It’s always so fun to open a box of goodies! This box was full of practical and fun items to beat the winter blues. It included a young adult book, hot drinks, nasal sprays, vitamin supplements, and some sweet rice krispy treats! Read more about each item in the box below!

You may remember my other Babbleboxx posts: 6 mother’s day gift ideas (this one is perfect for Christmas gift ideas as well!), Cold Weather Comforts, and Food, Health & Happiness.  I’ve found some of my favorite things in these boxes like the best candles, socks and facial cleanser so check out my other posts!

The post Items to help you get through the winter appeared first on Handmade in the Heartland.

All of the Cricut Easy Press 2 sizes are an improvement from the first Easy Press with a thicker heat plate and higher temperature settings for more iron-on materials. I’m so in love with the Easy Press 2 and in this post I’ll tell you all about it and hopefully answer any questions you may have about the Easy Press 2.

How big is the Easy Press 2?

Here are some common questions and answers to the sizing of the Cricut Easy Press 2:
What are the dimensions of the Easy Press 2 sizes? The small is 6″x7″, the medium is 9″x9″ and the large is 12″x 10″.
What will they cover?  The 6″x7″ is perfect for small projects like hats, shoes, baby onesies, socks, mittens/gloves, scarves and napkins. The 9″x9″ is great for kids clothes, bags, sweatshirts, pillows, aprons, towels, table runners, and costumes. The 12″x10″ is the best for adult clothing like t-shirts and sweatshirts, banners, blankets, large pillows, sleeves and pants.
What size of Cricut Easy Press 2 should I buy? When deciding which Easy Press 2 is right for you think about what type of projects you make the most. If you like to do adult t shirts you are going to want the largest Easy Press 2 so that you don’t have to move the easy press multiple times over the same design which can cause over-processing of the iron-on material.

How to use the Easy Press 2

How do I use the Easy Press 2? After you take the Easy Press 2 out of the packaging you’ll plug it in and hit the power button to turn it on. You’ll then want to consult the quick reference guide in either THIS PDF or use the interactive reference guide at Cricut.com to decide your temperature and time. For instance if you are using everyday iron-on on a 100% cotton t-shirt the guide will tell you that you need to set the temperature at 315 for 30 seconds. You’ll also note on the guide that it says to use gentle pressure and you can peel it when it is warm.

The Easy Press 2 is really very simple to use. When you take it out of the packaging you’ll see a quick start guide that walks you through your first project with all the materials that came with the press.

Is the Easy Press 2 just a big Iron?

Yes and No. The Easy Press 2 is kind of like a big iron, it has a heat plate that heats up to the temperature you set it to and it’s a square or rectangle surface. In the past I’ve always used an iron for my iron-on projects which can work but can be very frustrating. Typical irons are an odd shape when it comes to pressing a image to a t-shirt so you end up going over the image multiple times and loose track of what areas have had enough heat and what haven’t. The temperature gauge is also key, with an iron you can’t tell what the actual temperature is. I also love the timer it makes it super easy to know when I need to lift the heat off of the design.

What is the Easy Press 2 used for?

Basically the idea is that you use a product called heat transfer or iron-on vinyl, you cut the design you want with a craft cutter like the Cricut Explore Air (read my review here) and then iron it on to a bag, shirt, sweatshirt, apron or anything else you can think of.  Iron-on vinyl has made making awesome projects at home a breeze. It’s amazing the quality of t-shirts and accessories you can create with the Cricut Explore or Maker and the Easy Press 2.

If you need some ideas check out THIS pinterest board that I’m in with some friends, SO many ideas! You can also see the greatest showman tshirt I made for my daughters and a Christmas iron-on pj shirt that is so super cute with glitter iron-on!

What Materials Can I use the Easy Press 2 On?

The Cricut Easy Press 2 can be used on a host of materials including: cotton, cotton/poly blend, polyester, nylon, silk, mesh, cotton canvas, felt, faux leather, card stock, cork board and chip board.

Why should I buy an Easy Press 2?

I love iron-on projects and up until using the Easy Press 2 I found the actual ironing process difficult and frustrating. With the easy press it totally takes the guesswork out of the equation and makes each project a breeze. I don’t have to worry about different areas being exposed to different amounts of heat or if the project has had enough heat applied. If you love to make projects with iron-on vinyl I high recommend an Easy Press 2.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Cricut Easy Press 2 Review appeared first on Handmade in the Heartland.

Download the Ralph Breaks the Internet coloring pages HERE, HERE, and HERE.

