Southern Made Simple

Keeping things simple with a smidge of Southern charm

Laura Tucker

DIY “Starter Fluid” Emergency Coffee Kit

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DunkinCreamers #CollectiveBias

Imagine this: You’ve made it to work, half awake and nearly late. You make your way to the break room to pour yourself a cup of much needed coffee. I mean, let’s face it, nothing good will come from this day until you’ve had your coffee.

You fill your cup only to find that some horrible, horrible person has swiped the last of the creamer, sugar, etc. The thought of taking your coffee any other way than exactly how you like it makes you want to curl up in a hole and cry. A parade of cuddly kittens could not even cheer you up at this point.

Sounds AWFUL, right?! But when you think about it, a scenario much like this happens in public places everywhere on a daily basis. (Let’s take a moment of silence for those poor, poor souls that went without their cup of beloved coffee made perfectly to their liking this morning.) Godspeed, my friends!

DIY Starter Fluid Emergency Coffee Kit + free printable #ad #DDCreamers…

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Spice Up Family Dinner Night with this 7 Layer Mexican Fiesta Dip!

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #YesYouCAN #CollectiveBias

Let’s taco ’bout Mexican food for just a minute here, y’all. My husband and I can seriously throw down when it comes to Mexican. Enchiladas, quesadillas, chalupas, #4 chicken taco supreme combo with a large coke, etc. It makes no difference to us. You name it, we love it! And if you throw some queso and jalapenos into the mix? Have mercy!

And because we love it so much, we try to make it a point to prepare these types of meals at home on a regular basis. I’m telling you, as soon as my daughter is old enough to start eating the food that I prepare (she’s only 11 months), I’m establishing  non-negotiable Taco Tuesdays in this house. It’s definitely happening.

 I absolutely love to cook, and if you’ve been following my posts you know that I love to share recipes that tend to be Southern inspired. This post is no different, other than the fact that this one is really, really Southern. Like, South-of-the-border southern. Oh yeah mis amigos, it’s gonna be good!

7 layer Mexican Fiesta Dip - The perfect way to spice up your family Mexican night! + Time Saving Kitchen Hack: How to cook Quinoa in the Microwave #YesYouCAN #ad…

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15 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for the Work at Home Mom

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Southern Made Simple is a part of several affiliate advertising programs. Affiliate links are included throughout this post. Although I participate in these programs and have sponsored content, all opinions are my own.

Alright you guys. I’m going to let you in on a little bit of news here. In case you did not know, Mother’s Day is exactly one month from today. Only 30 more days to get her a thoughtful gift that she deserves.  No body panic! Everybody remain calm! I’ve got you covered. 

I’ve compiled a list of what I think are some pretty amazing gift ideas for the Mom in your life. These picks are geared more towards moms that works from home, but frankly these gifts would rock for any mom. Don’t put off getting her something for Mother’s Day until the very last minute. Honestly, that’s not very thoughtful. Not trying to make anyone feel guilty…I’m just saying. 🙂

15 Mother's Day Gift Ideas - Perfect for the Work at Home Mom! #mothersday…

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Mandarin Orange Upside Down Cake

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I love a good upside down cake. I’m pretty certain that for the past 5 or 6 years I have requested a pineapple upside down cake for my birthday. Any time you can combine real fruit with the sweetness of a cake, you know you’ve got a winning recipe. Plus, with fruit being a key ingredient, it’s basically like you’re eating something healthy! Am I right?! (I kid, of course.)

I had never really thought about adding other types of fruit to an upside down cake. I mean, pineapple upside down cake is already so perfect in my eyes, why mess with it? It wasn’t until I was thumbing through my great grandmother’s recipe book that I realized you totally could use other fruits in this type of recipe! (I know it seems like a no-brainer that you could substitute the pineapple, but I seriously had never thought to do that!)

I’ve shared one of my favorite recipes from my Grandmama with you before. Remember these incredible lemon cakes? If you haven’t made those yet, then bless your heart because you’re sure missing out! I already knew that anything that came out of her cookbook would be delicious, so when I saw her recipe for a Mandarin Orange Upside Down Cake, I knew I had to get to work so my taste buds wouldn’t be deprived any longer.

Easy + delicious Mandarin Orange Upside Down Cake with brown sugar and pecans. So delicious and only uses a few ingredients!…

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14 Farmhouse Bathroom Finds on Amazon!

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Southern Made Simple is a part of several affiliate advertising programs. Affiliate links are included throughout this post. Although I participate in these programs and have sponsored content, all opinions are my own.

I recently discovered the show Fixer Upper on HGTV. I know it’s been around for a while, but here lately it’s been unusual for me to stray away from my beloved Food Network. But y’all, I’m OBSESSED with this show! The hosts (Chip and Joanna Gaines) are entertaining, brilliantly creative, and incredibly adorable. I’ve had a running joke going on with my husband that if Miss Kay from Duck Dynasty and Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper were blended into one woman, she would be my spirit animal. I may not be selling you on it, but really. You should watch it.

Anyway, Joanna Gaines is known for her obsession with ship-lap and all things “farmhouse” inspired. Farmhouse decor has a very charming, rustic and earthy character to it. It’s gorgeous. It’s amazing. It’s everything I want my dream home to look like. It’s all over the magazine covers at the store, and it’s flying off the shelves in stores nation wide. It’s the it-thing, and I’m jumping on the train!

I’m slowly working towards a goal of farmhousing my home. (I know that’s not a word, but it is now!) I figured I’d start small and begin with the bathroom. Since it’s not always super convenient for me to get out of the house and go to town, I decided to see what Amazon had to offer to help me complete my look. Hello, 2 day shipping! I was really pleased with what I found, so I thought I’d share it with y’all!

