estellelle

30 weeks pregnant

2012-02-23T14:17:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it?

This pregnancy has gone by SUPER fast for me! I know the next 10 weeks (actually 9 1/2) will fly by! I feel like I have so much to do before baby takes his first breath, and so little energy to make it all happen with.

Every so often I like to write down how I spend my time during the day. Have you ever done this? I mean, track your day from start to finish just to see how your time gets sucked up?.. This is what I did a few days ago. I'll be honest...it was a little discouraging. Mostly because I have so many big goals I want to reach and most of my time is spent doing the routine, everyday stuff that "needs" to be done. And I know that's important stuff too, in it's own way, but still...I really like variety. In fact, I kind-of don't feel like myself when routine takes over. Borrrrrrring.

It's one thing to say you don't have time to do something, but it's a whole other thing when you figure out you actually don't have the time...as in, there are no more hours left in your day after you've finished all the "have-tos". Usually when this happens to me, I rearrange things in my schedule to make room for what I want in there. I cut back on this, trim a little of that, remove some of this - you get the picture. Inevitably, I'll find something in my timeline that just doesn't need to be there at all. And this is what I'll end up doing with my most recent time assessment. It will, however, be a bit more challenging to move things around. That's what happens though. The more responsibility you have, the more diligent you need to be with your time. Otherwise it slips away.

So, what do you do when you figure out there just isn't time left during the day to work on those long-term goals you have? Do you clean house? Rearrange the furniture, so-to-speak? Or do you just go with the flow until the season changes again? How do you find balance? I'd really like to know...so leave a comment!

On a side note...one of my goals this year is to start vlogging! Yay! It was actually on my list of things to do last summer, and it just didn't make the cut. But this year, baby. This year. :)

Nut-free Seed Butter

2012-02-15T12:02:00.004-05:00

When I was growing up, I don't think I knew a single person with a nut allergy. But nowadays, it seems like there are so many more people out there today who are allergic to nuts. We should be considerate of people with this sensitivity because it could mean their life.
We've never really been huge peanut-butter eaters in our house, but since my kids have started school, pb&j sandwiches seemed like a convenient, easy, go-to lunch. Thing is, most schools won't allow kids to bring any type of nut into their classrooms. And that makes total sense. So for the last couple of years I have been buying sunflower seed butter. It's a pretty close mock-up of peanut butter, except without the nuts!
Recently I ran out of the stuff - which is not a big deal because my kids will eat pretty much anything I put in their lunches. But today, I thought, "Hey, why don't I try making my own seed butter?". And I did. And it was good. So good, I thought you'd like the recipe. :) This would go great with my fresh jam recipe!

Disclaimer: This butter does not taste like peanut butter. And it doesn't really look like peanut butter. But it has a sweet, slightly nutty/seedy flavour to it - much more mild than peanuts. You might like it better than peanut butter. It would be superb spread on a rye crispbread or as a topping on pear or apple slices! Mmmmm!

Nut-free Seed Butter

1 cup pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted *
2 cups sunflower seeds, lightly toasted *
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup sunflower oil (or more, if needed)
3 Tbsp maple syrup, or honey, or agave
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup water
1 Tbsp tahini butter

* To lightly toast your seeds, add them to a frying pan on medium heat and watch carefully (they can burn quickly). When they become fragrant and are lightly browned, they're ready to go!

Throw everything into a food processor and process until smooth. Depending on how powerful your processor, how long you let it run and the quality of your ingredients, the texture will vary. Mine was not creamy-smooth, but a little more grainy-ish. Which I liked. If you want to make it creamier, I would suggest adding more oil, or try processing it longer or differently (maybe with a powerful blender).

Put the butter into cute little jars and store in your fridge.

This recipe makes 4-250ml mason jars full. I'm estimating that it cost me one-fourth what the store-bought stuff costs. Next time I make it, I'm going to try adding a Tbsp or so of dark cocoa powder for a chocolatey/nutella flavour. Won't my kids LOVE me then!

Note: I know I've been posting lots of recipes lately. Although I do have great respect for food bloggers, I promise I'm not switching this over to a food blog. I've just gotta go with my gut (no pun intended) and write about what interests me. I hope you're enjoying all the food ideas I'm posting because food prep is not a main interest of mine when I'm not pregnant. I mean, I love to eat and all, but I don't usually feel particularly creative about food like I do when I'm pregnant. So if you like my ideas, I would love it if you pin them and share my blog with whoever you think would be interested!
Speaking of pregnancy...I've only got a little more than 10 weeks to go!

Banilla Spice Smoothie

2012-02-13T10:11:00.002-05:00

This morning I wanted a smoothie - a creamy, vanilla-y, spicey smoothie, to be exact. So this is what I came up with. Hope you try it - it was SO good and exactly what this pregnant mama wanted! :)

Banilla Spice Smoothie

1 frozen banana
1 1/2 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon tahini butter
3 tablespoons coconut milk (I used the thick, canned stuff)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (*or a small sliver of fresh ginger)

Have an awesome day!

How to get your kids to eat healthy

2012-02-09T21:13:00.002-05:00

I guess this post would be more aptly titled, "How I get MY kids to eat healthy" because I can only speak about what works for myself and my family. I know every situation is as different as each child is and you definitely have to do what works for you. That being said, I don't think getting your kids to eat healthy has to be hard and you'll probably find alot of my suggestions useful and hopefully inspiring. I hope this post encourages you to not lose heart as you try to make healthy eating a habit in your home. You got this!

BE THE EXAMPLE.
We all know that our kids mimic the behaviour we put in front of them through our own actions. This is no exception when it comes to eating. The easiest way to get your kids to eat healthy is for you to start eating healthy and make it a habit that they can see.

BE CONSISTENT AND PERSISTENT.
Don't give up. If you want your child to learn to eat salad (for example), you need to offer it to them regularly and ignore each time they turn their noses up to it. My daughter generally doesn't like onions and will often look at them with disgust and make her comment of disapproval. I cook with them so often that I'm not about to give up. I tell her calmly that she will learn to like them one day and I keep offering them to her, but never force her to eat them. If they are part of the meal and she refuses to eat them, she has to remove them and eat the rest of the food. My consistency has paid off in this area because she now eats the onions in most meals without even a flinch.

DO NOT MAKE MEALTIME A STRUGGLE.
Be consistent, but do NOT make eating time a battle in your home. You cannot force-feed your children. The goal is to get them to enjoy eating healthy, but if it becomes a struggle you have already lost sight of your goal. You don't want your child associating healthy food with negative feelings. That being said, I do "force-feed" my one year old, in a sense. If he turns away from a food he's never tried before, I will gently coax him, in whatever way I can, to get the food in his mouth - sometimes tricking him into opening his mouth. I know if he tastes it, 9 times out of 10 he will like it and reach for more. If he happens to spit it out, I leave it alone until the next opportunity.

MAKE FOOD FUN.
You don't really need to spend hours in the kitchen every day carving your veggies into cute animals in order for your kids to eat them. Just make the whole experience fun. It's the attitude behind it that counts. The more you can get your kids to associate eating healthy with positive feelings and a sense of well-being, the more they will gravitate towards those foods without being coaxed.

DO NOT BE A PERSONAL CHEF.
I have heard many parents say something like, "I'm not a short-order cook." or "I will never be my kid's personal chef."...but I've seen it happen way too many times. The kid won't eat the food he's given, so the parent gets nervous that he will go hungry or be malnourished, so they end up giving him what he wants. I do understand that sometimes you just have to let go a little. Kids go through stages. Lately my son has been on this weird kick. He would eat pb&j sandwiches at every meal if I let him. And when I ask him what he would like to eat, more often than not, he will ask for this. But the most he ever gets of good ole pb&j is one sandwich a day in his lunch (oh and it's not even real pb...he can't tell...lol). He eats what the rest of us eat at regular mealtimes. Period. If he refuses supper, he goes to bed hungry. If I'm worried he'll wake up in the night starving, I give him a plain piece of bread before bed, or something very bland but filling. The point is, you are the leader here. Don't allow picky eating.

START RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING.
In an ideal world, we would all start the habit of feeding our kids healthy food from day one. I'm a huge advocate of breastfeeding your baby and making your own baby food. The more good foods you can offer them at a younger age, the more accustomed they will be to this way of eating later on. Simply put, if healthy eating is a normal thing in your home, your kids will fall into that, by default. Plus, it has been said that you only crave what is already in your bloodstream, so make sure there's a constant supply of good stuff going in, and that's what you (and your children) will crave.

TAKE THE LEAD.
You care about your family's health and you want your children to grow up strong, energetic and full of a passion for life. You do, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this. So I believe this is one area of life where we as parents should be vigilant and purposeful - wise as serpents, harmless as doves. Strength and patience are vital tools on this adventure. We should take charge and be the leaders that we are. If you are the one making most of the meals and doing the grocery shopping, you actually have the ability (and the responsibility) to steer the ship, so-to-speak. You can do this. And there are more resources out there, than ever before, that can help you on your nutritional journey.

What if healthy eating is a relatively new thing for you? What if your kids have been used to packaged, processed, sugary, fast-food, foods? How do you make the switch? Slowly. Unless your children are under the age of 2, I would highly recommend introducing newer, healthier foods in a gradual, but consistent format. This is also the most effective way of changing your own eating habits. Try to avoid "clearing the pantry" and quitting your regular foods all at once. No offense, but that behaviour is generally for dieters. And I'm going to guess that dieting is probably not a pattern you want your kids to fall into. Ugh. Keeping a no-big-deal, normal, calm and patient attitude about changing food habits is key. Try replacing key ingredients in the foods your family is already used to eating, with ones they won't catch onto right away. You will have less of a struggle and everyone will be happier.
Some related ideas..
- Instead of going for canned soups or frozen pizzas for convenience, try thinking ahead and making your own from scratch. Soups are really cheap and easy to make and they freeze quite well. You can make an entire slow-cooker full and then freeze the rest in individual freezer bags, ready to pop into a pot for something quick to eat.

- Replace "unnoticeable" ingredients with more healthy options, like adding black beans to your brownies, or pureed carrots to your spaghetti sauce.

- When all else fails, make a smoothie. I'm not even joking. If you want your kids to enjoy healthy food, you need to make it enjoyable for them. Get the nutrients in there however you can. Smoothies are one of the best things you can make for your kids. There are so many tasty options for making delicious smoothies, and you can throw a whole salad's worth of greens in there and they won't even notice. One of our daily habits is to slug back a good blueberry banana smoothie (with added coconut milk and greens of all sorts) as an after-school snack. I am happy cause my kids are getting a truck-load of nutrients in one shot, after a long day, and they are excited cause they get an amazing treat. Smoothies are a great healthy option to start with if you are trying to ease your family into healthier eating. You don't have to give up delicious just to have nutritious. And like I said before, if it's in your bloodstream, you'll crave it...so do what you can to get the good stuff in.

Happy, healthy eating this week! You're gonna feel great!

Creamy Green Smoothie

2012-02-03T11:58:00.001-05:00

Add to your blender:

one banana
two hefty Tbsp coconut milk (canned)
1 cup almond milk
1 big Tbsp hemp protein powder
2 generous handfuls of spinach leaves
1/2 cup mango juice/nectar

Mmmmmm!

Stuck like glue

2012-02-01T09:55:00.002-05:00

Your fears of today cannot separate you from the love of God.

Your worries for tomorrow cannot separate you from His love.

Something as final as death cannot keep God's love from you.

Cares of life, pleasures of life - they can't separate you from God's love.

Even the spirit world - angels and demons - cannot keep God's love away from you.

If you're on the highest mountain or in the depth of the sea, God's love is right there with you.

Nothing, at all, can detach His love from you. It's stuck like glue.

(Romans 8:38-39 in my words)

Color Sweet Salad

2012-01-27T11:13:00.001-05:00

I came up with this extraordinary salad last week and I will definitely be making it again! It has just the right amount of sweet, salt and bite to it - I LOVE it! It's a much punchier version of cole slaw.

Color Sweet Salad

1st part of salad:
2 cups red cabbage, grated
1 large carrot, grated
handful of parsley, chopped
one clove of garlic, finely minced

Dressing (mix in separate bowl and add to 1st salad mix):
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
sea salt & cayenne pepper to taste
4 Tbsp mayo or mayo substitute *
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp agave nectar

2nd part of salad (add this after the dressing has been mixed into 1st mix):
1/4 cup unsweet. coconut flakes
1/4 cup currants
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp hemp seeds/hearts
1 Tsbp chia seeds

* If you don't like to eat mayo (I'm still on the fence), there are many other alternatives. Try using a mashed up avocado or just a few Tbsp of olive oil mixed with thick coconut milk. You could also replace the mayo with 4 Tbsp of tahini butter and 1 Tbsp maple syrup, season to taste. You basically want some kind of smooth/creamy liquid to create the base of the dressing.

As you've noticed, I've kind of been on a recipe kick these days. That is probably for a number of reasons - one being that I'm pregnant, and food is generally on my mind...all the time. Another reason is that my husband wanted to switch to a vegetarian diet (no meat or dairy) for the month of January. We're almost through the month, and to be honest, no one in our house has missed meat at all. That's not to say we will never eat meat again, we may...but it will be an occasional thing for us. One thing I would like to add back in at this point is fish. This little experiment has been alot of fun for me and has sparked a new love for cooking! There are just so many options out there when you're not restricted to centering a meal around meat. And don't worry...we are getting plenty of protein and iron. I try to make sure there is some type of protein in every meal. Truth be told, I've learned that vegetarians are less-likely to be iron and protein deficient than people who eat meat. Who knew? We'll save that for another post though. ;)

Why are we doing this? Well...probably because we know way too much about nutrition to ignore the facts. And because we just feel better when we're on a primarily plant-based diet. That's just the way it is. This is not some fad for us. This is something we've been learning about and implementing in small ways for a number of years now. It's not about losing weight. It's not about following a trend (but if you're going to follow a trend, I would highly recommend this lifestyle). It's about taking care of our bodies because God gave them to us.

We only have one body and we must use wisdom and take care of ourselves. That is one practical way we can have energy and strength to execute the task/purpose God has given to us in our lifetime. Plain and simple.

Fresh Jam

2012-01-26T12:22:00.001-05:00

Oh how happy it makes me when I come up with a healthier, homemade version of something we eat alot of in our house. This week, I made fresh jam to serve up with sunflower butter and bread - something my kids take to school pretty much every day.
I admit, everytime I look for "good" (mostly fruit, very little sugar and no additives) jam at the grocery store, I end up settling for something less-than the goodness I'm looking for. It usually has SO much sugar in it and not very much fruit. And even homemade jam has loads of sugar - in fact, you {apparently} can't really get a good consistency in your canned jam unless you add alot of sugar.

BUT fresh jam is so easy to make, you're going to laugh. And the consistency is perfect. I'm going to wager that it's cheaper too (even though I haven't done the math yet).

It doesn't have sugar (unless you decide you want it sweeter) and it's mostly made up of fruit.

Now remember, since this is not traditional, preservative-packed, store-bought jam, you're going to need to make it fresh every week. If you make alot of it at once, I recommend storing it in a few small jars. That way you can store one of them in the fridge for the week and the rest in the freezer until you need it.

