Praying for Boston

Please take a moment to pray for those in Boston.

Father I lift up everyone in the city of Boston. I pray that families will be reunited with their love ones. Father I pray for those who have endured loss because of another hurtful action. LORD you are in control! Thankful for your sovereignty thought we may never know the reason why this happened. 

Praising your in good and bad times

Amen

photo credit: MercyMinistries.com

Salty Kisses and Sea Glass Wishes Giveaway

I am happy to announce my first giveaway hosted by Salty Kisses and Sea Glass Wishes! 

The owner is dear friend from college, Ax'em Jacks! She and her family are stationed in Japan which is where she collects the glass for her BEAUTIFUL jewelry! 

All Sea Glass is from Japan's East China Sea. 100% Naturally tumbled by mother nature! 

Each piece is unique and handcrafted.

The giveaway is for this pair!

So here is what you have to do!

Mandatory Entries

1. Subscribe to my blog and post a comment 

2. Like Salty Kissed and Sea Glass Wishes on etsy and comment with your favorite piece

Additional Entries:

Like my Facebook page

Follow me on Twitter 

Follow me on Instagram

Leave separate commenst for all the ones you did

This giveaway ends April 21!

Good Luck!

Starting a new me

It has been almost 5 weeks since Micah's birth and already I feel SO MUCH BETTER! I think I forgot just how much life a developing baby can suck right out of you! Now that I have energy to live life {clean, cook, run errands, play with kids, teach kids, etc} I am ready to being a very important journey. 

Getting Healthy, Lean and Fit!

I have started this journey many times, but for one reason or another have fallen off course. Since we are pretty sure we aren't having another child for a few more years I feel like I will have adequate time to get in shape. { can't say get my body back because in reality it has been gone for awhile!}

Starting April 1 I will be participating in a 8 week weight-loss challenge with 8 other friends over facebook. I will also be doing a 21 day challenge with a trainer who motivates via the web.

I am also excited to start a new work out, Lindsey Brin's Moms Into Fitness Postnatal DVD pack for advance. I have only done 1 workout but it had kicked my tail!

So I am putting it here
MY GOALS FOR APRIL:
Food: Eliminate wheat and soda
Exercise: 20min 6 days a week
Sweet and simple

life with 3

It has been almost 4 weeks since I brought my youngest son home. Life is different! We are working on a new normal and learning a LOT about life with 3 kids three years and under. 

1. Plan, plan PLAN! 

When it come to being somewhere on time this doesn't just happen. Every event requires it's own planning committee almost! Night before packing is life saver if I want to be somewhere on time in the mornings. Everything I do is in 3 hour cycles because of nursing. It's crazy how the smallest member of our home changes our lives SO MUCH!

2. Being at home is just fine

I love to 'be on the go', however because of all the planning required I am less likely to go. For the most part I am ok with it because there is very little stress in being at home. 

But being people person I tend to get a little low when I am home too many days in a row. So I do make sure an see outside faces regularly!

3. If all I did was feed kids, and play, that's fine

I like completing task, and having a clean house, but the truth is those task can keep, my children won't. The dishes, laundry, dusting and sweeping will all be there when they are napping or have gone to bed. I want to be present when they want me to play cars in the dirt, or bring me a dandelion bouquet.  I want to spend time doing nothing but holding my baby and breathing in his sweetness. 

Because one day he won't smell sweet and won't fit in my arms!

Cherishing these moments!

A little late but...HE'S HERE!

So it's been three weeks since I last posted, but I have a really good reason. 

That reason arrived February 28, 2013 at 3:50 in the afternoon! 

My sweet baby boy is here! His name is Micah Callan. 

 Fresh baby, he was 6 lbs, 8 oz. and 19 1/4 ins long

 Mommy and son 2 hours after birth!

 4 days old and so beautiful

 Big brother David loves to hole Micah

(Big brother Elliot like him too, but is 

NEVER still to catch in a photo!)

2 weeks old!

3 week photo shoot!

My dad (Big Daddy to my boys) is a photographer! 

BIG SCORE!

Isn't he PRECIOUS!

Needless to say we are a bit obsessed with our newest addition.

Robert and I also celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on March 15. Hard to believe we've only been married 5 years since we started 'dating' at 16! I have been with that man for almost 12 years!

Totally forgot to take pictures of us! Oops! 

Yes I know I overloaded you with totally baby cuteness.

But I feel it isn't kind for me to keep it all to myself!

