I was on a walk this afternoon with our Little Dog. He's a tiny guy who will sit in your lap all day unless the front door is open, in which case he will escape and run for miles like the child of a rabbit and a white-tailed deer. While I was blissfully enjoying the sunshine and farmland on our walk, the Little Dog came across a small animal, broke the leash, and was off to the races leaving me in his dust...
Want to read more? I was over blogging at the Catholic Sip this week, drawing inspiration from our crazy little Brogan-dog. (They have a great podcast you might enjoy as well!)
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Tuesday Talk # 6: Closet Craziness
Welcome to Tuesday Talk! Scroll down below to visit all the links, and make sure to stop by each of the hosts!
This past week was one reminiscent of my single girl days. No meal planning, no cleaning, and lots of ice cream and episodes.
My husband was in Washington D.C. this past week for work, taking a course to receive a certificate in Catholic social teaching. So it was just me and the Little Dog on the homefront. I couldn't believe how much I missed him. I guess six months of marriage will do that to you. (YES! Six months on the 22nd!! Time flies when you're in love!)
But since there was no jumping on a plane to D.C. (only in my dreams or the latest chick flick), I did the next best thing.
Clean out my closet.
I know. It's sad how much I enjoy organizing. But this, this closet was a job that meant calling in reinforcements: my mom and my sister (and my stinkin' cute 18-month-old niece).
Three hours and three garbage bags later, my closet is clean. And organized. And simplified. I can now walk in without stepping on something or having something fall on top of me. Life is good.
Yes, I'll share the pics but trust me, you have to see this in person. (Seriously, come visit me! I'll make you pumpkin bread and hot apple cider!)
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| Before. Definitely before. I did not wear half these clothes. |
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| After. Simplified and stream-lined. I no longer feel like I should be on Hoarders. |
Next stop: the freezer...(should I be embarrassed for showing you these??)
What are your disaster areas? What are your favorite tips for organizing or simply being motivated to organize?
Give me some comment love and then check out the other chatter this Tuesday morning.
The hosts of Tuesday Talk
Beth - Our Pretty Little Girls ~ Michelle - Grammie Time
Keri - Living In This Season ~ Christina - Waltzing In Beauty
Lauren - Simply Free ~ Becky - BYBMG
Jess and Katie - Sweet Little Ones ~ Whitney - Polka Dotty Place
Laura - Life Is Beautiful ~ Elizabeth - All Kinds Of Things
Sarah - Abiding In Grace ~ Stephanie - Wife Mommy Me
Emily - Morning Motivated Mom
You can join us on Pinterest, too!
Follow Sweet Little Ones's board Tuesday Talk Features on Pinterest.
Join the party, friends, by linking up with your favorite post from the week! Here's the scoop:
Keri - Living In This Season ~ Christina - Waltzing In Beauty
Lauren - Simply Free ~ Becky - BYBMG
Jess and Katie - Sweet Little Ones ~ Whitney - Polka Dotty Place
Laura - Life Is Beautiful ~ Elizabeth - All Kinds Of Things
Sarah - Abiding In Grace ~ Stephanie - Wife Mommy Me
Emily - Morning Motivated Mom
You can join us on Pinterest, too!
Follow Sweet Little Ones's board Tuesday Talk Features on Pinterest.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
She Sits Next to You in Church
So it's been an overwhelming week at the crisis pregnancy center.
I almost cried three times with patients. And I sobbed last night when I was alone praying at our adoration chapel.
These women. Their stories. They grip my heart and won't let go.
They are dealing with situations you and I can only dream of.
Yet at the same time, they're just like me and you. But a little less aware of grace.
There's the teenager who's being threatened to get kicked out of her parents' house if she doesn't have an abortion.
There's the married woman with her marriage on the brink of divorce. They decided to reconcile and then she found out she's pregnant...and it's not her husband's baby. She plans to abort to save her marriage.
Twice. I heard that story twice this week. From two different women.