Here's the recipe:

Fresh Jam

2 Cups of frozen berries/fruit (I used cranberries and blueberries)
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1-2 Tbsp ground flax seed

Add the berries to a small saucepan, on medium heat, and "cook" it until the berries are soft enough to mash up a bit. Add the maple syrup and use a potato masher to squash the berries to the consistency you like. If it seems a little watery, don't worry...we'll fix that in a minute. Taste it (without burning yourself) and if it's not sweet enough, you can add some sugar to taste. I recommend getting used to less sugar though - there's nothing like the natural flavour of real berries.
Once everything is combined and the mix is bubbling just a bit, add the flax seed and cook for another couple of minutes. The ground flax seed will absorb some of the liquid and add the gel-like texture you will need to make the jam spreadable. Store in a few small glass jars in your fridge or freezer.

This jam tastes amazing on:

granola
waffles
pancakes
crackers
sandwiches
ice cream
yogurt
or by itself with a spoon!

Try it out and let me know how it works for you!

Valentine's Day Printables...Yes!!!

2012-01-20T10:05:00.000-05:00

Hello friends!

I am always coming across free printables and I actually don't know what to do with them all! So today, I'm going to share some with you!

Go here for a bunch of great ideas...

And here to find this cute valentine and coupon...

And I love these...makes me think elementary school. :)

And what about these slightly more grown-up cards? Cute, huh?

Of course, what is Valentine's Day without a little vintage?

That should give you something to work with! Let me know if you plan to use any of these!

And have an awesome day!

Kale is cool

2012-01-17T17:16:00.002-05:00

I love kale.

I love it raw, cooked, and dried. One of my favorite snacks is kale chips, otherwise known as dehydrated kale. There are many different recipes out there, but I think mine trumps all, because I love a little sweet and salty mixed, don't you?

Disclaimer: The first time you make this, you're going to have to keep an eye on the kale. Oven temps will greatly affect the outcome, so you need to watch it and take note of what works for you.

Kettle Kale Chips

Turn your oven on to 325' F.

Plunge one head of kale into a sink of cold water and wash thoroughly. Separate the leaves from the stems and transfer the leaves to your salad spinner. You'll want them to be pretty dry when you start adding ingredients.

Throw the leaves into a large bowl.

Add about a Tbsp of olive oil, a tsp of maple syrup (you can add a bit more if you like, but go easy. The maple syrup greatly increases the chances of burning. Add sea salt (I like herbamare because it has other mild flavours in it).

At this point, you get your hands in there and start tossing the leaves and massaging the ingredients into the leaves. This is important because of the creases in the kale leaves. You want them completely coated. Then taste a leaf to make sure you have enough sweet/salty flavour and adjust your ingredients if necessary. You could stop right here and enjoy a yummy salad, in my opinion. :)

Ready to get crispy!

Lay the leaves out thinly on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for about 20 minutes. Again, times are approximate because oven temps vary. Keep checking the crispness of the chips until they are super crisp, but not brown. You want them to keep the nice bright green color.

(I ate this entire thing by myself...in one sitting :O)

This would work so much better (and it would be healthier) if you have a dehydrator, but I have made many batches of this stuff in my oven. It's a favorite snack at our house, that's for sure!

Leave your comments after this post if you had to adjust anything and let me know how your chips turned out!

Happy munching,

Now hiring....

2012-01-16T13:08:00.000-05:00

I am getting ready for Spring already, aren't you? :)

I've got many things on the list for the year, and one of them is to find someone to help me with my etsy shop! This is very exciting to me because I often skip over to my shop and see how empty it is and it makes me a wee bit sad. :( And now with baby number 4 on the way, there is no possible way I can get all the sewing done by myself. It's going to be fun!

Here are the qualities I am looking for in a part-time assistant:

- capable of basic sewing on a machine (no need to be professional, I will teach you!)
- wants to learn new things
- has a car and can run errands occasionally
- wants to earn extra money but only work part-time

If you are local, and you are interested in working with me, please email me personally to apply. I will give you more details at that point. :) Also, if you're reading this and you know of anyone who may be interested, please forward this post to them! Thanks!

Goji Green Salad

2012-01-13T11:45:00.001-05:00

baby spinach

1 cup of broccoli florets

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup dried goji berries

1/4 granny smith apple (sliced)

Toss with this dressing:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic (finely minced)

1 tsp maple syrup

sea salt & pepper to taste

Simple as that.

The baby within

2011-12-03T10:41:00.001-05:00

We got to see our cute little baby (number 4) for the first time yesterday! Of course, we found out exactly whether we will be having a girl or a boy this time around, because this mama can't stand not knowing!

We're having another BOY! Can you believe it? I think I was in shock for the first couple of hours after the ultrasound!

Before the ultrasound, my daughter was convinced and hoping it was a baby girl, so naturally, I was a little concerned that she would take it hard. But her reaction was priceless. When the technician pointed out the obvious boy parts, my daughter said, "Well, you asked God for a baby girl...but He must have thought you said boy!". She had a short little cry in the car, and then for the rest of the day she was overjoyed about having a new baby brother. Before bed, she said to me with a little giggle, "Mommy, I hope he has his own look." :)

I'm so proud of my family. I'm so happy that our combination will be girl, boy, boy, boy. I don't know where we're going to get all the food necessary to feed them when they're teenagers, but I'm extremely happy to add another little man to our clan. ♥

And here he is...

(look at his perfect, adorable, round head)

To consume or not to consume

2011-10-28T09:08:00.000-04:00

We started watching Zeitgeist: Moving Forward last night. (Anything we watch that lasts longer than an hour will inevitably become a "two-part" series in our home. So we didn't actually finish it yet. haha) This documentary came out at the beginning of 2011 and follows it's first film, Zeitgeist (2007). (disclaimer: The first one makes some good points on the topic of religion, but the historical "facts" about Jesus are actually quite inaccurate, as I came to find out in my research.)

Anyway...back to my original thought...

This movie we're in the process of watching is SO interesting! And, I mean, you have to take everything with a grain of salt and use wisdom and do your own research. But in the second part, they discuss how an eco-friendly world cannot really survive in our current economy. It's just not profitable enough. Our economy actually needs and thrives on waste in order to maintain it's status as a "healthy" economy. Gross, huh?

There is so much more to it than this, but it got me thinking...

Have I been lured into the consumer mentality and addiction that is so normal in our society? I'm sure I have. So have you. That's why we live the way we live and waste as much as we do. That's why so many of us are unsatisfied and can never have enough, or we always have to have the latest model and best of everything the minute it becomes available. Just think about it. I know this is a touchy subject, but just think.

My children have more toys than they know what to do with. There is no possible way they can play with all of them and get the most out of them in even a year. By constantly bombarding them with the latest "thing", am I setting them up to be ungrateful wasters?

I just think about all the stuff I buy that I really don't need, or that I probably could do without. And for that matter, how much stuff do I have in my house that I could be using but it's just sitting there? And then, if you're like me, you are getting rid of stuff every few months and where does it go? It has to go somewhere. So maybe I send it to goodwill and someone uses it for awhile, but after that, where does it go? There is just so much waste, and there doesn't need to be.

And all this consuming is not making people happier nor more satisfied with life.

I hope this post isn't too depressing...I know there are many things we can do as individuals to help things get better, so it's not a hopeless situation. We just need to take responsibility for how we live this life. I know, for me personally, I need to focus less on what I think I need, and focus more on how I can build up the people around me.

It also makes me very aware that I don't need to buy into (pardon the pun) the "buying-more-stuff" hype that goes with Christmas, or any other holiday, for that matter. This is why I try to make alot of the gifts I give, (or if I'm going to buy, then buy handmade or at least local), or give a skill (babysitting, photography, etc.), or make a memory that doesn't cost anything. I know this is small, but small counts.

What do you think about this? I welcome any and all comments. :)

On a lighter note...
Here is a photo I took 2 weeks ago in my 12th week of pregnancy. (That little bump you see is probably more a result of my lazy muscles and a big supper. hahaha) My tummy looks the same today. :)

What I am praying today

2011-10-27T08:42:00.001-04:00

Father, I need You today. Well, perhaps I need to recognize that You are with me and You never leave.

Help me to see just how much You care for and love me today.

Please help me, today, to see the value of my life and how truly blessed I am.

Please help me to give no attention to the things I don't have, but help me to notice the things others need, and find a way to help them. Help me to trust that You are the one who will take care of my needs and wants.

Give me courage and drive to work hard today, but also wisdom to know when it's time to rest.

Remove the distraction of guilt in my life, so I can be and do what I am called to.

Help me to be full of Your word and Your truth today and not compare myself to what this world calls "truth".

Help me to rise above this world's fears, temptations, motives, praise, rewards, value and entire system so I can be everything You ever desired me to be.

Give me Your clear vision and purpose for my life, and make me oblivious to anything that could possibly distract me from this vision.

Help me to see beyond what my natural eyes see, and see everything through an "eternity filter", because that is actually more real than this physical state.

Help me to recognize that I am not alone in this - that I not only have a huge support system of family and friends who love me, but that I have You. If I had nothing but You, I would still have everything I need.

Help me to not spend my time trying to fulfill my dreams and desires with programs and material things. Help me to pay attention, daily, to the needs of others and find ways to fill them up with Your love. Again, You will take care of me.

God, You are everything.

You are the beginning and the end.

You are all I could ever want or need.

And You are holding me right now.

Beautiful things in small packages

2011-10-20T15:43:00.004-04:00

Yes, it's true.

I'm carrying incredible beauty in a small package, this very moment. ♥

NB Photography Sessions

2011-10-06T21:21:00.002-04:00

It has been just over a month since I got back from my short trip out east. I went to New Brunswick with my three kids and my mother (thank God she was with me for the drive to infinity). I say "infinity" jokingly, because it was a relatively peaceful trip - as peaceful as it can get being in a car for 10 hours with a 6 year old, 3 year old and 1 year old. For those of you who have taken little ones on long trips, I need not explain.

It was a pretty quick trip - much quicker than I had originally planned. The 4 of us drove 7 hours to Quebec on Friday, spent a nice weekend with my family, drove 10 hours to New Brunswick on Monday, drove 10 hours back to Quebec again on Friday, and then drove 7 hours back to our home here. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of that week, I spent daylight hours photographing people, and night hours visiting with family that I haven't seen in ages. It was exhausting and wonderful at the same time. Next time I think I'll set aside more time to visit family though, and maybe even more time to tour around.

I did manage to see almost all the places I remember growing up in as a child. That was surreal. Not alot has changed, and maybe that's what made it so surreal. I had vivid memories of school, being with friends, biking through the country and dipping my toes in the ocean water (I don't remember alot of swimming in those frigid waters). Somehow during my sessions I ended up taking pictures of two families at the very location where I was baptized almost 20 years ago. It really meant alot to actually see it in person again, especially since I am a very visual person.

Green's Point - The place where I was baptized as an 11 year old child. It was cold!

Springfield Road

In Springfield, I stopped on the long road and thought to myself, "Yep...this is exactly how I remember it." Pretty boring, but pretty amazing, when you really think about it.
It was in these "boring" places that my imagination developed. It was in these places that I wandered off and dreamed of one day being a writer, artist, singer, musician. I had no cares. I didn't watch much TV. And I ate meals from scratch, that most-likely came from the neighbour's farm, garden or fish trap. It was not uncommon for us to come home to find a bag or bucket on our front step. It would contain fresh fish, live lobster or scallops, or freshly baked bread or pie from people in our community who loved to share their bounty.

One of the elementary schools I attended as a child.

One of the little churches my Dad pastored while I was growing up.

In a way, going back to New Brunswick fueled the already-present desire to raise my children in places like this. And in a way, even though we live in the city, we are working to still create this type of environment for them: through the relationships we're building right now. It's all about community.

I know I've said alot, but the main point is, I had a really great time visiting my long-time friends and family in my "old home". I hope it won't be so long before I'm back for another visit. ♥

Now I'm going to leave you with just a few of my favorite photos from some of the shoots I did in New Brunswick. Hopefully I will have a chance to do this again next year or the year after!

inspire: moni

2011-10-03T21:05:00.000-04:00

I hope that by catching a glimpse into the lives of real, passionate, active women, you will begin to see your own value and uniqueness in this life. Please share this with as many people as you can because I believe they will get something out of it as well.

Today we're talking to a friend of mine, Moni, who has continually (and probably unknowingly) inspired me to live simply and creatively in my own unique way. She has a passion for the culinary arts (in the most healthy way) and a knack for creating a beautifully designed home. You're gonna love her!

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

I am first and foremost a mom and wife. These two commitments have shaped who I am today. I am loyal to and whom I believe in, I do not worry when others don’t agree. Everything I do is centered around Christ, He is my strength and my source of any good in my life. I have always been rather independent, I like to analyze just about everything, think about the big picture, and make up my own mind. (This also makes me a terrible sales person, as much as I dislike being pushed into a decision, I don’t like pushing others, either.) I value generosity, honesty, compassion, and anything that is genuine. I love getting to know people who stick to who they are, who know themselves and don’t conform to those around them. God made us to be individuals, He created us all with specific purpose, and it is my life’s goal to be exactly what God created me to be. This also applies to how we raise our kids!

I love listening to people talk, I think of myself as a caring listener. I have noticed that most people who are hurting, can do much healing when someone genuinely listens to them, even if there is not always have an answer. I deeply care for my friends, I love to see them do well.

I would say my weakness is stamina! I watch in awe at the amounts of things some people tackle and accomplish in a single day! I tire easily and definitely need my 8 hours of sleep at night.

What makes you happy?

About 5 years ago my husband and I went through a rough time financially. We went without pay for months, as other young couples seemingly thrived all around us. I found it difficult to be stagnant, not moving forward, and often explaining to my kids why there is no food in the fridge. I spent about a year emotionally absent from my family, from myself. Then one day, I picked myself up, wanting to put an end to this downward spiral. I started thanking God for everything I DID have. I started with toothpaste… when you don’t have much you have to start somewhere. What would life be without toothpaste (I have nightmares about losing adult teeth!) I’ll never forget it, and still today, I am thankful for toothpaste. I found joy which is not circumstantial, joy in life even when life is going no where. So what makes me happy? A thankful attitude, a content heart. This has lead me to love simplicity, to love the smallest details of life rather than always hoping for tomorrow to come.

A daily dose of me time balances my day. I have come to terms with it, knowing I need it, and so I make sure I take it. My husband thinks I should take it, too. A happy wife makes a happy house!

A tangible list of my sources of happiness would be:

- My family – unconditional love is something so powerful, it surpasses everything

- Cooking – planning, learning and creating an atmosphere of unity around the dinner table, with food!

I dream of decorating daily, and do as much as I can in our home within budget. I love finding good deals, and making something out of nothing.

- The country – how it smells (when you grow up with manure, you don’t mind it so much), its beauty, how it gives so much to us when we take care of it.

What do you do?

I am head over heels in love with food. One may say I have passion for the stuff. And even though I seem to cook up far too many flops, I keep going back for more. I write a food blog which is a journey about allowing myself to fail once in a while, about discovering small details that make all the difference, and most of all, about figuring out my place in the vast (culinary) world. I am convinced everyone has time to cook, that simple is (most) often better than complicated. There are days I imagine myself mastering culinary school, but when I truly allow myself to dream, my thoughts drift to funky rubber boots, splattered with muck as I tend my country garden and chase after a plethora of animals and kids.

I would love to say cooking is my talent, but I feel as though I have so much to learn yet. I often pray for God to give me a natural gifting, but then I suppose that would take the fun out of learning, wouldn’t it.

I also discovered a love for writing, which very much surprises me, as I could not keep myself awake during any sort of English classes, ever. Perhaps I don’t like guidelines and rules, thinking within a box. I like to put on paper what goes through my head. I blame this on being bilingual, and a difficulty to express myself verbally (unless you speak both English and German, combining the two is my mother tongue, I may not make sense at all times!) I don’t write hoping people will read it, I just love to put things on paper.

What draws you to do what you do?

