What Loving Yourself Looks Like | Motherhood Journey

by SimplyHollyJo on February 18, 2022 , No Comments

Motherhood allows for some interesting opportunities, quite often. This month, I was driving with my kids. I don’t remember exactly how it came up, but we were talking about who we love. We were possibly making up songs about loving people, because we are a family that turns anything into a song. I said something about loving a few people. My oldest repeated me, and said that I loved myself. I had t said that the first time around, but I did when I continued my list. He then asked me how do you love yourself. I instantly had a […]

Adding a Third Baby to the Mix

by SimplyHollyJo on December 17, 2021 , No Comments

I’m currently three months deep in the baby phase with our third baby. It’s a stressful and exciting phase that has me thinking back to my previous baby phases. I almost feel like a first time mom with the amount of information I feel like I’ve forgotten. Not to mention how much temperaments change from baby to baby. First Time Mom Life With my first baby, I lounged around at home, watching Call the Midwife (SO much crying), and attempting various tasks around the house when I could get a moment of baby free time, unless I could somehow do […]

Self-Love in Letting Go of Perfection

by SimplyHollyJo on February 19, 2021 , 2 Comments

Lately, I haven’t written much. Honestly, I’ve wanted to, but I haven’t been feeling inspired. I tend to go through phases of having so much inspiration and things to say, and then I go through times where I simply feel silent. I’ve learned that being okay with these ups and downs is a personal form of self-love. Am I’m growing to be okay with that.  It is so easy to get tied up in the “Do’s and Don’ts” of life, to feel the pressure of doing things the “right” way. But honestly, we are all human, and we all fall […]

Remember to Savor the Everyday Moments

by SimplyHollyJo on November 20, 2020 , No Comments

There’s a lot to be stressed, worried, and frustrated about this year. But there’s also a lot of wonderful things happening as well. Some of them are on smaller levels, and not as often spoken about, but important, nonetheless. So the topic of “savor” is perfectly fitting for this season.  Finding Inspiration When I first started reflecting on this word, a lot of things came to mind. Thanksgiving is coming up soon, so there’s people, food, and celebration, and honestly, there’s a lot of love and happiness around me in general. But what really stuck to me in the end, […]

Lazy Days and a Love of Learning | Unexpected Joy

by SimplyHollyJo on October 23, 2020 , No Comments

I feel as though I’m constantly talking about “this crazy time we live in.” I suppose it’s just going to be the running theme for some time. The world has been flipped upside down for most of us and we are all navigating some form of uncertainty and anxiety. It’s a time of great divide AND bonding. I have been doing my best to think of the good things happening in life right now, and the topic of Unexpected Joy is the perfect way to reflect. Lazy Days There has been a lot of laying around and relaxing, watching movies […]

Family Recipe for Irish Coddle | Finding the Flavor

by SimplyHollyJo on July 17, 2020 , No Comments

Years ago my husband and I started going to the Weston Irish Festival in Weston, MO. For several years we went if we were in town, sometimes even planning trips to visit family during the festival weekend. It’s something that we’ve only done a couple of times since having kids, but one of our favorite parts of the festival is the Irish Coddle. Yum. Eventually we were no longer satisfied with only eating Irish coddle once a year, and attempted to recreate it at home. This is the story of the journey I took to the beloved recipe we now […]