Crock Pot Brisket? Um..Yes, please!

Hickory Smoked Brisket

Since I just shared my favorite turkey meatloaf recipe, I thought, why not share another family favorite recipe?

I had no clue just how much of a hit this one would be when I made it for the first time. My family drooled over it. My oldest son requests this meal often. And with how easy it is to put together, I always oblige! 

Best part? You make it in the crock pot! 

It started with a cookbook

An awesome cookbook, at that. A year or so ago, I stumbled across this cookbook. Every recipe in it is done in a slow cooker..or crock pot. I bought it and it is amazing! It has everything from appetizers all the way to desserts and drinks. You should check it out. If you love cooking with a slow cooker, this is for you. They're all easy to make and gluten-free! Not to mention, delicious.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons

Hickory Smoked Brisket Recipe

Ingredients:

3 to 4 pounds beef brisket, or chuck roast (I always buy the chuck roast)

½ tablespoon celery salt

½ tablespoon garlic powder

½ tea black pepper

¼ cup A-1 steak sauce

1 to 2 tablespoons hickory liquid smoke

Directions:

In a 4-qt slow cooker, put the meat into the stoneware and rub the spices on all sides. Add the A-1 sauce and liquid smoke. (I rub this in as well) Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 6 hours. However, low is better. 

Your house will smell SO good! And your mouth will thank you when you eat it! I always make loaded red mashed potatos to accompany this. And usually green beans, as well. 

And there you have it! Another recipe that I hope you all try out! You have to let me know what you think! It literally takes me about 5 minutes, if that, to throw this together. The longest part is making the mashed potatoes and green beans, come dinner time. 

Hmm..I may have to make this for dinner tomorrow!

Ma! We want the Meatloaf!

Photo Credit: Creative Commons

A Family Favorite

I love me some meatloaf. Like…really love it! 

So, when I started trying to eat clean and I came across a clean version of it, I was all over it! Its really delicious and its a huge hit here at the house. Its become a staple. 

I've had several people ask for the recipe and so I thought I'd share it here in a blog post! Hope you enjoy! You're welcome, by the way!

Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey

1½ cup chopped onion (this is actually a little more than I prefer so I do less)

3 cloves garlic, minced   

¾ cup old fashioned oats

1 egg

¾ cup ketchup

2 tea worcestershire sauce

1 tea salt

½ tea ground pepper

2 tbsp ground flax seed 

olive oil spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl (You can sauté the onion and garlic first if you prefer) 

Form your meatloaf and place in a baking dish.

Bake in oven for 1 hour or until its no longer pink in the center. 

Optional: Drizzle ketchup over the top to keep moist.

Yum time!

And that's it! Its an easy meal to put together. All you have left to add is sides of your choice. 

Again, I hope you try it and enjoy it! 

25 Random Facts

I've seen this tag blog post/video around for a while, and thought I'd give it a shot! Here we go!

Sidenote: These facts will be in no specific order. And may not be of any interest to you, whatsoever! :)

 1. I've been pregnant 5 times, but only had 3 babies. 

 2. One of my miscarriages was due to a molar pregnancy.

 3. While I've sung my entire life, I didn't start publicly singing until my junior year in high   school.

 4. One of my goals in life is to write a book and have it published.

 5. I once wrote a very cheesy romance book in eighth or ninth grade. I still have it. 

 6. In eighth grade, I received one of the highest scores on the TAAS writing portion in either the district or state...can't remember which. 

 7. I like to rub cold satin between my fingers. It relaxes me. 

 8. I also like to rub cold ears...don't judge me. Its my own little quirk!

 9. I could literally sleep all day sometimes. 

10. I'm a night owl. Probably explains why I could sleep all day. 

11. I gave birth to my middle child without any meds or epidural...not on purpose.

12. I love to spray paint. I seriously look for things I can spray. Ha!

13. Every night after I brush my teeth, I crave ice cold water.

14. I had my gallbladder removed 7 weeks after I had my third baby.

15. I'm clausterphobic. It slowly seems to get worse.

16. I hate flying in planes. 

17. I can't stand it when people add extra salt to chips at Mexican restaurants. Just ask my friend Shara.

18. I'm a secret gamer at heart. I know. I'm the biggest nerd.

19. I can't do scary movies. 

20. My favorite show of all times is 'Felicity'. I watch the series at least once a year.

21. I'm a big time list maker/note taker. 

22. I have a serious shopping addiction.

23. I love crafting!

24. My sister and I quote movie phrases everywhere we go.

25. Growing up, I was a part of a puppet team and also did mime and human videos for church functions and competitions.

Whew... done! 

Hope you enjoyed some of these random facts about myself. Comment below and let me know one of your random facts! Or if you know a random fact about myself that I left out! 

A Book Challenge

I have a problem....

A mountain of them, to be exact. 

I love to read. And there lies my problem. I see so many good books out there and feel compelled to buy them! All of them. 

So needless to say, I'm way behind on my reading. My excitement for these books have gotten the better of me. And that's not including all the books that are living on my Kindle. Ha! 

AND a lot of these books are a part of a series, so that means more books in the future. 

Anyone else have a problem that's similar? Or anyone else just love to read and up for a little challenge? 

