Love Is In the Air Cocoa Bombs

I can feel it! Valentine’s Day is almost here. Love is in the air! It’s been quite a journey as a single mom, but I am ready for love again! Let’s celebrate with our love is in the air cocoa bombs!

Love Is In the Air Cocoa Bombs

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

I thought I found love last year. I even look back on last year’s blog posts and it makes my heart a bit sad because at the time, I was incredibly happy! But, I have moved past that and ready to find someone on the same page as I am. 

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All For Love Cocoa Bombs

I am all about love. I have been a single mom for over 3 years. In those 3 years, I have overcome so much and learned a lot about myself! I also have a better understanding of single moms too. I am so excited to share our All For Love Cocoa Bombs!

All For Love Cocoa Bombs

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the day for love.

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Explore Your Artsy and Adventurous Side Indoors

When schools first closed, I realized I needed to keep up with school lessons and I wanted us to stay somewhat active. I bought a few art supplies and balls for us to play with! I made a few lessons for him to do each day and even incorporated little games where we tossed a ball to each other. Since we’ve been home for months, I’ve been adding games and trying to stay motivated with everything. We gathered items to explore your artsy and adventurous side indoors! 

Explore Your Artsy and Adventurous Side Indoors
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Since we prefer to stay home, which works since it’s keeping us safe with COVID, I wanted my son to try more art projects and find ways to be creative! 

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Quarantine Halloween: Making The Best Of It With Family

Halloween is looking mighty different this year due to the pandemic. In my town, trick-or-treating is not an option since we are in the red with COVID cases. At the very last minute, I decided to throw my family a small Quarantine Halloween party just for the 8 of us!

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Flowering Weed And Berries Fall Bouquet

Flowering Weed And Berries Fall Bouquet

Flowering Weed And Berries Fall Bouquet

Flowering Weed And Berries Fall Bouquet Flowering Weed And Berries Fall Bouquet Flowering Weed And Berries Fall Bouquet Flowering Weed And Berries Fall Bouquet Flowering Weed And Berries Fall Bouquet Flowering Weed And Berries Fall Bouquet Flowering Weed And Berries Fall Bouquet Flowering Weed And Berries Fall Bouquet

You ever get down in the dumps? So blah that none of your regular pick-me-ups are effective at elevating your mood? I don’t get that way very often. I have several trusty hobbies that I enjoy very much, and though two of my three children are adults now I’m still pretty busy with my youngest child, doing stuff around the house, and all of our pets.

Even the Coronavirus currently circulating around the world and all the news about that and the changes to daily routines that have come from it haven’t really gotten me down too badly. I’m a homebody by nature, so staying home a little more than usual hasn’t been a hardship.

I hope that statement doesn’t come off glib, I don’t mean it to be because I know there are a lot of people for whom this situation has created great hardships and I’m not immune to those either despite my statement. My family has older, immune-compromised members for which we are taking on extra duties to allow them to try to avoid infection, and for those of us who work outside the home precautions are taken to reduce the likelihood of infection.

I am not immune to stress. None of us are. And this year has been a doozy. The coronavirus, the brutal election cycle, the protests across the country, and all the other crazy stuff going on has just taken a toll on all of us.

I sometimes like to pick up cute flowers from the grocery store while shopping to display in our home. It’s a relatively inexpensive way to liven up our living space. One such occasion that I used to do double duty in this area was for my youngest daughter’s Sweet 16 birthday celebration. I purchased some beautiful fragrant white hyacinths and lavender to create some pretty flower arrangements for her party. Then afterward I used them paired with a fun St. Patrick’s Day garland to decorate the living room mantle. So fun! And they smelled SO GOOD!

mantle floral/holiday arrangement
mantle floral/holiday arrangement
mantle floral/holiday arrangement

I will often take larger holiday bouquets and break them down after some plants in it start to wilt or die and continue to use the parts that are still healthy-looking to make different arrangements using a variety of different sized vases and other pretty containers I have around the house. It extends the fun for as long as possible and makes the expense worth it to me.

