Mommy Nuggets

I woke up this morning and realized this problem may not go away. It may not be an easy fix. It sure won’t be an inexpensive one. I was feeling defeated over how I have handled the stress of the last few days. I sent a text to a close friend confirming our play date. I told her I wasn’t gonna let satan steal my joy today. I meant it. Not today satan! I prayed over myself, the situation and our day. I continued to fight anxiety & self-loathing as I decided to go about our day. I suggested to my 4 year old daughter that we re-read our three little library books before we returned them today. She was more than happy to do so. After reading the last one, she said, “Okay, let’s read the Bible now! Let’s read about Joseph!.” So we did, we opened her little Bible and read about how Joseph had been betrayed by his own family, thrown in a pit, and sold into slavery in another country. We read how God brought him through it all. He raised him up higher and higher. He lifted him, freed him ...

It's so hard but it is so worth it!  How many times have you heard this? Felt this? A lot,  right??? Because it's SO true. Dear God, it's SO hard sometimes. But then there are these big, redeeming moments that make your heart explode. Those moments where you can actually feel your heart growing in your chest. I've been reading a book called "Captivating" by Stasi Eldredge and it's opened my eyes to how women (not just men) were made in the image of God. This showed me something new. I see now, that God cares about the little details too. He truly cares about all the "important" things that run through (or take over) our minds each day as mothers and wives. He MADE us that way.  R ecently, I came through the "newborn fog". I went back to work and at 12 weeks old, my baby started sleeping through the night. Please don't hate me, I paid my sleep deprivation dues with my firstborn. This wasn't by chance though. I prayed for...

You know that saying, "moms can't run on fumes, you have to refuel or you'll stop running all together" (& will crash into a concrete wall-my concept). Well yesterday was one of those days where it felt like I was running on fumes. I just want to vow to myself right now to never forget how desperate moments can be with small children. To never forget that it wasn't easy. There hasn't been an easy day since the new addition has arrived. There has been less hard but never not hard.  My refuel came when I had to wake my poor husband up early from sleeping (he's working nights) because both kids were screaming again & I just couldn't handle it any longer, especially on 3 hours of broken up sleep. I just couldn't. I refused to yell at my 2yr old any more for not listening to me. I refused to let my infant see me cry anymore as I fed him. So, as I'm streaming tears & getting dressed for my escape I see my toes. These nasty lookin...

I cooked this for the second time last night & had to share this! So delish & no mess!  You can substitute chicken if you are not a fan of fish.  *Pre-heat oven to 450 *Make a packet out of foil *In only one layer, spread out a serving of asparagus. I prefer fresh asparagus & our "one serving" is half a "bunch".  Half a bunch is a good bit to eat but I don't cook other sides with it.  *Drizzle 1 Tbsp of olive oil over asparagus & then season. I prefer a  little salt, a dash of pepper & a sprinkle of garlic powder . *Place frozen fish (or chicken) over asparagus then sprinkle 1 Tbsp of olive oil over fish. Use your regular seasoning for fish. I prefer  a little salt, a dash of pepper, a sprinkle of garlic powder, some paprika, lemon juice & dried parsley flakes.  *Close packet & fold up sides   *Bake for approximately an hour- testing your meat with a themometer to ensure it's cooked thoroughly. The asparagus is so ...

If you know me or have read these blogs... then you know that my daughter has never been a big sleeper. I have been seriously envious of the moms whose babies slept all the time! I wish I had done this sooner! It would've probably been easier if she was younger. Better late than never! We had made it to the point where Em slept 7 or 8 hours a few nights a week & the other nights she would wake up 1-4 times. She napped a couple hours about half of week days.  And quite frankly... I was satisfied with that after a year of living with hardly any sleep (insomnia during pregnancy straight to a baby that hated sleep).  But around her 6 month mark when she started getting VERY spoiled... that changed. She wanted ME all the time & of course I gave her what she wanted. Sleeping became a struggle for her. She started to wake up every time I laid her down. Night & day. She would only sleep with me. I was growing weary. She would nap 10-30 mins at a time, a few times a day....

For this to be successful you must dye something lighter than the tea. I've heard it works with other color/flavor tea but I used regular ole Lipton!  I wanted to revamp the best booties ever! Love these things, the baby couldn't pull them off like socks & they weren't cheap. Plus they were super cute & soft! They were a light cream but had become dingy around the heel. I tried cloroxing them several times but couldn't get them back looking new.  I was looking on Pinterest on the best way to dye fabric & discovered "tea dyeing". I saw where people have dyed their table cloths, curtains, clothes etc. to get that perfect burlap/country chic color. So, I gave it a try & I love the results! A perfect tan color. I can use these with the next baby & they will go with everything! I l ove the results! A perfect tan color. I can use these with the next baby & they will go with everything! *Follow these steps with a swatch first*   1) Boil a few ...