Before and After :: Kitchen and Family Room

I love me some good before and afters and this one is no exception! There is just something about 'before and after' pictures that makes my heart skip a beat and makes it all worth it. I'm not sure I want to do it again but...I've said that before!

What we thought would take maaaaaybe a year, took two. Surprising exactly 0 people on Earth but, better late than never, right?!

So, here we go! We're gonna start in the kitchen because anyone who knows me, knows I spend approximately 12 hours a week here and only 1 of which is spent actually cooking. #iliketoeat

So, not too bad right? Well, except for the very inconspicuous SPIRAL STAIRCASE in the middle of the kitchen. But, who'd even notice that, right?

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High Protein Snack and a Summery Dessert!

Wanted to share one of my favorite and super easy snacks that we've been enjoying this summer!

Fruit Punch Greek Yogurt

                                       

Ingredients:

1/2 c. plain greek yogurt
1 scoop AdvoCare Fruit Punch Rehydrate

Stir and eat!

I usually do 1 cup and 2-2.5 scoops. You can adjust to your preference!



Haven't tried this one but plan on making it for new teammates that are coming for dinner tonight! I'll let you know how it turns out but, I'm sure it will be amazing (if you've had Limeade Spark, you know what I mean!)




Have a great rest of the week!

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How Are You?

What do you say when someone asks you how you are?

Is it, "Busy!"? Mine was. 

And most of the time I had a grin from ear to ear as if it were something to be proud of - like the person on the other end would then obviously think I was super important, right?!

Then, a couple months ago, something became very clear:

The very thing I was so proud of - was the thing holding me back from the freedom, peace and simplicity that I craved. 

What's so funny is that, I WASN'T EVEN REALLY THAT BUSY! Oh, the irony ha! 

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Transformation

I love change. I love new. And a lot has been changing and a lot is new! I've been wanting to make a shift in my blog for awhile but, wasn't sure how. 

When I'm not sure how to do something, I just step out and do it and figure it out as I go. So, this is my stepping out and figuring it out as I go!

Up to this point, ya'll probably don't need any reminding that I've been a inconsistent, at best, at keeping up with this blog! (which will be gettin' a little facelift soon! ok, maybe not a total facelift but, maybe a lil' botox here and there!)

Moving, renovating, building a home-based business - all with 3 kids 5 and under will do that to a person!

But there is light. Light at the end of the tunnel and I see so clearly now - like never before. I really considered scrapping this blog completely and starting over but, this blog is a very inconsistent journey of my 4 past years and you can't just delete your past!

Thankfully, you CAN be healed and broken free from it, but it can't be deleted. 

I totally find encouragement in that and I hope you do too! The past is the past but, the future is so bright. SO bright.

And that's really where my journey began. Once someone shared that with me and taught me about forgiveness, my entire world changed. Everything in and around me. And it is so awesome. So awesome.

I want to share what I've learned along the way in hopes of it transforming your life and helping you advance in all areas.

So I've basically gone from hot mess express to completely unoffendable, totally at peace and I have zero fear. I mean, who doesn't want that?! You guys, it's the most incredible place to be.

Maybe there's something holding you back - I want to show you how to break free.
Maybe you're looking for encouragement and inspiration.
Maybe you have set a life or business goal but for the life of you, you cannot hit your target.
Maybe you want a better marriage.
Maybe you want to be a better mom.
Maybe you want to be challenged to become more.

Maybe you want some good recipes and workouts.
Maybe you want to know that your kids aren't the only ones who pee in the front yard every chance they get (if you have girls, I hope that's not accurate ha!)
Maybe you want to know that you aren't married to the only man who needs one of these...

Note: I may be unoffendable but, still highly irritated 

by facial hair all over my countertop - we're all a work in progress!

Well, friend. You're in the right place!
Here you will find experience, coupled with Truths.
Ones that I hope you will use to launch into and fulfill your God-given purpose and destiny!

You were created to be BIG and do BIG THINGS!

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What's Up Wednesday!

Disclaimer: the formatting may or may not be a hot mess due to my typing this in Pages on a plane and attempting to transfer to blogger. Apparently, the two don't jive!