I'm going to challenge myself to read 2-4 books per month. Depending on the speed of your reading will determine how many books you can do. So, if you know you read fast, then lets go with 3-4 and if you read a little slower then shoot for 2 per month. 

If you're up for it, then comment below so I know who's all with me and with the number of books you're challenging yourself to read each month. We could form our own little book club so to speak. Keep each other accountable!

It's time for some serious reading to go down! So pick up your first book and lets go!

A Penny's Worth

  Penny for your thoughts?

At the end of my incredible experience at Bethel School of Worship this summer, we were given a gift. Something that would hold significance to each of us. Something we'd always remember and treasure. 

A penny.

You may be asking, "Huh?". At first, I think all of us were too. 

A penny holds almost no value, right? Its just one cent. It basically doesn't even count. We pass by them on the ground daily. How often do you actually pick up a penny? Yet, if we see silver money or a dollar bill, we're quick to pick it up and pocket it. 

Pennies are overlooked at times. Most pennies are tarnished, dirty. So it hides the beauty that a brand new penny holds. 

Someone once asked a millionaire how he did it. How he became a millionaire. His reply? One penny at a time. I don't know if this story is true, but it brings home a truth that we all need to realize.

We represent the penny. We think, so many times that we are insignificant. We don't matter. There's little to no value that we carry. We feel overlooked. We feel like a penny.

Pennies matter. Pennies hold value. 

YOU hold value. You matter. Your life is valuable and it means something. God made us, each with a purpose. He designed us to be different. No matter what your talent or gifting is (and everyone has talents and giftings), it holds such a high value when it comes to the Kingdom. 

We all feel insignificant at times. We feel overlooked. Unappreciated. 

God takes us in His hand, and cleans us. Like the dirty, tarnished penny, He makes us brand new. A clean, new penny. You are never overlooked by Him. He sees the beauty in you. When He looks at us, He sees us as He created us to be. 

I'm reminded of lyrics to a song, "Moving Forward". 

You make all things new, yes

You make all things new

and I will follow You forward

He's made you new. He gives us worth. Will you follow Him to where He leads? Will you recognize your own worth? 

Will you look at a penny the same? 

The Process to Your Purpose: Spending Time in the Wilderness

Photo: Courtesy of Creative Commons

Process stinks

Can I be totally honest with you guys?

The process stinks. It really does at times. It can be hard, disappointing, discouraging. 

Here's another word for it. Are you ready? 

Its being in the Wilderness.

How's about those apples, huh? What do you think of when you hear the word 'wilderness'? 

I looked it up on my dictionary app and this is what it says:

wilderness

-noun

1. a wild and uncultivated region, as of forest or desert, uninhabited or inhabited only by wild animals; a tract of wasteland

Synonyms: badland, barrens, boondocks, desert, middle of nowhere, waste, wasteland

Sounds fun, huh?

The phrase 'uncultivated region' stood out to me just now when I typed the definition. So, I looked up 'cultivated'. 

Here's one of the definitions: prepared and used for raising crops, tilled

and another:  educated, refined; cultured. 

Ok...remember that for a minute.

God's all about processes.

God is God. He can do ANYthing. Nothing is too big or too small for Him. If he chose to, He could come in and rectify any given situation/problem/circumstance. He could restore you or place you in the seat of your calling in an instant. But then, what do we learn from that? Do we then expect Him to do that at all times? 

For example: I'm trying to lose weight and get in shape. I've been working at it for a while. I'd be lying if I didn't say that on may occasions, I asked God to just supernaturally take the weight off! And He could...but in doing that, I would go back to eating the wrong things. Stop exercising. It'd skip the process. I would turn around and gain it all back when I failed to maintain the things that I would have done in the process of losing weight. 

Get it? You'll never know what's inside with out a test. Through the process, God is chipping away to reveal the true you. 

Now, I'm not saying that God never comes in and just supernaturally shows off. He does! More than we probably realize. But its in the process, in the wilderness, that He's able to teach us. To whisper to us. 

Its where we find Him. 

Up until recently, I also thought the wilderness was a scary place to be. In my mind, its where we're all alone. That God abandoned us, in a way. However, His Word says that He'll never leave us. Or forsake us. He's always with us.

In the wilderness, its just you and God. There's no better place for the process to happen than in the wilderness with our Beloved. 

As you take one step into the wilderness with Him, in the process, you will begin to see just how you can get from where you are to where you've been called to be. 

We have to search Him in the wilderness. Cling to Him. 

When you walk into the wilderness, you are taking the first step into your destiny!

In the wilderness, there's no water to be found, but God wants to take us into the wilderness with a pick axe and wants to teach us how to dig. How to search for Living Water.

But I've been "called".  

All of us have been called by the Lord to do something for the Kingdom. But even after you become aware of that calling, or have that encounter where God comes to you and tells you, you still have a process before you come into the fullness of your destiny.

Moses was living in the wilderness when he went up to the mountain of God and saw the Lord's glory manifested. Afterwards..he went straight back into the wilderness! 