WORLD WIDE WOW! – Ralph and Vanellope’s friendship is challenged when they journey into the internet in search of a replacement part for her game. This vast new world is both incredibly exciting and overwhelming—depending on who you ask. Featuring John C. Reilly as the voice of Ralph, and Sarah Silverman as the voice of Vanellope, “Ralph Breaks the Internet” opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 21, 2018. ©2018 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

SELFIE! – In “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Vanellope von Schweetz hits the internet where she encounters and then befriends the Disney princesses. Filmmakers invited the original voice talent to return to the studio to help bring their characters to life, including Sarah Silverman (Vanellope in “Ralph Breaks the Internet”), Auli‘i Cravalho (“Moana”), Kristen Bell (Anna in “Frozen”), Idina Menzel (Elsa in “Frozen”), Kelly MacDonald (Merida in “Brave”), Mandy Moore (Rapunzel in “Tangled”), Anika Noni Rose (Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog”), Ming-Na Wen (“Mulan”), Irene Bedard (“Pocahontas”), Linda Larkin (Jasmine in “Aladdin”), Paige O’Hara (Belle in “Beauty and the Beast”), and Jodi Benson (Ariel in “The Little Mermaid”). ©2018 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

GAME OVER – In “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Litwak is forced to unplug Vanellope’s game when it is accidentally broken, leaving the Sugar Rush racers with nowhere to go. Calhoun and Felix team up with several members of the arcade’s gaming population to figure out what to do next. Featuring Jane Lynch and Jack McBrayer as the voices of Calhoun and Felix, “Ralph Breaks the Internet” opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 21, 2018. ©2018 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

What family movies are you excited to see this holiday season?! Let me know in the comments!

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What is a podcast?

If you’re unsure of how to listen to a podcast or don’t know what a podcast is I’ve gotcha covered. First, a podcast is an audio show that is recorded and available to stream and listen to through a podcasting app on your smart phone for free! If you own an iPhone the easiest way to list is to use the apple podcast app that is automatically on your phone, Android users have google podcasts. You can also get podcasts on stitcher or Spotify.

Once you are inside the app you’ll find the search function and type in one of the below podcasts that you are interested in listening to.  You will see episodes and can start listening by clicking on the episodes. I recommend subscribing to podcasts that you like. When you subscribe to a podcast every time a new episode is up it will show up in your feed or “listen now” section of the app.  A lot of the podcasts below are short one season stories that conclude when the story is over, however even if the season is over the show might produce an update weeks or months later if something has developed in that particular case which is why it’s important to be subscribed.

Podcasts are like audio books except they are free and there is a never ending list of great podcasts to listen to in all sorts of genres. I would love to hear some of your favorite podcasts in the comments!

Best True Crime Podcasts

The podcasts below are generally investigative journalism shows where they dive deep into stories and cases over the course of a season. Some are reported and hosted by expert journalists and some by curious individuals who decide to become an investigator.

Serial

The podcast that started it all. Researcher and reporter Sarah Koenig voices “one of 2014’s biggest cultural phenomenons” If you haven’t listened to Serial chances are most of your friends have. This show is in it’s 3rd season, The first season takes us on a deep dive into a murder case where the defendant was convicted on the insufficient evidence. She does interviews and looks at every detail to tell the full story. It’s gripping and after listening to season one you’ll be hooked on listening to podcasts. My husband and I binge listened to most of season one on a cross country road trip in 2014. One last word about this one, it doesn’t come to a conclusive wrapped up in a bow ending, most true crime podcasts don’t. You’re left feeling a little unsettled but it’s still 100% worth listening to.

Dirty John

Quite possibly my favorite podcast. As I mentioned, most true crime podcasts don’t have a conclusive ending, Dirty John does. and it’s epic. and you have to listen to it. Reported and hosted by Christopher Goffard from the L.A. Times, this true story is a twisted tale of a con man and his victims.

Up and Vanished

Currently in it’s second season Up and Vanished takes one cold missing persons case per season and investigates. The first season was about the 2005 disappearance of a teacher in a small town in Georgia. It was fascinating how once the podcast started it stirred up people in the area and uncovered new evidence! This is a podcast that gets better and better with the team becoming more skilled at their craft episode after episode.

Dr.Death

This story is unreal and so disturbing. Dr. Death is about a young neurosurgeon who radiates confidence and claims to be the best in Dallas when in reality almost all of his 33 patients are left severely harmed after he operates. Reported and hosted by Laura Beil.

In the Dark

Seasons one and two are both fascinating stories of two different cases. The first looks into the disappearance of Jacob Wetterling in Minnesota and how law enforcement made some serious mistakes that left the case unsolved for 27 years. Season two is a murder case in which a man has been tried for the same crime 6 times by the same prosecutor, the conviction continues to get overturned on appeal each time because the prosecutor’s tactics are found to be unlawful.  Both seasons are well documented reporting at it’s best.

Atlanta Monster

This podcast takes you back to Atlanta in 1979-81 to a horrific series of murders of African American children, all boys. It looks into the man convicted of the crime, all the details that incarcerated him and begs the question- was Wayne Williams really the Atlanta child murderer.

Cover-up

Cover-up was basically a very interesting history lesson for me. I didn’t know anything about the scandal at Chappaquiddick that involved Ted Kennedy. Reported by People Magazine this true crime podcast looks at the death of 28 year old Mary Jo Kopechne who was drowned in the back of senator Ted Kennedy’s car. It looks into why it took Kennedy 10 hours to report the car going into the water and all the different stories that surfaced after Mary Jo’s death occurred.

Crimetown

Crimetown Season 1 was especially interesting to me because it looks into former Providence Rhode Island mayor Buddy Cianci. I attended Rhode Island School of Design which is located in the heart of Providence and Cianci was a notorious name thrown around as the long time mayor who was behind bars during my college years of 2004-08. Buddy the Mayor from 1974-1984 and then again from 1991-2002 and this true crime podcast looks at all the illegal activity that as happening in city hall during his tenure.

