Articles with lifestyle

Blessing Hour

Pro Tip: Fresh flowers weekly to bring a little joy to your table.

Recently in our home we began practicing “blessing hour”. I noticed other women and homemakers practicing this within their home and although I never saw a full explanation of what blessing hour actually was, I was able to take a good guess based off of the content I saw. Moms and kids blasting worship and picking up before their Dad came home from work. Homeschool families jamming out while tidying up or doing chores before they jumped into their day. In the end, the goal was clear: set aside some time to care for your home (in other words, bless it).

In the past, cleaning our home with a toddler and two full-time working parents looked like keeping up with the basics when it was absolutely necessary or binge-stress-cleaning an hour before company was to arrive. As you can imagine, and maybe even relate, this did not fare well for us. It often led to tension or arguments directly before company arrived- definitely not ideal!! In addition, for me as the keeper of our home, this often meant weekends were spent checking off the to-do list. I spent Friday and Saturdays cleaning the house and catching up on the week’s tasks while Sunday was for church and grocery shopping. I never felt like there was time to rest.

This system was simply not blessing our family, so when I started my maternity leave with James we decided to give blessing hour a go. Partially this was due to my husband being aware of my mental health postpartum. He knows there are two things that make me crazy- a cluttered kitchen and dirty floors.

I explained my idea of blessing hour to him and before we knew it we were tag teaming our house with our newborn in the wrap and our two year old working right beside us. We blast worship and divvy up the work. Roman, our oldest, assists however he can and has since gotten his own toddler-size cleaning supply set. Sometimes he even asks for blessing hour!

Do we always do it for an hour? Definitely not. Like I said we have a two year old and a newborn at home so let’s be realistic. Sometimes it’s a quick ten minute tidy and sometimes it’s an hour or more. We call for blessing hour as needed throughout the week, but when Thursday and Friday come around we plan for it. This allows us to honor the Sabbath together for the first time ever- without the pressure of being productive! I have finally felt capable of turning my mom brain off, shutting down the to-do list, and resting with my family through Saturday evening.

The rest and peace that has come over our home since starting this has truly been a blessing to us. I pray you find your own “blessing hour” norm and experience that same rest that is so needed in our busy world.

Mack’s Fitness Must-Haves

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

A list of things I use (and love) for fitness training, on a budget.

Aftershocks Trekz Titanium Bone Conduction Headphones: I am that girl who BLASTS her music y’all. I used to run with noise canceling headphones and I loved them but if I am being truthful, it was not safe… at all. Wes bought me these bone conduction headphones so I could blast my music but still be aware of my surroundings and I LOVE them. I even bought a pair for my mom to use on her walks.

*In an indoor setting (like a Baileys Gym), they don’t seem loud enough because there is so much background noise. At my gym I don’t need headphones, so they are perfect for me.

Sports Bras: This year I finally found the perfect sports bra on amazon. It is actually the inspiration behind this whole post. I always search for sports bra recommendations and am shocked at the price. They are literally undergarments… This bra may not be the prettiest color or pattern, but it is supportive, super comfortable, and more importantly, budget friendly. I buy the three pack in black for $29.

Running Fanny Pack: This sounds OCD but I hate feeling uneven when I run, so pockets and arm bands have just not worked for me. This fanny pack is petite and adjustable. I adjust it before I begin running and it stays in place really well. It also has a separate compartment for a key, which is nice because I have always tied my key on my shoelace. The only con is that it is another layer of material on your stomach which makes an already HOT run, hotter. Truthfully, I love rocking a fanny pack so this item is a win-win for me.

Shorts: I can’t really say I have a favorite pair of workout shorts. I look for Old Navy’s 50% off activewear sale and purchase their shorts during that time. They fit well and have a built in liner, which is a must for me. They are not forever quality, but do hold up well for the price.

Weights: Weights can be so pricey!! I was glad I decided to go into Dicks Sporting Goods and check out what they had when I was looking for a set of 10 lb weights. I was able to get them (solid metal) for $20. Another great place to look for weights is Facebook Marketplace. You might need patience, but weight sets often come up for sale at a reasonable price. Small sidenote: Don’t be fooled into thinking you need a bunch of equipment to workout at home. There are soo many killer workouts that you can do with just your body weight!