I'm guest posting today!

Today I am over at The Biblical Family guest posting in her
series on Pornography and Family. 

A heavy topic that needs to talked about more, so join me!

After reading the post come back and share ways you are safeguarding your children. 

Paleo Apple Crisp

This pregnancy has made me crave sweets more than normal. 

One of my favorite desserts is apple pie. Unfortunately my body

doesn't really like gluten. And pie by definition is a lot of gluten {the crust}

So thanks to the lovely world of Pinterest

I found a  Apple Crisp recipe that fits the bill

I tweaked a bit as always and this is what I came up with.

For my Paleo friends use honey and coconut oil.


PALEO APPLE CRISP

Paleo Apple Crisp

Filling

4 med Granny Smith Apples, diced

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 allspice

3TBS Organic light brown sugar

2TBS Arrowroot powder

Crumb topping

1 cup raw almond meal

1/2tsp cinnamon

1TBS Arrowroot powder

3TBS melted butter 

Honey/Maple syrup to drizzle

1. Combine all of the filling ingredient together till well coated. Pour into a glass dish oven safe dish

2. Combine all of topping ingredients {except honey/maple syrup}
3. Cover apples with crumb topping and drizzle with honey/maple syrup
4. Bake @350 for 45 min!
5. ENJOY!!!

keep on keepin' on

STILL PREGNANT

&

FALSE LABOR STINKS

I have had about 3 false starts since my nesting post! NOT nice son!

Remember the Nesting list?

• Vacuum/clean out my SUV
• Install infant car-seat and put snap-n-go in the trunk 
• Pack my bag and baby's bag for the Birth Center
• Buy more diapers, {we were gifted with almost 800 diapers from my hubs soccer team}
• Wash remaining baby clothes
• Send emails to my friend Andrea for the Care Calendar ( SO excited about not cooking!)
• Arrange for my 2 hours of house cleaning (Baby shower gift)
• Hang picture collage over my couch {bought some frame at the thrift store}
• Make a clothespin chandler from Young House Love {not because it's done I'm just taking it off the list!
• Make Goodwill, Kid to Kid, Half Price Books and Clothes Mentor drop offs

Got some things done and still have more to do. Plan on working on the collage today and tomorrow borrowing I don't go into labor. 

My sweet mother-in-love came over and helped clean some. So now I can schedule that Groupon for house cleaning. My sweet husband doesn't understand why I would clean before having professionals come clean. I don't think this is one will ever be understood my males! But I want the house cleaners to clean the stuff I don't want to. You know deep clean

~Bathroom {need I say more} 

~Baseboards

~Mop

~Wash windows

~Mini blinds

~Fans/light fixtures

~Dust my surfaces 

That can't be done if piles of clutter are everywhere. So I plan to schedule them to come probably next week which means I will probably beg ask my mom to come over and help me prep for the cleaning people!

What are you doing this week that is productive/non productive?

How does...

Pornography affect us? I know a heavy question but as a mom of boys its on my mind a lot! This week I am contributing with Sarah at The Biblical Family on a series on Pornography and the Family. Today she posted part one of a three part seriese. I will be writing on Pornography and Parenting on Friday. So stay tuned.

And for those wondering... I am STILL PREGNANT!!!!

Nesting

37 weeks today!

I. CAN'T. WAIT. TO. HAVE. THIS. BABY!!!!!

I get to a stage in my pregnancies where I am just DONE!

It happens earlier and earlier each one. 

With my first it didn't really happen, I went into labor 2 days before his due date it as all good

My second I was on modified bed rest so I was done about 3 weeks before his due date and he came a week early! Thank you son

This pregnancy I have been DONE for about 5 weeks! Chasing 2 toddlers will do that to you. Of course I can't have him that early, I love my midwife and birth center and I have to be 37 weeks to deliver there. 

SO

Today is the day! I am in the safe zone and I want him OUT! I am tempted to "run" sprints, take flights of stairs 2 at a time, have spicy food for every meal, have * you know what* every evening, 

Pinterest

Basically all the things that could bring on labor! 

However I have this list. The Nesting List that needs to be done. Let me indulge you on the insanity I want done!

