space to breathe

{blog} space to breath
We pass this beautiful barn to get to our new home.

It has been quite the whirlwind two months!
(three months since I last blogged. whoops!)
Mid-May our household belongings were all packed up and we left Texas to travel to see family and then to our final destination: Tennessee.
Moving is always so stressful and this time was no different.
It was probably even harder this go-around with THREE kiddos.
We have spent so much time in our van driving all around our new town.
We have been eating out far more often than any of us would like.
Nonetheless, we have found a seemingly perfect home to live in for at least the next year!
For all my worrying, stressing, and FIVE days straight of house hunting, God had just the right home waiting for us!

My very wise and wonderful friend Rachel, sent a lovely letter that was waiting for me when I arrived at my Mama's house.
She included this fitting passage:
Philippians 4:6-7
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all [a]comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I went back to these verses many times during our searching for a home.
When I felt hopeless and overwhelmed with worry I read it again.
After numerous disappointments in our search, on a whim a realtor we met with suggested a house that had just become available for rent. And had also been reduced in price.
"It's is kind of far from town, you will have quite a commute to work" she said.
Perfect we thought.
And it was!
Immediately the drive out to the place was peaceful.
The rolling hills, dotted with cows, corn and wheat fields.
Green pastures, blue skies, and puffy white clouds.
And then we arrived. . .
The yards were substantial and neighbors not too close.
On the grounds were numerous fruit trees.
Pear, apple, peach. . . The neighbors even maintain a mini-orchard of sorts, behind our home.
It felt like home.
And we could breathe out here. . .

{blog} space to breath
The side yard of our new home.

{blog} space to breath
My Girl, exploring the neighbor's mini-orchard.


{blog} space to breath
Sunlight through fruit trees.

goin' to colorado


This is so outside of my "box," but I am

GOING TO COLORADO! 

Little Bébé and I are flying to meet (most, for the first time) some incredible ladies!
We have all grown to "know" each other through the internet, and friendships have really blossomed through countless emails, Instagram, Blogs, and HAPPY MAIL.
This weekend will involve a little craftiness, a little yoga, a trip to BOULDER, yummy food, delicious coffee & tea.
While it is smack dab in the middle of our crazy move, I believe I will come home so refreshed, and energized it won't even matter that my house will be packed up less than a week after I arrive home! :)
I can't wait to share photos and stories from this trip!
In the meantime, stop by each of these sweet ladies space on the internet and soak in the goodness!
Sara our gracious host and "tour guide." :)
Natalie
Rachel
Jennifer B.
Jennifer L.
You can also follow along on our adventures on Instagram with the hashtag #coloradogirls2013

rest

{blog} rest
That's just what I did today.

I think my husband may have seen what I scheduled for the day because he helped me achieve rest.
He has taken the baby and let me sleep in a little this morning, put away laundry, helped make dinner and cleaned up all the mess that it created.
He has played Hide & Seek with the bigger kiddos, brushed teeth, & read books.
He's pretty special.

I was intentional about rest today because I have been feeling poorly lately.
I'm sure stress is a contributing factor as we are MOVING in less than three weeks!
But I also twisted my neck out of whack in the middle of the night Sunday and have been to see my chiropractor two days in a row. She told me that I may still have notable levels of relaxin in my system since I am nursing.
My ice pack is my best friend.

Tomorrow will hopefully be a repeat of today, and surely I should feel markedly better!

weekending // 04.15.13

We love weekends around here. Such a sweet time to work on projects together, play together, plan together & eat yummy food.
{blog} weekending // 04.15.13
{blog} weekending // 04.15.13
{blog} weekending // 04.15.13
{blog} weekending // 04.15.13
{blog} weekending // 04.15.13
{blog} weekending // 04.15.13
sunshine ● popcorn ● big straw hats ● baby smiles ● pancakes ● yard work ● video games ● The Hobbit ● wine ● grocery shopping ● homemaking binder organization/design ● budgeting ● planning ● playing with best friends ● 

menu plan // 04.13.13

{blog} menu plan // 04.13.13
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Firstly, I must thank my awesome sister-in-love Marissa, for sharing her menu plans with me for the last month. She diligently plans each meal her sweet family will enjoy each week! She inspired me to start planning breakfast and lunch as well, and has shared many tips on how to get it all done and stay within budget! Thank you Marissa!