By the way, if you don’t have Amazon prime, I can hook you up with a free trial!

Farmhouse Bathroom Finds…

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Rev Up Your Engines with Pitstop Pepper Poppers! – Recipe

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Ladies and gentlemen, get ready to start those engines! Racing season is upon us, so it’s definitely time to throw your snack-time game into 4-wheel drive. Whether you prefer something a little savory or you like to burn a little rubber and bring the heat, making a pit-stop for this dish will leave all the racing fans in your life cheering for more!

{PIitstop Pepper Poppers} Rev up your engines with Nexium and kick up the heat on race day with these delicious Pitstop Poppers! These jalapenos and sweet peppers are stuffed with a sausage and cream cheese mixture and beautifully wrapped in bacon coated with brown sugar. Mmmm! #RaceDayRelief #AD…

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Pesto Chicken Sandwich with Creamy Goat Cheese and Sauteed Peppers – Recipe

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I don’t really consider myself a sandwich person. I mean, it’s not that I don’t like sandwiches. Oh no, I like them just fine! What I guess I mean is that I just don’t ever really make sandwiches. I much prefer a Subway artist to do that for me if you know what I’m sayin’.

However, just a few months ago I was eating with a group of friends at a small sorta-local chain restaurant that serves soup and sandwiches. It was a nice little place, but I had never been before and had no idea what to order off of the menu. As I stood in line reading over the menu board, the word “pesto” caught my eye. I barely even read what else was on the sandwich, I just knew it had pesto on it and would therefore be in my belly. Stat.

Chicken Pesto Sandwich with creamy goat cheese and sauteed peppers. This sandwich is to die for!…

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Tired of Cleaning Bottles? I Found a Solution!

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Tired of Cleaning Bottles? I Found a Solution!

Cleaning baby bottles has got to be one of the most monotonous and dreadful cleaning tasks as a new parent in my opinion. I don’t know about you, but by the end of the day I’m usually staring at a sink full of dirty bottles begging to be cleaned, and I feel like just don’t have the time or the want-to to get it all done.

Making sure your bottles are clean is incredibly important. Your little one spends a lot of time with their bottles, so you want to make sure they’re thoroughly washed and sanitized. Going through the washing process always leave my hands wrinkly and dried out, and I feel a little wasteful with the amount of water I wind up using when it’s all said and done.

Tied of cleaning all of those baby bottles? Clean them faster and easier with this!

[the_ad_group id=”278″]

Luckily for me, I stumbled across a video tutorial of this AWESOME product called the Boon Suds Bottle Washer, and let me tell you, it has been a game changer!

Just fill the sink with a small amount of soapy water (enough to get your bottles wet) and place the Boon Suds Bottle Washer into the sink with a little soap and water in the basin. Next, just insert the bottle onto the tall piece of plastic with bristles and press down. A stream of water shoots up into the bottle and the bristles rotate to give an all-around clean to each bottle. Voila!

(Be sure to watch the short little video linked below. It shows you how quick and easy this product is to use!)Solution cleaning baby bottles quickly

And just like that, I don’t dread washing bottles anymore! I can get them washed in no time, and I don’t worry about running an excessive amount of water or having my hands turn wrinkly. Woohoo!

The Boon Suds Bottle Washer is available to purchase on Amazon for just $12.99, and let me tell you, this little gadget is worth it’s weight in gold!

Do you dread washing bottles as much as I do? In what ways do you think the Boon Suds Bottle Washer would help you get this chore done faster?

I have not been compensated for this post in any way. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own. Affiliate links are included throughout this post, meaning I may make a small commission off of any purchases made at no cost to you.

Sharing a Blissful Moment with Others – DIY Bliss Bouquet

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BlissfulMoments #CollectiveBias

Just ten short months ago, my beautiful baby girl made her debut into this world. I dove right into the deep end of motherhood for the very first time, and my eyes were opened to things that only becoming a mother could prepare me for. It’s been an incredible journey, but it did not come without several major adjustments to my life.

One of those major adjustments was the loss of quality “me” time. All of a sudden, I had this tiny little human that depends on me for everything. I am there for her every moment she is awake, and in those very precious moments that she closes her eyes to take a nap, I tend to everything else around me that needs to get done. Very little of that time is spent on myself.

If fact, in 10 months I have only had 3 successful naps! While having a baby is amazing, it can definitely be mentally challenging sometimes. I know every parent out there can certainly relate to this in some way. “Me” time usually doesn’t happen, and when it does, it’s probably not about me anyway!

DIY Bliss Bouquet Tutorial - It can be easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of life, but it's important to make sure you take a moment to treat yourself {and others} to something special. Creating a bliss bouquet is a fantastic way to share #blissfulmoments with others who could use a reward!…

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Palm “Sundae” Dessert

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Sunday is, without question, my favorite day of the week. I spend a large portion of the day with my church family, and in the morning I have the privilege of teaching a handful of 10-12 year old kids during Sunday School. After learning that using Elmer’s school glue without getting it all over the place is a gift not everyone has, I cut back the amount of craft projects we do together. And by cut back, I mean that we just do not do them, period.

But with Easter quickly approaching, I decided to make an exception. And besides, this isn’t exactly a “craft” as much as it is just an opportunity to put together a fun little ice cream treat while sharing about Jesus! (I don’t expect it to be any less messy than them using glue, though!) 😉

Palm Sundae Ice cream treats - A perfect Sunday School Activity for Palm Sunday!…

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