I love nutrition. I love being creative. I need variety. I love shopping. I love learning. I love doing things for others. Cooking ticks all these boxes, each and every day. (I don’t, however, like making people sick, but that has, unfortunately, happened too.)

Tell us a little bit about how you got started doing what you do…

Growing up with a mom who does not enjoy the kitchen, I took to cooking at age 10 as I was tired of the same old potato dishes. I also discovered that if I cooked, I didn’t have to wash the dishes after dinner. I very much disliked cleaning back then, something I can hardly imagine now. I also hated going for walks, now I love both. Funny how that happens.

Looking back at my childhood, and learning about most kids’ diets today, I realize we ate quite well, even if it most often was basic steamed potatoes and vegetables with cheese melted over everything. I have very early memories of walking around our village of 600 people, picking up fresh vegetables from one family, buying milk (which was raw and quite often still warm from the cow) from one of our farmers, bringing egg cartons to yet another lady who kept chickens in her backyard, which she filled with brown speckled eggs in varying sizes. Coming home with a loot we now may call the 100 mile diet (or in this case, the 5 mile diet), I did wonder, at times, what it was like to buy food from a store like other kids did with their parents. Our food was dirty, unpolished, and imperfect. We ate simply, but now I know, we had the best. (Thanks, mom!)

In what ways have you excelled over the years and how did that happen?

I have a hard time thinking I have excelled at anything. I still feel as though I am just scratching the surface of all the things I would like to learn. I am not a perfect mother, either, but I have found apologizing to my kids makes me more real to them. I used to fear failure, as so many of us do. It hindered me in trying so many things I wanted to do. I still don’t like failing, who does, but now I refuse to look back Instead I learn from my mistakes and make sure I don’t make that same mistake twice. Refusing to give in to fear was not something that just happened, I had to make a choice not to dwell on yesterday. Fear in itself made me make more mistakes.

I would like to excel in cooking, growing my own food, and raising kids that love God and are content.

In your particular skill, what kind of tips can you offer amateurs or people wanting help in that area?

Learning to cook is something you have to do to learn. Watching Food TV and flipping through cookbooks will only get you so far. I would suggest starting with basics, perhaps choosing a few different items like the perfect roast chicken, spaghetti with homemade marinara, even pancakes. Keeping it simple, using only “naked” ingredients (stay away from packaged foods). Get to know these basic ingredients, understand how they react to heat, moisture and different cooking methods. When you understand food, cooking makes a whole lot more sense and you’ll use recipes less and less.

I am a big advocate of quality cooking utensils and appliances. When you buy, buy quality. Not only will it last, but it will out perform any cheap products. Your simple food will be stunning. Start with a good chefs knife.

This same principle also goes for ingredients. Buy the best your budget will allow. The cheapest can of tomatoes is the cheapest for reason. If you start with a good product, you won’t have to spend time making up for lack of flavor later.

How do you incorporate your skill into your everyday life? Does it flow naturally, or do you schedule time for it?

Oh, I schedule a lot of time! I wish it came more naturally to me! But, again, I love to study, learn, and then reap the rewards for my effort. It’s very satisfying. I read cookbooks like novels. I put everything I learn to use. That’s what I love about cooking – I get to practice each and every day, three times a day. Now that my kids are a bit older, they know when Mama has her apron on, she’s working. Either join forces or find something to do. Most kids love cooking, so I feel fortunate that I can involve them in my passion. My husband loves to eat, so that works out well, too.

Is there anything special you’ve created that you’d like to share with my readers?

I guess that would be my blog. I love it when people hop on the cooking bandwagon, and eat their best food at home, rather than restaurants.

How have you chosen to use your skill? As in, have you chosen it as a hobby, or has it developed into a business? Do you plan on starting a business one day?

I think about this every day… Where do I fit in? I’ve worked in the food business for many years. But I hate the hours and the atmosphere in most professional kitchens. Besides my goal is to get people into their own kitchens, cooking from scratch! I’ve had several business ideas, like cooking classes, but I need to learn so much more myself, I don’t feel ready in the least. If I were to sell a product, it would be knowledge, not food. But then, I love to pass it along free of charge, sit at a big table with lots of people, and enjoy how food brings us together.

What are your future goals with your particular skill?

It is my dream to move to the country, own a few acres, and be more self sufficient. I have been reading up on communal living, which literally means, “sharing resources”. What I see in my mind so far, is a few families, with the same goal, each building their own homes on a big piece of land, houses spread apart enough to maintain privacy and sanity. We own a large vegetable garden and greenhouse. We grow chickens for eggs and meat. I am not so sure about livestock, but I think goats would be pretty amazing for their milk and cheese. We would use solar energy, and have a community pool and a place to cook and eat together once a week. We would share responsibilities for our grounds and animals, which makes going on holiday a possibility. From there, once I have learned how to keep plants alive (I have killed many a houseplant) and successfully grow quality food, I keep dreaming about a self sufficiency resource center. It saddens me to think most of us have no idea how to sustain ourselves outside of the retail world. (That includes me, too.) I see people either growing food on our land, or learning how to start a garden, and taking that knowledge home. I see children learning about real food, and craving it, rather than lunch out of a cardboard box. I would love to spark a love for simplicity, for its reward, and for community.

What is your "philosophy" in life - what keeps you motivated to pursue your passion in life?

Keep it simple, but do things well. I dream of being that grandma, (I know, weird) that has the cool tire swing, that knows how to do just about anything, that cooks the most amazing meals. And yes, I am just 32 years old. But I love the idea of inspiring others, especially my family, to be the best that they can be, to be that person God created them to be! There is so much satisfaction in that.

Hope you enjoyed today's inspire post! Be who you are and live life with passion today, whatever you do!

Healthwashing

2011-08-10T10:59:00.000-04:00

Remember this post?

Well, Meghan Telpner, over at Making Love in the Kitchen, elaborates on the topic of "healthwashing" and how it is hurting us. Read her informative and interesting article here.

And what do you think about this?

What's happenin'

2011-08-09T20:17:00.002-04:00

Seriously, one of these days I am going to make a collage of all the awkward pictures I have of myself.
It's ok, you can laugh at my expense.

Hello my lovely readers! Remember me?

I have an Inspire post coming up shortly by a friend who is going to inspire your socks off, but first I thought I should let you know how I've been spending my summer days...

- my daughter just turned 6
- my baby just turned 1 yesterday (on a side note: I think I made him sick yesterday! He had chocolate cake for the first time and threw up three times at bedtime! Sorry, baby!)
- beaches, parks, bbqs, potlucks
- photo shoots galore (fun!) and new camera equipment (yay!)
- prep for our journey into homeschooling this fall (!)
- my close friend, Laila, just had her third baby girl last week (Eee! Babies!! Love 'em!)
- I finally bought a new patio set yesterday to replace the one I threw away in May (ok, so maybe that's not a big deal, but I started my hunt way back then and it's taken me almost the whole summer to find one I liked at the price I liked!)
- I've got a HUGE, three-day line-up of photo sessions coming up in a couple weeks in one of my favorite places in the world: New Brunswick (super excited)
- prep for fall photo sessions
- a custom order (which I rarely ever take on) for 7 of my handbags ordered by a bride for all her bridesmaids (isn't that a thoughtful bridesmaid gift?)
- writing (all kinds)
- planning for a new endeavour that I am hoping to be able to elaborate on in the very near future :)

How are you spending your time this summer?

Are you loving life?

Are you focusing on what's right in front of you and doing/being with passion?

New Brunswick

2011-07-21T22:27:00.002-04:00

It's been a long time since I've been back to the place I spent the first 15 years of my life: New Brunswick. There is a unique, nostalgic beauty about New Brunswick and I often ache to return and visit the towns I grew up in. Last Spring I really wanted to plan a "photography trip" to New Brunswick and book a whole bunch of photo sessions while there. So, I started drawing up a rough plan back in 2009, and then I got pregnant. I became rather large and started nesting early, so by Spring 2010, I was in no state to take an 18 hour road trip. I was sad about the whole thing, but in my mind "postponed" the trip rather than cancelled it.

My little baby is just shy of a year old now, and it's time. It's time to go back to my stomping grounds, breathe in the fresh, salt air and reminisce with "old" friends. Except this time, I will have the privilege of snapping a photo or two (or 30 or 40, for some) of them. I will be in N.B. from August 21-27 - I am booking a limited amount of photo shoots while there. I am SO excited...and a little nervous, in all honesty!

I have had many friends from New Brunswick ask me to come and visit, and some have tried to make me promise to visit. Even more have expressed that they wished I lived closer so I could take their photos (that's extremely humbling). So, I've decided it's time to make my way east!. If you're in N.B. and would like to meet up with me, please let me know!

Oh yes, and here's the sweet promotion I'm giving you!

See you in a month!

2011-07-19T07:44:00.001-04:00

"Ideas are held in that thought which surrounds the child as an atmosphere, in which he breathes in unconscious ideas of right living emanating from his parents. Every look of gentleness and tone of reverence, every word of kindness and act of help, passes into the thought-environment, the very atmosphere which the child breathes; he does not think of these things, may never think of them, but all his life long they excite that vague relationship towards something out of which most of his actions spring."

- Charlotte Mason

Generation Me

2011-07-13T15:58:00.000-04:00

Over the last week or so, I've heard alot of talk about social media and the effect it could be having on the next generation's view of the world and themselves. I found an article in the latest Niagara magazine and recently heard this topic on CBC Radio One. This got me thinking about how this will affect my children and what kind of environment they are growing up in. Knowing that I have made a conscious effort to put boundaries on how I view social media and it's place in my life is great, but still, in what ways are we unknowingly being affected? Do you think it's desensitizing us as a culture?

What do you think?

How do you view social networking?

Do you make a conscious effort to be involved in the "real" world around you or do you struggle with finding the balance?

What kind of boundaries have you set up around your use of social networking sites?

I'd love to hear what you have to say on this topic!

inspire: stephanie

2011-07-12T12:40:00.000-04:00

Today, we're talking to someone who has become a great friend of mine over the last few years: Stephanie Marconi. We have many memories together, from the early days when she was a part of a college band I led, to the last few years when I was a part of a magazine she started. She is passionate and driven and I absolutely love being around her. She has a way of motivating and leading people that has grown over the years and her genuine love for God is truly inspiring. Here she is...

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

I'm fairly outgoing and enthusiastic about most everything. I think I'm pretty good at inspiring people. I'm also stubborn and I seemingly enjoy learning things the hard way... but I do learn them.

What makes you happy?

Freedom to choose how and when to spend my time (i.e with family, activities that I enjoy) make me happy.

What do you do?

I own a residential/commercial cleaning business.

What draws you to do what you do?

I think I tend to be detailed, a bit of a neat freak and highly concientious of germs and bacteria.

Tell us a little bit about how you got started doing what you do…

I was in a sales position for another company and I didn't want anyone else determining my worth. I just started selling for myself instead.

In what ways have you excelled over the years and how did that happen?

Anything that I have learned, I learned from failure. I wouldn't trade those experience in for anything. They have strengthened me tremendously.

In your particular skill, what kind of tips can you offer amateurs or people wanting help in that area?

Be a really good listener. Listen to the needs of your clients - it will help you sell. Listen to the needs of your employees - it will help you lead them effectively.

How do you incorporate your skill into your everyday life? Does it flow naturally, or do you schedule time for it?

I have to schedule work to happen during work hours and life to happen after hours. I tried blending the two. It didn't work out well for me or my family.

Stephanie and her husband, Cam, bought an older farmhouse, gutted it and turned it into a masterpiece!

How have you chosen to use your skill?

I don't really view it as a skill (most anyone can do it.)

What are your future goals with your particular skill?

Just repeat the business process again and again until I've reached my goals.

Any last words of advice for my readers?

Never give up!

There you have it - short and sweet, but full of little nuggets to hold on to! You can see more of her writing on her blog, and make sure you add her business to your roundup of facebook likes! Thanks for sharing with us, Stephanie!

5 kids and a giveaway!

2011-07-11T21:17:00.002-04:00

It seems like once summer officially started we've been running non-stop around here! BBQs, Canada Day celebrations, splash pads, Marineland, parks, Zoo, family visits, late nights, and photos shoots have been filling up our days. And this past weekend was busy in it's own right: we looked after our friends' two children while they took a much-needed weekend away. What a brilliant way to keep my own children occupied for a few days! On top of that, I did two photo shoots on Saturday morning and Mark and I went on a double-date Saturday night with friends. Mark and I worked as a team, for sure, and it was loads of laughs and loads of fun!
And then today, we visited Safari Niagara for the very first time. The kids loved it!

One thing I've realized of late, is that summers FLY by. And I think in alot of ways they go super fast because we don't really do anything significant with our days. So this summer, I've purposed to do something fun every single day with my kids. I know it sounds simple, but it really does take a bit of thought to make that happen. And it doesn't have to be an outing or an expense, in fact, I think the best memories are the ones that didn't cost a thing. It's basically about doing your day on purpose. What are you planning for your summer?

Murielle's last day of school!

We started reading the classic Charlotte's Web this morning. I could tell that my daughter's imagination was fully engaged just by the expression on her face. We actually made it through three chapters! This is significant because, I believe, this is the first book we've read together that doesn't have a picture on every single page. They actually had to listen and picture it for themselves. It got me excited about reading some more good literature to my kids this summer and fall. Do you have any good novel recommendations for children aged 3 and 6?

Now, on another note, I would like you to look through my archives and count each blog post I've written. Ok...you don't have to do that. I'll just tell you. This is my 200th blog post (gasp)! That calls for some sort of celebration, don't you think? Since I love to give things away, I'm going to do a giveaway!

Share my blog link on facebook and then tell me you did so in the comments section of this post and you will be entered to win this sunny yellow, velvety zip pouch (perfect size for a phone, I might add)! I will announce the winner here a week from today, on July 18, 2011! (Giveaway is now closed.)

July 18th: The winner (by random number generator) of this giveaway is Tracy!!! I'll email you for your address! :)

Miami, Baby.

2011-06-22T14:53:00.003-04:00

We hit the ground running when we got home from Miami a couple of days ago and I already feel ready for another vacation! As part of our 10th anniversary celebration, we took a 9-day vacation BY OURSELVES to Miami Beach! It was wonderful! We had such a great, relaxing getaway at an ocean-front hotel. Our 12th floor room literally looked onto the beach. I am so thankful to my sis-in-law for looking after my boys the entire time (and Murielle part of the time) and to my friend, Tina, for looking after Murielle during the school-week. The kids were fine without us and we were fine without them, although I did have a couple moments where my heart ached to see them and hold them again.
There are lots of little details I want to share about my trip, so I thought I'd compile a "nice" and "not-so-nice" list for you. Some of you will find this funny because you can imagine it, and some will find it funny because you've been there. Here we go...

nice > not-so-nice

friendly strangers > strange people in weird costumes, like the half-man, half-goat

finding seashells on the beach > finding bags of mystery liquid on the beach

the beautiful drive through scenic Virginia and West Virginia > the long, boring drive through dry Florida

the random "hello" > random comments like “gimme somma dat”, “you see someting fonny? I don’t see nuting fonny!”, and “heeeeyyyyy beautiful!”

beautiful ocean waves crashing on my feet > waves of sewer smell while walking down the street

beautiful hotels with brand new everything > construction and renovation zones everywhere

driving into warm weather > driving out of warm weather

chatting with my favorite person for the 48 hour drive > listening to his favorite music (country) for some of the 48 hour drive

having to bike and walk everywhere > having to bike and walk everywhere

breakfast at Cracker Barrel > breakfast at the Waffle House (gag)

shopping at Target > shopping at the TA

(and now just the nice, because there was way more nice than not-so-nice)

fresh coffee every morning

finding a little black dress on sale

finding my favorite online store in person for the first time

getting a mani/pedi in a soft lilac color

laying by the pool for half the day and on the beach for the other half

Overall, it was a much-needed time away. I got lots of rest as well as some focused time to work on some upcoming projects you're gonna love! I'm super excited about the future and I'm thankful to God that He is working in my life. I am incredibly blessed and I don't even know how it's all possible, but it is.

