Less & More: The WFH Mom Edit

@alloveradventureOne of the best national parks in the U.S., Glacier takes some planning but is so worth it! For everything you need to know about Glacier check out my blog at the link in my bio! #glaciernationalpark #glacier #nationalpark #nationalparks #nationalparksusa #montana #montanalife

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• @alloveradventure shared these beautiful shots of Glacier National Park including my favorite part – a moose just hanging out nearby!

• This Swedish otter playing with a kayaker via @matsjanzon is too cute for words and is the perfect salve for any stressful day.

• When our family camps, it looks nothing like this, but this video from @madisondelaneyk may have given me the push I needed to convince my husband to buy a new (giant) tent…

• Of course, watching Yellowstone over the past couple of years has made me want to visit, but this highlights reel from @eyedocmaria seals the deal.

• Hiking alongside @kayla_oak in Jackson Hole? Yes, please.

• @momentsabloom pulls it all together – camp fires, hiking, picnics, nature…that’s the stuff dreams are made of.

• BTW, slightly diff direction, but this nature-esque vid from @RobertIrwin about a snake in his shoe reminds me why Australia terrifies me, haha!
  
  

GardenTok: I have been attempting to “become” a gardener pretty much ever since we bought this house with an acre of yard (so…a decade ago, but who is counting!?). I’ve successfully grown some kale, okra, peppers and flowers that grow themselves (ie: Daffodils and Lenten Roses). I’ve also failed at tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries and COUNTLESS succulents on the screened in porch. Nevertheless, every year, hope springs eternal when the weather starts to warm and I start planning meticulously for container gardens and our raised beds. I dream of growing all the vegetables we eat and becoming a homesteader who cans/jars things and lives off the land. In 2025, I’m recruiting help from ChatGPT (she’s such a helpful sweetie, honestly), AND these lovely folks on TikTok.

@thehomesteadingrdHere’s what to grow for self-sufficiency👩🏻‍🌾 While any veggie is surely welcome in my garden, there are a few key ones that really help us pull through our long and COLD Minnesota winters❄️. The key to success is to selecting varieties that are known to store (or preserve) well vs those best for fresh eating. Here’s my top picks: 🧅Sedona F1 Onion – this is a long day onion, so it’s best for northern growers 🫛Maxible Haricot Vert Bush Bean 🥬Passat F1 Cabbage 🧄Music Garlic 🎃Havanna F1 Butternut Squash I’ve been growing these for YEARS and I’d be lost without them! What did I miss? Add your favorites to the list!

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• Looking for veg-spiration? @thehomesteadingRD shares the best ones to grow for yourself that are ALSO chock full of health benefits (BTW, check out that epic cabbage!).

• @figandwillowflowerbar lives in the land of Oz, flower-wise. Could someone please come to my yard and help it to look JUST like this, pretty please?

• Never have I ever so clearly seen the benefits of having a trellis. Thanks, @abbyvalleyfarm !

• Grocery shopping the garden with @gardeningwithtara makes me never want to step foot in a Whole Foods ever again.

• The raised beds in this “how to space your plants” tutorial from @morethangardening_ are #gardengoals.

• But for real garden goals is this viral garden from @mkplus7 is unreal. Expensive, but unreal.

• I had no idea I needed garden boxes with hinged lids until @groundeducation showed me. And I think I need those overalls also too, please.

• Yes, yes, yes, let’s gooooooo @mybackyardoasis (the name says it all, doesn’t it?)

@mkplus7As requested, here is my unexpectedly viral garden, with no text in the view. A garden design tour during the day, sunset, and at night. #gardentour #gardendesign #gardentok #garden #gardening #raisedbedgarden

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BreadTok (but also other cozy and beautiful cooking): I know, I am WAY late to this party – the sourdough starter craze was a thing of COVID, but it didn’t appeal to me then, and it does now, so … that’s that. But beyond just bread, I love watching others cook, bake and so forth, so I will save, heart and comment away until I have a little bit of extra room in my life to attempt all these things for myself.

@cozyfoodwithemiOoey Gooey Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup white sugar 1/2 cup browned butter 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp espresso powder 1 cup flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup chocolate (I used milk and semi-sweet) Let brown butter cool around 15 minutes and then cream brown butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. In another bowl, mix dry ingredients and then add to the wet ingredients. Mix until it’s just combined and then fold in the chocolate. Chill for at least 1 hours but ideally around 3 hours. Bake at 350 for 9-11 min. #cookies #baking #recipe #brownbutter #baketok

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• Nothing too fancy here, but DIY French Fries as a “quickie” meal? Ugh, I wish, @shey.hutzler!

