The Teacher Diva

Sugar-Free Spicy Margarita Recipe

Austin and I love a good margarita moment. And if it's spicy, that's even better in our book. This spicy marg recipe has been a nice treat during these summer months. I actually made these for our friends and they couldn't believe they were sugar-free. Usually, I am not a fan of mixers. I find them overly sweet and typically they taste really "artificial". But a TTD reader told me about Swoon mixers (zero sugar zero cals) and encouraged me to order the Margarita mixer. For a low-carb and zero sugar drink, we were impressed. It's made from Monk Fruit (a melon native to Southeast Asia that has natural sweetness) and has zero calories and carbs. We've been cooking with Monk Fruit for a while since starting F Factor, and it's the closest thing to sugar that we've tasted (unlike Splenda or Stevia). It took Austin a minute to get used to it, but I liked it right away. I've already bought a few bottles to share with the family over 4th of July weekend. ...

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Resources and Children’s Books for Discussing Systemic Racism and Diversity at Home

One of the most important things I've learned in the last week is how important it is to talk to our children about race, and not just diversity but what racism means and looks like. Specifically what it means to be anti-racist, privileged and what implicit biases are. Those might seem like adult concepts, but as studies have shown, it's never too early to start talking to your kids about them. For anyone looking to get started doing this along with Austin and I, I've compiled some amazing resources and books. From black voices and leaders on Instagram to children's books and helpful articles, everything below should help you start having these necessary conversations in your home. ...

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3 Iced Coffee Recipes

If you're like me, iced coffee is a must this time of year. I could honestly drink it year-round, but during the summer it's truly the best treat. I have 3 recipes that I have been rotating each week. Whether you like to go to Starbucks or make something at home, I have a recipe below that is ideal for iced coffee lovers. ...

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Summer-at-Home Survival Kit For You & the Kids

Depending on where you live and your situation, you might be heading out this summer, but I think it's safe to say we'll all be spending more time at home than usual. We're so grateful to have our patio and small yard space to be able to enjoy time outside while still safe at home. It's just all about finding ways to make it feel vacation-like...and keeping a very active one-year-old busy. If you're trying to survive a summer at home, here are some of our essentials. From fun activities for the adults and kids to this extra-large beach towel that we've been loving, I hope this list makes your summer even better. And if you have a little one, I can't recommend this play sink enough - it's George's absolute favorite and buys me at least 30 minutes! Also, if you're in the market for Swimwear for yourself, I'm sharing several flattering picks + my tips on body confidence in tomorrow's newsletter. You can sign up for the list right here. xx Ashley ...

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10 Low-Carb Snack Options We Keep In The House

If you follow me on Instagram Stories or are in my private Facebook Group (request to join and I'll accept you!), you know I've been pretty open about our F-Factor journey and what Austin and I have done to lose weight and make healthier choices. Our goal this year was to shed a few extra pounds and actually stick with this as a lifestyle. A lot of you have requested "grab and go" snacks that would support a low-carb/high fiber diet, so I wanted to share what we keep on hand.  ...

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Our Neutral Bedroom

When asked about my favorite room in our house, it's always an easy answer for me — the master bedroom. Ginger was able to turn our vision into reality and create a serene escape for us. We wanted something neutral, calming, and minimal and I think she pulled it off perfectly. ...

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4 Sources for Good Faux Houseplants

One of my favorite memories over the last year is photographing our home and sharing it piece by piece with all of you (check out our black and white office tour). This house was a major labor of love and all the praise we've received for it has blown me away! Of course I can't take all the credit because Ginger from Urbanology Designs is the true mastermind behind it. I'm excited to keep sharing more details, especially as I add small touches here and there to really make it feel like us. I've tried to document as much as I could with the #AshleyAtHome tag on Insta. ...

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Self-Care Ideas When You Have 15 Minutes or Less

If being a mom has taught me anything, it's that I need to be efficient—even when it comes to my self-care routine. Don't get me wrong, there are those rare evenings when I can run a bath and slowly sip on a glass of wine, but let's be real, that happens about once a year. This list of self-care ideas is much more approachable. They're small ways to make sure you're still taking time for yourself without you needing three hours to do it. Because honestly, sometimes I find myself avoiding self-care simply because I know I don't have an hour or more to give to it. ...

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How to Make a House a Home

As most of you know, Austin and I built and designed the home (with lots of help, of course) that we live in. And while getting the perfect paint color, choosing fixtures, designing the outdoor patio space, etc were all important aspects of the home, one thing we wanted to keep in mind was the feel of the home. I love looking at interiors and architecture, but a lot of the time, the homes don't look liveable. They are gorgeous but not realistic, at least not for us. ...

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My Favorite Etsy Shops

There are a few questions that show up in my DMs over and over again, and one I've noticed lately is what are my favorite Etsy shops. I'm a big fan of Etsy because I think it's a great platform for people to discover small businesses that they probably wouldn't have otherwise. The best part is that you're usually getting something unique and handmade or at least made in small batches. So I hope this little mini-guide to some of my favorite Etsy shops is helpful and that you can find a few things that line up with your style. ...

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