I love you guys..thanks so much for coming back and reading my online journal. ♥

Ah, yes...and for those of you who are wondering, there will be pictures to follow. I'll do an entire post with just pictures, how's that sound?

These days

2011-06-03T23:04:00.004-04:00

These days, my life has been full of family-raising, business-building, God-loving, identity-realizing, mindset-shifting, idea-conjuring, house-purging, photo-taking, dream-making, future-pondering, skill-practicing, song-writing, money-saving - you know...just the usual. :)

But it's definitely a new season for me.

How about you?

What's going on in your world these days? In what way are you pursuing your dreams and ideas? Or are you in a different season? I really want to know! Name one thing that you're learning right now (leave it in the comments section).

Just a side-thought...

I can pretty-much guarantee that anyone who has a lawn hates dandelions. I mean, they multiply like...well...a weed, I guess. They leave forever-stains on my children's clothing. They make my lawn uneven. But they definitely have their own beauty to offer.

Just look at the detail, and that bright, happy shade of yellow. Did you know that dandelion greens, when consumed, are one of the most nutritious and detoxifying things you can eat? Just a cup is packed with vitamin A, C, calcium and iron (read more here).

The point is, that while dandelions can be an annoyance in one sense, they are a wonder in another - it's all what you decide to look at. Sometimes life is like that too. It's up to you to find the beauty in it.

What beauty are you pulling out of this season of your life?

The dog ate my homework

2011-05-29T20:20:00.000-04:00

You've probably been sitting at your computer every morning with your coffee, reading through your list of favorite blogs, only to find that I haven't blogged *again* today. (we all know I'm on your list of favorite blogs - haha)
If it makes you feel better (cause it makes me feel better) I've thought of blogging almost every day over the last 26 days. And it's not like I didn't want to...cause I did.

I guess you could say I've been experiencing overload...in a good way. If you've ever asked God to change you and you really meant it, you'll know what I'm talking about.
Mark and I are presently seeing the effects of choices we purposefully made years ago. This year we will celebrate 10 years being married and so far, it's proving to be a significant year in our lives. We have made and are in the process of making some pretty big decisions for ourselves personally and for our family and business. Everything that is happening with our family and business is all pointing to our destiny, and it's looking good, people (I wouldn't accept anything less)!
Honestly, I don't even know where to start or how to explain everything, or even if I want to at this point...but someday I will write a book (you heard it here first!). Then you can read it and put the puzzle pieces together.

All that said, I still am very much committed to this blog and to you lovely readers. I appreciate your comments and I love inspiring you to live life full of passion, in whatever capacity that may be. Everything I write here is a dialogue from the depths of my heart to you - sometimes I imagine myself sitting with each of you, chatting away about life and dreams and creativity and destiny. And at the same time as I'm speaking to you through this blog, I'm learning things about who I really am and how I can live my own life with purpose and passion.

I want to be everything God sees in me. I hope you do too.

(A new inspire post is coming soon!)

Why should you blog?

2011-05-03T11:23:00.001-04:00

Why should you blog? Aren't there enough blogs out there?

Some of you want to start a blog, but you don't know how to get going...or even if you should. You're wondering, "What's the point? Why put my thoughts out there for everyone to see?". But there's something about it that intrigues you. Maybe after you read this, you'll be more inclined to start your own blog, or maybe you'll know for sure that you don't want to!

Let me talk about some of the reasons why I, personally, blog. These are the main reasons:

- to share more of my life with family and friends
- a journal of memories to look back on
- a platform for sharing business updates
- a place to share my own projects, ideas and tutorials to hopefully inspire others
- a way to help me sort through my own personal challenges, thoughts and questions about life

And these are some secondary reasons or off-shoots that I have found in blogging:

- a great way to network with other bloggers and business-people
- a central hub for all the different things I do
- a way to practice writing and get feedback

I've heard people say in the past that blogging is shameless self-promotion for people who like to talk about themselves. I guess that could be true in some cases, but I think it is much more than that. I have found, in life, that one of the best ways to improve what you're doing and who you are, is to put yourself out there - take a risk of being criticized and corrected and then learn from it. When it comes to feedback, you can use negative and positive feedback to your benefit. It's all what you choose to do with it.

Blogging (or just writing, in general) has helped me to practice being open and vulnerable and not hold things inside. It has helped me to realize that I have something important to say and I need to say it...if not for the good of others, at the very least, for my own good. If I don't say it, who will? I am in a place in life that is unique to me, so, how I say something, when I say it, and to whom I say it, are just as unique. And if I have to opportunity to make a difference right now, then why not?

There have been countless blogs that have inspired me, encouraged me, made me feel not so alone, enlightened, informed, equipped, and motivated me to action and I will always be thankful for their "voice" in my life. I want to be that to someone and the opportunity is right in front of me. I guess that would be the last and biggest reason I blog.

So, do you want to blog? If you really want to, what is stopping you? If you don't want to, move on to something else. There are always opportunities for you to use your talent, (maybe blogging is not one of them) but there is something for you.
For those of you who have been putting off starting a blog, don't put it off any longer! You have something important to say and someone needs to "hear" it! (and once you start your blog, let me know so I can visit!)

And the winners are......

2011-05-02T10:26:00.002-04:00

Last week I posted a contest and two of you had the chance to win one of my new 8x10 prints, as seen below...

Thanks to everyone who participated! I appreciate it so much! Now, to add suspense, I am going to send you on a little hunt...

Visit my other website (studio vie photography) and go to client proofing and enter the password "win1". You'll find the winners names there! Have fun!

Giveaway wednesday!

2011-04-27T12:11:00.003-04:00

My friends at WAHM (Work at Home Moms) Canada are hosting their weekly Wednesday giveaways so I thought I'd join in the fun!

I will be giving away TWO of the following 8x10 print (made by me)!

(Winners will be chosen by a random number generator on Monday, May 2nd and announced shortly after. Actual print will not be watermarked and be mailed regular post to the winners once we've contacted them.)

So...how do you enter? There are actually 5 ways to enter! Please leave a separate comment on this blog for EACH entry*. The more ways you share, the more chances you have to win!

1. Visit the estellelle shop (current items and sold) and leave a comment here letting me know what you'd like to see more of.

2. Follow this blog (through the button on the right-hand side) and leave a comment here letting me know you have.

3. Share about this giveaway through your blog or favorite social media (find us on Facebook). Leave a comment here once you've done so, and leave a link to your blog post.

4. "Like" the estellelle facebook page and invite your friends to the group and leave a comment here.

5. Share this blog by personal email to 5 friends and comment here to let me know you have done so.

* The draw will only include comments that have been left on this blog post (not on facebook).

Thank you!

inspire: elizabeth

2011-04-26T13:29:00.000-04:00

And now, I would like to introduce you to my friend, Elizabeth Primo! What a super-talented artist and mother with a passion for life!

Tell us a little bit about yourself...

Honestly, I have never sat down and actually write down what I think about myself,…however, what I have done many times is write down what I think God thinks/says about me. So, this might be a little random but here goes,.. I think, I am very passionate when it comes to my family, my children, marriage and relationship, and also about photography. I get over the top excited when I do get the chance to talk about my amazing husband and how we met and how we fell in love and well... See? :P

I was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, yup, that’s a two day-journey from the US. I took journalism as my major in college so hopefully writing is like breathing to me. I took photography class while I was in college to add to my credit (my first expose to the photography world) and totally hated the class because the guy who taught it was weird :P and for the final assignment, I actually paid a friend to do a photograph for me and I passed the class with a B- haha.. that is supposed to be embarrassing, I guess!! If you haven’t noticed, I do photography for a living.

An interesting fact about me, I have kept a journal since I was about 5 and I could never find any of those diaries except one from when I was 11, and I KNOW my mother has read all of them. :P When I was 16 I went to the United States as an exchange student where I learned my English from not being able to speak fluently until I dreamed in English haha..for English speaking people that might not be a big deal, but for someone whose mother tongue is Indonesian, Huge! :D

I dated a guy from a different faith in high school and while dating him (I was 18) I met the Love of my life, Jesus Christ, gave up my 3.5 year-relationship with that guy and told God that I will only marry if the man God chooses will bring me Red roses and tell me that those are rose of Sharon (cheesy, I know!) and that God will be the foundation of our relationship. 2 years later, I met my husband and He gave me Red roses and tell me that those are rose of Sharon, and a verse from the Bible from I Corinthians 3:11, which basically says that there’s no other foundation can a man laid than the foundation which is already laid, which is Jesus Christ. So, I married Rich in a heartbeat :D We met while he was doing mission and I translated for him when he would preach.. We had just celebrated our 6 year anniversary last December and welcomed our latest development, our third little bundle of sweetness, David Benjamin..

What makes you happy?

What makes me happy is watching my kids love each other and play like best friends for life. My memorable moment with them is when my little 2 year-old boy Joshua got hurt, big sissy Jessica cried with him and she felt so sad because he got hurt. I was so touched, needless to say. Also when I watch my husband interact with our kids with such enjoyment in his face and how my kids just adore him, that makes me feel secure for some reason, because obviously, it’s natural for me to love my kids since I give birth to them, but for a father it takes bonding time and the fact that he makes the time and effort to bond with the kids is precious to my heart..

My favorite quote, while we’re on the ‘happy’ subject is by my pastor, Bill Johnson: “I am ready to just be happy all day long, I am so infected by this Jesus thing it ruined my outlook on bad news.” “Happiness is an inside job.” Ya,… so reading quotes also makes me happy :D

What do you do?

My absolute passion is (although somewhat cliché) to raise my kids and invest all I've got (mind, body, strength, time, tears, etc.) to make them know Christ, and live like Him. I feel like that is an absolute privilege because God obviously put them in my care, and to think of ALL the things I could show and teach them is mindboggling. That also means that I have to live my life everyday in a way that is God-honoring because they are constantly watching. That reality alone brings me to my knees to ask for mercy and grace. Everyday.

My hobby, obviously, is photography, but essentially it’s Art. I have been sort of the artistic one in my family. I went through childhood loving painting and drawing, dancing, writing (remember the diaries? :D), poems and poetries, singing (I could do vibrato and do harmony since I was 6, and my 4 year-old beat me by 2 years), and play piano, guitar, and keyboard. I was always into creating something beautiful and loving colors (although for a long time it was Pink). Now, that I do photography, my creative part is thriving and feels at home. Photography to me, is much more than snapping away and getting beautiful pictures although that is important. Photography to me is capturing the emotion of the moment, the grace that is on someone’s face, the Love that a couple feel toward each other and a heart abandoned to her/his loved one, the frailty and the beauty of an infant, the bond of sisters and/or brothers, the proud gaze of a parent…. It’s beyond just pictures. It’s a language. It’s painting with light. It’s capturing the heart.

What draws you to do what you do?

When my clients see their photographs and gasp, and tear up. PRICELESS.

Tell us a little bit about how you got started doing what you do…

Well taking photography class didn’t do it, so it was the kids :D When my daughter was born, my firstborn, I took like 1000 pictures, and I am being moderate. I don’t remember them being that impressive at all and I regretted not being able to get those moments that I couldn’t get back because I was just snapping away. I vowed to learn photography because I want to take better pictures of my children and wanted to be able to show them beautiful pictures of them growing up, which shows that I truly treasure them.

In what ways have you excelled over the years and how did that happen?

You know, I can’t really tell you how I have excelled because I have had so many failures and dreams not reached and had no one else to be blamed but ME…so I CAN tell you how I didn’t succeed: inconsistency, procrastination, laziness and lack of planning.

It was not until last year that I actually took the time to sit down and wrote down my goals and my dreams, what makes me happy and come alive, and HOW I want or choose to get there… There is a tricky part to this, is that I take the time to put it before me, read and ponder on it and let it become a reality in my mind that I would start to live like it were true “now”. See, most people just go through life without aiming on anything at all, and will most likely end up with exactly that. Nothing. Only under 10% of people actually write down their goals and start rearranging their lives accordingly. So, for the longest time I was in the majority and it pains me to think of all the years I went without really any direction, all the time and energy invested in getting accepted by “EVERYBODY” and to think of the possibilities had I lived my life knowing who I am in God’s eyes and with a more defined purpose. Oh, the time I could have spent with my children! It goes without saying with my own spiritual life, and all the hours I could have been spending at the feet of my Beloved rather than going about my life doing things less important trying to find some worth of myself. BUT, I tell myself it’s not too late for change. That pain is a fuel that burns inside me to run as far as I can away from that old pattern.

In your particular skill, what kind of tips can you offer amateurs or people wanting help in that area?

Well, my biggest revelation on learning to take the right exposure is the day I stopped becoming ignorant about METERING. IT alone has changed how I do my exposure. My photographer friend taught a 2 day-photography workshop at church and taught me how to use what’s called “Spot Metering”. It basically is letting the camera meter the light and exposing correctly so that every photo is JUST right. Not over or under exposed. You can google it up but I’ll tell you anyway,.. So, say I’m photographing Estelle and I’m using a fixed lens. What I’d do is put the focus on Estelle’s forehead in between the eyes, and set my meter to the center by moving the shutter speed up or down, the ISO is almost always at 200 if light is good and go accordingly from there, although with my camera I wouldn’t go over 3000ish because it can be a bit grainy. With the f stop I would do 2.2 and with more than one person I’d bump it up to 2.8 so that the other people’s faces would not be blurred. With proper metering, it cuts down my editing time tremendously and also allows me to not have anymore of over/under exposed photos that are unfixable. LOOOOVE!

How have you chosen to use your skill?

I was so ecstatic the day I finally open for business and got my own website. It’s an incredible feeling to get paid doing what I love and am passionate about.

What are your future goals with your particular skill?

My future goal is to partner with another photographer, own a studio, and hire a handful of staff to run the administrative part. That way I can focus on photographing and going on mission trips to other nations with my husband and children.
Because of the issues I have overcome from growing up, I always knew I would reach young people for God and to make them realize that they are beautiful and take them into this love relationship with the Creator and that God pursues them. So, I also want to incorporate photography into mission this way: As I said, when I was growing up I never thought myself as ‘beautiful’, and chances are there are also millions of other little girls out there that think the same way I did. So I want to make over young teenage girls with a little bit of makeup (I am a total makeup and beauty junkie by the way :D oh how so very missionary-like, huh?) and I would then take their pictures being all pretty and show them how beautiful they are, and NOT because of the makeup, because it’s just a tool that helps brings out what is already there to begin with. Imagine, if one of them feels discouraged or not feel pretty one day and would look at that photograph and say, “wait a minute, I am beautiful… just look at myself!” Imagine, if every girl could grow up knowing that she is beautiful and loved. I’d go just for that reason.

Elizabeth is a true inspiration! I hope reading about her has encouraged you to step out and follow your dreams, even if you're busy raising children! "...it's not too late for change."

Please visit her website and share this link with whoever you think may be encouraged by it!

Organic?...whatever!

