Tuesday
Plantable Wedding Favors
I am a DIY kind of girl and searched for a way to make seed paper myself.
My mom and I made all of the seed paper hearts that we used as wedding favors at our wedding by collecting a lot of news paper, blending the newspaper in a blender with water to make a paper pulp and pressing the pulp onto a screen. Then we sprinkled the wet paper with wildflower seeds and let it dry in the sun. Then we cut the dried seed paper into hearts, added a ribbon, and a note that said "Love Grows Plant this Heart and Watch Wildflowers Grow!" Then we put the date of our wedding on there too.
Guests could then plant the heart and wildflowers would grow!
It was a very affordable and fun favor in my opinion! Also, seed paper is very easy to make as long as you don't mind getting a little dirty and have the time to do it!
Monday
Thoughts on Voicemail
I changed my voicemail message today to say, "I'm sorry I missed your call but I will call you back as soon as I can," instead of "If you leave your name, number, and a message I will call you back as soon as I can," because I feel like it is a given that people will leave their name and number.... I mean, we've all been calling people and leaving voicemails for a while now so I don't think anybody really needs specific direction anymore. I feel like the personal message before you are allowed to leave a voicemail should be a friendly hello, and reassurance that I will call you back.
But, we shall see if all of my voicemails from unknown callers just says "Hey, I'll be waiting for your call back" without leaving any call back info, then that will teach me to be more specific in my message.
Do you get annoyed when you need to leave a voicemail and the message before you are able to leave your message is super long? I do.
The other silly thing that I think the phone companies should do away with is the lady after the personal message of the person you are calling that says, "To leave a call back number press 1, to ......" you know what I'm talking about. All I'm waiting for is the beep. I find myself rolling my eyes at this part of the voice mail leaving process because I have never left a call back number and I know that after the beep, I can speak, that's all I really want to do here.
Maybe all of this direction from people while trying to leave a voicemail is necessary, maybe people need to be told exactly how to leave a voicemail... but I'm not so sure.
Any thoughts on this topic or am I the only one that feels this way?
But, we shall see if all of my voicemails from unknown callers just says "Hey, I'll be waiting for your call back" without leaving any call back info, then that will teach me to be more specific in my message.
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Do you get annoyed when you need to leave a voicemail and the message before you are able to leave your message is super long? I do.
The other silly thing that I think the phone companies should do away with is the lady after the personal message of the person you are calling that says, "To leave a call back number press 1, to ......" you know what I'm talking about. All I'm waiting for is the beep. I find myself rolling my eyes at this part of the voice mail leaving process because I have never left a call back number and I know that after the beep, I can speak, that's all I really want to do here.
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Any thoughts on this topic or am I the only one that feels this way?
Wednesday
What's for Lunch This Week
As the weather gets cold outside, I feel more like eating warm soup for lunch. This week I've been enjoying Trader Joe's Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper soup and a whole wheat English Muffin with a slice of smoked salmon on top.
This lunch is super satisfying and tastes so good. The soup is outstanding, really. It is so flavorful and good!! If you have ever had the Tomato Basil Soup from La Madeline, it is similar in taste but without all the cream and fat, major plus!
While I tend to eat the same lunch everyday in a week, I don't usually eat the same thing for lunch every week. I like to change things up from week to week. Do you have any good ideas for lunch food this week?
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While I tend to eat the same lunch everyday in a week, I don't usually eat the same thing for lunch every week. I like to change things up from week to week. Do you have any good ideas for lunch food this week?
So this is Fall
Today is a chilly fall day and all I want to do is read my current book, Something Borrowed, on the couch under a blanket, drink warm coffee, and drift in and out of naps all day. Doesn't that sound like a great day?
What would you like to be doing today?
What would you like to be doing today?
Tuesday
How to Avoid Getting Sick!
I read a good article here about how to not get sick this winter. I always dread when a sick person walks near me and think, oh great, now I'm going to get what they have!
The last time I got a nasty cold was about 2 years ago (I didn't get sick at all last winter which was amazing!). I was in a Yoga class in NYC. All of our mats were about 1 inch apart because this yoga class was so packed with people.
During class the girl next to me let out a huge exhale. If you've been to many yoga classes, it was the kind of exhale that was super dramatic and loud. Her breath went right in my face and I knew right then that whatever was in that air of hers was all up in me now, there was nothing I could do about it.
