We are eight days into the new year and this is a great time to tackle time management. When people often think of time management, they think of jotting down a list of “to-dos” in their calendar. While that is part of it, that’s not all of it. I discussed time management last year, but…
Seven Tips to Help Your Business
Happy New Year everybody! I hope that 2023 is a special year for everyone. I wanted to kick off my first post of the New Year to reflect on the success (and lessons learned) of my business in 2022. As many of you know, my family and I run a small business and we have…
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Gluten-free Breakfast Casserole
Everything now and then, my family likes a good hash brown casserole. It is easy to make and it’s gluten-free. I usually use shredded hash browns, eggs, milk and cheese to create this nice dish; however, every now and then, I like an even easier version that doesn’t take much time on my part. If…
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Sustainable Living on a Budget
It’s the end of the year, which means that some people will start considering New Year’s resolutions. Even if you are not interested in a New Year’s resolution, setting new goals is always a good thing to do. One goal to set for the new year is to live a bit slowly and sustainably. It…
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Easy Gluten-free Pecan Pie
*I do not receive payment for any recommendations listed in this blog post. I am simply stating what works for my household. When it comes to the holidays, a few desserts draw googly eyed stares and a drooling mouth from family and friends. There’s apple pie, sweet potato pie, chocolate cake, pound cake, and pecan…
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How to Make Homemade Applesauce
Homemade applesauce can be quick and easy to make! In one hour and very few tools, you’ll have a snack for the entire family.
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How to Decorate on a Budget
*Disclaimer: I do not receive commission from the major chain stores mentioned in this piece. The month of December has been incredibly busy and expensive. We’ve had doctor appointments, eye appointments, and car maintenance checks. I’ve also wrapped up my work and facilitated a few craft making classes. While money has come in this month,…
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December Meal Planning
Hi all! I hope that you enjoyed a good holiday and hopefully, you got a break (even for a day). There’s a few days left until December 1 and that means one thing in my household. It’s meal planning time. In my house, we get paid once per month and I have tried a variety…
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Beef Bourguignon -GF
Fall/wintery weather is not having a problem coming to my town, so it’s only natural to break out the fall/winter recipes. Each month, I plan my family’s meals for the month and I shop off of that. However, every month (if I can) I like to make a fancy meal. Usually, this is a meal…
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Cooking on the Road (even GF meals)!
October has been an incredibly busy month! I had a consulting job in California, so I headed out there (without my family). Then, I spoke at a conference in New Orleans and I took my family with me. We left at 4am and drove for over 10 hours. The kids were great and my spouse…
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Stove Top “Baked” Spaghetti
In this post, learn to make a cheesy dish that looks like baked spaghetti, but without the oven.
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A Fall Grits Morning
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases listed in this post. It’s a crisp, cool fall Saturday in North Carolina and that means one thing in our family: Time for grits! We can make grits year round, but there’s something about eating a warm bowl of grits in the fall that makes…
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Pumpkin Patch in Virginia
It all started about five years ago. My sister and I had toddlers and we wanted to start a tradition with them. Since my sister lived near a pumpkin patch that holds festivals each year, she suggested that we take the kids there. So, we lugged three toddlers, baby bags, snacks, and strollers to a…
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Egg Muffins-Gluten-Free
I had to share this recipe with everyone because it is an easy breakfast to make that everyone will enjoy. We wake up early in my house. Because the kids head to school around 7:25 (that car pool line is looooooonnnggg), I am always looking for quick ready to make breakfast meals for everyone. Egg…
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A Candle and a Recipe
I recently began doing something new with my business. Whenever someone orders a candle, they get a recipe card to match the candle scent. This was never part of my business plan. It was never something I thought of doing before. It just came to me one day. I really love selling candles and my…
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DIY Beeswax Wraps
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases highlighted in this post. In an effort to use less plastic in my household, I began using beeswax wraps. So far, my family loves them. However, since I use beeswax for candle and product making, I wanted to try and make the wraps myself. Beeswax…
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Spiced Coffee
*Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases listed in this post. About fifteen years ago, I wanted to learn ways to make my own coffee. I was in my mid-twenties and my parents came to visit me. My Dad, born and raised in Harlem, NY, always had a cup of black coffee…
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Why Beeswax?
At RoK Handmade, we create beeswax candles, as well as beeswax and soy blend candles. While I enjoy a good soy candle (and I have soy candle companies that I love), I am just too devoted to beeswax. When I am asked why I have chosen to make beeswax, or mostly beeswax, candles, people are…
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Lazy Cookies-Kid Friendly
Yesterday, I worked a craft fair from 9am-4pm. It reached a high of 94 degrees. Needless to say, I was absolutely exhausted when I got home. My family pampered and I got some great sleep, but the last thing that I wanted to do today was cook hour long meals and snacks. I stumbled upon…
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Balancing a Busy Week
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, such as items highlighted in this post. Last week was extremely busy for me, partly on purpose. My family and I are heading on vacation next week, so I tried to cram as many duties into last week as I could. My goal for each…
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Once A Month Grocery Shopping
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, such as items highlighted in this post. So it’s that time and I honestly get excited about it. In our household (family of 4 and a pet), we get paid once per month, which means that we have to be pretty tight with our budget….
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Gluten-free Stove Top Lasagna
*Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, such as items highlighted in this post. While it’s a balmy 93 degrees here in North Carolina, Mondays in my family always means pasta night. Recently, I made stove top lasagna using gluten-free lasagna noodles. This recipe constantly gets a thumbs up from my family,…
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Craft Fair Prep!
*Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases, such as items highlighted in this post. The month of May and June have been busy for the family business! Aside from shipping orders, we also participated in a local craft fair. I completely forgot how overwhelming and exhausting craft fairs can be. They were…
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Hot Pressed Soap
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases, such as items listed in this post. Earlier this year, I posted about making soap using the melt and pour method. Well, I am happy to say that the hubs and I made soap differently this time. We made hot pressed soap and cold pressed…
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Gluten-free Pumpkin Muffins
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Every now and then, I need to make a simple breakfast for everyone. We love a southern breakfast, so my family is used to grits, eggs, and bacon. However, there are some mornings where I need something that can be cooked quickly (we’re up around…
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Best Kitchen Tools
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. As a full-time, working parent with a family allergic to commonly used ingredients, finding time to cook was a major challenge. I tried everything from cooking at night, mass cooking, making quick 30-minute meals, and freezing meals to use later. While all of those things…
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Gluten-free Homemade Beef Stew
In this post, we’ll make homemade, gluten-free beef stew!
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Making Cheesecake Bites with Kids
My children have been cooking with me and Mr. H. since they were around 4 years old. Things such as stirring, pouring sugar, or take their time learning how to whisk eggs were always fun activities. We let them get messy and learn ways to control holding, stirring, patting, and more. Therefore, it was no…
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Homemade Baby Wipes
I was sitting by myself the other night, reminiscing about when my first was just born. My husband agreed to leave his job to care for her because daycare was expensive, the only one that we felt comfortable with was out of our price range, and my job offered better insurance. My husband, at the…
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Learn How to Make Soap!
Learn how to make soap for the entire family.
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How to Make Body Wash
*RoK Handmade does not sell body wash, but we do sell soap here. Have you ever had trouble finding a body wash that works for your skin? So did I, and I needed a body wash that would work for my family, and that’s when I found this recipe for homemade body wash. It feels…
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Why Did I Start the Business?
This is a short summary of why I started my business.
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Making Beeswax Candles
Candle making can be one of the most relaxing and calming crafts, if you know how to do so. To get started, learn how to make the perfect beeswax candle.