Leggings: I have a few pairs of leggings I really enjoy running in. I have two pairs from amazon that stay up well, but do not have pockets. I recently made my first purchase with Fabletics and must say I am extremely satisfied with the quality of the leggings. They stay up very well and fit true to size. I also love the many color and style options they have available! Fabletics is a monthly subscription program if you become a VIP member, but you can skip the month at any time. If you use my link to sign up, I do earn credit on my account.

Nike Run Club App: I use this app to track all of my runs. I love that there are a variety of options and that it tracks my progress over a long period of time. I can also connect it to my apple watch screen. I highly recommend using this app whether your a pro runner or just starting out. This app is also totally… FREE. It doesn’t get more budget friendly than that!

Shirts: I recently found these workout tanks on amazon and LOVE them. I prefer a workout tank over a tee because of how much I sweat. I also like that in a tank I don’t have to keep adjusting my shirt in a movement like burpees. These tanks are affordable and come in a variety of colors. I also washed and dried them and they did not shrink or lose their softness. I ordered my normal size (medium) and they fit well.

I purchased two packs of the tanks. They come three to a pack.

Foam Roller: If you are new to working out you may be shocked by the stiffness and soreness that can follow a good workout. This soreness is NOT a bad thing and is not a reason to stop. A good foam roller helps those muscles to recover and is very popular item on amazon. We have this one and this one and use them both. The large one is a bit easier to use, but any foam roller will do. There are many videos on youtube that teach you how to use a foam roller and stretch correctly following a workout. Make sure you check them out before using one as there are some areas that should not be foam rolled.

Real Food Fudge

An easy dessert that fills the chocolate craving, without the sugar crash.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup peanut butter (no sugar added)
  • 2 cups fresh dates, pits removed*
  • 1/4 cup cacao powder (not coco powder)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place dates in a high speed food processor and blend until a paste forms. If needed, add 1 T of water (or more) to soften dates and help form a paste. 
  2. Add peanut butter and cacao powder to the food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
  3. Adjust as needed with more cacao powder or peanut butter. 
  4. Once fully blended, serve with a spoon and ENJOY. 
Date paste consistency (left), Add in cacao powder and peanut butter (right), Desired fudge consistency (bottom)

* If dates are not fresh, soak in warm water for up to 5 minutes. Then drain before completing step 1. 

** Make sure you remove date pits or any pit fragments!

Fall Garden Prep

I know here in Florida we are still looking at a long season of 90 degree plus days ahead, however, it is time to start thinking about your fall garden. There have definitely been a large number of people starting to garden and seed companies have been running low or out of stock completely. Here in zone 9a we do not need to start our fall seeds until September (give or take a little), however, I recommend you make a list of the things you want to grow and purchase those seeds ASAP. Northern zones are planting their seeds Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Annie’s Heirloom Seeds are the two companies I typically purchase from. There are many great seeds companies out there so do your research to see which one you like best.

My hope for sharing my fall garden plan and seed purchase is that you will have an idea of what you can grow and begin preparing for your (maybe first ever) fall garden. ENJOY

VEGETABLES:

This year I am planning to use every square inch of my garden (and hopefully even add on two smaller beds). My goal this fall/ winter is to significantly lower our grocery cost by growing what we eat the most of. The veggies listed in bold print are ones I have not grown successfully yet, or am just growing for the first time. The veggies marked with an * are ones that should not be transplanted, but directly sown into your garden.

  • brussels sprouts
  • lettuce varieties
  • kale
  • spinach
  • chard
  • snow pea
  • cauliflower
  • red rock cabbage
  • butternut squash
  • bok choy
  • celery
  • broccoli
  • beets *
  • carrots *
  • radishes *

HERBS

I typically don’t start my herbs from seeds. Many of them are hard to germinate and since organic varieties are so readily available I usually just buy and transplant them.

  • cilantro
  • rosemary
  • parsley
  • sage
  • thyme
  • chives
  • mint

FLOWERS

I just read that calendula does well through the fall and mine has had a rough summer so I am hoping to harvest a good amount in the fall to infuse oils.

