The Quick Journey

Autumn | Preparing Your Bedroom

2019-08-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

My motto has always been, "simple things can make a big impact," when it comes to making a house a home. Maybe it's throwing some paint up on the walls. Maybe it's swapping out the window treatments. Whatever it is... it doesn't have to be something you spend a ton of money on OR something that is permanent for the next decade.

One thing that I have started to do is to prepare my bedroom for different seasons. Once upon a time, I thought that I had to have one set of bedding and I had to keep it from now until forever. Not so. I love how swapping my bedding out can make our room feel new and ready for the season ahead. Simple changes.

As I transition our room from summer into fall, I want to bring in warmer hues of white/cream to make the space cozy and inviting. The linens get a little heavier to help combat the cooler temperatures and a beeswax candle gets put on my nightstand in place of summer flowers.

I went searching the internet for something to fit what I was looking for and came upon Red Land Cotton. I was smitten with the traditional patterns and home grown textiles. I love a simple stripe and the ticking of the Lawrence quilt was exactly what I was looking for. A bit of a nod to simpler times. Another 'must' is that the quilt fully cover my mattress and box springs. Surely enough, it checks off all of the boxes. Now that I have my foundational fall bedding, it's time to play with the pillows until I find just the right mix of white & cream.

Let me tell you a bit about why I chose Red Land Cotton. There are several reasons, but the main one is they are home grown here in the US. The cotton is grown in Alabama... spun and woven in South Carolina... finished in Georgia... and sewn in Alabama. Isn't that incredible?! Quality products that will last and look more beautiful with time.

When I reached out to Red Land Cotton, they were so generous to offer all of you a 20% off your entire order coupon. Liz20 will get you 20% off, so go take a peek at all of there goodies!

Homeschool | A New Year

2019-08-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

A new school year... it's kind of a big deal around here. I had intended on going to bed early so I could rise well rested and circumstances had me tossing and turning most of the night. Nevertheless, I rolled my tired body out of bed and padded toward the kitchen. It's a blessing to be able to get up early and pray over these little ones and for the mama who begs for patience and gentleness as we tackle the day.

I brew my coffee and sit in my corner to read the Word and consider what it says. A Psalm and Proverb is usually what I start my day with. Sometimes, I read and it feels like a flood. Other times, I'm fighting distraction and begging for a drop. Today, it was somewhere in the middle. Regardless of the outpouring, I will be back to mine the Scriptures tomorrow because I believe that the Lord will give me what I need at precisely the right time. My job is to come with nothing and beg for everything- over and over again.

A hot breakfast is always on the morning agenda for the beginning of a new year. It just feels special and helps entice sleepy summer habits to fade away. The kids all came down a bit slower than usual and I could tell they were out of the habit of rising with the sun. By the time they finished breakfast, they were chattering and there was a sweet excitement about the day. Off they went to prepare their rooms and themselves for the first day.

We don't do anything to out of the ordinary for the first day. I set out their new books and supplies and they dig through them and talk about how nice it is to have fresh, sharp crayons and pencils to use. I tell them to take care of them and to not tear the paper off of the crayons.

Finally, we settle into school and muddle through the first day... taking a big breath once it's over and hoping the second day feels a bit less disheveled. Next year, it will be much of the same thing. We will celebrate a new school year, but these babies will be bigger and will have changed so much. I will start my day with coffee and the Word in the corner of my sofa and pray over a new year and over these same hearts.

Home | Old Home Love

2019-08-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

The woodwork and moldings are a favorite of mine. source

I don't know about you, but I adore old homes. I love thinking about the history wrapped up within the home and how much the home has withstood. It is kind of like my adoration for older, wiser people. I used to sit and listen to my Grandad tell me stories and it never got old. Or, watching my Nene do needlepoint and thinking it was so amazing the things she could create.

That's kind of what an old home is like.

Floor to ceiling bookcases: source

Staircases and Transom windows: source

While I enjoy perusing and peeking into any old home, my heart belongs to colonials. They are simple, but regal, and I just plan ol' love them. Even though we don't have an old home, per say, nor do we have a colonial, I'm still taking a nod from those homes as we slowly change some things in our current home.

Old, wooden, double hung windows: source

In case you enjoy seeing homes and things people love about other homes, I thought I'd share some pictures of homes I've found on the web that I appreciate very much. I hope to share more about our own home and some updates we've done to it in the last two years in upcoming blog posts, so hang tight!

In the meantime, follow me on Pinterest and see what I pin there.

Home | Flowers

2019-08-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

This is the first home we've lived in where I have had flowers to enjoy. Well, we didn't have flowers at first, but we started our flower garden soon thereafter. After we got settled, we went through our first winter here, and then once spring sprung I started to work on a cut garden.

I was (am) a total amateur, but I knew that with a little work and research, I could make it work. I spent the winter reading this book. It was beautiful, inspiring, and helped me to know how to start my flower journey. And as soon as the ground thawed, Mark dug up dying bushes and I relocated the buckets of landscaping rock that were laid by previous owners.

The ground was tilled, weed barrier was put down, and I slowly began to plant seedlings that I had started inside while winter was still lingering. All of the details for doing this were outlined in the book I shared above- it was such a help! It took the young plants a few weeks to really get acclimated and take off, but by mid-summer, we had blooms and blooms. The plants grew so big and every day we saw new flowers open up. It was so much fun to hear the kids yell, "Mom, there's another flower this morning! It wasn't there yesterday!"

