Pool Inspiration

So after 6 HOT summers in Texas I think C and I are going to take the plunge and build a pool in our backyard. I am so excited, especially since B came along and his bedtime is around 7:00 we are now finding ourselves home a lot more than usual with a very different social life, so it will be the perfect little oasis in our backyard. Here is some inspiration for the pool, I will be sure to keep y'all updated on the progress once it gets going!

Benecki Homes

I love the pool and concrete pavers surrounded by the grass, simple and classic

At Home in Arkansas Magazine

Lots of chaises and umbrellas on one end of the pool and again set in the grass: LOVE

Martha Stewart Living

 

 

Love the stairs going across the whole pool, perfect place to relax

Summer Quinoa Salad

Sorry some time has passed since my last post. Every week I had intentions on posting and then the week seemed to slip away and when I looked back I wonder what the heck I accomplished that week (I know there are some stay at home Moms out there that feel me right? ) Here is a little pic of what has been taking up my time. My 7 month old B has now learned to walk in his walker thing and I have a glimpse what a terror he is going to be :)

B trying to help with the laundry

Anyways, back to a very yummy summer quinoa salad recipe that I took from a friend. If  you don't know what quinoa is, its kinda like couscous but I think its better and it is loaded with tons of protein. You can find it in the rice aisle and its gluten and wheat free!

Summer Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup of traditional Quinoa (make sure you get the pre-washed, it will say on the box)
1/2 can of black beans
1/2 cup of peaches (I get the plastic cups on peaches you can put in kids lunches)
1/2 package of cherry tomatoes diced
1/2 avocado cubed
1/4 onion diced
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Instructions:
1. Cook the quinoa according to the package
2. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the avocado. Just add a couple dashes of Olive Oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. (If you don't put enough salt it won't taste right so make sure you check it)
3. let it come to room temperature.
4. Add avocado right before you serve and Enjoy!

This recipe is so easy and if you don't like some of the ingredients then just change them out with veggies and fruit you do enjoy. You could also make an Asian version with green beans, sprouts, edamame, sesame seeds and add meat if you want. Get the kids involved and they can use their imagination!

Did you know there is no longer a Food Pyramid?

Last weekend my husband and I watched the documentary Forks over Knives and I have to tell you it seriously changed my perspective on what we put in our body. The documentary was packed with a ton of scientific information, too much to go into in this blog (I would recommend watching it if you are interested, it's on Netflix) but the overall gist is that eating a whole-food plant-based diet can prevent or reverse disease. In the documentary, one of the largest studies conducted was called the China Study, which showed that eliminating meat and dairy from your diet and eating a more plant-based diet could prevent and sometimes reverse heart disease and several forms of cancer.  One thing discussed in the documentary was that the food pyramid has been replaced by a MyPlate program promoting more fruits and vegetables. Created to resemble your dining plate, it is divided into four differently sized sections:

• Grains—approximately 30%
• Vegetables—approximately 30%
• Fruits—approximately 20%
• Protein—approximately 20%

I thought I was fairly educated on nutrition, being an athlete my whole life, but I was not aware of this change and all the research that shows that more fruits and vegetables are not only good for us but are absolutely necessary for our health. The statistic that the leading cause of death in the US is unhealthy eating and physical inactivity in the form of heart disease and cancer is startling. But the information that most of it can be prevented by eating healthier was new to me. What? I thought cancer and heart disease were genetic? apparently not... Even more surprising to me was that the recommended fruits and vegetables, which was the 5-a-Day campaign, has now changed to a new program called Fruits &Veggies - More Matter which the USDA recommends 7- 13 servings a day of fruits and veggies. Don't know about you, but with our busy life I don't think that is going to happen.  That is why I am so glad that I add to my diet with Juice Plus (disclaimer: in case you didn't know I am a distributor so I do have a bias) which gives me 17 fruits, vegetables and grains in a whole food supplement with a food label, not a multivitamin.  This makes me feel better about getting those servings.

Being a meat-eating Texas family, I don't think eliminating meat from our family is completely possible, though the documentary was convincing, I am for sure reducing it greatly. I am also going to be buying almond milk instead of regular milk for our family. When I tell people this they say, well don't you need to eat meat for protein and drink milk for calcium, and the answer is No. Watch the documentary and it can answer it much better than me! Most people don't make a change in lifestyle until they have a health event in their life, or in the life of someone they love, but knowing the research, why wouldn't you make the change now?