The next morning I woke up with a majorly sore throat and about 2 weeks later finally started to get over all of the awful coughing, stuffiness, and all the other symptoms that come with a cold.
I don't know if the girl that exhaled on me in class actually made me sick that next day but, it is nice to know that there are foods that can help fight off sickness during this season. Here's the list-
Sunflower Seeds
Brazil Nuts
Oysters
Sweet Potatoes
Shiitake Mushrooms
Kiwis
Garlic
List found at the Whole Living website here.
I won't have any problem eating lots of sweet potatoes and garlic! I am a believer in food adding to your health and immunity. How do you feel about it?
The last time I got a nasty cold was about 2 years ago (I didn't get sick at all last winter which was amazing!). I was in a Yoga class in NYC. All of our mats were about 1 inch apart because this yoga class was so packed with people.
During class the girl next to me let out a huge exhale. If you've been to many yoga classes, it was the kind of exhale that was super dramatic and loud. Her breath went right in my face and I knew right then that whatever was in that air of hers was all up in me now, there was nothing I could do about it.
The next morning I woke up with a majorly sore throat and about 2 weeks later finally started to get over all of the awful coughing, stuffiness, and all the other symptoms that come with a cold.
I don't know if the girl that exhaled on me in class actually made me sick that next day but, it is nice to know that there are foods that can help fight off sickness during this season. Here's the list-
Sunflower Seeds
Brazil Nuts
Oysters
Sweet Potatoes
Shiitake Mushrooms
Kiwis
Garlic
List found at the Whole Living website here.
I won't have any problem eating lots of sweet potatoes and garlic! I am a believer in food adding to your health and immunity. How do you feel about it?
Thursday
No Grocery Shopping for One Year
Can you imagine your life without buying your food at a grocery store or going out to eat? I can't! I saw this great article and blog today about a family that successfully lived 1 year this way and are on their 2nd year.
I absolutely would love to live this way or close to it! How cool would that be to grow all your own food, have your own chickens (to provide eggs), and maybe even a cow to provide milk??
My husband and I had a small garden this summer (check it out here, here, and here) and got the biggest kick out of eating our own home grown bell peppers. I haven't had to buy bell peppers since about June and I love going in the backyard and picking one right before we eat it.
My dream is to have a bigger garden and be able to grow our own lettuce, green beans, squash, and maybe onions.
I know it would be a ton of work but, I know it is possible because this family did it while working full time.
I bet people 100 years ago would laugh at how novel this idea sounds to us in 2011. Would you ever be interested in this kind of lifestyle?
I absolutely would love to live this way or close to it! How cool would that be to grow all your own food, have your own chickens (to provide eggs), and maybe even a cow to provide milk??
My husband and I had a small garden this summer (check it out here, here, and here) and got the biggest kick out of eating our own home grown bell peppers. I haven't had to buy bell peppers since about June and I love going in the backyard and picking one right before we eat it.
My dream is to have a bigger garden and be able to grow our own lettuce, green beans, squash, and maybe onions.
I know it would be a ton of work but, I know it is possible because this family did it while working full time.
I bet people 100 years ago would laugh at how novel this idea sounds to us in 2011. Would you ever be interested in this kind of lifestyle?
Fun new nail polish
I got me some fun new polish colors! I like that blue and green are back; I remember when those polish colors were popular when I was in 4th and 5th grade circa 1996-'98.
Wednesday
MMMM Apple Pie
I got lucky on Saturday and ended up with 20 pretty little apples for a total of $1!
My husband and I bought some things at True Value (the Hardware store) on Saturday and needed to spend one more dollar in order to be able to use a coupon we had so, I bought these 5 cents a piece apples to get us to $1. What a lucky find because we are really enjoying this apple pie! Here's the recipe I used if you want to make one too!
Crust- 2 frozen pie crusts
Filling-
6- cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (10 small apples)
1/2 cup Agave Nectar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 425°F.
Mix Nectar, Flour, Cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and lemon juice together in a big bowl with a whisk. Gently stir in apple slices making sure every apple slice is coated (i used my hands for this step).
Pour apple mixture into a thawed pie shell. Take 2nd pie shell and put on top of apple mixture, pressing the crusts together to seal the edge up. Cut 10-15 small slits on top of pie.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes until apples are tender and crust is golden.
Cover the edge of your crust with foil to keep the edge of your crust from burning (I kept the foil on the entire baking time and the crust was perfectly brown).
