TESTIFY!

THIS RIGHT HERE.

So in the past week or so God has been using me... and I couldn't be more excited! I work in Home Health and in a Pregnancy Resource Center. These jobs really just help me use the gifts God has given me for His glory. Every day I am amazed at how God blesses me with the people I serve <3 

I recently spoke with someone who was unhappy with their current church. They loved the people there but there was nothing age appropriate, nothing for their kids, etc. They just felt like they didn't fit in. But like most people, they had been attending for a while and did not want to leave even though they were not getting spiritually fed. I encouraged this person to even just check out a new church, any church (that loves Jesus), for a midweek study, women's group, etc. Just to see how it would be, how they fit in, to get new opportunities for their kids, etc. A few weeks later I spoke with this person again and they were lit up with joy and poured out to me about this great news- they found the church God wanted them at! They attended a church and while there they went for an alter call... the Pastor's wife came up to them and said "God wants me to tell you this is your church now" BAM!What! Jesus wins again!! MULTIPLE others told her the very same thing! How exciting! The joy while she shared this testimony was so undeniable. I got shivers as she told me! For me, I just feel so honored that God allowed me to help plant this seed and be a part of something huge <3 To be where God wants you, so you can grow in your relationship with him, THAT is life changing! 

In home health I see some amazing elderly people- they are so sweet and heart warming. They touch my heart all the time and I don't think they even know it. A couple weeks ago I was seeing my sweet client friend and I love to read scriptures with her (she is also a strong believer). I read her scriptures or devotions and we talk and she started to cry and told me she was so happy we did this together because no one else likes to talk about it much and she thinks its so nice. THAT. That is why I do what I do. My jobs are just opportunities to share God's love. to be His hands and feet. 

Many days I am doing paperwork, cleaning microwaves, giving baths, talking about bowel movements, talking about menstrual cycles, making beds, etc. etc. and ya know what? THAT is being the hands and feet of God. I feel absolutely honored and blessed that God has faith in me to entrust me with all these beautiful souls. That He would choose to use me.... that is mind blowing. "God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called." 

THINK ABOUT IT.

God totally has a plan for you and he wants you to be His hands and feet, where you are, right now. Take your opportunities, and use them for His glory. Every moment of the day is an opportunity to serve, show love, and be an example of Christ. Are you up for the challenge? When you change the way you look at life, I promise, your life changes in amazing ways and God will begin to use you like never before! 

-From my heart, Alicia <3

I'm Joining the LuLaRoe Team!

Hello loving small following of mine! ;-) So a little bit of a big deal... I'm going to be a LuLaRoe Fashion Consultant! :-D Let's be real- I am not a clothes horse type person. Frankly, I am lucky if I have time to brush my hair let alone think about fancy outfits! But the fact of the matter is- LuLaRoe is magical and amazing. Because it made me love clothing and enjoy what I wear! I really just want to share this amazing news with you and tell you how excited I am! As soon as my inventory comes in I will begin in-home "pop-up" clothing boutiques with over 350 pieces of clothing! It's awesome that I can make this work around my work and mommy-ing schedule and not sweat about missing my little Savannah-boo more than I have to.

With sizes 2T-26 in women's there is pretty much is something for every woman and girl! I am plus sized and totally laughed to myself when I began to hear about LuLaRoe because cute stuff is rarely for "big girls" but seriously it has blown me away!

What makes LuLaRoe Unique:

• When you host an in-home pop-up boutique all of the clothes are there! No catalogs! So you can try it on and take it home the same day!
• LuLaRoe only makes a limited number of each design they release. So you like the cupcake print? You better snatch it up because you may never see it again! That also means when you go to your friends party, they may all be wearing Lula but odds are you are NOT "twinning" with anyone! :-)
• LuLaRoe is still a very small direct sales company, and was started about three years ago in California
• Many of LuLaRoe's pieces are made in the U.S.A. and those that are not are made in factories where the workers are paid real living wages and have safe work conditions- NO sweatshops!
• LuLaRoe also has a little girls line that includes dresses, skirts, shirts, and of course- leggings!
• Their leggings are the most popular and know as "butter leggings"!

Soooo if you want to talk to me more about my awesome new business let me know! I am still awaiting the finalization of some details and the shipment of my inventory, but I would love to answer all your questions. I appreciate the support of my friends and family more than you would ever imagine! And I promise I will try my best to not annoy anyone with non-stop 'lula-love" I just can't help it, these clothes are buttery soft!

