JoaS

Living at the beach, we experience pretty mild winters and long bouts of high temperatures and humidity. Those days are upon us now--have been for some time--and will continue well into Fall. For this reason I like to keep my makeup simple and light year-round, but especially in the upcoming Summer months. These products have been my favorite finds that I repurchase throughout the year to keep my dry, sensitive skin looking and feeling put together. Covergirl Clean Matte BB Cream : The entire Covergirl line of sensitive and clean foundations and bb creams have proven gentle and well-suited for both my skin tone and tendencies. In the past I have purchased numerous tubes of the Covergirl Smoothers Lightweight BB Cream  and several bottles of the Covergirl Clean Sensitive Skin Liquid Foundation . This new formula has been the best of both worlds - I love having the benefits of the bb cream but also having a more powder-like matte finish, without having to actually finis...

This is another favorite meal, and also very versatile. I started making this a few years back when we fell in love with roasted veggies and were very tired of the regular hot dog in a bun. I made this meal with turkey dogs, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, and a green bell pepper. I have made it in the past with chicken, sausage, shrimp--any protein you prefer. Also, I've thrown in cherry tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, asparagus, butternut squash, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower--any vegetable you can imagine. It's super easy and healthy, and a great way to round up and use any produce that may be on its last leg. To make this super simple, one pan dish, you will need: A protein of choice: I like to use turkey dogs or sausage that are already cooked so that you're really just flavoring and roasting it with the veggies, rather than having to worry about cooking it separately. Produce of choice: Our favorite are sweet potatoes, red potatoes, and bell peppe...

Anyone who has ever been to a Wednesday night church dinner knows that one of the easiest and most popular meals for large gatherings is spaghetti. Throw together a salad, bake some cookies, and you've got yourself a widespread winner. Today I'm sharing with you one of the first meals I learned to make and our most repeated meal in the history of our marriage so far. I call it spaghetti casserole, I think because my great aunt called it that once. I got the idea from her--one of the most frugal cooks I know. It's always a crowd-pleaser and, if it's just Michael and I, it easily lasts us three meals. Before you begin, you will need the following: 1 box of pasta - Your choice, I love shells and macaroni, but often use penne or rigatoni. 1 lb. ground meat - Our favorite is turkey, but you could use pork, beef, or chicken. 1 can tomato sauce  - I have many digestive issues so I use a literal metal can of simple tomato sauce, but when I make this for famil...

My first love language is quality time, but my second is gifts. I love to get myself gifts, I love to receive gifts from others, I love unexpected blessings in the form of a free drink from Starbucks or a free medium fry from Chick-fil-a. My mom refers to this situation as a "sursis." The literal French translation is a "reprieve," but with her it was usually just a small surprise she'd leave on the end of our bed or on the kitchen table for us to find when we walked in from school. It can be a real test in restraint for me to have to go too long without picking out a gift for someone else, something for our home, or a treat for myself--usually clothes. Today, I'd like to share specifically where I tend to shop for what I consider to be quality, affordable clothing. My style has changed over the years, as have the standards and requirements for my wardrobe. Since I don't exactly have the luxury of tossing my entire closet at the conclusion of a se...

Date night has looked very different from season to season throughout our marriage. Some seasons it may look more conventional, like dinner and a movie, but we have found we almost enjoy the challenge of spending less and seeing what kind of unconventional date experience we can create. There have literally been Friday evenings when we had a $5 bill and found ourselves wandering Walmart searching for the makings of a perfect evening at home--usually a box of donuts and a DVD from Red Box. These have made for some of the most bonding and encouraging experiences together, realizing you can make the fondest of memories for next to nothing. You are really only limited by your own imagination. I thought I would put together a list of some of our favorite date ideas from years past to encourage others who may feel limited by a small budget or simply bored with the same date routine. French fries on the beach: We do live at the beach, which is such a gift and an absolute...