Christmas Fun

I am finding it hard to believe that Christmas is in one week.  In between the mad dash of shopping and activities it flew by way to quick!  My boys have fully embraced vacation mode and I am pretty sure they are living in their flannel pajamas!  They have rediscovered the Perler Bead collection and they are making all sorts of cute things.  In fact, as I write this, we are listening to adventures in Odyssey and the boys are creating wonderful things.  It's incredibly peaceful!  Even though my list of things to do is long, I am enjoying these quiet days with my boys at home. 

So, since we are in full blown Christmas mode I thought I might share some of our favorite Christmas traditions and some things that we are really loving right now. In no way, do I want to stress you out y adding more to your plate, but maybe inspire you to slow down and enjoy or even save for next year. 

:: We've been listening to a 3 part Christmas Adventures in Odyssey for free here. We just love Adventures in Odyssey and love that we can listen and work on our projects. 

:: We went on our Christmas Scavenger Hunt last night and had so much fun!  We used this printable that I made a few years back!  All you need is the printable, something to write on, and a flashlight.  Then, just walk around your neighborhood or drive around a crazily decorated neighborhood and keep a look out for the things on our list!  Add hot cocoa and the night is pretty much perfect!  Click here for the link. 

 :: Advent is one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season.  Each evening, after the kids are all snuggly and clean, we take a few minutes and read the Bible.  This year we are doing this set from Kids Read Truth, which we just love!  It looks like they are all sold out, but they have other card sets to do throughout the year and the kids love them!  You can find them here.

:: Blessing our Delivery Drivers is another favorite thing that doesn't take a lot of effort and the reaction from our mail carriers, UPS, and Amazon (of course!) drivers is priceless.  I even have a printable here for your printing needs.  Throw some snacks, waters, and maybe some candy and place it outside and watch your delivery drivers so happy they were loved on after a long day of heavy boxes and driving around town. 

I have a lot other fun things that are Christmas related on the blog.  Here are a few links.
:: Gift Tags
:: Cookie Exchange
::  Door Swag
:: Treat Tags
:: Christmas S'mores Tags

There are also so many baked things I couldn't pick just a few!  Don't forget to check out the tabs at the top of the blog for your baking needs!

Have a Merry Christmas! 





 

reflections on advent

The lateness of Thanksgiving has thrown me for a loop.  My kids had a week off for Thanksgiving, went back to school to finish the last two weeks of the semester, and starting tomorrow at 2:30pm, will be on vacation for 3 weeks.  In no way am I complaining.  The older these kids grow the more I want them home to drink hot cocoa, watch movies, and hang out.  However, the two weeks in between is a constant scurry of Hustle. 

I hate the word Hustle.  The last few years have been filled with marketing attempts to get us (and by us, I mean, us gals) to Hustle.  We need to somehow be Wonder Woman and do it all and then some.  It's a lot of pressure.  The last 10 days have been spent hustling.  I have shopped (both in stores and on Amazon), I have been regularly eating lunch after the kids get home from school, I haven't even finished decorating the house or sent out my Christmas cards.  The more I hustle, the more I feel like I am drowning.  Failing. 

I am pretty sure that's not the way this time leading up to Christmas is supposed to be. 

We need to stop moving so quickly through life trying to do it all that we miss out on the simple. 


Each evening, my husband, kids and I gather in our living room.  There is no TV, just Alexa playing some Christmas tunes softly in the background.  The Christmas lights twinkle on the tree and everyone settles in for our time to reflect on Advent.  The kids take turns reading scripture and we talk about it and we get excited for what. . . for who. . . is coming.  There may or may not be the occasional burp or fart (I live with boys. . . it happens), but there are conversations that move us closer to the day in which we celebrate the birth of our Savior. 

Douglas McKelvey wrote in Every Moment Holy, "As we decorate our tree, and as we feast and laugh and sing together, we are rehearsing our coming joy!  We are making ready to receive the one who has already, with open arms, received us! We would prepare you room here in our hearts and here in our home, Lord Christ."