My Baby Turned One Last Week

So yes, the day has come that Savannah-Boo has turned one whole year old! Who can imagine that, certainly not me! Some days it is hard for me to imagine her being here let alone being one! We prayed for this sweet girl and hoped God would give us a daughter half as loving and zealous as she is,,, we kind of hit the baby jackpot ;-)

She had an absolutely wonderful Birthday week and party complete with her Mimi and Grampa coming all the way from South Carolina to spend it with her <3. At her party she enjoyed the apprx 30 people that came to celebrate with her and she was such a social butterfly, but I am not surprised! She had bunches of baby friends attend and they all seemed to have a great time! Of course, my phone died the morning of so I have few pictures but will be receiving some soon. Her party was cupcake themed and was complete with four different cupcake flavors and of course a very special cake just for her. I made them all and was loving every minute of creating them, finally, for my own sweet daughter! I made most of the decor and food myself but our amazing family pitched in too and it went so much smoother! I found some Pinterest tutorials for some decor but a lot was just a vision in my mind of what it should look like. I can't wait for the challenge of the years to come where she can pick her own theme and then I have to figure it out. It's kind of exciting really, for someone who likes to create! 

After the party we were so tuckered out! All of us ;-) But it was a fantastic day that wouldn't be traded for anything, celebrating our precious daughter <3

This was the Fireplace decor. String lights, Scrapbook paper turned streamer banner, and some foam board all decked out!

 Some sweet pictures strung along the ledge in our kitchen. I am leaving these bad boys up for a while! I love looking at them but Savannah gets a kick out of it too!

 This was my Pinterest tutorial gone awesome! A cupcake liner wreath! And I found those sweet gel clings at Target in the $1 section <3 Here's the link for this awesome wreath tutorial: http://www.imperfecthomemaking.com/2012/02/cheerful-wreath-from-cupcake-liners.html?utm_source=feedburner&amp;amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;amp;utm_campaign=Feed:+ImperfectHomemaking+(The+Com
                                        
This is another ledge in my kitchen that always has Savannah stuff on it :)

And of course my sweet girl on her actual Birthday! Instead of opening her gifts she thought it was pretty awesome she was a "Biggie enough" girl to climb on them. I'll tell ye folks, she sure is a monkey!! 

So there ya have it. I can remember the day of her birth like it was yesterday and I will cherish it in my heart forever. That was the day I became the mommy to the very sweetest, sunshine-y, energetic, dramatic, silly girl in the whole world. Josh and I are having a blast with Savannah and I just couldn't imagine how boring my life would be without her around. Granted, I am sure I wouldn't be so exhausted ;-) At one year old Savannah is 22.5lbs, 31 1/4 inches, and is in size 18m clothing. She wears a whopping size 6 shoe an 2-3T socks. Her days involve, dollies, kitties, laughing, cuddles, Sofia, SNACKS, napping and helping mommy. She loves to go to Grammy and Pappy's, go to the store, cuddle with daddy, play with Sass,  and play with her friends. She just learned how to give real kisses, hug, and blow kisses. She can also walk, get on chairs, climb, brush her teeth, clap, high five, say "sass" and understand many things! She's absolutely blooming into a gorgeous girl and we are so grateful to God for His amazing gifts and timing <3 

"Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children born in one's youth." Psalm 127:4

-Your friend, Alicia :)

Easy Lemon Chicken

Do you love simple delicious recipes? Well so do I! I was making my grocery list the other day when I remembered a delicious recipe I made a few years ago- lemon chicken! I pulled out the card and made it this week and it was just as delicious as I remember! And even better- easy! 4 ingredients!
- About 10 boneless chicken tender cuts, raw
- 1/2 stick of butter
- 1/4 cup of lemon juice (I cheat and use bottled)
- 1 pack good seasonings Italian dressing mix
Wa-la! Melt butter, add everything else, and cook until chicken is tender! It is AMAZING and you could really use any chicken you desire.

How beautiful is that? Paired with some potato salad and a green side salad? Yum! Have a great week!

