Author Archives: Adora Mae

Going Campin’ Going Campin’



This past weekend was amazing! We (Josh + I ) had the opportunity to go camping with some good friends, and some new friends. Any time I get to spend the weekend with Josh is a special treat, anyway, but being outside is my favorite. Our friend Eli was there with his camera and he captured some random moments of this incredible, hot, bug filled, crazy, fun adventure.

Thanks to everyone for coming out and making memories with us and a special thanks to Eli Goins for being so talented with that camera!
xoxo,
Adora

lunch challenge



gohavelunchatthepark
There are few things as lovely as lunch in the park. Today I challenge you to take your brown bag lunch, or pick up a sub, and head to the nearest park on your lunch break. Sit in the grass, or on a bench, or at a table. Enjoy the time outdoors. Get out of a building, and enjoy what God created for you and what your tax dollars go towards maintaining.

Do it, then come back here and tell me how it went.
xoxo,
Adora

literary struggle



bookstruggle
Let me get this out of the way, I freaking LOVE my kindle. No matter how long a book I want to read is, my kindle is always just a few ounces. I have read nearly 100 books on my kindle and I highly HIGHLY recommend it. Also, thank you to my amazing friend Lindsay Barta for giving me this magical gift a few years ago.

kindle e-books however, cost money. Library books do not. The broward county library does have an e-book loan system, but the titles are so sparse and out dated, and even those are checked out but they pretty much have nothing that I actually want to read.

I love reading, it’s probably my number one hobby. (Yes, that’s kind of sad.) These days, our budget is tighter than ever, so what do I do? Not rhetorical here, genuinely, what do I do? Is real books from the library my only option?

What would you do?
xoxo,
Adora

DIY Mason Jar Candle



I know some people prefer candles set in glass jars, but not melted into them. I am not that person. I love when the glass jar and the candle it contains are one. If you’re like me, then this project is for you. If not…I don’t know, check out this video of a cat standing up I guess.
1Go to dollar tree and get yourself a candle and a mason jar. Come back home and set a small pot of water to boil.
2Get that candle in there. Mine wouldn’t fit in one piece, because I was trying to get a large candle in the jar…so I chopped off the sides and kept hacking until I could fit the center of the candle in the jar. Then, I added back the pieces on all the sides inside the jar to try and recreate an even candle.
3Sit the jar inside the boiling pot of water
4If the center part of the candle with the wick starts to pull to one side, use wooden skewers to keep it centered
5When it’s mostly melted (mine was 15 minutes) take it out CAREFULLY with oven mitts.
6Try and get the wick mostly centered using the handy dandy skewers and let it harden back up.
7Mine kind of came out with layers of colors, I don’t mind.
8Let it burn.
9Extra credit for painting the jar, especially if you do a better paint job than I did here.

Side note: if you have wick on hand, this is also a good way to add all your extra bits of almost finished candles together, to make a whole brand new candle.

xoxo,
Adora

Gone Girl [100 word book review]



Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
All I can say is if you like a book with (several) twists, then this one is for you. If you can’t stand when a character is suddenly not what you expected, and you hate feeling like the rug has been ripped from under you, steer clear of this one. This book had me exclaiming out loud at every twist, and refusing to tell Josh what was happening because he just had to read it himself. Gone Girl has been on the NYT best sellers list for months and I highly recommend it as one of your first fall reads.

xoxo,
Adora

What every bathroom needs



I came across this post by Loribeth Clark, outlining the 8 things that every bathroom needs. When I came across the flowers or plant part of the list I realized my bathroom was lacking. So, here are the pretty flowers i’ve added to the room, and a shot of my Degas print, even though I’ve had it for forever, just because I think it’s beautiful.

flowers

flowers

Degas

Degas

What do you think is a bathroom MUST have?
xoxo,
Adora

Make your own Astringent



the secret is, you're already done

the secret is, you’re already done

This is a pretty complicated process so try and keep up.
Step 1: Get a bottle of witch hazel
Step 2: Open it
Step 3: Use it as astringent

photo 2

compare the ingredients

You’re done. Witch hazel is all natural, it’s a plant! Every part of the witch hazel plant is high in tannins from the leaves, to the bark. They take those pieces of the plant and through a steam distillation process you get what you can buy at the store. It’s $1 or $2 and it’s so much better. I think it works as well as name brand astringents, but you can rest assured you’re not rubbing chemicals and dyes all over your face.

xoxo,
Adora

Josh sings musicals: episode two



I’ve told you that Josh likes to sing HIS lyrics to well known musical songs all the time. It’s just too funny to not share. He’s always very earnest and usually feels he’s singing the right words. This time, it’s RENT.

He’ll keep going if I occasionally sing the next line, like he did here.
xoxo,
Adora

Why my salt is pink



PinkSalt

pretty in pink

Why is my salt pink? Well, Briana told me about originally, but I think An Organic Wife explained it best:

We’ve all been taught that salt is necessary but should be used in extreme moderation for the greatest health, especially normal blood pressure. This is true. Kind of.

Table salt, and even sea salt, are devoid of most nutrients, and should be limited or eliminated. The salt you should be using is Himalayan Salt, also called Pink Himalayan Salt or Pink Himalayan Sea Salt.

Himalayan Salt contains the same 84 minerals and nutrients found in the human body. Table salt is processed to remove almost all of these minerals and nutrients. This is why table salt is pure white and Himalayan Salt has a pink tint to it. Most salt companies add one mineral back in – iodine. Iodine is essential to health, and a lack of it causes the most obvious disease, goiter. Goiter often leads to the thyroid disease called hypothyroidism.

If we’re comparing salt to sugar, table salt is the equivalent of white sugar, and Himalayan Salt is the equivalent of sucanat. Himalayan Salt is unrefined and unprocessed. It is mined by hand from 250 million year old salt caves in the Himalayan Mountain Range, which means that it is untouched by most toxins and pollutants that pervert regular sea salt.

Just a few of the health benefits of using Himalayan Salt include: it is anti-aging, replenishes electrolytes, reduces muscles cramps, regulates blood pressure, prevents cellulite, promotes sinus health, and increases bone health.

One of the other great things about Himalayan Salt is that you really cannot use too much. The daily recommended amount of regular table salt is about ¼ teaspoon. Since Himalayan Salt is used and assimilated by the body it can be used more freely. If you’re nervous about it and need a number, then know that one full teaspoon of Himalayan Salt a day is not unreasonable! Contrary to popular belief, we do not use more salt than was used centuries ago. In fact, our ancestors used great amounts of salt to preserve meats way before the refrigerator ever came around. The exception is for those whose diet is mostly processed or fast food.

You can find Himalayan Salt at most health food stores. To ensure that it is true Himalayan Salt, it should be pink in color; this may be light to dark pink. In addition, this type of salt is actually safe for animals and can increase their vitality.

 


It tastes just as good as (if not better than) white table salt, but it’s so much better for you! Give it a try and let me know what you think!
xoxo,
Adora