I probably could be doing so many other things during this time, but there is something that happens to my heart as we gather.  I am filled with peace and joy.  I feel rest at the end of a long day sitting and listening to my boys race to find the passage first and then reading it.  The act of slowing down and reflecting on Jesus and why he came brings rest to my weary heart.  My attitude changes.  I end the day reminded that I don't need to do it all.  Those ideas that inspired me can sit on my Pinterest board until next year.  As my body and mind rest, I am filled with joy and anticipation. 

This year's She Reads Truth Advent book has beautiful quilled paper creations woven throughout it.  When describing why they chose paper quilling, they shared how it is a reflective craft that a allows for contemplation and rest.  I have stocked up on crafts for my kids and even have a few quite, slow down projects for myself, I love how we can use that time to be creative and find rest as we ponder they "why" of Advent. 

We need to exchange the Hustle, the urge to do it all, with the simple.  Jesus's birth wasn't even a glamorous event in a 5 star motel, but a simple barn because someone opened their home and gave them shelter.  He was not what most people were looking for, but he gave us the most precious gift of his life so that we could be free. Let's slow down and embrace the Advent season.  Let's fill our hearts with peace and hope.

This Christmas, I am slowing down and finding rest.  I am letting go of the hustle and trading it in for peace and joy that can only come from Christ.  Will you join me?

Travel Backpacks for tweens (and great stocking stuffer ideas!)

 I refused to decorate my house before Thanksgiving.  I just couldn't do it.  Now we're 5 days into December and I am scrambling to get the house decorated and do Christmas shopping and basically all the things before my kids get out NEXT Friday for 3 weeks.  I honestly can't wait til they are off because (hopefully) I will be done with everything so we can just savor the time together and do Christmas crafts (thanks Hobby Lobby and JoAnns!), drink hot cocoa, and watch all the Christmas movies. That's probably wishful thinking, but I am sure going to try.  It's not every day where we get so many days BEFORE Christmas and I am so excited!   I also managed to not blog the last few weeks because I took a little staycation to celebrate my 40th birthday (I'll talk about that next week) and then the kids were off for a week, and then we all got nasty head colds.  Minus the head cold part, it's been great!

When most blogs are posting about their current Christmas crafts, food and decor, here I am reminiscing about our big summer adventure.  Maybe it's my way of procrastinating.  Or maybe it's because I might (just maybe) be able to tie this little post to Christmas.  I think I can, so I am going to do it. 

 This past July, we went on what may have been our biggest adventure to date.  It was great adventure and hopefully I will get that blogged soon.  This year, we took on Washington D.C., Philly, and Baltimore.  But, before we could take on those cities, we had to spend a lot of time in airports and on a couple of airplanes.  It's a lot of time for anyone to sit, especially 8 and 10 year old boys!  Every year, I always buy some new activities for their backpacks that they get to see once they get to the airport.  It's kind of like Christmas morning! (see. . . . Christmas!).  Almost everything is brand new so they aren't already bored of them when we get on the plane.  A lot of these activities fit very nicely into most stockings, so I thought it would be great to save this post for now. 

Also, buying for pre-teens is hard.  (Any suggestions for a soccer loving 11 year old are gladly welcomed!), so I thought I would share these because they were all big hits! 

Let's start with Weston.  He's 8 1/2 and loves Minecraft.  You might notice a theme (this is one of those times I could insert a laughing or winking emoji right now. . . so just pretend).

I made each of the boys notebook holders with places for colored pencils (when we aren't traveling, they stay in the car and are perfect for short trips or appointments!).  Both boys also have a travel journal to keep track of our adventures (I'll be honest, we we did so much on this trip that sitting and sleeping was all we wanted to do when we got back to our hotel each day).

3D geometric magnet blocks, Minecraft Uno, Minecraft activity book, Melissa and Doug Detective book, Oragami kit, and a fun coloring book that connects to your phone by Crayola.