Hearty Chili

Are you a Chili lover? You are not alone! I just made one of my best batches of chili to date! On a week when our almost 1 year old is having molar teething pain, this bowl of comfort couldn't have happened at a better time :-)

So here ya have it:

-1 large can of plain Tomato Sauce (NOT pasta sauce, simply pureed tomato's) 

-1/4 cup of uncooked Quinoa

-1 large can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained

-1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

-1 pound cooked and drained ground beef

-2tblsp of Chili powder

-1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced small

-A handful of onion flakes

-A dash of garlic powder

-red pepper flakes to taste (I like to let each person add there own due to a sensitive toddler mouth in our household )

I simply toss all of these ingredients into my crockpot on high for 4 hours (or low for 8 hours). How easy of a weeknight dinner is that?!

Here's one satisfied "I love momma's chili" face! :-D

Baby Food- The Fresh Way

Well- my baby girl is 5 months old! Can you believe it? I sure can't! So in honor of this gorgeous summer we are having I thought I'd share with the masses my first attempts at baby food making! So far we have officially made apple/zuchini, banana blueberry, and banana/avocado. Savannah loves bananas and if it was up to her they would be in everything! She truly is my monkey.

To start off- I am a fan and of doing what works for my little Babe- and that is NOT ALWAYS what is recommended by doctors. So this is just me sharing how we do things in the Drake household :)

Savannah has been tasting baby foods since about four months old. I decided it made sense to give her tastes every so often early on so it wasn't a huge shock to her system. We started with easily digested foods like bananas, apples, and avocados. :) studies show that baby cereal actually rots in the stomaches of babes so young because they can't digest grains properly. So after learning this we decided to limit her grain intake. We use cereal a little bit but I'd rather my babe have easily digested and YUMMY foods! Savannah even sucks/gnaws the banana right off itself- I watch carefully to make sure she doesn't get chunks :) So you could say we do a little baby-led eating! She loves her mesh feeder too- that's a great option if you feel uncomfortable with the banana sucking technique!

I love avocado/banana food momma makes!

Avocado/Banana Puree: 1 peeled banana and one scooped out avocado placed into a food processor! Wa-la!

Blueberry/Banana: 1 peeled banana and a half cup blueberries in the food processor!

Zuchini/Apple: cut up pieaces of both (peels on) cooked on med heat for ten minutes with two tbsp of butter. I then poured liquid off and blended in food processor. Once done I strained through a small mesh strainer. Wa-la!

Once all of these were done I spooned into an ice cube tray- froze- and then popped them out and bagged them in freezer. Right now Savannah only eats about one or two cubes worth- so it's great to have the ability to take as many out as needed!

So there ya have it! A foodie glimpse into Savannah's routine :)

Savannah Marie

So it's been just a little while since I have blogged- huh? It's like I had a baby or something! 

So here she is! My sweetest little froggy! Savannah Marie was born 1-14-15 and she came out perfect,flawless, amazing, and all of the other words that mean I'm a mom now ;-) Oh yes- and with huge feet like her momma. Josh tells me while they were cleaning her up a nurse exclaimed "she has huge feet!" I am so smitten on this little girl it's crazy! When she wakes up in the morning I cannot wait to go see her because she is always so happy in the morning. When I get home from work she is all smiles and she just makes life have even more meaning! 

Being a mom is for sure the toughest job I have ever had- but other than the no time off the benefits are pretty good! Savannah is almost three months old and I absolutely love seeing her grow and hit new milestones- there's always something new with this little firecracker! She already has my demeanor but is a spitting image of her daddy! I could count on one hand the amount of people who say she looks like me but that is quite alright because I think her daddy is pretty good looking if I do say so ;-) This girl is SO curious and ever since she was born she wants to see everything, sit up, chew her hands, suck her thumb, lay on her tummy, and sleep a lot! Since being born she has been ahead for her size and at her last appointment her length was 95% so she might just be tall like mommy! I can see some red in her hair in the sunlight but we won't be able to tell for sure til it gets longer- right now it's just pretty brown :-) 

Some things I've learned since my little Savannah came out to meet us:

• Caffeine is so popular because of moms
• Sleep deprivation makes everything more dramatic
• Baby poop is not normal and can totally shoot like a squirt gun
• Bath time is so much fun until it's time to get out- then brace yourself
• Thumb sucking is great because they will never lose it- but then again when she's mad she makes a fist and cannot find it anyway
• Having a baby girl is the best doll you could ever dress up!
• Sometimes the baby's clothes get stained with YOUR food because you're always holding them at first- haha!
• Breastfeeding is hard no matter what they say- but you'll find what works for you
• Your cats will get jealous of the new baby and start acting like lunatics
• There is SO much more laundry just with one baby!
• There is so much more trash too
• Don't get attached to your favorite baby outfit- they'll probably have a poop blowout on it
• Baby girls can get pee all over too- don't think you dodge a bullet with that one!
• Always plan to leave a half an hour before you need to- but you will still be late.
• Being a mom brings more reward than anything I've ever experienced
• Having a great husband is priceless- especially when you just want a shower

So that's just a little bit about my sweet girl and our life as a family of three so far! More updates coming soon! <3

Savannah Marie 1-14-15 7lbs. 5oz. Perfect <3

Flawless

We love being a family of three!