This year, I tried my hand at direct sowing. That's where you simply put the seeds into the soil and don't start the seeds inside. We were busy and I didn't have time to get my seedlings going inside during the winter, so this was an experiment and it went well. My plants are a bit smaller than last year, but by the end of summer, I suspect they will be bushy and beautiful. So far, both direct sowing and starting the seeds inside have worked fine for us.

If you don't have a plot of land, get yourself a pot and plant some seeds on your deck. It doesn't have to be fancy... but, they make me smile every time I look at them. If growing flowers isn't your thing, Target has some beautiful, realistic flowers that are totally worth buying (like the ones above that sit in my living room). The smallest touch of green and color liven a room up so much.

Find me on Instagram and let me know if you plant your own flowers. I'd love to hear your favorite varieties. So far, I've loved zinnias, cosmos, and coreopsis.

Home | Clean & Simple

2019-07-29T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hello, friends!

One question I get in my inbox on a regular basis is, "How do you keep your home clean with all of those kids around all day long? I feel so overwhelmed!"

Well, I'm here to tell you my tips and tricks. I was raised by a mama who made managing the home an important task and I learned a great deal from her. Some she verbally taught me, some I gathered from watching her, and some I learned on my own over the years.

I got asked this question so much that I created an eCourse just to show you exactly how I manage my home. The point of this course isn't to make you feel like you aren't doing good enough, but to help you develop so ways to make managing the home quick and less overwhelming.

This course contains 12 videos where I walk you through my process, share how to get your kids helping, line out expectations, and give you baby steps so you can be successful. I even shared a video where you can see me clean my house and I detail the best way to clean without frustration.

It also contains 6 beautiful printables so you can write things down and have a simple way to review things you've learned.

The last thing is a resource guide for my favorite cleaning products and tools. Sometimes, less is more... and in this case, that's true. :)

So, if you find yourself trying to juggle it all and you'd like to have another mama/wife hand you a cup of coffee and tell you how to make it a bit easier- this course is for you! Click here to grab your seat. If you're still not sure... watch my video where you can hear some more about the course.

Homemaking | Rosemary Christmas DIY

2018-12-14T03:30:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm sharing a simple, no-fuss DIY. I am, basically, in love with Christmas Rosemary everything- wreaths, table setting decor, garland. Plus, you get a bonus with the yummy smell wafting about your rooms.

Here I started with a small bundle of fresh rosemary. You can pick some up in your produce section at your store. I soaked it overnight to help it retain moisture and be more pliable when I twined it together.

I made bundles of rosemary and hung them on random knobs throughout the house. Some in our bathrooms, some in the bedroom doorways, and some in the kitchen. It adds a festive flair and took me only a matter of minutes to throw together.

And, in case you missed my post sharing the new knobs we have been putting in our home... check out this post.

Home | Simple Updates

2018-12-12T15:35:00.000-06:00

Some things were done right away when we moved in. We swapped out the light fixtures and painted the walls. It instantly made it feel like home. Other things we took our time on. They required a bit more searching to find exactly what we were wanting.

One thing I hope to always convey is that it doesn't have to take tons of money to make your house feel like a home. You don't have to do huge renovations to update a space. Simple things have a big impact sometimes.

One change we are slowly undertaking is updating our brassy, 90's door knobs. This was one of those areas that took some searching and sifting to find exactly what I wanted. When I did, I was quite excited about them.

When I saw the Georgetown knob from Grandeur Hardware, I immediately contacted them to chat about the workmanship of the knobs. One thing is for sure, reach out to companies and allow them to share about their products. If you were walking into a store, you'd reach out to a store associate... don't allow online relationships to be any different. You will know a lot about the integrity of a product by the integrity of the people working for them. Reach out! :)

So far, we have replaced four of our knobs and it has made SO MUCH difference. Just look at that side-by-side. One is full of charm and the other is full of the brassy 90's. I am looking forward to adding charm to the rest of the doors in our home, but for now, I'm showing everyone the knobs that we have on.

Simple changes with a big impact... more coming soon. :)

Homemaking | Dried Orange Garland

2018-12-05T11:36:00.000-06:00

As my kids have gotten older, I've tried to found easy Christmas crafts for them to do during our long days inside. We have done cinnamon ornaments, essential oil play-doh, and orange garlands.

We have already done our orange garlands for the season, but we will dry some more to use on gifts this year to fancy them up! I love these because they are easy, they give the kids some ownership over our gifting and decor, and they keep little hands busy for a time. I have received oodles of questions about how I go about drying my oranges, so I decided to put it in writing so I could simply share the link with everyone who wants to know how to make these.

Items you will need:

A bag of oranges

kitchen twine

knitting needle (safe for little hands)

Cinnamon Bark oil (optional, but recommended)

How to dry oranges:

Heat oven to 200-250 degrees
slice oranges thinly (this is key to getting them to dry well)
pat the oranges dry
lay oranges on a cookie sheet without overlapping them (I like to put mine on a wire rack, but this isn't mandatory)
place the pan in the preheated oven
flip oranges every hour
bake for (around) 7 hours, depending on thickness of oranges and the oven
leave on pan overnight

How to string oranges:

determine how long you want your garland and cut the twine
thread the needle
pull the needle in one orange section and out another (this keeps the orange slices from sliding down the twine as it is hanging)
put a drop of Cinnamon Bark EO on your fingers and run it down the twine and on the orange slices (don't touch your eyes ;))
knot the ends and hang it up!