And by Wednesday - apparently, I mean Friday! This was supposed to publish two days ago but but was too busy yesterday to check! Good busy 😄💪 

Been a fun week of traveling - Denver, Dallas and Nashville and then off to Orlando in a couple weeks! Love traveling but I haven't quite figured out the meal prep while traveling situation yet. For instance, in the airport. They've 100% stepped their meal game up. There are all kinds of great options there now, stir fry, salads, etc but here's my demise.  S U S H I.

I know what you're thinking. airport sushi.

It could go horribly wrong...or horribly right. And my friends, it went so right. And these airport rolls are not your average roll. They're like mondo rolls. And of course I can't waste perfectly good sushi, right?

Let's just say that shortly after this was taken I was googling "is there such a thing as a carb headache" and "how to get rid of a carb headache."

But friends - SO worth it.

Ok so on with the show!

What I’m reading

Disclaimer: seems to be a lot of those lol...

this should say what I’m listening to. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read (and completed) an actual book. I listen in the car on the way to the gym, while I’m folding laundry, doing dishes, etc. It’s the most efficient way for me to get the info into my brain in this particular season of life…Since I have some catching up to do, I’ll have to save a post for another day on the backlog on what I’ve read because there are some solid recommendations in there BUT, here’s what I’m reading right now.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

// pick up a copy //

This book. Swear. It was written for me. It’s all about surrounding yourself ONLY with things you love and if it doesn’t “spark joy”. Get rid of it. So basically the way I lived ages 18-22. I moved approximately 37 and a half times and each time my list of belongings got smaller. 

“Have I used that in the last 4 hours? No? Ok, toss it. Ain’t nobody got time to pack and move that.” I’ve since married a man whose hobbies include garage saleing and collecting “cool stuff”…but because that’s apparently subjective, we disagree on what’s “cool” but, I digress. Once you get past her talking to inanimate objects (? does not compute) you will find this technique to be very effective in creating simplicity. I’ve done a few areas of the house and let me tell you what. You haven’t lived till you’ve KonMari’d. Mostly your husbands stuff.

No Excuses: The Power of Self-Discipline by Brian Tracy

// pick up a copy //

This one is a pretty 'give it to ya straight' kinda book and I am LOVING it! It's all about commitment to achieving certain goals and it's got me straight fired up! If you want to get things done - this book is for you. 

I have figured out that consistency in a positive direction is the key to succeeding at anything in life. Literally, anything!

"Most people think success comes from good luck or enormous talent, but many successful people achieve their accomplishments in a simpler way: through self-discipline. No Excuses! shows you how you can achieve success in all three major areas of your life, including your personal goals, business and money goals, and overall happiness." - the inside front cover of the book 

What else is happnin' 

Finally getting some house projects done! The before and afters are INSANE. It's hard for me to remember what it even looked like before but loving seeing it come together! Lord, give me strength on our next remodel. This one about wore me OUT! 

And finally - I'm getting my NASM Personal Training Certification! As it happens, I'm just as terrible of a student now as I was in college (strangely enough, I'm a high 'Learner'.) and apparently it also corresponds with the way I view packing for vacation. Throw stuff in a suitcase 25 minutes before you're supposed to leave for the airport. May or may not have forgotten an average of 8 items each time I travel. But hey - I got my SUSHI! 

What are ya'll up to?! Love hearing from you :) 

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Protein Pudding. Yes, this actually exists!

It is a widely known fact in my family that I am not a fan of cooking, baking or anything of the sort. When I do cook, I have two temperatures. 

Off or High. 

There is no medium. Who has time for medium? OR I'll turn something on, completely forget about it until I smell molten metal and realize I had a pan on high for 20 minutes. 

So, it's really best that I stick to cold, or less than 5 ingredient dishes. 

Something you'd feel comfortable letting a toddler cook. That's where I really shine. 

So this one is basically life changing. Protein and chocolate. What else is there in life?! ha!

Enter - Muscle. Gain. PUDDING. 

You guys. This concoction is so life-changing I practically ancestor.com’d it’s original creator. It traces back to a lovely lady name miss Susannah Padgett. She’s of AdvoCarian decent and you can find her here. She periodically posts food stuff but I secretly hope she starts posting how-to hair videos. Because really.

