My Favorite Pregnancy Snacks

One of the biggest changes in my life since becoming pregnant is my constant desire to eat!

I am not typically a big snacker. I am a “three meals a day and a snack before dinner” type of person, always have been. I never really got hungry enough to snack during the day, and if I did, I would ignore it until it was meal time.

Not. any. more. I am hungry ALL the time, and this hunger is not like any hunger I’ve ever experienced. It’s urgent and immediate. I cannot wait to until meal time to eat, usually I can’t even wait 5 minutes to eat!

It is super important to keep healthy snacks around for when these hunger pangs strike so that you can give your body (and baby) the nutrients you (and they) need!

Here is a quick list of snacks that we now keep stocked at the Weir household.

Pregnancy Snacks:

Larabars (Cherry Pie and Peanut Butter Cookie are my favorite) 

While I wish these were organic, I love the fact that they only have 4-6 ingredients in them. They are all natural and a great source of protein and nutrients! They are also gluten free, and have a lot of dairy free flavors!

Ener-G Foods Sesame Pretzel Rings 

These are great for the first trimester when you can’t hold anything down. They are a great gluten free substitute for Saltines.

Organic Apples w/ Organic Peanut Butter

It’s probably the time of year I’m pregnant as well, but apples with peanut butter are one of my favorite snacks lately. The peanut butter gives you a great amount of protein, which is super important during pregnancy. Don’t forget to get organic peanut butter though! (Peanuts are one of the most sprayed foods out there!)

Organic Corn Chips

 

We get a big bag from Costco. Another great mild food for when nothing else sounds good. Easy to pack as a snack or to keep by your bed for those middle of the night hunger attacks!

Cherry Tomatoes and Carrot Sticks

This is definitely a second trimester snack. I wouldn’t have been able to even look at these foods in my first trimester. Getting vegetables back into your diet in your second trimester is super important, and these snacks are great starting point! Any veggies you can stomach would be great to add to this list!

Stretch Island Organic Fruit Leather 

Sometimes you just gotta have something sweet. These treats are a great healthy option for when the sweet tooth kicks in, as they contain no added sugar or artificial ingredients!

Applesauce 

This another great sweet snack, that is super easy on the stomach, and feels great on the throat if you get a cold or sore throat while pregnant. My first 8 weeks, I had a constant sore throat and I lived on this stuff.

There are so many other great ideas for snacks out there, but these are the ones that I have found to be the most helpful (and easiest) to have on hand.

Curious what foods I’ve been craving since being pregnant? I’m sorry to disappoint, but not very many. I am kind of bummed that I didn’t get any of those weird cravings! I would love to freak people out by asking for pickles and ice cream, but ewww!! The biggest craving I have had is actually Skittles! I am definitely not a big candy fan normally, and if I do ever want candy, it’s typically Jelly Belly’s or gummy candies (think peachy-o’s or those blue shark gummies!) But right now?  I am all about the Skittles!. I am trying to be good and ignore the craving most of the time, but I have had a bag or two :) 

I am still dealing with lots of aversions, such as animal protein (of all kinds), coffee, the smell of red wine, spinach and most Asian foods (especially teriyaki). I’m not sure if these will last my whole pregnancy, but for now, I am simply avoiding them when I can!

What We Have Been Eating Every Night....

 

If you missed our big announcement, you can check it out here.

As I mentioned, our little tater tot has had me completely worn out for the past 8 weeks or so. I would wake up tired, go through work exhausted, come home, lay on the couch until about 7:00 PM, when I would then get ready for bed and I was out of the rest of the night.

I’m not sure if all pregnant women get this amount of exhaustion, but I think that this is the worst pregnancy symptom I’ve had. I am so lucky to have escaped the non stop vomiting and nausea.  I did have some slight nausea and some strong food aversions, but for the most part, my stomach behaved itself quite nicely!

During my first trimester, I absolutely dreaded the thought of cooking and making dinner every night. Most food smells were too strong for me to handle, and I was so worn out I didn’t want to move.

This being the case, we had breakfast for dinner, like every. single. night.

I tried to switch it up by making gluten free pancakes, omelets, eggs sunny side up, tater tots, bacon, or whatever combination of breakfast food I had in the house. Thank God for sweet husband, who LOVES breakfast food and was happy to eat it every night.