Remember David? The shepherd boy? When Samuel came to Jesse to anoint the next king, the Lord promptly said no to each one of them. Until they had David come from the fields where he was tending the sheep. This was the one! This was the next King! And Samuel anointed him right there. Surely after that, David was escorted straight to the palace to live until he became king. Right? Nope. He was sent right back to the sheep in the fields. 

And then, Jesus. He hadn't even begun His ministry yet. He was being baptized by John, and as soon as He came up out of the water, heaven opened,  He saw the Spirit of God and a voice from heaven said "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."(Matthew 3:16,17). And afterwards? Jesus was sent into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 

What? This is JESUS we're talking about! He had to wait before stepping into His ministry. I think if Jesus could wait and go through the process, then so can I. 

What do I do while I'm here?

Being in the wilderness is the best place to be! Its not a scary place, like we've believed for so long. Its the place where God can speak and you can hear Him clearly. Its quiet there. So you can hear His voice better. Its the perfect place to hear Him. 

Be still and know that I am God. - Psalm 46:10

If you allow it, the wilderness will become the place where you hear Heaven and sit under its rain. And then....you'll know what it feels like. What it sounds like. And when the process is over and He leads you out of that wilderness, you'll remember. You'll then recognize His voice. When He speaks, you'll know it! 

Like I said earlier, when you're in the process, deep inside the wilderness, is where God can teach you. Refine you. And then lead you right into your destiny. 

Remember when I gave the definition of  'cultivated'?

-educated, refined; cultured

The wilderness is where God educates us, teaches, refines us. So that we will no longer be an uncultivated region. We will be cultivated; prepared and used for raising crops. Where we will bear fruit when we have stepped into our destiny. Into our ministry. 

My prayer for you all, and myself, is that we come to appreciate and love being in the wilderness. That we become so in tune with God's voice. That we allow Him to teach us and refine us. That we come to know His heart for us! That we come closer to Him. 

My First Birchbox

 

So I finally jumped on the Birchbox bandwagon. I've contemplated it here and there but never signed up.  I recently joined Ipsy and have now received my third bag. I'm enjoying it, but that piqued my interest with Birchbox more. 

I've seen some people review their Birchboxes on YouTube and so I just finally caved and signed up. 

If you're unfamiliar with Ipsy and Birchbox, they're both monthly subscriptions. You get 5 products in each. They both cost $10/month. And they're beauty related. Which I'm a sucker for. 

So, since getting my first Birchbox in the mail last week, I decided I would share what I got with you. Maybe this will spark some interest! I know...you're welcome! ;)

This is what it looked like when I opened it! I was so excited, I grabbed my camera and ran out the back door and opened it all up there so I could snap pictures right away.

I like that you get a card that gives descriptions and full-size prices on each item in the box. I also got a coupon from Ann Taylor to get either 20% off one Ann Taylor item, or 30% off two or more items. 

Ok, lets dig in! 

 Top, left corner: (I'm going to type descriptions straight from the card) 

Fresh Feet Wipes by Jasmine Seven. These are alcohol-free towelettes that cleanse and soften with vitamin E, peppermint, and aloe. Refresh your feet after running around town or in between shoe changes. Also great for hands.

Full-size is 3 packs of 10 wipes for $9.95

Top, right corner:

Secret Lip Affair by Secret Agent Beauty In the shade: Foreign Intelligence Flirt . This is a really pretty color and not at all as intense in color as it may look. Its infused with vitamin E, to help with dryness. This is great alone, or over a lipstick for extra color/shine. It feels slightly tingly on the lips.

Full-size is $16

Here's a swatch:

Secret Lip Affair: Foreign Intelligence Flirt

Middle: 

Premium BB Cream SPF 45+ by Dr. Jart+. Ok, I was really excited about seeing this in my box! I have a friend that had bought one of the BB creams from this brand and said she was loving it. I used it on some models I was doing makeup on for a photoshoot. It was like a one-shade suits all and worked great on all of their skins. I've been deliberating on buying this for myself, but kept holding back. This BB cream is a multitasker. It evens out skin tone, has antiaging benefits, and gives broad spectrum protection. 

When I wear this, I don't use a foundation over it. This is enough!

Full-size is $39 (Sephora carries this)

Bottom, center:

Thermal Spring Water by Avene. (Typing straight off card for this one) Sourced from French mineral springs, this refreshing mist can be used to nourish all skin types. Hold 6-8 inches away from face, then spritz lightly. Use throughout day.

You can use this after a workout to help cool you down, or just when you need a little bit of refreshing. 

Honestly? I'll never purchase this. Regular water can do that. But its nice having this sample to use. 

Full-size is $9-$12

Bottom, right corner:

Lifestyle Extra (The only non-beauty item in the box)

Glee Gum (sugar free). All natural with no artificial ingredients.

Full-size is 11.95 for a 12-pack.

So there is my first Birchbox! I'm excited about seeing the monthly products I get. Plus, I'm guaranteed a package a month, which makes life a little more exciting!

Do you have a favorite monthly subscription? Let me know!

Blog Remodeling

Hey guys! 

Photo Credit: Creative Commons

I have several blog posts that are "in the works", so to speak, so I haven't gotten one out in several days. But I wanted to tell you a little exciting news!

As you can probably tell from the title of this post, I'm working on some remodeling on my blog!