2011-04-13T11:29:00.003-04:00

This should really be a no-brainer, but apparently, it's not.
Just because something says "organic" on the label, does not mean it is organic.
Let me say it a different way...
In order for a product to be labelled "organic", it has to have certification backing it up. There is a standard that must be met in order to sell organic. If you are spending the extra money to buy organic goods, make sure they have one or both of these labels. If it does not have these labels, then you could be dishing out more cash for something that's no different than the product's non-organic counterpart! Companies are supposed to have certification before they label anything organic, but some supposedly-organic products slip under the radar and make it to the store shelves without being questioned.

On the other hand, while I trust these labels to be accurate, I am not going to leave it to some board somewhere to decide what is healthy for me or not. Just because something says organic on it, doesn't mean it's good for you. It only means the ingredients or most of the ingredients are organic and have met the high standard of no pesticides or preservatives. And it's not about being a part of a club or trend of eating only organic foods or having all organic products in your house. In fact, you could probably fill your pantry with organic goods and not be much better off health-wise. It is all about nutrition. Educate yourself. Learn how to read food labels. That is so important - read the labels and find out what all those strange words actually mean! Buy mostly fresh and whole foods. Why would I buy organic instant oatmeal when I can make rolled oats from scratch (for a fraction of the cost), cut the sugar and get loads more fibre in at the same time?

Don't make a habit of sacrificing nutrition just to save time.

What I'm trying to say is, when nutrition is your goal, you will learn to be conscious of all your food choices, organic and non-organic. And when you decide something is worth splurging on (chocolate bar, candy, chips), pick the one that has the best quality ingredients (organic) in it and the least amount of ingredients. Or just make it yourself, from scratch. Make sense?

I whip my hair

2011-04-09T22:21:00.002-04:00

Last night's Mad Hatter Tea party was great! The women who put on the event did an amazing job and the turnout was awesome!

I was given the opportunity to speak for a few minutes to all the beautiful women who were at this event and...well...let's just say I need some public-speaking practice. It's one thing for me to get up and sing my heart out in front of a large crowd, and a completely different thing to stand in front of them and try to get a point across! Halfway through my talk, I realized I was not saying it the way I wanted to, got nervous (and self-conscious) and I drew a blank!! After the 5 second silence I managed to get some more phrases out that hopefully made sense to at least one woman there. And if my words didn't grab their attention, my hair whipping probably did. Yep. I whipped my hair around, Willow Smith style. You can hope I'm joking all you want. I'm not. You had to be there.

If you were there last night and want a recap (or just a cap), my entire point is that you are a masterpiece - a unique creation, with individual gifts that the world needs! Stay close to Jesus and decide to live life with passion, the way He lived. Embrace the season of life you're in and give it everything you've got, even if it seems like the last place you want to be. Your talents, your desires and the season you're in are all clues as to what you are supposed to be doing right now. Trust God and be open and He will help you maximize the opportunities right in front of you!

Rice Chia Pudding

2011-04-07T21:49:00.003-04:00

What do you do with leftover rice?
Most times I find myself frying it up in a skillet with some tender-crisp veggies, but this time I thought I'd do something different. Instead of savory, I went sweet and came up with my own twist on the classic, rice pudding. Try it. Well you can't try any of mine cause there's none left. But make some...then try it. :)

2 cups almond milk
2 cups cooked brown rice
1-2 Tbsp chia seeds
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp currants
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

Now, because I am all about EASY recipes as well as healthy, you can basically put all this in a pot at once and simmer it until the liquid has cooked down and it has the consistency you like. You should still be able to pour it though, so if you need to add more almond milk (or cream) to make it smooth, feel free to do so. Fill some cute dessert bowls and refrigerate if you want to. After trying this, I loved it WAY more when it was hot off the stove with a dollop of ricotta on top! It was a big hit with the kids too!
It looks different than traditional rice pudding (because of the black chia and currants), but it's safe to say this is a beautiful alternative! Let me know how you like it! It's super quick and super easy!

Trust Issues

2011-04-05T15:11:00.002-04:00

"You can't trust people."

How many times have I heard that said? "People are unreliable, they'll let you down."

I guess it's probably true, somewhat. But I believe if we never open our hearts up and take the risk of trusting people, we will not be able to experience depth in our relationships. We close ourselves not only to the hurt that others may cause, we close ourselves to love.

Do you automatically assume people are thinking the worst about you? Do you expect people to lie to you and betray your trust? Does your heart get harder every time someone lets you down, adding to the disappointment and creating a callous over your soul? Do you say to yourself, "I'll never make THAT mistake again.", when, in reality you are saying, "I'll never trust that way again."?

Mark and I were talking about this today - about how trusting people and being vulnerable creates an opportunity for deep, long-lasting friendships. Of course, people let you down, betray your trust, and are sometimes just plain stupid. That hurts. But that is life, and not one of us is perfect. This should not stop us from trusting people and believing the best about them.

What does your heart look like?

Is it closed up tight like a clam, unable to move, unable to be hurt, unable to love and, in turn, unable to accept love?

Or does your heart resemble a flower, wide open in bloom, waiting to receive something good, always expecting growth and life?

The flower occasionally experiences trampling and harsh weather, this is true...but has renewed strength once the sun comes out and the rain soaks in.

Your thoughts please...

inspire: melissa

2011-03-29T22:17:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the very first installation of the inspire articles!

And now, I would like to introduce you to my friend, Melissa Shriner! Man, does she have a voice (and a super cute cottage home to boot!) I'll let her tell you more in her own words...

Tell us a little bit about yourself...

I am compassionate, extremely patient, often distracted (!), good listener, at times I can be extremely fun to be around and super spontaneous, and other times, I just want to be quiet and not say a word.

I wear slippers all the time, and 95% of the time, you’ll find me wearing jeans! I love to be comfortable. I’m fortunate to have a job that has a very short commute; from my bedroom to the living room! One day a week, I drive to Toronto to teach voice at Big Voice Studios.

I like to have fun, talk about music and sing with my friends. I don’t have a TV in my house, because I find that I don’t have a lot of time or interest in watching it. I usually spend my time either teaching, rehearsing, or listening to music that I’m learning, or watching videos of my favorite singers on YouTube. Occasionally, I’ll have a time where I just want to sit down and do nothing, and I’ll watch a few shows online. I love my Mac Book!

What do you do?

I am a singer, currently studying Italian opera, and a vocal coach.

I have my own vocal studio called Melissa Shriner Vocal Studio, which I have operated for over 10 year now. It is a home-based business, and I really love it. I love working with exciting, interesting and musically motivated people, each with different goals in mind. It’s so exciting to see my students surpass their own expectations and goals.

What makes you happy?

My music, family and friends. Knowing that I’m finally letting myself follow my singing dreams. For the majority of my life, I stopped myself from walking in the fullness of my ability due to fear of failure, and fear of success, ironically. I would never allow myself to walk through the difficult periods of a challenge (regarding making a singing career). I stopped whenever it got too difficult, and this made me feel inadequate and unmotivated. When I finally got the courage to move though and past the difficult times, I began to realize, hey, I can do this. That knowledge keeps me motivated. I also began to recognize that other people in my life were feeling inspired by my decision to pursue opera while making sacrifices in order to make that happen. That made me feel great!

What draws you to do what you do? (what makes you passionate about what you do)

I’ve dreamed of having a singing career since I was a little girl. There is nothing else that I could possibly see myself doing. It’s taken a little while for the wheels to start turning in the right direction, but I believe God knows exactly the right plan for me, so I’m just walking towards the goal, day by day.

"I just don’t think it would be right to have a gift, and not use it to it’s fullest potential."

I spent a large part of my life being scared of my gift. I have now realized that it is my duty to use it. God isn’t wrong. I have the gift, and now, finally, I’m ready to accept it and nurture it and use it.

How did you get started in your music career?

I’ve always sung, but in terms of studying opera, this is what happened: I studied singing in university, but never really felt very prepared or ready to sing classical music. Since I grew up singing church music, pop and jazz, that is where I put my focus for many years, keeping classical music somewhat on the back burner. It was something that always intimidated me and frightened me significantly.

I went to see an opera coach, Dr. Mary-Lou Vetere, because I was preparing an aria for something, and she said, ‘Why in the world aren’t you singing opera???” And I said, “I never felt prepared for it.” She replied with, “You have a very important voice. It’s time to get prepared now. If you don’t start singing, I’ll kill you!” (And I quote!)

I always had this underlying assumption in my life that my voice, spoken or sung, was not important. It really was the thing that crippled me in so many areas of my life. Of all the words Dr. Vetere could have chosen, she chose the word “important” to describe my voice. It really felt like some sort of awakening, and something about how she heard the potential in my voice, and offered a means for me to achieve something I’d always wanted, but never felt it was possible, lit a fire within me. I’ve been taking opera coaching with Dr. Vetere several times a week for one year now. I will be grateful to her forever.

What kind of tips can you offer someone who wants to be a better singer?

- If you wish to become a better singer, find a great singing teacher that you respect, who challenges you and forces you to move beyond your comfort zone.

- Perfect practice makes perfect. It takes longer and is way more focused, but will produce better results.

- Sing from the text… What is your song about? What is the underlying emotion in the song? Allow those things to motivate your singing, so that it comes from your guts.

What is your next step?

I have been accepted into the Lingua e Lyrica Italiana Opera Program in Urbania, Italy, this summer. It’s a one-month intensive opera training program, and I’m so honoured to have been chosen to participate. There was great competition, with singers from the great music schools of the US, like Julliard and the Manhattan School of Music.

In order to raise funds for this program, I’m holding a concert called Opera Elegance on Saturday, April 2 at 7:30 pm at St. Marks Anglican Church. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online right here. It will be an evening of Italian Art songs, German Lieder and Famous Opera Arias. I’m excited to sing for friends, family and new audience members! I am planning on holding another concert when I return from Italy, so stay tuned to my website for more info.

What is your "philosophy" in life - what keeps you motivated to pursue your passion in life?

I aim to create a happy and peaceful life, where I’m doing what I’m meant to do and what I love. It’s filled with the people and things I love the most. If I am with my family and friends, and I am singing, then I am happy.

When I first started opera coaching, it was really exciting, because there were big, noticeable changes in my voice. Then it started to get really hard. There were days when I would leave my lessons feeling like I was on top of the world, and other days when I would feel like completely packing it in. I have a piece of paper with the quote “The prison and the palace are often the same place”. It hangs taped to my shower wall, so I can look at it, and remind myself that those hard moments are normal, and to be expected if I want to get a result I’ve never had.

My goal is to keep moving forward, and keep pushing my own boundaries of what I think I’m capable of.

- Melissa

Melissa's website...

Blog...

Purchase tickets for Opera Elegance...

I hope you enjoyed this interview with the super talented, Melissa! Please make it a priority to attend her fund raising concert this Saturday if you are in the local area.

The next inspire article will go live in the next few weeks and feature one of my friends whose love for art has translated into photography! Bet you can't guess who!

Introducing: inspire

2011-03-24T14:59:00.005-04:00

I am super excited to announce a very special project I've been working on for the last few months: the inspire interviews.

This project is dedicated to every woman out there who is loving life, giving endlessly, sacrificing much, choosing happiness, investing in others, and expressing who they are!

The original idea was to put together articles that featured photographers...and then I thought, "Why stop at photographers? Why not put the focus on the woman rather than the job she does?" And that was it.

Through the inspire articles, I hope to accomplish three main things:

:: shine a spotlight on women who deserve appreciation and honor for the great work they do

:: inspire the rest of us (who may need help in a particular area) and give us practical ideas to improve

:: remind us that we don't have to become someone else to be "someone" - that each one of us possesses the ability to shine in our own, unique way

How will I know who to feature in each article?
Well...I already have a long list of women (far and near) that I plan to shine the spotlight on - as long as they're willing. We're not looking for perfection in any form here...just a real love for life...and honesty. If you would like to nominate a friend, feel free to do so, but keep in mind that I will decide who to feature based on what will work for my schedule, this blog, the audience, and such. Which basically means, I may or may not choose to feature them.

My hope is that these interviews will bring you encouragement, inspire you to love life, and live with passion!

***So over the next few days, please keep an eye out for the very first article featuring one of my friends and super talented songstress! You'll have to wait to see who it is! We're just putting the finishing touches on her interview! Can't wait to share!***

Japan

2011-03-22T21:31:00.001-04:00

We can do something.

Please donate to the Canadian Red Cross as they help Japan.

My heart goes out to those precious people.

Take it!

2011-03-08T18:05:00.008-05:00

Have you noticed that there are lots of people out there who have a hard time receiving? I LOVE to give to people, so I've come across many who don't receive things well. At Christmastime I handed someone a small gift and they reluctantly took it and gave me this funny look as if to say, "Oh, that's cute, but you REALLY didn't have to." As the giver, this made me feel bad, because I knew they didn't actually "receive" what I had in my heart to give them. I'm sure you'll agree, that when you have something to give to someone (whether it's an item, or a favor or money, etc.), no strings attached, it is a great JOY to you when the recipient gladly receives. I believe people fall into some variation of the following six categories, when it comes to receiving:

Takers - the ones who have no problem receiving, and in fact, believe they are "entitled". The ones who feel ripped off when others get something and they don't. We've all met at least one, and we've all probably felt this way at some point in life.

Indebted receivers - these are the ones who will gladly receive, but somewhere inside believe it will come back to bite them. They believe that everytime they get something, eventually things will even out and something will be taken from them. They believe they will have to "pay up" somewhere along the line.

Non-receivers - these are the hardest people to give to, because they absolutely won't accept anything. Have you ever tried to convince these people to take what you're offering and then end up in an argument? That is the worst feeling. They all have their reasons, but the bottom line is, they just will not receive. Period.

Guilty receivers - these ones will sometimes receive, but feel guilty doing so. They actually feel bad. They feel as though you shouldn't be giving to them because a)they don't deserve it, or b)they feel you you shouldn't be giving, for one reason or another.

Skeptical receivers - the ones who believe that there is a catch to everything. "What's the catch? What are you getting out of this? What's the real reason you're doing this?", they say. They may receive, but somewhere in the back of their mind they are wondering what strings are attached. They may be somewhat justified in alot of cases - how many businesses lure people in this way? But this robs the skeptic from the true benefit and joy of the gift.

Open receivers - They have no problem receiving anything. They believe they are blessed, and expect for blessings to just "fall in their lap". These ones don't feel a sense of entitlement, but are like sponges and soak up the blessing when it comes. This is where I want to be when it comes to receiving. I want my life to be a vessel, prepared and expecting to receive abundance in all areas! And then to have my vessel overflow so much that I must share the wealth with others!

I'm sure we can all admit, it is actually much easier to give than receive. If you practice giving regularly, it becomes even easier - but receiving can be much more of a challenge, especially if you are working through specific blocks in your thinking.
Not always, but alot of times, our relationships with others can expose alot about how we relate to God. If we have trouble receiving from others, do we have trouble receiving from God? Do we feel guilty accepting the blessing He has for us? Do we feel undeserving, or as if there will be strings attached to the gifts God gives us? Just think about that for a moment.

Do you know that God actually wants you to TAKE from Him? That is His greatest joy - to give to us. After all, He GAVE us the ultimate gift in His Son. That was a big deal. And then if we have trouble receiving all He has laid out in front of us (healing, blessing, forgiveness, salvation, life, abundance, joy, freedom, peace, justification, etc.) because of certain mindsets or ideas, I wonder what He thinks?
He wants us to take, take, take all that He has for us!!! No strings attached!

Today I'm asking myself two questions, and you should do the same:

What kind of a receiver am I and how do I feel when others try to give to me, no strings attached?

How can I be an open receiver to God and also to those who want to be a blessing in my life?