Not shown are Plus Plus blocks which are so much fun!  He built the Lunar Lander on this trip and then it turned into robots and other fun creations! 

He also had ear buds and his kindle which I downloaded a few books for him to read from our local library's kindle collection.  He also had Spiderman into the Spiderverse downloaded, too. 

Now for Ethan.  Honestly, he was a little bit harder.  (Weston has tangible things that he likes and some of the things Ethan loved at 8 so I just bought them again and crossed my fingers he'd like them. . . he did!) 

 Ethan had his notebook, a travel journal (a moleskin journal with washi tape and fun pens), coloring books, Plus Plus blocks, markers, games, Scratch Art, and probably the biggest hit was Kandoodle. He was determined to finish all the challenges. . . he hasn't yet, but I am sure after next year's trip he might! 

He also had his Kindle Fire with books downloaded and a movie (But, our planes had great movies to pick, so I am pretty sure he watched Captain America and Captain Marvel as much as he could! 

I tried avoiding buying tangible books because they are heavy, but we ended up with one each, because my boys would rather read a book with pages than digitally and this Treasure Hunters book came out the week before we left and it tied right in with our trip and we couldn't download it.  Weston was obsessed with going to the White House and after visiting the Archives on our second day he begged for this What Was the White House book at the gift shop.  It went every where we did in D.C. (good thing I had my back pack).  It even had a map, so he would try to help is navigate the streets.  He even read while we Ubered from one side of the town to the other and when we were taking breaks.  So, if you need to know anything about the White House. . . he's your man!

Here's a link to last year's back packs for more ideas!

Also, the great thing about all these things is that we have an old backpack that stays packed with various activities so that we can just grab it for soccer practices and quick beach trips!  None of this stuff gets forgotten about when we get home!

I hope this helps you in some way, whether planning a family trip or even trying to stuff a stocking full of fun. 

And really, if you have any more tween boy ideas, please, please comment below! 

What's For Dinner {Oct. 2019}

I'm finding myself super distracted today.  I just want to run outside and hear the leaves crunching at my feet before the yard people come and get rid of them tomorrow.  The neighborhood ginkgo trees are finally starting to turn from green to golden yellow.  I am in fall heaven (minus the fact that Ethan's soccer game was a balmy 81 degrees yesterday afternoon! No thank you!).  I am also distracted by all this Frozen 2 propaganda. . . and the music.  Apple Music just added Panic! At the Disco's "Into the Unknown" and it's playing non stop over here!   And then, Disney +. . . I just don't know where to start.  It's amazing!

But, before we go any farther into this post, stop what you are doing and go watch this.  Yes, join me on the ultimate get distracted train.  No judgement here . . I promise! 

Okay, so now that that's done.  Let me try to focus.  If you are new here, one of my favorite things to do is share inspiration for family friendly dinners.  These are meals that we cooked during the previous month that were big hits.  Some come from recipes found in cookbooks, but most often, they are from that wonderful internet resource we like to call Pinterest.  Dinners are incredibly important to our family because it's where we connect at the end of the day.  As the kids are getting older, it's one of the only times we are all in one place at one time. . . most of the time.  Plus, eating out all the time is not cost effective and not healthy.  Some night's we eat on the soccer field while Ethan practices, some night's we all need a few minutes so we move to the living room and watch some tv together.  As much as we can, we are spending time together, and eating a delicious meal is something that we all enjoy.

So, here are a few of our favorite meals from October:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

  Link here or this cookbook

It's fall.  Kind of.  I am pretty sure when I made this recipe last month, if actually felt like fall for a week.  This is my go-to recipe for Chicken tortilla soup.  It's super easy especially since I skip the chicken part and throw in some Costco rotisserie chicken to save time.  Also, sauteed the veggies and dumped them in the crockpot and poured the ingredients in and said, "See Ya later!".  Easy Peazy!  I love recipes that are super adaptable! This recipe also makes quite a bit so you might even have a 2 ngihter or even a 3 nighter on your hands.  Raise your hands if you want a night or two off!!! Also, I have frozen leftovers of this soup and it tastes just as good a month or two later. . . just toss in your crockpot and dinner is cooked.  So really, this recipe is amazing and keeps on giving! 

