The best chili recipe ever -- SWEET and SASSY CHILI

Today, I am celebrating FALL with you by sharing my FAVORITE CHILI recipe ever! It is a favorite in my family in the colder months! I have no idea how I came up with this delicious meal, but it is A-mazing! Promise!!!!! This chili has the perfect blend of sweetness and sassiness to it. You can spice it up a bit to your liking as well! 

RECIPE:

1 pound of hamburger
garlic cloves
1 - 2 onions (depending on size) diced.

{ground the meat with the onion/garlic}
Season with S/P

Meanwhile, have a large pot on medium heat ready for you to dump! As for the beans, you can vary this recipe or not use all of them if you choose to. I switch it up a lot, but here is my staple.

1 can baked beans
1 can (rinsed) dark kidney beans ( you can use light kidney beans too)
1 can (rinsed) white kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can (rinsed) butter beans and/or northern beans
1 large can of diced or stewed tomatoes with whatever flavor you prefer
1 can (rinsed) black beans ( if you like)
4 cups of Campbell's tomato juice or bloody mary mix from Trader Joes
1 jar of salsa ( I usually use Pace Medium salsa)
You can add in another salsa if you like too! I use what ever I have on hand.
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 T. Cinnamon
2 T. Chili Powder
1 t. Cumin
Cayenne Pepper ( I use 1/4 t. because I am a wimp)
S/P if it needs it

Stir and simmer. Add the meat as soon as it is brown. I sometimes serve immediately, but prefer to let it simmer for a good 30 + minutes for flavor.

My favorite place to buy beans and tomatoes is Trader Joes- very reasonable Organic selection.

We make Trader Joes cornbread too! I always serve cheese/crackers/sour cream too!

I hope that you enjoy!

Twisted Knot Updo Tutorial

Good Morning y'all! I have another quick and easy 5 Minute Updo for you today! I get asked all the time how to style and put hair up in a quick way. Here is one of my favs……

{I prepped my hair with It's A Ten detangler and Moroccan Oil. I finished my style with Awapuhi Finishing Spray ;) }



I would love to see your style! Link up a pix below and show off your Locks!
Find me on Instagram @talahairlife #locklovewednesday and #locklovewed

Happy Lock Love Wednesday!

Updates in our Art Room // Office Space

I thought it would be fun to show you some of my updates on our art room/office space! I shared with you the reveal back in May, here! This room is coming along and totally meeting the needs of our family of 4. With the Hus in grad school, wanting a place to study and escape the children when working on homework, this room meets his needs. I have always dreamed of having my art supplies out and on display, encouraging me to take a brush to canvas or doodling, without the stress of hawling things out of a storage room. My needs….met. As for Z/Z they are happy campers having their color books and crayons out, while at the same time having some of their toys in this room to encourage their imaginations! 

Update #1 -- We got a comfy chair! I scored this on Amazon for Andy's anniversary gift in August! I love the modern look of it and think it suites our room well. 

Update #2 -- We (HUS) hung the yellow peg board up. We mounted it to a homemade frame to bump it out from the wall 1" so I can have hooks in the board. ;)

Update #3 -- I brought in a lamp from another room in the house for studying at night. 

Update #4 -- I brought in a wing back chair for this space! I love the color and details of this chair. I want to eventually put this chair in our bedroom for reading. Our goal is to purchase a day bed this fall for this space for guests to sleep in here. Our home has 3 bedrooms upstairs, so it would be ideal for Grandma to sleep next to the girls if they are watching them, verses being two stories down in the basement. I have my eye on a bed, just saving! :) 

Normally, I would put a side table by the chair, but I don't want to work on this corner until I have a daybed. I love having the chair in here for now, so I can come hang with Andy when he is studying. 

Isn't the blanket perfect too? My husband's Grandma Audrey made it for us! It is a fav! I love the happy butterfly pillow too! 

I think I could have studs on every piece of furniture I own. NEVER ENOUGH.

Love the swedish design of the girls rocking horse- Olaf.

 I am attempting at keeping the ferns from outside alive this fall/winter. Say a prayer……

Still loving my copper leafed pot! 

Crates are a fun way to display items.

Love my studs and clips from my girlfriend,  Kati! Origrami is the best company for ordering instagram prints! 