And... a video sharing our process...

Homemaking | Beddy's Beds

2018-11-27T14:10:00.001-06:00

We wake up every morning and trot into the kitchen for a warm breakfast. We wipe up the table and then scatter to prepare ourselves and our rooms for the day. I fill diffusers during this time and turn on some music to help us get a little pep in our step.

It's no secret that I really, really like a tidy home. It is always worth it to spend a few extra minutes prepping our home in the morning to make sure our day gets started on the right foot. Two of the easiest tips I have for making your home look tidier without much effort or money is...

1. Make your beds... every morning

2. Put the toilet seats down... every time

Go on, try it and see if it helps. :) The kids all make their own beds, but part of my morning routine is to go upstairs and straighten bedding that might have been difficult for the kiddos to straighten. I don't mind doing this, but it is often frustrating for my little girls to work so hard on their beds, and it still not be quite right. Well, I finally stumbled upon the solution... Beddy's Beds.

Have you seen these? They are beautiful bedding sets (that come with a pillow case and a sham) that go on like a fitted sheet, yet all the little ones have to do is zip up the sides when they get out of bed! That's it! My girls have been over the moon about these. They feel like their are camping out in a sleeping bag every night. :)

During the day, when they play or read on their beds, they don't have to fuss with their quilts and get them unwrinkled again. Beddy's Bedding stays put and wrinkle-free, even when kids are bounding on and off of them.

So, if you are needing a good solution for unmade beds- this is the solution. We went with "Love at First White" bedding in the little girls' room and it looks just spiffy. If you missed my detailed posts on keeping a home... click here and you can peek at them.

Homemaking | Christmas Mantle Foraging

2018-11-19T05:00:00.000-06:00

There's just something about having bits of real greenery throughout your home during the Christmas season that feels extra festive. I used to only use fake garland and fake wreaths during my first years of marriage, but I noticed that every time I saw a photo of a mantle that made me smile, it always had the real stuff scattered about on it.

That realization started my love for foraging for greenery. I remember the first year I wanted a real tree. Mark went out into the timber and brought back a true Charlie Brown tree with wild (poisonous) berries on it and branches that would slice your finger right open. It smelled terrible and I'm not sure why we even kept it, but we did. I decorated that thing and it sat in our dining room, which doubled as our school room, at the time.

We've upgraded since then, and only get our trees from a tree farm and our garland usually comes from a local store (make sure to check the Black Friday ads.... I have always gotten a steal on that day). I do still like to find little bits of greenery around our home, though. It's fun to layer spruce upon spruce and make it so it has lots of movement and texture.

If you're wondering about the mess... it all depends on what you get. Do a little bit of research and you will find the best kind that fits your needs. I love firs, and even though they drop needles, I don't care one bit. I simply dust bust and it's like new. If you spray your greenery with a spray bottle periodically, it will extend the life of your live decor.

So, here is the final product. It isn't Christmas yet, so I didn't want to make it too festive just yet, but that will be coming soon. :) I don't do much seasonal decorating, but Christmas and winter just bring it out in me. If you are needing a free way to spruce up your mantle... head outside with a basket and some clippers. It doesn't take much to dress things up.

P.S. If you live in a place where you don't have any access to greenery out your back door, then visit your local Lowe's and see if they'll let you take the clippings from their trees. I have done that for several years and they have always allowed me to load up my car with any of the branches that they trimmed off.

I made a little video for you. I hope you enjoy it. Be sure to "subscribe" so you don't miss any of the videos that I post that don't make it onto the blog. :)

Style | Fall 10 x 10 Capsule

2018-10-31T15:58:00.000-05:00

I shared about the Fall 10x10 that I was doing with a few other homeschool mamas, but I didn't share my actual outfits. I picked several tops and pants and simply swapped them out. It was easy and so non-stressful, especially since this was my first capsule where I only picked 10 pieces.

This was so much fun and it was even better because I did it with friends. I hope you enjoy seeing my pieces in action.

These are the outfits I managed to snag a photo of. All of my pieces are casual, but make me feel pulled together. They all fit well and are things I can wear all day long without fussing with them. The rest of the days, I simply switched up my pants and tops differently. So easy!

If you want to see a few videos of me doing my "mom" thing in my capsule... check out the "CAPSULE" highlights on my Instagram feed.

Gifting | Christmas Ideas for Kids

2018-10-29T05:00:00.000-05:00

Christmas is one of my very favorite times of the year. I love the sights and the smells, the music and the yummy treats. Basically, once October hits, I'm chomping at the bit to throw up some live garland and deck the halls. :)

I try to share a few gift ideas every year for those who are interested. I always benefit from people sharing what their kiddos love, so I'm going to share a couple of toys that our kids play with regularly so you can get some ideas for your little ones. I will do a follow-up post on things that I'm personally loving, in case you have a hubby that needs some ideas for you and you are all dried up on what to put on your list.

