Around the Home {Fall Edition}

 Fall is quite possibly my most favorite time of the year.  It's gorgeous!  I mean, you can't walk past any tree noticing the vibrant fall colors.  That rusty red, orange, and yellow just get me all warm and fuzzy!  Plus, all I want to do is bake some pumpkin-y treats and take them to everybody!  My husband and I have been savouring the Pumpkin lattes from our favorite local coffee shop (lattes made with actual pumpkin are wear it's really at!).  And this week, I finally got to bundle up in my jacket. . . at least for a little bit!  Fall is here and I am thrilled!  (Can you tell?)

I'm pretty sure that decorating for fall is one of my favorite ways to decorate.  I try to get Fall out early September and it stays up through Thanksgiving. . . until it is replaced with Christmas.  While Halloween is not my favorite, fall is.  Over the past few years, I have been drawn to more neutral colors and it just makes my heart happy.  They are just so calming, especially when you just want to drink a latte and curl up with a good book and watch the the tree rain down tiny leaves (this just started and I am jumping up and down because it is so much fun. . . I am seriously like an excited 4 year old on her way to Disneyland when it comes to fall!).  

In honor of it finally looking like Fall and the fact that tomorrow is Halloween, I thought that this was the perfect time to write a new series on my blog called "Around the Home."  This way, I can show you so me easy ideas to decorate for seasons, or share something new that I've done or even some tips that might inspire you. 

When I decorate, I really don't want it to look like a muesum.  My goal is that when people walk into our house, they feel like they are home.  I want my family, as well as our guests, to feel like they are walking into a place of peace, a place they is comfortable, and a place where they feel welcome and loved.  Sometimes the reality of is that life happens, people live here, and we need to function as well as be welcoming.  Because we are real people living in a real house, you might find a laundry basket or random toys, or even the vacuum out.  Oops! 

 Several years ago, I bought a couple of these plants (fake) from Ikea and they make there way throughout the house depending on my mood.  While, I've been working on trying to be a plant mom to real plants (I'll talk about that another day), the soft green of these plants is really quite wonderful.  Plus, they don't look like plastic and even feel a bit fuzzy, which is great!  They really fit nicely into my neutral color scheme.  I needed something for this end table, since it sits in a weird spot where a lamp cannot go.  So, a galvalized charger, the plant, some white baby pumpkins and some decorative balls I have from my stash made the perfect little area.  There's still room, for me to throw down a latte and sit in the comfy chair next to it and read a good book. 

 This little cabinet sits in our back room just before you head into the kitchen.  It's so much fun to style with the changing seasons.  Several years back, I did a lot of printing on burlap (until it started messing with our printer and then I stopped. . . ha ha!).  But, this Gather print is one of my favorites that I created and burlap just fits perfectly with my neutral colors.  I grabbed a pitcher/vase that I found on clearance last year and through some cotton stems that I keep in my decor stash and then through one of my neutral pumpkins to even it out.  Please note the stack of soccer cards. . . or maybe Pokemon cards also laying there.  See, we live here. 

 Our fireplace needed some serious TLC this last month.  Toys, soccer uniform pieces, books. . . they were starting to accumulate around our fireplace.  Our fireplace that I am not a fan of.  Technically, they are illegal and we can't even use it.  I am hoping that we get to replace it sometime in the next year with a gas fire place where you can enjoy the flame.  Until then, we get to sit here and look at this, so I thought I would make the best of it.  I found this basket on sale at target and spontaneously bought it and stuffed it with some coordinating throw pillows I had laying around and picked up 2 Cinederella pumpkins at Trader Joes.  On top of it, I found a tobacco basket from the dollar spot at Target ($5) and filled it with one of my plant babies and a gingham pumpkin that is from my stash of decor.  I love how simple it is and even more, we've been able to keep the clutter that tends to accumulate there because there is now something purposefully put there.  It's a win win!

 My hutch is probably my most favorite thing to decorate and is probably my biggest reason I decorate for the seasons.  Once again, loving the neutral fall colors, the real baby pumpkins, burlap pumpkins, and a few signs.  This year, I changed things up a little bit by adding a small tobacco basket (Target dollar spot for the win. . . again!) and then knew at once I needed something to fill it and found this white wooden wreath (Hobby Lobby) that wedged itself right in.