Eggs are a great source of protein, especially for a momma that gags at the site of any kind of animal protein (that is still me.) They also have a very low odor and can be prepared a number of different ways. They have definitely been a life saver for me the past two months!

I am happy to report that this week has brought about new energy, and my stomach is much more relaxed than it was. I have been able to cook again and enjoy a lot of the foods I did previously. I have a lot of new recipes coming soon (including a pumpkin muffin recipe that is to die for!)

Also, just for fun, here are a few pictures of my sweet niece, Madalyn  who is 4.5 months old. She is such a sweet, lovely baby! Totally chunky and adorable!

Why I've been such a terrible blogger lately

Oy.

It has been MONTHS since I have blogged consistently and I feel like I owe you all a little explination.

 

 

This little tater tot has had me worn out to the max!!!

Yes, Michael and I are expecting our first baby in April of 2012!

I am 13 weeks today (which means yes, I was pregnant when I wrote this blog and didn't even know it!)

I am finally starting to feel like my normal self and hopefully regular blogging (and cooking, my poor husband!) will commence shortly!

We feel so blessed to be the parents of this little peanut and couldn't be more excited for the future! For now, I am focusing on eating healthy, and giving this little baby everything it needs from momma!

This is how we announced it on our facebook page:

Yes, I did mess up when making the shirt, I wrote "2011"instead of "2012" oops!

An Epiphany

My husband and I have been married for over a 1 year and a half now. We are at the stage of our life where we are ready to take on children and parenting and are eager to start our little family.

As we are on this journey, things didn’t happen quite like I had planned(I can’t image why not :) ). I thought we would get pregnant the first month we tried and that everything would be just hunky dory. Well, surprise, it’s been multiple months, and still no baby.

I admit, I was crushed that first month when I realized we weren’t pregnant and that my “perfect plan” wasn’t coming to fruition.

My husband and I have been praying every night “Lord, bless us with a baby” or similar and have been crossing our fingers every month that I would get a positive test. While I do believe that God absolutely wants to grant us the desires of our heart and praying this way is what we are supposed to do bibically, I had an "ah-ha" moment today while praying this. 

While praying today, the Lord reminded me of a lesson I’ve had to learn before.

If you’ve read my about me section, you know that before I met my husband, the Lord had quietly urged me to stop dating and to focus on my relationship with Him and fixing some of my personal issues. The Lord showed me that I had some things I needed to work on personally and spiritually before I was ready to be a wife. I fought the Lord on this for awhile, but as soon as I gave up control, and let Him work in my life, He graciously brought Michael into my life and blessed me with the wonderful marriage we have today.

However, if I wouldn’t have let God mold and shape me during those months before I met Michael, I would not be prepared to be in a marriage relationship, or to be a good wife.

As I sat praying for a child today, I was reminded that maybe, I’m not done learning how to be a good wife; that God still has lessons he needs me to learn and areas to I need to grow in before I can take on the challenge of being a good wife AND a good mom.

Just as God urged me to give up my desire of a husband back then, maybe I need to give up my desire to be a mom right now, so that I can grow and learn in the areas where I’m not ready for motherhood.

I don’t know about you, but when I do have children, I want to be the best parent I can be. I want to be a godly influence in their life, an encourager, supporter, challenger and role model in their life. I truly believe that I cannot be any of those things if I don’t let God mold me into the person he needs me to be.

God doesn’t give you what you want, He gives you what you need. I want to be given what I need to be a good wife. I want to be the best wife I can possibly be for my husband. I want this so that I can bless my husband, and also, so that when I do have to take on the role as mom, I can embrace that full-heartedly without worrying that I am neglecting my role as my husband’s partner.

So today, my new prayer is that God would mold me into the person he wants me to be. That I would learn the lessons He needs me to learn so that I can be the best wife I can be, and when His timing is right, the best mom I can be.

Today, I am delaying my desire to be a mom, for the greater desire of being formed in the image of my Savoir and Creator.

“ I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” – Jeremiah 29:11

Madalyn Jane Fay - My new niece

 
I got to meet a very special little girl yesterday.

My niece, Madalyn, was born at 4:36 PM on May 27th.

She was 7 lbs 6 oz

19 inches long

perfectly healthy, and incredibly sweet

Kim did an AWESOME job during labor

and daddy is madly in love

We couldn't be more in love with this little girl!