Carne Asada Street Tacos

Link Here

Carne assada street tacos are pretty much my favorite.  There's a great place in town that make amazing tacos that my BFF and I claim non other can compare to.  But, this recipe, is so flavorful that it comes pretty close!  The carne asada steaks marinade in a super simple marinade for a couple of hours and then they grill super quick since they are so thinly sliced.  The ingredients are super simple, just some onion, and cilantro, (we skip the cheese) and maybe a dollup of homemade guac.   This one was another two-nighter and maybe an extra lunch for me. Weston hasn't quite gotten on board with tacos (I am sure he will at some point, as his taste buds continue to mature), but it's easy to just whip up a few quesadilla's and everyone is happy! 

Pumpkin Chili

Link here

Can you tell I was in the soup kind of mood?  I follow Bri McCoy on Insta and she is just a doll!  Even though I am not a Kambucha fan, I watched her show how to make it because she is a blast!  She's one of those writers/instagrammers I would love to just sit down and chat with.  So, when she was talking about her Pumpkin Chili I decided that's what we needed!  I had most of the ingredients, and it was October, so yes, please on the pumpkin!  I didn't have a pumpkin beer, but we used a Barrel House Sunny Days and it was amazing!  This recipe lasted two nights and I am seriously loving the fact that all the recipes I shared provide you with nights where you don't have to cook (win win!). 

Sweet Potato Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
 I don't  have a picture for this one because this one is sort of a mash up of recipes.  There are a ton of paleo/whole 30 recipes out there for sloppy joes, but I really love the Pioneer Woman's recipe.  It's super simple and quick to make.  It's in the same cook book I linked up with the chicken tortilla soup, if you need anymore reason to buy that cookbook.  Or you can find the online version here. And since, we aren't eating as much bread, we are finding we really love stuffing baked sweet potatoes (or as my husband reminds me YAMS) with pretty much everything.  And the baking of the sweet potatoes is my favorite, but in a pinch you can microwave them super quick and they are just as good!

So, that's a wrap up of some of the worthy to note recipes of October.  I hope I didn't make you super hungry as you read this. . . I would love to hear back from you about if you've tried any of these or even if you have a recipe that you think should make it onto our November edition of this post.  Either way, I love your feedback! 

Feel free to check out more inspiration over on my instagram feed here and on my Pinterest food board here. 

Happy Cooking! 

Sprinkle Cupcakes

 It's Friday.  Let's all pause right now and do a happy dance because we made it through we week and Halloween!

Now, let's drool over these cupcakes.  They are just perfect!  And really, REALLY delicious. 

I have a confession to make.   It took me 6 months to make my husband's birthday cake.

Yep.  That's real wife of the year stuff, right here.  Ha Ha!  His birthday was last March and only last month did I finally make his cake.  (Jon, if you are reading this, I am really, really very sorry).  Things got really busy last Spring and it just didn't happen, but I did get it made and it was wonderful!  Jon had picked out a recipe from the Bake from Scratch Cakes edition that came out back in February and it was one that I new had to have some adjustments, because it was layer cake with ice cream.

Jon's favorite cake has always been a classic Funfetti cake.  I mean, you can't go wrong.  Even the boxed mixes are good (but I highly recommend trying a made from scratch version because they just up the ante so much more).  A few years ago, I made this one from Baked Bree and it was delicious!  Things started to get really fun when Jon started watching shows like Cake Boss and Ace of Cakes and now I think he just likes to give me a challenge.