 And a little sneak peak into the glass shelves. . .

 So, that's my fall decor.  There are a few more random neutral pumpkins floating around on a few shelves and a stack of baby pumpkins that I didn't take a picture of.  I really don't spend a lot of money to do it.  Some things, I made myself and others I slowly bought.  The cotton, some of the balls, letterboard, and some frames are all things that get reused season after season.  All the pumpkins and specifically Fall decor get to live in a rubbermaid container in the garage, but only one container.  My goal is to keep the decor simple and low cost!  Don't go out and spend a fortune buying a bunch of stuff.  Shop your house before you do anything.  Surf Pinterest to see if there's something you can create without breaking the bank.  Then keep your eye out for Target Dollar Spot finds and Hobby Lobby sales. 

Have a happy Day! 

Let's be Cheerleaders!

I took last week off from writing.  My husband had an overnight work meeting at a nearby lake, not far from Yosemite, and I followed him up while my mom kept the kids alive (THANK YOU MOM!).  I was gone for 24 hours and it did my heart good.  I didn't bring my computer and sat and read, looked for pretty fall leaves, and even took some time to create.  It was 24 hours that did my heart so good.

I came home refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the week. But, I didn't want to write.  Ideas flowed like water, but no words. I've even struggled to post things to instagram (weird, I know!).  I even strategically buried my computer with other projects so I didn't have to be reminded of the words that were coming.  As ideas floated through my head, so did the thoughts of why should I write that.  And this morning, those thoughts. . . . those feelings of inadequacy were being fired more rapidly than words.  I was feeling frustrated and irritated so I went to scroll through social media posts when I noticed a friend, needing her business to be shared to help boost her business.  And a thought occurred to me.  Why aren't we cheering each other on?  We should be cheering our friends on and not comparing ourselves to them.

I've been spending a lot of my time at soccer games and soccer practices and I just love watching my son play the game, whether he scores goals or not.  Not matter what his outcome is, he knows his family is there, cheering him on the entire game!  My favorite part though, is when his teammate scores a goal, he is so excited, jumping and high five-ing his teammate who scored.  His excitement was just as strong for his friends goal as it was when he scored a goal earlier in the game.  I think we need to be cheering on our friends just like my son celebrates his friend's accomplishments.

The Apostle Paul wrote that we should encourage one another and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11).  And that's not the only one! The Bible is filled with verses that call us to lead lives that radiate love and grace to others, and one way we do that is by encouraging them.  I wonder, if we wouldn't spend so much time comparing ourselves to others if we were encouraging our friends and the work that they are doing.  And I'm not just talking about our friends that are doing things that stand out, but those friends who are home, with little ones or spending afternoons in the car taxi-ing their kids around to various practices.  Those things that go unseen need encouraging words.  We all need some encouragement.  We all need a shout out or a little note with some affirming words.

I have some friends that need a shout out and I'm going to take a minute and publicly encourage some friends, right here.

:: My sister in law is amazing!  She is not only an amazing mom but she works her butt off as principal of an elementary school.  She has a passion for those kids that is going to change lives!

:: My BFF gives her time like no one else I know.  She works hard at her day job and her mom job and even has a side gig Etsy store, but she also gives her time weekly making sure our welcome center is stocked with food so we can welcome our guests effectively.  Most of the stuff she does goes unseen by others, but she is a rockstar!

:: A sweet friend that we grew up with us so creative!  She decided to try a style of cake decorating that makes the cake look like a painted piece of art. She started it back in January and has since mastered it and a business was born.  I know that God is going to use her as she blessed others with her creations.  You should check out her instagram. . . because her posts are gorgeous!

:: I have a friend that wrote a book and it came out last week.  I am so proud of her and I can't wait to read it (It's sitting on my Kindle waiting patiently for me to finish my current read).  You should check it out because this mom friend is so fun!  She is runs her own little side biz, heads up a local non profit, is a stay at home mom, and now is a published author!  Plus, her sense of humor is the best!  She always makes me smile! You can check out her book here.  p.s. if you download it today. . . it's free!  I don't think its going to last long.  Also, leave her a review.  The more reviews that are left help promote her book even more.