My heart is breaking.
They're losing jobs. Going through breakups. Escaping abuse. Battling depression.
It's heart wrenching.
But you know what else?
These women are your neighbors. Some of them sit next to you at church. They are your coworkers. You are encountering these women every day. Don't doubt that. There is no stereotype for a woman with a crisis pregnancy, for a woman considering an abortion or a woman who has had one. You have met these women, too.
Let that sink in, sisters. And let it open your heart and eyes to the people you encounter each day. They may just need your smile, your hand, your witness, your words, your love.
And more than anything, these women need your prayers. I sat before Jesus last night in the chapel, offering him these women. It's so heavy. I couldn't carry their burdens. I couldn't save their babies. I couldn't fix their lives. But I could give them to Him. He is their hope. He is our hope.
Please, sweet friends. Pray with me for them this week.
And you, dear heart. The one who's reading this while your heart whispers, I know. I've been there. You who carry the weight of your abortion in that corner of your heart that no one sees. You are loved. You are prayed for. There is hope and freedom and healing for you. God wants to break your chains. "Give Him the joy of being your savior." -Mother Teresa [www.hopeafterabortion.com]
I almost cried three times with patients. And I sobbed last night when I was alone praying at our adoration chapel.
These women. Their stories. They grip my heart and won't let go.
They are dealing with situations you and I can only dream of.
Yet at the same time, they're just like me and you. But a little less aware of grace.
There's the teenager who's being threatened to get kicked out of her parents' house if she doesn't have an abortion.
There's the married woman with her marriage on the brink of divorce. They decided to reconcile and then she found out she's pregnant...and it's not her husband's baby. She plans to abort to save her marriage.
Twice. I heard that story twice this week. From two different women.
My heart is breaking.
They're losing jobs. Going through breakups. Escaping abuse. Battling depression.
It's heart wrenching.
But you know what else?
These women are your neighbors. Some of them sit next to you at church. They are your coworkers. You are encountering these women every day. Don't doubt that. There is no stereotype for a woman with a crisis pregnancy, for a woman considering an abortion or a woman who has had one. You have met these women, too.
Let that sink in, sisters. And let it open your heart and eyes to the people you encounter each day. They may just need your smile, your hand, your witness, your words, your love.
And more than anything, these women need your prayers. I sat before Jesus last night in the chapel, offering him these women. It's so heavy. I couldn't carry their burdens. I couldn't save their babies. I couldn't fix their lives. But I could give them to Him. He is their hope. He is our hope.
Please, sweet friends. Pray with me for them this week.
And you, dear heart. The one who's reading this while your heart whispers, I know. I've been there. You who carry the weight of your abortion in that corner of your heart that no one sees. You are loved. You are prayed for. There is hope and freedom and healing for you. God wants to break your chains. "Give Him the joy of being your savior." -Mother Teresa [www.hopeafterabortion.com]
Thursday, November 5, 2015
The One Where I Ramble
It's just me tonight. No pictures, no graphics, no scheduled posting. Just an old-fashioned blog ramble.
I think those are good for us every once in awhile.
My blog turned seven this fall. Seven years. Craziness. I was blogging before it was cool. Back when it was an online journal sort of thing. There weren't lifestyle blogs or cooking blogs or mommy blogs.
For seven years, my little blog has remained just that -- little. And I'm okay with it. I'm learning a lot from the Tuesday Talk link-up and the sweet ladies I've met there. I'm excited about learning more about growing a blog, learning more tech stuff, honing social media skills and such.
But in the end, I'm still just me. A lover of the written word. A girl who likes to meet people and learn their stories. A girl who strives to be brave and share her heart, just in case someone stumbles by and says, 'hey, I thought I was the only one going through that.'
So keep me authentic, will you? In the midst of coding and graphic design and recipes and link-ups...don't let me forget that the most important part of a blog is the writer's heart.
I think those are good for us every once in awhile.
