easy peach COBBLER

The yummiest, easiest peach cobbler EVER... no lie.

4 ingredients

30 minutes 

chow time

I got this recipe from my organic baby cookbook and it's a recipe the whole family will enjoy

(even my hubby ate it)

Want to know how?

All you will need is canned peaches or fresh peaches.

If they are fresh, just peel & cut 3 good sized peaches in half

(I used a loaf pan to bake because I didn't need to make a lot, so

if you want to make more then just double the recipe)

So I had 6 halves, I layed the peaches down in the pan, 

sprinkled about a tablespoon of cinnamon across the top,

then sprinkle about a tablespoon of brown sugar across the top of the peaches,

then take 2+ shortbread cookies, crumble them and sprinkle on top until you've got a good layer

Bake for 30 minutes at 350

let it cool and ENJOY!

I bought a jar of peaches & a box of shortbread cookies from Trader Joe's (my favorite grocery store)

Gone

Happy DAY!

Hello & happy family day. Happy "eat all you can eat" day. Happy family & fellowship day. Happy day! 

It has been forever but I'm thankful for my readers! It's been a very busy 2 months, I've been in a different city every weekend since October but I'm thankful for this holiday weekend and the quality time that it brings. I hope all of you enjoy your day & also your weekend. My brother is visiting me so it feels extra special. Enjoy & TTYL! ;)

Nursery Room tour

i absolutely LOVE my daughter's room it's so peaceful. i am constantly redecorating it but that is ok, it's my right, ha! when I was pregnant and started looking for nursery ideas I knew I wanted neutral colors that were bright, calm and clean looking. i didn't want loud, dark or bold. i finally settled on white, grey and yellow before I knew that I was having a girl. of course the pink gifts were inevitable and most of them were adorable so I used them in decor and i think it worked out well. originally I had a beautiful yellow tree with birds behind the crib but since we moved and I had to take down the wall decal it wasn't reusable. it was so pretty though, I miss it.

so...thought i'd do a tour of it just for fun. Enjoy!

{the 4 walls}

{details}

Love & obedience

that SKY!

heard a great sermon tonight on love & obedience that really humbled me: in order to truly love God, we must know Him, not just know of Him. there's a big difference. how can we say we are God's people but we don't love like Him. Jesus told Peter "if you love me, then feed my sheep." sometimes we get so wrapped up in ourselves that we don't even take care of what God has given us (our children, our spouse, our families, our homes, our jobs....) putting ourselves first is never the right answer. Love God by Loving His people. be committed. be honorable.

when it comes to obedience we have a lot to learn. It's like a child that has been given specific rules which are expected to be followed.  if we don't follow the rules to the "t" then we shouldn't expect to reap the rewards/benefits that we are looking for.  It's quite the same with our Lord. if we don't obey Him how can we expect the answers to prayer or the benefits that we want? then we get angry and say that God doesn't hear us. well he's not a request line that we call only when we have a need. 

let him work on your inside today.

!love!

Worship for today {Ask}

This song!!!! Such a blessing right now.

Let is bless you today.

Fall fun!

The prettiest beginning to fall ever!

This past weekend I went apple picking with some great people. My daughter loved it too. She was pulling at the apples, licking them, eating them and we all enjoyed her amusement! Nothing like good company & fun discoveries.

That's enough for talking....here are the pretty pics.

What's your favorite way to bring in the fall season?

Birchbox {September 2013}

Oh Birchbox, you are my favorite!

I think this month's samples were my favorite ever! here's my samples & my thoughts.....

Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45+
Love.
my first time trying BB cream.
I think that it was easy to apply &
It felt good on, no thick feeling.

amika blow up heat protecting spray
Not bad.
This smells good and I feel like it helped
my hair to not get oily so quickly.
I wasn't crazy about the hairspray sort
of feel but, it does the job.

Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips
Like but hate.
This is a wonderful product in theory,
it moisturizes well & stays on long
but I can't get passed the bad smell
& taste (smells like nipple cream
& tastes like dirt, YUCK). 

Eyeko black magic mascara
Love.
Great curling/lengthening power.
Just wonderful.
{ps... i love all Eyeko products}

Ruffian nail lacquer
Love.
I sampled an army green color called Hedge fund.
Loved the color and it's long lasting.

Worship for today {It's not over!}

I love when I find a song that touches my soul literally. This song lately is ringing in my head. A couple months back our Pastor did a sermon series entitled "It's not over" so we sang this song all month long and every time we sang it, I just cried as we worshipped because I felt that God was speaking to me about some things. He is mighty & strong and surely able to handle ANYTHING that you are carrying today. Let this song bless you today. It's not over by Israel Houghton

If you are interested in reading the sermon notes, you can do so, here! Let him work on your inside today.

Handmade Onesies!

.......thought I had posted this a while back but I guess not since it was sitting in my draft folder.....

I love dressing my baby in trendy clothing but my pocket just can't afford it all the time (insert sad pouty face HERE). The next best thing is to do as much of it yourself as possible. It's fun to be able to say that I made something that she is wearing. I love that. Last year, at my gender reveal baby shower a friend of mine gave me a basket full of wonderful DIY project goodies & being a DIY explorer I was ecstatic. I thought it was such a meaningful gift. So I finally got around to using some of the goodies!