• Vacuum/clean out my SUV
• Install infant car-seat and put snap-n-go in the trunk 
• Pack my bag and baby's bag for the Birth Center
• Buy more diapers 
• Wash remaining baby clothes
• Send emails to my friend Andrea for the Care Calendar ( SO excited about not cooking!)
• Arrange for my 2 hours of house cleaning (Baby shower gift)
• Hang picture collage over my couch 
• Make a clothespin chandler from Young House Love
• Make Goodwill, Kid to Kid, Half Price Books and Clothes Mentor drop offs

So I understand that a few of those items I have NOTHING to do with the baby! But I want to bring him home to a cute house and I am sick of bare walls and boring fixtures! So I am off to the Dollar Tree and Home Depot to get the supplies! 

What do/did you want done when nest?

Blog Help

I have been blogging off and on since 2009. I really didn't have a purpose for my blog, we had just moved into our second apartment. So I though why not! Well my blog has had some major dry spells over the years name changes and such.

I do however want to be connected to the blogging community. I would love to bring money in through my blog.

However all of those things seem VERY daunting!

So I am going to start learning bit by bit what I need to do. Reaching out to blogger I know/like for what ever help they can give. Read some books, watch a few tutorials. I know for sure I will be checking out some of  A Royal Daughters tutorials. Not to mention how watching Jamie's Vlog was really inspiring! Thanks Jamie! I have met so many neat bloggers from the MamasWrite Conference which now called The Declare Conference and Bloggy Boot Camp I have plenty to start with.

So you might just be getting an email!

Have any tips for me? Leave a comment or an email!

RECHARGE

I love my church! I have said that several times. This is no exception either. Last weeks the body where I worship had an event for women. Recharge Women't Night of Worship, Encouragement and Connecting. It was wonderful. Wonderful love songs to our Savior. A beautiful story of God's faithfulness in the life a member, and a funny southern speaker who made me laugh and cry!

Mary Clayton Wood is one of the funniest ladies I have ever heard speak, she is southern to her core!  She first pointed out identifies among all women in every stage of life 1. We are exhausted, 2 We are always out of time, 3 We compare ourselves to others (the kiss of death to contentment) 4. We never finish our 'To do' list 5. We are held captive by technology. Which is why we all needed this night to recharge. Many women had to preform a minor miracle to make it out the door! I personally had to arrange a sitter since my hubs was working.

The main focus of her talk was on the example Sarah is to us women for women. Sarah is an Old Testament figures that is mentioned many time in the New Testement. Two places are 1 Peter 3:6 and Hebrews 11:8-11. Mary Clayton had 3 focus points about Sarah
1. A model of submission despite  manipulation and need for control
2. A portrait of redemption, despite her failures
3. A woman of faith, despite laughing at God's promises.

I loved this because in Hebrews it praises the faith of Abraham and Sarah, they are rewarded for their faithfulness. But when you go back to Genesis chapters 11-21 you see where they  failed and faltered again and again Proverbs 24:16a For an upright man, after falling seven times will get up again.
BUT
Even when they disobeyed , took matters into their own hands, {Sarah gave her maid for Abraham to sleep with to conceive a child! Who does that!} the Lord still blessed them, from them came the Savior. Everything was redeemed!

There is NO mistake that we can make that will separate us from the love of God

I love that truth. As mom I think about things that my child could do, mistakes they might make. However I can think of nothing that would keep me from loving them. The way I feel is how God feels at the HIGHEST level!

Thanks be to God who loved me!

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

I searched and searched for an apple butter recipe 

that didn't require 6lbs of apples. I just couldn't find one. 

So I took from Oh She Glows recipe and modified if for us 

 2 lbs fuji apple and 2 Pink Lady's cut in eighths and cored 

(leave the skin on)

Place in the slow cooker on HI for 2 hours, stir a few time otherwise they will stick to the bottom and sides. You could always add a little water or apple juice to the slow-cooker to minimize sticking

After 2 hours your apples should be super soft 

and easy to mash with a potato masher. 

Once thoroughly mashed puree in a blender. I don't have a super high powered blender so I did it in batches. If you have a Vitamix you can do this all at once. Return to slow-cooker

Add your spices, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 

2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground allspice

Stir spices in very well and cook another 45 min uncovered on HI to thicken

Store in an air tight container. 

I had this old Classico Spaghetti jar on hand. 

I know this isn't going to last long

Elliot ate 1/2c immediately and I had several spoonfuls!

This will a make a great hostess gift, or Christmas gift. 

Going to try my hand at canning them to make them last longer.

I'll let you know how it goes!

