Sunday, March 31, 2013

Beet Root Chips

There are so many options when it comes to choosing a bag of chips. Most times, the options are not going to be healthy...Here is a recipe for some super healthy chips that are oh so yummy!
 
 
First thing you will need are some beet root bulbs - choose the ones with the brightest color
 
Slice then as thinly as possible - if you have one use a mandolin slicer, the thinner the slice, the crunchier the chip
 
Once sliced, placed them in a bowl and toss with extra virgin olive oil and good quality sea salt. Coat evenly
 
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat your baking sheet generously with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes. When the 20 minutes is up, flip the chips over and cook for another 20 minutes. Depending on how thin the chips are you might want to shave off a few minutes of baking time. If you're not careful they will burn. Don't be alarmed they will shrink drastically in size.
 
Allow them to cool at room temperature before eating them. You can store them in a ziplock bag in a cool dry place for a few days. Enjoy~
 
 
 
 


HAPPY EASTER

 
We pray that this day has been special and blessed for you and your family. Easter eggs and bunnies are cute and fun for the kiddos, but let's not forget the true meaning of Easter. He is RISEN!!!!!

Friday, March 29, 2013

Grateful Friday

Grateful for so many things in this beautiful life God has blessed me with....
 
things I am grateful for today...
 
~my three year old's soulful laughter
 
~fresh eggs everyday
 
~a post card from my love, way over there....
 
 
 


Thursday, March 28, 2013

Au Naturale

 
I found this lovely little company that sells homemade soaps and various other skin and hair products. Made with all natural and nourishing ingredients. Here are a few items I ordered....
 
Pink Grapefruit Soap
This rose colored soap obtains its hue from Australian pink clay and its clean and mild scent from pink grapefruit essential oil. It has a rich and creamy lather with a moisturizing effect. The pink clay adds a boost of minerals for healthy skin, as well as creaminess and “slip” to the lather. Additionally, this soap contains apricot kernel oil, rich in vitamin E, with moisturizing, and nourishing qualities for all skin types. Price: $4.95
 
Goat's Milk, Oats and Honey Soap
Warm and spicy with goat's milk, oats, and honey from our own hives. This soap is full of cinnamon-y spiciness both from Vietnamese cinnamon and cassia essential oils. Goat milk is added to round out this cleansing experience with some wonderful skin care elements. This soap is highly textured from the oats and cinnamon and may be an excellent scrubbing soap. Not recommended for sensitive skin. Price: $4.95
 
 
Smooth As Silk Lotion Bar
 
These lotion bars are life-altering. They may seem novel at first, but once you use them you will wonder how you ever got by without them.

This “lotion” is a blend of excellent ingredients traditionally used for skin care, formed into a solid bar that resembles a bar of soap. Your body heat warms up the bar making a small amount of the lotion able to be dispersed over an area of skin. After you've warmed up your bar and dispersed the lotion over your skin, it takes just a few minutes to fully absorb, and you can go about your day's activities without worrying about leaving greasy stains on everything you touch.

It goes on smooth, feels silky to the touch, is non-greasy, and leaves your skin deeply moisturized. Beeswax and a touch of lanolin seal the skin and make this lotion long lasting, even through multiple hand washings. Can be used on all skin types, and can be particularly helpful for eczema prone skin.

Lavender and bergamot scented (from essential oils). Price: $6.95 smaller travel size price: $3.95
 
Mint-Rosemary Sugar Scrub (for the feet)
Fresh, invigorating, and excellent for tired feet. Price: $9.95
 
Can't wait to try all these wonderful products! I will be sure to give you feedback once everything has arrived and I am able to use them. I do love to support these mom-and-pop family owned companies any time I can. Hope you are all having a wonderful Thursday~
(This company is not paying me to advertise for them)
 
 


Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Disconnect

 
I am sure you can guess by these photos what I am going to talk about today......
I find it quite intriguing that the world around us has become so completely and utterly dependent upon cell phones or any other form of protable technological devices. Everywhere I turn all I see are people with a cell in hand, either to the ear or vigorously typing away at the keys, sending messages. I am so beyond disturbed! The lack of true communication all around is astonishing....What makes it all the more disturbing is the fact that the older generation, who by the way did without cell phones for years (GASP...IS IT POSSIBLE?) are now just like the rest of the cell phone junkies out there. I call them junkies because this is an addiction. Yes, I said it, an ADDICTION. I will even go out on a limb here and say that if cell phones just stopped working one day, across the globe, there wouldn't be many people that would know what to do. There would be mass confusion and pandemonium. Running and screaming, as if the world were ending. People would be helpless and completely lost. It's ludicrous that many of us, would not have a clue how to handle something of this magnitude. We have become a world so wrapped up in technology that we have forgotten that there is a whole world out there, other than cell phones. Let's look at some of the older forms of communication that have been lost along the way...writing a letter, land line (home phone, leave a voicemail, don't freak out, we will get back to you), and last but most importantly not least, go visit your friends and family (face time people, is how we keep relationships alive). There is nothing more annoying when you are trying to have a face to face conversation with someone and they constantly keep looking down at their cell phone, because God forbid that they miss a text message or even a call or the latest update on facebook... We are slaves to these evil devices...They have become apart of our limbs, it's almost awkward to see someone now without a cell phone in hand. We should start calling them self-phones. I at times have been so guilty of making my cell phone a big priority in my day to day life. As I see how it has affected my home and child, alot of times my husband, I realize that this plastic thing that we talk into cannot compare to real conversation. So today, I set aside my cell phone and begin to take a long, deep look into my priorities and what is most important to me. Sometimes we just simply need to disconnect~