Fatal Voyage

Natalie Wood a beloved movie star in the 1970’s and was found dead in November of 1981 from drowning while on a boat trip with her husband, famous actor Robert Wagner. The podcast looks into her death and the reopening of her case as recently being re-classified as a homicide and not an accidental drowning. During this true crime podcast you hear from the captain of the boat and his account of what really happened the event that Natalie died.

Last Seen

Last seen is a true crime podcast reported on by the Boston Globe and WBUR about the most valuable and still unsolved art heist in history. It’s a fascinating story about how the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum in Boston was robbed and 13 irreplaceable extremely valuable pieces of art were stolen and have yet to surface over 28 years later. There are so many possible suspects, suspicious characters and theories on who did it and this podcast looks every possible lead.

Slow Burn

Slow Burn has now finished 2 seasons, both looking into the scandalous presidencies of Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. As a 30 something I wasn’t alive during the Nixon years and I was too young to really understand what was happening during the Clinton years so I found this podcast to be another fascinating history lesson. Season 2 about Bill Clinton had such stark similarities to the Drumpf presidency and it’s scandals that it made me think “How are we doing this again!?”.

The RFK Tapes

The RFK tapes looks into the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy as he was on the campaign trail to be the democratic candidate for president in 1968. The murder happened in a room with ample witnesses and seemed to be an open and shut case but many people still think there might be more to his death than one lone shooter.

Uncover Escaping Nexivm

There is something really interesting about a person who can enchant a group of people so much that they do things that otherwise they wouldn’t do. Uncover, escaping Nxivm is about a “company” that looks more like a cult than a business and one woman’s path to getting out. It looks at Keith Raniere, the leader who has been arrested by the FBI and the organization as a whole and how it affected it’s members. Be warned the first episode is intense with the graphic description of a woman being branded.

Bear Brook

Bear Brook is a new true crime podcast reported by New Hampshire public radio about a woman and 3 children whose bodies were found in barrels in bear brook state park. The podcast twists and turns throughout many different stories to find the serial killer responsible. It also looks at how genetic genealogy is now playing a role in investigating and solving crimes.

I can’t wait to hear YOUR favorite podcasts! I listen to other genres and I’m working on another few lists of my favorite self-help and motivational podcasts. Let me know what you like to listen to by leaving a comment or  tag me on Instagram (@handmadeintheheartland) or facebook!

The post The Best True Crime Podcasts appeared first on Handmade in the Heartland.

This summer my feet hurt, like really, really hurt. Every morning I would get out of bed and as soon as my feet touched the ground I had searing pain that went through the middle and heel of my foot. I had never dealt with foot pain before so this was totally new to me. The only thing that helped ease the pain throughout the day was wearing custom inserts in my tennis shoes. In. the. summer. Who wants to wear socks in the summer?! 

Every time I thought it was getting better I would wear a pair of flip flops and by the end of the day my feet would be screaming at me. So I was back to my sneakers. If only I had done some research this summer and found ABEO earlier. After a little internet research I realized I had plantar fasciitis and learned that the high arch of my foot needed custom insoles and adequate support to keep the pain subsided. 

The most annoying thing about having foot pain issues and always having to wear inserts is switching them out from shoe to shoe. I was thrilled to find out that ABEO shoes have built in arch support in varying heights so I don’t have to switch out insoles every time I change shoes!

ABEO shoes are sold at The Walking Company so I visited my local store to pick out a pair and try them out. I was looking for a new fall short boot. I had looked online and was excited when the pair I had liked the most online was in the store. I tried on several other pairs of ABEO shoes including a cute sneaker that I almost went with.

At The Walking Company they have the coolest technology to fit you for your specific arch height. With the help of a store associate you walk across a pad and it shows on a screen what portion of your foot touches the ground, it utilizes state-of-the-art 3D scanning technology to determine your arch type and match your foot type to your ABEO footwear choice. If you’ve ever wondered why shoes aren’t fitting you correctly or why your feet hurt you should head to your local The Walking Company store and have a custom fitting. 

My feet have grown 2 sizes since I had kids, isn’t that so strange?! Did your feet get bigger after having children? That was a side effect I was totally not expecting! It’s a totally inconvenient because so many shoes I had pre-pregnancy are not wearable anymore and I needed some good fall black boots.

As I learned this summer having the correct support in my shoes is critical for my feet, and honestly my life. Who wants to walk around with foot pain all day?! I love my new ABEO black fall boots, they are so cute have the correct arch support so my feet don’t hurt and match with everything. I’m impressed with the top quality, genuine leather, and I’m sure I’ll have these boots for years to come.

The post Cute and Comfortable Boots by ABEO at The Walking Company appeared first on Handmade in the Heartland.

Hobbes painted pumpkin from Calvin and Hobbes

Tips for Painted Pumpkins

1. Buy small pumpkins.

If you’re painting with small children get small pumpkins. They are the most manageable and can be painted quickly. I purchased “pie” pumpkins at Walmart for $2.50 and they were perfect.

Minion painted pumpkin from Despicable Me

2. Gather supplies.

Craft paint works the best with pumpkins, the coverage stays and you get a great result. All the pumpkins in these photos were painted with the little tubes of craft paint and plain old paint brushes.