  • calendula
  • borage
  • I try to look for varieties that have good reviews from gardeners who live near my zone. This season I ordered all my new seeds from Baker Creek.
2020 Fall Garden Planning: After going through all of the seeds I already had I made a list of what I needed. I was able to purchase almost all of the seeds on the “order” list for $31.25. It probably took me about 2 hours to complete my entire Fall plan. For reference, my garden beds are 4 feet X 8 feet.

Summer Soup

A lemon bean soup that is refreshing, simple, and packed with nutrients.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 can of chickpeas
  • 1/2 large yellow onion
  • 1 cup water (can sub veg. stock if you have it available)
  • 1 t. garlic powder
  • 3-5 stalks of kale (can sub spinach)
  • 2 T. Nutritional Yeast
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon
  • EVOO

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat a pan over medium heat.
  2. Thinly slice the onion. If using kale you may chop it up at this time as well to your desired size.
  3. Place onion, chickpeas (with brine), and water in a pot. Simmer over medium high heat for about 6 minutes.
  4. Add in garlic powder, kale, and about 3 T. of EVOO. Allow to simmer for another 3-4 minutes. 
  5. Add nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
  6. Add juice from the lemon.
  7. Serve in a bowl topped with a lemon wedge and drizzled EVOO. 
  8. Adjust seasonings as needed and ENJOY.

* Serves 1-2

** Add toasted sourdough or a side salad for a fuller meal.

*** You may need to adjust the water and oil depending on your preference. Sometimes I prefer lots of broth and other times I like it thicker. Enjoy!

Summer Cereal

A simple, cheap, and delicious alternative to cereal that leaves you feeling refreshed and ready to start your day strong.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries
  • 1 t. pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup (or more) almond or other plant based mylk
  • 1 t. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

  1. Add oats and blueberries in a serving bowl and drizzle maple syrup over the top.
  2. Sprinkle with cinnamon and add in any additional ingredients.
  3. Pour mylk over the cereal and mix together.
  4. Enjoy immediately, while blueberries are still frozen.

*I recommend using wild frozen blueberries for this recipe. They tend to be smaller and do not get soggy like normal frozen blueberries would. You want the blueberries frozen-trust me! They are soooo yummy and refreshing!

** Hemp seeds are a great add-in option if you are looking to up your protein and/or omega intake. They are also delicious!

*** I strongly recommend using a nut mylk over an oat mylk for this recipe. Oats tend to be naturally on the sweeter side and oat mylk can actually make this recipe a bit too sweet. One thing I love about limiting sugar in my diet is that the naturally occuring sweetness in real food stands out much more.

Summer Veggies

Although garden tours are fun, they sometimes fail to show exactly what’s growing in the garden. There are MANY varieties of seeds and many different options where to purchase them from. With the hopes of clearing up any confusion and helping you know what to plant, I am going to share each vegetable I am growing in my summer garden. I know that for many people, the summer garden season is peaking and there is not time to replant summer veggies. Here in sunny Florida however, we can plant a second round of summer vegetables before getting our fall seeds sown. The first frost for my zone (zone 9a), is in December. I do plan to share a fall garden plan and seed purchasing guide but for now, here is what I am currently growing, or trying to grow in my summer garden.

Seed starting day in Spring. I love this day.

Tomatoes

I am growing a few different varieties of tomatoes this year. All of them are heirloom varieties and the majority of them are big beefsteak tomatoes.