I am always attempting to have a system of organization for our home. Lots of bins………never ending. Love my labels from Anthro I scored for $2 for big pack.

I am always rearranging and trying to come up with solutions for our family's needs. I am still wanting to finish this space with a few items:

-- bed

-- outdoor rug to protect the carpet from all the crafts

-- organize the crazy overstuffed closet

Are you working on any fall projects right now!? I am on a major purge and organizing kick, post summer life here! 

Loves

Mohawk Bun Updo video tutorial

HAPPY LOCK LOVE WEDNESDAY! I have bit the bullet and made a video tutorial for you on a 5 minute updo that I rock on a weekly basis! It is super easy and fun for anyone with bob length hair or longer! Tag me on instagram @talahairlife and show me your mohawk bun updo! Have a great day!




{Thanks Shawn for filming this for me before your haircut ;) }

Tips:
- use a dry shampoo or hairspray on your roots and ends to give it some texture.
- start really high (on top of your head) for a more funky version
- use hair ties or bobby pins for keeping the buns in place.
- dress it up with a headband or scarf

backpacks and apple treats

We are loving this time of year……. a favorite of mine. 

a fresh start.

new lists. 

new beginnings.

new backpacks and shoes for the kids.

windows open at night.

mums planted. 

pumpkin bars being made weekly.

but, i am still fighting off the whole boot/scarf look. 

shorts for me. check.

iced coffee. check.

and a faint tan lingering on my skin :)

here are some fav. pix from our past week…….

i love watching daddy and his girls bond. love how they snuggle up to him in the mornings…… perfect. this pix was taken last week, when we had our first day in quite a bit where we did NOTHING! made waffles and soaked in the morning with darrell evans/ kari jobe/ rend collective playing throughout our home. jammies kept on all morning (all day for kiyah) zi and i went and got mani/pedis together and we made pizza and watched the muppet movie as a family after baths. it was perfect. simple. needed. and cozy.

This 4 1/2 year old started preschool this wk! She was so excited to start this new adventure. She is going to a local christian preschool 2 miles away and loving it! She goes 2 mornings a week! We went shopping a while ago and I let her pick out a new shirt for school! I scored her GAP backpack for $9 on Labor Day and got her shoes at Old Navy in the Spring on major clearance, saving them for school! She is a beauty! I can not wait to continue to watch her grow and shine in her school! 

She told me while driving home from school, "mom, I meeted two people. i don't remember dare names. they leave before you pick me up." baby steps, y'all. 

eating faces. crazy times. the amount of time at this table is redonk. watching my putzy ladies take in their meals-----30+ min per meal. NBD.

After a couple of colder days (for September) we hit up our favorite apple orchard for some family time. We met up with our buddies there and I delivered iced coffees for the parental units! HOLLER! This place makes homemade donuts too! PERFECT COMBO! 

Apple picking.

animal looking (bunnies/goats/chickens)

hay ride

donuts.

donuts. 

donuts. 

BLISS.

 meet Zakiyah, Zion, Zayda, Xavier, and Zander……. ;) 

Love doing life with such great friends! We are blessed. Love our community in Rochester………. THANKFUL! 

Zakiyah not feeling the wildlife.

jumpin bail! 

Always safe in her daddy's arms.

apple picking! 

I brought home 3 mums for our front yard! MY FAV

All summer long, Zion has been begging to have a lemonade stand. Well hun, we live in a culdasak. That is a prob. So we finally organized to have on this past Sunday before our youth kids came over for small group! Hit up the youth of the nation to buy a lemonade and cookie! Zion planned this for 4 days….. putting notes in the neighbors mailboxes, making signs, chalking up our driveway, and dreaming of the shop that could be in our driveway! So, fisher price cash registers came out, homemade warm chocolate chip cookies, trader joes lemonade (that is homemade as that was going to get) crayola marker filled construction paper signs, and we were ready for success. Zion/Collin/Caroline all sold their goodies raising $68 for missions (child sponsorship) It was a blast watching them scream, "we have a customer!" ADORABLE. 

I mean look at these little buddies.

Do you spy a cookie thief? 

second born slammin my coke. stinker.

talkin shop.

This was a week of the little things. 

Snuggles // Imagination // organizing closets // baking yummies in the kitchen // going on bike rides // playing outside // ending summer 2014 with a bang.

blessed. this little family of mine. blessed.