Usually my pre-bedtime (8:00pm) snack

Recipe:

2 Scoops Muscle Gain

2 Scoops COLD water

mix that up then add in:

1-2 TBS Sugar Free Pudding

Some insider tips:

Start with a tablespoon and as more as needed. Depends on the consistency you're looking for. I like more pudding mix because I like a really thick, almost frosting like consistency. Because, who doesn't #amiright

Stick that bad boy in the freezer for a few minutes and enjoy! 

You can mix up flavors as well. My current favorite is Vanilla Muscle Gain and Pistachio pudding mix! 

Hope ya'll enjoy this as much as I do. Protein at bedtime is so key for those gains! 

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Because nobody puts Baby in a corner. Nobody!

But evidently, it's the only way I operate. To back myself into a corner, commit to something and then just figure out how to do it. 

Because apparently keeping 3 miniature humans alive isn't enough. 

- I'm going to hit my macros everyday 

- I'm going to totally KonMari my life before June (don't worry - more on this practically created-for-me style of organizing later)

- I'm going to stick to a budget (WHICH I totally have, thank you very much! Except that Health & Beauty category - ladies, why lookin' so good gotta be so expensive?! But I've got some budget hacks I'm excited to share with you guys!)

- I'm going to schedule out my entire day the night before every, single night (this time/priority management thing has got me all kindsa hemmed up but, I've called in the pro's to share some systems - and ya'll know I love a good system.) 

- I'm going to get my NASM cert. 

- I'm going to blog once a week. There. THERE! I said it. 

Why, why is this?! Please tell me there are more of you out there. Can we start a support group? We'll just drink Spark and solve the world's problems in like 8 hours. It will be fabulous.

Practically my anthem. 

Uhm. No thank you. I'll take that diligence thing You mentioned. 

This is no bueno, folks. We must boss up and get busy.

So, here's to dreaming, digging in and DOING.

It's gonna be a blast - join me! 

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Linda, Linda just listen, Linda. Budgeting. It's all the go.

Admittingly, this was me. For the majority of my life.

I mean you guys, I had A KID. How on Earth would I possibly have time to figure out at budget?! I mean, seriously. Who has time for that.

Oh friends, the lies we tell ourselves...

But, I believed that lie for a lonnnng time. And the lie of, "well I certainly can't ask how much something costs. What if someone thinks I can't afford it?!" Oh, the humanity, right. 

Well, over the past few months I couldn't shake this almost nagging feeling to give. Like really give. Generously. Then I realized, I didn't even know if we could and if we could, how much is 'generous'? 

I don't know about you but, I personally don't like not being able to do something that I wanna do. Some call it a personality flaw, I prefer to call it 'resolute' ha!

The next morning, I was reading my devotional and lo and behold - this was the verse. 

The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty." -Proverbs 21:5

Uhm. What. I mean, if you don't hear that message loud and clear - you should find the nearest CVS and check your vital signs. 

Then, not even joking you guys, the next days devotion was this. 

And I'm not even reading Proverbs...

So, I was like ok, this is serious. I need to call in reinforcements. I have zero clue how to budget. Luckily, I have Rainman for a husband. Bonus. 

So, we sit down, I tell Justin what's up and he, of course, is all for it. That may, or may not have been because he's been trying to budget for the past 6 years of our marriage...but I digress.

Here's the real deal: I didn't want to budget. Money scared me. Like I wouldn't even look in the account. I'd just be like "oh, it's in there, it's fine." It completely controlled me. 

To the point that I didn't even know what was truly important to me because, if I wanted something well, I just went out and got it. I didn't want to sit down and actually be accountable for my spending. We didn't have debt other than our house so I'd be like, 'what's on the schedule today? Well, Target of course, and let's throw in some Flutter with a side of Lulu.' And THERE was the problem. It was the heart, coupled with lack of intention and stewardship behind it. Sadly, I think a lot of people live this way and I'm here to tell you, the other way, the hard(er) in the beginning way is SO WORTH IT. I have been asking God to clean out my heart. Make room for Him. And this was one of those areas of my life I hadn't given to Him. Because that meant I had to GROW UP, sit down, be a woman and budget. 

And I mean, who really wants any part of this?! 

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. - James 1:14-15

Uhm. No thank you. I'll just be obedient, thank you very much. 

