Homemade Strawberry Jam

There's something deliciously sweet about homemade jam. And if you indulge a little bit more than you would with store-bought jam; that's okay? Right? Right. Ha! Below you'll find my tried and true recipe for homemade strawberry jam. You don't even need a water canner with this recipe - just a big, deep pot. Don't forget to have at least ten 8oz Ball jars with new lids on hand too. 

INGREDIENTS

• 5 cups fully ripe strawberries (get at least three 16oz containers)
• 1 box of Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin (Original - yellow box)
• 7 cups of sugar (get a 4lb bag)
• 1/2 tsp butter (this reduces foaming)

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water. Rinse with warm water. Set flat lids aside in a deep bowl. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and pour the boiling water over the flat lids. Leave them in the hot water until you're ready to use them.
2. Rinse the strawberries. Remove the tops. Place in a food processor and process until they are completely mashed. Measure exactly 5 cups. Add to a 6 more 8 qt pot.
3. Stir pectin into the pot with the strawberries. Add butter. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil (on high heat) and stir constantly. It shouldn't stop boiling even when you stir it. This is the messy part; it'll splatter so be careful.
4. Stir in the sugar and return to a full rolling boil. Boil for exactly one minute while constantly stirring. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with a metal spoon.
5. Ladle immediately into a 2-cup measuring cup (this will make getting it into the jars a lot easier) and slowly pour the strawberry mixture into the jars, filling them to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe the jar rims and threads. Cover jars with the two-piece lids and screw the bands on tightly.
6. Place a round rack in the bottom of your big, deep pot. Place your jars on top of the rack in the pot and add enough water to cover the bottom of the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Cover the pot and bring the water to a gentle boil. Process for 10 minutes. Remove jars carefully (you can use a jar lifter - it'll be easier this way - or you can use an oven mitt). Place the jars on a towel to completely cool.
7. After the jars are cooled, check the seals by pressing the middle of the lids with your finger. If the lid springs back (makes a sound) the lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.

A little life update . . . 'cause it's been awhile.

Life has been pretty good lately. Our little one is almost four years old and I think it's safe to say that we finally have a hold on parenting (at least the way we want to parent). It's definitely been a learning curve - realizing our triggers and how to minimize them, discussing the type of parents we want to be, and figuring out what's best for our family. Becoming a mother has been such an eye-opening and worthwhile experience. 

 I never knew I could change as much as I have. I've leaned into it every single day. These years have gone by so quickly but I have no regret in how they have been spent. I've made it a point to be present, to focus more on homemaking, and being there for my family. It's really interesting how, once having a kid, your perspectives shift. 

 This year has been full of good things . . . Alex got a new job, which has truly been such a blessing for our family. I am forever grateful for his hard-work and determination to take care of our family. We visited Maine in late September (it was truly so nice to get away from the heat and all of the people here in Central Florida). And we're headed up to Savannah early next year and I'm looking forward to seeing relatives and spending quality time with them all.

 And now we get to look forward to the holiday season . . . I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to decorate for christmas right now but I'm going to hold out until the Saturday after Thanksgiving (which has always been our tradition). 

 

I hope everyone has a lovely rest of the year - I probably won't be on here again until then. 

My Morning Routine As A Homemaker

My morning routine has definitely shifted over the last few years. Over the last year though, I've manged to regain my morning routine and also re-invent a more intentional approach to how I start the day. All while keeping in mind that having a toddler means being flexible and letting some things fall by the wayside. I used to try very hard to wake up before my son did but I found that I just valued sleep a lot more than anything else. Besides seeing his smiling face first thing in the morning is literally the best thing ever. So with all that being said here is . . .

My Morning Routine As A Homemaker

1. Wake up and eat a small snack. I try to have a small snack before breakfast to fuel my body after such a long time of not eating. A healthy trio of carb + protein + fat is a great way to balance my blood sugar, keep stress hormones away, and provide nourishment prior to eating a full meal. Plus it gives me a little more time to start breakfast. 

2. Put on some calming piano music and attempt to write in my gratitude journal. Unfortunately I am get stressed fairly easily but I've found that if I start my day slowly, and calmly I am in a much better mood for the rest of the day. And music helps me do just that. I also try to write in my gratitude journal but with a little one that isn't always possible.

3. Get a load of laundry going. Each day I do one load of laundry. For such a long time I hated doing laundry and I recently discovered that I only hated it because I was waiting until all of the dirty laundry had piled up. Which resulted in a literal mountain of clothes that we had to fold. It was torture! One load a day keeps the folding to a minimal and ensures that my family always have clean clothes.