3. Stay Organized.

Everyone gets their own “workspace” complete with their own cup of water, paper plate for squirting paint onto and some type of cardboard under the pumpkin for catching drips. You can see the setup at our kitchen table in the photo below!

4. Make a plan for your pumpkin!

Get some ideas, look through pinterest or pull from your favorite things. The tiger at the top of this post is Hobbs from the beloved comic Calvin and Hobbs, my sons favorite thing to read right now. Calvin is penciled out in the photo below. If you are painting a character of some kind it helps tremendously to sketch your design out with pencil first.

You can also use sharpie if that works with your design. In the photo below my daughter had to take a book character painted pumpkin to school, she decided on ‘Mean Jean the Recess Queen’ and so I drew the face out with sharpie for her to paint.

5. Get fun supplies!

We love the glitterific paint by plaid crafts, the glitter is SO bright and prominent. We used it in the photos below.

Marbling paint is another really fun product to use when painting pumpkins. Look at how cool it looks in the 3 colors below.

Painting pumpkins is such a fun activity with kids. The two pumpkins below are what my 3 and 6 year old came up with. Even the three year old’s paint splotches turned out cute!

Don’t be afraid to let creativity run wild when painting your pumpkins! My daughter wanted to make a hat for her pumpkin so we used a little hot glue, some pom poms and a plastic cup!

I hope this gives you some ideas of how to enjoy painting pumpkins with your family! If you are looking for another fun way to decorate your home for Halloween click over to my FREE Halloween poem printables, they look so cute displayed in frames during October!

The post Tips for Painted Pumpkins appeared first on Handmade in the Heartland.

It’s official. I’ve turned into a crazy plant lady, the other day Matt told his friends at school that our house is slowly turning into a jungle. I don’t know what it is but I’ve slowly started to to become obsessed with having beautiful plants all over our home!

It all started with my fiddle leaf fig tree. I had been seeing them for a long time in all the pictures all over instagram and Pinterest. They are just so unique and elegant and beautiful! I was in Home Depot last year and BAM! There was an entire cart of them being unloaded into the garden section for only $24. This was before Ikea, Costco and others had them regularly. I snagged one and it all started. Below are my best tips for how to care for a fiddle leaf fig tree and have your tree grow quickly!

small fiddle leaf fig’s at home depot

How to care for a fiddle leaf fig tree

Repot in the right container.

Fiddle leaf fig trees need depth for their roots to grow, not so much width and they are susceptible to root rot so you MUST have a drainage hole in your pot. When you purchase your plant you want to repot it immediately into a container that is only about 3-4 inches larger in diameter than what it’s currently in but maybe 6-8″ deeper. Think tall and skinny so those roots have somewhere to go to help your tree become tall.

Use good soil.

Use an indoor potting mix like Miracle Grow’s indoor potting soil. The soil needs to dry out between waterings to prevent root rot and fungus gnats. Don’t use dirt from outside and risk bringing in bugs that could infest your plant.

How to repot the tree.

Estimate how much soil you need in the pot from the bag and dump in the bottom of the pot. Then remove the tree from the plastic container, if it’s stuck you can cut the plastic with scissors so as to not damage the plant. Repotting is easier when your plant is dry, so do not water before you repot. Once you have the plant out of the old container, place it in the new one. It is best for the plant to be just slightly lower than the edge of the container. Fill in with the soil around the edges of the root ball if needed to make the container full.

Water after repotting.

After you have repotted the tree give it a good complete soaking. If it fits into the kitchen sink let it sit under the faucet for several minutes, I like to take my sink hose and use it to water all around the soil for several minutes. When plants are at the store they are often super dry and need to be completely soaked when repotted. Let the excess water drain through the bottom for an hour or so and then drain the saucer that’s underneath the pot, you do not want your fiddle leaf fig tree to sit in water.

Find the perfect light and let it acclimate

Often when a tree is repotted and in a new environment it’s shocked and takes a little bit of time for it to get used to it’s new home. You’ll want to find a good spot where it gets lots of consistent bright light. In a room that has a lot of windows is ideal. Fiddle leaf figs do not like direct intense sunlight on their leaves, indirect light is better. Be careful it is not near a draft, cold air will cause it’s leaves to turn brown and fall off. Brown spots on leaves typically mean the plant is getting too cold, so double check it’s location and make sure it’s not by a vent or drafty window. Once you find a great spot, leave the plant there, fiddle leaf fig trees don’t like to be moved.

Water consistently.

Fiddle leaf fig trees are tropical and like warm humid environments, most of our homes are dry and even cool in the winter months. To trick the plant into thinking it lives in a rainforest I mist it with a spray bottle every week after watering. I’ve found that this keeps the leaves from cracking and having little holes in the leaves. The amount you water depends on the size of your plant, however 1 cup for a medium to small size tree once a week seems to be a good starting place.

At this point I water my medium-large tree with 3 cups of water once a week. You don’t want standing water in the basin or saucer that your pot is sitting in, so after you water if there is excess remove it. For a long time I would stick my finger into the soil about an inch or two before water to see if the soil was damp, then if it was dry I would water. Sometimes in the winter months the soil will still be damp so I will wait a few more days before watering.

