Month: December 2018

December 29, 2018

Christmas break has been rush, rush, rush, with the last of 5 different get togethers today. I was thankful for two days of downtime, including yesterday when Lila and I enjoyed time cooking together. ❤

She received an awesome gift for Christmas from her aunt and uncle; it’s one of those subscription box gifts for kids. We’ve been given the kiwi crate one previously, which I would highly recommend for kids of any age; great stem, fun learning activities. This subscription box is cooking themed, called radish kids. The first box came with three different recipes, as well as an apron and her own measuring cups. The instructions are step by step with color pictures, easy to understand for an 8 year old. (A younger child would also benefit if they had help reading the instructions!) There was a grocery list of ingredients included also. My daughter was able to plan dinner, participate in the grocery shopping, and then make dinner with minimal help. She leaned a lot and was so proud of herself. She couldn’t wait for her daddy to try it. She tried to pull a fast one on him and tell him I made it because she wanted his true reaction and then to tell him she had made it. 😁

The recipes included in this box were minestrone soup and rosemary focaccia. Two things she had never eaten before, let alone made. There was also a recipe for hot cocoa cupcakes and a gift of spiced cider that we’re saving for another time.

She really enjoyed the whole process and I was thankful for this gift and the gift of time spent with her, and sharing something that I love to do with her!

She enjoyed being able to cut up everything herself with the kid friendly knives they received for Christmas last year. I’m always thankful for their help cutting things up! They work pretty well!

In addition to learning some knife skills, she also learned about yeast while making the bread and letting it rise. It was a great experience and both turned out delicious!

It was a perfect day of Christmas break and the food was delicious! And the time spent together was priceless!

December 22, 2018

I’m still loving it! Although I didn’t really take a whole lot of time away from running (thankfully), I wasn’t sure what to expect getting back into it post-baby. With my other two, I hadn’t been this much into running yet, so I wasn’t trying to get back out there, pounding the pavement, as soon as I could. I expected to, or hoped to be able to run by 6 weeks but other than that I really didn’t know what to expect. Maybe that was best because I guess I have exceeded my expectations with running at 4 weeks postpartum. However I am slower than I guess I anticipated and it’s been slow getting back into it.

With that being said this morning’s run felt amazing! First time I upped my mileage to five. I was honestly getting tired of my normal 4 mile route around town so I did an out and back. I felt good at 2 so I turned around at 2.5. thankfully I still felt great when I made it back, despite the nasty wind and some slippery spots out there! My time is slowly improving and I can’t complain at all since baby is just shy of 2 months old.

I’m honestly just thankful for any time I get to run…mornings out are hit or miss, totally dependent on when the baby wakes up/eats/goes back down. I always have my running clothes laid out so when the opportunity presents itself I can grab my stuff and hurry out the door! I’m thankful for every opportunity I get!

So all in all my take away I guess is the fact that I’ve had very little expectations with getting back into running, which has lead me to be happy with where I’m at currently! If you’re in the same boat, maybe not postpartum, but getting back into running or whatever it is you’re passion about…give yourself some slack, set realistic goals, and allow yourself to celebrate little victories along the way! ❤

I’ve also spent lots of time in the kitchen this past week … mostly early mornings and nap times, to get my Christmas baking done. If time allows I’ll share some recipes with you soon! Until then enjoy this Christmas season! 🎄❤

December 11, 2018

It’s easy to become discouraged… whether it’s ‘my times are so slow’ getting back into running, or ‘I still have 10+ pounds to lose,’ or ‘I need to be a better parent/spouse.’ Just layin’ it all out there because I’m willing to bet you can relate to one if not all of those statements. It’s so easy to become discouraged…so here’s some encouragement for me and you both…

1. Whatever you’re plugging away at…keep doing it. Baby steps… And it’s ok to celebrate little achievements/improvements along the way.

2. Be patient…it doesn’t happen over night. (Whether it’s a goal or weight loss etc.) As for baby weight, as I’ve heard myself tell friends and had to tell myself…it took 9 months to put that weight on, give yourself a break, it may take some time, be patient (and continue to work at it).

3. Focus on the positive things and small victories- ‘yay! We made it out of the house for school this morning without any yelling/bickering!’

4. Sometimes when you’re at a low point and having a hard time focusing on the positive, lift your eyes to the Big Guy. I’m convinced Satan wants us to focus on the negative…it makes us miserable and in that state we definitely aren’t glorifying God. I have to remind myself of this and not let him win! Remind yourself through God’s word, just how much He loves us. He knows everything about us, all our thoughts and screw ups and He still loves us, immeasurably so.

So chin-up buttercup. I think we’re all in the same boat, at one point or another anyway. We all need encouragement. Wouldn’t this world be a beautiful place if we all loved one another? Gave encouragement to those around us…were real with ourselves and others. It’s OK to admit we need encouragement. We all do!

Today I’m choosing to celebrate small victories, as my run felt great this morning…and I’m just thankful for whenever I can get out!

And I’m even more thankful for and encouraged by God’s love for me!

Be encouraged, you’re a child of God!

December 6, 2018

Need a quick sugar cookie recipe? Not the kind you spend hours rolling out, cutting, then frosting…those are great but I don’t (currently) have time for that. Not only that, but the reason I’m baking these ones today is per my grandpa’s request. 😄 He told me his mom used to make them, with a raisin on top. So today, I’m adding a raisin on top for Grandpa! ❤ It’s special things like that, that I love to know and that allow baking to have a special meaning as well.

Anyway, to not keep you waiting for the recipe… (Did you know according to Facebook people just come for the recipe, no one wants all this chit chat lol 🙄😂😜)

Like I said, lately I’m short on time and this recipe came from one of those lovely church cookbooks…so I simply took a picture of it for you rather than taking the time to retype it. (Forgive me!) These cookies are pillowy soft and you can dress them up with sprinkles to suit any holiday! The secret ingredient is nutmeg- Adds the perfect touch! You may even want to add it to your own roll-out sugar cookie recipe!

Enjoy!