We made it to the end of another school year (for me) and the first for Harrison.
The two of us celebrated with a pool day!
Just in the nick of time too, shortly after this the bottom fell out of the sky and the temps dropped in the 70's here!
We made it to the end of another school year (for me) and the first for Harrison.
The two of us celebrated with a pool day!
Just in the nick of time too, shortly after this the bottom fell out of the sky and the temps dropped in the 70's here!
I've been making these chocolate chip cookies for several years now. All from a friend telling me she used Toll House with double vanilla.
The change of vanilla took me down a rabbit hole that I haven't quite escaped. So the cookies have evolved and changed over time and with what new techniques I have learned as I go.
Summer break is around the corner and that means that eating food off of a plate and not out of Tupperware is on the horizon.
I can taste the fresh food now!
Thursday | Chicken Burrito Bowl (I'm going to try and copycat Chipotle)
Friday | Shrimp & Green Beans Stirfry (no exact clue about seasoning yet)
Saturday | Eating Out
Sunday | Trader Joe's freezer meal
Monday | Burger Bowl (lettuce, angus burger, red onion, pickles, whatever toppings anyone wants)
Tuesday | leftovers
Wednesday | Sam's Chick-fil-a knock off nuggets and fries (the kids fav and my fav on single mom night)
Someone has popped the question, and the engagement is here. You are well on your way to planning out your dream wedding, on a quest to leave no stone unturned – after all, they say this is the best day of your life, which means naturally you must have the best of everything - the best cake, the best dress or suit, and of course, the best photographer.
Otherwise, how will
you put up some of the best wedding photos of your big day on Instagram the
moment you are back from your honeymoon? As with many wedding services, though,
it can be difficult to wade through the sheer volume of options, and for those
running on a strict schedule, you want to know what to be looking for right off
the bat.
So, with that in mind, this piece takes a look at how you can find the right
wedding photographer for you.
There is a good chance
that your friends or family will have a photographer in mind when you broach
the subject of searching for one for the perfect fit for your wedding. It might
be that they had wonderful wedding photos and could not recommend their
photographer enough, or maybe your friends might have an idea of someone who is
a fantastic photographer but only does non-traditional weddings. Ask to look at their photos and their videos
if you haven’t seen them already, so you can decide if that photographer’s style
is for you, and then you can ask for a casual chat. If you are lucky enough to
have a plethora of friends and family, you will probably get a lot of different
recommendations, especially if you ask on social media; So, don’t overwhelm
yourself and do not choose someone just to keep someone else happy! While your
nephew means well wanting your wedding to be his first gig, maybe don’t take
that risk.
You will not want a
photographer that is out of their depth as much as you are on your special day.
Ideally, photographers will know many of the staple wedding locations and the
surrounding areas like the back of their hand, which is also great for when it
comes to showing you unique and hidden spots to get that special shot! For
example, if you are based in Chicago, choosing a Chicago Wedding Photographer should certainly mean they know the area very
well and will have past happy couples and clients to prove it!
I've been constantly trying to figure something out for about two years now, well minus that glorious country wide quarantine time, am I really this busy or am I just not handling it well.
Am I busier than before, Jeremy has changed careers and where we live has us at a 15-20 minute drive for just about everything. (Don't think I'm crazy, I grew up in a town with three red lights and could walk to school if I wanted.)
Is it the stage of kids we are in? One is easy to buckle up and drag around town, but the second one adds another five minutes to the buckle up, take out, and all around herding of children that takes place. Is bedtime taking longer or am I just moving slower?
Why do I have less time? Or better yet, why do I feel like I have less time?
I know at some point the rush will slow down, as the kids need me less and less my time will once again be freed up. I will cook dinner without standing over a child who is having a fit about the fact that I won't give out popsicles. I won't spend half of bath time mopping water off the walls. People will eventually brush their own teeth, and do it well.
On thing isn't changing any time soon though, the morning rush.
Monday to Friday we are in a mad dash. I've got kids that need some sleep, and I do too, so we don't wake up super early for the sake of it. I've got us down to the minute to escape the house. Interstate traffic could actually derail the entire process. So on these days, my beloved coffee is Community Dark Special with stevia and Nutpods creamer.
It's quick, tastes the same when I am finally able to sit down and drink it at 8:00am as I am taking roll, and it gets the job done. Caffeine ☑️
But those other two days of the week, I don't want that coffee. I want my slow coffee. Nespresso espresso with my foamed oat milk. I want to sit in my cute little chairs in the kitchen nook and drink it slowly in silence without any small people discussing monitor lizards with me. I even wait until I have picked up whatever I am cleaning on Saturday morning before I make it, I have no desire on earth to reheat this coffee and need it at its peak foaminess.
This slow coffee is what has made me wake up earlier on Sunday mornings. I'll drink my Community Special Dark, but I much prefer to not rush.
And Sunday friends, it's a RUSH. This is single mother day 2 of the week and both of those see me driving around on two wheels with the children holding on for dear life. I actually got to church early this Wednesday because I forgot what time services started. Big accidental win! The fact that single mothers leave their house at all is a mystery to me. I just about want to go on lockdown mode when I have to manage everyone alone and be somewhere on time, hence the third child that will never be for us. I can't juggle it.
But slow coffee, I digress. For my sanity I need these slow coffee days. I need to not rush. I need to capture the essence of the start of this pandemic and go into full shut down mode. Any glimpse of a slow summer morning is a perfect morning in my book.
Anybody else? What is your version of slow coffee?
This might need to be changed to Meal Planning Thursday - since that's when it actually happens.
Thursday | Confit Chicken (Issac Toups Cookbook) with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
This month's Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box is all things soap making and natural cleaning.
More natural cleaning products is what initially got me into essential oils. The regular sprays you buy at the store had me in a full blown allergy attack by the end of cleaning on Saturday mornings. I started off with Tea Tree Oil about 10 years ago and haven't looked back on how I now clean.
If you're new to Simply Earth and are just finding my blog, let me fill you in. Simply Earth believes that essential oils shouldn't be confusing, hence the ability to purchase kits from them to help educate you on how to use certain oils. They also offer the option to purchase single oils on their site on their own, or you can add them to your monthly box order and save on shipping. Subscribers get free access to the Essential Oil Hero Course to help you gain confidence and clarity on using essential oils. What I love the most about them though, they sell at honest prices. No MLMs, no mark up for no reason. Just great oils at a price you can stomach paying for.
Another aspect about Simply Earth that keeps me coming back, they believe in empowering people to make a difference. With their 13% to end human trafficking campaign, Simply Earth donates 13% of their profits to different charities that are working to end human trafficking. In your box each month you'll see a blip about what charity they are focusing on.
First off the oils included::
Tranquility (a favorite of mine from a previous box!)
Frankincense
Oregano (amazing for kicking sickness)
Orange
There are 6 recipes included in this month's box as well. You'll be making a Rose Quartz Soap, Sugar Scrub Soap, Herbal Surface Cleaner, Depuff Ice Facial, Let's Be Frank Roll On, and an Unwind Diffuser Blend.
I love that his month has a mix of cleaning products that range from skincare to home cleaning. My absolute favorite this month is the Sugar Scrub Soap, I love a good scrub and my favorite soap I purchase is exfoliating - so this hits all the marks.
Follow along with me this week on Instagram (@labride) and I'll be making each recipe in Stories. I'll be sure to save it to a highlight as well!