It started with a search on Etsy to find a blog signature, which you will see on the bottom of this post. I found a really awesome shop, and the shop owner, Ashley, did exactly what I was picturing!

 I loved it so much, that I started browsing thru her shop more. I found a template I absolutely fell in love with. I  asked for a little tweaking, and so, with her help, we are working to competely re-vamp the look of my blog! I can' wait to see what she does! 

I'm going to link her shop, in case any other bloggers are out there and are looking to spruce things up! 

Her name is Ashley, and her shop is called Dinosaur Stew. 

I hope to have another post for you guys really soon! 

My Nighttime Skin Care Routine

Skin Care Regimen

Good Skin Care starts with Good Products

I am almost always on the prowl for new and better skin care products. I look for products that help with anti-aging (as most of us women do) but without a lot of extra ingredients that we really don't need. 

Sometimes its trial and error and sometimes you hit a gold mine. 

I feel like I've found my gold mine in the products I'm currently using. 

If you saw my previous post, I talked about using a makeup remover prior to cleansing. That gets us on the right track to getting clean, healthy looking skin. 

After I use my eye makeup remover and the Bioderma to the rest of my face, I move on to a skin care line that I've been trying out and using for months. 

The Michael Todd True Organics line has some amazingly good products. After watching a few YouTube videos about it, I decided to give it a go. All of the products are organic/vegan so you know you're putting good quality products on your skin. What's cool is once you place an order, you become a valued customer and receive a 20% discount on anything else you purchase for a year! 

Something else I like is the website makes it so easy to find the products best suited for your skin type. Everything is categorized based on skin type/needs, so you don't have to "hunt" through the products to make sure they're suitable for you. 

What I do

So after my makeup is removed, I start next with my cleanser. This is my newest purchase from Michael Todd and I am loving it! Its the Honey & Oat Deep Pore Cleanser. I love that I've found a deep pore cleanser for my dry skin. Every other deep pore I've used has been too drying on my skin. And most that I've seen are more designed for acne prone/oily skin. 

Next, I use the Tropical Fruit scrub which is an enzyme exfoliant. It smells just like you'd think, with papaya and pineapple. And its gentle enough that I use it almost daily. 

For my cleanser and exfoliant, I've begun using my Sonic Skincare System. I used it for a while, months ago, and stopped, but I've started using it again and really like it. It really helps to deeply clean your skin. It compares to the Clarisonic, but less costly. 

About once to twice a week, I use the Pearl and Silk mask. You apply to a clean face and leave on for about 10 minutes. Just as the name suggests, the product is a pearly and creamy and it leave my face feeling silky and soft. Its wonderful!

When I get out of the tub or shower, I follow up with the Blue Green Algae Toner. The amazing thing about this toner is that its an antibacterial and an anti-inflammatory formula. I'll be honest, out of all the steps in skin care, toning has been the one I've skipped too many times. However, since using this toner, I haven't skipped this step nearly as much as I used to. I absolutely love this toner! 

I linked the site so you can read all the amazing things the toner does. As with all the other products highlighted. I encourage reading up on these products to find which ones best suit you. 

Lastly, moisturizer. There's an eye cream, Intensive Organic Eye Cream, which is a multi-action treatment for your eyes. It helps with fine lines and wrinkles, reducing dark circles, and helping eliminate puffiness. Then I use the Citrus Cream Moisturizer that contans DMAE and Hyaluronic Acid.  In the morning, my skin still feels moisturized and smooth. 

If you haven't tried out any of the Michael Todd products, I highly recommend them. I don't foresee me changing up my skin care routine any time soon. These are, like I said, my gold mine! 

What are your favorite skincare products? 

XOXO

Laura

Makeup Removers

 We All Want Healthy, Clean Skin

Right, ladies? Clean, clear, healthy skin is something we desire. 

And its a good one thing at that. 

We should be proactive about the health of our bodies; skin included, since its our largest organ. 

To me, healthy skin starts with clean skin. 

Most of us women wear makeup daily, for the most part. Have you neglected to remove your makeup at night before going to bed? I'll admit it. I've done it. Many times. 

Someone once told me that your skin ages 7 days for every night that you don't remove your makeup. Say what?! So, if you skip removing your makeup once a week, you've aged your skin by 28 days! That's crazy. 

I found this article on an experiment a woman did with sleeping in her makeup for a month. YIKES!

Alot of us, myself included, skip the actual removing of makeup and go straight to facial cleanser. Doing this, however, doesn't fully clean your skin. When you cleanse before taking your makeup off first, its only 'skimming' the surface, so to speak. But when you use a makeup remover first, when you cleanse your skin, the product will be able to go straight to your pores and absorb better into the skin to do its job. 

Make any sense? 

I have 2 products I use daily and are by far my absolute favorite when it comes to taking my makeup off. 

Bioderma Sensibio H2O, Mary Kay Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover

Firstly, I use the Mary Kay Oil Free Eye Makeup remover first. I love that this works well, and gently too. I don't feel like I have to "scrub" at my eyes to my eye makeup off. I wear waterproof mascara almost all the time and this takes it off with no problem. 

Sephora also makes a really good one as well.  