Recipe adapted from the Pillsbury Recipe that can be found here.Tuesday
Personalized Charms
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| The Hobby Lobby Charm Kit |
Unfortunately the clasp on the kit doesn't actually work. The charms pictured above are made from the Hobby Lobby kit and I just broke off the clasp and super glued the glass and pics into the frame. After the frames dried over night I super glued the jewels onto the frames.
I made one necklace for me with the TCU logo on one side and an Airstream pic on the other! The second necklace I made for my mom with the Texas A&M logo on one side and pic of her dog on the other!
This is a fun and easy project to personalize something you love to wear around your neck!
Monday
Food Planning
Do you ever get completely starving before your next available meal time? I do and I hate that feeling of being ravenously hungry where I can't really think straight and all I want is some food!!
I do my best to plan ahead and have plenty of health choices available for when I get hungry but sometimes you just aren't prepared. That is when my hunger can get the best of me and I'll give in to a cookie or bowl of ice cream more easily!
My strategy for planning ahead works well though and is something I enjoy doing. Each week, I plan out the menu for the week ahead. For the most part breakfast, snacks, and lunch will be the same everyday which makes things easy! Dinner is different every night. I try my best to plan well enough so that I only go to the grocery store once a week but in reality end up going more pretty often.
I write my "menu" on my phone as meal ideas come to me. It looks a little something like this-
(I know some things are spelled wrong on my little list, please excuse.)
I write out my weekly menu so when I get so hungry that I can't think straight, all I have to do is look at my menu and remember what I had planned. I also shuffle some things around if I don't feel like making what ever I had planned. It is a flexible menu but I have all the supplies to make what is on the list.
I never regret making a healthy/smart meal choice and usually always regret an unhealthy choice so to prevent myself from going into hungry crazy mode, I gotta plan my meals ahead of time.
Another bonus of planning ahead is that I know what food I'll be eating that day. By knowing what i'll be eating prevents me from over eating which we all know is super easy to do, and also can be fun:) but, it's not fun gaining the weight from it:).
This method works best for me! Do you plan out your meals?
I do my best to plan ahead and have plenty of health choices available for when I get hungry but sometimes you just aren't prepared. That is when my hunger can get the best of me and I'll give in to a cookie or bowl of ice cream more easily!
My strategy for planning ahead works well though and is something I enjoy doing. Each week, I plan out the menu for the week ahead. For the most part breakfast, snacks, and lunch will be the same everyday which makes things easy! Dinner is different every night. I try my best to plan well enough so that I only go to the grocery store once a week but in reality end up going more pretty often.
I write my "menu" on my phone as meal ideas come to me. It looks a little something like this-
(I know some things are spelled wrong on my little list, please excuse.)
I write out my weekly menu so when I get so hungry that I can't think straight, all I have to do is look at my menu and remember what I had planned. I also shuffle some things around if I don't feel like making what ever I had planned. It is a flexible menu but I have all the supplies to make what is on the list.
I never regret making a healthy/smart meal choice and usually always regret an unhealthy choice so to prevent myself from going into hungry crazy mode, I gotta plan my meals ahead of time.
Another bonus of planning ahead is that I know what food I'll be eating that day. By knowing what i'll be eating prevents me from over eating which we all know is super easy to do, and also can be fun:) but, it's not fun gaining the weight from it:).
This method works best for me! Do you plan out your meals?
Sunday
Nothing Says Fall Like Pumpkin
Pumpkin Muffins
3/4 Cup of Whole Wheat Flour
2/3 Cup of All Purpose Flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 Cup of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
Heat Oven to 350
Bake for 25 minutes. Check the progress of your muffins at 20 minutes to make sure they don't burn.
These cupcakes definitely turned out better than my first pumpkin dish of the year! Check out that blog post here:)
Friday
My Olsen Obsession
I love Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. I think they are beautiful and grew up watching their movies and TV shows. My question is, whyyyyyyy do they always make this face!?
Maybe i'll start making that face in all my photos...
P.S. the girl in the middle of the bottom picture is their sister! Isn't she pretty?
Source for all photos from here.
How do you take your coffee?
Most mornings I long for a delicious cup of coffee! I am currently really into using unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk!
I don't need my coffee to be sweet but I definitely need it to be creamy! I can't drink it straight... it is too stout for me.
I am also a fan of 2% milk and vanilla soy milk in my coffee! Any flavored coffees are a bonus, I tried blueberry flavored the other day and it was delish!
Do you drink coffee? How do you like your coffee?