Clean dull leaves

The leaves of a fiddle leaf fig tree are large and just like everything else in your house they collect dust. The plant breathes through it’s leaves so you need to clean those big guys! I take a damp microfiber cloth and wipe down the leaves about once a month. Because I spray the leaves weekly with water I wipe them down less often. Sometimes older leaves can get dull, and easy way to bring back shine is to take a little bit of coconut oil with a wet cloth and “polish” them. It does wonders for bringing back shiny leaves. I’m not sure how great this is for the plant so I rarely do it, once a year maybe.

Trouble shooting problems

In the beginning several of the bottom leaves on my fiddle leaf fig tree turned light yellow green and looked very sad. I pulled them off and researched the issue. I was over watering. I’ve read that this can also be caused by pests but in my case it was over watering. If you’re plant needs more water the leaves will all visibly droop. We came back from a vacation and it was clear just looking at the tree that it was seriously thirsty! I’ve also read that if it’s severely dry the top leaves will turn brown and fall off.

Now that you have the basics for how to care for a fiddle leaf fig tree continue reading below for my tips and tricks for how to make your tree grow fast.

How to make a fiddle leaf fig tree grow fast

Fertilize

Every time I water my fiddle leaf fig tree I add a drop of Super Thrive, a friend who is also a crazy plant lady gave me this tip and it has been a game changer. This super concentrated plant food/fertilizer is like magic!  I have also on occasion, maybe twice a year stuck some Jobe’s tree fertilizer sticks into the soil.

Pinching off leaves

The first time I pinched off a leaf I was totally freaked out and felt like I was going to kill the tree, but quickly realized it was the right thing to do because pinching spurs more growth for the plant. When the tree has a baby leaf coming out of the top simply pull off the new growing leaf. I know, it seems crazy! But you will see within a week the next several leaves grow so quickly! I typically pinch off a leaf and then let 4-5 new leaves grow and then pinch again. In the photo below you can see a small new leaf on top this is around the size I would pinch. To pinch you pull it from the base of where it is growing from the branch.

Pruning a fiddle leaf fig tree

Pruning, like pinching, can be anxiety inducing. Especially after caring for a fiddle leaf fig tree it seems like cutting the top off is going to ruin all the work you’ve been doing for months! I was nervous but I was also really curious about propagating (making another tree from a cutting) and seeing new branches on my tree so I took the plunge and pruned! You can see in the photo below my tree was becoming very top heavy and leaning. 

My fiddle leaf fig as you can see in the photo above was growing strait up on one branch or trunk, I had seen photos of other trees growing different branches and had even tried notching (where you make a notch with a sharp knife in the trunk) to get my tree to branch but nothing had worked. Pruning is the key to getting your fiddle leaf fig tree to branch out in different directions.

The first step to prune is to plan to do it in the spring or summer. The tree naturally has a period of growth during the warm months so you’ll want to capitalize on the growth period. When you prune you’ll want to use a very sharp clean knife, I sharpened one of my kitchen chef’s knives to use. I then located where I would cut on the tree, just about 1/2″-1″ below a leaf. You can see in the photo below how I trimmed off the top of my tree.

What happens next is SO exciting. After about 3 weeks I started to see 3 new buds appear on each of the trunks that I cut. For some reason when I bought my tree it has two trunks in the pot, which is pretty common when purchasing a fiddle leaf fig tree, so I actually have 2 trees in my pot and I’m way to nervous to try to separate them!

For the first few weeks I was really nervous because I was expecting new growth to appear at the cut site, which is not what happens. The cut site becomes dry and dark and I thought I killed my tree and I would never see a new leaf! ha! New buds appear below the cut site and in more than one spot, as I mentioned both of my cut stems developed three different new growth buds which means three new branches! It was so exciting to see these three different branches sprout and grow.

One last tip that I read too late. Once your tree starts to get tall you may be tempted to pull off the lower leaves to make it look more like a tree. The longer you leave the lower leaves on the tree the stronger your trunk will become. I wish I had left my leaves on quite a bit longer so that my trunk would have become a bit bigger and stronger.

You guys I just love this tree! I love how it grows quickly, it’s so satisfying! I love how it looks in my home and I love that even though it’s a little fussy, once you learn how to care for a fiddle leaf fig tree they really are easy. If you have questions leave a comment or tag me on Instagram (@handmadeintheheartland) or facebook!

Resources:

Indoor Potting Soil
Spray bottle for misting
Microfiber cleaning cloth
Super Thrive Fertlizer
Jobe’s Fertilizer Spikes

The post How to care for a Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree appeared first on Handmade in the Heartland.

Living a healthy life should be one of your top priorities and today I’m happy to share some great resources to help you do just that! his post is sponsored by Shawnee Mission Health’s MyHealthKC, all opinions are always my honest thoughts.

Last Wednesday after I dropped my little one off at preschool I headed over to the Overland Park Farmers’ Market. Shawnee Mission Health’s MyHealthKC is a partner of the OP Farmers’ Market and they invited me to get to know the market. It was a beautiful day and I had so much fun meandering around the market and looking at all the fresh late summer produce.

I’m so impressed with the vast amount of resources found on MyHealthKC.com. If you’re headed over to the OP Farmers’ Market be sure to check out their guide to the market that you can download HERE.