I found the Bioderma off of Amazon and I love it! Its super gentle and fragrance free, which makes it excellent for sensitive skin. Its a rinse free formula. I just douse a cotton round and sweep it over my face. I usually use 2 cotton rounds total. Its a little pricey, but lasts me a long time, so I can justify the cost. It runs around $30 for a 500ml bottle.

There's a few formulations of it too. But this one was the one that stood out the most to me and has done an amazing job.

(I would link the Bioderma but at the time of this post, the Amazon site is temporarily not working. But you can google it and find it on other sites as well.)

And then I can move on with the rest of my nighttime routine. I have noticed such a change in my skin since I started making a point to actually taking my makeup off before cleansing. 

I hope you check these products out if you're looking for a good makeup remover. 

I have another post coming soon on the products I've been using at night. (Maybe today!)

XOXO 

Laura

Worship School: A Dream Come True. Part 2

Pinch Me, I Must Be Dreaming!

My BSW necessities, and extras.

It was time, and it still hadn't fully hit me. I was going to Bethel! I was going to see Jen Johnson, Steffany Frizzel-Gretzinger, Jesus Culture, Jeremy Riddle, Paul Baloche, Martin Smith, Amanda Cook, and so many more amazing worship leaders! All in one place!

The thought alone was surreal. I couldn't wait to get there. I was excited, nervous, and more than a little bit intimidated. 

Upon landing at the San Francisco International airport, I made my way to the gate for my connecting flight into Redding. I quickly was able to spot out other students by the number of guitar cases. Plus, the connecting flight was a smaller plane and pretty much everyone on that plane was going to BSW (Bethel School of Worship). It was amazing at how quick we started to make connections. We all had the same emotions running rampant! 

Friends Forever

As we got ready to head out to Redding, I quickly texted the girls who I'd be living with for the next two weeks to let them know I would be there in less than an hour. There was seven of us, as I stated in Worship School: A Dream Come True. Part 1. I was the last of our house to arrive. I hadn't met any of them, but we were already connected. We'd been talking through Facebook for the past four months. 

I could write an entire post on my awesome housemates. We formed lifelong friendships that will last from here to eternity! We are still texting, touching base with each other. We plan to meet up once a year, taking turns visiting our home towns/states/countries. I can't wait to see them all again! I seriously love these ladies! They are all beautiful and are so full of the Lord. I'm bless to have them in my life!

On our last night together, we spent several hours praying and prophesying over each other. It was amazing. These girls will always be in my heart! 

From L to R: Top row: Therosia, Nicole, Tanisha Bottom Row: Irene, Leonie, Sonja, me

A Little Star-Struck

 One exciting thing, for me anyways, was the first night I was there, we went to Bethel's Sunday night service and I saw Jenn Johnson. I noticed that two of my housemates were talking to her so I just HAD to go! I slid up next to them. Literally. And she totally caught me. We laughed and I thought, "Well, at least I made an impression!" And of course, I had to have a picture with her.

Me and Jenn! Not the best picture of myself, but I'm with Jenn so who cares, right?!

I also got the privilege of sitting in several classes taught by the incredible Amanda (Falk) Cook. She is the one who wrote the song "Closer" sung by Steffany Gretzinger. And also "I Will Exalt". She's extremely talented and I got to sit and listen to her as she spoke about her personal process of becoming the songwriter/singer she is. She sang and prayed over us each class and it just got better and better.

Me and Amanda Cook!

 School Is In Session

There's absolutely no way I could write about my entire experience while at BSW. There's just too much that went on. I took an empty spiral and came home with it just about completely full of notes if that gives you any indication! We were in classes from 10am to 9:30pm daily. 

We started out each day with worship. Ah-maaay-zing worship! So intense at times. So free. No holding back. Completely lost in God's presence. 

The classes I took were nothing short of life-changing. I loved every moment of it. God was there with us. He spoke things over me. I'm going to be writing a blog post talking more in detail about a couple of things that the Lord revealed to me. 

Each class was more and more amazing. I couldn't get enough, I tried to soak up every single second of it, yet at times, I didn't feel like my brain could hold on to any more knowledge or revelation! Ha! How awesome is that?! 

Everyone there, Bethel staff and teachers, all made us feel like we were family. And made us feel genuinely loved by them. Which made us feel more connected with them. I definitely left a big piece of me there when I left. 

Bethel School of Worship changed my life. God changed me. And I can't wait to see where He leads me. I don't regret for one second going there. Would I go back? Um. Yes! In a heart beat! 

Worship School: A Dream Come True. Part 1

Bethel Church, Redding, California

Getting There

A Backstory

First thing you need to know about me is that I felt called to be a worship leader for years now. 

Its not something I wanted. 

I remember standing in my shower years ago and praying. I specifically remember saying "God. I don't want to be a worship leader. I'm ok with leading songs here and there, but I don't want to lead." 

In that moment, I'm sure that God chuckled at me. Because He has, in fact called me to lead. He calls us all to something. Its our choice to say "Yes". Somewhere along the way, along this process, I said, "Yes".

And so it began. The desire, the passion began to deepen. Its been a process. A long one. And its still going, but that's not what this post is about. That's a story for another time. 