The day I became this girl's momma was one of the best days of my life <3

Delicious No-Bake Cookies

Last night I made some amazing no-bake cookies that have no chocolate in them! Some of the people in my family don't like every dessert to have chocolate in it (yeah-I have no idea what is wrong with them!) so I decided to make this peanut-buttery treat!

You can find the recipe at http://allrecipes.com/recipe/peanut-butter-and-honey-no-bake-cookies/\ and the only thing I did differently was I used smooth peanut butter and if I could do it over again I would use more oats than recommended to make them a little more solid :)

Honey Peanut Butter No-bake Cookies

• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1/3 cup Whole Milk
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup White Sugar
• 1/2 cup Honey
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 cup Crunchy Peanut Butter
• 3 1/2 cups Instant Quick-Oats

1. Combine the butter, milk, white sugar, brown sugar, and honey in a large pot over medium-high heat; bring to a rapid boil for 90 seconds. Stir the salt and peanut butter into the mixture and remove immediately from the heat. Add the oatmeal quickly and mix to combine. Make sure the texture is thick with a little bit of sauce, but not too much sauce. If needed add extra oatmeal.
2. Drop rounded spoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart onto aluminum foil or waxed paper; allow to sit 1 to 2 hours before serving.

It's A Girl!

On Thursday we found out our sweet little baby is a beautiful little girl! <3 We could not be happier! Josh and I were just so happy to find out the gender- we did not care if there was a little boy or little girl in my belly- just so long as it was a healthy baby! (I know everyone says that- but really- it's our first- how picky can a person be? ;) )

Our sweet baby girl's name is Savannah Marie and we know she will be much more beautiful than her name <3 Josh and I really loved the name Savannah and we chose Marie because both Josh's and my mother's middle names are Marie! So Savannah is named after both of her Grammies :) We hope she becomes a super awesome woman when she grows up like her Grandmothers!

Things I have learned while being pregnant with this sweet girl:

• I somewhat thought Savannah was going to be a boy because of how active she is- always jumping around- but I should have known she's just going to be an active little girl like her Momma was!
• All the burping that happens when you are pregnant is really crazy- I think this is an understated symptom!
• The amount of love and gifts we began to receive when we knew we were expecting Savannah is absolutely overwhelming! God is good <3 This little girl is already spoiled with so much love!
• The amount of advice- wanted and unwanted- about raising your baby and going through a pregnancy is also overwhelming... in a different sort of way ;-)
• I have had a really easy pregnancy so far and I feel so blessed by that! I know so many Mommas who are not so lucky. 
• I have ALREADY had people ask me how many more children we want... boy- Savannah isn't even here yet! 
• Pink does make me happy <3
• Ultrasounds are not always pleasant... those people get rough!
• Peeing in a cup seriously- pregnancy makes you a professional at that.
• Some days I still have to remind myself that it is true- we will have our sweet little baby in our arms in just a few months! We feel so lucky and blessed!

Excitement of a New Baby!

So we are expecting our first baby and of course we are SO EXCITED! I think that really with every little thing I get MORE excited :) I really cannot wait to hold this little one in my arms! I wish I could fast-forward just to meet him/her sooner! 

    This weekend Josh and I just re-painted my old dresser for the baby's room. I cannot wait to get it up there and start preparing more! Yeah, I may seem a little premature in planning but we have not actually gotten much for the babe yet- I am just setting up the organization of the room! I think my next project might be making a window seat cushion of the baby's sweet little reading nook <3 

We will find out the gender of our sweet baby on August 28th and we are pretty excited! We don't care what God has decided to bless us with- we just feel sooooo lucky to even have a baby <3 God must trust us ;) 

Finally opened my Etsy!

For a long time now I have been wanting to open an Etsy shop! Well, I finally did it! I am still working out what I want my shop's focus to be (what items). But right now I have baby things and canvas art :) I love both!

