Tuesday Tip: Coupon Colors

If you’re a couponer, you can save hundreds of dollars per year. But honestly, most of us don’t take advantage, because let’s face it, it’s a little work.

So here’s a tip to make your couponing a little easier on you (and the cashier and fellow shoppers)!

Keep a brightly colored highlighter in your coupon envelope. When you clip them out, highlight the expiration date, so you can easily cull any that have expired when you’re looking through each week to find those you plan on redeeming. You’ll save a little time when you’re getting ready to head to the store, and be more likely to use those coupons you’ve been saving!

Southpedia

I can spend hours wasting on Wikipedia. There is endless information in the world, and what amazes me even more is that our ancestors didn’t have access in their whole lives to the information we can browse in one hour.

But did you know our own South has versions of our own Wikis?

Many of the states such as Alabama, Georgia, and Virginia have their own encyclopedia.

So the next time you’ve got a little time to waste, learn a little bit about our own Southern backyard.

Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2014

Looking for a gift for your sweetie this year? Look no further. We’ve got plenty of suggestions here for you!

Food

The old saying goes “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” But let’s be real here, man or woman, food and love are pretty close to a Southerner.

Start the day by making your mister or missus these pretty pancakes served with heart-shaped fruit kabobs.

Image via Pinterest (click to link)

Lunch is a Ham and Fig sandwich with Goat Cheese. If you pack a lunch for your main man, along with Goldfish snack crackers, and a funny note that reads “You’re the only one in the Sea for me!” (There are lots of ideas for lunch packed snacks on this Southern Belle’s blog that would be perfect for the kiddos, any day of the year.)

Sip a pre-dinner drink through this sweet heart straws.

Serve a creamy alfredo over this homemade ravioli for a romantic dinner.

And dessert is a rich Red Velvet Hot Chocolate.

Then sip a warm cup of before-bed tea from these fancy cups, which secretly hide a heart in your cuppa.

Jewelry  Sure, sure. You could go with the classics — diamonds and pearls will never steer you wrong.

Or remind your gal of Cupid’s arrows with this Arrow Necklace from Stella & Dot.

Give her a little piece of your heart along with this ‘petit amour’ necklace on Etsy.

Flowers

Tutorial by Coco + Kelley (click image to link)

Set the table with fresh flowers set in mugs bearing a special message, perhaps your initials or your anniversary month.

If your gal or guy is a sports fan, send a bouquet inspired by your team colors.

Just For Fun

Keep things light with a bouquet of red heart balloons.

Ever wanted to give your crush a Love Potion? Well, now you can.

You’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day, but a heart-shaped umbrella makes for a cheery present.

Homemade  Sometimes the most meaningful gifts, money can’t buy.

Love a word-nerd? Buy a dictionary, then go through and circle all the words that remind you of him/her — happy, love, like, sweet, intelligent, couple, pair, hope. What words would you highlight?

Spruce up her favorite tea bags by adding a little heart tag, or a fun message (this would make a fun gift for girlfriends).

Keep it simple, silly. Playful, romantic… a kiss says it all. Slap on some lipstick, and leave smacks all over for your love to create memorable and personal art. I actually did this once each day when my Mr. SIT was away, and by the time he returned, he had a visual reminder that he was thought of as I saved all my kisses just for him.

A little red ink, plus your own two thumbs are all you’ll need to show your heart. (This would be sweet to have your little ones do for mom or dad, grandma, or their school friends as an art project.)

How do you tell your mate they are your perfect match? How about a practical little token to show he lights up your life — matches.

Cards  And what’s a heart-felt gift without a little note to say what’s in your deepest sentiments?

Another variation on the match theme — a handmade Perfect Match card.

Call your mister or lady a cutsie name like “Love Bug?” Well, this unconventional card will bring a smile.

Take a page from Paul & Julia Child and send out Valentine’s Day cards together as a couple. These would be so cute.

What to Wear

Need a little red dress for a date night out? Rent the Runway with this subtle, but flirty number.

If the night gets cold, keep your hands warm with these chic gloves.

Life Lately, According to Instagram – December Photos

Stephen Foster Day

Today, January 13th is Stephen Foster Memorial Day.