We try really hard to keep our kids' gifts to a minimum. We usually fill a stocking for them with things they need like toothbrushes, toothpaste, a new movie, books, new markers, etc. Other than that, we do 4 gifts (sometimes less) for each kid. Not only does gift giving get expensive, but we are reductionists here in this home and prefer to reduce the amount of stuff shoved in every nook and cranny as much as possible. :) So, with that said, I'm happy to share a few ideas that my kids have loved and that were well worth the money.

1 | Felt Board

I cannot even tell you how much this thing has been played with- by every kiddo in the house. It is a quiet toy and there are enough boards for each kid to have one so they can all play together. I also love that it comes with a bag and everything gets put back in and stowed away easily. I keep it in a closet up high and bring it out every few weeks... it's like Christmas all over again.

2 | Woodzeez

They are adorable, my friends. All three of my girls love these little animals. My mom started giving these to my girls and now they anticipate with excitement which family they will get next every time it's their birthday. There's something about the sweetness of the toy that makes them feel nostalgic to me. I grabbed a vintage basket from the thrift store and they stay in there while they aren't being played with. Those little houses in the pictures were also found at the thrift store. The kids enjoy setting up towns and playing with their legos and woodzeez with them.

3 | Wooden Building Kits

This one if for the boys out there that love building and working with their hands. Liam loves doing these kits and using his tools to put them together. Afterwards, he will paint them and then display them in his room. And, if you want to go a different route, cut some small pieces of wood and let your little guy make his own creations. Liam recently made the little girls a table and chair for their doll house and it is so cute.

4 | Wall Doll House

You can get (or make) several doll houses like this one, but I highly recommend the one we have. It is sturdy and I love that we can mount it to the wall to help free up floor space. It is big enough to play dolls (or woodzeez) in, but it's also perfect as a book shelf for older girls.

5 | Kid's Drill Set

I will be honest, I usually try my hardest to steer clear of plastic toys, but this one is so good. We've had this drill set for years and both Liam and the girls enjoy it. It helps with hand-eye coordination and gives the kids an activity that will take them some time, instead of them needing something else to keep their attention 5 minutes later. Plus, they love using the drill. ;)

6 | Songbird Tea Set

This was a request from Ella last year and my mom snagged it for her for Christmas. We have pulled it out many times and each time I think about how cute it is. The girls each have a favorite songbird tea cup and we serve tea crackers and talk in poorly executed British accents during each and every tea party. :)

That is my gift guide round up for this year. I hope it was helpful in some way as you whittle down your list for a little one you're buying for. Let me know if there are any gifts you would definitely add to the list!

Homeschool | Fall Things

2018-10-26T23:19:00.000-05:00

I am the least crafty person out there, so listen up non-crafty homeschool moms... your kids don't require a lot from you in the craft department. All you need is a yard full of fall leaves, some glue, and a piece of paper.

We have been reading some fall books the past few weeks, which I will link at the end if you are at all interested, that have helped enrich our enjoyment of this fall season. Mark has raked leaves and the kids have jumped and plowed through them several times already this year, which has been so much fun, but these books have helped us really soak up how lovely autumn is.

A leaf activity is always a must during October. We've done leaf garlands (which I'd like to do again, if we have time), leaf classifying projects, and leaf collages before- each that the kids have loved and none that are time consuming on the mama's part or expensive. Win, win!

This year, it was time for another leaf collage. The kids each had some paper and they went outside to hunt for the leaves they thought would fit their collage picture. Upon returning, they glued their leaves in their spots and layered them until they were happy with their picture. We hung them and daddy came home and immediately had to guess what each collage was a picture of. :)

I hope this encourages you to just do something. Kids find enjoyment in anything out of the ordinary. My kids, literally, glued leaves on a piece of paper and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It's all in the presentation. Light a candle. Put some slices of apple and bread on the table. Play some music or a book on tape. They'll love it.

If you're interested in the books, here are the links to the ones we enjoyed this year:

Circle of Seasons

Autumn

Fall Leaves

DIY | Rolled Beeswax Candles

2018-10-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

This will be the third year for me to roll beeswax candles for our own enjoyment and to tie on top of packages for people we are giving gifts to. It's amazing how festive they look atop a gift when they are tied with a bit of twine and have a sprig of greenery placed underneath them. :)

Now, you might be wondering why I'm publishing this post so far before Christmas. Well, it's almost November and that's when we begin to make things for our Christmas season. We dry oranges and make garlands to hang around our house. We make cinnamon salt dough ornaments right before Thanksgiving so they are ready for our tree whenever we get one. With that being said, I wanted to post this so you would have ample time to get your kit and start rolling. ;)

I have yet to share the details of my rolled candles, and I get asked often enough about them that I wanted a post to lead people to that wanted to know more. I buy a kit every year and the candles last me all season. That's even when I use some for gifts.

One thing I do to make them go further is to cut the sheets in half (down the width) so I have double the candles. They are a bit smaller, but I don't mind and it actually fits my jars and candle holders better.

Another thought... these are great for older kids to do. I wouldn't let my 4 year old have at it, but my 8 and 10 year old certainly can do this on their own. :) Again, it is something they can take ownership in and it makes them so excited to give the gifts to others. These would be so cute in a sweet brown bag with some homemade Christmas cookies. They could be gifted to neighbors and friends. So fun.

These are the exact ones I use every year. If you are more into a typical, dipped taper candle... try these. :)

Home | Living Room Update

2018-10-18T05:30:00.000-05:00

Every once in awhile, whether by necessity or want, it's fun to change things up. I used to love rearranging my room as a kid and I still love to make small changes now as an adult. It makes things feel fresh and new, even if they aren't new at all.

