food | fun | kitchen | shopping | Uncategorized

10 Adorable Cooking Tools You’ve Gotta Have

By on August 1, 2017

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I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Most days at home with the kids just drag on, and I’m literally counting down the minutes until I can turn on some Paw Patrol for the rug rats and escape to the kitchen to cook dinner. It’s my “me time.” Some days I turn on my Dolly Parton Pandora station, tie my apron around my waist, and channel my inner 50’s housewife while I whip up something tasty for my family. And some days, I throw my dirty hair up into a messy bun, adjust the waist band of my tattered old yoga pants, and boil up some water for boxed mac and cheese. Just keepin’ it real here!

But regardless of whether you love cooking or hate it, cook like Julia Child or cook like a child, we can all agree that having cute kitchen gadgets makes cooking more fun.

10 Adorable Cooking Tools You've Gotta Have | sunshineandholly.com

Here are 10 adorable cooking tools you’ve gotta have.

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babies | baby | birth | blogging | family | friends | love | motherhood | parenting | pregnancy | Uncategorized

A Love Letter to My Village

By on July 24, 2017

Motherhood is tough. Motherhood is messy. Motherhood has kicked my booty. The first few years are some of the hardest. So much crying (both me and the babies!) and the never ending cycle of feed, burp, change diaper, rock to sleep, over and over and over and over. Then there’s the whining, the tantrums, the constant questions, the potty training, the messes…it’s enough to drive a person completely crazy or send them into a dark depression!

So what gets us through it? (Besides lots of coffee and wine.) What is the light, the breath of fresh air, the hope for all the lonely, tired, lost mamas out there?

It’s our village – the group of women and men surrounding us, lifting us up, encouraging us, and helping out during some of the most difficult years of our life. Every mom needs her village, and I’ve been so blessed with mine. There have been so many people over the years who’ve been a rock, a shoulder to cry on, an inspiration, a light.

And I just wanted to take a minute to thank them.

a love letter to my village | sunshineandholly.com | motherhood | it takes a village | mom friends

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fall | family | fun | garden | kids activities | parenting | photography | summer | Travel | Uncategorized

Tips for Visiting the Sunflower Farm

By on July 19, 2017

On Monday, I took the kiddos up to a sunflower farm about an hour outside of Atlanta. I had been to a sunflower farm before, but I was dying to get some beautiful pictures with the yellow flowers, the blue sky, and my cute kids. And our trip was a huge success! The weather was perfect, and the sunflowers were gorgeous.

tips for visiting the sunflower farm | sunshineandholly.com | sunflower field | photography | sunflowers tips for visiting the sunflower farm | sunshineandholly.com | sunflower field | photography | sunflowers tips for visiting the sunflower farm | sunshineandholly.com | sunflower field | photography | sunflowers

So if you plan on adding a trip to your bucket list, check out my tips for visiting the sunflower farm.

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family | fun | happiness | Motherhood Humor | parenting | Uncategorized

5 Lazy Mom Tips

By on July 14, 2017
5 Lazy Mom Tips | sunshineandholly.com | lazy mom hacks | simplify motherhood

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I’m all about making things easier in life. If there’s a way to get something done quickly and efficiently, I will always choose that way. I’m not a perfectionist. I’m a realist. I think about each task and decide whether or not I need to spend time doing it “perfectly,” or will “adequately” suffice. My husband, on the other hand, is a perfectionist. He drives me nuts taking 10 years to get something done. (Dude – it’s a dishwasher. Not a game of Tetris. Just load it up!)

That being said, I’ve figured out a lot of short cuts for mom-life. I love semi-homemade recipes, and craft projects that start out with store bought items. As far as housework goes – if you’ve ever been over to my home, you know I’m definitely not a perfectionist in that area of life! Pretty sure I only make my bed when I need to fold laundry on top of it. And my appearance? I might brush my teeth and put on makeup, but I’ll skip on drying my hair. Messy mermaid hair is totally in right now, right?!

So if you’re a mom with the same mentality about life as me – that perfect and pretty is wonderful, but just not something you can live up to, check out my top 5 lazy mom tips below!

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family | fun | kids activities | parenting | photography | summer | Travel | Uncategorized

Exploring the Etowah Indian Mounds

By on July 11, 2017
Exploring the Etowah Indian Mounds in Cartersville, Georgia | sunshineandholly.com | native americans | georgia history | field trip | exploring georgia

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Last Friday, my friend and I took our kiddos on a field trip to the Etowah Indian Mounds in Cartersville, Georgia. If you live around Atlanta or North Georgia, it’s definitely worth taking a day trip up there to explore. We learned a lot, and the scenery was gorgeous!

Exploring the Etowah Indian Mounds in Cartersville, Georgia | sunshineandholly.com | native americans | georgia history | field trip | exploring georgia Exploring the Etowah Indian Mounds in Cartersville, Georgia | sunshineandholly.com | native americans | georgia history | field trip | exploring georgia Exploring the Etowah Indian Mounds in Cartersville, Georgia | sunshineandholly.com | native americans | georgia history | field trip | exploring georgia

The Etowah Indian Mounds historic site was “home to several thousand Native Americans from 1000 A.D. to 1550 A.D. This 54-acre site protects six earthen mounds, a plaza, village site, borrow pits and defensive ditch. Etowah Mounds is the most intact Mississippian Culture site in the Southeast.” (http://www.gastateparks.org/etowahmounds).

We spent a lot of time climbing up and exploring the mounds that were used as platforms for the village chiefs and priests, and burial grounds for nobility. We also took a tour through the small museum filled with artifacts that were excavated around the area.

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