Coral and Blue Happiness

Lately I have been obsessed with the color combination Navy Blue and Coral. I have a plan in the works to redo our living room in this color combination and here is some of my inspiration!

Diane Bergeron

lilandgaines Esty shop

ccduexvie Etsy Shop

Bungalow Blue Interiors

Country Living

DIY Business Cards

When I became a distributor for Juice Plus and saw the business cards I knew that I wanted to created my own. When planning our wedding I created our Save the Date magnets on VistaPrint.com and it was super affordable so I knew it would be the best place to create my business cards.  I wanted a simple front and a fun back so the networking cards from Vista Print were perfect because it has two sides and you can get 250 cards for $10! Using the digital paper I bought on Esty.com and the Free photo editing software called Gimp I cropped the paper to the card size, added my initials and a border to make the back. I just uploaded the image to Vista Print for the back and filled out the text for the front and I LOVE how they turned out. If you don't have a business you could create gift tags, luggage tags or I loved these Mommy Cards you can create for your kids and they already have some super cute templates like the one below. If your kids have any allergies it is also a perfect way to let school, day care, or other parents know.

Vista Print Mommy Card

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

I saw this recipe on the Marathon Mom blog for homemade granola bars and absolutely LOVE them. They are always a crowd favorite when I make them and kids gobble them up. I adjust her recipe slightly by using pecans instead of peanuts, adding dried cranberries and dropping the wheat germ. I have also made them with crushed graham crackers and marshmallows to make "smore" granola bars. Get your kids involved and have them pick out some ingredients and get creative!  On top of being so yummy its so much cheaper than buying them from the store. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/3 cup local honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup  chopped pecans
• couple handfuls of chocolate chips
• couple handfuls of dried cranberries

Steps:

1. Melt peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil together in a small sauce pan over low/medium heat, stirring constantly.
2. Stir in all other ingredients except for chocolate chips and cranberries
3. Let cool off heat for several minutes.
4. Place mixture onto wax paper (I use Martha Stewart paper) on cookie sheet and press into square
5. Sprinkle chocolate chips and cranberries over top and press down firmly with hands.
6. Place in fridge or freezer to set.
7. Flip the mixture out onto cutting board and cut into desired bar sizes. 
8. Store in fridge for best results.

Is Giving Thanks the Secret to Joy?

I am thankful for my life and the blessings God has given me but I feel like over the past couple months I have felt God tug on my heart to start a gratitude journal for my life.  Going from a corporate job to staying at home my days look very different than they used to. Doing laundry and changing diapers sometimes (a lot of time) loses its joy for me day in and day out.

I am in the middle of reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Ann is a stay at home Mom on a farm and she challenges herself to list one thousand things she is thankful for in her life.  She writes about Grace, Thanksgiving, and Joy and how through Gods grace we give thanksgiving and thanksgiving is what brings true joy. I have had several "ah ha" moments reading parts of her books but the following quotes has impacted me the most and created a desire to take on a similar challenge of thanksgiving.

She writes: "The greatest thing is to give thanks for everything. He who has learned this knows what it means to live ... He has penetrated the whole mystery of life: giving thanks for everything" she continue later in the book that "Joy is the realest of reality, the fullest of life, and joy is always given, never grasped. God gives and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: Joy",  "Thanks is what multiplies the joy and makes any life large."

Starting May 1st join me in the challenge to write down three things you are thankful for everyday and see if you have more Joy in your life! They can be the littlest of things, here are some she wrote that I thought were so small yet I smiled that she gave thanks for:

                                       2. Jam piled high on the toast
                                     22. Mail in the mailbox
                                     38. Wool sweaters with turtleneck collars
                                   943. Stepping over a dog when coming in through the dark

I wanted to end this post with a song that was played yesterday morning at my women's bible study luncheon that brought tears to my eyes called 10,000 reasons by Matt Redman (this is an acoustic cover that I like). May your heart find 10,000 reasons to be thankful and bring Joy to your life no matter what situation you are currently in.