I visited Christ For The Nations for a campus days with a friend of mine and found myself wanting to attend. I didn't know how though, because I was a single, working mom at the time and going there would require a move away from family and friends. I just didn't know how that would be possible. 

From that moment on, the desire to go to a worship school was birthed. But I just handed it over to God. And trusted that it would happen. In His time. And if it never happened, I was okay with that too.

And The Story Goes On

Years go by. Literally. The desire for school has never left, but as I stated already, I was okay with where I was and knew God had it under control. 

I'm sitting at my table with my good friend, and fellow worship leader, Jackie, and we're talking about worship. About our hearts for worship. What we wanted the Lord to do through us and in us. To lead His people into His Presence. The subject of worship school comes up and we talked about both of our desires to go. I told her that if I could go anywhere, I'd want to go to Bethel in Redding, California. I didn't know if they even had a worship school. I was just in love with the worship that had been coming out of that church. Powerful, anointed. Amazing. 

I want to say it was within that same week, the same friend texted me and said that Bethel had a worship school that was two weeks long. I was surprised..and that was DO-able!  

I looked it up and sure enough, there it was. Coming up in a matter of months. Now, what do I do with this information? I started praying about it. I mentioned it to my husband, whose initial reaction was what I thought it'd be. He wasn't completely on board at first. But said he would pray about it too. While it was do-able, it still would require a huge sacrifice on my part. Leaving three children and a husband for two weeks. Leaving family who would have to help out with watching my children too. 

And so I prayed that God would make a way. He knew how much I wanted to go. I would cry every time I would think about it. I knew that going would change my life forever. 

I asked my friend, Amie, an amazing prayer warrior, to pray about it with me. And it was like she got an answer right away. And it was a "Yes"! My reaction? You guessed it. I cried. 

I only told a few people about it and I was sitting and chatting with my friend Dayna. She had just come home from a missions trip and we were hanging out at my house. She was actually showing me the ropes on the whole blogging thing. 

You can check out Dayna's blog here. 

I told her about BSW (Bethel School of Worship) and she said, point blank, that it seemed I'd already gotten my answer about going and her only question was when I was going to fill out the application. To which I replied, "Um. Now?" 

A Valentine's Day Surprise

My husband and I headed out for a date the day after Valentine's Day. I checked my email and saw an email my pastor had sent, letting me know he had sent off the pastoral recommendation. I also noticed an email from someone from BSW and my heart did a flip flop. 

I had been accepted to BSW! It was starting the end of June, giving me four months to make arrangements. 

My husband was totally behind me, my family supported me, and my friends and my church were backing me. 

Down to the Details

Within a matter of days, I was connected with girls whom I didn't know. In fact, we were scattered all over the world. From Texas to Germany and Norway, the seven of us connected and made housing arrangements. 

There's a woman in my church, Ginger, who owns a salon. She offered to let me host a bake sale to raise money to cover funds for school. I was a wreck that day. The enemy began to attack me, telling me that I didn't have any business going to BSW. I wasn't good enough...blah blah blah. My best friend, Brittany and I went, with lots of baked goods, and not only sold almost everything, but I received donations. An amazing donation that left me speechless. My tuition was covered.

And I was GOING! 

So that gives you the story, the process, of me getting to Bethel School of Worship. In my next post, I'll talk about being there, the people I met, the experiences, encounters, I had there. 

Until then! 

A Little DIY Therapy

Spray Paint is a Girl's Best Friend

I love working on little projects. Especially when they involve spray paint. Its amazing how a coat of spray paint can completely change the look of something. Its one of the easiest ways to give items a makeover!

Just a couple weeks ago, my husband and I took on the much needed task to repaint our living room, dining room, kitchen, and hallway. Our living room was a dark green color and we decided to go with a bluish gray color.  So, naturally, this means major changes have to happen! 

I had some ceramic pots that I've had in my kitchen that I became unsure with what to do with. I'll insert the picture of them. 

Before

I picked these up years ago in Canton, Tx. Canton is known for First Monday Canton market days. And I love that place! 

After we painted the kitchen, I didn't know if I should sell them or just give them away. And then it came to me: spray paint them! I am pulling out a lot of white accents with the new wall color so I decided on painting them solid white. 

I chose Valspar Paint + Primer in a glossy finish. It coated the pots very well. I found it at Lowes. 

After one coat of paint

After one coat, it was already looking good! I got so excited that I found two vases that I was unsure what to do with also and got to work on those as well.

Before

I bought these at Ikea a few years back and I really like them. But against the new wall color, they didn't go so well anymore. Spray paint to the rescue! 

They are all complete and I'm already looking for my next project to do! Here's the total finished job!

After

After

I'm so pleased with the results! 

What are your current DIY projects? I'd love to know!

Drugstore Makeup

Drugstore Makeup ONLY?

First off, my inspiration for this blog post came from Kate from The Small Things Blog. If you're not following her, you should! She is a beautiful hair stylist and has some awesome and very easy to do hair tutorials, as well as makeup, and daily living posts.

 I'm determined to one day travel to her salon and get her to do my hair! But its going to happen! 

She recently posted a blog post on building a makeup kit from Target. Like a, "What would I do if I lost all my makeup" kind of thing. So I decided to do one as well.