So off we went! 

And what does every person do that wants to know how to do something? Why you google it, of course. Well, that pretty much sent my brain into self destruct shut down mode. Are you kidding me? Something that should be so simple. WHY IS THIS SO HARD?!

Wellll okaaayyy, so, this budget thing is no joke. That's right. Lifeline time. Phone a friend. 

Said friend, to whom we're forever grateful (Wendi and Jeff!) showed us their glorious, debt-free ways. We were mesmerized. It's called YNAB. And it's amazing. It's like an electronic envelope system. I love the envelope system. We even took Financial Peace a year ago but, it never clicked until this. I couldn't wrap my mind around someone carrying around hundreds, or thousands of dollars. For someone who loses a Chap Stick every 8 and a half seconds - the cash system was not for me. The app on your phone is always with you so you always know where you're at budget-wise and you won't lose your cash!

It took us Justin an hour and a half to enter all of our fixed expenses into the spreadsheet. And if you don't have an Oasis on deck, go ahead and whip one of those up - 'cause experience says - you may need it.  

Goal: To figure out where your money goes, give each dollar a 'job' and get control of your finances

• Step 1: put your income into "To Be Budgeted"
• Step 2: Assign appropriate amount for giving
• Step 3: Divvy up remaining amongst "Immediate Obligations" (mortgage, electric, food)
• Step 3: Followed by savings
• Step 4: Followed by "True Expenses" (Gifts, health/beauty - and oh was this one tested this     month, etc. Not supplements. Ya'll know, those are up in the immediate obligations category) These are monthly essentials but not necessarily obligations, if that makes sense. These are some of the areas where we cut the fat.
• Step 5: Followed by "Quality of Life Goals" (vacations, Christmas, home projects, etc.)
• Step 6: Followed by "Fun Money"

Don't sweat, if even this lost ya. YNAB has awesome tutorials and help. Hang with me, kid. 

The key is that EVERY dollar has a job. So even if your pest control is $90 every 3 months, you still budget $30 for it each month so when the time comes, it's already spoken for. 

Which brings me to an important point. You may get to where there's money in your bank account and you're like "oh! yay! Shopping!" No ma'am. That money already has a job. It's paying your car insurance 4 months from now. See? Discipline is definitely required but, He doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called so, ante up baby!

The app is SO easy to use and the most notable unintended consequence is that apparently, I'm lazy and I'd rather not spend money than have to spend it and put it into the app so, there's also that.

So a little recap: 

Month 1: 

Ate tuna and pickles for the last 3 nights of January because apparently, the gourmet rice cakes and super awesome already trimmed $10/lb chicken I bought the first week wasn't exactly 'in the budget'. Hey, I'm learning. And what better way to teach me than with protein!

Month 2:

Mama's got this thing on lock down. And it wasn't without being tested, that's for sure but, now I'm super good at saying, "uh, ma'am. That $42 face wash isn't in the budget." (got a fun story about that one for another day) And our kids - just got a whole new wardrobe of garage sale clothes and I'm straight fired up about it. It's funny how when you want something so badly (for us it's giving and debt-freedom, for some it may be a Disney vacation or to turn the heat up past 65) that you'll do whatever you've got to do to figure it out. There is so much freedom and grown-upness in that and I'm so grateful for my freedom. 

Living a life of decrease is so indescribably freeing. It's making room for the things that matter! I'll be journaling my journey of decrease and simplifying, in case you want to join me. It's a lot more fun to do with others! 

Bottom line: For me, it's about learning to do hard things and LIKING to do hard things before I have to do hard things. Obedience isn't always easy but, it's so worth it!

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So basically...

I love blogging. It's how I organize my brain. And I have more time now as I'm figuring some things out in life! Whew eeee it's been an amazing, challenging year of growth and freedom!

I definitely don't have it all figured out but, I have a LOT more figured out than I did a year ago and really just learning along side all the rest of you and having a blast doing life with some of the greatest people on the planet!  

Because, basically. I'm unoffendable. And it's so freeing. 

So, on this weeks agenda:

• Gym time at a new gym. Yay for new, right?! I literally join a new gym every 48 seconds. I'm like someone please stop me. Seriously. But don't. Because I love it.

