Work of the Heart

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...

My friend Jenn reached out to me a while ago and wanted me to review Rodan and Fields. I have been interested in the skin care line for quite some time, but just had never jumped in. As I am approaching the later half of my 30s, it’s time to get serious about skin care. The reality is, I probably should have gotten serious about it a decade ago… But hindsight is 20/20. Before we go forward, I wasn't to be clear...I paid for this product.  I am in no way being compensated for my words or opinions.  All are my own. The thing about Rodan and Fields, it’s not cheap. This works in my favor, because I am cheap so there was no way I was gonna waste this money. The price forced me to take it more seriously than  other skin care options I had tried. After about a week, I found the routine that worked for me. I put the scrub in the shower the night cream next to my bed. If I’m being honest, I probably only followed the regimen as directed about 50% of the time. I find...

I've done several bowl recipes.  I am partial to them. Portion control, easy eating and delicious.  As I have been all about back to school prep lately... this recipe seemed like a no brainer.. Ingredients: 1 bag frozen sweet potato tots Eggs 4-5 slices of bacon 1/3-1/2 roll of breakfast sausage 4-5 mini sweet peppers chopped Salt & Pepper to taste Smoked paprika Garlic paste Grated cheese (I used a smoky spicy variety) I picked up some sweet potato tots at my local  market. I used the sweet potato tots as the base layer of my bowl. I cooked them as instructed on the bag. Mine called for 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. I love the balance of sweet they add to this bowl.  You could easy do fresh oven roasted sweet potatoes...but for me the time saver is a huge draw. While those were in the oven,  I cooked some chopped up bacon in a skillet. While that browned I chopped up some sweet peppers. I also used some breakfast sausage that I browned ...

I love to meal plan on Sunday night, then order groceries online and swing by and pick them up after school drop off. It is my favorite. Maybe it’s because I don’t have to walk around the store with my toddler, or maybe it’s my stop for an iced coffee at dunkin, I don’t know... but this routine makes me happy. I know what’s for dinner every night. The fridge is full for making lunches and breakfast. I feel together and ready for the week. This week is the start of extra curricular activities for us. My daughter starts dance. I also have several meetings at the school, for back to school orientation, so at least two nights I need quick meals. This weeks meals are very quick and easy with a couple being great make ahead options! This week is also filled with option.  Allowing my kids to choose their toppings, makes for happy kids and no fights! Baked potato bar. This is perfect for a Monday. You can bake the potatoes in the microwave, crock pot or instant pot. For Crock pot, ...

Back to school shopping  I am generally a buy as you need it kind of mom. I don’t typically buy a ton of things at the beginning of school. This is for a couple of reasons, we live in Georgia and it is hot here ...so my kids are still wearing summer clothes for the next three maybe four months. There is no reason to buy pants or boots in July. We are in for summer type weather at least through the middle of October, so when I think about buying new clothes I definitely think of summer items. For the most part,    this works out well for us because as the fall items come out, summer stuff goes on sale, we are still wearing summer and I can get some things for the kids at a discounted price that they wear immediately. When I think about school, one thing I was have to make sure with the girls is that their shorts and skirts meet dress code. The kids go to public school, so it’s not super strict but there are length requirements. Another reason I don’t buy a ton of stuf...

I always find the first week of school to be the bridge from summer. Most extra-curricular activities haven’t started yet, homework isn’t handed out and our afternoons are free for backyard play and talking about all the new things. Once we get into the second and third week I find that I need make ahead and quick dinners, because mom is a glorified Uber driver. This week I like to plan meals for outside play, conversations around the table and board games over a quick bite! I also like to make certified winners. Adjusting to back to school is difficult enough, I don’t want to fight at the table too! Here is what I’m cooking. I made the meal plan and ‘recipe’ in photo form so you can easily take a screen shot on your phone for most recipes. Grilled burgers are a hit all the way around at our house.  They are great for me, because most of the cooking is outside on the grill, which means less mess.  My whole crew loves grilled cheeseburgers.  They are also a win, ...