Couponing vs. Whole Food

During the past year, I started following a LOT of couponing blogs and dove head first into the world of couponing. I did this for two reasons:

1.) I love bargains / saving money!

2.) I was enticed by the promise of $ 5.00 grocery trips.

Now, let’s be clear: I think people who can leave a grocery store with bags of food for $ 5.00 are amazing, but shopping like that is not as easy or as common as it looks!  They spend A LOT of time planning their trips, splitting up their transactions, clipping coupons and organizing to be able to accomplish what they do.

I started couponing several months ago. I went in head first, and I caught on pretty quick! I quickly learned what stores to frequent, what websites posted the best deals, when to visit stores and how to score the biggest deals. As I have begun my journey into the couponing world I have had a bit of an internal struggle with the whole concept.

Let me share what I am struggling with: 

1.) Is the stuff that I am buying, even if I am getting is super cheap, stuff I want in my home, body or belly?
Most of the food that people are typically getting for free or close to, are either full of gluten, dairy, soy, ect, or they are completely processed and full of junk. These are foods I would never bring into my home if I couldn't get them from free.

2.) Do I want to buy something with a coupon rather than buy organic, whole food that I believe is better for my health?
Am I choosing to buy processed food, that is full of preservatives, chemicals, soy, corn and sugar, simply because I can get them cheaper, rather than investing in good, whole food that will nourish and bless my body?


3.) Feeling guilty if I don't buy something with a coupon.
Have I started feeling guilty about buying whole, natural food, when I could have gotten a processed/non-organic option at a lower price with a coupon? 

Does any of this sound familiar to you? While it is enticing to collect a big stack of coupons and bravely dare the treacherous world of couponing, to emerge a money saving machine, is it worth the sacrifice of feeding our bodies real, whole food?

After a few months of battling the questions above, I have come to the conclusion that it's all about balance. 

I have made peace with the fact that, for my family, eating whole (mostly organic) food and using organic products is a bigger priority than shaving a few dollars off of our budget.

I am able to find some great coupons for organic foods and products and I use those every chance I get! Check out this site for some great organic coupons.

I also keep an eye out for deals that I can stock up on such a toilet paper, paper towels, toothbrushes, and the like. These are items that I can typically get for next to nothing, and they don't create any compromise in our whole food goal, and we save a lot of money by using coupons to purchase these items.

For me, I needed to make sure that couponing didn’t affect my quality of life. While I love saving money by using coupons, I hated that I was compromising on buying whole, natural food and was buying junk that my body doesn’t need. Also, I was starting to stress out if I missed out on a certain deal because I got their too late or my coupon expired. While couponing within boundaries can be a wonderful thing, it’s good to make sure you are not putting added stress into your life by engaging in it.

Couponing and natural living can go hand in hand! I believe it takes a healthy balance between the two, couponing for only items you would buy without a coupon and sticking to your guns regarding your beliefs!

Our Hearts are in China: Adoption

And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.

-Matthew 18:5

In January of 1998, my life was drastically changed. It was in that month that my aunt returned from China with a new, beautifully sweet baby girl. Olivia Chase Xiao Ming was the most adorably sweet, curious and beautiful little thing I had ever seen. My family watched her every day while my aunt worked in the following years, and I absolutely fell in love with her.

Olivia and I - 1999

To this day, Olivia and I are more like sisters than cousins. She is now 15 years old, incredibly smart, athletic, and still as strikingly beautiful as she was 13 years ago when I first laid eyes on her. We still spend a lot of time together, and I treasure that time, as it brings us closer together and reminds me of what God laid on my heart all those years ago.

Olivia and I at my wedding (she was a bridesmaid) - 2010

As my aunt went through the adoption process, I was fascinated by the whole thing. I decided to have Chinese Adoption be the thesis of my big 9^th grade project (in my school district we did our big project as freshman, not seniors).

Through that process (learning about all the children in there are in orphanages in China (95% + girls), the lack of physical and emotional love they receive, the hard life that the girls that aren’t adopted face when they are too old for the orphanages, and the other huge challenges that face these kids), my heart changed.

