This oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe and I go way back. To my cold, drafty college apartment and one of the very first runs of the KitchenAid stand mixer my stepmother had gifted me for Christmas. (The one that still sits on my kitchen counter to this day!) But there is good reason I’ve been making these chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies all these years – they are crazy delicious!

Our little Em is an OG playdough fan. Well, as OG as you can be at four years old, right? We first made homemade playdough a couple of years ago because this kid can sit for hours on end rolling and building until her imagination is exhausted. Here we’re sharing our favorite easy homemade playdough recipe – it’s so simple to make!

This week’s episode was a hard one to record. Honestly, it was hard to even think about and I’m not sure it’s an episode I’ll ever listen back to in its entirety, which I usually do before we push an episode live. But, this one was different. In this mini episode I talk about living through grief and what it’s like to be grieving the loss of a loved one during a global pandemic. What happens when you’re already grieving and suddenly life as you know it changes in a completely different way?

This recipe came about this winter when I was trying to plan dinner for some friends coming over mid-week. I was looking for an easy soup recipe that I could make in one big pot and serve up with some crusty Italian bread and a couple bottles of wine and call it good. This creamy tortellini soup with spinach checks all of those boxes, plus it’s made with just a handful of ingredients.

Welcome to episode 007 of Hey Neighbor where I chat with one of my very best friends, Erika Firm, about the many complexities of living in a four generation household. Erika lives with her husband, 16 year old son, mother and grandmother on Johns Island, South Carolina, just outside out of Charleston. In this episode Erika shares about the reasons her family moved cross country from San Diego and the beauty of living in a multi-generational home along with sharing she and her mom’s best entertaining and party hacks.

Welcome to episode 006 of Hey Neighbor where I once again felt moved to explore the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on families and communities, and what life is like after over 30 days of sheltering in place. Bob is back on the show with me to talk about how we’ve been celebrating birthdays, how we’re working to stay connected to friends and loved ones, and our efforts to support our amazing local community.

As soon as I committed to myself that I was starting a podcast, I knew I had to invite my friend Carolynn to join me for at least one episode. She’s one of my OG pals in business, life, and babies, going back over 10 years ago to when we first met through the comment’s section of my other dear friend Ami’s blog. Ohhh the good ol’ days of the internet! I know you’ll find Carolynn to be a complete delight and really enjoy the wisdom she has to share in this episode of Hey Neighbor.

As a mom to a sweet little toddler, I have a serious love for homemade Mother’s Day gifts. I especially love those things that can be made simply, inexpensively and with few materials. Here I’ve rounded up 35 DIY gifts for mom that check all those boxes, many of which can be made with materials or ingredients you likely already have at home hopefully saving you time, money and a trip out to the store.

Thank you all so much for your love and support following the launch of the podcast! I haven’t been this excited about something in a long long time. This week I was joined by my husband Bob to chat about our effectively long distance marriage and a whole bunch of other stuff. Keep scrolling for the show notes!

After nearly 12 years of blogging and thousands of blog posts, today marks the start of a new adventure. Today, after much ado for at least four years, I’m officially launching the Hey Neighbor podcast! Starting a podcast has been a dream for a while now. What better day than my birthday to make it official?!

At the beginning of 2020 I made the decision to do something different. To make a leap. To try something new. To start walking the walk instead of just talking the talk. I made the commitment, after years of talking about it, and I am officially starting a podcast. After months of prep, the Hey Neighbor podcast will officially launch on Wednesday, April 1st – my birthday! I can’t wait to have you follow along.

As much as I love to cook, I never stop needing easy dinner ideas, especially during the work week. Today I’m sharing 15 recipes you can easily make with pantry staples you already have on hand! From tacos to soups to chilis, there is something here for just about every palate. Enjoy!