4. Empty the dishwasher. If you aren't loading up and starting your dishwasher the night before I suggest you try it. Every night I clean the kitchen, start the dishwasher and empty it's contents every morning. It's a great way to maintain a tidy kitchen. And once breakfast is finished all the dishes get put into the empty dishwasher.

5. Start breakfast. Since my little one and I had a "wake up snack" the breakfast process is less rushed and more enjoyable. I often have my son help me with making breakfast for this very reason. We enjoy a limited revolving breakfast menu made up of eggs with homemade breakfast potatoes, Greek yogurt with raw honey and bee pollen, homemade waffles topped with Greek yogurt and fresh berries, or homemade pancakes with bacon. Sometimes we even made biscuits from scratch!

6. Get ready for the day. I'll be honest - if we don't have plans to go anywhere, I usually stay in my comfy clothes and leave the makeup untouched on the shelf. But when we do have places to go I end up taking my makeup basket out to the dining room table to get ready. I have two reasons for this . . . Number One: better lighting than the dark cave that is our bathroom and Number Two: my son is usually playing in the living room. He's really good at independent play but I still like to be near him in case he needs me or he feels like chatting.

 

So that's my morning routine. Super simple but slow, easy going and intentional. I'm a firm believer in how you start your day sets the tone for the rest of your day. Running around like crazy doesn't make for a great day, at least in my opinion.

I do want to add that there's a big misconception when it comes to homemaking. Homemaking isn't the same as being stay at home mom. You can work outside of the home and still be a homemaker. You can not have kids and still be a homemaker. For some reason, homemaking got lumped in with being a stay at home mom and it's just not something I agree with. My mom worked full time outside of the home and she's one of the best homemakers I know. And surely there are plenty of stay at home mom's that don't view themselves as homemakers. I work part-time outside of the home and I 100% view myself as a homemaker. It's definitely two different terms that, for some reason, tend to intersect.

What does your morning routine look like? Any tips and tricks that you'd like to share?

Meal Planning Made Simple - In Four Easy Steps

When Alex & I first started living together, he was really the one who made all the meals. After all, he was a chef, and me . . . well I was really good at baking. But over time, I started to take a more active role in cooking and yes, I even started to enjoy it. In the beginning, meal planning was definitely not on my radar. Once our little one made his way onto the scene I started diving into meal planning because sticking to a budget became a bigger priority. And let me tell you, once I got our meal planning routine down, taking care of the meals (and our budget) got a lot easier. So today I wanted to share four simple steps to make your meal planning simple.

Step One: Designate a grocery shopping day and determine what you already have.

Saturdays are my grocery day and because it's essentially set in stone it makes meal planning a breeze. I essentially have two days to get our meals for the week in order. First check to see what we already have in the fridge (including remaining leftovers) and the pantry. Now since our grocery store's flyer comes out on Thursdays, the flyer sets the tone for most of our meals because it makes it lends itself well to budgeting. Which leads me to the next step . . .

Step Two: Browse the flyer for ideas and sales.

If I'm stuck on what to make certain nights I'll use the flyer to come up with meals that coincide with any current sales. It's pretty straightforward - let's say ground beef and shredded cheese are on sale. Guess what we're having for dinner one night . . . you guess it, tacos! What's really great is when there are buy one get ones. I usually stock up on those and repeat a meal two weeks later.

 

Step Three: Keep a running list of favorite meals as a backup plan.

If nothing good is on sale, or I'm having a hard time coming up with ideas, I tend to rely on my running list as a backup plan. You could even have set days like meatless Mondays, Slow Cooker Sundays, etc. Or even a list of everyone's favorite recipes. Anything that you find that helps you with your end goal of setting a meal for each day and sticking to it.

 

Step Four: Use a meal planning template and laminate it.

This step has been an absolute game-changer. I used to use meal planner notepads but I always found myself scratching days out and rearranging the meals, which in turn wasted a lot of paper. One day I decided to laminate two sheets of the meal planner notepad and use Vis A Vis maker and viola! If I have to change a meal for a day, I just wipe it off and write the new meal in. I use the second one as a catch-all throughout the week if my family mentions any cravings and add it to a meal planner for the next week. That way I'm one step closer to having the following week filled out. If you'd like me to share one, let me know in the comments below.

 

What do YOU do to make meal planning easy? Do you do what I do? Do you have a tip that I didn't share? Let me know in the comments below.