Then, there are times where your family has outgrown your current sofa and you need more seating capacity in the living room. Bodies are longer and heavier and don't fit on your lap anymore. No rearranging was going to solve this problem. This was the situation we were in when we decided to add another sofa to our living room. While our old couch fit our family when the kids were babies and they all piled on top of us, that was not the case anymore.

I went searching for a sofa that would add some color and texture to our living room. I knew I wanted velvet and in a rich, timeless color. Late this summer, I stumbled upon Structube and their Emilie sofa.... and my jaw dropped. It was exactly what I was wanting.

The velvet is soft and adds a bit of hygge to our space. It's the perfect size to fit two to three bodies on it and still offer room to wrestle on the floor, or practice ballet spins. We have it situated across from the linen sofa. I love dueling sofas. They make conversation easy and defines a boundary for the living space. We will probably do some more tweaking, but for now, we are simply enjoying the new beauty in the room.

We also got this faux fur foot stool from Structube. We like to prop our feet up and never have anything to prop them on... now we do. :) I loved the wire table because it gave me a place to put things, but also because it allowed light to travel through it. It's an airy end table and fits perfectly next to the new sofa.

Let me know your thoughts! I know this is a bit outside of my comfort zone, but sometimes when you have had your eye on something for a long time (I.e. a velvet sofa), you just have to bite the bullet!

DIY | Beeswax Jar Candles

2018-10-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

We (ahem, I) tend to fill our home with beeswax candles every fall and winter. The soft yellow glow and sweet smell makes our early mornings and late evenings extra cozy. Last year, I made some jarred beeswax candles as Christmas gifts and it was so fun to make them. There's just something special about making something, instead of just buying. :)

I will link the products I used both last year and this year for those who want to make some for yourself. :) It really is an easy process. Tie the jar with some twine and a handmade label and you've got yourself a great gift for neighbors, teachers, or friends!

What you will need:

Rhythm | Afternoon Tea

2018-10-15T16:19:00.001-05:00

Rhythms make such a difference for us, which is why I talk about them often. We can be flexible, but there are things that create pillars in our days and as we transition from season to season.

Afternoon Tea Time is something that gets lost when the warm months arrive and we spend all of our time outside, but at the first sign of fall, tea time comes back. It's a simple ritual to have in that hard part of the day where the kids are working through being both tired and, maybe even, a bit bored.

Tea and cookies and chatter always makes the afternoon go better. We usually talk about our morning and then about what the kiddos can do for the rest of the day as we slide into the evening hours.

I made a short video sharing how tea time gets prepped. I hope you enjoy it. Oh, and make sure you turn up the sound... music is a very important part of tea time. :)

Seasons | Fall Diffuser Blends

2018-10-03T16:46:00.001-05:00

I love that I can change how my home smells with just a few drops of essential oils. I can take it from fresh and citrusy to pumpkin spice in no time... and leave all of the nasty candle chemicals behind.

When I started digging into the health benefits of oils I also noticed the bad effects of the chemical laden products I was using in my home. Candles were the hardest thing for me to let go of. I love how they smell and the flicker of the light was always so comforting and cozy. :)

Well, I was pleasantly surprised to find that diffusing has tossed out all of my candle woes and beeswax candles have satisfied my need for the flicker. As we roll into fall, I wanted to share a few of my favorite fall diffuser blends.

Fall Wreath | Eucalyptus + Rosemary + Balsam Fir

Fireside | Vetiver + Cinnamon Bark

Flannel Shirt | Northern Lights Black Spruce + Stress Away

Holiday Hustle | Thieves + Lemon + RC

Orchard Stroll | Bergamot + Orange + Cedarwood

Pumpkin Spice | Clove + Nutmeg + Cinnamon Bark

Mulled Cider | Orange + Ginger + Cinnamon Bark

Thanksgiving | Thieves + Idaho Blue Spruce

See... it's fall in a bottle! I hope you enjoy these blends. Not only do they smell incredible, but they have so many health benefits, too!

Style | Fall Capsule Wardrobe

2018-10-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Three years ago, Mark and I made our fourth move into a cute, little ranch home. Prior to that, we had ample closet space in each home. When we moved into our ranch home, we both shared a quaint master closet. We didn't have much room for any extras, so I decided to seriously downsize my wardrobe. I took everything that I either couldn't fit in, or that I no longer wore, to the thrift store. It was a bit scary... what if I needed that black sweater ten years from now??? :)

That little closet in our sweet ranch home was the beginning of my capsule wardrobe. Our current home, once again, has plenty of space in our master closet, but I still embrace the capsule wardrobe because of so many other reasons. What started out as an "I don't have room" problem ended up solving so many other problems for me.

The whole point of a capsule wardrobe is to have pieces that you love and can wear without much thought. It's about combining and mixing and matching pieces in fun, unique ways. When you wake up in the morning, you don't have to stand and stare into a closet of clothes that you aren't wanting to put on because your closet will only be filled with clothes that you do love and feel good in.

