Jun 23, 2015
So, I'm going to take a little break, not forever.... just for right now. I will return with lots of book reviews and updates for my life.

Somethings in life are more important that the blogosphere.

 "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 
and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.Do you believe this?"  John 11:25-26
Jun 22, 2015

The one with a little Hello Kitty and a dash of migraines

Helene in Between


I love when a fellow blogger lets you into their personal lives, even if it's just a little bit. You really feel like you're getting to know them. So, when I saw Charlene link up with Helene about a "Things you don't know about me" post, I wanted to jump in so you guys could get to know me a bit!

So, here we go... things you probably don't know about me...

+ We sponsor a child from Indonesia through Compassion.com  During the Rend concert, they spoke about Compassion during the concert so after, we checked out their table set up in the hallway of the church. I've always wanted to "Sponsor" a child, but I was very skeptical about how much really gets to the child & if they just use the same children over & over. This company is legit, y'all! Our little guy is so adorable! I wish I could scoop him up for reals! If you have ever had this on your heart, please check out this company, they are awesome!

+ I am in love with everything Japanese.  My friends say I should've been born Japanese. I love Hello Kitty like a 5 year old girl. I can eat a ton of sushi, so can my Mr. Good thing I learned how to make and roll sushi at home! I mean this list could go on & on, but I'm such a sucker for anything Japanese!

+ I have an endless amount of love.  The Mr. and I were just talking about this, I knew I always felt strongly about things, and he says I have an endless amount of love to give everyone. OK, so maybe I do. If you're close to me, you know what I'm talking about! It kinda goes back to the whole "Circle of Friends" post I wrote about here. 

+ Funny people are my favorite! I think Jennifer Lawrence, Karl Plinkerton (An Idiot Abroad show), Chris Pratt, and Sue Sylvester ( Cheer coach from Glee) need to be my real life BFFs! It may take a while for someone to get to know me, but once I open up to you, I tend to make people laugh... sometimes even when I don't realize something I said is funny!

+ I am OBSESSED with safety! I would rather drive than ride with someone just because I know I'm in control of the vehicle. And the only arguments the Mr. & I have is when I side seat drive and fuss when he's speeding or doing something wrong (in my opinion). Not that he's a horrible driver, but I drive like a Grandma, and I don't wanna die! I'm also very well equipped if a thief or intruder were to come in the house, because let's face it, Ginny MAY love them to death, but she certainly isn't a guard dog!

+ Migraines per month: sometimes 4+. Yes, the kinda migraines that knock you on your butt, it hurts to exist and you're sick all day, but then they last for days at a time? Yeah, that type of migraine visits me 4 or more times a month and it's the WORST!

+ I'm 5'8".  Which is kinda tall!

+ I'm extremely claustrophobic. Small spaces? Nope. Cool old volcano tubes? Nope. Caves? No way! Y'all, it's so bad that I make the Mr. roll over at night if we end up facing the same way because I feel like he's taking my air and I will suffocate. Yes, it's that bad. I will even go outside during a get together because I feel like the room is too small and there are too many people taking all the air out of the room. And let's face it, I'm a bit of an introvert, so a few minutes of quiet time away from folks is always a must for me.

There you have it! A few random things about me that you probably never wanted to know but ya got them anyway!

Anything else you've always wondered? Comment below!
Jun 19, 2015

Spring-ish cleaning

NO secret that if you have a chronic illness, your going to not have the energy or good days as normal folk. And it's also no secret after hibernating in Chiberia all Winter, your house is screaming for a good spring cleaning.

Those two do not go together! But I have such determination, that my Spring cleaning has been delayed due to lack of energy & good days. So it's more like Spring-ish through Summer-ish cleaning! It's taking for-evvv-errrrr  But that's not going to stop me!

And to make it so I remember what I've done, and what I need to do, I scoured pinterest for a specific cleaning list... and y'all, it's awesome!

Spring_Cleaning_List_2012
Click here to download it from LittleBooBoo.com

This gal made me so happy! Ashley, you're awesome!

I am plotting & planning on what I'm going to do on what days, and I can't wait to have a freshly deep cleaned house... ya know, whenever my body allows it, OR whenever the Mr. is able to help me, ahemmmm hint ahemmmm!


Do you Spring clean? Does it help you keep a tidy house? Give me all your tips & tricks to save time & energy!

Jun 17, 2015

Allergy Blues, ahem, Reds.



Operation Healthy GinnySnuggles has commenced!