Looking for recipes to make with all that delicious produce you’ve purchased at the market? Download the Farmers’ Market Cookbook for free! It’s got 10 delicious recipes to keep you busy in the kitchen, I’m excited to cook the Autumn Chicken which is on my menu this week!

While at the market I picked up some peaches, tomatoes and micro-greens. Fresh homegrown tomatoes are my favorite, so packed with flavor! I love a simple BLT or making a caprese stack with slices of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, a few basil leaves and drizzling good balsamic vinegar on top. yum. Oh and there is nothing quite like a homemade pizza with fresh tomatoes on it! Check out my free how to make pizza at home ebook HERE. What are your favorite tomato recipes? I’d love to hear in the comments!

There are several other super useful pdf downloadable guides on MyHealthKC that I really enjoyed. The Healthy Kids Activity Book is a fun thing to print out for the kiddos and the beginners guide to essential oils was super helpful considering I purchased an oil set a few years ago and never used them!

If you’re looking for a doctor MyHealthKC has a quick survey to fill out that matches you with a doctor. The blog on the site has tons of helpful articles written by Shawnee Mission Health professionals with topics ranging from ‘When to call 911’ to ‘How is Sleep Apnea Treated’. Choosing a doctor can be overwhelming and the thought of being matched personally after filling out the survey was so appealing to me!

With the start of the school year I always feel like it’s a time of year for a fresh start, a second New Years. I’m a big goal setter and this school year I’m putting my health at the top of my priority list. I’m eating more fruits and vegetables, less junk and exercising more. I love when I find free resources, like MyHealthKC to help me reach my goals!

The post Healthy Living with MyHealthKC appeared first on Handmade in the Heartland.

This post contains affiliate links which means that I make a few pennies should you choose to purchase something I recommend. I would never recommend something I don’t firmly stand behind! 

You guys. I’m not even kidding when I tell you that this project of organizing my pantry changed my life, okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration but it has brought me SO much happiness. I listen to a podcast by one of my favorite authors, Gretchen Rubin, called Happier, she and her sister talk each week about how to make your life happier. She has this motto that I have whole heartedly adopted: “Outer Order, Inner Peace”.

When I first heard her say this little phrase it resonated so deeply with me that I yelled YES! out loud to myself. I’m one of those people who gets twitchy when there are crumbs on the countertop and it feels like a weight is lifted off my shoulders when I clean a closet. So it’s no surprise that organizing my pantry made me giddy.

We moved into our home 3 years ago and one of my favorite things is my pantry. It’s HUGE and I can fit so many things in it, which also means it becomes a dumping ground for anything I don’t want to see on my kitchen counters. Having lived with the pantry for 3 years I have learned a few things:

1. Items on the top shelf that are pushed toward the wall are out of sight and out of mind, I used to put items that I have multiples of up there but I always forgot about them.

2. I hate having things on the floor under the shelves.

3. I have too many random baskets that don’t match and drive me nuts.

4. I have too much stuff.

With this pantry organization project I wanted to eliminate some of my problems and make the entire space look cleaner and less cluttered.

How to Organize your Pantry

When I was preparing for this project I looked at all the containers. I think I stared at different food containers on amazon for several hours one Saturday and then finally around 6:00pm I just threw up my hands and went to IKEA. When it comes to containers on a budget IKEA has the best prices and quite a few different options. All the skinny clear food containers are from IKEA, the larger round containers that I put sugar and flour in are from Walmart.

I knew I wanted to put certain food items into clear containers, like cereal and rice. A smarter person would have gone through everything, made notes and then only purchased the amount of containers they needed. I don’t have the patience for that so I went to Ikea and over-bought containers knowing I would return items. I only made 2 trips to Ikea so I call that a win.

I feel like I’m at a place in my life where I’ve been cooking long enough that I know what staple products we use enough to have a container specifically labeled for that item. My staples include: Flour, sugar, brown sugar (in large containers), oats, powdered sugar, spaghetti noodles & rice in tall skinny containers and then in smaller containers baking powder, soda, corn starch, corn meal, cocoa powder, peanuts, cashews, breadcrumbs, rice, and quinoa.

I labeled everything in the pantry with black vinyl that I cut using my Cricut Explore and I used the Cricut Sans font. I knew I wanted a simple font, I often second guess and over think design decisions like what font and color to use so I just made myself choose something simple that I wouldn’t hate in a few months. To read more about my Cricut, which I looooove clickHERE.

I used a variety of white lidded containers and white open basket style containers from Ikea. The lidded containers are in the TILLSLUTA line, found in the kitchen organization section. The open style white bins are in the general organizing area of ikea and named PLUGGIS, there are 2 sizes three and half gallon and four gallon.

I made a very conscious choice to change where I put snacks, sweets, and chips. You can see in the photo below they are in white bins (so I can’t see what’s inside them) and they are on the top shelf. You wouldn’t believe how just the fact that I can’t see exactly which cookies are in the bin and that I can’t easily reach them how less often I am eating them. I placed fruit and nuts in an easily reachable area to encourage myself and my family to snack more on those items and it has worked!