Here is one of my new canvas creations! It was my first experience with a chalkboard finish- I love it! 

I have found that in starting an Etsy you need to focus on your keywords, title, pictures, and consistency. Keep posting new stuff and see your traffic increase! The things that I thought would not get traffic are doing the best- I think it is because some of my titles are better than others! Also, some titles bring up less search results than others, therefore, people see your item more! Stay tuned for some more Etsy tips- I am just beginning but cannot wait to have my first sale!

 Check out my Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBuddingHomemaker?ref=hdr_shop_menu

It's A... BABY!

Josh and I's announcement of the year... we're expecting a sweet addition in January! Talk about the best Birthday gift ever! We have been waiting for God to bless our sweet family with a baby and He sure did have the best plan ever <3 Here's the story of our amazing weekend:

On the weekend of May 10th we left to go to Lynchburg, VA for my college graduation ceremony. It was also Josh's Birthday that very day, and the next day was Mother's Day! So, long story short- It was already turning out as an awesome weekend! On the morning of the 10th it was my graduation day and Josh's 23rd Birthday. While I was getting ready (at the CRACK of dawn!) to head over for the graduation ceremony- I decided I would take a test just to see. I don't know whether it was because of the heartburn that woke me up (that I would learn was my first pregnancy "symptom"), or what, but who decides to take a test at 5AM on their graduation day?! Evidently ME! So the test was taken... and it was positive! Talk about a tear-jerker! We were (and are) SO happy to be adding this sweet little baby to our family! 

The day flew like a whirlwind and the whole time I was walking in graduation I just thought "the baby is with me during graduation" "I am pregnant". It was surreal- the ceremony was awesome and tiring. And it was one of the best days of my life <3 Later that night we went out to dinner and shared the great news with both sets of parents and my younger brother- they were all so shocked and happy- it was awesome!! 

Now I am 11 weeks pregnant with this sweet peanut and we are still on cloud nine <3 

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

Cinnamon Vanilla Granola

Mmmmmmm! This week, sitting on my counter, is this yummy granola I made to top my plain-Jane vanilla yogurt! I don't like the fruit on the bottom, or any of those fancy greek yogurts, etc. I just love plain vanilla yogurt! But I always feel its lacking my need for texture. I love to add bananas or berries (FRESH) to it, but for an extra kick I whipped up some super easy granola. To my calculation here is what I put into it (I eyeball EVERYTHING ;) So have at this recipe, you won't be sorry!

Cinnamon Vanilla Granola

• 4 cups quick oats
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon (Ok, I love the stuff!)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• Any other add-in you want will work too! Craisins, raisins, nuts, sunflower seeds, etc.

I mix all of these together in a frying pan, making sure the sugar, honey, and butter are melted together first. Once everything is combined thoroughly I spread on a cookie sheet and bake @ 350 for about ten minutes. This is something you need to be watching. Because you do not want it too soft or burnt, you are looking for a toasty feeling on the edges, when it dries it will get fully crunchy! I usually turn the oven off and let it dry out a bit more while it sits in the oven with the door part-way open. It will cool quickly- then store it in an air tight container and enjoy!! :) You will love this addition to your yogurt or just to eat as is! I have even eaten it with milk poured over it! 

Vegetarian Tacos

Vegetarian Tacos!

Today I made the most delightful vegetarian tacos! I am fasting from meat for the Lenten Season (which is over on Sunday!) and have been searching for ways to avoid meat (which, after weeks now doesn't seem as hard as first imagined). Do I miss meat? yes. Where these just as good as any other dish that has meat? yes! So without further ado- here's my recipe!

Here's the "normal" stuff I put on it:

• Taco Shells (obviously)
• Sour Cream 
• Taco Sauce
• Lettuce
• Shredded Cheese

Here's the filling ingredients (In place of meat):

• 1 Cup Cooked Quinoa (any way you like to prepare it! I put with two parts water and a little butter and salt, then boil til cooked)
• 1 Can Black Beans
• 1 Can Whole Kernel Corn
• Taco seasoning to taste (I like lots and often make my own)
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

I take all of these ingredients and dump together in a frying pan, cook for about 10 mins until fully heated, and ENJOY! Yumm! And I had all of this in my kitchen already :) Happy Vegetarian Cooking!

Canvas Quote DIY

See that canvas? Yep, I finally got the guts to make one, and there it is! I love it! So here's the breakdown: SUPER EASY!

