Perfection is not our goal, living the way God intended us to live is.
Since I love to read and also want to connect with homemakers online and hopefully in person, I started a group on Goodreads. Women only 🙂 Faith based Homemakers I hope you will join us for fun and a way to connect outside of social media. I would love to meet everyone in person one day.
Have a blessed day!
I read a lot of books. I’ve been a lover of books for so long and finally was able to get my husband to enjoy reading. Now he reads more than me. I dream of a huge library at our home, if we ever buy one again. I dream of a library that has a ladder, darker mood and velvet seating. Comfy and with candles everywhere around the room. So far, we have two bookshelves full and that is after we have donated a lot of books. Which I now wish we did not donate. I hope to go through the books I have read and share more down the road. I wanted to share these 3 books I am reading currently, and I highly recommend.
Giving your child a life worth living for Christ.
My favorite quote so far from this book is
Life giving parenting is all about creating a home for your children that is loving, enlightened, and alive with the presence and life of God.
What has come to light in the past 11 years of me being a homemaker is that I am made for this at this time, and I need to stop looking outward. I have literally applied for over 100 jobs and have gotten turned down. And I believe it is by the Grace of God that I have not started working outside the home. In the time I am home, I can be a life-giving mom that is the fruit of the spirit and also present. Sally’s books are so special for me and help me want to be a softer and more feminine woman. Which is not what I grew up with, I pray I can change that quickly. I have a few of her books, and Lord willing will be able to buy more as our finances allow. You can purchase her book here The Life Giving Parent
Updated and Expanded
The 40-day health experience that will change your life forever
This book I heard about from a podcast he was on. I was intrigued and bought his book that day. Jordan speaks about his journey of being incredibly sick and was able to eat like they did in the Bible and essentially healed himself. It is fascinating! If you have any health issues, please check this book out. I believe it is something that so many people can benefit from. We will be implementing some and hopefully all of his advice in this book. Baby steps! You can buy his book here The Maker’s Diet
25 Ways God’s character leads us onward
I have a lot of Ruth’s books, a lot! She is amazing and I love her writing. I have had to return a lot of authors books due to me not liking how they write. I have never returned Ruth’s books. Her illustrations are beautiful, and her words just flow so gracefully. I am reading this book to our boys at breakfast, and it is a blessing. It is a great lesson to learn before going off to school. Today we read chapter 5, A transformation that enables you. The verse that goes with it is Ezekiel 36:26-27a I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit in you. All of her books are life giving. You can purchase her book here Pilgrim
Have a Blessed day.
Live joyful.
Live Healthy.
Welcome to my rebranding and republishing of my blog. It has been a long time coming and I am excited to get back into what I loved to do. Write and share. Coming soon will be recipes, home topics, health topics including my own struggles, budgeting and getting back on track. We have been through so much in the past 5 years and I am now ready to talk about it. Stay tuned, sign up to get notifications and thank you for stopping by.
Live Healthy.
Live Faithful.
Last night we had a family movie night, our boys absolutely love movie night. We had the typical junk food; Oreo’s, BBQ chips and sprite. Not my pick but the boys pick from the store. I do not promote these types of foods for our boys, but I do also bend a little bit so I am not that “strict mom”. I am also not the only one that makes decisions for our family, so there’s that. We rented Toy Story 2 since the boys haven’t watched it yet. Maverick proceeds to eat chips like he was in a food eating contest, drank his little cup of Sprite super-fast and had about 4 Oreo’s. We warned him and told him he would get sick if he didn’t stop inhaling his chips. A 5-year-old typically doesn’t have that mindset yet. I cringed watching him eat and just kept thinking that this is not a good idea. I hate seeing them eat crap food, I literally hate it. After the movie was done, apparently the Oreo’s were not put away, Maverick was running around the house eating Oreo’s. I just thought he was running around while I did the dishes. No, he was consuming more crap.