These are all the tomato seeds I have. The black envelopes are from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and the white envelopes are from Annie’s Heirloom Seeds. There are many great seed companies to purchase seeds from. These are just two of my favorites.
  • Striped German Tomato (78 days) : This tomato has been particularly easy for me to grow. It has the most fruit on it out of all my tomato plants and overall, I highly recommend this variety.
  • Amish Paste Tomato (80 days) : This is a smaller tomato variety, unlike the beefsteaks. This is my first year growing it and it has done fairly well. It is a good tomato for paste and canning, which is the reason I got it. It produced my very first tomato of the season, but as you know, a squirrel got it before I did.
  • Pineapple Tomato (75-95 days) : This is my first year growing this variety. Supposedly the fruit is yellow and very large, with red marbling throughout. I wouldn’t know, because I have been unsuccessful in getting any fruit from this variety. It does say it can take up to 95 days, so I am still hopeful that I will this season!
  • Cherokee Purple (80 days) : This year is my first time growing this variety. It has lots of fruit on it and I just harvested my first tomato from this plant. It was delicious! It is a Cherokee Indian Heirloom and I just think that is the most amazing thing- to be growing what Indian’s grew pre 1890’s!
  • Brandywine Tomato (80 days) : This is the average red beefsteak tomato. It is still different than what you would find at the grocery store. This is the second year I am growing this and I have yet to get any fruit from it, but it is a very popular variety. I also am not a pro gardener by any means and know that there are like a million factors that could be preventing it from producing.
  • Aunt Ruby’s Green (85 days) : I am not growing this variety this year mainly due to lack of space. It produces green beefsteak tomatoes and is a fairly popular heirloom.
  • Blueberries and Blue Gold Berries Tomato (75 days) : These are the only cherry tomato varieties I grow. They both produce heavily and consistently. Direct sunlight turns the tomatoes a blue/ purple color. The pigments are the same as those found in blueberries, making the tomato high in antioxidants. They are delicious, easy to grow, and very fun and unique! I highly recommend growing this variety. I feel like they would be especially fun for kids to grow.

Peppers


Bell Peppers:

I have had a great deal of success growing bell peppers in the south. Due to the warm weather I was able to harvest peppers pretty much all year long last year. I did not grow all of these varieties because of spacing, but the green, chocolate, and red varieties did really well for me. This year I am trying the Belgian variety for the first time.

  • California Wonder (70 days) : Green bell pepper that ripens red.
  • Orange Bell (90 days) Orange bell pepper.
  • Quadrato Giallo D’Asti (78-80 days) : Sweet yellow bell pepper.
  • Quadrato Rosso D’Asti (80-85 days) : Sweet red bell pepper from Italy.
  • Red Belgian Early Variety (50-70 days) : This plant is known for it’s high yields. Peppers can be picked early when yellow (around 50 days), or allowed to ripen and turn red.
  • Chocolate Bell (65-80 days) : My favorite variety of peppers. They are a chocolate purple color and produce a high yield.
Peppers that didn’t have time to ripen. You can see the chocolate color starting to come through on the left.

Other Peppers:

  • First banana pepper harvest and some Blue Goldberries Tomatoes
  • Banana Peppers
  • Banana Pepper (60 days) : My favorite peppers! I just planted three more for a total of 5. I’m hoping I will get enough to pickle and store through winter.
  • Craig’s Grande Jalapeno (unsure of the days) : No fruit on this plant just yet.
  • Poblano (75 days) : Plant has grown very large and strong, but has not produced any fruit yet. Can’t wait to saute these with some olive oil and sea salt. YUMMMMMMM.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers grow very quickly and produce high yields. My issue with cucumbers is that pickle worms run the show around here. I just had to pull my blonde cucumber to save my boston cucumber from being taken over as well. Neem oil is your friend with these babies! * See neem oil disclaimer *

Both varieties grow quickly and produce a high yield.
  • Boston Pickling Cucumber (57 days) : I haven’t tried pickling yet but I might this season.
  • Boothby’s Blonde Cucumber (60 days) : My favorite cucumber for slicing! It can also be pickled but I really enjoy this one fresh.
Baby Boston Cucumber. This will be ready to harvest in just a few days.

Lettuce

  • Annie’s Lettuce Blend: A mix of seeds of all types of red and green lettuces and romaines. A good option if you are going to plant a row of lettuce because you will most likely get a good variety.
  • Bronze Beauty: This is my first year growing this and I love it.
  • Buttercrunch: I got this as a free seed but I have not grown it yet.
  • Swiss Chard Vulcan: I LOVE swiss chard but have not successfully grown it this year. I just sowed a whole row of it in a shadier spot in the garden. I love to saute chard with potatoes and top with poached eggs for breakfast. I am determined to have an abundance of chard this year!
  • Malabar Spinach: The variety of spinach that I originally planted did not germinate, so I picked up a Malabar Spinach seedling at a local farm. The berries can be planted to grow another plant. I will say this spinach is quite slimy when cooked. I’m hoping the sliminess will be masked in a smoothie.
Malabar Spinach
I do plant this in a pot because it self seeds.