This recipe will be easy to double or triple, 

just make sure you double and triple the time and spices

Bean-Less Chili

3 celery stalks diced

1/2 med white onion, diced

3 cloves of fresh garlic minced

4 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

1lb grass-fed beef

1lb mild Italian chicken sausage, casing removed

1 tsp sea salt

2 TBS Italian seasoning

1/2 TBS cumin

2 TBS chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you want it spicy)

1 (16oz) can diced tomatoes with juice

8-16 oz chicken broth (8 if you want it thick, 16 for more soup consistency 

In a med soup pot saute the veggies in the olive oil for 2 minutes, add beef and sausage, and brown

Season the meat mixture with all the spices

Add the tomatoes and chicken broth, and simmer for 35 min

Taste and add more seasoning if desired

I had this over some spaghetti squash for dinner last night and it was 

SO GOOD!!

Whole30 Week 1: Jan2-Jan6

I've completed my first week of my Whole30.

 It wasn't a complete week since I started on January 2nd and not the 1st. 

Here is my meal plan and a few pictures from each day my favorite meals. 

Links to recipes are forth coming!

Egg muffins and grapes

Day 1: Jan 2
B: 3 Egg muffins, grapes
L: Salad with boiled eggs, avocado and orange bell pepper
S: Almonds
D: Chipotle Bowl with Chicken, fresh salsa guacamole and lettuce

Spaghetti squash with sauce,
 roasted asparagus and grapes

Day 2: Jan 3
B: 2 Egg muffins, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 Granny Smith apple
S: Raw almond butter and 1/2 Granny Smith apple
L: Salad, with 1/2 avocado, 3 slices of turkey, and orange bell pepper
D: Spaghetti squash with meat maranara, roasted asparagus and grapes
S: Fuji Apple

Salad with turkey, orange bell pepper
and avocado

Day 3: Jan 4
B: 2 Egg Muffin 1/2 avocado 1/2 c blackberries
S: Raw almonds and pink lady apple
L: Salad with Turkey, avocado, and orange bell pepper
D: Spaghetti squash with meat sauce

Egg muffins, grapes and 1/2 avocado

Day 4: Jan 5
B 2 egg muffins, 1/2 avocado and  1/2 c grapes
S: Unsweetened apple sauce and raw almonds
L:
Dinner: Salad with Chicken, avocado, bell pepper

Chipotle Bowl, chicken, salsa, guacamole
and lots of lettuce

Day 5: Jan 6
B: 2 Egg muffins
S: Pink Lady Apple and raw almonds
L: Chipotle Bowl, chicken, salsa, guacamole and lettuce
D: Chicken thigh leftover asparagus
S: Avocado

Egg Muffin

Since starting my Whole30 I heavily rely on cooking ahead and in bulk. I don't know if its the pregnancy or having 2 two year olds (David turns 3 in 10 days!) or the combination of the two. Whatever it is the thought of making breakfast every morning sounds AWEFUL! 

Cue

10-12 eggs

2 zucchini diced finely

2 cups spinach, chopped

7 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 green onions, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced
Sea salt and ground pepper (to your liking)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Simply combine all ingredients in a med bowl

Grease muffin tin with coconut or olive oil. 

Using a 1/3c measuring cup fill each well, should be a little more than 1/2 full

Bake for 20-25 min till set and brown around the edges

Yields about 18 muffins

I have 2-3 for breakfast with some fruit, or sliced avocado

Enjoy!

Visit Whole30 to learn more about the challenge I'm on!

January Goals

As promised {more for myself} here are my goals for the month of January. 

Read:

Good and Angry

Parenting:
Order The Jesus Storybook Bible
Read Good and Angry

Ministry/Friendships/Extended Family:
Write an encouraging note to a friend
Get together with girlfriends once this month
Fulfill ministry duties with the Nest on 1/11/13
Plan a dinner with my in-laws

Marriage:
Plan date night for 1/16/13
Register for Uncommon Marriage Conference

Personal:
Join the Journey
Complete Whole30{hope to post recipes along the way}
Plan meal 2 weeks at a time
Complete Organizing Made fun de-clutter challenges

Blogging:
10 Post this month
Arrange a guest post {let me know if you'd like to, never had a guest haven't a clue!!!}
Keep Office hours {weekday 6am-8am and 8pm-9pm weekends 3hr max whenever} this month will be trial and error on this one!

Financial:
Make Jan budget and input EVERY DOLLAR SPENT!!!
Review on the 1/15 and 1/29

This is a lot better than looking at all the goals at once!