I don't need my coffee to be sweet but I definitely need it to be creamy! I can't drink it straight... it is too stout for me.
I am also a fan of 2% milk and vanilla soy milk in my coffee! Any flavored coffees are a bonus, I tried blueberry flavored the other day and it was delish!
Do you drink coffee? How do you like your coffee?
Thursday
Luxe Land Yacht Update
Head over to my Airstream blog to see how The Luxe Land Yacht is doing! Click here!
Thoughtful Thursday
I posted a quote on Monday-
"Comparison is the thief of joy" and I've thought about this quote a lot lately. Today in staff chapel at my job, the speaker talked about being yourself because not only will you not be happy trying to be somebody you aren't but, everyone will see right through you.
I love and fully embrace the idea of being yourself and letting go of trying to fit in!
I've absolutely struggled off and on with comparing myself to others, wanting the talents that others have, and being jealous of others success.
I'm thankful for days like today that remind not to compare myself to others and to totally be who I am.
"Comparison is the thief of joy" and I've thought about this quote a lot lately. Today in staff chapel at my job, the speaker talked about being yourself because not only will you not be happy trying to be somebody you aren't but, everyone will see right through you.
I love and fully embrace the idea of being yourself and letting go of trying to fit in!
I've absolutely struggled off and on with comparing myself to others, wanting the talents that others have, and being jealous of others success.
I'm thankful for days like today that remind not to compare myself to others and to totally be who I am.
Wednesday
What's Cooking This Week!?
Sunday- Burgers with sauteed Onions on top and Sweet Potato Fries- Soooo one of my favorite meals
Monday- Salmon and Broccoli Cheese and Rice (I can't call it casserole because my hubby doesn't like casserole)
Tuesday- Spaghetti with whole wheat noodles, tomato sauce, and beef
Wednesday- Veggie Night including steamed veggies with cheese sauce (super tasty and low low low in fat and calories), what's left of the Broccoli Cheese and Rice, Hawaiian rolls
Thursday- Chicken, Rice, and Beans Cajun style!
Friday- Hawaiian Pizza from Papa John's, sooooo tasty!
Monday- Salmon and Broccoli Cheese and Rice (I can't call it casserole because my hubby doesn't like casserole)
Tuesday- Spaghetti with whole wheat noodles, tomato sauce, and beef
Wednesday- Veggie Night including steamed veggies with cheese sauce (super tasty and low low low in fat and calories), what's left of the Broccoli Cheese and Rice, Hawaiian rolls
Thursday- Chicken, Rice, and Beans Cajun style!
Friday- Hawaiian Pizza from Papa John's, sooooo tasty!
Tuesday
Dessert Replacement
These fudge bars are super rich and creamy. I have gotten in a bad habit of eating ice cream every night after dinner with my husband. I have always loved ice cream and when he eats a bowl of ice cream, I usually can't resist and will eat a bowl too.
This is a great replacement for my normal bowl of ice cream because it is satisfying, a smaller portion, and less calories and fat!
If you are a chocoholic or ice creamaholic like me, give these a try because they are great! I don't have to go without but I'm also not adding too many calories either.
P.S. I used to eat these as a kid by the pool in the summer!
Monday
Places I Love To Shop
I consider myself very thrifty.
I tend to only buy things that-
1.) I like a lot
2.) Get a great deal on!
(sometimes I do splurge though!)
I know that thrifting at Goodwill and other thrift stores are the rage right now but I haven't had much luck with thrifting. I feel like I still find outstanding deals for stuff at non-thrift stores.
Stores that I feel good about shopping at and usually find great deals include-
Clothing-
Francesca's - I always seem to find something super cute on the sale rack for $10-$20. Their clothes are not super expensive to begin with either which is awesome.
J Crew- The sale rack is often really amazing! J Crew clothes are so cute and I would wear only J Crew if I was rich :) I've been known to find jeans or corduroy pants on the sale rack for $10!
Nordstrom Rack- Great deals on shoes and clothes! You never know what you will find in this store, sometimes it is awesome, sometimes not. Some trips you will find tons of great things that fit great and have a great price tag. This is one of those stores that sometimes when you check out, things are even cheaper than they are marked on the tag which is a bonus surprise. There are plenty of items in this store that are still expensive but if you dig a little deeper you will find the deals.