I have so many other friends who are stepping up the plate and doing what God has called them to do.  You probably can think of a handful or more friends that need to know that you are cheering them on.  Let's be active cheerleaders and not just sit on the sidelines watching.

Send them a note, share something they've written, buy their book, give them a shout out, drop a coffee by their house and let them know you're there and give them a hug.  I bet that if we started cheering our friends, those thoughts filled with insecurity and inferiority would be replaced with joy and confidence.

Who can you give a shout out to today? 

What's for Dinner {Sept. 2019}

Raise your hand if you feel like life is busy.

Raise your hand if you feel like planning dinners is hard. 

Raise your hands if you end up scrambling every night trying to figure out what to feed your hungry, and possibly cranky family (otherwise known as hangry. . . ha ha!). 

I promise you are not alone. 

I struggle with this so often.  It might not seem like it, but I do.  Taking the time to menu plan takes time and energy when I would rather be working on something else or binge watching White Collar episodes or  the latest Hallmark movie.  But, I know that when I do, our week is smoother, my kids eat healthier, my youngest tries new foods, and we enjoy some family time around the table (or we watch some classic TGIF shows on Hulu).  Either way, I know that taking the time to menu plan makes my life way smoother. 

Now that school is in full swing, I am starting up these monthly "What's for Dinner" posts to share some recipes that we tried out and loved over the past month.  One of the most commonly asked questions on Facebook among my mom friends is "what are some new recipes?"  Here are some that have been tested out in our kitchen during the evening chaos hours.  Some are recipes that are so easy, I can make ahead of time and take them to soccer practice and picnic there, while Ethan practices. 

But, first a few notes about our food habits:  In our home, there are some food allergies, like dairy, soy, and a recent discovery that Ethan is allergic to salmon (he's really heartbroken over this, because he really loves fish!).  While I bake a lot, we tend to keep most of our meals along the Whole 30 model because we don't need to eat bread and sugar all the time and we are guaranteed the recipes don't have soy and dairy in them, which means our whole family can eat.  There are nights, where we make Trader Joe's orange chicken or cook up some salmon and the kids eat chicken nuggets and that's okay. 

So, here are a few recipes that we cooked up this week. I'm getting hungry just thinking about them! Most of these, we've had before and we love!  They are easy and simple and we love them! 

:: Egg Roll in a Bowl

We love this recipe from 40 Aprons.  It's so easy, super inexpensive to make!  I always hope for leftovers, but there never are.   Ethan loves this and gets so excited when I make it.  This was a great recipe to make to eat at practice and was perfect for fueling Ethan for a quick dinner before practice.  One bowl and you are full.  You won't even miss the wrapper, I promise! 

:: Steak, Spinach, Sweet Potato Bowls

We've made this a few times and we love it!  The marinade for the flank steak is worth it enough and roasted sweet potatoes. . . I am now drooling over this post!  Jon likes his without the avocado drizzle, but I think it's what really makes the dish.   The combinations of flavors are really out of this world!  Plus, its easy to deconstruct and make it kid friendly, too! 

:: Simple Sesame Noodles

This recipe has always been a favorite, but I has stopped for quite awhile because I hadn't learned about coconut aminos, but once I did and Weston tried them it became a game changer because he LOVES these so much!  So, these make it on our meal plan a lot because everyone is happy with this!  I might pair it with some grilled chicken or some Aidells Teriyaki Meatballs to make the meal complete. 

As I write this, It is almost lunch time and this post is making me so hungry!  Other things that made it onto the table were:

:: homemade pizza
:: Trader Joe's Orange Chicken
:: grilled chicken and roasted veggies
:: Spaghetti
:: Stir Fry  (we love Nom Nom Paleo's Stir Fry sauce)
:: Sheet Pan dinners with Aidells Chicken and Apple Sausage and lots of veggies

We even planned a night to grab Chick Fil-A on the way to practice, because this mom gave herself a night off.

If you are looking for more inspiration, I post all my meal plans and some of our dinners to my Instagram stories and save them in my highlights.  You can find them under "Meal Plans" and "What's Cookin?"

You can also find monthly "What's Cooking" posts in the archives.   I'm thinking I might have to go look at them again because I had forgotten about some of our favorite recipes!

