Spring-ify Your Ride

Every year, at about this time, I spring-ify our car. In the winter, most people will make sure the ice-scraper is in the door and maybe add a blanket and some kitty litter if they’re up north. (A trick I learned from That 70s Show–not something we have to teach our young ‘uns in the South.) But in April, I like to be sure we’re prepared for all of our favorite warm weather activities. So here is a little guide to help you Spring-ify your ride.

1. Umbrella. April showers bring May flowers. (This particular cuteness is Cath Kidston.)

2. Guide books. Regardless of where you are, you can find a guide book with short little walks or hikes around your area. We picked the one pictured above up at a thrift store last week. If you aren’t lucky enough to live in a national park, perhaps consider exploring your area. My friend the Madcap Heiress has been exploring her work neighborhood (Midtown East in NYC) this week and sharing what she finds on Instagram.

3. Sunnies. Obvi. (I just got these lovelies from Boden.)

4. Recycled Sari Bags. My mom bought me my first sari bag, and I am now a devotee. They are *ah-mazing!* Made from beautiful recycled saris, these bags are surprisingly strong and fold up into themselves. The small pouch is so easy to throw in your purse. Then, when you see a farm stand on the side of the road, you can stop and fill up your own shopping bag! The best part? The ones I’ve seen are fair trade and made by coops of women in India so you’re also supporting business women around the world!

5. A pretty quilt. You never know when you’ll want to have an impromptu picnic. In the words of the scouts: Always Be Prepared. I’ve tried wool blankets and those fancy roll-up picnic blankets with the waterproof bottom, but I always go back to our trusty old quilts. They’re just so soft and easy to shake off.

6. A little cash. The odds are that cute a-frame ice cream shop that’s on your way to the mountains has neither a credit card machine nor a Square.

7. Shoes you can get dirty. Throw in a pair of old tennies or invest in a nice pair of outdoors-y shoes. This pair of Keens will probably be my next purchase because they’re equally suitable for walking in the woods or through a river.

Loverboy’s Specialty Cake

Welcome to part ii of our series “Always Be Prepared to Party.” (If you haven’t had the chance, read about our party drawer here.) This post is particularly fitting because Husband actually learned how to make this cake as a boy scout. (For the record, his scouting career lasted a lot longer than mine did.) Several years later, he would use it to woo a certain high school girl, and we’ve been together ever since!

You’ve probably all had this cake and likely most of you have made it. But, it’s the one cake that we always have on hand. Unexpected company? Unexpected birthday boy coming to your house in an hour? Have a midnight chocolate craving? Need to woo the ladies? This is the cake. Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 350°

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 box chocolate Jell-o instant pudding

8 oz. sour cream

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 package chocolate chips

Make It:

Flour and grease a bundt pan.

Mix all your ingredients together and spoon into the pan.

Drop the pan straight down on the counter a couple of times to make sure any air bubbles settle.

Bake for 50 minutes at 350° until a skewer or toothpick comes out with little pieces of cake clinging to it (and maybe some chocolate chips).

Happy Friday, Loves!

Any fun weekend plans? We’ll be attending the Rhythm ‘n’ Blooms festival in Knoxville.

Always Be Prepared to Party

Oh please, you know the Slaughters are always ready to party! I like to think of myself as a very sparkly, very crafty Girl Scout. And despite the fact that I quit the scouts at age six after just one year (I felt the crafts were lacking a certain panache), I took the “Be prepared” motto to heart. And so begins a new series here on Hannah & Husband: Always Be Prepared to _________.

So today, I’m kicking off our Always Be Prepared to Party series by peeking into my party drawer. The other day, I was working with my friend Liz (the entertaining editor over on HGTV) on this cool project and told her about an impromptu birthday party we threw for one of our friends one night. Our friend had been working with Husband all day and was coming over to our house for dinner when Husband discovered it was his birthday. Luckily when he called me on his way home, I had everything we needed for a party in my party drawer.

You don’t have to keep everything on hand, but here are a few things we suggest:

Candles

Something Festive to Hang (pom-pom garland, crepe paper streamers, a banner of some sort)

Colorful Napkins

A Killer Cake Recipe (recipe to follow)

A Boogie-Worthy Playlist

A fun way to kick it up a notch? Rather than keeping paper products on hand that will just be thrown away, invest in some neutral small plates that can be used for any occasion regardless of color palette.

Want to really over achieve? Keep your silver polished and be ready to get out that china at a moment’s notice.