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Know Your Nature

 
~ Never stop learning about yourself
 
  ~ People who know themselves grow themselves
 
~ People who don't care are miserable
 
~ Explore your nature
 
~ The seeds of your future success already live within and around you
 
~ Your greatest, fastest, and easiest growth will always come from your natural abilities
 
~ Know your nature
 
Knowing who you are as an individual can be easier than you think. Who am I? It's the biggest question out there. I have asked myself this question many, many, many times...You as a person are uniquely made by God. He has fashioned and molded you into something wonderful. It's up to you to find that wonder within. What do you enjoy doing, what are your strengths, what are your weaknesses, where do you find peace and calm, what encourages you, what kind of people do you surround yourself with???? These are questions you can ask yourself in this quest of knowing your nature, knowing who you are as an individual. Sometimes we get lost along the way, bad days happen. Start over again, each day brings a new beginning with endless possibilities. Sometimes doing what is right for you might not be the right way for someone else. Don't compare your journey with someone elses', remember we all have our own tasks to accomplish and mountains to climb. Always encourage someone along the way, in doing so you are encouraging yourself. May you be blessed and know that God loves you and He made you beautiful When we see through His eyes, the world changes~
 
 


Thursday, March 21, 2013

Changes

A wonderful friend of mine, sent me this awesome article about changes in life.....
 
Every change that affects individuals is experienced in three phases. Whether changing their diet or the way they have to write out their progress, not all individuals go through a similar process. The ending phase actually comes first, because it is the ending of how things were. This phase is characterized by grief and letting go. The Transition phase is about confusion and creativity. And the final phase is called Beginning, because they are beginning to do something a new way. Beginning is characterized by acceptance and hope for the future. The phases are not clear cut steps. They typically overlap and a person may take a few steps forward and a few steps back at certain times. One phase will likely be predominate for each individual, and it is very important to remember that every individual will handle the phases differently. It is even possible that some individuals will pass right over Phase 1 – those people are individuals who thrive on change and find it as a creative and exciting time.
 
This is so true if you have ever noticed the changes that you make throughout life.  I myself have noticed a change beginning to take place in my life. I have always heard that a person makes such a drastic life change between the ages of 25-30. Well I am very close to 30 and I definitely can say that this is true. I am still the same person but my views, likes, dislikes, have changed. I would also say having a child can do that for you too..... I love how as we get older we blossom into someone that we were meant to be all along. Of course this type of change can relate to those needing to make a drastic change in life out of necessity and various other reasons. Feel free to share your thoughts on this below in the comment box..
God Bless~
 


Wednesday, March 20, 2013

HAPPY SPRING DAY

 
Today is the first official day of Spring~ Here are a few older but still good photos. I took these while on a vacation in Tennessee several years ago. They are perfect for this spring day. I can almost smell those flowers! I do hope and pray that you all are doing well and enjoying God's blessings in this lovely new season.
 
 
 


Monday, March 11, 2013

Precious Moments

 
I love moments like these when all is quiet in the house and my little man is snuggled close, fast asleep. He still likes to hear mamma's heart beat. I cherish every moment like this one, they grow up too fast. I love it when he calls me mamma and tenderly touches my face to get my attention. He puts his nose against mine and laughs hysterically because it looks like we have three eyes instead of two. Then he tries to tickle me and says "tickle, tickle" as me and daddy do to him sometimes. He holds my hand and leads me where he has something very interesting to show me. I am amazed at the workings of his little mind. He is still so young yet so smart in his little ways. I love watching my little man grow, what a blessing it is to be a mamma. Mommy loves you Jacob with all my heart. My cup runneth over~

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Faith for A Miracle

 
A while back I stated that Aaron and I were trying for another miracle baby....as of late, Jacob is still an only child. Our desires have not changed or weakened, if anything they are stronger bordering almost desperate. We desire so much to bring another beautiful child into our home and to give Jacob a sibling. My husband is on a deployment now and won't be home for a while. We keep in constant contact through e-mail and such, continuing to express our desires to one another to expand our family. As some of you know I have a condition known as PCOS, which causes infertility. It's treatable(in the sense of getting pregnant) through a series of medications and fertility drugs. I have done this many times before (after we had Jacob) and was miserable. I want the chance to be able to conceive naturally and go through the process of growing a child within me more naturally than before. We have prayed about this and are believing God for a miracle. Having faith for something so tremendous, if I am being honest, isn't easy. We know God can do anything, if He can raise the dead He can surely help us to get pregnant without the help of pills and medications. We know that the scripture tells us "faith is dead without works" (James 2:14-26), we must back up our faith with works. I have given this much thought and decided that we have to put works behind our faith to show God just how much we believe He is going to do this for us. We decided to begin preparing for our second miracle baby. We have bought a few baby items thus far and will continue. I am in the process of preparing my body, health wise to carry this baby. I also have an anointed prayer cloth given to me by my grandmother(from her church in Cleburne, TX.). Two young ladies in her church were having trouble conceiving as well, they were prayed for and God healed them. They now have 5 children between the both of them.These things will be our works behind our faith. I know God is able and we are completely and fully trusting Him. I promise to keep you all informed in this process. Thank you Jesus in advance for our second miracle baby~


Monday, March 4, 2013

Spring

 
Spring is almost here and I am soooo ready! I do enjoy the colder months, especially for the holidays, but there is something about the first day of spring. The air is still a little crisp and cool, but the promise of warmer days hangs in the air. The colors of a new season begin to pop up here and there. Trees begin to bud again and plants start coming back to life. I love driving through the countryside and seeing the green come back to the fields and wildflowers suprise you around every bend. The smell of daffodils float on the breeze and the sunshine feels a little warmer. There is so much beauty in this lovely season. Thank you Lord for all your hands have made.