is so simple... it’s a home run! Baby lotion & corn starch that’s all it takes. We added essential oil.  Ratio is 1 part lotion to two parts corn starch. I did 2 1/2 cups corn starch & 1 1/4 cup lotion. Divided the dough between the three girls and they added the essential oil of choice.

Tomato Soup is an absolute classic.   Homemade tomato soup is  delicious and so easy, it also happens to be one of my family’s favorites. It’s easy to make on the stove top. A good heavy bottom pot, wooden spoon & immersion blender or regular blender. Ingredients: 1 medium onion 3-4 stalks of celery 6-7 carrots 1-2 tablespoons of butter Salt Pepper 1 tsp dried parsley 1 tsp dried basil 2 large cans or tomatoes  1 carton on chicken stock 1/2 cup Parmesan  Milk    or half & half  In a large pot, melt butter on medium high heat. Add large chunks of onion. Let get translucent or just a little browned. Then add celery and carrots. Large chunks is fin because this whole soup will get blended down. Season throughout cooking process. Stir regularly.  As veggies begin to soften add tomatoes. Stir well, put lid on and lower to medium/low heat. Let come to a boil stirring occasionally to avoid scalding...

A few new things that I’m obsessed with that I’ve grabbed from Amazon recently! (1) definitely not glamorous, but functional... my very best kind of find. My canister that I keep my sugar in cracked recently. With holiday baking season quickly approaching I decided it was absolutely necessary to replace it. This one is technically a flour keeper. It has a scraper/leveler feature. It’s the right size for a bag + some of sugar, light weight and latches well. (2) My leopard pumpkin shirt! I posted this on my IG feed the week of Halloween, I had so many compliments on it. I plan on wearing it throughout the rest of fall until Thanksgiving. It was comfy and soft. I did size up one and I am glad I did. (3) An absolutely non-negotiatable item at my house is a Wet Brush . I have three girls and hair is a struggle daily. This is my favorite kind of brush for tangled hair! The one I had broke recently while traveling... so I was counting down the hours until these bad boys ar...

Many of you know I started playing Tennis. I realized really quickly that my daily  under make-up sunscreen wasn’t going to cut it. It’s hot in Augusta and when you are playing tennis for an hour + in 95 degree weather... sweat is a serious problem. The first couple of times I played,  sweat and sunscreen just dripped off my face and often into my eyes... burning and making it difficult to see. So I knew I have to get something with  a little more aggressive spf and something designed for sweat. I researched and looked on amazon. I landed on a few different products to try. The two winners of the bunch are these. The neutrogena sport is oil free and designed not to sweat off. It is also spf 70. I have been happy with the coverage and protection so far. I like that it isn’t greasy and feels nice on my skin. A little goes a long way. I use it on my face, ears, chest and neck. The second product was completely new to me. I hadn’t heard of a product like this. I have...

A while ago, my friend had a bowl of popcorn while we were waiting to pick up kids.  She shared with me and my youngest. I commented on how delicious it was and she showed me the popper that she loves. I was super impressed with it and wanted to order it right away...but alas I got busy and forgot to follow up. A couple of months went by, and I remembered this magical kitchen tool and I asked her to send me the link. Let me tell you, we have used this thing SO much.  I think we have probably used this about 2-3 a week, every week since it arrived! Things that I love about it.  It is silicone, silicone is one of the safest materials for food storage and cooking.  It is collapsible.  Meaning it folds up and stores easily.  It is also top rack dishwasher safe.  This is also a device that you can make popcorn with no oil. We love popcorn as a snack.  It is easy and my whole crew loves it! I ordered this from Amazon .  I absolute...