Russian Soul Sundays

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Now, I've made homemade spaghetti sauce using cans. I'm talking real, authentic, oh-my-goodness-this-is-sooooooo-good! homemade tomato sauce using only fresh tomatoes. Cause, look! So, how was this lovely creation made? With our fresh homegrown tomatoes, of course! There is something so thrilling and satisfying to pick a vegetable from your garden to cook for dinner. It really is like growing money. And plus, when you know it's truly organic? Well, you really
Mommy Commentary

An Open Letter to My Son

Dear Bear, It's a been a crazy year for you. You graduated from kindergarten under COVID-19. You were homeschooled and saw your daddy work from home, commandeering your bedroom as office space. You grew three inches and your writing has gotten better with practice. You've made a lot of strides in development and you're just so smart and well-spoken. You love Roblox, though I don't really understand it. You
home decor, Mommy Commentary

We dressed up our backyard

So, we've lived in this duplex for a little over two years now. We've gone through some changes trying to figure out what we wanted to do with our yards. You see, we've come from an apartment when we've had porches and balconies. To have a full backyard and a full front yard is well...pretty awesome. Bear is growing at a rapid rate so he needs space to roam
product reviews

We tried the Monat Hair Care System. This is what happened.

Several weeks ago, my old high-school friend, Stephanie, sent me a care package. I meant to do this review sooner but then the pandemic happened and I also got a job. Crazy. Anyhoo, let's talk about the Monat hair care system. It's not available in any store. Not Ulta. Not Sephora. Not even Macy's or anything high-end. I have to keep it real with y'all. Monat is a MLM
Russian Soul Sundays

Creamy Parmesan Chicken with Mushrooms and Rice

I made this recipe a while back and totally forgot to post about it. I don't like making long paragraphs as to the how I came to this recipe, but it was a lot of trial and error. And plus, a new way to eat chicken is always bomb. Bear is a picky eater so I can't say he loved this (he wouldn't even try it), but the hubby
Mommy Commentary

What’s it Like Being on the Front Lines?

To help out my community as well as pay down some debt and rebuild our savings, I decided to take a part-time gig with Instacart. Well, my part-time gig turned into a full-time one rather quickly. But as I'm shopping from store to store and making countless deliveries, I decided to tell you what it's really like being on the front lines as well as sharing some tips for
Russian Soul Sundays

Slap Yo’ Momma Chili

So, we've been cooking at home a lot. We normally cook at home a lot, but it's definitely a lot more than normal. Buying enough groceries to ensure three square meals and snacks is a lot. We try to make "long-playing" meals; meaning meals that could last a couple of days. Since there's only three of us (for now), it's feasible to make a meal big enough for six
Health, home decor

Smells Like The Devil Disinfectant

So, I know Lysol has been pretty much sold out everywhere. If you got some, consider yourself blessed. But some of us who really need the Lysol (those with kids and pets) have to make do in other ways. Enter 'Smells Like the Devil' Disinfectant. Now I call it that because honestly, it does smell like the Devil's Butthole in the Armpit of Kentucky. Now I've never been to
Mommy Commentary

It’s our 10-year anniversary!

You know when I was planning how we were going to celebrate our 1o-year marriage anniversary, I was thinking of a variety of things. I wanted to do a photo shoot and have Bear included. I wanted to renew our vows and have a small ceremony. We originally planned to go to Legoland and use that as an anniversary/Spring Break vacation trip for the whole family. We had a
Kids' Activities

Homeschooling Your Little One? These FREE apps can help!

With COVID-19 forcing many parents to become homeschoolers, I have gathered some helpful apps to keep you all sane during the closures. Stop, Breathe, and Think Kids I spoke about this app before in managing Bear's anxiety. There is also an adult version! I meditate every night and trust me, it's helped managed my anxiety a lot! Scholastic Learn At Home I have fond memories of Scholastic (particularly Highlights) and I'm