Inspire

2011-03-07T20:49:00.000-05:00

I am working on a new exciting project that I am calling, Inspire. And......that's all I'm going to tell you! I can't wait to share the details - some of them are still being worked out. Please stay tuned - you are totally gonna love this!!! Trust me.

Ah, Spring

2011-03-05T18:09:00.001-05:00

I'm ready for Spring, are you?

Faceless

2011-03-04T10:44:00.001-05:00

While I'm on the button bandwagon, thought I'd share this one I made recently. This is a pledge we're making in our home. The point is, to be in control of the time you spend on the computer, online or in front of the tv. And to keep your priorities in line. Everything we do in this life should be with purpose and passion!

If you'd like one for your page or facebook wall, all you have to do is ask! ;)

Faith

2011-03-03T15:00:00.004-05:00

I apologize for the lack of posts this past week or so. Our family was hit (once again) with some kind of virus. At the end of January I had strep throat, so I thought it might have been another round of that, or a bad cold or something. Anyway...it doesn't matter...and I'll try not to ramble on about too much sick.

Our family isn't usually ever sick. We're pretty healthy. But this winter has been different, and, as you can imagine, that has caused me to question alot and search the Bible and ask God for help. Let me tell you...He has come through, once again (am I surprised?).

I've been doing alot of reading/thinking about "faith". What is it? Does it work in real life? My findings have brought me to a place of humility and surrender to God Himself. I want to share with you what I've learned:

- Faith is being fully convinced that something is real/true without having any physical evidence to back it up.
- You cannot have faith as long as you are staring at your feelings.
- Faith baffles the learned and "wise" of this world. It makes no sense to the human mind.
- Faith is so simple that even a child has access to it. In fact we're encouraged to become like a child in this way.
- Faith is not hope. Hope says, there COULD be an answer. Faith KNOWS there IS an answer. Period.
- Faith is not just about believing something, it's about acting on what you believe.
- Faith and fear are pretty much resistant to one another. They will not stand in the same room.
- When you are convinced of something, the evidence will be seen in the way you talk and act.

The thing about faith is, God is incredibly attracted to people who have it. I'm talking about faith in Him. When you have faith in Him, and believe His Word is ultimate truth, He zones in on you and will not leave you alone. He is compelled to follow through on what He has said. He dwells in the realm of faith.

If I am sick and all I can see is..well....sickness - all I focus on is getting better and getting rid of the sickness. And how did I get sick in the first place? And what is going to keep me from getting sick again? And who brought this sick into my house? In this case, I can pretty much guarantee that the subject of my thoughts, words and actions the majority of the time would be: sickness.

What would happen if I went to God's word FIRST...or better yet...if I KNEW, by heart, His words and promises about being healthy? Then when sickness becomes a threat, what will my mind and heart default to? His Word. What would I talk about? How would I act? I would be fully convinced (despite my feelings) that God's desire is full health for me. That would be faith. This would leave no room for fear. And the sickness would be left in the dust.

Here's the other thing, Faith requires action. If someone believes wholeheartedly that they will lose weight and become healthy, I can almost guarantee that they are going to start exercising and eating healthier. If there is no action, the belief is pointless, right? Then you can't even really call it "belief". If I believe my child is going to become a world famous pianist, I will probably, at some point, put her in piano lessons. It would be foolish not to! Right?
Now, that being said, the type of action we take must line up with God's word - we are partners with Him. That is where trust comes in. It's imperative to trust God for guidance - believe His word in your situation, trust Him for guidance in decision-making, and take action. Keep on moving!

Faith goes hand in hand with trust. Honestly, God wants us to trust Him. He wants to GIVE to us. He basically wants US. He desires relationship with us so much that He gave up the most important thing to Himself: His Son. If only we could see just what kind of love that is, we would probably see everything in a different light. Everything we face in life, would look much different. And, in turn, I believe outcomes would be different.

I hope you get something out of this - my heart is so full right now...and when that happens I often have a hard time explaining what I mean to say. :)
I am asking God to help me see just how much He loves me. And I am trusting His word and truth for my family's well-being from here on out, that's for sure. He is awesome.

Blessed of God

2011-03-03T14:02:00.000-05:00

Hey people!

Do you know that if you know God, He has called you BLESSED? You are blessed! That means everything that you come in contact with - wherever you walk - whoever you talk to - the things you do - it is all affected in one way or another, by the blessing of God on your life!! I don't know about you, but that makes me pretty darn happy.

For weeks now I've been wanting to put some kind of indication or button on my blog just declaring His blessing on my life and this blog ( I know...I'm weird like that - haha), and I finally came up with something today. I made a couple buttons to decorate my blog! Yay for buttons! Best thing is, I am making them available to you for free! So, if you want one, just ask and I'll send you one via email! (make sure you let me know which one...or both) :)

BTW...these are just plain buttons...no link to my website, although I did put my credit on them (I made them, after all). If you would like a button with my logo and link to my site, you can request one of those as well. I love it when people share my site with others! Thank you!

♥ Estelle

Why of course I eat local, fresh, produce, in the winter...in Canada! Easy peasy!

2011-02-17T13:59:00.006-05:00

It's all about sprouts, baby!

You are about to get hit with the best kept secret to eating fresh all year round. It's easy. It's cheap. It's healthier than healthy.
Recently I've tried sprouting my own grains, seeds and beans. It's something I've wanted to do for a few years actually, but to be honest, I was a little intimidated by the process. You know...you see all the special kits you have to buy...and the trays...what do I do with those? Well, it's not at all that complicated. And for the little effort you put in, your return is extremely great. And no, you don't have to buy the trays. A few mason jars and some cheese cloth (or other breathable fabric) will do.

I started with wheat berries. They are just several dollars a pound at the bulk food store and they are sometimes called hard wheat, soft wheat, wheat kernels, or wheat berries. They look like this:

(This photo was taken after I had soaked the berries overnight. My index finger is pointing to the level at which the dried berries were when I first put them in the jar. I used about a cup. See how much they swelled up from the soaking? And they hadn't even started sprouting.)

After you've soaked them overnight, drain the water off and rinse them again, and drain them again. This is where I added the piece of cheesecloth to the top (with a jar ring) for easy draining and to allow the sprouts to breathe.

*It's very important to make sure your jar has good circulation of air. If there isn't enough air, the berries will start to ferment and go bad.

Place your jar somewhere out of the sun, on it's side or at an angle (to let excess water drain off) and wait for your sprouts to grow!

Rinse your berries twice a day, making sure the excess water is drained off.

In a day or so, your berries will begin to show little white sprouts like the photo to the right!

I actually had to transfer my wheat to an bigger jar because they were outgrowing the original one!

Keep rinsing, draining and airing out your seeds for a

couple of days.

You'll see them grow cute little tails like this:

Then, before your sprouts get too big, you can harvest them. The nutrient value has grown exponentially once the seeds have begun to sprout! I'm not even joking! Sprouts are some of the most nutritiously dense foods on the planet! (I'm going to give you some facts about this in a future post.) And the best part is, you can have access to these fresh foods all year long!

At this point, you can use your sprouts for snacking, salads, sandwiches, or any number of creative dishes you can come up with! Just don't cook them - they are the most healthy when they're raw.

Another interesting fact: when you soak beans and seeds before eating them, they release alot of the hard-to-digest starches and phytic acid (this substance makes it hard for your body to absorb minerals), making the beans/seeds/grains easy to digest!

So, don't drink the rinse water from your soaked beans/seeds/grains - save that water for your plants.

I chose to use my wheat sprouts to make raw sprouted bread.
You basically just dump the sprouts into your food processor (with nothing else), pulse it until it becomes dough. Form it into a loaf-shape (see photos) and place it on a greased or non-stick baking sheet.

Bake your bread just the way it is (or add currants and salt for flavour) at 225 degrees for about 3 hours. This is basically dehydrating the dough.

When your bread is done, it will look something like the photo to the right. It will be a little dry on the outside and moist on the inside.
This is considered a raw bread because it's cooked at such a low temperature so alot of the nutrients are intact when you eat it.

The flavour is pretty sweet and the texture is slightly chewy and soft...kinda like a bran muffin! I LOVE this stuff and I'm going to try different variations with different grains and seeds added.

So, why don't you try sprouting your own grains, seeds or beans. They are an excellent addition to your diet and you'll love having fresh food on hand anytime.

Try sprouting these:

chia seeds (the process for sprouting chia is a bit different than other seeds)

sunflower seeds

wheat

kamut

spelt

mung beans

red clover

broccoli

alfalfa

oats

barley

buckwheat

lentils

And basically any other seed or grain that still has the entire seed in tact! Isn't this fun?

Please, please share your sprouting experiences with me! I am brand new to this and so excited to find this great source of nutrition!

Giveaways

2011-02-14T19:32:00.003-05:00

I just found this great giveaway for anyone thinking about homeschooling! Please check it out and participate if you have a moment...the prize is a complete Montessori Homeschooling Program ($999 value). I'm excited about this since it's something we're considering doing with our kids. :)

And while we're on the topic of giveaways...here's another one you might like at Keeper of the Home! They're giving away a naturopathic emergency kit ($99 value), so hop on over there and find out how to enter!

One more...you can win a Big Berkey Water Filtration system by visiting Keeper of the Home! This is an awesome giveaway!

Making cream cheese

2011-02-14T15:13:00.002-05:00

The other day I tried making something I never even thought was an option: making cream cheese!!! And, let me tell you, it was beyond a success...it was incredible! I will definitely be making this from now on. It's super simple, super delicious, MUCH more nutritious than store-bought cream cheese, AND slightly more inexpensive. It has a bit of a sharper flavour (which I actually prefer) - it actually tastes like cheese (go figure). You should really give it a try.

This cheese is made with any plain yogurt you can buy at the store. As you know, good quality yogurt is packed full of probiotics which help maintain your immune system. The great part about making cheese from yogurt is that you keep all these probiotics IN the cheese. Store-bought cream cheese has very little (if any) probiotics, because of the pasteurization process. Yogurt is pasteurized as well, but the process is different and the beneficial bacteria have been allowed to survive.

Yogurt Cream Cheese

You'll need:

- plain yogurt (I used balkan style, 6% plain yogurt, $3)
- cheese cloth
- mason jar
- bowl
- string

Step One:
Dump the entire container of plain yogurt into 4 layers of cheese cloth in a bowl.

Step Two:
Tie a string securely around the cheese cloth to make a "ball" of yogurt. Leave the string long enough so you can hang it from something.

Step Three:

Hang the bag of yogurt to drain. It's easiest to do this at night just before you go to bed, and in the morning your batch of cream cheese will be ready!

Step Four:
Let the whey (the liquid) drain off the yogurt for around 8 hours. Yogurt is still safe to eat if left out overnight. If anything, it will only increase the good bacteria count, which is a wonderful thing!

Step Five:

After the 8 hours, you will notice the bag of yogurt has stopped dripping and it has decreased in size by about half. At this point you can gently squeeze out any excess liquid and feel to make sure it is at the firmness you want.

Step Six:

Untie the cheese cloth and scrape the cheese into an airtight container you can keep in your fridge. It's ready for eating!

You will be left with more than a cup of cream cheese and alot of whey. Whatever you do, don't get rid of the whey, that can be used too! In fact, it's also full of beneficial bacteria and nutrients!

What you can use the whey for:

- add it to raw smoothies to bump up the nutrient value
- drink it straight (it tastes like yogurt water)
- add a part of it to your water when cooking rice or other grains*
- use it when soaking grains, seeds and vegetables to help them become more digestible
- feed it to your pets
- add it to your bath water
- use it in recipes in place of water or milk*

* It is better if you can avoid heating it because the good bacteria will die off at high temperatures, defeating the purpose of using the whey.

See? That was pretty easy, wasn't it?

Happy cheese-making!

Oh...and...the great thing about this is that you can try adding different seasonings into the cheese to suit your taste!

- a bit of sea salt

- honey and cinnamon

- dried dill

- get creative!

From the mouths of babes...

2011-02-12T09:03:00.004-05:00

I asked Murielle these questions the other day...her answers are super cute. :) Some of them surprised me, and some did not. hahaha (For the record, I tried to get Sam to participate as well, and he was totally not into it.)

Murielle's Quiz (with my comments in brackets):

What does mommy always say to you?
"Clean up my toys." (not ALWAYS)

What makes mommy happy?
"To clean up all of our toys." (ok...so maybe I do say it alot)

What makes mommy sad?
"Making big messes and not listening to mommy." (*ahem*)

How does mommy make you laugh?
"Tickle."

What was mommy like as a child?
"She had brown hair. She had blue eyes. She liked her big dress." (apparently my eyes have changed color over the years..)

How old is mommy?
"I don't know...33." (nope)

How tall is mommy?
"This tall." (as she stretches up her arm)

What is mommy's favorite thing to do?
"Take pictures. Go on the computer." (those would definitely be in my top 10)

What does mommy do when you are not around?
"I don't know because I don't see her. Oooo...I know! Check on the computer sometimes?" (hahaha - as I sit at the computer doing this survey with her)

If mommy becomes famous, what will it be for?
"A wedding." (hmmmm...photography maybe??)

What is mommy good at?
"Taking pictures." (what a darling)

What is mommy not good at?
"Fixing cars." (absolute truth)

What does mommy do for her job?
"Play games." (hahaha...I guess that depends - I am with kids all day)

What is mommy's favorite food?
"Chicken and salad." (pretty accurate)

When are you proud of mommy?
"All the time." (*sigh*)

If mommy was a cartoon character, who would she be?
"Mickey Mouse." (say what?)

What do you and mommy do together?
"We play. And we watch movies." (she forgot shopping and Starbucks)

How are you and mommy the same?
"I don't know how." (she was starting to get bored with the survey - that's how we're the same - haha)

How are you and mommy different?
"Because...because....because...." (again with the boredom)

How do you know that mommy loves you?
"Because I like mommy."

That's my girl. ♥

2011-02-09T11:08:00.004-05:00

My sister's two boys (left) and my 2 boys and girl (top and right).

Yep, I am one of "those" moms who loves having my kids at home. I love to love summer for this very reason. Spending days with my kids under foot while I work and go about my business is just heaven for me. They make me feel alive and they keep me on my toes. I get more exercise now than I did in my teens and I have LOTS more energy (believe it or not - even with less sleep) mostly because of my children. If I thought there was a fashionable vehicle out there big enough to drive 10 kids around in, I would probably consider having 10 kids (well, I guess that's not the only reason I'm shying away from 10 - haha)! And our plan has always been to have 4 kids, but part of me wants more. That's how much I love my kids.

This is not to say I am an overly patient person...I'm definitely not. Nope. Anyone who really knows me, knows this about me. I'm not as organized as I would like to be either, although, adding a third child to the mix is kind of forcing me to have more order.

Since having my third baby (6 months ago) I've been feeling squeezed. You know, when things are just not fitting right into the flow of life and you just know you have to make adjustments in order to make it work. Well, I've felt this way for a few months now. I am slowly getting a grip on what I need to change...and one of those things is to make time for me. Inside, I kind of cringe when I say that because our culture doesn't value this the way it should. Our culture has turned this into a completely selfish thing in alot of ways. It's about "me time" versus "time for me". Let me explain...
"Me time" could be classified as, doing whatever pleases yourself without concern for others - fulfilling the desire of the moment - hoping this will somehow rejuvenate self. Problem is, time spent this way almost always leaves you with an unsatisfying taste for more. Whereas, "time for me" could be described as an investment into yourself - care for yourself - building yourself up - so you have the strength to give out from that. There really is a huge difference between the two.