For the Home-
Habitat Restore- This store is my favorite! Again, you never know what you will find when you shop here. Some days you will hit the jackpot and find tons of great things and other days the store is really picked over and there is nothing you want. Recently, we found two really cute barn lights for $5 each. You will find great prices at the Restore and the money you spend goes toward Habitat for Humanity! Some things you can find here are- light fixtures, tools, wood flooring, tile, slabs of granite (costing in the $14-$25 range), all kinds of building materials, paint, sinks, toilets, and furniture.
World Market- cute home decor, cards, some clothes, some fun food finds. I'm often surprised at some of the cheap prices in this store.
Pier One- Cute Cute stuff. I love to browse Pier One and wait for a good sale before I buy!
Food-
Trader Joe's- I always talk about how much I love Trader Joe's but, I never leave that store disappointed! There are great healthy choices for less than you'd expect.
Walmart- Almost everything comes in the "Great Value" brand and I almost always choose it since it is significantly cheaper! Woohoo!
Deal shopping is really exciting to me but, what about you? Hunting for deals requires some extra work. Is the extra work (digging through sale racks, waiting for stuff to go on sale, searching out a cheaper option) worth it to you?
I tend to only buy things that-
1.) I like a lot
2.) Get a great deal on!
(sometimes I do splurge though!)
I know that thrifting at Goodwill and other thrift stores are the rage right now but I haven't had much luck with thrifting. I feel like I still find outstanding deals for stuff at non-thrift stores.
Stores that I feel good about shopping at and usually find great deals include-
Clothing-
Francesca's - I always seem to find something super cute on the sale rack for $10-$20. Their clothes are not super expensive to begin with either which is awesome.
J Crew- The sale rack is often really amazing! J Crew clothes are so cute and I would wear only J Crew if I was rich :) I've been known to find jeans or corduroy pants on the sale rack for $10!
Nordstrom Rack- Great deals on shoes and clothes! You never know what you will find in this store, sometimes it is awesome, sometimes not. Some trips you will find tons of great things that fit great and have a great price tag. This is one of those stores that sometimes when you check out, things are even cheaper than they are marked on the tag which is a bonus surprise. There are plenty of items in this store that are still expensive but if you dig a little deeper you will find the deals.
For the Home-
Habitat Restore- This store is my favorite! Again, you never know what you will find when you shop here. Some days you will hit the jackpot and find tons of great things and other days the store is really picked over and there is nothing you want. Recently, we found two really cute barn lights for $5 each. You will find great prices at the Restore and the money you spend goes toward Habitat for Humanity! Some things you can find here are- light fixtures, tools, wood flooring, tile, slabs of granite (costing in the $14-$25 range), all kinds of building materials, paint, sinks, toilets, and furniture.
World Market- cute home decor, cards, some clothes, some fun food finds. I'm often surprised at some of the cheap prices in this store.
Pier One- Cute Cute stuff. I love to browse Pier One and wait for a good sale before I buy!
Food-
Trader Joe's- I always talk about how much I love Trader Joe's but, I never leave that store disappointed! There are great healthy choices for less than you'd expect.
Walmart- Almost everything comes in the "Great Value" brand and I almost always choose it since it is significantly cheaper! Woohoo!
Deal shopping is really exciting to me but, what about you? Hunting for deals requires some extra work. Is the extra work (digging through sale racks, waiting for stuff to go on sale, searching out a cheaper option) worth it to you?
Quotes for Monday
A few good words have inspired me today and who couldn't use a little inspiration!? Read below for some good quotes that have meant something to me today-
"The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have."
"O God, I love you. I want to serve you and bless others. Some days all I can see are my flaws, my limitations, my areas of weakness. Yet I know you often choose unlikely people for your work, Lord. Where I see limitation, you see possibility. Tune my perceptions to hear and answer your call on my life. I give myself to you. Use who I am to bless my world, my circle of influence. Fulfill your promise to keep growing me as I walk with you. Amen."
"Comparison is the thief of joy."
"Don't tell God that you have a big problem, tell your problem that you have a big God!"
"The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have."
"O God, I love you. I want to serve you and bless others. Some days all I can see are my flaws, my limitations, my areas of weakness. Yet I know you often choose unlikely people for your work, Lord. Where I see limitation, you see possibility. Tune my perceptions to hear and answer your call on my life. I give myself to you. Use who I am to bless my world, my circle of influence. Fulfill your promise to keep growing me as I walk with you. Amen."
"Comparison is the thief of joy."
"Don't tell God that you have a big problem, tell your problem that you have a big God!"
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