I knew that someday, I wanted to adopt my very own little girl from China. I knew this wasn’t just a whim, but it was a desire that God specifically laid on my heart. I’ve never doubted that, and to this day, the pull is just as strong, if not stronger to adopt. I am so lucky to have met a man who wants to adopt and now, it is our desire.

Chinese adoptions are very expensive, upwards of $30,000.00. The adoption process is also very emotionally and physically draining. It takes about 3 years from beginning to end. There are a lot of stipulations that couples have to meet before they are approved to adopt, one of them being that each person in the couple must be at least 30 years old when they start the adoption process.

This means that we have a good 5 years before we can even start the process, which puts us out 8 years until we can hold our baby girl in our arms, in the best case scenario.

However, there are things that we can do today to get ready to welcome our little girl into our home.

1.)   

We are already saving for the huge expense of adopting. This gives us plenty of time to save up so that we can bring her home without having to go into debt to do so.

2.) 

We are continually lifting our daughter up in prayer (as we do for all our futures kids). While it is likely that she is not even born yet, we pray that she will be safe, happy, loved and protected until we get to meet her. That Jesus would be with her and wrap her in His love and bring her safely to us.That he would banish any feelings of abandonment, feeling unloved or unwanted.

3.) 

We trust God that He will provide financially and emotionally and guide us as we go through the adoption process. I believe that God laid this desire on our hearts and that He will guide us through the process, act on our behalf, and begin paving the way and clearing any obstacles before we even know about them.

One of my husband’s patients has two adopted children from China. We have loved hearing their story and testaments on adoption. On their last trip to China, they brought us this beautiful QiPao for our future daughter. Before they adopted their first child, they hung one of these in their home, as a reminder of the little life they were working so hard for. We have done this same thing.

Even though our little girl isn’t born yet, will live thousands of miles away for the first part of her life, and has no idea we want her so desperately, we already love her more than anything.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” - James 1: 27

Baby Shower for my Niece

Kim and I

My brother and sister-in-law are having a baby! They are due June 4^th, 2011. Needless to say, we are very excited about welcoming this sweet baby girl into the world!

This is my brother’s first (and probably last) child, so this is going to be my only niece or nephew, which makes this sweet baby girl that much more special! They are still deciding on a name, so for now, she is just baby Fay (my maiden name). She is also the first grandchild for my parents!

Derek and Kim (my bro and sis-in-law) have decided to go with yellow and green as the main colors for the nursery, with some pale purple as well.

Some of the presents!

It was so fun to watch Kim open all the gifts and to see them blessed in such a way! We all know that having a baby is quite the expenditure, and the gifts were a huge blessing to them!

Kim opening gifts

As for the party and the food, my mom and I wanted to keep things fairly simple and short, so we were with wonderful finger foods, such as, mini chili rellenos, a veggie tray, fruit tray, apricot tartlets, pigs in a blanket, chips with a wonderful Mexican cheesecake dip, and two different kinds of cup cakes (none of this was gluten or dairy free, but everyone loved the food!) My cousin, mom and I made all the food and the cupcakes and had a blast figuring it all out!

Our spread ( this is a terrible picture, it was so sunny, I couldn't get the glare out of it!)

For games we decided to play three different kinds. First, we did a baby word scramble, which is pretty much your typical baby shower game.

Second, we passed out a small pack of playdoh for each lady at the shower, along with an appetizer size plate. The ladies had 2 minutes to shape their playdoh into a baby. After the two minutes, Kim went around and got to pick which baby she thought was the best one. It was pretty funny to see some of the “babies” that were made. Let’s just say that art isn’t everyone’s strong point! (It’s definitely not mine!)

 

Guests making their playdoh babies

For the last game, we had picked out 10 different kinds of baby food, everything from bananas to turkey with vegetables (YUCK!). We took the labels off of the food, numbered them, and passed them around the room. The ladies had to guess what each food was by only looking and smelling the food, they couldn’t taste it. This game was a big hit as well!

My, Kim and my Mom

This party was such a fun way to begin the welcoming of baby Fay into the world. I will be sure to post pictures and information as soon as she arrives! She will be a very loved little girl! I just can’t wait to meet her!

Living in the Moment

"Somebody is in the hospital begging God for the opportunity you have right now. Step into your moment."  -TD Jakes

 

My husband found this quote yesterday, and it inspired me.