• Groceries. Finally. You guys. I did the unthinkable and asked Justin to do a budget. And guess what's not in there. TARGET. I know. It's been...interesting. Don't worry. I'll fill you in. I had tuna and pickles for dinner Wednesday night if that tells you how well I did in January...

• Can someone please just give me a schedule of daily life. Like, what do you do when you and your husband both work from home and have 3 kids 5 and under? If there's anyone matching that description. Holla at your girl. I have a job for you.

• Unlikely so, I'll be figuring it out and sharing those fun times. And mark my words, I WILL figure it out! #yaysystems!

• Pushing Facebook into the fire (I'll attempt to explain that analogy later.) You guys. I'm seriously so over it. I have such a love/hate relationship with it. I love seeing people's lives and their adorable kids but like I can't even deal with the other side. The whining, complaining, negativity and basic uselessness of that kind of thinking. Like can. not. deal. But, I love connecting. And memes. So....yeah. We'll see how that pans out.

You guys are so great. 2016 is going to be awesome in different ways for each of us :)

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How to Fight Those Holiday Cravings!

Love me some Christmastime but man can it do a number on the ol' scale if I'm not careful! I've learned over the years how to avoid the dreaded gain and wanted to share some tips with ya'll.

We're gonna go to functions and who wants to be the weird one eating rice cakes out of their purse? It's not a good look. Trust. 

So here are some helpful tips!

1. Don't go hungry! 

Never show up starving. I always eat before I go! Then that allows me to have a LITTLE of whatever is being served and enjoy it and the company I'm eating with. I've heard people say that they're not going to have lunch because they're having dinner somewhere. Bad. Bad. Bad idea! It might *seem* smart to 'save your calories' you're really just setting yourself up for a binge session and metabolic shutdown. It's not healthy, my friends! 

2. Avoid/limit alcohol. 

I might have one glass of wine if it's good but, usually not. It's empty calories and I typically feel horrible about .6 seconds after consuming it. 

3. Take in good nutrition.

It's the MOST important time to get in good nutrition. I've heard people say, "well, I'm not eating clean so I'm not going to take my supplements." 

That's like saying, "well, I dropped my phone. Now I'm gonna run it over with my car and totally demolish it." No bueno. Here are my favorites. 

Basically what you see here is energy, nutrition and a little buffer for those holiday treats. 

4. Be prepared.

I'm always packin'! You never know when you're gonna get stuck somewhere with no food! Here are some of my favorites.

That little gem there in the bottom left is a VO2 Prime Bar with natural peanut butter. The most amazing protein packed PB&J that you'll ever have. You can bet on that!

The holidays can feel like one long to-do list. During this season of giving, don’t forget to take care of yourself and your body. The best gift you can give yourself is your health and happiness. And a personal assistant. I mean does anyone else feel like that Elf is like having another child?! I'm about 8 shades of over it. ;) Merry Christmas, everyone! Remember what this season is truly about. You are loved! 

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{Recipe} The Best Chocolate Protein Bars. Ever.

Happy Monday, friends! 

As it turns out, a newborn, a "spirited" 2.5 year old, a 4 year and moving can be semi-difficult. I've definitely not been as good on this challenge as I have been on ones in the past but, it's about progress, not perfection so, I'm still pluggin' along! I'll be back tomorrow with more daily eats - I'm going to condense days - I fell like I'm wearin' ya'll out doing one post for each day :)

Moving on to the goods. Go ahead and plan on puttin' the ingredients on your grocery list 'cause you're gonna wanna make these on the super fly. 

Ingredients: 

2 cups Oat Flour (I just put old fashioned oats in the food processor and blend until fine)

8 Egg Whites (I've been using a 16oz carton of Egg Beaters - I hate wasting the yolks)

4 scoops Vanilla Muscle Gain

3/4 cup Truvia

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

2 cups Unsweetened Applesauce

6 tbsp Baking Cocoa (I like Hershey's Special Dark)

1/2 cup Water (only use if the batter needs to be thinned out a little)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients (oat flour, Muscle Gain, baking soda, salt, baking cocoa) together in a large bowl.

Mix wet ingredients (egg whites/beaters, Truvia, applesauce and water) together in a separate medium sized bowl.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.

