yep...I'm still alive

Just VERY busy! 

Last week was Spring Break, so I visited my sisters (yes, both of them in the same trip). It was a blast! When I got home I jumped right back into the busy-ness of school (hence no posts in a few weeks). 

Here's a peak of my last few weeks via phone pics! 

For this post I'm linking up with Alli @ Life on Leroy!

On St. Patty's day we had a date! 

We got to see this great Appalachian Celtic group at a small local theater. It was wonderful!

Gettin' our walk on! 

These lovely spring days have included many walks for us. E loves her sunnies :)

While visiting my older sister, I got to watch my niece's dance class. E loved it and 

was dancing right along! It was fun!

Little People...or Little Animals I guess! 

E loves Little People. My sister and nieces gave her the safari truck for her birthday and I picked

up a few extra animals at a consignment store. Aren't they so cute?!?

And I love that they encourage her to use her imagination and play...they don't do the playing for her. :)

Blank Time!

We have some fun blanks to fill in today, thanks to Miss Lauren!

1.  My greatest strength is  my planning/organizing skills. I do really well when I have my planner and a pen. I can really get things done by making lists and such.

2.   My greatest weakness is   my planning/organizing skills! It's so true that our biggest strength can be a huge weakness as well. I get so frustrated when things don't go "as planned". The first several months of momma-hood were really hard for me in this regard...but I'm learning!

3.  People always compliment me on     Little E. She just steals the show.

4. If you found me procrastinating you'd probably find me    reading blogs or on facebook/pinterest .

5. The most cozy place in all the world is  Our living room...with the fire on...snuggled under a big blanket on the couch with my loves.

6. Something new that I tried recently was    a recipe from my sister and it was great! Hubs and E really loved it! Basically, you put a bag of spinach in a 9x13" baking dish, pour in as much (or little) italian dressing, lay chicken breasts/tenders on the spinach and top with tomatoes (and for those of you who aren't allergic to dairy...you add cheese). Bake it until the chicken is done, and voila! Dinner!

7.  This weekend I would like to   spend some time just relaxing and enjoying a **hopefully** clean home .

weekend ramblings...

There is so much on my mind/heart this Saturday morning, but there is simply no way to reveal it all in this space at this time. Let me take a few minutes to give you a little peek into where my heart is heading.

This week I finished Ann Voskamp's book 1,000 Gifts for the second time.

I swear, it doesn't matter how many times I read it I am struck by something different every time I open the book. It is just that good. Not because of Ann, but because of what God has taught Ann.

I am challenged by her words every time I read them. 

What's more, I started reading a new book this week! (I'm on a roll people)! 

The Missional Mom by Helen Lee.

and it has been so eye-opening as well! 

I feel like it picks up right where 1,000 Gifts left off--communion with God.

Thanksgiving leads to intimate communion with the Giver of All Good and communion leads to living missionally. WOW! 

Okay, so maybe you aren't as surprised by these truths as I was, but I have been struck by these things over the last few days. 

How am I living, as a mother, wife, daughter, on mission for the gospel?

I'm excited to read further into this jewel of a book and see where He takes me through it. 

On another note, 

I've been contemplating and wondering about relationships lately. Is it just my phase of life (wife, mom, student, etc) that causes relationships to seem so surface or is it me? Or is it all of us women? 

You see

this is what I seem to have

  

while this is what I desperately want.

 

real. deep. connection. 

After discussing it with the Hubs last night (and over the course of this week), we've seemed to reach a conclusion that women have difficulty trusting and being real. 

When someone comes over to your house to you rush around the pick it up or leave the toys scattered on the floor? That is just a simple, silly example, but it reveals my heart. I want everything to look clean, nice, and in order when in reality that isn't how my life really is. Typically there are baby toys and laundry scattered throughout the apartment. Don't get me wrong, we should tidy up for our guests to make them feel like we care that they are coming, but we shouldn't make our homes so sterile that they are afraid to mess anything up! (Okay, I'm getting off of my soap box now). 

My point--what if we were honest with one another? 

What is we accepted one another--worts and all? 

What if we stopped thinking that our girl friends are in junior high and will make fun of us if we express our true selves/feelings/ideas/thoughts?

This is the gospel. 

relationship

Do any of you, whoever you may be, feel this way? Have you had these thoughts?