"H" is for handmade.

She bought me all of these onesies + a great mustache stamp.

I was in love. Making this onesie for my baby was fun. 

I love precious moments too & these iron ons were just too simple.

In minutes I had some cute things made. Also I ironed the 

mustache onesie afterwards to set in the ink and done! Easy!

Ladies.....get creative with the stamp & you can make a shirt for you or even a mustache print scarf! 

The possibilities are endless.

Enjoy!

Whac-a-mole for the SOUL

I've been thinking a lot lately of the things that make up my character, temperament and who I am as a whole. What are the things that influence me the most? Who are the people that influence me and what makes me fly off the handle without a moments notice? hmmmmm....ouch!

Although it's easier said than done, I'm trying to learn how to control my tongue before it controls me. 

They say there are a few things that can't be taken back, like time after it is spent, or words after they are spoken. 

I'm trying to live this and be more intentional. But lately I can't escape the feeling that I'm playing whac-a-mole for my soul! Seriously, there are moments that I feel those ugly character traits (...anger, envy, bitterness...) trying to creep up and fill my heart with ugly things (& lies!) and I'm fighting with everything that I've got just trying to beat those little things down and not let them come back up again. Thanking God for every victory and the fact that I can at least recognize the things that are after my heart. I've been reading a book about the 7 deadly sins....pride, envy, lust, sloth, greed, gluttony & anger. Can I just tell you that I have never been so aware of what I DO NOT WANT TO BE?! I find myself praying so hard to shield myself from the sins that so easily entangle us! Thank God that we can pray His word and it becomes a shield around us. 

Has anyone else felt like this lately??

Hold on. Keep fighting. It's not over. There's hope still. 

These are the scriptures that God has been putting in my heart lately to fight this good fight and keep moving forward:

Romans 12:21 "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good"

Hebrews 12: 1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us..."

2 Timothy 2:13 "if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself."

The thing is, that, if we really reflect on the 7 deadly sins we can easily see that we all struggle with them, even in the most minute ways...it scares me to stare the truth in the face because, of course, I'd like to say "No way, I'm stronger than that" but if we are I am really being honest those stinky little sins are always fighting to rise up and take root within me. No...no....no! I will fight to get these stomped down and I'll continue to play WHAC-A-MOLE within my soul in order to fight those little things until there isn't a trace left. Know what I mean? 

Be encouraged because Christ overcame the world and all this. So that means WE CAN do ALL things through Christ who gives us strength. (Phil 4:13)

Here's a little something I wrote a while back in reflection of these things:

What causes some to be so unkind, oblivious to the messes they leave behind?

Years of living as if they were blind, unaware of  the strife they easily find. 

Excuse me while I cleanse my mind with God's Word. 

I'm losing myself in the messages of old, being freed of the weight of this world. 

Truth be told we never stop fighting,

not until the moment that we are with the King in all His glory,
and this existence is but a story.

A tale of a life once lived and the past is left to remind.

Thanking God for His patience with us and His grace that surrounds us.

Thanks for letting me share.....Let Him work on your inside today.

Love! 

5 minute wall decor!

If you're like me then you love quick & easy DIY projects that add some 'lovely' to your place. For this project I used 3 things: a loaded glue gun, some postcards and some string (the string I used actually came from some hoodie that I had & just pulled out the cord from the top part, for some reason, ha!) funny but true. Anyway, you can literally use any string, I just happened to like the gray color so I used it. The postcards I had from a recent Birchbox sample. 

Gather your project elements, turn on the glue gun. Figure out how you want to spread them out and how much room you want to leave between each postcard, then glue. Let it dry. Hang. Done. I think the hardest part for me was figuring out where to hang it in the house.

Enjoy!

French toast for the whole family

Easy....easy....yum yum breakfast for the whole family!! Today I woke up with the overwhelming urge to make French toast for my family, so I did! Even my little one loved it, success! Here's the recipe....

You'll need:

4 slices of bread

2 eggs

1 cup of almond milk (I find that almond milk is better than regular milk because it has the perfect amount of extra sweetness)

3-4 dashes of cinnamon

3-4 dashes of sugar 

1 tbsp of vanilla

Whisk all ingredients & dip each side of the bread for 20-30 seconds no more or it'll get soggy and hard to pick up.

Cook each side well, set on a plate, top with slices of banana, sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle some syrup.

(Of course the little one didn't get syrup or powdered sugar on hers; she got to enjoy the bananas with french toast & boy did she eat it all up!) 

Enjoy the Yumminess!

What are you wearing today?