So, one may tell me, “You are the mom just take it away.” “Don’t buy these foods, the kids can’t buy it themselves” or “You can stop him from eating too much”. Well, I do have to remind people that in life you must choose your battles. And sometimes people just need a learning experience. For years I have been on my husband about our boy’s food and feel like a strict broken record. I go through fazes and eat strict healthy and then get a little lax on things. I take things away and then give it back. Yes, it all comes down to be my fault and I need to be more consistent.
Well, last night Maverick threw up. I did not know or hear it, my husband did. My husband had to clean it all up and said it was a learning experience. He also told our son that he needs to listen to us and that we are going to cut out junk food. A part of me was happy to hear that it was a wakeup call for them and the other part of me cringed at the damage his body went through. So, this morning I told my husband that we are going to do a 30-day challenge with our family. 30 days without junk sweets, soda and junk foods. Our timeline will be perfect, in 30 days we should be closing escrow on our new (to us) home. We can celebrate with homemade cookies, by then I should be able to find a healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe.
So, what does this look like for me as a mom? I am on a journey to be the “strict mom” of food that comes into our home. I have no choice. To add more veggies into our diets, healthy fats, healthy green smoothies without apple juice. To have less “snack foods” and to make sure our boys eat their meals. And living a healthier lifestyle that I have been craving for our family. This is such a great and exciting time of our lives, even though I may be the only one excited about being healthy.
If you have any healthy recipes, green smoothies or toddler foods that they love, please let me know.
To start off, we are foodies at heart. I love to cook, bake, eat chips and sweets. But as we age it starts getting harder and harder to control our weight. Our bodies start to hold onto fat and weight easier, that means we need to be more aware of what we eat and how we workout. Both me and my husband are feeling it so I’m changing our food intake and we are working out better. Of course we are not strict but I’ve made a few changes. I firmly believe that diet should be a balance of 80% healthy 20% not so healthy. That way when you change the food you eat you don’t binge because you miss EVERYTHING. At least that is what I have been finding out for ourselves. So we have committed to changing our diets and it isn’t just a New Years resolution, it’s a life change. I am making more of an effort and really enjoying it so far. I absolutely love shopping at Costco, they have a far better selection and it really saves us money. Especially since we all eating the same kind of meals. I also should add that we are doing more low carb and higher protein meals. Here is a look at what our breakfast have been so far and we all haven’t gotten sick of it yet. It’s delicious!!
Husband gets:
2 whole eggs, 4 egg white
1 Tbsp Salsa (picture below)
1 Tbsp Almond Milk (picture below)
2 Sausage patties (picture below)
Cooked in 1 Tbsp Kerrygold butter
Me:
1 Whole Egg, 2 Egg whites
2 tsp Salsa (picture below)
1 tsp Almond Milk (picture below)
1 Sausage Patty
Cooked in 1 Tbsp Kerrygold butter
4 Year old boy:
1 Whole Egg
1 Sausage Patty
Cooked in 1/2 Tbsp Kerrygold butter
1 Year old:
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup Frozen Blueberries
This is what works for us and may not for someone else but it’s something you can look at and try it out. Me and my hubby drink straight black coffee also. If you aren’t a fan of black coffee, I hear ya. But with a little patience and practice you can learn to love it! It is also way healthier than adding creamers and other junk. There are so many different brands, flavors, boldness and other factors to try out. I prefer Pete’s coffee or any other organic dark coffee. I also buy whole bean and grind it myself. Why? Because I have noticed the already ground coffee is oily and doesn’t have as much flavor. Just something to consider.
I also have to add, my 1 year old is extremely picky (shocking right?) and teething. He loves the blueberries because they taste good but also they help numb his teeth. He lives off of Dino nuggets and I’m fine with that….for now. That is why he eats cheese and blueberries for breakfast, don’t judge hahaha
Oh! Also, I started buying block cheddar cheese because it has way less ingredients. It seriously tastes SO much better! If you need quick stuff just pre-shred your cheese and put it in a glass container in the fridge. I won’t be going back to bagged shredded cheese ever again. It’s completely different and super yummy!!
