A little while back, one of my readers asked me to share an embarrassing moment. The thing about embarrassing moments is that everyone has them, but they aren’t always easy to recall. I finally thought of one, so to kick off the weekend, Mr. Handsome and I made a video blog to tell the story:…
Archives for 2018
Our Anniversary: 3 Years of Marriage
Hope you’re having a wonderful week. These past 14 days have been extremely busy for us, and I apologize for the lack of blog posts. Mr. Handsome and I recently celebrated our three-year wedding anniversary. I don’t mean to sound cliche, but these three years have flown by. It truly does feel like only yesterday we were saying our vows and jetting off on our honeymoon….
On Top of the World
During our trip to the Big Island of Hawaii earlier this year, we drove to the summit of the world’s tallest mountain. Nope, I’m not talking about Everest. What most folks don’t know is that Mauna Kea, one of the Big Island’s volcanoes, is actually taller from base to summit than Everest. The catch is that the base of Mauna Kea is almost 20,000 feet (6096 meters) below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. The entire mountain is about 33,500 feet (10,210 meters) tall, while Mount Everest is approximately 29,035 feet (8849 meters).
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American Flag Fruit Tart
Are all my American readers ready for the 4th of July? The other day, I made an American flag fruit tart for Mr. Handsome’s coworkers, and they loved it. It’s a fairly simple recipe that consists of a basic sugar cookie cake covered in cream cheese frosting and topped with strawberries and blueberries.
If you’re still looking for a dessert for Independence Day, scroll down for the recipe and time-lapse video.
The good news is that while it’s certainly not a “healthy” dessert, it is lower in sugar than many alternatives. If you live in another country, you can feel free to follow the recipe without the American flag design. You can even experiment with different fruits….
Our Towel Dilemma
Ever since we got married three years ago, Mr. Handsome and I have had a bit of a dilemma with the hand towels in our home. Before I go into detail, I must first say that Mr. Handsome is a great husband, and even though cleanliness and organization aren’t nearly as important to him as they are to me, he tries very hard to keep our house clean because he knows how happy it makes me.
That being said, he does have one habit that has been especially hard to break. He suggested that I share it with you all, in hopes that it will help him overcome his struggle….
Fresh Berries and Homemade Jelly
This weekend, Mr. Handsome and I visited a local berry farm. We went to pick fresh blueberries because they are in peak season here in Nashville, but we ended up getting a few blackberries and even some strawberries. The season has ended for strawberries, but there were a few stragglers left on the plants, and they were delicious.
Mr. Handsome is a very serious blueberry picker. I lackadaisically walk down the rows and choose the best berries, knowing that others will come along a few days later to pick the “leftovers” once they have grown a little larger. He, on the other hand, positions himself in front of a particular plant and doesn’t move on until he has picked every single blueberry.
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Stars and Stripes and Sleepless Nights Gender Reveal Party
Earlier this week, I shared photos from my sister-in-law’s early 4th of July picnic. (If you need ideas, the post has some great suggestions.) She’s big on themed gatherings, but this get-together was more than just a patriotic party. It was a gender reveal for her third child! Her daughter is almost four, her son is 20 months, and Baby #3 is due in late fall.
As she did at the gender reveal party for her second child (you may remember the photos I posted to the blog), Anne had each of the guests make their guess known by wearing a pink or blue clothespin. She enjoys decorating with chalkboards, so she used a few at the party.
“He or she? What will our little firecracker be?”…
4th of July Picnic Ideas
June will be over in a jiffy, which means that my American and Canadian readers are scrambling to prepare for 4th of July and Canada Day. If you’re planning a picnic or backyard BBQ, I have some ideas to get you started. And if you don’t live in the United States or Canada, don’t worry because these suggestions will work for any outdoor party. Just swap out some of the red, white, and blue (or white and red for Canadian readers) for other colors.
Last weekend, Anne (one of my sisters-in-law) threw an early Independence Day party for family and friends. Mr. Handsome and I were unable to attend, but we loved seeing pictures. Anne has a knack for party planning, so she went all out. There was a particular reason that she hosted the party a couple weeks before July 4th, but I’ll share that in my next post. Hope these suggestions are helpful as you plan your outdoor gatherings. …
Happy Father’s Day!
We hope you’re having a wonderful Father’s Day! Mr. Handsome and I just filmed a quick video that we wanted to share with you.
Baked Potato Soup
While planning meals for the week, I decided to try a few new recipes. I’ll admit that Mr. Handsome was a bit nervous when he heard, but he has been pleased with the results so far. Two nights ago, I experimented with potato soup, and we both loved it.
Picture a loaded baked potato in soup form, and that’s exactly what this recipe tastes like. It takes a bit of time to make but is so worth it. This soup is creamy and wonderfully flavorful. It’s not an especially healthy meal, although it does contain a decent amount of vegetables and has less fat than conventional potato soup. If you want to make it healthier, you can substitute some of the potato for more yellow squash. You can also use more milk and less heavy cream, but expect a runnier soup if you make that change….