How much of life do we take for granted? How often do we forget to step into the moment and instead spend them longing for either the past or the future? God has really laid this concept on my heart the past few months. This must mean he is trying to teach me something! 

I realized a few months back, that I had spent most of my life wanting to be in my next stage of life. When I was single, I just wanted to be married, now that I’m married I want to be a mom. When I lived with my parents, I wanted my own apartment, now that I have an apartment, and I want to own my own home, ect, ect. The list goes on and on of things we once wanted, we got, and now we want the “next best thing”

How do I ever expect to be truly happy, to radiant the Lord’s joy for the rest of the world if I am not content with where He has placed me TODAY?

It’s easy to let all the circumstances surrounding us pull us away from living life to the fullest. My family is going through a really hard time right now, and I admit I have let that distract me from every other aspect of my wonderful life.

Everyone has heard it a million times, “count your blessings”. Easier said than done, right? How many of you stop each day to thank the Lord for your blessings? To thank Him for putting you where you are right now? You may quickly graze over a few of them in your evening prayers, if you are anything like me, but how often do you actually stop and think about everything we have to be thankful for?

There are millions of people all over the world who are dying, who are living at poverty levels that we cannot even comprehend, without food and water, yet we complain when we don’t get that new phone we wanted, or if our internet connection is too slow, or if the restaurant we go to gives us poor service.

I wanted to take a moment to make a list of things that I never remember to be thankful for. Take a moment to read through all of these things that we are blessed with everyday, that people all over the world are living without, maybe even create a list of your own.

My Thankful List

• A safe, reliable car
• A Mattress and a box spring
• a multitude of warm blankets
• a drawer full of socks and underwear
• a washing machine (or access to one somewhere) to wash my clothes clean
• a phone to keep in touch with the people I love
• a fully stocked kitchen – fridge, oven, microwave and sink
• kitchen cabinets that are FULL of healthy, life giving food
• clean drinking water that is filtered and won’t threaten my life
• shoes for my feet
• the fact that I don’t need to take any medicine on a daily basis
• I can praise and serve my Jesus whenever and wherever I want to
• A family that loves and supports me
• Friends I can lean on and trust in
• soap to wash my body and my hands when they are dirty
• Knives, plates, forks to eat and prepare my food on/with
• A safe place to call home that keeps out bugs, intruders and animals
• The ability to see, hear, speak and walk
• The ability to learn freely and unlimited access to knowledge
• Lungs that move in and out all day long J
• contact and glasses for my eyes so that I can see everyday
• Money in the bank, no matter how little, there is some there
• The ability to read and write
• A computer (or access to one) to use at my free will
• A copy of my very own Bible that I can read whenever I want
• A closet full of clothes to keep me warm and safe from the elements
• A mother-in-law who I love and get along with so well
• A job that I like and helps to pay the bills
• A church family – the ability to go to church
• a full head of hair that I can wash as often as I please
• Access to knowledge to discover my allergies and to correct them so I can feel healthy all the time
• Access to music to fill my heart and my mind
• The ability to raise as many children as we see fit, in the way we see fit
• The ability to type
• Electricity through my entire home and day
• Power to run my electronics
• Hot water
• Free time – to do whatever I want, to have fun and be me
• A personality that is uniquely mine
• A close relationship with Jesus
• Paper to write one, or print on
• Toothbrush and paste to clean my teeth and mouth
• Access to medicine when I need it
• Access to doctoral care, when I need it
• Health insurance to help cover medical costs when they arise
• Parents who love me and have always taken care of me and my family
• A Spouse who is faithful to me and love me with all their heart
• The ability to smile, on a daily basis, because I have things to smile about
• And the list goes on and on and on

Clearly this is just smattering of all the things I have to be thankful for, and I am sure that you can be thankful for most everything listed above as well.

So next time you get wrapped up in anger or frustration over the fact that the phone bill is $ 4.59 higher than you think it should be, or the fact that your spouse/roommate made a mess and didn’t clean it up and life’s not fair, stop and think about how fair life really is of us, and how incredibly lucky you are to have that moment.

You are not guaranteed the next moment in life, so enjoy the one you have RIGHT NOW!

"What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don't be afraid of missing out. You're my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.” – Luke 12: 29-32

Good Friday

In the modern world we call today “Good Friday” but I can bet, 2000 years ago, this day was called anything but good.