I added pictures of the brands below that we made for breakfast. Of course it doesn’t have to be exact but this is what we use and it’s delicious. Everything is from Costco, it saves us a lot! I am usually not a fan of sausage but this is a no junk sausage patty. And the most delicious sausage patty I’ve ever had, seriously.
And always remember to mix things up. The day after I posted this blog post I made this:
I made our eggs with about 1 cup of cooked broccoli from last nights dinner and added avocado. Super delicious!
If you feel good, you look good.
I wanted to do a happy dance at Target yesterday, but I don’t like walking on store floors without shoes on LOL I have literally achieved a lifelong goal of losing weight and being in a size I’m comfortable at. I am officially in a size 4 in jeans and a s-xs size shirt. Blows my mind!
Even though I think some brands run bigger, I have never been this size before. When I got pregnant I was told by many women that I’d never lose weight again. I felt defeated. So I made it my ultimate goal to show everyone I could. Two kids and almost 5 years of marriage….goals met! Cheers to hard work and being a fitmom.
If you are pregnant and have been told this, don’t listen to those women. Maybe they are a bit bitter that they never lost the weight. I’m not entirely sure but don’t listen to them. When I got married I was a size 10 in jeans and a med-large shirt size. And I am now a size 4 and sm-xs. It can be done. In my lifetime, when I was single I even went up to a size 16. Yuck! I was incredibly unhealthy and I will never be that size again. I know people say it’s not the number that matters, but I know what I felt like to be that heavy and it was not fun. It uncomfortable.
I literally am not on any special weight loss program, don’t belong to a gym, just doing what I can and working out at their nap time. I fit in workouts when I can and snack all day. If you stick your mind to it you can achieve your goals. Even if you “don’t have time” there is literally time in everyone day to do something. Just think about everything you do in a day, I bet there time. Just make time 😉 At first it seems “hard” but it gets easier, I promise. Wake up 1 hour earlier…..everything is achievable when you stick your mind to it.
Time to go fit in my workout for the day 🤸🏼♀️
Live healthy
Live fit
Live Simple
Minimalism is something I have loved pretty much my entire life. I grew up living in a cluttered house and it wasn’t enjoyable for me. It may not bother most people and I completely understand, I also understand that most people think minimalism is boring. It means less stress and a cleaner environment to me. I wanted to share a bit about what we have done recently and throughout our marriage.
When we got married we had a lot of stuff! He had more stuff than me but it was a “we” team so that’s why I say “we” had a lot of stuff. Make sense? Ok, so…..we got pregnant two months after we got married. Fast, I know! Basically a year after we met, it was pretty stressful. We were still getting to know each other, you know? So anyway, we decided to buy a house. When we moved we rented a 29′ truck and had a few more trips with “stuff” and people put “stuff” in their cars and helped us. It was a lot! So we moved on in and it was a bit overwhelming trying to put things in places when you feel like it’s all just clutter. Well, we decided that getting out of debt was best for us. So we started following Dave Ramsey and we start our journey. First thing we did was put our budget and debt together and it was a shock to us! We were well over our heads with debt! And stuff!