I keep thinking that I cannot possibly be the only woman out there thinking these things...can I? 

Please, take some time this weekend to reflect on relationships and share here with your comments! 

Any thoughts, feelings, tips you might have about relationships would be wonderful! 

Share them with us, PLEASE! :) 

As you ponder these things, may your weekend be blessed and may you see His gifts in every moment.

finally friday!

I don't know about you, but it has been another crazy, long week! I am definitely ready for the weekend! 

The weather has been gorgeous and should continue to be through the weekend, so I'm excited for the family time **OUTSIDE** that we will be able to have! 

So, a little bit about my week...

We house sat this week (for my mom). 

I LOVE her front porch...so big and perfect for morning coffee sipping.

This is my view of the sunrise on Wednesday morning--absolutely stunning!

While at Mom's, E found Aunt B's beads in her room! 

I also made pancakes! This, ladies, is rare. Typically the hubs does breakfast which consists of cereal or eggs. Wednesday I was feeling pretty good and decided to make a special breakfast for him.

First bike ride! Thanks Mawmaw for the amazing birthday present--a bike seat! 

Doesn't she look adorable in her helmet and shades?

I've been eyeing a peach-y/orange nail polish color on pinterest lately.

I stopped to pick up some ibuprofen (for a teething little girl) and happened upon the make-up section (how'd that happen?!?). 

The color I wanted was right there and to beat all..was only 99 cents!

LOVE

While on campus on Tuesday I spent a few minutes between classes enjoying sunshine, bare feet, and 1000 Gifts. (By the way---I just finished it for my second time through. It was definitely just as good or better the second time).

The blanks for today haven't been posted yet @ thelittlethingswedo.blogspot.com

BUT when they are, I promise to update this post and Fill Them In! The blanks are a favorite part of my Fridays. 

Happy Friday to YOU, deary.

Friday Fun!

Welcome Friday! Honestly, I wasn't sure you were ever going to make it here.

It's been a l o n g week!

I'm so thankful you are here, because that means...

1. After he gets off tonight, the Hubs has a 3-day weekend! 

2. My first craft show is tomorrow (which means I still have lots of work to do before then) 

3. We get to enjoy the company of some great friends this evening.

and so much more!

In looking forward, its also nice to look back...here's some snippets of my week.

(p.s.--I'm linking up to at Life on Leroy, Life Rearranged, and the little things we do)

Here is a preview of an item that will be on my sale table tomorrow at the craft show!

If you are local here is the information!

Spread the word!

E is at such a fun stage right now! She can finally "play" outside...well on our porch. 

Yes, that's a trash can, but don't worry there is no trash in it. Its for a project.

She was too cute playing with puzzle piece and carrying them to different parts of the porch (i.e. the swing). 

This is at my Mom's. 

Daffodils are on of my favorites! I love seeing them come up in spring! 

It was raining, but just seeing these flowers made my day happier!

This is another favorite part of my Friday! 

1.  My favorite room in my home is   the dining room  because     I just love the paint color and the whole decorating theme. Its really warm  .

2.   My current decor style is   whatever is cute and inexpensive!  .  but I wish it were more     chic.Sometimes it feels like just a big hodge podge of stuff, but its coming along. I'm young...maybe by the time I'm 30 I will have it more together??

3.  I wish I could redecorate the     kitchen     room in my house to make it more     easy to cook/bake in! Very little counter space and the floor is hideous (in my opinion), but this is a temporary place (a rental) so I'm not stressing about it. We are doing what we can to work with what we've been blessed with.

4. My dream house absolutely has to have a   an amazing kitchen--lots of storage, lots of space, a gas stove and some green paint somewhere :)

5. One house item I am willing to splurge on is   you must not know me...I'm not sure that "splurge" is even in my vocabulary! Okay, so I don't like spending much money on any one thing, but I would probably do it if we found a great piece that would be beautiful in our home and also help solve our issue of little storage space (mainly for my preacher hubby's many books).

6. A decor trend that I just don't "get" is    all the Americana stuff. I guess I'm just not into the "country" look, so that stuff isn't me. I've seen some beautiful homes decorated with it though, so I guess it just depends on how you use it and what your style preference is.

7.   yummy smelling candle burning    is a little touch that makes my house feel like home

So there you have it ladies (and gents). 