My blog turned seven this fall. Seven years. Craziness. I was blogging before it was cool. Back when it was an online journal sort of thing. There weren't lifestyle blogs or cooking blogs or mommy blogs.
For seven years, my little blog has remained just that -- little. And I'm okay with it. I'm learning a lot from the Tuesday Talk link-up and the sweet ladies I've met there. I'm excited about learning more about growing a blog, learning more tech stuff, honing social media skills and such.
But in the end, I'm still just me. A lover of the written word. A girl who likes to meet people and learn their stories. A girl who strives to be brave and share her heart, just in case someone stumbles by and says, 'hey, I thought I was the only one going through that.'
So keep me authentic, will you? In the midst of coding and graphic design and recipes and link-ups...don't let me forget that the most important part of a blog is the writer's heart.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Wisdom for Wednesdays
Find me here at Your feet again
Everything I am, reaching out I surrender
Come sweep me up in Your love again
And my soul will dance
On the wings of forever.
Upward falling, spirit soaring
I touch the sky
When my knees hit the ground.
Everything I am, reaching out I surrender
Come sweep me up in Your love again
And my soul will dance
On the wings of forever.
Upward falling, spirit soaring
I touch the sky
When my knees hit the ground.
-"Touch the Sky" sung by Hillsong United
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Tuesday Talk #5: It's a Cookie Swap!
You made it! Welcome to our Cookie Swap, hosted by the Tuesday Talk ladies! We're excited to share some of our favorite recipes with you, just in time for the holiday season!
Having turned the calendar a few days ago, I'm beginning to feel that sparkly, warm feeling inside of "the most wonderful time of the year." But since I'm not quite ready for Advent and Christmas yet, and since I'm still going strong with the pumpkin scents and flavors, I decided to share with you a pumpkin cookie recipe with you today. I'll also be sharing some of my favorite kitchen tools with you!
I found my recipe through Pinterest and give all credit to Mandy's Recipe Box for this delicious classic fall cookie. Any cookie with oatmeal and chocolate chips is a friend of mine, and adding some pumpkin just seemed like making a great thing even better. These cookies are full of spice, so if you're thinking a little more pumpkin and a little less spice, you might want to decrease the amount of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
My husband approved these cookies, although he did ask me when is pumpkin season over? But that was after we had pumpkin cookies, pumpkin roll, and a pumpkin dump cake all in one week. I don't think he shares my love for this flavor quite at the same level. ;)
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
2 cups of flour (I used white whole wheat, though the original recipe called for all-purpose)
1 1/2 cups of oats (I used old-fashioned, not quick)
1 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of baking soda
1 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp. of cinnamon
1 cup of butter, room temperature (this likely cancels out the whole wheat flour, huh?)
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1 cup of pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tsp. of vanilla
1 cup of chocolate chips (I highly recommend Ghiradelli brand!)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Blend butter and sugars in a stand mixer until fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Beat well.
3. Add flour, oats, cinnamon, soda, salt, spice into wet ingredients. Mix.
4. Mix in chocolate chips.
5. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes.
6. Makes about 30 cookies. (If you count my cookies, you'll see there are five missing...one my husband ate and, um, four that I ate.)
Sit a spell with me at my kitchen table and help yourself to some cookies while I show you a few of my favorite kitchen gadgets...
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| These colorful measuring cups are from Food Network. Dishwasher safe, cheerful... |
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| ...And they store so easily by folding into this smaller size! |
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| I love cookie scoops. Perfect size cookie and they all turn out uniform for easy, even baking. |
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| Last but not least, are these not the cutest measuring spoons you've ever seen? A friend found these Mason jar measuring spoons for part of our wedding gift. |
Not pictured are my baking stones! I LOVE stoneware for baking bread or cookies or pizza crust! What are some of your favorite kitchen tools?
Are you ready to check out the other recipes? Here are the links to each of the hosts' recipes.
Join the baking party, friends, by linking up with your own favorite recipe! Here's the scoop:
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