First thing we did to get out of debt was getting rid of our car payment, we do not and still do not ever need a brand vehicle. Nice looking but not worth it! Second, we went through our stuff and literally sold 90% of it. We were able to pay off half our debt with just cutting our car payment out and getting money for all of our stuff. When we were done selling our stuff our house looked bare and it was amazing!! We decided to move to Virginia and we were able move in a 12′ truck and that was with a toddler too! Our truck was literally half full when we moved and we picked up stuff from his mom in Texas. Well, that stuff was stuff we didn’t need. So, when we got to Virginia we sold that stuff too. We bought a huge and bulky couch when we got to Virginia and just yesterday sold it. Thankfully we are not people that hold onto our stuff and like to be minimalists. It feels great, it’s stress free and it looks nice! I want to encourae anyone that would like to be a minimalist to step back and look at their stuff. Is it stuff you really need? Do you use it? If you haven’t used it in 6 months max, get rid of it. I completely understand that it is overwhelming (for the most part) at the beginning but I swear….it gets easier. I am posting a few pictures of what it looks like for us. The kids have a huge area to play and it’s completely easy to clean. I love to decorate and I’m working on it. But since we are in a rental and I’m staying on a minimalist budget, it might take me a while. Plus, I am extremely picky when it comes to decorating so that’s typically the hardest part. If you have any questions on where to start, how to start or anything just ask. I’m very open and honest.
Oh and by the way. I’ve actually been attacked on my way of living recently. I was told that I feel my way of living is the best. Well, for me it is but it’s not for everyone. If you feel it isn’t for you then that’s fine. We all have our ways of thinking and I can’t convince anyone to do what they don’t want to do. I’ve seen people come and complain to me because they don’t have money and scraping by, needing to get a job but yet they go out and buy a brand new vehicle. To each their own, right? Like our pastor just said yesterday; Quit lookin’ for an easy life, look for a better life-New Life Church Chantilly. Also, don’t complain about something without wanting to fix it. If you don’t want to fix it, don’t complain about it. I’m just sharing what we have gone through and hope it helps someone out there. I literally do not a lot of stress in my life and typically have a clean house all the time. So if it helps you, awesome! If not, now worries! We are just changing our family tree 😍
Live Minimal
Live Happy
Live Simple
My husband and I absolutely loves Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. I was about to make my normal Healthy No-bake Energy Bites and Simple To Make and thought….hmm maybe I can try to make a different version that everyone would love. Ya’ll!! They are SO good! They taste like oatmeal raisin cookie dough. De-licious!! I really hope you get to try them and let me know how you like them.
So I started out with the typical Oatmeal, peanut butter, flaxseed, honey, vanilla but this time I added; raisins and cinnamon. This time around I did not add a lot of cinnamon because I’ve done that before in recipes and it was not good. So to keep it on the “safe side” I added just enough. You can also tweak the recipe if you like more raisins and cinnamon. Oh and next time I’ll add my typical walnuts, I am out of those currently.
.
Ingredients:
1 cup Oatmeal
1/2 cup Natural Peanut Butter (smooth this time)
1/2 cup Flaxseed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup Organic Honey
2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup Organic Raisins
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Directions:
Put all ingredients in a food processor (I use a Ninja) and mix together. You’ll probably have to stop the mixer to scrap the sides to get it completely mixed together.
Once all mixed together, put it in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes and then form them into little bites.
I store them in a glass container and leave them in the fridge until I eat them.
Enjoy!!
Live Healthy
Live Simple
Yesterday I opened up Facebook and saw a post about an Estate sale. On that post it had a Proform treadmill for $60. I have been dreaming of getting a treadmill again. I know….weird. Treadmills are my thing! I love cardio, I know….weird! I really do though. It helps me lose weight and it honestly makes me happy. On my way home from riding my bike for cardio fun, I stopped by this estate sale. It had just opened and I asked the lady if it really was $60. Long story short, they wanted $65. I checked it out and it looked, sounded and an great! I put a hold on it and came back with my hubby and a vehicle to take it home. I cleaned it super good and just had a chance today to run on it.
Wow wow wee! I love it. This treadmill first cost $800 brand new and I get it for $60. It only had 443 miles on it and that’s nothing for a treadmill. In my opinion. Like I said in my last blog post, do what you love when it comes to exercise. Some people hate cardio, some people hate weights, some people just hate working out LOL Do something you love! I love cardio and taebo. Absolutely love. When I do those two workouts I feel my best!
Get up and go! Start somewhere! And find something you will love to do. One foot in front of the other my friend!
Happy Sunday everyone!
Live positive
Live healthy
Live simple!