Hope you enjoy your weekend!

let them eat cupcakes!

Pink lemonade or chocolate raspberry? 

Those were the cupcake selections at Little E's 1st birthday party that took place over the weekend! Let me say, you couldn't have made a wrong choice, both flavors were delicious (if I do say so myself). 

We had a "pink lemonade" theme with the decorations. Basically just lots of pinks and yellows! I didn't want to ruin the chic-ness of the decor by using paper plates and plastic forks, so we used my Granny's crystal plates (and snack trays) and real forks! Call me picky if you must, but I was raised to believe that we bring out the BEST on special occasions. :)

The food was simple--snacks mainly. Chicken salad with crackers, veggies & dip, chips with cheese dip and black bean salsa, etc. Cupcakes are so much cuter (and easier) than a cake, which is why we chose to make them! Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

We had to try on her new bathing suit and sunglasses!

So, that was the party. On her actual birthday she celebrated by having a breakfast date with Papa & going to Yogurt Mountain with Mama and Aunt B!

We had a fun weekend. 

It is hard to believe she is already 1, but honestly I am not too sad about it. Looking back and regretting would make me sad, but I have found joy in living in the moment with her. I'm loving this stage of her life right now...walking, getting teeth, being more social...it is so much fun! I'm excited to see what this year holds for her as she continues to grow and change. 

A tradition we have started is reading a Psalm each year on our birthdays. Our Psalm for the year.

This is Little E's:

Psalm 1 

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all the he does, he prospers.

The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in judgement, nor sinners in the congregations of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Spring Clean! & Going Natural

This week begins SimpleMom's decluttering challenge! I am planning to participate. Basically she gives a challenge each week of March and I will blog about it and link up with her at the end of the week (these posts are supposed to include before and after photos).

Week 1 challenge: Kid's stuff! Honestly, I don't have that much in this area of my life...YET! I do have some things that need to be gone through though...mainly clothes! I have been doing it little by little, so hopefully this project won't be too time consuming.

Consider joining us? I know decluttering isn't easy...but with this you have some accountability. If you are unsure of where to begin and maybe not sure what the point is in getting rid of stuff, I encourage you to read SimpleMom's book Organized Simplicity. She helps put everything into perspective!

Moving on to another though that I have been wanting to tell you about for a few weeks now!

We are going all-natural in our home!

I had been wanting to do this for a while, but was unsure of where to start. SimpleMom's other book One Bite at a Time was super helpful in this area!

So, where did we begin?? In the bathroom! Not sure about you, but we spend tons of money every year on shampoo, conditioner, facewash, etc. I really hate spending money on something that I am just going to throw away (one reason we use cloth diapers...I have a hard time paying money for something my child will poop on and I will throw away). I feel that way about shampoo and stuff as well. Granted, it does have a purpose...cleaning!...but I want to do things as cost effectively as possible and as naturally as possible.

I am proud to say that I have now been using natural product to clean my hair, face, and even shower for several weeks now! I was skeptical at first (as you may be) but after a few weeks, I'm a believer! :)

Shampoo--I took an old plastic bottle (that used to hold body wash) and filled it with a mixture of 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 8oz. of water. I squirt it onto wet hair and massage it onto my scalp. It took my hair a bit of time to adjust to this because unlike regular shampoo this recipe doesn't strip your hair of its natural (good for it) oils! I feel like my body is finally adjusting and not making excess oils. I usually have to make a batch about once a week depending on how often I wash my hair. Seriously, you can go a few days once your hair adjusts because the oils aren't being produced as quickly.

Conditioner--I used another old bottle and mixed 1 part apple cider vinegar and 1 part water (I added a few drops of peppermint essential oil just for a nice clean smell). I put it on the ends of my hair after washing it and then rinse. Simple as that!

Facewash-I've been using the oil cleansing method. Basically 1 part olive oil with 1 part castor oil. Rub it on your dry face, wet a wash cloth with HOT water and put it over your face to steam for 1 minute. It feels heavenly, really! Like a mini facial. I know you're probably thinking that using oil on your face can't possibly be good, but have you ever taken chemistry? It wasn't my favorite (to be completely honest I struggled with it), but one thing I remember is one of the basic principles of chemistry is "Like dissolves Like". Oil and water won't mix, so you are having to use a detergent on your face (when you buy facial cleansing products) which tends to dry out your skin. Using these oils simply breaks down the oils on your face without over drying skin leaving your face feeling smooth, soft, and clean! Not to mention it is a great eye-make-up remover (and cost a ton less)!