This year I am (with the help of people who love me) working on taking better care of myself so I can be strong for my family and have lots and lots to give! For far too long I have been giving out and not filling myself back up and then getting to a point where I feel I have nothing left to give. Do you get that way too? Do you feel that things run from order to chaos and you have to reset your defaults once again?

For me, this means being more active with the following, and even scheduling these things in so they're guaranteed to happen...

- praying (seeking God and putting my relationship with Him first before anything else)
- reading (books that build me up as a person and help me learn)
- writing (expressing my thoughts and seeing them in front of me)

- planning (actively paying attention to the direction our family is going and making plans to reach that)
- resting (taking care of my whole self - mind, body, spirit, emotions)
- exercising (again, taking care of this body I've been entrusted with)

Now, that being said, as much as I love my kids (as I mentioned), I have been reminded that I need to get away from them once in awhile. This is something else I am integrating into my life. Especially now that I have 3 demanding little ones, I need to take care of myself. They are relying on me to be the best mother I can be. :)

How about you? Are you actively investing in your whole self when you get time away from your kids/family/friends? Thoughts please...

♥ Estelle

Seedy Choco Cookies

2011-02-05T20:18:00.006-05:00

Hello friends!

I love it when I discover a recipe that is delicious as well as healthy! I know when I'm making food for my family, I'm always looking for ways to incorporate a little something extra healthy in there. Since we have to fill up our tummies with something, why not make it worth it?

For a couple of years now, I've been making cookies similar to the ones I'm about to share. But just recently I took apart the recipe and created my own version that I think trumps all cookie recipes I've tried!

The reason they are the best (in my opinion) goes beyond just the taste. And I'm going to bet you'll want to make them over and over again!

- no flour!
- no eggs!
- no dairy!
- no refined sugar!
- no baking!
- deliciously addictive!
- super healthy!

Please try them and let me know what you think!!

Seedy Choco Cookies

by Estelle

1/2 Cup sunflower seeds (if you are using raw, lightly toast them for added flavour)

1 Cup medium unsweetened coconut flakes (reserve 1/2 Cup for rolling cookies in afterwards)

1 Tbsp chia seeds

1 Tbsp black sesame seeds

1 Tbsp shelled hemp seed

1/2 Cup ground almond

1/4 Cup ground flax seed

2 Tbsp cocoa (add an extra Tbsp to bump up the chocolate flavour!)

1/2 Cup almond hazelnut butter (you can sub plain almond butter, or natural peanut butter)

1/2 Cup raw liquid honey

Set aside 1/2 Cup coconut flakes in a small bowl. This will be used later to roll the cookies in. Throw the remaining dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together using a whisk. Add the almond butter and honey to the dry ingredients and stir until very well mixed. Shape and roll the cookie "dough" into walnut-sized balls and roll gently in the coconut flakes. Place the cookies directly in the container you'll be storing them in, but make sure you don't squeeze them in until they have had time to set. Feel free to enjoy them right away, but if you let them rest in the fridge for at least an hour before serving they will end up being a bit more firm. You can store these in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, but if you like them as much as we do, they won't last that long. :) This recipe yields more than 3 dozen bite-size cookies!

Just in case you didn't know...

Chia seeds are considered a highly nutritious superfood, full of antioxidants, full of fibre and are 20% protein! These little cuties can be added to SO many different things from cookies and breads to smoothies and salads. They will benefit you without you even knowing they're there! Read more about Chia here, here and here.

Black sesame seeds are also a highly nutritious food you should learn to love! They pack 85 milligrams of calcium in a mere gram of the seeds! They are also full of protein, phosphorus, iron and magnesium! This food is definitely not for the birds. :) Read more about black sesame here.

Hemp seeds are actually nuts and they are worth mentioning here as well. They are one of the most nutritious foods on earth. They have a slight pine nut/sunflower seed flavour and can be added to many different dishes. The shelled hemp seed is actually significantly more nutritious than the whole seed, so try to use that whenever possible. Read more here.

All these seeds are highly digestible with a low glycemic index - which means, if you're a diabetic, you should be incorporating these into your diet! They are all full of nutrients that help regulate blood sugar.

So, I hope you try these cookies. They're a bit crunchy...a bit sweet and every ingredient has some nutritional benefit for your body! :)

Go ahead and fill that sweet craving!

♥ Estelle

Blizzards

2011-02-02T21:19:00.001-05:00

I hope I haven't given you the impression that my life is perfect. It's definitely not. Some days are a breeze, and some days are...well.......like a blizzard. Today was one of those days (weather-wise too - it was a snow day). Normally I don't talk too much about those days (as mentioned in this post). I just don't see how it would benefit any of us if I use this blog as a tool for venting frustration. But today, I feel like I need to share.

(This picture was taken a couple of mornings ago. I forgot to double-check that all parts were secure and the entire bottom came off as I lifted the pitcher up! My shirt was covered and the kids stood there asking me, "What, mommy, what is it?", as I yelled my thoughts to the blender.)

There are so many times where I feel so frustrated with my kids. Parenting is probably the most challenging thing I have ever had to tackle in my life, and I'm only at the beginning! One of the main reasons it's so hard for me at times is because of how easy it is to feel guilty...for pretty much anything! Am I right, moms? I know I'm not alone because I've heard many a mother talk about the guilt they feel. It's when I'm at my lowest that I get pummeled with guilt. What may start as a challenge at the beginning of the day can quickly turn into an overwhelming problem where I see no solution. Then I get frustrated, overwhelmed and then I start to feel guilty for feeling overwhelmed..and then guilty for feeling guilty! hahaha

But I figured something out the other day (simple as it may sound)...I am the only one living my life. That means, that whatever challenges I face, should never be compared to the challenges that others face. If I am faced with a problem that seems too big for me, that is important to God. He sees how big that mountain is in front of me...He's not looking at me saying, "Well, if you only knew how bad some people have it..." He is never condemning me. He only offers me love and compassion. He knows where I'm at. He understands why I'm there and He knows how to get me out. If I can keep that in mind and stop comparing myself to others, I may be able to make some headway.

If I allow myself to enter that cycle of being overwhelmed and then condemned, I enter a trap. There's no visible way out unless something breaks the pattern. The only way to break the pattern is to stop comparing my problems to other peoples' problems. I need to compare my problems to Jesus. Looking at Him completely diffuses guilt. I am learning that once the guilt is out of the picture, I can think more clearly. Then when I see Jesus in front of my problem, I can ask Him for wisdom and guidance in the situation. There is no problem too great or too small for Him.

And to close off this post, I just found this one that made me smile. Hope it encourages you too.

♥ Estelle

2011-02-02T13:25:00.000-05:00

"Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now. There are only so many tomorrows."

~ Michael Landon

Use what you have: part deux (the puzzle)

2011-01-31T08:32:00.004-05:00

Update (February 9, 2011): My daughter just came up to me holding a large puzzle piece... Yup...it's the one that was missing from the puzzle I used for this project. It was under the couch the whole time! HAAAAA!

Well hello there!
Last Thursday I gave you a sneek peek of an art project I was working on. I didn't get much done on it all week until Saturday, when I finished it up. I'm going to do it "tutorial style" for those of you who like details. And for those of you who like visual (like me) I've included so many pictures you almost don't need to written instructions!

Did any of you have any guesses as to what those puzzle pieces would be used for? Let me know how close your guesses were.

So, one day (a couple weeks ago) I was looking through all the photos I need to put into albums/frames and I thought it might be nice to somehow display them all on my walls without cluttering it with frames. Hmmm...
At the same time I happened to be doing the regular sort/organize/chuck/donate system for my kids overflowing toy closet. I came upon a few puzzles that had missing pieces and then the idea came for this project.

The puzzle I used was a pretty good size to glue 4x6 prints to and make some sort of collage..

So here's what you'll need for the puzzle project:

an old puzzle (preferably larger pieces)
bunch of photos that you don't mind cutting (I always have duplicates laying around)
white glue
paint brush
white bristol board
picture frame
fabric or paper scraps

So I started with this...
I numbered each puzzle piece because I wanted my photos in a specific order. Next time, I would also number the back so it's a little quicker to put together.

Step 1: Decide which photos you will use. Make sure you pick ones you don't mind cutting or gluing. I usually order duplicates of my prints, so I always have some laying around.

Step 2: Line up each photo with a puzzle piece. Make sure the curves of the puzzle piece are properly placed so they will show the part of the picture you want. You can do this by holding the photo (with puzzle piece behind) up to a light or window.

Step 3: Glue your photos to the puzzle pieces. Completely cover the front of each puzzle piece with glue and make sure your picture is aligned properly. Then stick them together! :)

Step 4: Place each glued photo/puzzle piece between a layer of something that will keep it flat while it's drying. I used my kids' books. :) Let them dry overnight.

Step 5: Now to cut the excess photo from the puzzle. This is the part I found most difficult to make look nice. Carefully trace around the edges of the puzzle with an exacto knife. I ended up using a utility knife and got better results (probably because my exacto knife is beyond dull, old and cheap). Any of you scrapbookers out there might know of a better way to do this. Please share!

Step 6: Cut a piece of bristol board to fit inside your frame. The "puzzle" will be mounted on this. Then trace faint lines with pencil and ruler for more accurate placement of the puzzle pieces. This is key to making it look like a professional piece of art.

Step 7: Now, at this point you can decide exactly how you want your puzzle pieces arranged on the bristol board and then just glue them to it. My original plan was to arrange mine in order, but not interlock the pieces. I didn't like the way this looked, so I actually put the pieces together. The easiest way to do this was to have the pictures face down.
Note: If you plan to put the puzzle together, you will have to actually jam them so the puzzle lies flat. I used a small hammer on the front side of the photos to make sure it looked the way I wanted. Then I taped the joints together. (I also signed and dated the back of the puzzle)

Step 8: Now you need to make the heart. I cut out a few different hearts before I found the one I liked. I ended up using a piece of corduroy. You could use pretty much anything for the heart! (Tin foil, crepe paper, tissue paper, a stamp, thin cork, etc.) The point is, to place the heart inside where the puzzle piece is missing. My missing piece just happened to be directly in the center of the puzzle.

Step 9: Mount the puzzle and the heart onto the bristol board with strong double-sided tape or glue and pop it in your frame! There you go! One thing...before you decide on the frame you're going to use, make sure there is enough room to fit the thick puzzle pieces under the glass and still be able to get the back of the frame on. I would love to see this done in a shadow-box-type frame! If any of you try this (or a variation of this) please share it on my facebook group page! I'd love to see pics!!!

Now that this puzzle project is done, the wheels are turning for some more uses for all those puzzles with missing pieces!! Wouldn't a tiny-piece puzzle make some pretty cute magnets?? Hmmm...

And by the way, this fits into the "Use what you have" category because I had all these supplies collecting dust in my home! Glad they've got a purpose now! I just need to figure out where to hang it. :)

Use what you have: part un (the cushions)

Tractors and Ponies

2011-01-23T19:52:00.001-05:00

I really love it when my daughter and son play together. They don't ever seem to mind that each of them has their unique taste in toys. Not a problem. This usually results in friendly tractor & pony play, like what I overheard today....

Sam (the voice for his tractor): "Hey! Do you mind if I roll over you?.....just for a thecond?"

Murielle (with her pony): "SURE!........(as Sam runs over the pony with the tractor)..........OW!...owowow...ow.."

Murielle (pony): "Did you know that you're my mom?"

Sam (tractor): "Yeah. But that's ok."

And there I sat, in the big chair, quietly laughing...wishing my video recorder was on hand. :) Ah...kids.

DIY preview

2011-01-20T11:51:00.001-05:00

I've been working on a little art project for our family room. I'm going to try and finish it up this week and post the pics and tutorial. (It'll be something of a lighter topic than what I've been blogging about lately.)

Can you guess what I'm going to do with this?

Do it all or do nothing at all?

2011-01-20T10:26:00.002-05:00

I tend to be one of those all-or-nothing-type people by nature. I struggled with this as a child, but once I became aware of this tendency, I've worked continually and consciously (with God's help) to fine-tune my nature so that it works to my benefit. It's great to know what your natural inclinations are, but it's even better to find out that you can change them! Can I get an 'amen'?

The "all-or-nothing" attitude basically says, "I need to do it ALL, or else I'm not even going to try."...it may also say, "I need to do it all at once, or it's not worth being done."

Cons of being the all-or-nothing-type: If you entertain this way of thinking, you risk wasting your time wallowing and doing nothing. Or you could end up falling the other way by doing everything and burning out. I've been on both ends of the spectrum, and in both cases I end up beaten.

Pros of being the all-or-nothing-type: You're naturally quite driven, so there's potential to get LOTS done.

People often ask me how I get so much done; how I manage two businesses, keeping a household, and raising 3 small children while my husband is gone for days at a time and then all the short-term projects I take on.

Well, one of the first things I've come to terms with is that I CANNOT do it all. Period. Yes, I can do anything...but I am only one person, and I cannot do it all. I say no to requests all the time. I say no to things that I actually want to be involved in. Does this hurt me? Yup. Sometimes it's very hard for me to say no. There have been many times where I mull things over for a week or more (until I let go of it), feeling bad for saying no.

Second thing, is that if I'm going to get anything done at all, I need to lower my standards a bit. Yes...LOWER my standards (man, that's hard to type). I guess it could be better described as fine-tuning my standards. For me, this means simplifying things. I try to cull through things and only do what I really want to do and what flows in the direction our family is heading. It's all about figuring out what you want out of life. I don't struggle with a lack of motivation. Most times, the "struggle" (for lack of a better word), for me, is deciding what is priority and making decisions with that in mind.

Simplifying could also mean passing off current tasks to someone else and focusing my time on the really important things. In the past I have had opportunity to let someone else look after my kids for a couple days a week so I can work on my business...but when I stopped to think it over, I realized that's not really what I want to do with my time. I could just hire someone to do my sewing for me and spend that time with my kids. Now I'm becoming more efficient with my house cleaning and potentially hiring someone to come in once every other week to deep clean. This works for me because I don't get the deep cleaning done very often by myself and I get frustrated looking at the grime. So getting help with the cleaning = more time for blogging/business/creativity, happier mommy, cleaner house, more time with kids, happier kids. That's quite a return for very little investment.

I am still trying to put the puzzle pieces together that make my life run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. I feel like I'm far from it though...and that's ok. Because that's the third thing...

I've come to terms with the fact that everything is a process. My husband has rubbed off on me - he is a man who understands the process and that important things take time. It is OK to not get it ALL done RIGHT NOW. It is perfectly fine to work on some things little by little. One way is to alternate larger projects with smaller ones. The small ones (like party-planning) get finished quickly and give me the sense of accomplishment which motivates me to move on to the next small thing. The large projects (like saving money) take longer and stretch me to relax while I work. To focus on consistency and to work steadily and precisely until the end result is accomplished. Parenting is one of those larger "projects".

So, for those of you who asked..this is how I get it done. And no, I don't get it all finished, I don't do it all...and I don't want to do it all. I just want to do my best with what I have been given and where I'm at in my life and my understanding.

Recap:

1) I cannot do it ALL (I don't need to prove anything)
2) Fine-tune my standards (what do I want out of life?)
3) Everything is a process (focus on consistency)

Now I'm going to go clean my house....well...some of it. ;)

♥ Estelle

Be the miracle

2011-01-19T20:45:00.000-05:00

I walked up to the cash to pay for my groceries today and overheard my son being scolded by the cashier. He was pushing a button he wasn't supposed to be pushing and she let him know it. I have no problem with her correcting my son - he needs a good correcting once in awhile (ha). But it was the way she said it that could have turned me off. I stood there as she scolded him a second time and then turned to me to let me know her disapproval and how bad of a day she was having. I brushed it off and politely said, "that's ok...no problem.", I showed her I understood, and smiled. A few seconds later her whole tone changed and she engaged in friendly conversation with me. What if I had not been polite to her and had given her a glare or roll of the eyes (as I have done in similar situations before), thinking to myself, "Whoa, lady...chill."? I probably would have fueled the fire and made her feel worse about her day. But today I learned a lesson...it doesn't take much at all to be something to someone.

