Odds N Ends
I've always loved the look of a dressed up front door. I think wreaths and seasonal decorations are very pretty ways to get into the spirit of the different seasons and welcome guests inside. This year I wanted to incorporate a little of our family into the decor too so I chose to recreate this beautiful decoration (from This Ole Mom) that I recently stumbled upon. Isn't it pretty? Here's what I used: Reindeer Moss (Honestly, I have no idea what that is. I bought some bags on clearance at ...Continue Reading
Intentional LivingFreebie Friday: Food & Exercise Tracker
I'm excited to say that my September goals are coming along pretty well. I'm tracking my calories online, and I've been exercising. Woohoo! In hopes of staying on track, I designed this food and exercise tracker. Even though I'm tracking everything online, it's helpful for me to see the entire month in one glance. Seeing my progress somewhere really helps me stay motivated, and since the pounds haven't started falling off just yet I'm hoping this will help me resist overeating and skipping ...Continue Reading
Black Bean Soup
To me, nothing's better on an autumn or winter evening than a nice, warm bowl of soup, and this black bean soup is one of my family's favorites. It's packed with flavor and has just enough kick to make it interesting. It's also super easy to make. You can either make it on the stove or throw it in the crock pot and it will be waiting for you at day's end. Here's what you'll need: 14.5 ounces Chicken Broth 12 ounces diced tomatoes 1 onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 celery stalks, ...Continue Reading
DeclutteringReducing Toy Clutter
Over the last year I have pulled apart, reorganized, and put our toy area back together at least four times. ...Continue Reading
Freebie Friday: Goal Tracker Printable
Earlier this week I shared my goals for September. These are goals I will probably be working on for a long time because after having three kids in four years I have a good amount of weight to lose and other bad habits to break. Unfortunately, I tend to get easily discouraged when I don't get some form of immediate gratification. For example, I feel like if I torture myself with exercise and eating right for 24 hours (twenty-four HOURS!) I deserve to lose like 15 pounds immediately. Since that ...Continue Reading
Be gentle
This is sometimes easier said than done, isn't it? Years ago, a friend gave me a magnet with this quote on it, and I've recited it to myself many times since. I think sometimes we have a tendency to be too hard on ourselves and one another. Well, I do at least. It can be hard for me to keep things in perspective. Sometimes I wonder how the world might be different if we always gave one another the benefit of the doubt. Not to the point of being a doormat or anything, but just in an effort of ...Continue Reading
Easy Halloween Art
This past spring I made an easy, fun project called Easy Easter Bunny Art. It's a fast, fun project that even little ones can do because it's so simple. While making it I thought of a bunch of variations, and I'm bringing the first to you today with Easy Halloween Art! I know what you're thinking, "How does she come up with these amazing titles?!" It's a gift people, a gift. :) ...Continue Reading
Goals: September 2013
Our summer break officially ended today. My son went off for this first day at his new school, which means we're getting back into a routine. I'm not going to lie and say we've been forced into this kicking and screaming. We're only a few hours in, and I already kind of miss the freedom summer affords, but routine is nice too. Given that we're getting back into the swing of things, I thought this would be a great time to lay out some goals for September. I'm hoping that sharing these with you ...Continue Reading
Meal Plan & Shopping List Printable
It's Freebie Friday! Today's free printable is my meal planner and grocery shopping list. Before I had a family I could wing my meals. It was easy to throw something together at the last minute and be happy with what was for dinner. However, as our family has grown to six hungry mouths to feed three times a day (plus snacks), I've been forced to start planning. Personally, I hate grocery shopping. I don't know why, but I can't stand it, and I'm lucky to have a husband who does it for our ...Continue Reading
$0 Anniversary Gift
This year, my husband and I celebrated a milestone anniversary. We've been married 5 years! We are still babies when it comes to this marriage thing (which I fully admitted here), but we've had a busy five years. We purchased and sold our first home, bought our forever home (at least until I start itching to move again), and welcomed three children into our family. Whew. Sometimes I can't believe it's only been five years when I think about everything we've done. Even though giving and ...Continue Reading