Spray a 9x13 glass pan with a non stick spray and add batter to dish.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until done (I stick a toothpick in the middle and when it comes out clean, it's done!). 

Note: I like to undercook mine just a little bit :)

I hope you enjoy these as much as our family does! They are perfect little treats when you're wanting something sweet or just a mid afternoon or evening snack.

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{Recipe} Clean Turkey & Spinach Burgers :: 2 Ways

This recipe is a little spin off of my Clean Turkey Meatballs. The thing I like most about both of these recipes is

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24 Day Challenge Series :: Day 3 & Meal Prep

Let me start by saying that I spent the entire day meal prepping. You would think that I prepped enough for the Zombie Apocalypse but, sadly no, just enough to get us through a few days

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He's Finally Here!

Our little guy has finally arrived! 

And he is pure perfection. He is definitely his father's son! 

I apologize up front for the lack of typical hospital pictures but, is it me or, is there seriously someone in your hospital room 24/7? I felt like every time I tried to call someone or do well, anything, in would pop someone else. 

Nurse: "Oh, hi. I'm here to draw your blood." 

Me: "Oh, hello. Did you see what I just went through to avoid the epidural needle?! I'll spare you the details but, yeah, I don't think that's gonna happen."

Nurse: *crickets*

Bless their hearts for putting up with me. 

Charlie has been with the grandparent's for going on almost a week now (there is going to be some serious grandparent detoxing happening next week #imafraid) but, I managed to snag a couple of Breaker and "My baby". 

I mean. #idie right? Such an incredible feeling of grateful heartedness when I look at this. 

Then fast forward to our first night at home annnnnnd we're back. Ace, we're gonna have to toughen you up quick, kid if there's a hope of you standing a chance. 

I'm basically obsessed with taking pictures of everything these days so make sure to follow me on the greatest thing ever.

And in other news, this should surprise no one, but I'm on Day 1 of my first 24 Day Challenge in a hot minute and I'll be blogging about each day - food, workouts, progress, etc. so make sure to follow along. Today was Day 1 and whew, I picked up a lot of bad habits over the past 10 months!

Big news in the moving situation and on the blog homefront too, so stay tuned for all that awesomeness!

Be back Monday with Day 1 of my 24 Day Challenge!

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Master Bed & Bath {Before & After} You HAVE to see the before...

I apologize for being MIA but, lot's goin' on ova heah.

1. We have a pending offer on the house!!! Happy, sad, nervous and excited! 
2. AdvoCare is in massive action. The hubs has recently caught the vision. We're now helping change people's lives TOGETHER. A long-time prayer answered. 
3. Oh, yeah. And having our third little angel literally ANY day now! So excited to meet the little guy! 

I was really hesitant to post this because the before's are so insanely horrendous. Like, I can't...seriously but, I was super happy with the after's that I've gotten over it. Kind of.

Things didn't go exactly like my original design board but, I got close and am super happy with the finished room. So, come back with me, if you will, to this hot mess...

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Boys' Bedroom {Before & After}

I promise, I'm not as horrible at life as I am at keeping a blogging schedule. Well, maybe a little right now. There's been five swimming lessons and we have yet to make it to one, I still haven't gotten the newborn clothes out of storage (16 days to due date...)and ate hard boiled eggs for lunch...and dinner.
Either way, I'm still a firm believer in the saying "You'll never have more time than you do today" so, trying to suck it up :)

On to the fun stuff - before and afters!

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My Journey Back to Faith

I planned on sharing some more before and after's of the house but, felt compelled to share something that's been on my heart (and in a draft post) for a while now. I've never shared this part of my life partially because I think I was embarrassed and also a little afraid of being judged when I make the inevitable misstep.

I've been working on my spiritual growth over the past few months but, just didn't feel God's presence. I'm a Christian, I went to Christian schools for many years and I believe His Word to be true from my very core. God is all around us, every second of every day, in every thing. I absolutely know and believe that with every ounce of my being but, how do I reflect that in my actions and make it my heart? How do I take that and have it make a difference in my life? That is where I was struggling.

My heart didn't feel whole.