With that being said, I'm working on my fall capsule wardrobe and I'm going to be participating in a fun "10 in 10" challenge. It doesn't start for a couple of weeks, but I wanted to mention it now so you can get your own 10 in 10 pieces ready. :) It isn't anything serious, but I'm going to share it in hopes that you might want to join me. I have two other mama friends that are going to be doing it and we are sharing our "looks" on our Instagram feeds. I am not a "fashion" blogger, but I am a mama that wants to look pulled together and not sloppy all of the time. The capsule has really helped me to do that.

Here's how the 10 in 10 works. You pick out 10 items in your closet (this includes tops, bottoms, dresses, outerwear, and shoes) and wear only those ten items for ten days. You will mix and match them and see how easy it is to live with less when it comes to clothes. Now, this 10 item wardrobe does not include things like bags, jammies, camis, or things like gym clothes. We are talking about "real" outfits. ;)

Not only does having a capsule make getting dressed easier, but it also makes me want to get dressed. I can grab anything from my closet, because I love it all and I know it all fits well (this was very hard for me to do when my body was still changing a lot after having kids, so make sure to let this be a fun thing and not a stressful one). This challenge starts on October 22, so let me know if you will be joining me! Tag me on Instagram or send me a message telling me you are participating. :)

Homemaking | Recipes and Resources

2018-09-28T15:00:00.000-05:00

This is Part II of my Meal Planning posts. If you missed Part I... go here.

One of the keys to meal planning is having your tried-and-true recipes that you know your family will love. It takes some time to develop that list, but once you do, it makes meal planning so much easier. Take a minute and try to jot down 5-10 recipes that your family always enjoys and then come back and read the rest of this post... :)

Another key is having your tried-and-true resources to go to in order to hunt down new/fresh recipes. That's where cooking blogs, Pinterest, and wonderful cookbooks come into play. I enjoy flipping through cook books so much. Pinterest is so helpful when I have certain ingredients in my pantry/fridge that I need to use up. I just do a simple search in the Pinterest search engine using those key ingredients... and voila- a list of recipes pop up!

A few of my favorite cook books are:

Feeding a Family. Sarah is a mama of two little boys and her cookbook is arranged by seasons. The recipes are different, but easy, and they don't require a bazillion ingredients. I received this one for Christmas last year and have enjoyed it every season since.

If you are a cook that likes down home cooking and comfort food... Magnolia Table is the book for you. I have made several recipes and we have enjoyed each one. Most of these are a bit heavy for us to eat on a regular basis, but we do enjoy them from time to time. I think it is a great book to have on hand in every lady's cooking arsenal.

My Family Table is a great one to have for when you want to include delicious, healthy meals/sides into your meal planning. These recipes have good ingredients and come together nicely. This book is arranged according to types of meals/foods.

And every cook needs a basic, stood the test of time cook book. This is where the Betty Crocker cook book slips in. I was given this one for our wedding and I have pulled it out countless times. It has basic recipes that turn out every time and sauces, spices, and roux recipes.

The latest cookbook that I've purchased is The Minimalist Kitchen. I usually like to get a new cookbook every winter to thumb through and to inspire me in the kitchen. This one has been amazing. We have tried many of the recipes and have loved them all. The ingredients are simple and they easily double if you have a larger family. I highly recommend this cookbook!

Now to jot down a few of our favorite recipes for you to check out:

Soups-

Cheeseburger Soup

Taco Soup

2 lbs ground beef

Yellow onion diced

Can pinto beans

Can corn

Can diced tomatoes

Large can/bottle of tomato juice

jar of salsa

2 packages taco seasoning

Brown beef with diced onion- drain. Pour other ingredients into pot and add beef/onion. Let simmer.

Chili- this one is probably pretty self-explanatory :)

Zuppa Toscana Soup

Other Recipes-

Tacos are a favorite and we eat them in one form or another every week. Some weeks we eat them traditional. Other weeks, I might make them as a taquito, quesadilla, or as a taco sweet potato.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are loved here in this house. I will usually make a meat of some sort for my kids to eat along with the potatoes. Mark and I simply eat the potatoes.

My Eat and Savor Pinterest board...

Hamburgers are always a hit at our house. I like to sauté mushrooms and onions to slather on top. Or, maybe some sliced avocado and cucumber. I usually make baked sweet potato fries and recently I baked these squash fries and they were amazing! I like to take the normal "boring" meal and jazz it up a bit so we don't get bored with it.

We like to combine BLT ingredients with Chicken Salad ingredients and eat either on a whole wheat pita or inside of a lettuce wrap. We've even been known to put a spoonful of the mixture on a slice of cucumber and eat it just like that. :). To make this you will need to combine:

7 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled

2 cups of chopped chicken

Quartered grape tomatoes

chopped pecans

diced bell peppers

diced red onion

Mayo and Dijon mustard to taste

Maybe some "everything but the bagel" seasoning from Trader Joes

Lay on a bed of lettuce or inside of a pita!

I hope that helped get your cooking juices flowing. Enjoy!

Homemaking | Autumn's Arrival

2018-09-26T14:38:00.002-05:00

Autumn's arrival brings with it many things. The season turns from hot and heavy to cool and crisp. Cozy blankets get placed throughout the house to make curling up easier. The tea cups that have been stowed away for months are suddenly feeling brand new again and the tea kettle has found it's cool-weather home on the stove top.

Our leftover beeswax candles from last winter are layered here and there and give a soft, warm glow during the early morning and late evening hours. Cinnamon Bark diffuses with Orange and Idaho Blue Spruce and suddenly everything smells fall-ish. It's one of my favorite feelings.