A Guide To Spring Cleaning + A Free Printable

With Spring right around the corner, I thought it would be nice to share a simple checklist that I use to help me tackle all the tasks that need to be done around the house during this season. Now here's the thing . . . I'm not obsessed with cleaning. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a clean and tidy house - but I don't always have time to regularly do all the deep cleaning that I'd like to during the year. So, once Spring rolls, around I make it a priority. Below you'll find a guide to getting all the things done. 

To make things easier, I created a printable that you can download and use. Just download it to your computer, it out, and add it to your homemaking binder! You can download the checklist here. 

Spring Cleaning Checklist

THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE

• test and replace smoke and alarm batteries
• replace air filters as needed
• clean all light fixtures, including lamp shades
  
• clean all ceiling fans
• clean air vents/registers 
• clean all windows and windowsills
• wash all curtains
  

 ENTRYWAY

• sweep and mop floors
• wipe down the walls and baseboards
• clean the door and handles
• shake out or wash any doormats
• remove unnecessary clutter

KITCHEN

• clean the stovetop
• deep clean the oven
• clean the microwave and deodorizer
• clean the refrigerator
• clean the dishwasher and deodorizer
• wipe down drawers and shelves in the fridge and freezer
• discard old or expired food in the pantry, fridge, and freezer
• remove everything off the counters and do a deep clean
• de-grease cabinet doors and backsplash
• remove items from cabinets and thoroughly clean the shelves 
• clean fridge/freezer seal
• dust high up places
• mop floors
• clean floor mats

DINING ROOM

• dust and polish all furniture
• wash all table linens
• vacuum and spot clean cushions
• vacuum or mop floor
• wipe down the walls and baseboards 
• donate unused items
  

BEDROOMS

• dust and polish all furniture 
• wash all bed sheets and duvets
• organize the closets
• donate unused clothing
• vacuum floors

BATHROOMS

• discard expired personal care products, makeup, and old medication
• clean the mirror, sink, and countertops
• deep clean the tub/shower
• clean the showerhead
• clean or replace the shower curtain liner
• wash the shower curtain
• deep clean the toilet
• vacuum and mop floors
• wash any rugs
  
• wipe down the walls and baseboards

LIVING ROOM

•  dust and polish all furniture
• clean the television
• wash all blankets
• wash pillowcases
• vacuum the couch
• vacuum/mop floors
• dust all electronics
• sanitize remote controls
• organize entertainment center
• donate unused items
  

 LAUNDRY ROOM

• clean the washing machine (inside and out)
• remove lint from the lint trap
• clean the outside of the dryer
• check the dryer hose
• organize laundry supplies
• wipe down the wall and baseboards
• vacuum/mop floors

The Best Apple Crisp - Just in time for Thanksgiving . . .

Last year during the quarantine we bought a lot of apples and I spent the majority of my time at home perfecting the recipe. This recipe is super easy; it has no oats - just flour, butter and sugar. I think it's the best because one: it tastes SO good and two: my dessert hating husband LOVES it. This apple crisp is the perfect mix of sweet and savory, which lends itself for both dessert and breakfast. Trust me, it's that good.

 INGREDIENTS

5-6 peeled and sliced Fuji apples

1 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon + extra for the apples

1 unbeaten egg

1/3 melted butter

 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add some olive oil to a 8x8 glass baking dish, spreading around the bottom and edges with a paper towel.

Peel and slice the apples, sprinkle with cinnamon (just eyeball it). You can also add ginger and clove, if you're feeling festive. Mix until evenly coated and add to the baking dish arranging them evenly.

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and egg. Pour the mixture over the apples, making sure that the apples are properly covered.

Melt the butter and pour it all over the flour mixture. Take some olive oil and pour on just the top sides of the apple crisp.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is nice a golden. Top with homemade whip cream if you're feeling indulgent.

I'm Officially a Stuffie Surgeon

I performed my first stuffie surgery a week ago and I feel like I’ve waited my whole life for this moment. I know that sounds weird but I can’t wait to tell my son about it when he gets older . . . The story of how when his beloved Shadow’s blankie ripped from it’s tummy, mama sewed him back together - good as new. Except nowhere near as fluffy as he used to be. Lots of baths will do that.

Gratitude Journaling

Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been mildly keeping a gratitude journal. I say mildly because sometimes I go three weeks without writing in it. Womp womp. Even with those gaps in writing, I've found it to be rather helpful. I love creating a habit that encourages me to be mindful because it can be quite a challenge with a little one. Over the past few months, I've found a few tricks when it comes to writing my gratitudes down. This one especially: it's best to write a sentence about one thing you are grateful for and list five reasons why you are grateful for them. I wish I could say that I came up with this idea, but I didn't. Unfortunately, I can't recall where I discovered it either. 