The hubs says that he feels God speak to him and all he does is listen and act. Um, #excuseme what. I want that! I want God to talk to me and I listen. I knew I needed to really pursue Christ to be the kind of wife and mother I want to be (and the one God wants me to be). Not just say but, act. Like really live my life chasing His will. Fulfilling His purpose for me. Letting Him transform my heart, thoughts and actions. It's almost like I would hear God speaking to me and then kind of resist it when it was something I didn't want to hear. A good friend told me that often times we view our relationship with God like we view the one with our actual father - and that made a whole...whole lot of sense to me. I've always been one to think that I know better, that despite what someone (anyone) tells me, I'm gonna do it my way. Even if I know they're right and I'm wrong. I have to learn the hard way which, has caused me a lot of pain, heartache and tangled feelings that I've had to work through over the years.

As #craycray as it sounds, PowerSheets are what have helped me connect the dots. Helped me create some action items that will help me build that deeper relationship with God that I desire and truly transform my heart. I reached out to a friend and asked for her advice. This is someone I have seen grow in incredible ways and she has had such an impact on me as a wife, mother and so much more. She had many words of wisdom and her words of truth and encouragement were what really pushed me into taking action on changing those empty feelings I was having.

After I spent a few days praying (as best as I know how) reflecting on what I want my life to look like, what kind of family I want to raise and what kind of wife, mother, friend and person I want to be, I had 5 areas of focus.

1. Faith
2. Husband
3. Children 
4. Others 
5. Self

I've learned that my brain seems to work best in a compartmentalized manner (which is reinforced by the time management/organizational system that I'm using. Seriously, amazing. I'll share more about that in the next couple weeks) and when I write things down. Seems to be the only way that things really sink in. 

From this larger goal, you're asked to break it down into an Action Plan that included listing the Why and How. This forced me to form and refine my purpose and put it on paper. One of the biggest things I've learned from Advocare is the importance of having a solid purpose so, I really embraced this exercise. 

My Goal:

• I want to know God's heart through reading the Bible and devotionals (Jesus Calling) start to finish this year and through prayer. I want to seek and align His will with my daily activities, thoughts and actions. I want to ACT on His will and teachings.

My Why:

• Because my family needs me to do this more than they need me to do anything. I don't want God to have to teach me the hard way to get me to listen. It's the only way to fill the void in my heart and accomplish every and any other goal I set. I want Him to know that I treasure His blessings and grace through my thoughts and actions, not just my words. Words mean nothing if your behaviors and actions don't align. My boys teach me that every day. They learn by seeing. I want to earn their respect.

My How:

• Finding a church and asking God for the guidance and discipline to do this - I'm honestly embarrassed to admit that we don't go to church. I always felt like you didn't need to go to church to be a good person and a strong Christian but, as it turns out, there are several verses here that talk about the importance of going to church and why. My girlfriend also said that it's important to pray about it and find a one where God wants you to serve - not just where they have casual dress code and a great daycare/kids program (not that I even thought...or maybe even mentioned that those were my criteria to her. Nope. Definitely didn't do that). 

• Reading Jesus Calling each morning before checking any social media - this was a hard one for me. Again, embarrassing but, I'm working on it.
• Being still, spending time with God and praying throughout the day - it's weird. I feel like I don't know how to pray. What do I say? How do I become disciplined and focused so that my mind doesn't wander? I'll start praying and it's like I'm not really there. This is a big focus for me because I think prayer takes practice.  
• Getting rid of distractions that keep me from this - I unfollowed a lot of people/groups on Facebook and Instagram that weren't positive or fully in line with my values (ex. Someecards, certain fitness accounts on IG, etc.). I've also set some technology boundaries. My phone is a slippery slope. I found myself checking FB, IG, etc. habitually. Kid #1 calls my phone my camera because I'm always taking pictures with it and not too long ago he said to me, "mommy, QUIT LOOKING AT YOUR CAMERA! LOOK AT ME!!" I now am only on my computer or phone (for anything except something regarding the husband or kids) before they get up, when they're at school, or when they're napping. It's been really hard because I love being available to my Advocare people/team all the time, but it just didn't align with my core, nor my priorities so, I've had to set some boundaries. 

I think that my Spiritual journey is much like my health and fitness journey. I had to get to a point where I wanted and needed change and was willing to do the work to make it happen. 