Beans

  • Noodle Beans on a trellis
  • Noodle bean harvest
  • Mammoth Melting Snow Pea (68-72 days) : I just direct sowed these in the garden and am hoping to have some peas by September!
  • Chinese Red Noodle Long Bean (80 days) : These are the best beans ever! For one, they are unique and HUGE. They produce heavily and are wonderful cut and sauteed with garlic and oil, like green beans. I have had issues with aphids on most of my beans. I use neem oil and a friend from Urban Pigtails Farm recommended to use soap with cayenne pepper, which seemed to work wonders. * See neem oil disclaimer *
  • Provider Bush Bean (50 days) : I just sowed these in the garden. Last year they did well and the beans were delicious raw.
  • Kurzer’s Calico Traveler Bean (90 days) : This is my first year planting this variety. The plant is loaded with beans, but none of them are large enough to harvest yet. I hope to use these in soups or salads.

Squash

  • Some of the Rampicante Zucchini I have harvested this summer.
  • This is the amount of space my one Rampicante Zucchini is taking up…No complaints here though!
  • Zucchini, noodle beans, blonde cucumber, and Blue Goldberries tomatoes.
  • Black Beauty Zucchini (52 days) : My plant got sick early on last year and I wasn’t able to harvest any zucchini. It is a very popular variety though.
  • Rampicante Zucchino Squash (70 days) : An Italian Heirloom that has taken over the garden this year. Although the fruit has not grown very large (which I think may be a problem with pollination), the plant has literally not stopped producing. It has grown about 10 feet over our fence and into my neighbor’s yard. They are now also reaping the benefits and harvesting zucchinis too! This is a must grow…if you have the space!

Melons

  • Baby Kajari Melon
    I grow these on a trellis to keep them up off the ground.
  • Kajari Melon (early variety) : Once again, I just love Indian heirlooms. This has grown easily and produces a lot of fruit. Unfortunately, I have lost every one to pickle worms. I am still not giving up on this plant though!
  • Sugar Baby Watermelon (84 days) : I planted one this year and one somehow volunteered from last year in a raised bed. No fruit yet but I am hopeful!

Eggplant

I have Black Beauty Eggplant seeds that I was unable to germinate in the spring. After the third fail, I went and purchased an eggplant seedling from one of my favorite local farms, Maggie’s Herb Farm. The plant has done very well and I just made eggplant parm with my first two eggplants. It was delicious! I am not totally sure of the variety but I would assume that it is Black Beauty.

Radishes

I used all of my Watermelon Radish seeds and I am almost through with my Annie’s Radish Mix packet. Radishes are truly the most underrated vegetable. I eat them on toast or roast them like brussel sprouts. They also grow quickly and don’t take up much space in the garden. I will note that home grown radishes are MUCH SPICIER than store bought ones. I know the heat can affect how spicy they are, but I usually roast my homegrown radishes because they are so spicy.

The radishes here are store bought, but I want to exemplify how to incorporate radishes into your diet. Here they are fresh sliced on toast with hummus.

I am definitely a beginner gardener and don’t know all the do’s and don’t of gardening. One of my favorite parts about gardening is that you don’t have to follow the rules. As an educator I do know that the best way to learn is through experience! Some of the best gardeners I follow break the rules regularly to create their own gardening methods and oftentimes they find out… it works! I know I have lots to learn but I hope this encourages you to try something new and just start planting!

*A NOTE ABOUT NEEM OIL * I have heard varying testimonies about using neem oil on your plants. Some say that neem oil can cause plants to burn, especially when applied on a sunny day. I personally use a diluted neem oil spray at night, so it has time to dry before the hot FL sun rises. I recommend doing your own research before using it in your garden.