My Boys | A Snapshot of Daily Life

by SimplyHollyJo on June 22, 2020 , 1 Comment

It was a normal weekday morning. My husband and I had woken up, gotten ready, made breakfast and coffee, and released the kids. The weather was unusually cool and outdoor play required light jackets. Mainly because quarantine had kept me from dressing my boys most days. Why fight them to get dressed when PJs make great play clothes? The cool weather had me craving more hot drinks and maybe a blanket. It really wasn’t that cool, low 60’s, but my body was craving the sun from all the low moods being induced by the current life circumstances. I was beyond […]

Homemade Yogurt | My Go-To Recipes

by SimplyHollyJo on June 16, 2020 , No Comments

One of the recipes I love to do from scratch is yogurt. I do enjoy yogurt and the cultures that help with gut health. I don’t much like store bought yogurt. There’s so much sugar and added stuff. And it goes right through my boys, causing irritations and rashes. So I prefer homemade yogurt. I started making yogurt YEARS ago using the stove, and ice baths, and pots sitting in corners with heating pads under them. Over the years the recipe, well, less the recipe and more the process, has evolved. I now make yogurt in my Instant Pot. I […]

Middle School Grad Session | Spring Hill, Kansas

by SimplyHollyJo on June 11, 2020 , No Comments

What a crazy time we live in right now. The year 2020 has be rocky for us all, and we are all dealing with multiple scares and letdowns. Every middle school grad has had to adjust to a completely different end to this season of life. Capturing this special time for K, was a honor. I warned her before the session that I was itching for a portrait session to play with, and that I might be a little overly excited to shoot. She took it all in stride. We were blessed with a great location right in her backyard. […]

DIY Wood Stain | Create Wood Stain at Home

by SimplyHollyJo on June 9, 2020 , No Comments

I am equal parts frugal and lazy. Or at least that’s how I see it. I don’t like to spend more if I don’t need to, and I don’t like running random errands to gather things/supplies. Especially now that I have a toddler and preschooler in tow. That means that if I can find a way to make due with the supplies that I have on hand, that’s exactly what I do. Enter DIY wood stain. Years ago, while pregnant with my first, I wanted to make some picture shelves for our new house. I bought brackets online, and I […]

Capturing Quarantine | Cardboard Houses Photo Shoot

by SimplyHollyJo on June 1, 2020 , No Comments

Early on in the shelter-in-place phase of life this year, I began thinking up a studio shoot focused on capturing quarantine. I wanted something fun, but themed to this time. I debated toilet paper and leaning supplies for a while. But I mean, who wanted to waste toilet paper at the time? And I also didn’t have any clorox wipes or lysol or anything. So it just seemed empty and lacking. I had always thought the “white box” collage images I had seen around were fun. But I didn’t think that it was something print worthy, I guess, so I […]

Another Year Older | My Boys’ Birthday Photos

by SimplyHollyJo on May 26, 2020 , No Comments

Both of my boys are another year older! I am now the mother of a 3 year old and a 5 year old. What?!?! Every May I plan out a shoot for each of the boys. With their birthdays only 8 days apart, the month can get hectic. Every year they fight me tooth and nail (at least to do it exactly the way I want them to), and inevitably I love the final product anyway. My mother use to comment how she couldn’t believe I could get such great shots of my boys when they were little. Then she […]

Connection Through the Storm | Apart Together

by SimplyHollyJo on May 22, 2020 , 2 Comments

Apart, together. What a great way to describe what we have been going through in the world lately. It’s been a time of isolation, but also a time of community, strangely. People that haven’t communicated regularly are even communicating MORE because of this crazy phase of life. It’s somewhat surreal to me. I am blessed to live near both my family, and my husband’s family. I don’t know how I would feel if we still lived states away from family, but thankfully, I don’t have to find out. Being close also means my little guys are both VERY use to […]

Why We Love Our Water Table | Outdoor Toys for Kids

by SimplyHollyJo on May 18, 2020 , No Comments

We are currently on our second water table, and we love it. It gets so much use and the boys ask to fill it up daily. So I thought I would give some information on our water table for mamas on the hunt. Years ago, when my first turned one, we were gifted a water table similar to the Step2 Duck Dive table. It was round, simple, and had a crank in the center to turn the water. I was hesitant at first and I don’t think I opened it for a while. I could only imagine the destruction my […]

Our Easter Photos | Pandemic Procrastination

by SimplyHollyJo on April 27, 2020 , No Comments

Happy belated Easter! I actually took these Easter photos ON Easter Sunday. Motivation finally hit the Saturday before to set it up, and the flow of our Easter Sunday, combined with the rainy day, allowed for me to get some shots of the boys for the big day! I was so excited to get a shoot done. Especially since I LOVED our Easter photos last year! My oldest was pretty game for photos and I was super thankful for that. My youngest, as usual, was not so interested. Thankfully I still ended up with a great assortment of awesome shots. […]

Capturing Life During a Pandemic | Go Where the Light Is

by SimplyHollyJo on April 24, 2020 , 7 Comments

As a photographer, I have actually been leaning a bit on my photography to help with the stress and “new normal” caused by everything currently going on. I have been trying to pick up my “big girl” camera more often and capture life in and around our house. Simple moments that create snapshots of our lives. As I was compiling them, I realized they kind of fall into different categories or strategies, so I’m going to share some short tips on capturing life during a pandemic. Quiet/Independent Play When your kids are quietly playing or interacting, try to get it […]

Our Favorite Yard Toys (So Far) | Toys for the Outdoors

by SimplyHollyJo on March 30, 2020 , No Comments

I love being outside and getting my kids outside as well. I am a big fan of yard toys as well. Mainly because I enjoy games and exploration, and yard toys can help pass the time in fun ways. Some days we are more about playing in the dirt and what nature gives us, and other days we are all about games, water play, and activities. So today I’m going to share some of our favorite yard toys! Yard Games Jacobs Ladder Such a fun tossing game that can be used by people young and old. My kids love practicing […]

A Hope for Spring, A New Struggle | #AllThingsNew

by SimplyHollyJo on March 27, 2020 , 1 Comment

March is almost over and Spring is officially here. I had so much hope for Spring. Back in July/August of last year, I fell into one of my usual “funks,” and it somehow carried over into Winter. I have been dreaming about sun on my skin and grass under my feet. Of digging in the dirt, and playing in the water. But life doesn’t always go as planned. After a Winter of household sickness, and then trying to get myself out of the house more after our recovery, I had really started depending on the idea of Spring and Summer […]