I mentioned earlier that this recipe was originally part of an ice cream cake and since only half of our family can have dairy free ice cream and dairy free ice cream comes in pints. . . and are not the cheapest things!  Plus, I hadn't found a coconut based strawberry ice cream that I liked. . . until the day I made this (side note: Oatly strawberry ice cream is seriously the best thing ever. . . even my husband thinks it's wonderful!).   I took the main part of the recipe and made cupcakes and made Jon's extra special which I will add down below. 

Just looking at these pictures is making me so hungry for a cupcake!  The had the most perfect texture and flavor that I am so glad I froze some to keep on hand for special treats!  Best Idea Ever!

So, while I debate whether or not to get some out for dessert tonight (It's Friday!!), let me leave you with the recipe so you can enjoy some too!

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

 Sprinkle Cupcakes
adapted from Bake from Scratch, 20019

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
3 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk, plus 1 tbsp vinegar (mix together and let sit for 5 minutes so it has a chance to curdle before using)
1/2 cup colored sprinkles
8 large egg whites

Directions: 
In your stand mixer, cream butter, sugar, vanilla, and almond until nice and fluffy.  Add cake flour, baking powder, and salt alternately with milk and vinegar mixture.  Beat only until just combined.  Fold in sprinkles.  Pour mixture into another bowl and set aside.  Clean the stand mixer bowl. 

In your clean stand mixer bowl and your whisk attatchment, beat together egg whites until stiff peaks form.  This video is really helpful for making sure you have stiff peaks, but basically when you pull your beaters the egg whites should stand up and be a little glossy.

Using a spatula, slowly fold in stiff egg whites into the batter.

Line muffin tin with liners and fill each one 2/3 of the way full.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Buttercream frosting
1 cup of butter, whipped until smooth
3-4 cups frosting
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond extract

Beat together butter until smooth.  Slowly add in powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and almond extract.  Beat until smooth and creamy.

Pipe or spread onto cupcakes.
Top with sprinkles.

Take it up a notch:
Once cupcakes and frosting are make, take out a small mason jar.
Unwrap a cupcake and cut in half.  Pipe a bit of frosting at the bottom of the jar and place the bottom half of cupcake on top of the frosting.  Take a scoop of strawberry ice cream and put on top of cupcake half.  Then top with the other half of the cupcake.  Top with piped frosting and sprinkle with sprinkles.

Note:  These freeze really well.  There was no way we could eat them all, so we froze them and take out a few every now and then when we need a treat.  They pair really well with some Miss Jones Baking Co. pouches of dairy free frosting I found at Whole Foods! 

Enjoy!

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!

  

Fall 2019 Goals

Fall is officially upon us, even if I am ignoring the summer-like weather!  And with the change of seasons, I have some goals that I need to be set.  Life is busy.  Soccer season is in full swing as well other commitments.  I have things that I need to work on and so I am setting some goals, publicly, here.

Goal setting is something that I do on a regular basis.  Back when I was living the single life, in a college dorm room, I read a lot of Elizabeth George books.  They were just so inspiring and encouraging to me as I moved into adult hood and what being a woman after God's own heart was like.  In her book Life Management for Busy Women, George spends some time talking about priorities and goal setting. She mentions some of perks of goal setting that include motivation, energy, direction.  She says that, "Goals are drams with deadlines."  I just love that!   These helpful hints have stuck with me for the last 17 years.  I'd say that's some pretty good advice!

I have a planner that I keep all my daily goals written down on.  I love checking things off my list. . . I feel like I am way more productive if the things that I need to do are written down.  I even have a list of long-term goals typed out and taped to the wall.  This helps me stay focused and more productive.  I'll be honest, the idea of sitting around with a box of bon bons and watching a rom-con sounds quite enticing, but that NEVER happens.  Reality is that there is always stuff to be done and places to be.  I'll be honest, sometimes most of the time, I will do something and write it on my list just so I can check it off. 