Jesus Christ, who many of his followers thought was there to bring their nation back to peace and order and to set up his Kingdom right then, was crucified. He was hung on a cross (the common death sentence for murders, rapists, ect) and brutally beat, all because be “claimed” to be the King of Jews. He was killed for being himself, nothing more. Not only did they loose the hope that their nation would be restored to peace, but they lost their leader and their friend. Truly, there was nothing good about that day. 

Of course, this was all part of God’s plan. He knew that Jesus would be rejected by man, betrayed by man and eventually killed by man. But he sent his son regardless, because He had a mission – to save us. To unite us forever -- with Himself!

As a Christian, today weighs heavy on my heart. Today is the day that my sweet savior chose to die for me. To face a brutal death, so that I may live.

The rest of the story goes on to say that He did indeed rise again, on Easter Sunday, to conquer death and to unite us with our Heavenly Father in a way that was never possible before. He bridged the gap between heaven and earth and took our sins upon himself so we didn’t and don't have to bear them.

But today, just today, my heart is a little heavy. Today was the day that they lead my father, my best friend, my closest confidant, and my savior up the hill to the cross and today is the day he died…. for me.

“This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.

He never did one thing wrong,  Not once said anything amiss.

They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you're named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.”  – 1 Peter 2: 21-25

Our Story on Featured on Money Saving Mom!

Photo Property of Moneysavingmom.com

One of my favorite blogs, Money Saving Mom, does a feature every Friday about real people who paid cash for large purchases, vacations, weddings, ect.

My husband and I committed to paying cash for our wedding and our honeymoon, and today, my story is being shared on Money Saving Mom's blog!

Check it out here!

Making Jesus a Priority

I have to admit that I have not been reading my bible or spending quiet time with the Lord on a regular basis the past few months. I know, I know, shame on me! I don’t need anyone to remind me how important it is to make quiet time with the Lord a priority, because when I don’t, I feel it in every aspect of my life!

When life gets busy or hectic, it can be easy to let your time with the Lord slip to the back burner or become a low priority. However, I feel it is just as easy when life is quieter, when the pace of life has slowed down, and we find ourselves idly wasting time on whatever-else-is-out-there. This is where I am at right now. The past few months have had some hectic moments, but they have been filled with more free time than not and more time to spend with Jesus than other months allow.

What is it in us that pulls us towards TV, the internet, time with friends/family or reading rather than pulling us toward Jesus? I wish I knew the answer to this question. If I did, I would save myself a lot of wasted time, and could help you too! But I am at a loss...

Not only have I felt a bit of a disconnect in my relationship with the Lord lately, I have also been fighting a spirit of depression and of emptiness. I fight an internal struggle everyday to stay happy, positive and to accomplish the smallest of tasks. What makes this even harder? I am doing it alone. I have not been leaning on Jesus like I need to, so I really have been trying to fight all of this all on my own. What an udder waste of time! As if I can change anything I have been battling on my own. Only Jesus can heal my heart and fill me up.

Have you noticed that when your relationship with the Lord falls to the back burner everything else in your life seems harder, more disorganized, and getting through the day is a struggle? There is a reason for that! God is the one who holds our life together, and when we let go of the hand that is holding us together, we fall apart.

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. – Psalm 43:5

What I am realizing is that it will never be my nature to put down the book/turn off the TV and go into my room, open my bible and pray, until I make it a priority to do so everyday, and consciously make myself do it.

So, how does one make themselves keep a devotional time? Here are some ideas I am going to try:

1.)    Pick and time and set an alarm

Most all phones have alarm clocks in them. Pick a time of the day that works for you and set your alarm for this time. This will help you from getting distracted and forgetting about your quiet time

2.)    Have an accountability partner in your home

Do you have a roommate/spouse/child that you live with? Tell them that you would like to do your devotions every day at a certain time and ask them to help keep you accountable. Live alone? Ask a friend to text/call you everyday to keep you accountable.

3.)    Keep your bible on your pillow

Every morning, before you leave for the day, set your bible on your pillow. That way, if you forget to do your devotions during the day, it will be sitting there as a reminder before you lay down to sleep at night!

These are just a few ideas that will help keep me accountable. There are a lot of different ways that may work better for you!