Another gratitude journaling trick I came across is from Delilah of Loeppkylife. She suggests to, at the end of the day, write down your negative comments and spin each one of them into a positive statement. For example, My husband always leaves his dishes in the sink . . . a positive spin on that could be My husband doesn't leave his dishes all over the house. It's really just another way of being thankful for what you have. I love it because it is such a great reminder to treasure what you have in your life. 

I'm also trying to take her suggestion one step further and not say anything negative or complain. Instead, I'll write them down in my journal, do the positive spin, and if I'm still bothered by the end of the week I'll say something.

I've also taken to writing inspiring quotes that I come across on random pages in my journal to find later on. Like this one by Ram Das, "When somebody provokes your anger, the only reason you get angry is because you're holding on to how you think something is supposed to be. You're denying how it is. Then you see it's the expectations of your own mind that are creating your own hell. When you get frustrated because something isn't the way you thought it would be, examine the way you thought, not just the thing that frustrates you. You'll see that a lot of your emotional suffering is created by your models of how you think the universe should be and your inability to allow it to be as it is."

In the spirit of sharing, I figured it would be fun to show you one of my journal entries:

I'm grateful for my husband because . . .

1. He is such a great father.
2. He always cooks us a delicious dinner.
3. He's funny and weird.
4. He always gives me head-pets and backrubs.
5. He is caring and loving.

I'm grateful for my son because . . .

1. He helps me slow down in life.
2. He is helping me be patient.
3. His smile makes me so happy.
4. I love how his laugh is contagious.
5. He feels like home.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post - it has been AWHILE since I last posted something substantial and it feels good to be back at it. Even if I don't know how long it'll be until I post again.

Waiting for autumn like . . .

The verdicts out . . . pandemics suck.

The museum I work at has been closed since this past Monday. I'm one week into social distancing and my anxiety is all over the place - some days I'm okay, others not so much. The goal was to come back to work after next week, but I'm not sure what the plan is now. And as for Alex, he's on furlough for at least a month (unpaid, mind you) and we're trying to remain positive. There's just so much uncertainty that it makes my head spin. Honestly, I'm glad we have savings to fall back on (it sucks because it was going to go towards a down payment on a house at some point) but I'm thankful for. Very thankful because some people have absolutely nothing.

I'm glad that our son won't remember any of this. All he knows is that mama and dada are home with all the time and he's happy. That's the silver lining of all this for me; that Alex & I have this time to slow down as a family together. 

It's so hard to not worry about what this pandemic will do to our country, hell - the world. All the people that have already passed. It breaks my heart. I worry for my loved ones and for the people I don't even know. And what is really infuriating is the fact that there are still people out there who aren't taking this seriously. 

Either way, I hope whoever is reading this is safe and well. If you personally know me and you need anything (anything at all) please don't hesitate to reach out. <3

Also - this post from @leilastead made me feel a little better. Maybe it'll do the same for you.

Giving Thanks

I have a lot to be thankful for. Especially this year. I'm not going to lie - those newborn days we're brutal. Alex and I questioned our sanity a lot, but our son's happy little smile always made it all worth it. Even if we were running on four hours of sleep (most of the time less).

This year has been truly eye-opening and filled with so many things that I am beyond thankful for. I am incredibly thankful for my husband - he has always been and continues to be a light in the dark. He keeps me steady even when I feel like my whole world is off kilter. And for our son, a child we wanted so badly, you were born healthy and you are the most easy going and happiest baby that I have ever known. You have given your dada and I purpose - we love you more than anything in this world.

Outside of the normal things like health and love - I'm also thankful for a family that cares so deeply for us. From my mother watching our son while we're at work, to once a week sleepovers from my mother-in-law for the first three months of his life, to a best friend that I can always count on. I hate the word "blessed" and the word "lucky" seems cheesy, but the life I have makes me feel both of those things - down to my very core.

Wishing you all a lovely thanksgiving - from my family to yours.

Baby Boy - Nine Months

Our Fall Bucket List

Fall is one of my favorite seasons and being the list maker that I am, I tend to construct a list of things I'd like to do (especially in Fall and Winter.) And now that we have our son, things are little different in terms of what I'd like to do in order to make his first Autumn more memorable. Here's what I've come up with.

