• SimplyHollyJo

    • Four Ways to Ditch the Mom Guilt

      by SimplyHollyJo on May 3, 2019 , No Comments

      Mom guilt is real. It is rough and can feel constant. Especially in this day and age. Today I’m going to share some things that greatly help me fight the mom guilt monster. Get around other moms As the saying goes, “It takes a village.” True story. When you surround yourself with other parents, in community, you share stories. You share your lives. When you open up about your experiences you start to realize that a lot of us are all going through the same exact things. Rough days, awesome days, in between days. It opens your eyes to realistic […]

      Motherhood
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    • Easter Mini Sessions | Photographing Your Kids

      by SimplyHollyJo on April 22, 2019 , No Comments

      Happy Easter! Oh, Easter, how I love you. The pastels, the eggs, the bunnies, the crosses, the family time, the church events, the celebration of the cornerstone of my faith. What’s not to love! I knew I needed to do an easter mini shoot for the boys. As usual, I ended up finding WAY too many Easter themed props that I loved, and spent days arranging and rearranging them and getting frustrated. I forgot how to attach fans to my backdrop and they fell down the first time. Then I wanted EVERYTHING in the photos…because they were all so cute! […]

      Kids, Photography
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    • How to Treat a Cold Naturally

      by SimplyHollyJo on April 10, 2019 , No Comments

      As a “crunchy” person, I usually treat a cold naturally. I have also spent most of the last 4+ years either pregnant or nursing, therefore I had additional motivation to not use over the counter medications. Even before kids though, I was known for my “crazy” concoctions that I would use when feeling under the weather. Today I will share some of those crazy things.  Here are some of my go-to options for “treating” a cold naturally: 1. Saline Rinse My go-to treatment for sinuses is a neti-pot. I use this one and love it. I do it morning and […]

      Crunchy Living, Family Wellness
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    • How to Encourage Your Kids to Go Outside

      by SimplyHollyJo on March 22, 2019 , No Comments

      Are you trying to encourage your kids to go outside more but aren’t really sure where to begin? Well, I am still a work in progress, but let me share a few ways that have helped me… Go Outside This is pretty self explanatory. Go outside. Step out of your home and move forward. Most kids want to be where their parents are, even if they don’t want to admit it. So when you model going outside, or making the outdoors a priority, then your kids will follow. (You can sneak back inside later if you want.) Explore Once you’re outside, […]

      Kids, Motherhood
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    • Valentine’s Day Mini Session | Olathe, Kansas

      by SimplyHollyJo on February 18, 2019 , No Comments

      Happy Valentine’s Day mini session post season! So the last few weeks have been full of snow, suddenly warm weather, more snow, and lots of photography fun! I finally got my studio completely set up, my Valentine’s Day decor just right, and little ones to destroy it. It was a lot of fun. I got some great shots of my boys and I’m thrilled! Wyatt was originally uninterested in actual photos, only my gear. But once the setup was complete he was a photo pro for about 2 minutes…which is all you really need for a kiddo! That’s why they […]

      Kids, Motherhood, Photography
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    • Building Our Own 10 Foot Dining Room Table

      by SimplyHollyJo on December 27, 2018 , No Comments

      I have always dreamt of a large, 10-12 person dining room table. We’ve actually had the space for one in a couple of our houses over the years. I’ve never wanted to pay the price for one though! Sticker shock was great. For years I have known of Ana White and explored her website. I also thoroughly love a DIY project AND woodwork. Power tools are SO much fun! I once fawned over a wood shop set up in a house I was looking at and my realtor laughed at me and told me I would definitely love his shop. I’m sure I […]

      Crafts + Creations
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    • Surviving Hand, Foot, and Mouth | Round Two

      by SimplyHollyJo on December 20, 2018 , No Comments

      I hate hand, foot, and mouth. It really messes up my schedule.  As I discussed in a previous post, the boys came down with hand, foot, and mouth previously. Then about a month and a half later…spots started showing up on Wyatt’s diaper area. Okay, at first I thought it was just diaper rash. Maybe I left his diaper on too long? No biggie.  I sent him off to stay the day with Grandma and Grandpa like usual. He came back the next day and I went to change his diaper again…red and white blisters everywhere.  NOOOO!!!!! I think a […]

      Crunchy Living, Family Wellness, Kids, Motherhood
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    • Surviving Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

      by SimplyHollyJo on December 3, 2018 , No Comments

      I survived hand, foot, and mouth disease, and this is my story. They always tell you that adding kids to any equation means getting sick more often. “They” do not lie. Growing up I had my share of illnesses. Obviously I started out as a kid as well! But as a teen and beyond, I didn’t get sick much. I would get maybe one cold a year, and I got either a stomach bug or food poisoning on the first day of senior year. Fun stuff. In college I started dating Joey when his sister was only 5 months old. A […]

      Babies, Kids, Motherhood
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    • A Solution for Moms and Morning Coffee | Mom Hacks

      by SimplyHollyJo on November 19, 2018 , No Comments

      All moms that like coffee know the “problem” with trying to drink your hot coffee in the mornings. You get distracted, or dragged away, only to find your once warm and comforting coffee cup hours later, cold as an iceberg. Eventually I just dealt with it. Chugging it down whenever I got a spare moment. the main problem with that is that I don’t drink coffee for the caffeine. I don’t feel like caffeine helps me at all, I simply like the taste of black coffee. Quality black coffee. Yum. No matter what I did though, it was almost always […]

      Motherhood
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    • Staying Out of the ER | A Daily Mom Goal

      by SimplyHollyJo on November 6, 2018 , No Comments

      So life is hard. Parenting is hard. It’s all just hard. It can be super amazing at times, boring at other times, and just plain hard. So often times I will get to bedtime and I’m just happy I survived the day. Lately when one of the kiddos is doing something dangerous…which is most things when you have a big head and uncoordinated body…I tell them some variation of “be careful” (usually trying not to actually say those words,) followed by “Mommy doesn’t want to go to the ER today!” Goals. We should always have them. That’s one of mine. […]

      Kids, Motherhood
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    • Detox Baths for Kids | How to Cure the Ickies

      by SimplyHollyJo on November 1, 2018 , No Comments

      I love detox baths. I always have. Warm water, Epsom salt, baking soda, and peace. I always keep Epsom salt and baking soda right next to the tub, and I often have some sort of herbal mix around as well for added benefits/fun.  Detox baths are great for muscle soreness/cramps, releasing toxins, relieving stress, helping skin issues, aiding digestion, and more. All you have to do is slow down and relax in the tub.  Training the Next Generation Because it was so normal for me, it didn’t take Liam long to join in on the detox fun. When he was […]

      Babies, Crunchy Living, Family Wellness, Kids, Motherhood
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    • It’s Fall Y’all | Capturing the Little Moments of the Season

      by SimplyHollyJo on October 26, 2018 , No Comments

      It’s Fall Y’all! Heh. I think I spent too many years in Texas! That word is everywhere. I actually had to look up how to properly spell “y’all.” I guess they didn’t win me over in the time I was there. Anyway! It’s Fall! And this year I am actually living in a state that declares it loudly. I love it! I have been telling Liam for months that the leaves will turn colors and fall of the trees. Then he would get to rack them up and play with them! As soon as even a hint of color showed […]

      Photography
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