Ginny Patrice (yes, her middle name came from Robin Scherbatsky off of How I Met Your Mother, yelling at her co-worker- Patrice)

Weight: 36 lbs.
Yoga Breaths: Pretty frequently, but now panting like a mad woman.
Food:  Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon recipe (can find great deals off of Chewy.com)
Feedings:  Twice a day, 1.5 cups each
Exercise: 3 walks a day, 10 mins each. And about 30 minutes of play time inside (tug of war, chasing the laser pointer)
Treats:  Wellness TruFood Chicken, Beets, & Coconut oil, and the Lamb, Purple Carrots & Coconut Oil 


It's so warm out, and I'm so thankful for that! This past Winter was BRUTAL, so I'm happy to get outdoors. Couple of things, though-

  1. I have horrible allergies and anything longer than 30 minutes with a high pollen count day, and that's an instant migraine. And those aren't pretty, folks.
  2. Ginny has horrible allergies and her beautiful little eyes get all red and leaky. Then, her pale pink skin gets bright red- everywhere. She itches so bad that she's even more clingy because she knows if she comes to me to cuddle, I will scratch her. 
Needless to say, we both have been doped up with benadryl for a month now.  I just don't want to stop our walks because it helps my Fibromyalgia to move my muscles at least 30 minutes a day (aside from regular house keeping chores/exercise) and it helps my morale to get some nature therapy. PLUS, if you remember from last Ginny check in, girlfriend needs to tone up, (don't we all) so we're trying to not let our allergies get in the way of all this!

That being said, I think if we limit our other allergy triggers, then we can tolerate a few more precious sunshiny minutes outside. My other main triggers, besides everything under the sun, are dust, dust mites, and bed mites, oh, and Ginny. Yeah, I'm a sucker for punishment. So for me, it's vacuuming & dusting every.single.day, changing our bed linens every.other.day, and by doing these, it's *in theory* going to give me those extra minutes outside. 

*Chewy.com gave me this product to review. Ginny's thoughts (as well as mine) are 100% honest opinions*

Ginny's triggers, aside from pollen is grain in her dog food. SO, we've kept her on the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon & rice, which is grain free. But, you know every dog needs treats, so this month, I've tried the Wellness TruFood treats from Chewy.com .  She's in LOVE with the Chicken, Beets & Coconut Oil one as well as the Lamb, Purple Carrots and Coconut oil. These treats are small, so I don't feel as bad giving her a couple throughout the day, after our walks. She gobbles these things right up! 


I know, you're reading this and thinking- those gals are a hot mess. And we are. I'm not arguing this. But if you have any other tips about avoiding allergies, we are all ears! Leave a comment below! 
Jun 15, 2015

Mullets & Chocolate

Happy Monday! I'm so glad y'all are here! Let's jump into a little bits and pieces of my life lately, and add some gratefulness, simply because we can.

Grateful Heart w/ Ember Grey



Here we go!

+  I am BEYOND grateful that my little-big-baby-brother is coming home from deployment! No specifics other than I'm downright giddy about him being home! EKKK!!!! God is so good! We're only 15 months apart in age, (yeah, go figure THAT one) and I think we should've been twins. He's awesome, which is why his nickname is Mr. Awesome! 



Yes, we like smoking cigars together, I admit it!




Yep, that's a mullet, folks! He's gonna kill me! 
+ I'm so incredibly grateful God gave me my Mr, a soul mate that shares in my sense of humor- like the one time we went into this chocolate place and accidentally ordered $45 of chocolates.... yes, we savored every crumb and vowed never to do that again! 



+ And who ISN'T grateful for the library? Or a soul mate who also shares in my love of movies? We knocked out all of these babies in a movie marathon weekend! The only reason we got through all of these bad boys is because of a 4 day weekend and dedication! 



+ And, of course, I'm happy that I get to find all of the warehouse sales like Vera and Wilton, because then, when your Husband cuts on your nonstick pans with a knife or metal utensils, and they get all rusty lines, you can go spend $50 on all new pans! Y'all, that's amazing! 



And, I'm grateful, as always, for this life God has given me. As well as the folks in it! Especially the best bloggie pals who take the time to connect and check in on me! Y'all are the best!!


What are you grateful for today? Comment below!
Jun 12, 2015

My wild moments

So, I adore Aimee, I mean really adore her. This lady is nothing short of amazing. And she WAS hosting a photography link up every Friday. Finding Beauty had a facelift and was These Wild Moments. If you have any photographs you're particularly fond of, link up every Friday with her!  Or, if you need some inspiration, she provides prompts for the next week. How cool is that?

