Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Mine was pretty great. We took the kids on a little family date night to one of our new favorites, Chauhan. It’s this really great Indian restaurant in Nashville that has quickly become a fave. Do you do this…try out a new place then go over and over. We are bad about that, but it’s so good we can’t stop! Saturday the kids had fun playing outside in the snow, we barely had an inch at our house…but they had fun. Then on Sunday I was honored to be asked to speak at The Pink Bride show which was AMAZING. I just love being in front of you guys. And speaking about relationships + marriage is one thing I enjoy the most. Thank you for coming is was wonderful to meet so many of you!

Alright, let’s kick this week off with some of your questions!
Xx
Landyn

WHAT LAUNDRY DETERGENT DO YOU USE?

Well, I have sensitive skin and have always used some sort of FREE + CLEAR detergent like all or something you’d use to was baby clothes. No Tide or Downey for this girl. Only problem is I really love the scents that come along with these detergents, but not the itchy skin. While on vacation last fall I discovered a new detergent that the house we rented provided for us. Every time I walked by the laundry room, I was like what is that DREAMY scent? I no intention of doing laundry, but it drew me in and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’m serious. It’s the most fresh + clean scent ever. It’s not overpowering or floral-y.  They describe it “warm and earthy vetiver grass with rich patchouli embraced by black currant blossoms”  Whatever it is, it actually makes my house smell so good and laundry a little more enjoyable. I’m hooked. Even bought the air freshener and dishwasher tabs. Now I want to try them all. When your laundry soap run out, try this!

HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR FIDDLE LEAF FIG ALIVE?

This is one of my most commonly asked questions via DM on Instagram.  As you know, Fiddle Leaf Figs are notoriously fickle little guys and are very, very sensitive.  I am not a plant whisperer, but I do have a few tricks and products that I use.  The first is DO NOT OVER WATER.  I can not stress this enough.  Fiddle Leaf’s are very sensitive to over watering.  You want their soil to be very dry before you water them again.  I will put mine up in the sink and mix the fertilizer with a gallon water and pour it in the pot.  Here is the key, let it drain really, really well.  Fiddle Leaf’s can not tolerate being in standing water, so you want to give it at least a couple of hours to drain.  I also will periodically throw in the water that I have left over in my water bottle at the end of the day to give him a little drink.

Another thing I found is that they do not like being moved around to different locations. They like sunlight, so I always keep mine in the window in our living room.  When we put the Christmas tree up every year I have to move him to the dining room window.  When he gets moved back it always takes him a week or so to perk back up and recover.  I have a few tried and true products that I use to keep mine healthy and happy that I am going to share below, as well as some options for live plants if you want to try your hand at them.

And if you don’t want the hassle of trying to keep a real tree alive, then check out some of these really beautiful faux options.

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TELL US ABOUT THAT AIR FRYER

Air Fryer

Steve is the king of kitchen gadgets, so he had been on the search for an air fryer for a while now.  Since we were doing keto he decided to pull the trigger on it a couple of weeks ago.  His favorite food in the world are chicken wings, so this is the perfect addition to a kitchen.  A lot of you were wondering exactly how an air fryer works and thanks to my friends at Wikipedia I can tell you.  Basically it coats your food in a thin layer of oil and then circulates hot air around it at really high speeds to create the crispy effect you typically get from submerging food in hot oil.  Since you are not submerging your food in oil it is a much healthier way to eat your favorite fried foods. This is the air fryer we got and I really like it.

Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower by Laura Lea Balanced

We used our air fryer for the first time last week to try this delicious Buffalo Cauliflower recipe from Laura Lea Balanced.  It was so easy to make and tasted absolutely delicious.  Definitely a healthier alternative if you are craving wings.  It would make the perfect appetizer for the upcoming Super Bowl or a fun side dish to serve for the whole family. She’s got so many great recipes, check her book out here.