I hear this a lot but it’s SO true!
Most people I follow on social media do their shopping over the weekend and food prep on Sunday. I absolutely love food prepping! But, it doesn’t always have to be on Sunday’s. I think having an expectation that cant be met throws people off a bit. That is when people say “Ill start next week” “Ill start on Monday” How bout you just start today! Sometime’s it is a mental thought process you just need to get through. Throughout the years I have had to re-wire my brain to have better habits. To not just give up, not throw in the towel and to not beat myself up as much. I still give myself a hard time now and then but I try to let that be less often. Instead of blaming my gene’s, blaming the “situation” I am in, blaming it on my marriage or blaming it on having children I just Get up and go! Our children and husband need us mentally and physically healthy. I know that some people have mental and physical boundaries and I completely understand. If you put your mind to it, you can succeed! I know people are saying that it’s easier said than done. False. It’s baby steps, start somewhere.
The reason I love to food prep and workout is pretty simple. I want my husband to see the best in me. I want my kids to have a healthy role model. And shoot, I love to be active and fit.
Yes, I do not have a 9-5 job but being a stay at home mom and wife does not allow me to do “whatever I want, when I want”. Seriously! People imagine that we have SO much time to waste, you can workout whenever you want, you have the time because you don’t…..work. It’s such a frustrating and silly thing for people to say. Because, my boys are tough cookies. They are not easy and I am typically exhausted at the end of the day, sometimes when I wake up too. LOL My husband helps me SO incredibly much that it makes me tear up when I think about it sometimes. I am truly blessed and so darn thankful. My husband is truly a family man and I love it!
I want to encourage women out there. You can do it, you can overcome the battle. You can lose the weight. You can get up and exercise. You just need to start somewhere. I currently do not count my calories, I do not eat clean all the time, I love sweets, I love beer. You don’t have to give up everything.I firmly believe that.
A Little About My weight throughout the years:
When I was single and “happy” in my 20’s I really went through a lot. I started out in my 20’s weighing 118. Well, I went through a breakup and my weight escalated to 170. Seriously. It was probably the worst feeling I’ve ever had in life. I just partied and ate. Yuck! I finally snapped out of it and started to take care of myself. I was able to lose enough weight to feel happier again.
When I first met my husband I was still overweight. I was balancing between 140-145 lbs. I thought my weight would be a deterrent to him but apparently it wasn’t. And, instead of gaining weight while we dated and got married I lost weight. I told him I was his shrinking bride. Haha We met in January and married in November. I was about 130-135 lbs when we got married. And when I got pregnant in January (yes, two months later) I was 133 lbs. I got pregnant, gained about 40 lbs, lost the weight and stayed around 130 lbs. I got pregnant almost two years later, gained 40 lbs and lost that weight in less time. My youngest (and last) boy is 13 months now and I am currently at 123 lbs. That is 20 lbs less that when my husband and I met! Wahoo! Now that’s something to celebrate. My current goal is to be 110-115. And, I am happily on my way to getting to my goal!
I want to encourage you to not let marriage and babies be the excuse you have to not lose weight. You can do it. Eat in moderation, stop getting sugary Starbucks drinks, and eat! Starving yourself only makes you gain weight and it is not healthy. Find a workout you love also. Jog, run, walk, tae-bo, kickboxing, yoga, cross fit, weight lifting…..something you love and don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Don’t let the world around you control your destiny. Your weight loss, your mood, your mental state or your marriage. Being healthy and choosing love in our marriage will make you a much happier person. Believe me, it has worked for us and we are not the only ones. So get up and go. Prep your meals on whatever day works for you. Workout when you can, morning, lunch time at work, after work, when the kids go to sleep. Or heck! Do what we love to do, exercise with the kids. Teach them good habits.
The time is now.
Have an amazing rest of the week! Cheers!
Live Healthy
Live Happy
Choose Love
Live Simple
Flourishing Home with Hannah 