I've lost all my makeup!?

I have to tell you, the diva in me instantly gasped at the thought of losing my makeup bag. My close friends could tell you..my makeup collection is a little excessive. It ranges from drugstore to high end. I know... I have a problem. 

Can you relate? If so, repeat with me. 

Hi, my name is _______ and I'm a makeupholic. 

First step is admitting, right? 

Ok, so we've lost all our makeup. Now what? Well, first things first. I finish having a complete meltdown and then immediately set out to restock and start over! The good thing about drugstore makeup brands is that they've come a long way from when I first started using makeup as a young junior high girl. They've really stepped it up and so I am confident that I could be satisfied with drugstore only makeup.....for a while. Haha! 

Here's what I've come up with.

The cool thing is I actually already have most of this. Make that all, except the eye shadow quad. 

Product Breakdown

Hands down, the best drugstore foundation that I've found so far is the Revlon Colorstay. It has excellent coverage for me and there is a good selection of colors to select from. They also have 2 formulas to choose from.  Normal/Dry and Combination/Oily.

As far as concealers go, the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind is fantastic. I've gone through numerous tubes of this stuff. 

The Physicians Formula Super BB Powder has been a more recent find and I'm really enjoying it. It gives a little extra coverage and is excellent for touch ups during the day. I find that it compares with Benefit Cosmetics 'Hello Flawless!"powder as far as coverage and feel on the skin. Like I said, I'm really liking it and its way cheaper too!

I threw a random eyeshadow quad in there just to show the colors I typically lean towards, which are browns/neutrals. 

For an eyeshadow base, the Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo does really well. You can use alone or as a base. 

I've been really liking the Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in "Coffee Cake". Its the only one I have but I'd like to try out a couple other shades as well. Its more of a cream blush so bear that in mind before applying it. Start with applying a little and build it up, if needed. 

Probably my all time favorite mascara is the L'Oreal Voluminous mascara. No matter how many higher end mascaras I buy and love, this is the one I always come back to at some point. My favorite formula is the Carbon Black. 

For lips, there are so many good ones at the drugstore that it was hard to narrow it down. Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters give good color payoff while keeping my lips moisturized. Think tinted lip balm, but better! Like I said, though, its hard to narrow down one brand, one lipstick, but this is a good go-to lippy. 

Lastly, the matter of brushes. I bought the Sonia Kashuk brush kit in the picture strictly for the clutch alone, but found that I actually like the brushes that came with it as well! Bonus! 

Thankfully, though...

Thankfully, though, I haven't lost any of my makeup! My makeup is my life! Well, not really. But, it would be a little devastating if I did. However, the good news is that there are some real winners out there, as I've shown, that would make my life a little easier as I started over. 

If you haven't tried out some of these products, and if you're a makeup junkie like me, then I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with them. 

What are your favorite drugstore makeup picks? 

Until my next post, happy makeup shopping!

Getting Things Done

Photo Credit: Creative Commons

Organizing, yes please!

Well, hello there! Long time since I last posted, isn't it? 

I'm so sorry!

I'm trying to get the hang of this whole blogging thing. I'm trying to establish a better sense of order in my life, which is hard, considering that I have three children and a husband. Ha! But in all seriousness, a goal of mine for 2013 is to get organized. I love having things in order, but unfortunately, I have a holdup with actually making it happen. Which, in turn, causes a little chaos. 

You know what I mean? I'm not the only one that has this issue, am I? 

So, I'm devoting this year to de-clutter, downsize, and organize. In my home. In every area of my life. With Pinterest by my side, I can't fail, right?! 

The plan? 

First off, start going to bed at a more decent hour and getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night. I can easily stay up until the wee hours of the morning. For the longest time, 2 a.m. has been my bedtime. And I don't have to tell you, that's no good! It causes me to be un-functionable when its time to wake up and get my boys to school. I'm pretty much out of sorts for the day. I would lay down with my daughter after dropping my second son off at preschool and then we would nap for about 3 hours. Nothing would get done around the house, which makes for a not-so-happy-spouse when he gets home after a long day of work. 

And not getting enough sleep makes you cranky, easily irritated, on edge...need I go on? 

Lack of sleep can also be related with weight gain/inability to lose....what?! No ma'am! 

So, yeah...this girl has been doing better at going to bed. I feel better after getting a fuller night's rest. I can function the next day. Things get done! Its amazing! Who would have thought, huh?

On to the second part of the plan. 

I want to start waking up early. 

Yeah, you read that right. You're probably thinking, "Is she nuts? She wants to get up early??" Yep. I sure do. I want to use that time to get in a morning workout and then also to be able to spend some time praying and reading my Bible. I need that time with the Lord and it gets harder to do that as the day goes on and the kids are all over me...just like my youngest is right this second. I feel amazing after I workout and what better way to get the day started than a workout followed by some personal time with the Lord. Talk about a boost! Physically, Spiritually, Mentally. 

I could also use some of this early morning time to type up a blog entry. Then its done for the day. I want to get a schedule for my blog posts. And then I want to be consistent. 