Most of you will know who Stephen Foster is, but even if you don’t, we all know his songs. Foster was known as the “Father of American Music” and penned such songs as “Oh! Susanna,” “Beautiful Dreamer,” “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair,” and my favorite “My Old Kentucky Home.”

While Foster spent most of his life a little north of the Mason-Dixon, the South has embraced his music, which embodies the American spirit. Foster made many of our beloved Southern landmarks famous with his songs. White Springs, Florida is home to the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park on the banks of the Suwannee River. Foster wrote “Old Folks at Home,” which made the river famous. The Museum at the Folk Culture Center features exhibits about his music.

In Bardstown, Kentucky you can visit My Old Kentucky Home State Park. Foster was inspired to write his famous tune, which is now the Kentucky state song and sung each year at the Kentucky Derby, after visiting his cousin, Senator John Rowan, on Federal Hill. Today, you can tour the mansion on Federal Hill. And if you’re there during the summer months, be sure to stay for the Broadway-style show “The Stephen Foster Story.” I was delighted by the costumes, songs, and story last time I visited. The grounds are beautiful and you can’t do better than a warm night under the stars at their amphitheater.

What We’re Into: Winter Edition

The holidays are over, and I don’t know about y’all, but I need a few rays of sunshine in the dead of winter. Here are a few of our favorite things at the moment.

Reads

• We can’t start off our list this season with anything less than the new book by Garden & Gun, The Southerner’s Handbook. It’s full of just the sort of tips that Southerners know, but just in case your daddy never took you hunting or your momma didn’t teach you the perfect way to make deviled eggs (or even if she did), our friends over at G & G have you covered.
• I’ll make an admission if y’all promise not to hold it against me. Until recently, I had never read Eudora Welty, practically the matriarch of Southern literature. But once I started, I couldn’t get enough of her.
• A more modern southern writer I’ve just discovered is Tayari Jones. I loved her Silver Sparrow, but The Untelling was good too.

Hospitality

• With the days short and the nights cold, warm hearts by inviting a group of friends over for a regular game night. One of my favorites is a simple game, Apples to Apples. It’s the perfect mix of social get-to-know you for new acquaintances and relaxed hilarity with old friends.

• My go to gift whenever I need something special for someone who has everything is Etsy seller DayJarView. It’s truly the gift that keeps on giving. Your friend or mom will think of you every morning as she gets to open a sweet quote that, no matter what it says, says “I’m thinking of you.”

Beauty

• Winter is hard on dry lips, but I’m crazy about the Green Apple chapstick. It’s light and protective with SPF. Plus, it just smells so good!
• My mom got me hooked on peppermint oil for my sinuses. If I’m feeling a little congested, I’ll rub a little on my temples. But there are so many uses for this essential oil.

Life in the South, According to Instagram

Just a sneak peak of what we’ve been up to in November … What have y’all been up to?

Life in the South, According to Our Instagrams

Here’s just a sneak peak of what we’ve been up to lately … What have y’all been up to?

What We’re Into: Fall Edition

Many of my favorite blogs post regular roundups of what they’re loving that week or month. I always get excited about lists, so we thought we’d throw up a few of the things we’re loving around here from time to time. What’s caught two Southern girls’ eyes lately? Check it out…

Music

Portable record player (plus a bonus: Saturdays scouring music stores for some Elvis on vinyl)

Deep Roots album by Steven Curtis Chapman — Bluegrass meets favorite hymns. Mr. SIT and I discovered this gem from one of my favorite artists at Cracker Barrel one morning, and it’s been our going-to-church music on Sundays ever since. (And I found this Wall Street Journal article amusing: Cracker Barrel is “the Starbucks of Country Music.”)

Civil Wars new album

Carry the Fire song by Andrew Peterson

Reads

The Road by Cormac McCarthy — And speaking of “carrying the fire,” this book is one of the best I’ve read this year. It has haunted my thoughts in a wonderful way ever since.

All of Ann Patchett’s books — Ann Patchett is not exactly a well-kept secret. I had read Bel Canto a few years ago, but I picked up another of her novels, and then voraciously read everything she’s written within a few months. I think I loved State of Wonder best of all, but it’s a hard decision. She has a way with language and stories. And, she’s a Nashvillian (Nashvilitte?).

