Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

Hey There!

You may have heard the saying “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” which means that time away from someone or something makes you miss its presence. In the midst of these hard times with COVID-19 and shutdowns across the world, I want to encourage you to focus on the good things before quarantine. Think of all the fun activities, time with friends and family, and other enjoyments that make you happy. I don’t mean to make you dwell on them and discourage you, but to show you all the benefits and importance of them. 

In this unexpected and uncharted season of life, I’ve had a lot of time to do some thinking. Reflecting on the past, on my relationships and friendships, on my inward self, and most importantly God’s promises. Through all this thinking, there have been times of sadness and missing what was before the shutdowns – but there have also been times of peace and relaxation due to not going anywhere, which surprised me. I guess what I’m trying to say is: quarantine doesn’t have to be bad if you don’t make it. Focusing on creative ways to stay busy has led me to try some hobbies that I haven’t touched in a while, and to test some new things. I’ve learned the importance of resting when I feel my body needs it, and the importance of staying active and being physical. 

Through these times I have come to understand and root myself in God’s truths, and I am constantly being reminded of Romans 8:28:

“And we know that all things work together for good, to those that love God.”

I know that this quarantine happened for a reason. We can’t appreciate what we don’t have, but we can learn to appreciate what we do have. I think this tough situation is a blessing in disguise: time away from our family, friends, and activities can teach us the importance of them. It can also teach us the importance of friendships, and show us how strong our relationships are. Looking back on all the things that are cancelled can be disappointing, but when the world is reset back to normal, we are all going to appreciate what we have a whole lot more. After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder. ❤

 

Chick & Co.

Living the Sweet Life

Jolly Rancher Lip Balm

Hey There!

I was perusing Pinterest, in a somewhat crafty mood. I saw a video that looked very interesting – an old EOS lip balm turned to candy! I showed my Dad and we got right to work! 😉

I have a bunch of EOS lip balms, but I’ve noticed some of the older ones start to go bad… the scent on mine got too sweet, with a strange stinky after-scent. Yuck! I followed The Tutorial *  and scraped out the old lip balm. My Dad helped me melt some Jolly Ranchers and pour them into the EOS mold. It worked out really well! Tip: For melting the candy, use a bowl that is microwave safe and disposable. We used a small glass bowl, which worked fine – until the cleaning. The candy hardened, which made it extremely hard to get off the bowl. For stirring the melted candy, try using a toothpick… after all, you can’t put a metal spoon in the microwave to melt the candy again! 😛 

Overall, this project was a success. Sometimes the lid to the EOS will stick to the candy, but it isn’t too hard to pop back into place. It is somewhat like a Ring Pop with a lid that you can take with you places! If you have a sweet tooth and an old EOS, I suggest trying out this project for yourself! 😉

 * The tutorial has other candy crafts included in the video, so you can skip ahead to the project you want.

Chick & Co.

Living the Sweet Life