One of my favorite organizing items for this large pantry has been lazy susan’s or turntables. You can see in the photos that I store some of my spices and all of my bottled items on turntables and it makes it incredibly easy to keep things contained, organized and easily accessible. I don’t have a fantastic solution for canned goods. I do have a basket and shelf in the canned goods section of my pantry and I don’t really love either solution, but I haven’t thought of a better one. If you have a great idea let me know!

How to Organize Spices in the Pantry

I think it’s important to know yourself enough to know what small things make you happy on a daily basis. As we all know sometimes the things that make us happy don’t necessarily make sense to others. One part of this project that brings me the most joy is the spice organization. Honestly it doesn’t really make that much sense, all spices come in perfectly good containers, are labeled correctly and could easily be alphabetized as you acquire them for organization.

BUT FRIENDS, these uniform clear containers make me SO HAPPY. The look of them in my pantry every time I walk in makes me smile. This little happiness boost may cost me a little bit of time to transfer the store bought spices from their original container into my containers when I run low, but it is so worth it to me!

The spice containers came from Amazon in packs of 12, I ordered 3. They come with circle labels that I put on the top of the lids and then I cut vinyl letters out for labeling the fronts of the jars. As you can tell from the pictures it’s hard to see what is behind the first row of jars on my tiered organizer so I made a “map” of the spice jars that I laminated and keep on the wall behind the spices. This may seem like way over the top type-A organizing but it always bothered me that when I would alphabetize my spices they would get out of order almost immediately.

With my “map” I can always see where each spice goes with little mental energy! This also comes in handy when I’m menu planning and making my grocery list. I can easily see if I even have the spice a recipe calls for with just one look at the map and then check if it’s filled, which is so much easier than sorting through tons of random small containers. As I was organizing the spices I realized I had several duplicates because of this exact problem, it was too hard to see if I had something or not so often times I ended up buying a duplicate.

What small things make you happy? Does organization make you happy like me? What has been your favorite organizing project?! I’d love to hear in the comments tag me on Instagram (@handmadeintheheartland) or facebook! Trust me, I will share in the joy of an organized space with you!

I’ve listed below the items I used in this pantry organization project! Let me know if you have any questions and be sure to let me know if you use some of these ideas in your own home!

SOURCES:
Spice Containers
3 Tiered Spice Shelf
Under Shelf Basket
Round Food Containers for Flour & Sugar
2 Tier Lazy Susan for spices
Large lazy susan for bottles & jars
Short skinny food containers
Tall skinny food containers
Lidded white IKEA containers
White open bin containers 4 gallon
White open bin container 3.5 gallon
Cricut Explore Air

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I love to travel and as a mom with 3 small children it’s essential for my mental stability to get away a few times a year! My favorite trips are when Matt and I can get away together. This weekend we spent 3 days in Seattle and we loved it! Seattle is such a unique and fun city and I’ll share with you everything we did!

Getting to Seattle from Kansas City

We flew southwest airlines, we are staunch supporters of southwest. We have the southwest credit card and earn a good amount of points so our flights were free! We were super happy that SW has non-stop flights from KC to Seattle, so nice!

The airport in Seattle is kind of crazy to fly out of. Matt and I have traveled a lot and this was the longest security line we had every stood in. I’ve been told by friends that Seattle is always difficult to fly out of so I highly recommend arriving at the airport at least 2 hours before your flight.

Getting around Seattle

Seattle has a good amount of public transit, however we opted to rent a car. I originally just booked a car through a major rental company but then Matt wanted to try out Turo. It’s a new car-sharing/rental app similar to airbnb. Individuals list their cars and you can look through what is available in different areas and book a car. It ended up being the exact same price as the normal rental car companies and we got a convertible BMW. It made our trip SO much more fun! Riding around Seattle in August with the top down was one of my favorite things about our trip.

Parking in downtown Seattle is a hassle, it’s not fun and you’re lucky if you find street parking. The small lots often charge upwards of $25-$30 to park in them. We got lucky and found street parking several times and then on the day we went to Pike Place we arrived at a garage at 1st Ave & Pike Street at 9:15 which was offering an early bird price of $14 for the day if you arrived before 9:30.

Staying in Seattle

I’ve been staying at Airbnb’s for a while now and so when it came to figuring out where to stay in Seattle I went strait to the app. I found an adorable little guest room in Ballard, just slightly north of downtown Seattle. It was perfect, inexpensive and had free parking on the street. It was just a guest room, so just a bathroom and bedroom. A side entrance to the guest room is a private entrance and although there is a door that is locked connected to the owner’s home it was quiet and private.

When to go to Seattle

August-September is prime time to visit the pacific northwest. It was PERFECT weather for us, 70’s and sunny and just gorgeous. Coming from 90’s heat and humidity it was such a beautiful break from the heat! Seattle’s temps drop in the evening and morning so we needed sweatshirts for much of our trip.

What to do in Seattle

There are so many things to see in this amazing city. I’ll tell you what we did and then list a few things I wanted to do but didn’t have time for.

Olympic Sculpture Park– Part of Seattle Art Musem this fun sculpture park has some wonderful public art pieces as well as beautiful waterfront views. I loved the large red Calder sculpture. On a nice day the views of the puget sound are beautiful and it’s free!

Golden Gardens Park/Beach– Our Airbnb was close to this beach and we headed there after dinner one evening and watched the sunset. We loved it!

