Just This & That

March 3, 2015 by Aliesha

Life has just been chugging along here, and while I don’t have any huge updates, I thought I’d share some of the little things happening here!

Playing
The kids have been playing together really well this week so far, and that’s been awesome. The girls especially are becoming more imaginative in their play, whether it be kittens or babies or adventures in Narnia.

Sansa
Tad and I have a beautiful new niece who lives half a world away! Nate, Tad’s brother who lives in China, and his wife Xiao Feng, just had a new baby, named Sansa. They are doing well!

Spring is springing
I think spring is beginning to “spring” here, as we have seen some warmer days lately. We had more snow and a cold spell last week, but the weather is on a warming trend now!

Calligraphy
I’ve been learning modern Copperplate calligraphy through a course that Tad gave me for Christmas. Some days I get frustrated with myself, but overall I’m seeing progress. I love the personalized feedback that the course provides.

Esther
I lead a community ladies’ Bible study that meets twice a month, and we’ve just started studying the book of Esther. It’s an interesting book!

Hospitality
We’ve been blessed to be able to show hospitality a little bit more lately. We took a meal to friends who had a baby, we hosted family for CC’s birthday party, and we had a family from our life group over for dinner last weekend. We’re also looking forward to having some friends stay with us next week!

Cooking
I’m using a real food meal-planning service to help me get back on track cooking healthy food every night! The plan I’m using is veggie-heavy, which I love, as well as frugal to execute.

Pregnancy
One of these weeks I will put together a real pregnancy update post! I’m 14 weeks now and feeling good most days. Baby Apricot is starting to make his or her presence known, and I have a little bump now!

All of these photos are from my Instagram feed, so if you want, you can follow along over there!

DIY Dry Shampoo

February 27, 2015 by Aliesha

One of the projects in my latest Homegrown Collective box was DIY dry shampoo! I have wanted to make this, so I was glad I finally did! I don’t wash my hair every day, so I love having a way to freshen up my locks without having to shampoo! I’ve used commercial dry shampoo in the past, but it completely dries out my hair and scalp. This DIY recipe worked great with no adverse effects!

I added rosemary essential oil to the dry shampoo to help encourage hair growth, strengthen hair, and to treat dry scalp and prevent dandruff. Rosemary is an excellent oil for your hair!

You can customize this recipe based on your hair color (cool, right?). For blonde or light hair, don’t add anything. For brown or dark hair, add cocoa powder until it’s the shade you want. For auburn or red hair, add cinnamon for your desired shade.

DIY Dry Shampoo

This dry shampoo is easy to make and helps promote healthy hair!

Author: Aliesha @ Feathers in Our Nest

Ingredients

½ cup cornstarch (organic, non-GMO preferred)
2 tsp. cocoa powder (for brown/dark hair) or cinnamon (for auburn/red hair)
4 drops rosemary essential oil

Instructions

In a glass shaker jar, combine all ingredients.
Stir or shake to combine (cover holes when shaking).
Sprinkle on hair at roots (all over head), using your fingers to comb it through.
Wait 2 minutes, then brush out any remaining dry shampoo.

Sources: glass shaker jars (or find at your local Wal-mart) / rosemary essential oil

Let me know if you try it!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through my links, it will help support my family and this blog. Thank you!

Cordelia Is Three! {And a Penguin Party!}

February 25, 2015 by Aliesha

On Saturday, we celebrated Cordelia’s third birthday! She requested a penguin party!

My mom made some adorable penguin bunting banners.

I made a coconut cake and decorated it with some cute penguins!

My talented friend Stuart made penguin and snowflake sugar cookies for the party!

If you’re local and want her contact info, I can put you in touch! I’m convinced she can make anything!

We were blessed to have our family come celebrate with us! Pops, MiMi, Grandanny, Grammy, Uncle Phillip, Uncle Nich, Uncle Jed, Aunt Angela, Brayden, Drew, and Haley all came to the party! Our table was as tightly packed as it can get, and we used every available chair in the house! I love having so many people in my dining room!