Modern Mrs. Darcy blog — Actually, one of the aforementioned bloggers that regularly gives readers a peek into what she’s into is this Louisville gal — The Modern Mrs. Darcy. This is one of those blogs that I’m always thrilled to see pop up with a new entry on my Feedly. I always find some gracious inspiration, a great read, or something new to me!

Pretties

These cotton stems I found at Target — A bit of rustic glamour added to my decor as an homage to my favorite Southern crop.

WoodWick brand candle — I love my gas fireplace. It’s so convenient to turn on in the mornings once Mr. SIT is off to work, but I miss that crackling wood sound. And the WoodWick brand is made in Virginia … some of the other brands don’t make that crackle.

Click image for source {via Saveur}

Eats

Sweet Potatoes with Butter and Brown Sugar — I cannot get enough of these lately. For breakfast, for dessert — pure deliciousness.

Learning

Rosetta Stone — Remember my New Year’s Resolution to “values timeblock“? Well, one of the items I came up with to be the kind of person I wanted to be, was to speak another language. Spanish is so practical. Over seven percent of the world speaks it, not to mention a certain mister with whom I reside. I’ve been dabbling in it for a while now, but I’m redoubling my efforts as the young people go back to school. Something about September always makes me want to learn.

U.S. Constitution — I’ve taken a new interest in the very founding document of our great nation. I’ve had the privilege of hearing a Constitutional expert, Bob Menges, in a 12-week study at our church and it has been hugely enlightening. There is so much about the framing of this rule of law that I did not know, and it effects each one of us each day of our lives. If you’d like to experience his course on our nation’s charter, he has all the sessions available (for free) on his website.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Norfolk, VA

Travel

Virginia Beach, Virginia — I got to tag along with Mr. SIT on a work trip last month to the Virginia Beach-Norfolk area. Norfolk gets a bad rep as a drab military town, but I found it is rich with history and art and great food. I ran around town dashing to the renowned Chrysler Museum satellite sites, St. Paul’s Church to see a Revolutionary-war era cannonball stuck in its brick wall, and feasting on southern sea fare such as potato chip-encrusted crab cakes.

Tennessee — This fall, we are heading back “home” to Tennessee for a proper vacation. Bookended by a wedding in Memphis one weekend, and a birthday celebration from my mom in the Smoky Mountains the next, we decided to spend a little time in Nashville and Cumberland relaxing and seeing the sites in between. I’m so excited to experience the Ryman and Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage and to catch Tennessee’s counterpart to my Charleston’s Husk.

And last, but not least…

Football is back! — Truth be told, while I’m a basketball girl myself, I love that Saturday afternoons are reserved for curling up on the couch with Mr. SIT, good snacks, and maybe a magazine or two for me (if it’s a Tennessee game).

Tuesday Tips: Beautiful Bathroom Spruces, Part IX

Image via Desire to Inspire

How is your bathroom sprucing up? If you’ve been following our Tuesday Tips lately, hopefully you’re bathrooms are becoming an oasis of calm and beauty in this necessary room.

• How fun are these bathroom hooks for towels or robes? Just one more place to personalize your space.
• If you’re doing a bit more than just the cosmetic spruce in your bathroom, the ultimate dream in my bathroom world would be heated floors. Can you imagine that torturous moment of stepping off the bathmat turning into the pure heaven of a warm smooth surface? Well, I’m going to dream for a few more years, but it’s on my list!
• Up until now, we’ve practically ignored one whole sensory experience in the powder room – sound! Unless you count running water, our bathrooms have been surprisingly quiet. Until now, that is. Invest in a pretty battery-powered radio for the bathroom. I can just imagine waking the day to my favorite jams, or settling in for the evening with strains from the classical station. (A practical bonus, I don’t know about y’all, but somehow the interior placement of the bathroom has always been our “emergency plan” room for bad weather. Having a radio is essential for listening to the latest news when storms are heading your way, so now, it’s one less thing you have to grab when gathering up the family in the middle of the night. While you’re at it, tuck a few extra batteries in a drawer. You’ve already got towels and a first aid kit, right? You’re practically stocked for the season right there!)