There is such a peace in my life when I make God my first priority and right now, I miss that peace. God promises to walk through life with us, to help us, that we never have to fight through this world alone, and that’s a promise I want to take him up on! I know I can’t do life without him. I’m happiest when I’m closest to Jesus, so that’s where I am headed, closer to Him! Hope you will journey that way with me!

 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." John 14: ¹¹

Couponing Resources

One of the ways I strive to be a good steward of the resources that the Lord has blessed my family with is couponing.

Couponing seems to be really popular right now (the increase in grocery costs as well as the unemployment rate has something to do with that I'm sure!)

Because my family has such strict food requirements and because we are choosing to pursue whole natural food, natural cleaning products, ect, I am not one of those couponers who can get $500 worth of groceries for $4.35. There are people out there who can do that, and it amazes me! However, I have learned that with the lifestyle we are pursuing, that is not going to be a possibility for my family... and that's okay! I don't need to get every single deal I see, I would waste money, rather than save money if I did that! I have learned to target deals that work for my family and our needs.

I will occasionally get a few items (even if my family doesn't need them) if they are free after coupons, that I will stock up and donate to a local food bank, or my church. I may not be able to use them, but the Lord has given me the resources to get them for other people and bless them!

I can, however, save a few dollars here and there, which really help shave precious dollars off of our grocery shopping budget, and our household goods budget.

I mostly use coupons on household items, gifts (such as baby items, wedding gifts, birthday gifts, ect), and some food. Using coupons I have been able to save about $ 50.00/month off of food and household/personal items.

Here are some of the resources that I use to help me coupon in the most effective way, I hope these help you too!

Blogs that list  coupons, match-ups, deals and deal ideas:

http://www.couponconnectionsnw.com

http://www.moneysavingmom.com/

http://www.familyfriendlyfrugality.com

http://www.krazykouponlady.com/

http://savingnaturally.com/

Websites where you can print coupons:

http://smartsource.com/

http://www.coupons.com

http://www.redplum.com/

http://coupons.target.com

http://www.cellfire.com/

Other Resources for Manufactures Coupons:

Red Plumb (comes in your mail box, typically on Tuesdays)

Smart Source (comes in the Sunday paper)

Company’s Facebook Pages

Company’s Websites

All You Magazine (found only at Walmart)

Catalinas (the long coupons that print out at grocery store check out)

Best Local Stores for deals:

Rite Aid

Walgreens

Target

Albertsons

Fred Meyer

Walmart

Amazon.com (It’s an Online store, but has lots of great discounts!)

One Day Deal Websites:

www.groupon.com

www.livingsocial.com

www.homerun.com

www.eversave.com

www.onesaleaday.com

http://www.shop4freebies.com

www.tippr.com

www.moolala.com

www.nomorerack.com

Websites for used items:

http://seattle.craigslist.com

www.ebay.com

www.freecycle.org/group/US/Washington 

How to Adapt "Normal"Recipes into Allergy-Friendly Recipes

When you live in a household where you have dairy, gluten and soy allergies, you learn very quickly how to adapt “normal” or “classic” recipes into allergy-friendly recipes.

This is one things I have prided myself on over the last few years. I can take just about any recipe and make it not only allergy-friendly, but much healthier.

I was thinking about this today, and I realize that some of you may not have allergies in your home, but have dinner guests who do have allergies, or are raising kids who are just developing allergies and you may not be as well adjusted to this practice.

I wanted to take the time to share with you some really basic substitutions for classic meals that can be allergy friendly and offer some basic substitution recommendations.

Allergy: Gluten

Substitution:

All-Purpose flour – Any Gluten Free All-purpose flour (Bob’s Red Mill is the most popular and can be found in most any grocery store) (also, please note you will need either xanthan gum or guar gum to make the flour work)

Pasta – Brown Rice Pasta (can be found at Trader Joes, Fred Meyer, QFC, ect)

Tortillas – Corn Tortillas (make sure they don’t have any wheat in the ingredients)

Chips – Either Corn Chips or Potato chips (make sure the seasoning doesn’t contain gluten in the ingredients on the back of the bag)

Bread – Udi’s Gluten Free Bread can be found at a lot of stores, Fred Meyer, QFC, ect, some times gluten free bread is found in the freezer section, with the organic foods)

Allergy: Dairy

Substitution:

Butter: Coconut Oil (can be found in the natural food section or online) or Vegetable Palm Shorting.