April 13-19, 2013

13 Saturday

Breakfast: Eggs, Avocado Slices, Kiwi Fruit, Banana & clementines
Lunch: Order pizza
Dinner: Raid the Pantry/Fridge (fend for yourself)

14 Sunday

Breakfast: Blender Banana Oat Pancakes (first time trying these :)
Lunch: Leftover Pizza
Dinner: Salmon Cakes (Practical Paleo pg. 310) Mashed Faux-Tatoes (Practical Paleo pg. 344) and Sauteed Cabbage

15 Monday

Breakfast: Banana Bread Muffins
Lunch: Hard Boiled Eggs, raspberries & blueberries, cucumber slices, carrot sticks, and avocado slices
Snack: Raw cheese & apple slices
Dinner: Blackeyed Peas (soaked the night before) and Cornbread with sauteed Collard Greens, and Sauerkraut (Bubbies brand)

16 Tuesday

Breakfast: Monkey Salad (will probably sub another nut for the cashews.)
Lunch: Baked Sweet Potato & Kale (Whole Food Kitchen recipe)
Snack: Popcorn & Smoothies
Dinner: Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

17 Wednesday

Breakfast: Personal Baked Eggs with Greens & Bacon
Lunch: Applegate Farms Hot Dogs or Almond Butter Sandwiches with fruit
Snack: Kale chips & raw cheese
Dinner: Super Porktastic Bacon-Topped Spinach and Mushroom Meatloaf (will use ground grass-fed beef from the farm)

18 Thursday

Breakfast: Berries, coconut flakes, chocolate chips, almonds, and almond milk (aka: "Cereal")
Lunch: Salad & Leftovers
Snack: Cuties & Larabars (on sale and had a coupon this week)
Dinner: Mustard Glazed Chicken (Practical Paleo pg. 266) Honey Glazed Carrots, & Sauerkraut

19 Friday

Breakfast: Omelets
Lunch: Avocado Chicken Salad in lettuce leaves
Snack: baby carrots, cucumber slices & "Ranch" dip (homemade with yogurt)
Dinner: Grain-Free Mini Pizzas & Pepperoni Pizza with Gluten-Free Crust

menu plan // 04.06.13

menu plan // 04.06.13
Here's my plan for this week.
We're going a little lighter on the meat because my budget has little wiggle room, and to ensure good quality, meat is something we do not skimp on.
I only planned dinners this week (hoping we have leftovers), but have in recent weeks planned breakfast and lunch which was an enormous help. I plan to get back to that next week.
Special thanks to my amazing Sister-In-Love, Marissa for sharing her plans week after week and inspiring me!
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Saturday

Pizza Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Pepperoni Pizza (dough in freezer)

Sunday

Vegan "Cheesy" Spaghetti Squash Bake with Salad (I'll use this as my base recipe and use cooked spaghetti squash instead of pasta.)

Monday

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Hash
(Beans will soak as per Nourishing Traditions)

Tuesday

Winter Squash and Sausage Soup
Crockpot

Wednesday

Salmon Cakes with Faux-tatoes and sauteed cabbage

Thursday

Blackeyed Peas and Cornbread
(Beans and rice will soak as per Nourishing Traditions)

Friday

Pizza - Roasted Apple, Butternut Squash, and Caramelized Onion Pizza
(experimenting with Gluten-Free varieties)

weekending // 03.18.13

{ blog } weekending
It was all about the yummies this weekend . . .
we kicked it off with grocery shopping! woo! hoo!
hence the yumminess!
{roast chicken • smoked Gouda and sliced cucumbers • pizza (with a gluten free crust) • shamrock eggs • corned beef and cabbage   •   avocado chicken salad   •   fruit salad}






{ blog } weekending
and of course an utterly yummy baby . . .

{ blog } weekending
there was also hooping . . . lots, and lots of hooping! :)

march goals

{ blog } march goals

In March 2013 I will . . .
*Revised yoga plan: 2x week
*walk for refreshment and exercise 2x week
*condense and organize my recipe binder
*finish Thank You Notes for little Bébé & Christmas (gasp!)