Supplies:

• Canvases from Walmart (8x10 have 2 in a pack for around $5) 
• Paint Pens (also from walmart)
• Acrylic Glossy paint (only 0.50 cents a bottle! You don't have to get glossy, the regular will seem more like matte and the glossy is more like nail polish)
• Paint Brushes (any really, or even a sponge if you want a dfferent look)

So I took my canvas and painted just one coat of mossy green color. It dried pretty quickly. One coat made mine look unfinished but I like that rustic feel so I left it that way. These dry pretty quickly!

Then I used a ruler and simply free-handed with my silver paint pen the song Lyrics! I got the bold paint pens but if you wanted a finer print they have those too! The flower is also free-hand with purple and yellow.

 Now something else you can do is use stencils for the writing and also stickers painted over and then peeled off. I am hoping to try this soon and show you! You could also use your children's hand prints or even put tape on it and paint to then peel off for stripes! :-) Happy DIY'ing everyone!!

Following God's Will and Reaching the Brokenhearted

So, long time no blog- this is ALWAYS my problem! I try to keep up with the blog but I eventually forget! So update: We bought our house and moved in in December- woop woop! My new job is being a home health aid! I love it! Ok that's the extent of the news! ;) So here's a little call to action/testimony for everyone:

Being a home health aid has brought me tons of joy! I followed God's prompting in my life and it is returning to me tenfold! Obviously going from a management position to a home health aid, in the world's eyes, is not an "upgrade" - but in God's eyes following His will for your life is ALWAYS an upgrade! Praise His name! 

The job of a Home Health Aid is to go into the houses of others, (usually elderly) and help them in daily activities such as housekeeping, cooking, dressing, bathing, companionship, etc. It's pretty awesome if it is your calling in life :) During this job you meet so many different kinds of people and hear SO many ddifferent stories, which are all awesome! But there is sadness in this line of work. I sometimes meet some people who are all alone with no family left. This breaks my heart! A dear woman I recently saw has no more family left except a distant cousin far away. Her best friend recently passed also. She has never been married or had children. Her pastor never comes around anymore. And she has many health issues. You can see into her eyes the pain she feels in life everyday- the pain of loneliness. But in those few hours we come to see her she smiles. Her eyes light up through the hurt and she feels friendship and love. How awesome is that? If only we could be there all the time and help her loneliness vanish! But every time we come to see her she feels that love and friendship just once more. 

So my call to you is why not befriend the lonely? Love on the poor and heavy-hearted? God commands us in the Bible to care for the widows and the orphans and to love and cherish all!

 

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalms 147:3

Let God work through your life today and touch those that are Brokenhearted! Simple gestures like a smile, a brief hello how are you doing, offering to help with house cleaning, bringing someone a meal or baked good, visiting those who are unable to come to church, creating an event in a nursing or assist living home, writing to someone who has recently lost a family member.  The possibilities are endless!! Letting God work through my life has brought me nothing but JOY and love to my life- let Him use you too- you will NOT be sorry!    

DIY Grocery Bag Holder

So this Christmas I have decided to go homemade more than usual in an effort to be more personal and money wise for gifts! For me personally, I LOVE getting homemade gifts for any occasion and I just hope others feel the same about mine :) So one of the many items I am making this year is something I have been thinking about for a while: a grocery bag holder!

                                                          
Items you will need:

• Thread to match fabric (I usually go with white so I can use it for multiple fabrics)
• A 22"x17" rectangle of fabric (I taped 4 sheets of printer paper together for the pattern)
• 3/ inch woven elastic
• Ribbon, twine, etc. for top hanging loop

Once you have all of these materials it is simple! 

• On each "short end" fold under 1/2 inch hem, press, and sew on both ends
• cut two pieces of elastic, 10" long each
• Stretch these pieces of elastic 1/2" inch below hem and sew. (Hold the elastic stretched out to the end while you sew, this is sometimes tricky but you'll get the hang of it soon, once you are done they will be scrunched up on both ends)
• Then fold entire garment insider out with raw edges together. Stitch up entire side
• Flip right side out and then attach small ribbon loop near one top end of garment and wa-la! You are finished!

I Don't Want to be a Jonah

     Have you ever wanted something so badly and never understood why God hasn't given it to you yet? Have you ever wondered why God has us go through things in life that break our hearts, make us frustrated, or baffle us? Sometimes I am like this... actually it is a lot of the time (At least I'm honest, right?) 