Many of you know that I recently moved to Missouri. This season has been such a blessing. So much change has occurred in the last few months though. I feel like water is being poured into my hands and I'm struggling to just hold it all together. But God.....He is good. He always has a way of shining His light on everything and making it work together perfectly, but then again, I guess that's just His nature. We can't out give Him, we can't out do Him, He just is amazing in His supreme Godliness. I have really learned to love Him all over again. I feel like I have gotten a new perspective and although things are not how I think they should be or how I would like for them to be, I am learning to be thankful for who He is and that He is taking excellent care of me. Each day is a struggle as I want to be selfish and say God give me this or that and I would just be a little happier, but that's not the case. He knows what I need and when I need it. I'm learning....slowly, but I am.
One of the things that I feel God has been tugging at my heart is staying away from the negativity of gossip, trash talk and ugliness that I see in people. I want to be a person of inspiration not of negativity and bitterness. I used to be terrible at this, hurting people with my words, not caring about their feelings and all for what? To prove that I was better? Well, now I am learning the value of kindness and how rare it really is. My pastor says that we become like the 5 people that we hang out with most, so who is influencing me? Gosh, that can be a scary thought. But God is opening my eyes to things and the more He does, the more painful it seems.
I'm building my life scriptures, ones that I will stand on and build my character on. One of them is Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Now that is a bit humbling. These are the garments that I need to wear...EVERY SINGLE DAY! Really, just reading the whole chapter will humble and scare you at the same time. Mean people are everywhere even within us at times and I have been there, I've been that mean person, but now I am fighting to change, that old self is gone and never returning {I'm speaking in faith}! I don't want to be that person anymore. I want to shine with God's love. I really believe that He sees that in me and is helping me. I think that the biggest motivator to change for the better is the simple fact that my daughter is watching me and even though she is young, she is still being shaped by everything that I say and do. If I want her to be a kind hearted, genuine person that speaks kindness & life into people, then she has to see that in me! No exceptions, no games.

What are you wearing today? Kindness & compassion or bitterness & ugliness? Humility & gentleness or pride & rage? Let Him work on your inside today.

Always Praise!
xoxo

Always Praise!

Can I spill my guts for a minute? 

Life has been going by pretty swiftly and sometimes I'm ok with that but mostly it just scares me. I guess because seeing my daughter grow so quickly makes me feel anxious about the future and about what's to come. Then I also have this list of "need to accomplish or need to get done ASAP" which is really just a number of things that I have pressured myself into getting done because I need to feel successful. I'm guessing that it's not a bad thing but I stress myself out over it constantly. Maybe everyone goes through this at some point or maybe it's something that happens to stay at home moms....it's a feeling that we must make it all count. Reality is that if my daughter is healthy, doing well, growing well, the house is clean & everyone is fed...then at the end of the day that is a success. I am just learning to be ok with that. 

This picture always reminds me to stop and rejoice. 

It's necessary for both me and God. I need to learn to rest in Him, be still in Him and trust that I am exactly where I need to be in life....nothing more & nothing less.

When I rejoice in Him I am thanking Him for every bit of my life and I am expressing my extreme gratitude. That helps me to see all the good that He is doing and has done, so it builds my faith, excites me for the future, gives me peace at the moment & strength to go on. If that isn't enough for me today then I don't know what is.

Are you tired, weary, stressed, burdened, in need of some positivity???

Stop for a minute, thank God for His goodness & remember some of the things that He has already done, prayers that He has already answered......I promise that with that moment of reflection your strength will be renewed again.

It brings light to Isaiah 40:28-31

Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

There is ALWAYS a reason to give thanks, to rejoice, to Praise! 

Always Praise has become my new saying...I need to hear it.

Selah.

!Blessings & Love! 

10 things about me {inspired by IG}

Yesterday, on IG I shared 10 things about me so why not share here too?! 

Here goes:

❶ I prefer cold coffee over hot! 

❷ I am an obsessive photo taker...but really! I love playing around with pictures & editing them to eventually put it in an album. 

❸ I'm a psychotic list maker, for real, I makes lists for everything in my life. 

❹ I have so many goals, passions, and creative ideas that sometimes I overwhelm myself and don't know where to start.

❺ I really love to cook and experiment with all kinds of foods & I usually try to make 2 new recipes a week, one food & one sweet treat, it's just a personal goal of mine.

❻ Singing is my absolute passion! I write songs but am so self critical that I barely have enough nerve to show my husband what I have because it's so personal.

❼ I am not confrontational at all, I am usually the peacemaker of the bunch so I get terribly annoyed by mean people who think that they are nice. Every time I see "meanness" acted out I begin to pray for myself and ask God to clean out my heart to show me if I am like that in any way at all. I try to live by Colossians 3:12 

❽I danced tap, jazz, ballet & hip hop when I was younger and I loved it!

❾ I was a nominee for homecoming queen while in high school, I didn't care that I didn't win b/c just being nominated was thrilling. 

❿I enjoy blogging/writing a lot and even if no one reads it I enjoy letting my thoughts free...that alone inspires me to keep doing it.

Play along and enjoy! 

Baby food making: plums!

I have really enjoyed making fresh and delicious foods for my daughter. Then watching her enjoy it is so rewarding...that's the nerdy little momma within me! He..he..he I don't care though, I'm just excited to have a wonderful, healthy baby girl. This recipe was so simple. I got some organic plums and peeled, steamed, then pureed them. For half of the batch I added some steamed apples and made a plum-applesauce combo. Oh my! Zariah really loved it. Refrigerate enough for 2-3 days then freeze the rest and there you go....easy peasy CHEAP baby food, done.