Don't believe me? Try thes things for yourself! The cost factor alone is enough to make me do it, not to mention it is better for you, your family, your environment, etc. No chemicals is usually a pretty good thing :) The ingedients are simple and extremely cheap!

 Next on my list is homemade toothpaste...we'll see how that goes!

I also switched some of my cleaning products out. First was my kitchen counter cleaner. I got a recipe from a book my mom got me and I love it! I use lemon essential oil in it to give it that nice clean smell.

Then, I tried this and boy was I shocked! My shower tends to get soap scum and mildew built up pretty quickly. I mixed 1 part hot vinegar with 1 part blue Dawn dish liquid, and voila! My shower was sparkling! After using this, I will never go back to store bought cleaner!

Once again, works great, is cost effective, and SAFE! Having children around makes me want to have things that are safe for me to use around them.

Do you have any natrual/homemade recipes that you love? Please share!!

are you ready?

for the weekend that is.

I am!

Not sure what about this week has been so exhausting, but I need rest. 

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, this week has been incredibly busy...here is a glimpse into our week :)

 I finally brought my sewing machine to my house! We really don't have much room for it,

so its been staying at my mom's (plus it needed a new needle and such).

I fixed it up and brought it home...I have loved being able to get sewing done during nap time, especially since my first craft show is only a week away! (Side note: if you're local, you should come! Follow the link for more info).

Last Saturday we threw a surprise party for a friend...it turned out lovely.

Here is the delicious cake...Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Icing from Spring Hill Bakery...in my family, no other cake exists :)

My little lady...she's getting too big! I just HAD to take this picture the other night before bed.

See that shirt she's wearing? It was mine...my sissy and I had matching ones. Its more of a night gown on her because it was mine when I was 4. It says my name on it. Oh, and the blankie? Mine too! It is completely tattered and worn out, but my girl loves it...and I love that she loves it! 

This is a sneak peek! Little E's birthday party is this weekend. I put this mantle together yesterday afternoon and I'm in love it with! Can't wait to see how the rest of the decorations turn out! 

Are you ready to fill in some blanks this Friday?

(I'm really having fun blogging today because I haven't done it since last week sometime!)

1.  The highlight of my week was   sleeping in a little later on Wednesday morning...and extra snuggles with my loves that morning.

2.   If I had to classify my interior design aesthetic it would be   huh? Ok, I'm not up on all the lingo, but my "style" is more of a warm, homey feel with a touch of modern and vintage...does that even make sense? I guess I'm eclectic. :)

3.  My first vehicle was   1994 light blue Honda Accord. I was so proud of that thing...bought it with cash when I was 17! 

4. An item I need to have in my day in order to function is  coffee!!! This week especially!

5. My favorite way to waste time is  browsing blogs and such...oh and Pinterest. Anyone else addicted?

6. Right now I could really go for   an extra hour of sleep...instead I will be cleaning the bathroom soon--BLAH! Yet, thankful that I have a bathroom to clean (when we were in Uganda I was wishing for a bathroom...a real bathroom)

7.  This weekend I will be   partying! little E's birthday party is tomorrow and we celebrate my mom's birthday (with cake...we did dinner last night) on Sunday. I'm super excited because both of my sisters will be here for the weekend! YAY!

I hope you have a lovely weekend!

Oh, and for this post I'm  linking up here.

Check it out...Join the party!

still here

For those you who are wondering...no I didn't die, or fall off the face of the planet. I am still here, just so busy! When I get busy like this, my blog is the first thing to go. For that, I am sorry, but my family is most important, so focusing on the things I need to do for/with them takes priority in busy times!

Hopefully things will slow down a little next week and you will get to read a few posts about...

my newest decorating project (hint...painting a piece of furniture)

little E's birthday party (its this weekend...time flies!)

prep for my first craft show next weekend

WIWW

So, be checking back in on us next week! Hopefully you will get more posts than you've gotten this week! Its a beautiful sunny day today so I'm planning to enjoy it by not attending my afternoon class (shh!) and spending time with my girl. Enjoy your day too, even if it isn't 100% sunshine and blue skies :)