Connection Time {September 2018}

Welcome to the first Connection Time Post of the fall!  

I didn't do a connection time post over the summer because let's face it, we were busy summer-ing over here as I am sure many of you were also.  But now, school has been back for 6ish weeks and things like Bible Study and soccer have started so I kind of feel like we are getting into a groove.  So, since it has been awhile, I thought I would start of off and explain what these posts are and why I do them.

Today, I had lunch with a sweet friend and we sat at a little table outside eating the most delicious food and talking about life.  It is one of my favorite things and it's one of the things I wish I could capture on this blog.  But, unfortunately, when you come visit you read the post you want to read and move on to check your social media account or head down a rabbit hole of other posts.  It is my goal each month to set aside a post where we stop and take time to connect.  I tell you a little bit of what's happening, keeping it completely real, and then I use some prompts that I fill out and then you can fill out in the comments.  This is a great way to establish community and realness on this site.

This had been a whirlwind week, but filled with some pretty cool things.

• I feel like just yesterday September started.  But, it's almost over and I am now left with a 10 year old!  I have a 10 year old!  He's a pretty great kid and I am loving the tween years so far, so I think 10 is going to be pretty awesome. 
•  I bought pumpkin scented soaps.  I am obsessed with Mrs. Meyers cleaning products, so when the pumpkin ones came I grabbed them (quite possibly in July!) and I just pulled them out.  It may be in the 90's here, but I am going to clean to the smell of pumpkin! 
• We hit the beach with the family over Labor Day.  I love the beach and it just fills me up!  

 And here are the prompts.  First, I will answer them and then at the end there will be the same prompts all ready to copy and paste in the comments.  You can do one or as many as you want.  I love to hear from you. 

Outside my window the sun in shining and I don't think there is a cloud in sight!  It really is a beautiful day! It's still too early for leaves to be changing here, so I am going to live vicariously through those east coast instagrammers that I follow.  ha ha!  But, we have this apple tree just outside the backyard and the apples are perfect right now!  I think there will be some apple-y treats made really soon!

I am thinking that this weekend is going to be fun!  We made the decision that birthday's from 10 years old and on would be a "choose your own adventure" of sorts.  Ethan got to pick it out and this weekend we are headed to our local USL soccer team's game!  We bought him a jersey and he is ready!  Also, I am not really sure what happened, but the hubby has turned me into a crazy soccer lover! 

From the kitchen not much is happening now, but I have to make cookies tonight and get the first stage of sourdough going so we can have some delicious sourdough with our pasta tomorrow night.  It's also a soccer night, so I have been posting what I'm doing for nights like this when we all eat at different times.

I am wearing my favorite jeans and a t-shirt.  I bought these shoes last weekend and they are the best! 

I am creating SO MANY THINGS RIGHT NOW! I hope to get some sewing done this weekend because it just needs to get done.  I've been doing lots of digital stuff and last night I found time to make some cards with watercolors!  So much fun!  I also have a few house projects coming up!

I am going on an adventure soon!  My parents are heading home from being in Wyoming all summer and so we are meeting them in the Grand Canyon and we can't wait!  Adventures fill me up so much and I love that we are fitting this one in! 

I am reading so many things right now!  The Scorceror's Stone, Discerning the Voice of God, by Priscilla Shirer, Grace not Perfection, by Emily Ley, 100 Days to Brave by Annie Downs.  Is there are rule for how many books you can read at once?

I am hoping for some things.  I have been working on being brave this summer and well. . . we shall see how it turns out. It is so scary and crazy all at the same time! 

I am hearing the quiet of the house.  My kids are at school and it's just so quiet here! While I can't wait for them to get home each day, I really do savor the quiet moments when it's just me. 

Around the House Fall decor is making an appearance, cookies are on the counter ready to take to Weston's class (His long term sub is leaving and another one is starting), multiple lego creations are scattered around, and there is currently a pile of the kids t-shirts just waiting for me to hang up. 

One of my favorite things are the Foodstirs Chocolate Mug Cakes.  I just love them!  They come in these individual pouches and all you have to do is pour in your favorite mug, add water, stir and zap for a minute.  Instant chocolate cake. . . and it's so good and has great texture.  We keep them for after the kids go to bed for a little treat.. I've been really impressed with the whole Foodstirs brand.  They use good, quality ingredients and everything is amazing!

A few plans for the week soccer games and sewing. . . but not a the same time!  Ooh, and coffee with a sweet friend! 

What I am listening to the Hawk Nelson Diamond album and the The Next Right Thing Podcast.  

Now, it's your turn!  Grab your coffee and let's connect! You don't have to do them all! I can't wait to hear from you! You can even private message me if you don't want to make it public.  

