Yesterday, I posted the recipe for these mini double-chocolate donuts! I think my new donut pan is going to get a lot of use this summer! These donuts are almost the texture of chocolate cake (but better) and they're made from scratch, so I don't have guilt popping one or two in my mouth! :)
Friday, May 29, 2015
Friday Favorites
Yesterday, I posted the recipe for these mini double-chocolate donuts! I think my new donut pan is going to get a lot of use this summer! These donuts are almost the texture of chocolate cake (but better) and they're made from scratch, so I don't have guilt popping one or two in my mouth! :)
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Chocolate Baked Donuts With Chocolate Glaze
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Three Day Weekends
Things that have made me exceedingly happy this weekend:
Going out for strawberry and lemon meringue pie with a best friend (and my two little boys in tow).
Picnicking with wonderful church friends who provide my boys with outdoor entertainment (like t-ball) and patriotic ice cream sundaes.
Seeing Nolan and Ephraim run wild around my in-laws’ house while we get time to chat.
Washing the windows and seeing how clear and shiny the view is after two years of dirt.
Dining al fresco at my mom’s house with grilled ham, cheesy potatoes, and pasta salad with lemon dressing. From her table, all you see is green at this time of year, and it’s incredibly beautiful.
Blowing bubbles with my babies.
Having a quick visit with a sweet friend and her (five!) boys.
Reflecting on our hard-earned freedom in this country.
Hope your Memorial Day weekend was extra special!
Xo.
Monday, May 25, 2015
Favorite Hair Products
Happy Memorial Day! I hope the weather is nice where you are, your barbeques are hot, and your family is close!
Today, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea to share about my favorite hair products!
I am, by no means, a hair expert,but I’m learning more and more as time goes on. I don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on hair products, but I still believe that quality matters when it comes to hair supplies—they are not all created equal :) I also think that products are necessary when trying to attempt any and all styling.
For shampoo and conditioner, I like products that add a little bit of volume. Right now, I’m using Pantene Pro-V “Sheer Volume”. I honestly don’t notice a huge difference in my hair when I use different shampoos and conditioners. What’s most important to me, having such long hair, is that the conditioner actually works to smooth out the tangles and leaves my hair feeling soft and smooth. I can definitely say that Pantene does that for me.
These are two of my drugstore loves. “Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Sea Salt Spray” has an amazing coconutty smell, and does well for adding some texture and dimension to wet hair. I use Dove Dry Shampoo on my second-day hair. Dry shampoo is never the miracle that I’m hoping for when my hair gets greasy, but this one does a good job at lifting the hair off of my scalp to make it look less dirty.
My favorite way to wear my hair is curled. My hair is stick-straight, and I have trouble getting the curl to last longer than 10 minutes. One of the BEST products I’ve found is Redken Hot Sets 22. I picked it up at Ulta (for $17—which is a little steep). It’s a thermal setting mist, and it is a heat protectant spray. I spritz it on each section of hair before I curl it with the iron. It seems to make all the difference in getting some lasting curls! I finish up with Suave hairspray, but I’m curious if switching to a Redken hairspray would really seal the deal for my curls.
These two products are great, though I admit that I don’t use them very often. In summer humidity, Paul Mitchell’s Super Skinny Serum is awesome at keeping the frizz at bay. Kate (hair guru from The Small Things Blog) highly recommends Aquage Uplifting Foam for volume, but I haven’t quite figured out its super power yet. I do see additional volume when it’s sprayed at the roots and blow-dryed, but it makes my hair feel greasy the next day, so I would have to start showering daily if I was serious about Aquage.
Lastly, these are my very favorite bobby pins and hair ties. The Diane bobby pins are professional grade, metal, and hold hair much better than drugstore plastic ones. With long hair, I really recommend Goody Stay-Put Elastics. My ponytails used to fall with the weight of my hair, but the ridges on these bands really do securely keep my hair in place. My ponytail can be as high as I want it to be :)
What products and supplies do you use and recommend? My ears are always open to hearing about what works!
Friday, May 22, 2015
Friday Favorites
Our plans are filling up for this weekend, and I’m getting excited for some grilling, picnicking, and relaxing with friends and family! I really can’t believe we’re approaching the last week of May!
Here are some favorites from the week:
We sent our camera to Nikon to get fixed, and it came back as good as new! I am happy to have it again to capture my favorite little guys :)
I love their similar (but not completely matching) light blue shirts!
He is getting so big, and starting to climb on EVERYTHING!
I tried to get a shot of them together, but this was the best I got :)
My favorite outfit of the week was this crochet-back, white kimono that I posted about on Wednesday. I can’t say that I’ve ever worn a kimono before, but I’m definitely in love with the comfortable yet elegant feel of it!
Thank you for the positive feedback on Tuesday’s breastfeeding post! Goodness, I am going to miss Ephraim being a baby. Nursing him has been one of the best things of my life.
Did you catch yesterday’s post? I guest-blogged for Erika and claimed my crazy! It was so much fun to share all of my silly quirks with you!
I know I’ve mentioned my robins every week for about a month, but these photos were too good not to share! It was so amazing to watch the mom and the dad bringing worms and bugs to their three babies for two weeks. They came every 10 or 15 minutes, from sun-up until sun-down. The babies got their feathers and plumped up so quickly! Yesterday morning, I watched all three of the fledglings fly out of the nest. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. Watching the nest for a month has hands-down been the best science/nature experience I’ve ever had!
The babies right after they left the nest.
And one hiding in the bush later in the day :)
Steve and I really loved the “The Kennedys” mini-series on Netflix. We finished it on Wednesday night, and we wish there were more episodes! It’s both fascinating and heart-breaking. Now, we’re back to our regularly scheduled home-improvement shows ;)
Hope you all have a fabulous Memorial Day weekend!
Follow along with me on Instagram! @floralandfudge
Linking up for Friday Favorites with Erika, Andrea, & Narci.