Ready. Set. Go. 2013.

Here are all the goals I have for the fabulous year 2013!

Read: I really want to read alot this upcomming year. So here are some that I plan to get through
You're Already Amazing
Tell your Time - Amy Anderson
Hope for the Weary Mom
Choosing Gratitude - Nancy Lee DeMoss
Loving the Little Years - Jankovic
Good and Angry
Shepherding A Child's Heart
The Money Saving Mom's Budget- Paine
Cleaning House- Kay Wyma
Parenting with Love and Logic-Cline & Fay
Bringing Up Boys- James Dobson

Parenting
Potty train David
Read to the boys from The Jesus Storybook Bible nightly
One 'field trip' a month
Read my 6 parenting books from the Read section

Ministry/ Friendship/Extended Family
Continue to serve with The Nest and Merge
Write an encouraging note once a month to a friend{free to do more if time and memory permits}
Attend/host a monthly Mom's Night Out or coffee with a friend
Have dinner with my In-laws once a month

Marriage:
Have a monthly date night
Read 3 Marriage books
Attend a marriage conference

Personal:
Join the Journey with my Church for my daily Bible reading
Complete 3 Whole30 Challenges
Exercise 2 days a week
Meal plan monthly
De-clutter the house following Organizing Made Fun
Complete several DIY project {more on that coming}

Blogging:
2 post per week
Have a guest post per month.
Set 'office' ours for blogging {Weekdays: 6am-8am and/or 8pm-9pm Weekends: 3hrs max whenever}

Financial:
Budget MONTHLY, review BIWEEKLY
Eliminate our DEBT!!!

• Target Card
• Salle Mae
• Baylor Hospital
• Trail Blazer

Build Emergency fund with 2-4 month expenses
Begin saving for house down payment.

Ok Its all out there for the world to see! But hopefully this will motivate me to really stick to our plan.
I will be breaking them down by month so that it's not this big bad list BLARING in my face!

What are your 2013 goal?

2012 Goal Recap

After getting Money Saving Mom faithful emails about her goals for 2012, 

it made me think back to the goals I had made for 2012.

 Needless to say I fell short. Very short. But I'm not beating myself up about it. 

Do: 

Finish the boys dresser

Prepare 8-12 freezer meals a week ( I did this for about the first 5 months) 

Refinish/paint TV stand

Sew curtains for the garage door window

Have a garage sale

Organize the garage ( started but didn't finish) 

Plan a stay-cation with my husband 

Explore museums in the summer

Make ornaments for the Jesse Tree/ Do the Jesse Tree (Didn't even come close)

Go to Canton with girlfriends

Fill to operation Christmas Child boxes

Host a Christmas Party ( Had a Thanksgiving Potluck instead) 

Read: 

I had plan to read a book a month. I only read 3 from my list and several others 

Learn: 

Memorize James, and 1 Peter. 

Be: 

I had an attribute a month I was to work on. To be honest I didn't get past March. 

Most of the lack of progress is due to getting pregnant with boy number three, and loads of exhaustion. Which is why I haven't even been on my blog much. Sorry to my 6 readers! 

However I plan to do better in 2013! Stay tune to those goals coming Tuesday 

Pecan Praline Graham Bars

Nothing says Christmas time like baking

it is quickly becoming one of my favorite Christmas traditions

(OK, yes I know there are things that say Christmas more like CHRIST)

I love to bake. Unfortunately baked goods don't always like me back.

Ever since I went on my Whole30 challenge I realized that

grains, sugar and dairy have some pretty unpleasant effects on my body. 

This make baking a challenge and then there are the time I saw 

WHO CARE I AM GOING TO ENJOY THIS!

I digress 

Here's what you need for these delightful treats

1 1/2 sticks of butter

1/2 c granulated sugar

2 cups chopped pecans

Honey Maid Graham crackers

(off brands don't work well and will break)

cookie sheets

1. Lay out grahams in squares 

2. I bought chopped pecan but you need them in pieces.

3. Bring butter and sugar to a boil, 

stir constantly so butter doesn't separate

I didn't get a picture of the next step it goes fast. 

4. Pour butter mixture over the grahams, spread 

with a spatula to even out then sprinkle with pecans

 5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 min till brown

6. Let the bars cool on the cookie sheets.

Break into bars

What baked goodies do you make at Christmas?

Enjoy!