Well, one day recently I was just very blah. Nothing seemed interesting enough to spend time doing. I had been reading books like crazy and needed a break before starting a new one. I’d been working on a knitted afghan for my Mom (a Christmas gift later this year) and needed a break from that, as well. I didn’t feel like baking or making jam and had just finished binge watching all the Grey’s Anatomy available on Netflix.

Sometimes, inspiration can come so unexpectedly. I simply decided to step outside my house to wander to the end of the driveway to get the mail. As I neared the end of the driveway I noticed some flowering weeds along the tree lining and thought to myself that even those were clearly weeds that they were pretty anyway. Then I noticed some small yellow flowers (also likely weeds) that looked sort-of like daisies. And THEN, I noticed some branches that had bright red berries on them. Something stirred within me at the sweet simple beauty of them. I collected the mail and returned to the kitchen to sort through it.

But, my thoughts kept returning to those bright, sunshiny yellow blooms and the red berries. Even throughout other chores I was doing, I kept finding myself thinking about them and how pretty they were, even if they were weeds.

So, I grabbed a pair of scissors and headed back out there to snip a handful of them. And this pretty bouquet is what resulted from my efforts. I’m sure the blossoms are probably toxic weeds, so I placed the bouquet outdoors on the table of our deck.

Flowering Weed And Berries Fall Bouquet

And you know what? Who cares if they are toxic weeds? This activity fed my soul, lifted my spirits, and for the several days that they lasted it was a beautiful sight every time I stepped out on the deck to see such vibrant colors there in one of my favorite spaces. I didn’t have to leave my property or spend even one red cent and it gave me such joy!

Flowering Weed And Berries Fall Bouquet
Flowering Weed And Berries Fall Bouquet

I call this my Flowering Weed & Berries Fall Bouquet. Pretty fantastic!

If you’re looking for some fun and easy ways to do a little Fall decorating, check out these other fun ways I’ve decorated our home for the cooler season.

What has brought you joy during this difficult year? Please share, we can all use a little good right now!

3 Simple And Thoughtful Gifts For Just About Anyone

Sometimes the simplest gifts are the most thoughtful. Instead of breaking the bank on a fancy present, look for gifts that provide comfort and can even quiet the mind.

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The Gift of Books

Books make a wonderful gift; especially for someone who loves to read. ‘The Mind Remedy‘ by Ruth Williams is a compilation of 20 beautiful and simple projects. Many of these crafts are very familiar to my own childhood; from the ‘trouble dolls‘, ‘God’s eye‘ and the ‘dream catcher

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Time To Put Down The Screens And Bring Back Family Game Night!

Board games are an amazing tool to have in your home. Dedicating an evening to family game night has many benefits. Not only can board games be educational; they can teach strategy, how to be a team player and reduce stress. With virtual learning in full effect, our kids are on the screen more than ever and family bonding has an ever growing gap. Board games have been known to bring families closer together creating healthier family relationships.

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Keeping Your Little One’s Busy In Quarantine

Keeping Your Little One's Busy In Quarantine
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I don’t think I ever expected for the situation with the pandemic to ever exist, (of course I guess one never does.) Now comes the question, with four little children under the age of eight, how are you keeping your little one’s busy in quarantine? Keep reading to find out so fun ways we are staying busy and keeping safe while staying at home.

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DIY Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer Gel + Free Printable

We created our very own DIY Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer Gel after trying to find basic essentials, such as toilet paper, hand soap, cleaning products, and more. I am thankful we have hand sanitizer available but I realize not everyone does! We wanted a hand sanitizer that everyone can make! 

DIY Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer Gel + Free Printable

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

How is quarantine life treating you? There are times when I feel stressed out and overwhelmed. For a while, I was worried about finding toilet paper and liquid hand soap. I usually stock up and have at least one or two refill bottles of liquid hand soap and a package of toilet paper on hand. Over the last few weeks, I missed out on buying toilet paper and I kicked myself each time! 

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Spark Your Child’s Imagination With Hands On Science Experiments At Home

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Distant Learning Through STEM

To inspire children through science , sparking lifelong imagination and curiosity

Mad Science

Recent events around the world have left us living with uncertainty. Between working from home and finding unique ways to entertain and teach our children have left many parents overwhelmed and stressed. Thankfully there are many digital programs and subscription services to not only entertain our children during this precarious time, but educate them as well through distant learning.

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