     It makes me want to yell at Him and tell Him why my way is so much better and how I have this whole plan worked out for why everything will go "perfectly". Many times you just CANNOT see a better way or a better reason to be patient no matter how hard you try. It gets rough because, if you are like me, you have very little patients to start off with. 

     Do you think it was easy for Jonah to listen God's command when He told him to preach a touchy subject to Nineveh? Obviously not because he ran from God, trying to get away from His command. He did not like the job God gave him so he ran from it most likely thinking life would be fine if he just ignored it. Little did he know what God had in store. He sent a mighty storm to tussle the ship he rode on. Then after much controversy Jonah said he should be tossed overboard because he was the reason this storm was brought about. We then know he was swallowed by a great fish and had to live in it's belly for many days!! And not until Jonah repented and praised God was he released from it's belly by the mercy of the Lord!

     So for Jonah, I am sure his plan included almost NONE of the things God had in store for him. But yet we see that God had a bigger purpose for Him- he helped the people of Nineveh to see their wrong ways and repent to God. Later on Jonah STILL complains about things and God scolds him yet again. 

     I do not want to be like Jonah who is always complaining and second guessing God. I want to be obedient and patient in all things to see the Lord's ways and purposes for everything He does in my life. I am still learning, boy am I! But what I do know is that life is most definitely not just about me- God also has purposes that are to affect others and be an encouragement to them, even if I downright despise the way it's done. 

     "The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9. This is my very favorite of all the verses in the Bible. It helps me to remember that the Lord is in control of everything in my life. As much as I think I know- do I know more than God? (I don't think this requires an answer ;) )
  
     Have a great week ladies!

~Love, Alicia 
   

Time-Saving Kitchen Ideas

I thought I would write a post on some simple time-saving ideas that I use in the kitchen everyday! I would love to hear some more of your ideas that I can also implement in my kitchen- I love to learn new things!

1. Cookie Bars: (Shown above) Instead of portioning out cookies on my cookie tray I like to put all of the cookie dough into a square (Shown is a 10x10) or oblong pan and bake them all at once. This saves time with multiple batches that are quite simply just a pain in the butt! This also makes the cookies more chewy and moist and gives you the ability to ice them with frosting even easier if you wish to add some extra guilt to your dessert ;) 
2. Bake Ahead:  This is a no-brainer but it's worth the mention! When I bake on a day off or in preparation for a special occasion, I like to bake extra and freeze it! This saves time when you have company in a pinch or are invited to a last minute event. As a working wife it is sometimes hard to find time to cook/bake when you hold a full time job! 
3. Transform Your Leftovers: Something I have learned while rushing around to get dinner ready after work is to learn to make meals that can be recycled into something new. A few ideas are this: Make hamburgers and with your leftover meat turn it into chili, reuse sides like biscuits or vegetable the next day to accompany your next dish, or use leftover veggies to make vegetable soup, chicken noodle, etc.
4. Buy Smart: When I buy for the week (or two, because I don't have a love of spending time at the store) I plan my menu to have items that overlap. Example: If I need onion for perogies or soup I cut the whole onion up and freeze or refrigerate the rest until it is needed again. This way I am only prepping that ingredient on time!
5. Clean As You Go: This is something that I personally NEVER did. I always would make a mess and clean it all up when I was completely done. I have come to learn that if you clean as you go it really does save time. I have now become the queen of using as few dishes as possible. Just tonight I boiled my perogies in a frying pan just so I would only have to use one pan when I added the onions and butter! 

So there ya have it, very obvious and simple ways to keep life in the kitchen a little bit easier. If you are like me: you love being in the kitchen but don't always have the most time. Enjoy these ideas and really- I want to hear yours too! 

                          ~Alicia~ 

Easy Cherry Milkshakes

Doesn't it look delightful? Josh (the Hubster) and I had these tonight with dinner- they were so good and super easy!

Here's the not-so-fancy ingredients:

• Half a Jar of Maraschino Cherries & half the syrup from the jar too!
• 1-1.5 cups of 2% Milk
• 8 cups of Vanilla Ice Cream (This is an approximation. For those of you with a vitamix- it was about 3/4 of the way full)

I took all the ingredients and threw them in my ever so amazing Vitamix and gave it a whirl! If you really like cherries there's always room for more! I like a nice Vanilla Cherry flavor- you can taste the cherries but they are not overwhelming. So there ya have it- a super simple weekday treat for your sweet tooth! Enjoy!