Heavy Cream: Full Fat Coconut Milk

Milk: Coconut Milk, Almond Milk, Rice Milk (I do not recommend soy milk)

Sour Cream: Cashew-Cream 

Cheese: Daiya Shreds (can be found only at Whole Foods, PCC, ect) or Goat Cheese (make sure your guest can have Goat cheese, contains no lactose, but does affect some allergy suffers)

Allergy: Eggs

Substitution: Ener-G Egg Substitute (for baking only), or 1-2 tsp Chai Seed Meal (ground up Chai Seeds) mixed with hot water, combine until stringy, per egg (for baking only)

Allergy: Nuts

Substitution:

Peanut Butter: Sunflower Butter (available at most stores)

Nuts: Seeds!

Allergy: Soy

Substitutions:

Soysauce: Coconut Aminos (can be found at health food store of Online)

Soy Milk: ANY OTHER KIND OF MILK (please do this anyway!)

Soybean Oil: Coconut Oil

Allergy: Shellfish

I don’t have any ideas. Probably just to avoid shellfish and eat other types of protein!

Although most recipes can use some of these replacements, not every recipe is going to ideal for guests with allergies. If you are having a guest over who has a dairy allergy, I wouldn’t recommend trying to make a dairy-free lasagna (if you do, and are successful, let me know!) Just as if, you are having a guest over who can’t have eggs, I wouldn’t recommend making omelets with one of the options above!

However, if you are having a guest over for dinner, or have a child with a gluten allergy, making spaghetti with brown rice noodles would be a fabulous replacement. Or, if you are making cheeseburgers for a dairy-free friend, adding goat or Daiya shreds to their burger would be wonderful!

Here is an example of a “classic” recipe that I will change into an allergy-friendly recipe.

Meatloaf:

Ingredients in the Classic Recipe:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1/3 cup ketchup

Ingredients in the Allergy- Friendly Recipe:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 -2 Tsp Chai Seed and Hot water (egg replacement)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup coconut milk (milk replacement)
• 1 cup Gluten Free Oats (bread crumb replacement)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar ( would also replace this for Turbando to make it healthier!)
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1/3 cup ketchup

See? That was so simple, and with a few adjustments, you can make just about any meal for any guest.

Want another example?

Chicken Parmesan:

Ingredients in the Classic Recipe:

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 slices mozzarella cheese, or more
• 1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce

Ingredients in the Allergy-friendly recipe:

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
• Ener-G Egg Replacer (egg replacement)
• 1/2 Almond Milk (milk replacement)
• Gluten Free Bread, cooked and crumbed, or GF flour (breadcrumb replacement)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Sliced Goat Cheese or Daiya Shreds (cheese substitute)
• 1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce

I hope this helps ease the cooking process as you ease into allergy-friendly cooking!

The Ultimate Super Dad

My husband and I are in the middle of Financial Peace University, by Dave Ramsey (more information on this amazing class here) and in this week’s lesson, Dave said something that really challenged my thinking and was really, wise!

Dave was talking about debt and some of the tops ways to get out of debt. On his list was “Prayer really works” when he was explaining this step, he said the following (or close to it, I don’t have a word for word quote)

What I’ve come to realize is that God really loves me. I’m made in his image and he loves me more than anything. And ya know what? He’s rich, like really rich. If you were in huge financial trouble, and your dad was a billionaire, you would go ask him for help. Well, your Father is richer than that. Ask him.

This got me thinking. What else don’t we take to the Lord in prayer? Are you having car troubles? Is your child(ren) misbehaving? Are you struggling in your marriage? Do you have a desire to get away on a vacation which you feel will never happen? Wanting to get pregnant and you cant?

Remember that God is the ultimate Auto Mechanic, the most super of all super nannies, the best marriage counselor available, the most renowned travel agent and finest fertility doctor the world has ever known. Feel free to insert your own struggle above, and I guarantee you that God is the best at fixing that too!

There is such a large disconnect in our lives when we don’t take our struggles, issues, hopes, dreams wishes, ect. to God. He is waiting up there to answer our prayers and to help us to live life to the fullest, we simply need to ask him.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7