Soups simmer weekly and windows are propped open all day long. Sunlight glows as it is filtered through the creamy linen curtains. Lamps begin to light the rooms as we prepare for bedtime due to the days disappearing quicker.

Weekends are spent around the fire on the back patio with the twinkle lights hanging overhead. Friends and neighbors are invited over to enjoy the cool evenings after a long summer of staying indoors. I have gone to the basement and dug out the jackets that now hang on the wall and make our already small laundry space feel a bit more dainty. Summer clothes have been stored until the warmer months return and fluffy sweaters fill our drawers.

I am impacted by seasons more than I'd like to admit. Mark and I have tossed around the idea of moving off several times throughout our marriage, and we have both come to the strong conclusion that we could never settle where there aren't the changing of seasons (unless the good Lord were to call us to such a place:)). I love how the air changes and memories from my childhood come to me as we ebb and flow from spring to summer... summer to fall, and so on. So, as we head into one of my very favorite seasons, I hope you find some sweetness in the transition.

Homemaking | Meal Planning Introduction

2018-09-25T10:01:00.000-05:00

One of the most stressful parts of motherhood is when my kids are surrounding me asking me what's for supper and I have no idea because I have next to little "supper-type" foods in my kitchen and no plan. This usually happens to me after I have a long stretch of being a productive cook in the kitchen... followed by me being lazy because I think I have "earned" not having to provide meals. *insert monkey covering face ashamedly emoji*

I love when we sit down and everyone enjoys the meal I've cooked. It is one of my favorite times of the day. I also love searching for recipes and being in the kitchen cooking, but I do get lazy sometimes. There are times that I get out of the habit and then I feel as if I've completely forgotten what meals we even like, or how to plan a week's worth of meals. If you are in this season, I hope this post helps jump start you. If you are in a season of productive planning and executing, I hope this post helps keep you inspired.

I usually sit down with my cook books, recipes, and computer either on a Friday (if I'm on top of my game) or Sunday (if I get a wee-bit lazy ;)). I'm all about making the normal, mundane enjoyable, if I can, so I pour a cup of coffee or tea, play some classical music, and light a beeswax candle as I plan my week.

I write down my days on a piece of notebook paper. I jot down important events that I need to consider when planning- evenings when the girls have dance, evenings when Mark will be late, evenings when we will have guests, etc. This helps me remember to plan slow-cooker meals on days when we have dance and double my recipes on evenings when we might have guests.

I try to keep a list of recipes that work well made ahead and left to themselves to cook. These are wonderful for evenings when we have dance and arrive home at supper time. Since we have entered the fall season, these mostly include soups/stews, one pot recipes that simmer for several hours, sloppy joes, homemade calzones, taco twists, etc. These things can be made ahead and left, or I can make them, throw them in the fridge, and reheat them within 15 minutes of arriving home.

I wrote a list of these things, so I can quickly throw them on the menu for the days when we will need them without having to put much thought into it. I also have a list of family favorites, which include meals such as- tacos, lasagna, pizza, steak, and hamburgers to name a few, that I will add to the rest of our week/month menu since they are always well-received by everyone. I like to try at least 1 new recipe/week to keep things fresh and add to our rotation of recipes. I will share my favorite resources for recipes in my next post and also link to a few of my favorite recipes.

Many years ago, my sister recommended that I pick themes for each day of the week. At the time, I had itty-bitties underfoot and I needed to streamline all of the things! If you are in this season, picking themes helps sooooo much. This is what my themes looked like once upon a time:

Sunday: Roast with veggies OR hamburgers
Monday: Tacos
Tuesday: Casserole
Wednesday: New Recipe
Thursday: budget meal (a cheap meal to help bring down grocery costs)
Friday: Homemade Pizza (I have my crust recipe in the "recipe" section of my blog)
Saturday: Sandwiches and Leftovers

I was tired and didn't have much brain energy to think of different recipes every week, so I just stuck with the same basic recipes. It worked fine and we all survived. :) Now, I like to switch things up a bit and we eat a lot more veggies with our meals. I always dice/chop veggies and throw them in wherever I can. I also chop a lot of raw veggies to eat on the side. My kiddos love raw carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers, so those get eaten quite often with our meals. I will toss a quick salad to enjoy with our main dish, too, but I'm not the best at making sure we have 2-3 side dishes. We seem to make do, so I don't stress too much. I would like to get better about that as time passes, though.

I think that's enough to digest for now, so I will leave it at that. One thing I've recently started doing, and then I will save the rest for another time, is saving my weekly lists of meals that way if I am in a pinch and don't have time to meal plan I can pull an old one out and call it a day. This doesn't happen very often, but when it does, having those weeks already planned makes things easier.

Growth | Beginning Quiet Mornings

2018-09-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

When I share about my Morning Time on social media, the most common question/comment is, "I cannot seem to get myself to get up. I am such a night owl." I get it... believe me, I've been there!

I am very open about the reality of life seasons. I never endorse neglecting time in the Word, but I am aware that there are seasons for rising early (after the babies learn to sleep consistently) and seasons for milking every last minute out of our mornings for sleep (hello, newborn days!). So, be kind to yourself and if the mornings don't work for you, find time throughout your day to have quiet time.