• Nutella donuts, but make it sourdough? That’s @jeshastevens in a nutshell and I couldn’t love her account more. So much dough-spiration.

• Everyone knows that I love a big salad. This reel from @plantyou brings it to life and I need to attempt making that dressing ASAP.

• I didn’t think I could love chocolate chip cookies anymore than I already do, but @cozyfoodwithemi upped the ante.

• If you’ve never watched macarons peel off a baking mat, let @the.happy.mac change your life.

• I’ve been missing the bagels from NJ literally since I turned 14 and we moved, but these homemade from @brookieervin may fit the bill.

• I need to just do it. Here’s a good starter vid for sourdough from @breevannatter to kick it off.

• I mean, can’t we just have fresh, homebaked soft pretzels on hand at all times? @audreylillian

PetTok: This one is a given, honestly. Who doesn’t love to look at videos of cute pets to light up their life? But in addition to dogs, due to my own backyard flock posts, I’ve been taken down the rabbit hole of #chickentok and I am so beyond not mad about it.

@thehuskyfamDaily morning routine with all my cuties 🐶🐮🐥 @Open Farm Pet #dog #cow #chicken #morning #routine #openfarmpartner

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• Please meet my favorite cranky hen – Ethel. @probsbitching shows us that a hen actually CAN growl at you.

• The tunnel these hens have to play in is amazing. Great idea, @gardeningchickens.

• If my chickies got wind of this amazing coop, we’d have an uprising on our hands. But I’m sure glad that the hens of @theredwhiteandbluecoop get to enjoy it!

• This day in the life vid from @thehuskyfam really makes me want a furry pet cow, tbh.

• We can’t have a rooster because it’s too loud for our neighbors, but @simplychickensofficial REALLY makes me want one. For hawk prevention alone!

• Slightly biased, but this vid of our chick Brownie after her first taste of yogurt really cracks me up.

All these videos have one thing in common: they make me want to jump into action right now! It’s the perfect time of year to start planning a garden, but ALSO use the chillier days to lean into baking and breadmaking. Our family has recently decided as a group that we’re ready to expand our vacations and trips beyond a week at the NC beach (happy to share a full list of our dream destinations, but please be forewarned – it is LONG), so National Park and views from across the country strike just the right chord for me at this moment. I don’t know if I curated my FYP this way or if TikTok creepily knows me that well (hoping it’s the former, obv), but I am enjoying indulging for a few minutes every day in these dreamy landscapes and scenes. But instead of bringing me down or leaving me listless, this content inspires me to jump into action. Don’t get me wrong, I love #cleantok, #booktok and #fitnesstok as much as the next person, but some of these inspirational genres are just next level and hit at the exact right time for me (guess that’s part of TikTok’s magical algorithm, eh? )

Speaking of being inspired … I wouldn’t be too upset if my husband joined TikTok (spoiler: He NEVER will!) and followed this guy (Mason Smith) for some inspiration of his own. I particularly love the home garage gym he put together (it’s MUCH more refined and beautified than ours, which is functional, but still VERY garage-like).

@dadsocialThis video needs a backstory. Let’s start at the beginning. We’ve always dreamed of having a space where we could workout together as a family, and so the plan to create a “garage gym” started about 3 years ago. Over the past 3 years I have diligently collected everything you see in this video for way under actual cost, if not free in a lot of cases. Like all the blue and black mats you saw I got for FREE. My local gym had them piled up outside and they were going to throw them out because they got new ones, so I scooped them up, sanitized them and they were good as used. Then the dumbbell set I got for $100 from an estate sale last year. I built the ball pit from scratch. That’s our old tv from our first house 8 years ago. I got the mirrors discounted because they were returns due to chips in the corners. And the list goes on. So with all that said, if you dream of having a garage gym, just start looking for good deals, and over time, you may too collect an entire home gym for a fraction of the cost. Now we have a place where while the adults workout, the kids get to be kids and have a blast! #DIY #garagegym

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I used to rely solely on Pinterest for my inspo/motivation (and trust me, she still plays a HUGE role!). But ever since I joined TikTok during COVID and started creeping on vids of this amazing woman who rehomes bees, I just can’t give it up. I know TikTok isn’t for everyone, but I just love how there are so many different themes and topics and advice and inspiration. You can really curate your experience on the app and turn it into a magical place for yourself. (BTW if you also want a daily dose of friendly, have coffee each morning with @OkieMomof5 because she is funny, energetic and oh-so-relatable).

What’s been taking over your FYP lately? Any must-follow accounts I should check out? Any genres you’re super into that I could take the plunge to try? Any videos in the genres I posted that you have to share? I’d love to see ‘em!