I hope this helps bring inspiration to your meal plan!

Happy Cooking!   

on finding community

He stood there nervous and fidgety.  He was wearing his special first day of school outfit that we had picked out together, packed his backpack with all the pencils, glue, and Clorox wipes that he could fit.  His lunch was packed with all his favorite foods.  He was ready.  He was nervous.  

That morning, he walked in to his kindergarten classroom with a nervous confidence that echoed my own heart.  I stood there, nervous for him, but also excited for this new stage of life we were embarking.  I woke up early and made sure I had my own first day outfit, of sorts, and not my usual yoga pants and tank top.  I wanted to leave a good impression on his teacher, but a big part of me, wanted to leave an impression on the other moms.  In my heart, I wanted them to like me.   

I was so excited for the afternoon to come.  I arrived 15 minutes early hoping that I would connect with a mom.  I stood there awkwardly while moms, dads, and grandmas stepped onto the grassy pick-up area.  Moms stood scattered across the grass awkwardly pretending to scroll through their social media feed.  Each one appeared more nervous that someone would talk to them then they were of their child’s day.  

My kids are both older now, both making their way through the ranks of our small neighborhood school.   I think back to those early years, when my boys were teeny, and my friends were those moms around my MOPS table or my small group table.  Those friendships were the easiest, because it was it was a safe place to share our hearts.  I think about how much more difficult it was to step out of my comfort zone and make new friends as we started our elementary school journey then it was in the safety of our church community.  

When I stepped out of my safety zone and turned off my phone, I found other moms slowly joined me to laugh at a mysterious shoe disappearance, vent about a meltdown that morning, or celebrate a pregnancy announcement.  Eventually, we started getting together for dinner and coffee dates.  Slowly, I found community with my fellow school moms.  

The truth is, community did not come overnight.  We live in an age where technology is always at our fingertips.  We can safely scroll our social media feeds without making a single attempt at actual human interaction. Yet, it doesn’t feed our soul.  Sure, we might laugh at an incredibly on point motherhood meme or laugh at a clip of a Tim Hawkins video, but it doesn’t fuel us like the face to face conversation between friends. Conversation that brings mutual encouragement, smiles, and joy. 

 We have to let go of the fear of being judged (because, let’s face it, we have this horrible way of making ourselves feel better by being master judgers) and take a risk and talk to someone.  If you are craving a nice conversation with some moms, you might have to be the one to start it.  

The year my son entered kindergarten, I craved conversation with these ladies and it wasn’t until I put my phone down that conversations started happening.  Eventually, I got a little bit more courageous and invited several to brunch.  Ladies actually came! We sat around my patio for way longer than I expected. Toddlers played in the yard, while we sat, talked and ate carbs.  No one was in a hurry to leave until our phones reminded us of the time.  One sweet mom left with the biggest smile on her face, and I know it fed her sweet soul, too!  

The moment I knew I had found friends that were more than just acquaintances, was the day I received a frantic message from another mom needing me to grab her child.  Their house had just been broken into and she was dealing with a rather large mess and a police report. She couldn’t leave and she didn’t want to bring her little one back to the chaos. She needed someone she trusted and it meant a lot to me that I could be that person for her.  My sweet boy got a play date and I baked some cookies to send home to add sweetness to her crummy day.  Community is not only friends to chat with, but friends you can rely on. 

The school-aged years of mom hood are hard.  Our kids are growing more independent by the day, we have a choice to be courageous and allow other moms into our life.  Start by praying.  Take time to pray for those ladies that you see daily. Ask God, to foster those relationships and to provide opportunities to connect with them. Don’t be afraid to ask Him for courage to step into discomfort and take the first step. Be brave and put down your phone. No matter your personality, starting a conversation with someone you don’t know is hard.  Find that mom that you think you might connect with and go compliment her or ask her a question. Take a risk and invite a mom or two for coffee.  See what happens.  And finally, get involved in your child’s school.  Some of my favorite people, I met at our monthly parent club meetings! Before you know it these people will be more than just acquaintances that you get together with once a month.

Finding community in your child’s school is so worth it, once you take the risk.  It definitely doesn’t come easy, but it is completely worth it!