Outside my window
I am thinking
From the kitchen
I am wearing
I am creating
I am going
I am reading
I am hoping
I am hearing
Around the House
One of my favorite things
A few plans for the week
What I am listening to 

Famous Blueberry Muffins, I think

 I will be honest with you.  I had grand plans for this week things just did not go as planned.  I'm okay with that. My plans usually go the opposite. Sometimes you pick your kids up from school and they have a temperature and sore throat and you cancel plans and spend the week cuddling with your kiddo takes top priority.  I'm cool with that.  The things that I needed to do could wait.  Today, that same kid marched back to school ready to be reunited with his friends and I am playing a crazy game of catch-up.  In light of the crazy week, I thought we needed something yummy to welcome the weekend. 

I found this recipe on accident because my husband came home needed muffins for the next week, I had just bought the most beautiful blueberries for super cheap.  I really didn't want to go the store to get yogurt, or a lemon to make my usual recipe, so I scoured the internet world (aka pinterest) for a muffin recipe that looked scrumptious and didn't have a bunch of ingredients that was going to require leaving the house.

The first thing that caught my attention was that it was found the New York Times.  Amazing recipes get featured in the NY Times, so this recipe had to be good, right?  Guess what?  It did not disappoint! These were so moist and so quickly gobbled down that I have no idea how long they would have actually lasted in the fridge.  The recipe says they hold up really well. . . we just didn't' get to test that out because they were THAT good!   According to the article, there was a lot of dispute among New Yorker's about who had the best Blueberry Muffin recipe and this one did not come from the Ritz, like people assumed had the best.  Apparently, there used to be a department store called Jordan Marsh. I am a West Coast gal and haven't heard of this store, but this recipe is claimed to be theirs and it is delicious!  So if you are in the mood for some carbs and have some fresh blueberries laying around, I highly recommend this one.  It's definitely on my make again and again list. You should make these this weekend. 

Famous Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins
from New York Times

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 cups blueberries, washed and drained
3 tsp. sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In your favorite mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the vanilla.  Slowly add dry ingredients, alternating with some of your milk. Don't over mix.  Pat dry the blueberries and add them to the batter. Fold gently in.  Line you muffin tin with liners and fill 3/4 full with muffins.  Sprinkle with sugar and toss in oven for 30ish minutes.

Let cool for about 30 minutes.  Store uncovered to prevent humidity causing soggy muffins.  

No Sew Table Bench Cushion Tutorial

 Last week we had a spurt of some cooler temperatures and while it was just a teaser of the cooler temps coming (it's back into the hundreds this week), it is making us spend more time playing outside (we don't have a pool and aren't really feeling the desire to move or build a pool and loose our yard).  We noticed that the bench Jon build a few years ago that sits at our table, was starting to get a little sticky.  Wood. . . sap. . . kind of a downside.  The towel we put there temporarily just wasn't that pretty to the eyes and I wasn't finding anything that really worked in that space.  So, I decided to get creative and make my own. 

When we found our table a few years ago, we only were able to find 4 of the metal chairs that I had wanted.  It worked out because they stay fairly shaded and cool.  Metal chairs plus hot summer sun. . . not pleasant.  So we I mean Jon built a bench for me to go in that space and I love it.  I always wanted to put a cushion on top, but never found one that fit or looked good in the spot. So, when it started seeping sap this year, we knew we had to do something so I gathered all sorts of JoAnns coupons and went shopping. 

I found some a roll of outdoor foam that was on sale for 50% off (happy dance!) and found some outdoor fabric that matched our outdoor patio couch and chair cushions.  I already had a bunch of glue sticks and so I headed home and got to work. 

 First, I cut the foam on the bench.  It wasn't perfectly straight (shh. . . it's our little secret!).  Then I placed it on my fabric (right side down) and cut it down to how much I would need. Any extra in the end, I trimmed at the end.  Better to have too much at first then not enough and having to rebuy the fabric. 

 Squirt glue on 6 inch segments over the edge and start bring up your fabric and pressing down.  Making sure it's pulled tight and cool.  Move on to the next 6 inch section repeating the same thing until you are finished with the side.  Hot glue doesn't take long to cool and get hard, so you want to make sure you are gluing the fabric to the foam at it's highest temp so it will stay secure.  Fabric (and pretty much everything else) doesn't stick one the glue starts to cool and harden.

When you get to the corners, pretend like you are wrapping a gift and fold the fabric in and then bring up. 

 The last is glue the last long piece all the way across the foam to where you first started gluing.  You want it to overlap.  Keep following the 6inch maximum glue line and pull your fabric tight and secure in the glue.  Trip the edges so you don't have any sticking out and it looks clean.  Then go stick on the bench and enjoy your new cushion.  Also, pat yourself on the back!  You did it! 

I love this fabric so much!  Our rug on the other side is navy blue and white chevron, so the nautical ropes are a good match.  I also love the contrast with the dark brown stain of our table and bench!  It's also a lot more comfy to sit on too! 

You can find the fabric and foam at JoAnns craft stores. 
Our table top fire pit is seriously the best thing! You can find it here.