Jen's Favorites Archives - Page 4 of 15

Grateful Friday #3

September 30, 2016

Happy Friday! Whew it has been a busy week, but instead of fighting against the inconveniences of life I am accepting them, one might would say I am embracing them. Not because I love doctor appointments, an insane amount of soccer practice, homework, and shuffling kids here and there but when I stop and take a deeper look I have to wonder why am I so opposed to it. It’s that opposition that causes those unhappy feelings to creep into our heads. Let every moment just be what it is, without worrying about what you “could” or “should” be doing. Just let it be!

Now on to the things that made me stop and smile this week. 🙂

Cute metallic notebooks

I’m kind of old school when it comes to making lists or taking notes I just love to write them down on paper. These are smaller than my hand, the perfect size to take with me anywhere and joint down whatever comes to mind.

Malk!

When Jim saw this he was like they got that from The Simpsons, so I had to look it up and sure enough he was right. Apparently it was served at Springfield Elementary School. It was completely lacking in calcium and contained Vitamin R 🙂

(Source)

So the Malk I am referring to is a little different. Our grocery store had 3 varieties, Pure Almond Milk Unsweetened, Pure Almond Milk Vanilla, and Pure Pecan Milk Maple. The ingredients list is phenomenal. This is what is in the Vanilla Almond Milk…. Organic Almonds, Organic Maple Syrup, Organic Vanilla, Himalayan Salt, Filtered Water. The Unsweetened Almond Milk only has 3 ingredients, Organic Almonds, Himalayan Salt, Filtered Water. How awesome is that. Anyway I was so excited to see this. It is just how I would make it at home. I usually always make coconut milk and I have wanted to branch out and make almond milk but I haven’t yet. I love that I have this option if I’m not able to make it at home now and then. I purchased the Vanilla Almond Milk to try out and I have been so happy with it.

My Little Basil Plant

So all spring I told myself that I was going to redo my herb garden (it had become overtaken with weeds). It needed a complete overhaul. Well, spring turned into summer turned into Fall and still no herb garden, which kind of sucks because I love using herbs and I would rather pick them from my own garden instead of buying them from the grocery store. I had my organic seeds bought and everything and they have just been sitting in a drawer, but I kept putting it off I guess because I wanted it done “just right” but I hadn’t taken the time to do it. So one morning I woke up and decided I was just going to get an empty pot that I had sitting in the yard put the dirt in it and plant the damn basil seeds. They kind of all dumped out in one big clump but oh well at least they were in dirt and not still in my drawer! A few days later they had sprouted up and that bit of life brought a smile to face and I am enjoying watching them grow. Super simple but it makes me so happy and once I am able to harvest the basil it will bring lots of value to my life!

Today I’m linking up with Heather.

Fall 2016 To-Do List

September 26, 2016

Why is it that the best times of the year have to go by so fast?! The last 3 months of the year are my absolute favorite… there is so much activity and so many fun things to do. The hot Georgia weather finally starts to cool down. I love cool, crisp mornings and days where I can snuggle in a sweater with a hot beverage. We don’t really ever get to do all the things we would like to do during this magical time of year but I do like to create a list each year to make sure we do as many of our favorite things as possible.

Take advantage of the 25 miles of paved biking trails on nearby Jekyll Island.

I want Jim and I to have some biking dates while the girls are at school.

(Source)

After dinner bike rides around the neighborhood as a family

I love our little neighborhood, there are so many beautiful trees and during the Fall it is spectacular. I just love it when the leaves start falling. There is nothing like the crunch of a leaf to let you know Fall is here.

Corn Mazes

It’s always a fun tradition to visit a farm and get lost in a corn maze for an hour! Jim and I always enjoyed doing haunted corn mazes at night, but not quite sure the girls are up for that yet! 🙂

Pumpkins!

Picking out our pumpkins to carve and to paint! The girls absolutely love painting small pumpkins.

Spend at least one evening each week with the fire pit!

Go on a Hay Ride.

Who doesn’t love a hayride?

Go to a Fall Festival.

Fall festivals always remind me of being a kid. Lots of super fun memories for me.

Go trick or treating.

Our neighborhood has a very Gilmorish feel during the Fall. I love how the whole community goes all out for Halloween.

Go on family hikes

We’ve only been able to do short, 1 mile or so, hikes so far. Maybe the girls can hold on for longer hikes this year.

Fall Food

Lily has requested we make Candy Apples.

Watch Hocus Pocus!

My favorite!

Host a outdoor dinner party/Friendsgiving!

This is something Jim and I have been wanting to do for a couple of years. Friendsgiving suggestions are welcome in the comments!

Go to an outdoor concert

I like concerts and beautiful fall evenings, seems like a perfect match to me!

I would love to hear something you are planning to do this Fall!

Grateful Friday #2

September 23, 2016

Happy Fall! We have officially entered into my favorite time of year! About this time every year I write out a Fall bucket list of all the little things I want to make sure I take the time to do and also things we can enjoy all together as a family. Maybe I will make a little post of it and share it with you guys. I would love to hear what some of your favorite Fall activities are.

Now on to some of the things that made me stop and smile this week. 🙂

Finding little notes on the chalkboard that I put in our outdoor space. The girls are loving spending time on the porch as much as we are, and I love being surprised with their notes and drawings!

This picture was just too cute not to include. It makes me smile every time I look at it. Jim and Emma goofing around at Target.

Molasses Milk (spiked with cold brew)

There are really no words to describe how good this tastes. I normally make my molasses milk a cold beverage, this time I decided to heat it up and add a few splashes of cold brew to it! —> Mind blown!

Have a lovely weekend!

Today I’m linking up with Heather.

Grateful Friday #1

September 16, 2016

I want to change up my 5 things Friday post a little bit and just talk about the things I am grateful for each week. I feel like this will be such a great way to keep me conscious of all the wonderful things around me and all the big and small joys that I have in my life. I know that I sometimes need a reminder to stay mindful and in the NOW, and I guessing many of you do as well! 🙂

I’m Grateful For:

Finally finding a Kabocha Squash.

I have been trying to find this squash for a couple years. I’ve read so many wonderful things about them on blogs for years now and have been dying to try it myself. I spotted one in the Grassroots Natural Market in Jacksonville and I got so excited! So I sliced it up… almost lost a few digits in the process (but it was so worth it) and tossed it in some coconut oil, salt, and pepper. It is by far my favorite squash! It has such a sweet taste very unlike any of the squashes that I have had. I really hope I can snag another one soon!

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

I’m about a third of the way through this book and it is truly giving me some amazing insight into how the mind/body works and how it can be so beneficial for everyone to realize we all have the power to separate ourselves from our thoughts.

Our Better Outdoor Space

Recently Jim and I cleaned up our outdoor space. We wanted simple, clean, and comfortable. A space we could enjoy using all Fall and a lot of the Winter. We gave it a fresh coat of paint, cleaned, and got rid of a lot of unwanted stuff that had found it’s way out there. Since then you can find me out there most days reading, playing with the girls, blogging, or having a meal.

That’s it for this week guys! Have a lovely weekend!

Today I’m linking up with Heather.