I have also had to learn to give myself some grace when it comes to setting goals.  Life happens.  Stuff happens.  Things don't always go according to plan and that's okay.  Not everything I put down is going to happen each day and I have to be okay with that.  Knowing what my priorities are helps a lot with that.  If I don't get some cleaning done because my kids needed to talk or just hang out, that's okay. . . they are far more important than the rugs getting vacuumed.  And, to be real, sometimes I try to do WAY too much in one day.  I just can't do it all.  I can try all I want, but I will just run myself ragged.  I have to give myself grace.  I am far from perfect, there will be distractions, other more important things will come up.  I just have to go with it and do the best I can, making sure that those things that are higher priority (God, husband, kids, people, house. . . . ) don't fall between the cracks!

So here are my goals for the Fall:

1.  Lead a group of ladies through the study Open Your Bible, by She Reads Truth/Lifeway.
2.  Paint the ship lap in the bathroom and replace faucets and light.
3.  Finish 2 books.
4.  Work on Jon's quilt
5. Make two baby blankets for gifts
6. Turn 40 (I'm in denial)
7.  Re-organized desk drawers (chaos has arrived!)
8.  Try 3 new recipes
9.  Make coffee sleeves
10.  Restock card supply by working on some of my paper pumpkin boxes I haven't had time for.
11.  Sneak away with the hubby.


Okay, so these are my goals. Do you set goals daily?  Weekly?  monthly? or seasonally?   What are some of yours? I'd love to hear from you and even pray for you.


Other things to read:

:: Feeling overwhelmed?  this post has helpful hints to mark those things off your list.
:: How I use a planner and make lists.
:: on saying No to things.

Double Chocolate Muddy Buddies

I am spending today trying to pretend it's not going to be hot and fall-ifying my house.  Bring on the pumpkins and maybe some cooler weather!  I'll be honest, my sweatshirts are calling my name.  Also, I really just want to drink a latte at a soccer game without breaking into a sweat.  Who's with me? 

Anyways, while I am sitting here stalking the weather app for signs of fall, we need to talk about the amazingness of Chex Cereal.  I'm not sure when the last time I had a bowl of cereal with it, because it's so good as chex mix or combined with chocolate and peanut butter.  We love that it doesn't have soy in it either, which means it's Weston friendly.  Please excuse me while I do a quick happy dance. 

I had bought my chocolate chips and Chex mix last month to whip up a batch for our annual beach trip weekend and then I realized we were out of peanut butter. . . kind of an important when you are making Muddy Buddies.  I was feeling really frustrated because I wanted to make sure Weston had some snacks that he could enjoy while on our trip.  After about an hour of just feeling really bummed, it dawned on me that we had other types of Peanut Butter.  Score!  That's when the amazingness of these comes in to play.  WHITE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER!!!!!  We may never go back!!!!

 Seriously, these are the best Muddy Buddies we have ever had!  You probably should make these right now because you will probably be thinking of them for weeks (or maybe just days).  I promise you will have no regrets about making these.  In fact, your friends will probably thank you!

 If you don't want to eat all of them, you can make some for your friends, take them to work, or just half the recipe (and then tell your family you used math today).  Then, put your kids to bed and put on a rom-com and relax.  Maybe even share with your husband or a good friend. 

Double Chocolate Muddy Buddies
adapted from the original recipe on the back of the box. 

Ingredients:
9 cups of rice chex
1 cup of dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup of White Chocolate Peanut Butter
1/4 cup of butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Pour the Chex cereal into a large bowl. 
In a smaller bowl, combine chocolate,  peanut butter and butter together and zap in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute (you wnat a nice smooth consistency).   Stir in vanilla.  Pour over the cereal and gently toss until it is evenly coated.  Pour into a zip lock gallon bag and add powdered sugar.  Shake well until coated.   Pour that onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let it cool.   Take a few bites to test taste. 

Enjoy!

notes: 
We used Guittard dark chocolate chips because they are dairy and soy free and are probably my favorite chocolate chips.

We used Peanut Butter & Co's White Chocolate Wonderful (we buy it at Target or Sprouts)