Shopping in Ballard. We had fun just walking around the cute shops in Ballard along Ballard Ave. Everything from little gift shops, outdoor gear, clothing boutiques to a paint your own ceramic studio. You can easily spend a few hours walking in and out of these shops.

Pike Place Market Food Tour. Run by EAT SEATTLE, a group of chef’s who give you an in depth tour of Pike Place Market. We loved this tour, it was one of our favorite things we did on this trip. The tour guide is not just a wealth of knowledge about the food in Pike Place but also the history of the market and the people who run and own the businesses inside. While you are on the tour you skip lines, like the famously long line of pike place chowder, because the tour guide goes up and gets your sample for you. The samples were not chintzy but medium- large sample sizes and with the amount of food that you consume at 10 different locations you really wouldn’t want them to be any bigger. If you’re going to Seattle and plan on going to Pike Place (because how could you not) you should definitely take this tour!

Shopping in downtown. Although most of the stores that we went into we could find in other cities Matt and I don’t often get to go shopping and it was my birthday weekend. There is a large mall called Westlake Center as well as an enormous Macy’s. We went into Zara (which we don’t have in Kansas City) an extremely large Nordstrom Rack and a few other large stores around 4-6th Ave and in between Pine St & Olive Way.

Amazon Spheres & Amazon Go. Amazon is headquartered in downtown Seattle and it’s not too far of a walk from Pike Place Market. The spheres are pretty cool to look at and walk around even though you can’t go inside unless you are an Amazon employee. They do have a small room called the “understory” which is open to the public that explains the building, the architecture and the foliage that is in the spheres. The amazon go store that’s been circulating on social media was also next to the spheres and it was kind of fun to see, it’s the store where there is no checkout it just scans things as you walk out and charges them to your amazon account, you scan the app as you walk in. so weird and so cool.

Kerry Park. This little park in the Queen Anne neighborhood offers one of the best views of the downtown skyline with the space needle in full view as well as the beautiful puget sound. It was fun to take a few pictures and just sit on a bench for a few minutes.

Space Needle. Such a fun touristy thing to do. The line was long but moved quickly, we probably waited a total of 30 minutes before getting to the elevators. There is a fun hallway you walk through before getting to the elevators that shows the history of the process of building the needle. The elevators go surprisingly fast- I think it was 40mph and you’re at the top in no time. Earlier in 2018 the lower level of the observation deck was replaced with a rotating glass floor. So cool. It’s a great activity and a beautiful way to see all of Seattle.

What we missed.
Dale Chihuly garden and glass– this is right next to the space needle and I was super sad we didn’t have time to walk through.
Seattle Art Musem. Pop Art Musem. Seattle Aquarium. Museum of Flight. Pioneer Square. Ballard Locks

Where to Eat in Seattle

We were surprised to find that at every “sit down” restaurant we ate at that a 20% gratuity was added to our bill. We thought it might be something quirky at the first restaurant but then we quickly realized it was the norm in downtown Seattle.

Serious Pie. I was told by many people to make a stop at this pizza place. We ordered the heirloom tomato & burrata appetizer and then a sausage and roasted red pepper pizza. Both items were delicious and just what we needed after our flight.

Dahlia Bakery. Delicious little bakery around the corner from Serious Pie. The sign outside claims they have the best coconut cream pie and it’s definitely in the running for one of the best I’ve ever had!

The Walrus and the Carpenter. Located in the cool little neighborhood of Ballard. This restaurant kept coming up when we asked people where to eat in Seattle. It’s a tiny little restaurant that really should be called a raw bar, pretty much everything on the menu is raw. They are known for their oysters, which Matt and I don’t even like, however we did try some! We loved the fresh bread, whipped butter and the steak tartare. We also enjoyed a watermelon salad that was SO interesting, it had feta, cilantro, urfa biber (strangest spice ever?!) and fried pepitas on it.

Salt & Straw. Also located in Ballard. After we ate dinner at the walrus and the carpenter we headed over to this adorable ice cream shop. Fresh made waffle cones and delicious creative flavors make this a must stop ice cream shop in Seattle!

The Herbfarm. This restaurant is for the serious foodie and holy cow is it amazing. My mom and step dad were in town at the same time and my mom used to live in Seattle. She had always wanted to eat at the Herbfarm and so the 4 of us went. It’s more than just a meal it’s an entire evening experience. We were invited to arrive 40 minutes before the meal started and go on a tour of the garden with the owner, she showed us and had us taste herbs and flowers in the garden that they would be using in our meal. She also introduced us to the 2 pigs who act as the “disposal” for the restaurant. If you are interested in feeding them you can take a break from the dining room in between courses you can take a little bucket out and feed them.

After the garden tour we then went into the restaurant and were seated for our 7:00pm dinner. There is only one seating at 7:00pm, everyone is served together and it’s a 9 course meal, 11 courses if you count the bread service and the tea/coffee at the end. You do not choose anything, you sit down and open the little booklet menu and are served every course. Each course is very small so that you can enjoy all the food. It is served over a 4 hour period, which in my opinion was a little too long, we didn’t leave until 11:15! Each course is paired with a drink, since we don’t drink alcohol they had herbal infusions that they served us.

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