Then, she up and cancelled the link up, and I am in loving protest! I loved this photography link up! And I'll continue to post this every Friday until she caves in and brings it back!! Wink, wink, nudge nudge! :)

OK, so I missed out on the past link ups, and thought I'd cram them all into one post. Here we go:

Week one: Wild

This hodge podge of ice cream flavors and caramel thrown in was wild for me!


Week two: Favorite

Carousels will always be my favorite.


Week three: In the Details

One of the reasons I love Vera Bradley items so much is the attention to detail in the patterns.


Week four: Black & White

I didn't even alter the saturation for this one, this rainy day was so dreary already!


What moments have you captured this week? 
Jun 9, 2015

The one with the serious tea game




PLAYING |  Tyrone Wells album, Metal and Wood. It's an uplifting, sorta happy album, and who doesn't need some happy uplifting in their life?

GOING |  To knock out my mile long to-do list that's a year old! These little things on here are killing me. 

WEARING |  A lot of lounge wear. These past couple of weeks has held some hard hitting pain days, so it's comfy clothes all the way.

SIPPING |  Tea, tea and more tea. I'm trying to KonMari Method my kitchen little by little, and after organizing my tea & coffee cabinet, I realized I could never drink all of this tea in 20 years at the rate I'm going! So, my tea game just became serious. 

READING |  Notes from the Wisdom for Wives conference that I still haven't completed! We had a lot going on during that week, so I didn't even get through 1/3 of the sessions. Good thing I have up to a year to watch them! 


LINKING UP with Anne and Jenna once again. 

What's going on in your world?
Jun 2, 2015

Modesty? What's that?



Lately, modesty has been on my mind a lot. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, and the younger gals are wearing less and less clothing, maybe it's because my Christian walk is getting deeper... whatever the reason, I am diving in to find out what it is exactly, and what I should change, according to my own personal convictions.

Last year, I found this video, which really hit the modesty point home...




And I've been googling, reading, listening to, and Youtube-ing tons of things on modesty. I mean, aren't we supposed to help each other not to stumble?

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” ~ Mark 9:42

Jami from Young Wife's Guide has TONS of blog posts about this. So, if this is something you're interested in learning more about, then check out her site. 

Ultimately, I feel this is a subject a lot of us don't really learn that much about. I mean, you're taught, in the words of my Grandma, "Don't let out all your goodies for God & everybody to see!" But, as a young lady, you think it's just because you will get the wrong kind of attention from guys. And that's partly true, but I think as you get older and married, it becomes more about respect for God #1, then respect for your husband, and finally- just respecting yourself. 

Will I completely throw out everything but dresses? Probably not. But I know, for a fact, I will continue to seek God's wisdom on this, praying that He will guide me to what He wants me to wear. I know that may sound kinda hinky to some of you, and that's fine. To each his own. For me- it's important at this point in my life. And I think if it's tugging at my heart, then it's God tapping me on the shoulder saying, "Hey, let's talk about this."


I know I'm probably opening up a can of worms here, but ... what are your thoughts on modesty? 
Jun 1, 2015

Marriage & relationship goals link up

 

Last year, I was on the ball with this link up, focusing on my relationship with the Mr., every month a new goal and this link up held me accountable for that. But, I slacked off. Life got in the way, blah blah blah. Today, I am forcing myself to set goals for my marriage- no more slacking! And linking up with Amberly and Charlene.


  So, we're still on a bit of a roller coaster in our life, and I don't see that stopping any time soon. Now, I know that life happens, and some things we can't control. I get that. But, what I can control is my reactions to those things. And since my focus words of the year are "Simplify Everything" that's exactly what I think this month's goals should be- simplify everything US.

Yep, simplify us, simplify our time together, only focusing on helpful and bonding experiences.

Simplify our reactions, or more specifically MY reactions to things that neither of us can control. Simplify US.

Do we actually need to go out to the movies, and dinner, and something exciting all in one date night to qualify as a good day? Nope. Is that what we try to do when our lives get chaotic- think things have to be this grand gesture to qualify as good? Try to step up our game because things are crappy around you? Yep. That's nuts! Why can't we enjoy the simple pleasures of life? Because the world skews your views on things. Times change, what was once fashionable isn't anymore. And simple, down home dates... a picnic in the park, leaving little love notes for each other in secret places, just simple things that mean so much are considered cheap or simply not good enough when you let your guards down and let the world in.

This month, I'm simplifying us.


Marriage & Relationship Goals


New to the Marriage & Relationship Goals Link-up? Goals help our relationships grow stronger and get better with time as well as help us to continue moving forward and avoid the "ruts" of life. This link-up was created in hopes of inspiring your relationship with your significant other no matter your chapter in life and love. We would love for you to join us in making the things we do in our relationships intentional. If you would like more information, click here.