------------------------------------------------------------------
- In hindsight, my goal last month to practice yoga daily was a bit ambitious. I managed to practice daily for 9 days in a row! But, I have revised my "plan" to fit into my busy daily commitments as a Mama and Wife. 2x a week is definitely do-able! :) 
- My hubby actually suggested walking during the week. He even offered to carry Bébé in the Ergo! 
- My recipe binder has been in need of some attention for a long while now. I have a 3" binder literally bursting at the seams. (Hubby repaired it with fun rainbow duck tape. ;) I've been "collecting" recipes in this particular binder for about 7 years now. I want to condense and organize it enough to fit into a 2" binder. Only keep our absolute favorite recipes.
- My most shameful goal is to finish some LONG over due Thank You notes.

{ blog } march goals

happy list // 02.19.13

happy list // 02.19.13
1.abundant sunshine and an adorable sun hat 2.a pretty, free, printable, mini calendar 3.happy mail from the happy janssens! 4.the most epic pillow fort to-date :) 5.a family get-away to Fort Worth 6.knitting on the road, improvising when I realized I left my DPNs at home! 7.an adorable headband for little Bébé 8.a most enthralling show, watched with My Love (if you know me, my love for TV ends at Downton Abbey, so finding a show we both enjoy makes me HAPPY!

You can see all my past Happy Lists HERE

Curried Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Bacon Soup

Curried Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Bacon Soup

Print Recipe

Curried Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Bacon Soup


From the book: Keep It Seasonal by Annie Wayte

This hearty soup is a meal in itself. Use either green or brown lentils – they cook in more or less the same amount of time. You could also use red lentils, adding them 10 minutes after you have added the stock
Course: Soup
Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 45 Min
Total Time: 55 Min
Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 strips thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (We always use more :)
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 1 stalk celery, finely diced
  • 1 small leek (white part only), finely diced
  • 1 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 Cup green or brown lentils (Puy and French green lentils are my favorite.) 
  • 1-2 Teaspoon curry powder, to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage (I use dried, but don't measure.)
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (Dried as with the sage.)
  • 9 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 1/2 Cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1/2 Cup chopped fresh organic cilantro

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon and saute until it is brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels.
  2. Add onion and celery to the pan and saute gently for 10 minutes. If the pan gets too hot, add a splash of the stock and stir well.
  3. Add leek, garlic, sweet potatoes, lentils, curry powder, sage and thyme. Sauté for another 5 minutes. Return bacon to pan and add stock.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables and lentils are tender, approximately 30 minutes.
  5. Add parsley and cilantro, stir well, and serve.
  6. Add baby spinach if desired.

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february goals

{ blog } february goals
In February 2013 I will . . .

*practice yoga - daily
*pray - daily (during yoga?)
*consume 2 green smoothies a week
*drink only 1 latte per day
*Photos: organize and order prints from January; order prints from Sammy's 1st month of life.
*Read7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess
*Connect: call my sisters (at least 2 times each)

...................................................................................................................................................................
- Daily excersise is something I really want to incorporate into my day. Chasing and toddler and holding a 10+ pound baby isn't going to firm up any of these squishy spots, or relieve my achy joints and back. My chiropractor is always telling me to stretch, stretch, stretch! I am determined to make it a daily practice. For my health and my sanity! 
Here are a few things I have ordered to enable this habit:
Kindle: Good Day Yoga: Your Morning Yoga Guide For Energized Days
I also bookmarked this site, for future sequence building. 
YogaJournal's Sequence Builder
And this book looks good too, I may order it after I've established a good routine.
- I am guilty of going days without praying. :( Shameful . . .
I was greatly convicted by Jennifer's post on Instagram about prayer. 
"Prayer is your soul's vital sign. It shows whether or not your faith is a living and breathing part of your life. Nourish it."
I always love her journal posts!
- Green smoothies . . .Such a delicious way to get whole foods and nourishment into your body. I will only do two a week for now to evaluate my interest in consuming them and the cost. My little guy and I LOVE smoothies, so limiting them to only 2 a week should be most economical for now.
Oh, I also have this amazing blender that I don't use nearly enough as I should! ha!
- oh coffee . . . my kryptonite! Hopefully the smoothies help curb my desire to drink more than one latte a day! :)
-I am a former book worm, and want to return to my "roots." I started 7 last Summer. I will re-start & finish it this month!
- Phone time is hard to arrange with 3 littles, but I am determined to re-connect with my sisters. I miss them! 


hope

{ blog } Hope A little crafty project this week involving a beautiful mug found on clearance at Target ($2) and a Sharpie marker.
I used the instructions found on Elsie's blog HERE, and I think I like it enough to invest in a porcelain pen to make it even more permanent!
The quote comes from a beautiful poem by Emily Dickinson:

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

- Emily Dickinson

breakfast in bed

{ blog } Breakfast In Bed
{ blog } Breakfast In Bed
Mondays around here typically hit hard and mercilessly.
Today, we seized the day with breakfast in bed!
I invited all of my littles back to bed, to enjoy our breakfast together.
Much giggling ensued, and we started the day in a cheery mood!
What a wonderful way to usher in a new week!
It also happened to be "sheet day" in my laundry routine! ☺
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I won't mention the meltdowns that occurred later in the day, from Mama and babies. . . ;)

lovelies

{ blog } scarves dot net Back in December I participated in a contest hosted by scarves.net . . . and won!
(I hardly ever enter contests, much less win anything!)
I love a good scarf, and have found that they are some of the best nursing cover-ups when out in public.
Little Bébé doesn't seem to mind them either.
I won a $100 gift certificate and just recently placed, and received my order.
Pictured are only 4 of the 5 scarves that I received. These four all matched well for a picture. :)
The 5th scarf, not pictured, is this one.
These are the scarves I ordered:
L to R: Olivia Linen Scarf in Sky Blue, another Olivia Linen Scarf in Creamy Ivory (these ones are a bit stiff to the touch, but soften up with the warmth of your neck as you wear them. I believe with a few washes they will soften up even more.)  Juliet Lace Scarf in Cream (this one is so beautiful!) and the Haven Fringe Scarf in Mustard Yellow (this one is AMAZINGLY soft!).
I am pleased with all of them, and only wish it was a bit cooler here in Texas to allow for more opportunities to wear them!

ten on ten - January 2013

My Girl was up before me and made breakfast! Blueberry pancakes!

In an effort to cut back on my coffee consumption, I chose a warm cup of chai this morning.

and then shortly thereafter had a warm latte. :) Baby steps . . .

a yummy lunch!

A clean kitchen sink! My Love does the majority of the dishes around here, but today I made an effort to have no dishes in the sink when he came home from work!

I went out solo with the kiddos today! We needed just a few items at the grocery store.

Back home with a few items to tide us over until next week, and pretty flowers to brighten the kitchen!

A little snack to munch on as I prepared dinner.

A break to nurse the little babe.

All the babies in bed, time for a little letter writing!



is a fun monthly photo project to document
"life and beauty among the ordinary things of our day" 
and can be found at 
ten on ten button

thursday's books

On Friday . . .
Because we just got our computer back from being repaired. Yay!
However, I did visit the library ON Thursday! :)
1
From the bottom up:
Keep It Seasonal - frequent borrower of this one. There is an AMAZING Curried Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Bacon Soup recipe in here that we LOVE!
Super Natural Every Day - I was excited to find this one at my library to preview it before I buy it. I have had it on my wishlist for a while now!
In The Green Kitchen - Love Alice Waters, and am sure this one will be good.
The Art of Simple Food - another one that I frequently borrow. I will buy it someday! :) Best waffle recipe!
The Inspired Vegan - and yet another one I have borrowed before. Such lovely images in this one. We have made and loved the Black-Eyed Peas in Garlic-Ginger-Braised Mustard Greens, and I am excited to try the Molasses, Miso and Maple-Candied Sweet Potatoes with sweet potatoes from our local farm!
The Taste of the Season - I am all about eating as seasonally as possible, this one looks interesting.
Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant - I have pondered borrowing this one many times, being intrigued by it's title and cover. Looks like an easy read with quick chapters.

thursday's books
Bottom up again:
A bit of Juevenile Fiction.
My Side of the Mountain Trilogy - I read the first one and had no idea it was part of a trilogy! Excited to read the other two books.
Prairie Evers - the front cover grabbed me with it's cute image, and the back cover definitely intrigued me when I read "from day one I did not like school."
keeper - mermaids and talking seagulls?! I might just get sucked into this one!
I am hoping these are worthy of sharing with  my 11 year-old ravenous reader. :)

thursday's books
And THIS!
I was shocked my little community library had any books of this sort!
I have ordered beans from Blue Bottle in the past and loved them!
I have dreams of visiting San Francisco and patronizing this establishment! :)
I will savor this book and it's photographs whilst sipping a homemade latte . . .

My previous post on thursday's books
Bonnie's Thursday's Books posts

I'd love to be friends on Goodreads! You can find me HERE
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