• take photos of our little one in a pumpkin patch
• drink apple cider
• get his first Halloween costume
• make an apple pie
• listen to Type O Negative albums (a tradition I've done FOR YEARS)
• collect Autumn leaves for the baby book
• make a cobbler
• Watch the VVitch
• listen to our Halloween playlist
• take Halloween photos of baby boy (including a family photo)
• eat dinners on the porch during the cooler nights
• get more Halloween books
• take early morning walks
• watch Hocus Pocus
• Read my Edgar Allen Poe compilation (maybe even read it to my little one too!)
• roast marshmallows using a terracotta pot
• make a Fall music playlist
• get a pumpkin spice latte at Concord Coffee
• watch Beetlejuice
• go on a picnic
• make a Fall-themed charcuterie board
• decorate for Fall & Halloween

If you're like me and love Halloween, check out how Alex & I Get Into the Halloween Spirit.

Do you have any goals this Fall? Let me know in the comments below!

Life Lately

Wow! It's been a while since I've written a proper update on here. I've gotten in the bad habit of quickly updating small moments on my Instagram and not taking the time to sit down an actually write a blog post. Life is so full right now and I absolutely love this season we're in. Life with an seven-month-old is busy and magical. I've finally found my calling with motherhood and it's just so incredibly rewarding.

The other day Alex & I were discussing how we never say we're bored anymore and he's right - we don't! And I'm really glad. Our little one never gives us a dull moment. It's great. Yes, sometimes we need a break but that's the funny thing about having a kid. Even when you finally get that break you still miss them! It's such a weird feeling.

Being a parent can be hard; that's a given. Alex & I get tired, we both need our alone time, etc but thankfully we are really good at giving each other what we need in order to feel sane. Sometimes that looks like Alex taking the reigns while I lay in bed and watch TV for an hour or me getting up early so Alex can sleep in. It's a give & take and it's really nice to know that we have each other's backs.

As far as motherhood is concerned, I'm still learning how to cope with the anxiety I get whenever he cries. This has been something I've experienced since he was born and it's a strange feeling. I want so badly to fix whatever is troubling him and when I can't automatically fix it for him, I get very anxious. The other day Alex asked me if it's gotten any better, and honestly, the only thing that's changed is that I know how to manage it a little better. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it eventually. Fingers crossed.

My favorite part about being parents (so far): is that whenever we're ever having a bad day, a smile from our sweet boy makes all our troubles disappear. And his laugh! Oh my goodness - it's the best sound in the world!

My Maternity Photos

Photos by Laura Davis

A Boy and His Bunny

This was the first time our baby boy met Olive. It was only five days after he was born and it was the first time I had seen Olive since I went into labor. I was so happy to see her again and incredibly excited to introduce her to her brother. When I placed Olive down next to our son, she was a little confused at first. She sniffed him and hopped away. I scooped Olive up once more and the next thing I knew, this happened. Another sniff and a lick. These photos still make my heart melt into a puddle.

Olive still loves to hop up to wherever he is to nuzzle him. It's seriously, so cute!

Holy shit - I'm a mama!

Motherhood has been pretty crazy - five weeks in and I'm still getting the hang of it. The sleepless nights, the hormones, the tears - both happy & sad, the time spent just staring at my son. It's wild and hard, and magical and frustrating all at once. He wasn't even a month old when I asked Alex to take this photo of the two of us together. At the time I had maybe one photo of just my little love and me, and I just really needed one. Don't let how put-together I look fool you... I threw on a normal shirt last minute in hopes of not looking completely run down. 

But there I am... just a new mama and her son. 

My Third Trimester of Pregnancy

I was recently going through my posts and realized that I never blogged about my third trimester. I honestly planned to but with the laziness of the last leg of pregnancy and the fact that our son came almost a month early, I never got around to it. So here it is . . .

So what was my third trimester like? Actually it wasn't that bad, but that's probably because I only made it three days shy of 37 weeks. My mom threw me a lovely baby shower, Alex & I made some wooden toys for the baby, and I had a dreamy maternity photo shoot literally less than two weeks before I gave birth.

Symptoms
My pelvic varicosities actually went away a month before our son arrived which meant that it didn't hurt to walk anymore. I was feeling more and more lethargic though and tried me best to take it as easy as I could.

I did a lot of nesting. Cleaning, organizing, prepping, you name it! I'm glad I started early too. My Mom actually came over on a Monday to help me deep clean our apartment. The next morning at 4 AM my water broke. Haha. I wonder if all that cleaning had anything to do with it . . .

Emotional Musings
I was so ready to meet our little one. I just remember talking to Alex about how I just wanted to actually hold him - I just wanted to meet him.

The Baby Shower

This past Saturday my Mom threw the most perfect baby shower for me. It was so nice be surrounded by so much love for our baby boy. I feel so grateful for all of my friends and family who were in attendance and for those who couldn't make it, but were there in spirit. Our baby boy is already immensely loved and it just warms my heart!