Thirdly, I plan to start organizing my home. I won't go into details about all I want to do, but the plan is to downsize and get rid of the things we don't use and/or don't need. We accumulate so much stuff that it just...accumulates! We don't have enough storage space as it is, so I start to feel a little claustrophobic and disgusted at the little piles that begin to form. Our ultimate plan is to get a few things done to the house (exterior and interior) and put this puppy up for sale! Its not big enough for a family of five! 

So...that's an overall plan for me in this year. Little things I've started to do are making a difference and I love the feeling it gives me. Accomplishment. Satisfaction. Relaxed! 

Until my next post, (which is coming soon!), I bid you farewell! 

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!

It's gonna be worth it all.

This Is It!

Photo Credit: Creative Commons

The end of 2012 is here, which, for many people, means new year's resolutions. Weight loss is usually a top resolution, isn't it? 

This is the year! I'm going to go to the gym and eat right! This weight is coming off! 

Sound familiar? 

This was my resolution for 2012. And I was determined. And motivated. I meant business. After giving birth to my third baby in May of 2011, I was ready. It was time. I was finished having babies and nothing was going to stop me from reaching my goals. I was so tired of looking in the mirror and absolutely hating the girl staring back at me.

My husband was tired of the way I would basically refuse his compliments. It'd go something like this:

Nathan: "You look hot!"

Me: "No I don't! I'm fat. I'm disgusting. I look ugly. How could you possibly find any of this (motioning frantically to pudgy parts of my anatomy) attractive?! You can't!"

To which, my husband would finally say, "If you don't like it, then do something about it." 

Ouch.

Truth can hurt. 

So, It was December of 2011 and I was more than ready. I got a membership at the gym and started going. I was committed. I had friends that had memberships there so that helped. I quickly made new friends there too. I went anywhere from 2-4 times a week on average. I went to the spinning class, HIIT class, Body Pump, and Bootcamp. I felt amazing after finishing each workout. 

After several months, I noticed that I was trimming up slightly, but no weight was coming off. I started being more aware if what I was eating. Still nothing. Now, let me say this..I had realistic expectations. I didn't expect that I was going to start dropping weight right off the bat. It took a long time to accumulate. It was going to take some time. In fact, I had read that weight that comes off slowly, stays off. I keep pushing on. 

I started running. I'm not a runner. I always hated it in elementary and junior high. But I started to actually enjoy it. I got fitted for thee right running shoes and that made a huge difference in my performance. 

In June of this year, I kicked my soda habit...which was HUGE for me. I'm a big Dr. Pepper fan and could easily put away 5 or more in a day. I didn't go a day without one. After almost 3 months of no soda, and all the exercise, still no weight had come off. I was starting to feel extremely tired. And depressed. I would start to crash around 3:30-4pm and my energy would completely drain. Which is not good when you have 3 kids to take care of. I was depressed because nothing was happening. With all the work I was putting in, I thought that SOMETHING should be happening. I remember crying to my husband while getting ready for the gym (when I found the energy to go). I was losing the drive. Why bother going? Why bother cutting soda? Why put myself through that if I had nothing to show for it? 

I finally went to the doctor in August to see if I could find out some answers. I had blood work done to check my thyroid. That came back clear. So next, we did blood tests to check my hormones. My results said that I had extremely low progesterone. The doctor put me on a prescription of progesterone and assured me that was why I wasn't losing weight and why I was depressed and tired all the time. She wanted to see me after several months to reevaluate. I started taking them as I was directed to and I really did start feeling better. But still...no weight loss. Of course, at this time, I wasn't working out as much. 

During this time I joined a BeachBody Challenge group. I started ChaLean Extreme. I love Chalene Johnson and was familiar with her Turbo Jam workouts. I did some of those years prior. I felt like I slimmed up a little but I didn't lose anything. I missed quite a few of my workouts in that month as well. I knew I wasn't at 100%. 

Ok, we are now up to a little over a month ago. 

I got connected with a friend, and she encouraged me to join a challenge group that she was about to start. She became my coach through BeachBody and I actually signed up as a coach myself. I got my challenge pack of Brazil Butt Lift and my first month of Shakeology. I started eating clean. While I haven't been 100% every single day, I'm quite proud of myself for what I've been able to do.

I went back to my doctor to follow up. She ordered labs for bloodwork to be checked. But, instead of doing it, I made an appointment with an endocrinologist that was recommended to me by several friends. He was very thorough and checked my thyroid which came back  normal. He said I'm a little anemic. He also said I'm not getting near enough sleep. I've been averaging around 4-5 hours a night. Not good. At all. And also ordered another round of blood work to specifically check my hormones. I'm waiting on those results now. 

At my 30 day mark, I'd lost some inches over my body. I was able to put on some pants that had been too tight before. Even though they don't fit perfect (and I would rather they be too big..thereby forcing me to go shopping for smaller pants), I started to cry. Slowly, my body is changing. And I'll take it!          

I've just started to add in some Turbo Fire into my routine and I'm loving it. I really want to amp it all up. 

So...that's my story up to now!

It's now January 1st, 2013 and I'm excited about the goals that I AM going to reach! 

It's hard work, it's slow.  

It's frustrating...but it's gonna be worth it. 

It's gonna be worth it all.