My baby had been sleeping through the night consistently for about a year and I started to notice my laziness when it came to mornings. My kids would always be the ones waking me and I would be frustrated that they came into my room with their, "I'm hungry," demands. Why were they bothering me?? Don't I serve them all day long?

Then, I realized that I had been out of the newborn season for awhile and it was time for me to start some better habits. It was time for me to rise early and be prepared in my heart and mind for the ministry before me.

I didn't start by instantly rising at 5 am. I began by transitioning in 15 minute increments. I planned to turn in for the night 15 minutes earlier and then get up 15 minutes earlier. I would bump it up 15 every week until I was getting up at 5:30 or earlier.

Our flesh is strong. That bed feels warm and awfully cozy when we are snuggled in and it is still dark outside. That is why I brew coffee and make myself a cozy spot in the corner of our sofa to enjoy during my morning time. It helps leaving the warm bed not feel so grueling. :) During the chilly months, I light my beeswax candle and set it on the table beside the sofa. I turn on the fire and make it an inviting place to wake to.

Obviously, that plan works gloriously when you have nothing going on and evenings flow the same day after day. There are times when we have a busy season and I have to repeat the process all over again because I have worn myself out and need the sleep in the morning, BUT I have come to realize that I always need to rise at least 30 minutes before my kids to read and pray. That 30 minutes of sleep is simply never more important (for me in my circumstance) than that time with God.

As with any good and worthy habit, it takes discipline for those of us who aren't naturally early risers. What I love is that now I am a morning person and I feel like everything flows better. I get breakfast prepared. I get school underway in an orderly/timely fashion. I seem to be more productive all around. I dunno... I like that I no longer live for sleep. That feeling had become all too familiar. :)

Growth | Quiet Mornings

2018-09-19T08:28:00.002-05:00

Self-care... it's a buzz word that is thrown around constantly in the social media world. I'm all for sneaking away for an hour to run to the thrift store or going to get my hair tidied up, but self-care for me comes in the morning and it is long-lasting.

In the quiet of the morning, with the sky still dark and all of my little ones still snoozing away... that's when my "self-care" happens. The coffee brews and I turn on the soft, glowing lamp next to our chaise. I grab my coffee and cozy into the corner of the sofa with my bible. I begin with a Psalm and I read it slowly. I pray over my heart and the heart of my husband and children. I am profoundly aware that this time of meditation and prayer has eternal implications. Like, what better thing could I be doing besides this??? Nothing.

When that time is over, I have two other regular books that I read an excerpt from. They are the words of men who have finished their race well. They have spent time examining the Scriptures and it inspires me to do the same. One of those books was recommended by a friend and I am so glad she did. I asked for it for Christmas last year and it has been such a lovely book to read day-by-day. It is Day by Day by J.C. Ryle. This is wonderful book to add to your library and you will not regret getting it. I am also subscribed to a quarterly mailing that sends out a pamphlet every season filled with rich exposition. It is a free service and I highly recommend it- the Free Grace Broadcaster.

When I mention my morning times on Instagram I always get loads of comments from friends who don't know where to start. I am going to share my process in a later post. I haven't always been a 'morning' person, in fact, I used to be a night owl. I wanted to utilize my morning time, though, so I made some changes... changes I will share later. :)

I hope this helped even in the slightest. If you have any questions, please ask away!

Home | Small Updates with Comfort Works

2018-09-11T14:07:00.002-05:00

It's been awhile since I've shared in this space and I've missed it. Life has been rolling along as we enjoyed this past summer and are now a month into the new school year (which I intend to share a bit about in another post).

One thing that has become apparent to Mark and myself over this past year is that it feels like we will be planting roots where we are at. Every place we have been prior to this has felt like the perfect place for us... for a time, but this place feels different. This is the first time that we have looked around and thought that we will be here for a very, very long time (Lord willing).

That being said, it changes the way you look at your home. I have been looking long term at decisions we've been making along the way and ones that we see coming down the pipe for the future. What feels homey and cozy? What will be a timeless decision that I will still enjoy decades from now? What is the feeling I want my kids to have when they think back about our time in this home?

It seems silly to some, but it feels important to me. We envision this place as being somewhere that our kids and their friends gather. A place that we open up to our neighbors and church family. A place where we host dinners and back yard bar-b-ques. You know... a home.

So, with that I want to share a small change that we recently did that made quite a big transformation in our living room. Our Ikea Kivik sofa has been a great choice for our family. We have all crowded on it for movie nights and many a nap has been had on a Sunday afternoon. Our cover was looking a bit worse for the wear and I wanted to brighten it up a bit, so I searched for a simple solution- a sofa cover!

Low and behold there was a company out there that made covers specifically for Ikea sofas. I messaged them right away and got the process underway. I had originally planned on going with a blush color, but opted for the color that I felt like was timeless- Linen Luna Flax.

The cover fits the sofa like a glove and each piece was labeled (thank you!!!!) so I knew what part of the sofa it belonged to. I even got some pleats on the bottom corners to give the sofa a more traditional feel. Y'all, the workmanship is excellent and their customer service has been just as good.

I wanted to share because sometimes the integrity of our furniture is still good, but we need a little update without buying an entirely new sofa set. I encourage you to check Comfort Works out. They even make covers for other brands, so peek at their website and see what they can do! If you decide to give it a shot, please send me photos!!!