Let me explain a different way...

Often times I find myself wondering how many people I meet on a daily basis who have deep pressing needs in their lives. These needs are masked over by the snippy remark, or the impatient horn beep, or the scowling face, or the need to look away when someone smiles. It goes much deeper than what we see with our natural eyes.

This got me thinking...about being a "miracle" (so to speak) to someone. Being the answer they need to hear in that moment; being their miracle. We have no idea what people are going through and there is quite possibly so much we can offer them.

Then I thought, well, maybe it's a little over-the-top to suggest that we could be a miracle to someone any time of day, any day of the week - every day, if we wanted. Because if we're going to call it a miracle, it has to be like Moses parting the waters, or something gigantic like that, right? I guess that would depend on the person receiving the miracle. Something that one person calls common, may be miraculous to someone else. I don't think there's a definite standard.

Webster defines miracle as, "an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs".

After reading that definition, it makes total sense that we would be able to bring "miracles" into peoples' lives. Total sense. We are, after all, carriers of Christ. We have what people need.

Honestly, I think the main thing that stops us from being the miracle to those around us is that we kinda spend alot of time trying to find our miracle. (ouch..that one hurt...) I would dare say that most of us are so focused on our own survival, meeting our own needs, caring for our own wounds, fulfilling our own dreams, that we forget (or are not able) to stop and pay attention to the "needy" right in front of us every day.

So how can you be a miracle to someone?

It may be much simpler than you think. And the ways are endless.

Buy someone a coffee.

Say hello.

Smile.

Diffuse their anger with a nice comment.

Just be open and pay attention. You have the answer someone needs.

D-I-Y...why?

2011-01-13T19:47:00.000-05:00

Now some of you are going to find this post a little strange coming from me. Reason being, over the last few years I have really built a reputation of being the indie artist, do-it-yourself-type. And yes, there are lots of things I can do...but do I really have to?

Truth is, there are a TONNE of things that I don't think I should ever have to do myself. Simply because I shouldn't have to do everything myself.

There's a whole D-I-Y following out there (trust me, there is). And there are actually lots of small businesses built around this concept (notice I said small). But the more I think about it, the less I want to get stuck in this way. Don't get me wrong, I love making things with my own two hands - there's something special and rewarding about that process. But if my business stays as a one-woman-show, how can it grow? It probably can't. In that case, I would become so wrapped up in it that it drains every ounce of energy and joy from me and alot of people would miss out on a bunch of opportunities because I've hoarded my talent.

It's easy to understand this concept as part of my business (I hire out alot of my sewing and some of my photography work) but I'd like to be able to apply it to my home life as well. Let's just face it, there are just not enough hours in a day for little me to do everything that needs to be done. Mark (my husband) is a huge advocate of finding help with home stuff. So I guess I can't pull the, "my-husband-doesn't-want-me-to" card.

What makes us think we need to do it all, anyway? What is driving us? Why do we torture ourselves with the endless amount of tasks we take on?

Of course there are times when you must do it yourself. But this mainly happens because of a lack of preparation or because of the way you think about the task.
For example, last year we painted our house by ourselves because it was cheaper to do so. Do you want to know how long it took us? With the amount of responsibility we both have and the pain of having to do something we really hate (did I say "hate"?...I meant, loathe), it took us about a year (maybe more) to completely finish the task. And you know what else...there's still a small section that needs a second coat of paint.
In our previous house we hired out the painting and it was done in two days. Two. Days. So, because we decided it was more economical to paint the house ourselves this time, it probably cost us MUCH more when you factor in the time we took and the headache we caused ourselves. SO not worth it. With a little bit of thought and planning, we could have saved alot by not doing it ourselves.

A few simple ways to stop D-I-Y thinking:

- recognize that sharing the load gives others more opportunity to grow (build their talents, make money, succeed, learn)
- start cutting out the things I really don't want to do - ask for help or pay someone to do it (most of us could easily start doing this, if we're not already)
- assess how much time and energy (as well as money) I'm actually saving by doing it myself
- plan ahead and make a strategy for getting help and hiring people
- learn how to ask for help (this is a hard one for me cause I don't plan ahead enough to know I need help until I'm already overwhelmed!)
- learn how to accept help when it's offered

So when should I D-I-Y?

~ When it enhances the quality of your life and the ones around you (I may not want to hire someone to bathe my dog, shop for Christmas gifts, or balance my money.).

~ When it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, maybe.

~ When there's absolutely no one else who will do it.

The point is...I don't want to get stuck thinking I HAVE to do it myself or it won't get done right, on time, cheap, healthy, or good enough. I need to share the wealth! Right? Right.

Man, I really need to work on this.

And on that note...stay tuned...next week I'll be posting a D-I-Y project!! :O

...for you to enjoy!

simple : sugar

2011-01-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

Other simple topics for you to catch up on:

vinegar
epsom salts

We all know what sugar is used for, but in this post I want to discuss alternative uses for sugar. From a health perspective, we actually don't eat alot of refined, white sugar in our home. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago I was embarrassed when I went to serve tea to a friend and didn't have any sugar! I had also run out of honey (the main sugar we use at home) and ended up putting a little brown sugar in...yeah...I said, brown sugar. In tea. Sorry Rebekah.

(Believe it or not, we actually do buy our honey in 2kg jars!)

So yeah...we mainly use honey...and then the next on our list of sugars is maple syrup, then raw cane sugar (for recipes and company mostly - and we buy the raw because I don't really enjoy eating bleach - lol) and then stevia. I steer clear of artificial sweeteners altogether because...well...what are they anyway? Who really knows? All I know is that they're NOT food.

Ok...so now on to alternative uses for sugar.

grass stains - make a paste of sugar and water, let it sit on the stain overnight and it should come out easily

body scrub - sugar scrubs are great for making your skin feel soft and look vibrant - just make a paste with warm water and sugar and rub it on the skin and then rinse off. It will act as an exfoliant and wash away dead skin cells. This also works in removing grease or gel from your hands.

hair removal - you can mix your own sugar-cosmetic hair-removal product by combining warm water, lemon juice and sugar until you've created a thick paste. Once you've smeared it over yourself, press a strip of cloth over the paste and allow it to dry. You'll remove a lot of body hair when you pull up the strip.

plant life - dissolve a small amount in water to prolong the life of cut flowers and trees (Christmas tree)

bugs - apparently sprinkling a mix of sugar and baking powder around areas where bugs may come in kills off things like cockroaches as well as ants

Can you think of anything else sugar is useful for?

In your dreams

2011-01-07T15:00:00.000-05:00

First of all, can I just say, THANK YOU to everyone who has invited people to my group page on facebook! You guys are amazing! I have been sending out free jpegs left and right!! I hope you all find something creative to do with your print! (if you don't know what I'm talking about, go here) I hope to send out lots more before the end of the month is here. :) And then, who knows what I'll give away! The wheels are already turning!

And back to our regularly scheduled programming...

I was thinking about dreams this morning.

No, not dreams for the future and all that (I do enough of that)...I'm talking about the dreams that happen while you're sleeping.

Have you ever had a full dream with events that last for hours, only to wake up just seconds after you've fallen asleep? How is it even possible to have so many thoughts flooding through your brain in such a short time?
This gets me thinking...our brains have greater capacity than we know. If they can "photograph" an entire, detailed dream in a matter of seconds, what else are our brains capable of?

Have any of you studied dreams and sleep patterns? Can anyone give insight into this?

I just thought it was something interesting to ponder today.

Oh and, here's a picture. Just because I like to take pictures...and then look at them. :)

simple : epsom salts

2011-01-06T13:46:00.000-05:00

Every so often I will do a write up on simple, basic, or raw items that have so many benefits. My first simple post was vinegar. We complicate things by having so many different ingredients in the things we use. It seems you need a separate product for everything! And all this stuff is taking up space and costing money! We don't really need alot of it.

I don't know about you, but it always makes me feel a little bit better knowing that there are ways to trim back and simplify things.

Thought I'd talk about epsom salts today...
This is a staple in our home. I use these almost every time I take a bath and frequently when my kids take their baths. There are many health benefits when you do this.

When you add a cup of epsom salts to a tub of water and soak in it for at least 15 minutes, it can help to greatly reduce stress and cause you to relax. Did you know that stress depletes your body of magnesium? When you take a bath with these salts, your skin easily absorbs magnesium sulfate which, in turn, raises the level of magnesium in your body. The magnesium helps to produce serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of calm and relaxation and also increases energy and stamina. On top of that, magnesium ions also relax and reduce irritability by lowering the affects of adrenaline. It lowers blood pressure, creates a relaxed feeling, improves sleep, concentration, and helps muscles and nerves to function properly. Amazing!! It also does wonders for your skin!

I won't elaborate on all the following because you can do your own google search and finds lots more info! But here are some other benefits of using epsom salts in a bath soak:

- Relieves pain, inflammation and muscle cramps - Exfoliates dead skin
- Helps muscles and nerves function properly - Helps prevent hardening of arteries and blood clots - Makes insulin more effective

Important note: You should not take epsom salts internally unless your Doctor recommends it. This can have damaging effects on your body. In certain circumstances, epsom salts have been used to relieve constipation. It would pretty much have the same effect as a laxative. But again, only do this after you've asked your Doctor.

* Another thing I love to do is to add one part olive oil to 2 parts epsom salts. Mix this in a bowl and use as an invigorating body scrub in the shower. You can also add your favorite essential oil for fragrance. Do not use the salt scrub after shaving your legs though, the skin is much too sensitive at that point.

So, next time you take a bath, throw in a few handfuls of epsom salts. This simple ingredient can make you feel and look better!

Much of the information in this article was found here.

Facebook Fun in January

2011-01-05T13:11:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!

Let's have a little facebook fun...
This year I want to share freebies, stories, photos and as much inspiration as I can with as many people as I can. One way you can help is to invite all your facebook friends to join the estellelle handbag group.To give you some incentive, if you invite your friends between now and January 31st, I have a great gift for you! Once you've invited your friends, leave a comment on the group wall letting me know. Then I will personally email you this beautiful high-res image ($15 value) that I created and you can print to your heart's content. (the image will not have the watermark or the grey border, obviously) You post on my wall, and I'll give you something to put on yours!

Send the jpeg to your local photo lab and have it printed in any size up to 16x20!!! You can frame it for your own home or give it away...perfect way to brighten up your January and mine, I think. :)

Please feel free to share this with your friends - if they invite their friends and comment on my wall, they get the free image as well!!

Raw Truth

2011-01-03T13:13:00.000-05:00

I just downloaded this interesting looking book called Raw Truth. You can find it for free by clicking the image below...Enjoy!

Thank you

2010-12-31T18:08:00.000-05:00

The New Year doesn't officially begin for another few hours, but I've compiled a "thank you list" to end my year with. 2010 has been an amazing and challenging year in so many ways. Lots has happened. Lots has changed. 2010 has been a turning point, for me personally. I have been deeply touched by others this year and have learned to be more aware of the friends I have. And although I am always thankful for each and every one of you, I am learning to be more vocal about it. So the thank yous I'm about to share, are specifically in reference to this past year and the impression you've made on me during it.

Mark (my husband) - Thank you for being the perfect match for me. Even though we are still learning eachother's language, you always listen. You encourage me to be who I am. My life is able to blossom because of the way you love me.

Laila B. - A true friend. We've grown much closer this year, I would say. You are a constant friend. You are so encouraging and positive and always point me back to Jesus. I have loved our chats, teas, and how our families just love being together.

Kim V. - Thank you for helping me see the value of friendship. You have inspired me to be more sensitive and caring to others. Thank you for always being willing to not just "look after" my kids, but to love and invest in them. Thank you for continually offering/asking to take them so I can have a break.

Amanda G. - Thank you for being a ray of sunshine in my life. I am always happier after having spent time with you. :) Thank you for being action-oriented and inspiring me to be more organized (bet you didn't know that).

Jessica B. - We've really become close over the last few months, especially. Thank you for just "being there" and for reintroducing me to the quick phone chat. :) Thanks for sharing tears, walks, laughs, and our kids' school stuff with me. I see so much beauty in you and I know 2011 is going to be a memorable year in your life.

Renee N. - You inspire me to reach out to new friends and invest in them. Thank you for always encouraging me and for loving my photography. :)

Elizabeth P. - Thank you for sharing your love for family, babies, photography and life with me. We are so much alike and yet live so far away from eachother. Thank you for sharing your heart with me.

Erin G. - Thank you for sharing pregnancy with me and for being a great neighbour.

Kristi B. - Thank you for making me laugh and for loving family as much as I do. Thank you for sharing your food ideas and inspiring me to *enjoy* cooking (I'm working on it).

Rebekah M. - Thank you for sharing your struggles with me. 2010 was an interesting year, wasn't it? We can relate on so many levels. Thank you for sharing pregnancy with me (all THREE times!) and for being so real and open. You are a treasure.

Vanessa L. - Thank you for making mommyhood look easy (you're tricking alot of people out there - it's definitely not easy)! I'm still trying to figure out how you do it with 3 boys under the age of four and a baby on the way! Thank you for inspiring me to enjoy life and choose happiness every day.

My facebook friends - Thank you for reminding me each day that we are all on this journey of life together and that we should never ever feel like we're alone. Thank you for listening to my ramblings and caring (or not caring), and liking, and commenting...and rolling your eyes at how many photo albums I have. :D

My Studio Vie Clients - Thank you for loving my work and for allowing me to photograph your beautiful families and lives. Thank you for providing me the opportunity to make money doing something I absolutely love while at the same time keeping my family first.

My estellelle Customers - Thank you for loving and buying the things I make with my own two hands. Thank you for appreciating my art and wearing it proudly!

My blog readers - Thank you for listening and coming back. Thank you for not thinking I'm weird for making my own laundry soap and baby wipes. And for watching (in either disbelief or wonder) all the other "non-normal" things I do with my time. Thank you for being a part of this creative outlet and hopefully gaining something in return. I purpose to blog more in 2011 and share lots more wonderful things with you!

My family (immediate and extended) - I love you more than you probably know. I thank God for you and I know life would not be as meaningful without you. Facebook has provided the ability for us to reconnect and I am thankful I can share in a part of your life that way. And for the family I see more often, I consider you gifts in my life and I'm thankful we can be together.

And if you weren't mentioned by name, it's not because I forgot you. I love each one of you, my friends. I just wanted to make special mention of the ones who have made significant impact on my life in 2010.

2011 is fast approaching and we will have brand new opportunities, brand new challenges, and a fresh start. I pray you will recognize God's love for you this year even more and that you will see how significant you are to Him. I pray you will be surrounded by your team of friends and family. I pray you will see beauty in each and every day and not be distracted by the ugly stuff. I pray you will rise up to challenges and see yourself the way God sees you. I pray that we will all remember to trust God in every circumstance and decision - trust that He gives us all the wisdom and guidance we need, when we need it. I pray you will live this entire year on purpose and walk forward with confidence.
Amen. ;)

Saving $...

2010-12-30T22:19:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post on how to save money and the environment: cloth diapers! And if you really want to go extreme $ cutting, make your own!! It's easier than you may think and with just a little effort, you can have a whole supply of cloth diapers for about $30. This site tells how.

You're welcome. ;)