God put things, like Advocare and my friend, Danielle, in my life to give me the tools, support and mentorship that I needed to truly transform my life. It's been an amazing journey so far and I am so excited to live the life that God is calling me to and fulfilling His purpose for me. 

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Basement {Before & After}

I want to apologize for the half-heartedness of this post right off the bat. I am knee-deep in my #powersheets (and loving every second) and working on a few of my monthly and weekly goals like:

• trying to create and implement a time management system
• learning to set some boundaries with work and the kids, 
• and blogging more often.

I haven't quite got it all figured out just yet but, I'm working on it!

So, our basement. I didn't take many before pictures because this was one of the first areas we conquered and I think I was trying to block the whole situation out. I've since come a long way and have learned to embrace a good challenge but, this basement was a holy hot mess. There were cats (one of which they claimed to be the grandparent of Jinx from Meet the Parents...?! I can't make this stuff up) and birds...and a tanning bed.  

We started by ripping out the blue indoor/outdoor carpet and refinishing the floors (which I talked a little bit about that and the office HERE). Everything was a disaster down there and had to be re-done. Walls, trim, baseboards, ev-er-y-thing.

I'll start with my favorite room. Mostly because it's a long narrow room and we really had to be creative with how to best utilize it. It was originally a "media room". 

and who even has physical "media" anymore? Not me but, I do have wine. Lots and lots of wine.

Isn't that a much better use of the space?! Obviously, if you agree, we need to meet because we're destined to be bff's.

The wall color. Oh, the wall color. It's Sherwin Williams Ethereal Mood and although it's in the gray family, it pulls GREEN. I mean really green. I'd definitely do a different color if I had it to do over again, just because I'm not a huge fan of green on walls (unlike the previous owners) but, I chose this color off of a swatch instead of a sample on the wall. Big mistake, people. Huge. Rule #1 when choosing a paint color. Put it on the wall!

The racks came from Wine Racks America. They were super reasonable and great quality. I highly recommend them, if you're looking to do something similar in your home. The countertops are green onyx and I LOVE them. They are definitely unique and don't appeal to everyone, or look good in every room but, we wanted to add some character to the basement.

On to the living area.

I didn't get an after shot just like this one, because of the way the room is now put together but, you get the idea - hot mess city.

The after is actually shot from where that TV is.

{that couch and chair. another one of the husband's pre-marriage purchases...}

We opted not to paint the brick, like we did upstairs since I thought white would kind of compete with the floors. We sprayed the fireplace surround black and that looks about a thousand times better than brass. And you may recognize the built-ins. We repurposed the shelving in the media room and installed them out in the main room. They were sprayed in Sherwin Williams Dover White and the wall color is Sherwin Williams Useful Gray. I LOVE this color. It pulls a little tan (?) but it's a really great neutral gray that works in a lot of different rooms (It's also in the nursery upstairs that I'll be sharing later this week after the closet system is in). 

Here is the basement "bedroom" - which after shooting these, I realized that it looks a little more like a prison cell than a bedroom. This was a storage type room up until last week so, I've never spent any time making it into a true guest bedroom. I promise it's not this bad in person. Well, the rug is. I'd like to blame the husband but, I think this was a pregnancy brain purchase about 5 years ago. It's a king bed so the room is actually pretty big, but it was kinda hard to capture. Wall color is Useful Gray as well.

I will tell you, I am LOVING everything Nate Burkus at Target right now. #idie over these sheets.

The bathroom proved to be difficult to capture as well but, you can see the detail in the onyx a little more here. Isn't it dreamy?! The wall color is Agreeable Gray and this is another favorite. It pulls a little tan/green but, it's still gray. Definitely one you want to sample first, though!

So there you have it. The finally finished basement! Will be sharing some more #powersheet (are you guys sick of hearing about these yet?! Sorry, they are seriously just that amazing) awesomeness and my 5 goals for the next 6 months, as well as, my mission statement...that I've been meaning to actually come up with for oh, I don't know, 2 years now. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it!

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Life Is Too Short To Play Small. Go Big.

You guys. Have you heard of these magical little things called PowerSheets?!

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Updated Grocery List

Popping in today to share my updated Grocery List! I'm working on a post that gathers up the resources in which I meal plan from as well so, be on the look out for that.

Have a great weekend, Everyone!

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