Tuesday, July 15, 2014

5 bucks free + tons of organic goodies!

I've found a new go-to for ALL of my supplements, vitamins, organic staples, cleaning products and more! Coconut oil that's even better than Aldi!  *gasp*  

And you get a $5 coupon when you use this link - love that! 
They have pretty much everything you'd ever want (and lots of products that are vegan, gluten-free, etc...) and tons of specials every week to save even more, get free products... I could go on and on.  But just check it out for yourself!


Thursday, July 03, 2014

Peppermint Patties for Trim Healthy Mamas! THM-S

I attended an essential oil party awhile back and the hostess had these AMAZING peppermint patties made from coconut oil, dark chocolate, honey, and peppermint essential oil.  I wanted to try and recreate them and make them THM-friendly, cutting out the honey. It was surprisingly easy, and tastes just as delicious and refreshing!
Here's how:

Ingredients: 
* 85% dark chocolate (or Skinny Chocolate, of course) - melted
* 1 cup Coconut oil (melted)
* Peppermint extract
* Stevia and/or Xylitol - I use NuNatural Pure Stevia Extract powder 



Directions:

1. Mix the coconut oil with a few drops of peppermint extract (or peppermint essential oil if you prefer & are well aware of how to use EOs safely in the kitchen!)    

2. Add stevia to taste.   Play around with the taste until it's how you like it.


3. Put the coconut oil mixture into candy molds or mini muffin tin. I found adorable little ice trays with silicone bottoms that make it super easy to pop these yummy treats right out when they're all done!  
There are several ways you can do this, but I find this method works best:
** Spoon a bit of chocolate in cup first, put in freezer to set up (around 30 minutes).
** Add a bit of the coconut mixture on top of that, put back in freezer to firm up.
** Add more chocolate on top, put back in freezer or fridge.
When firmed up well - pop out and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy!

You can also make these in mini-muffin tins with the paper liners, 
but I just think these are TOO cute!


Photo courtesy of anniegoss/candy/


Monday, June 30, 2014

My Trim Healthy Mama Discovery

"This was both encouraging and entertaining! (Do you have a blog or other writing venue? If not, you should consider it!)" 

That was a reply I got to a Facebook post this weekend, and is the reason I am writing this now.  Sometimes the least little encouragement is all we need, right ladies?  And this one touched my heart deeply, as I love writing but seldom make the time to do it (as you can easily see by this blog right here!).

So about 4 weeks ago, I stumbled upon something that seems to - thus far - been pretty life changing!  I fell down the Google Rabbit Hole and landed at Trim Healthy Mama.  This book/page has apparently been around for a couple of years now, and since I'm always looking for the next get-thin-quick scheme, it's downright amazing that I never heard of it before.  Or maybe that's exactly WHY I never heard of it before now.  Our God, He does work in mysterious ways...

Anyway, I started loosely following it and below is a post I made on their Facebook page the other day.  I hope it encourages someone else out there.


For you ladies who are discouraged and frustrated the scale, who are trying so hard and not seeing those numbers move.... Take your measurements!!! I actually went up on the scale this past week and was not a happy camper at. all. I did, however, take my measurements when I started loosely following THM about 4 weeks ago.

I do pretty good most days, but still slip in meal-skipping (there's just too much to eat! what kind of "diet" is that?!  ) and doing some accidental crossovers, but doing "ok" considering I just got the book 2 days ago. Well, I decided this morning that I'd check my measurements and see if this was really working at all - ya know, other than the better sleep, more energy, skin clearing up, and better moods. 

I "de-robed" (aka, got nekkid), grabbed my measuring tape and a note pad and went to work. I looked at the numbers I wrote down after each measurement and thought "Ugh. Still huge." (not remembering my previous ones, they are in my MyFitnessPal phone app).

Opened the app to enter the numbers and compare... To my astonishment - down .2" on my neck (bigggg deal, I thought. Blah. Better than nothing though, right? Hrmph.)...

Continued on...1.5" on my waist... Wait. What? But the scale said I gained weight!

2" on my hips. About that time my jaw hit the floor and I did a little jig, right there in the bathroom, all by myself. 

So to those, like me, who have been slaves to the number on the scale - remember this:

Scale - 5 letters, starts with S
Satan - 5 letters, starts with S.
Both are LIARS!






Tuesday, May 06, 2014

Monogram all the things!!

**BIG NEWS!!** 

I am so pleased to annouce that I'm now partnered with LilyBean & Baxter for items that I'm not able to embroider for you myself. You can order any of their awesome items online and have them shipped directly to you or a friend - all at great prices! Check out all the HOTTEST gifts now at LilyBean & Baxter




Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Hearing God's Voice?

Wow, it's been a loooooooong time since I blogged!  This morning I was looking online for a photo of Beth Moore (ok, in the interest of full disclosure, it was for my Instagram #wcw ... I do love me some Beth Moore teaching and I think she's super stylish!)    In my searching, I happened upon a blog by a woman who disagreed with Mrs. Moore's statements that she's "heard God's voice" and went on to condemn her for being a "false teacher" because she claims to have heard from God directly.  Of course, the writer also used the most unflattering picture of Moore she could find to hammer home the point...  *smh*


The author of this blog used examples from Moore's teachings: 
God spoke to my heart one Saturday morning while I was preparing for Sunday school: "My child, in between more intense rests, I want to teach you to take Sabbath moments."

"I’m gonna tell you something right now, Beth, and boy you write this one down, and you say it as often as I give you utterance to say it . . ." 

I remember being a "baby" Christian and wondering about people who "heard God".  I wondered if I would ever have that type of relationship, that I would be able to hear His voice as clearly as my own.  Frankly, I never thought it would happen and I kinda thought those who said they heard from Him were possibly ...(whispering) *a little on the crazy side*. 

Then it happened.  When my then-boyfriend/now-husband had a massive heart attack at age 37.  I was at the hospital in the middle of the night, waiting alone in a little - very cold - room outside the cath lab for the doctor to come tell me what was going on.  I was shaking and crying and praying "Please don't let him die. Please don't let him die." over and over and over again.  I remember it being SO COLD in that little room!  After a few minutes, as I sat there with my head in my hands, rocking back and forth and praying - I felt what I can only describe as the warmest blanket being wrapped around my shoulders and a voice saying "It's not his time."

I was startled. I jerked my head up, looked around, and saw the empty room. I got up and walked to the door, looked up and down the deserted hallway....no one was there.  I had just heard - and felt - God.  I'm as sure of this as I am that I have 10 fingers and 10 toes.  No one will ever convince me that it was anything less than God speaking to me, and it brought a comfort that I can't put into words.

My question is: why is it so hard for someone to believe that this happens?  Especially a person who, like this blogger, says that they are a devout Christian who studies the Bible regularly?  John 10:27-28 ESV says "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them..."  I believe this verse is as true today as it was in Biblical times, when Jesus himself spoke to the disciples and the crowds in His human body. 

Since that moment 12 years ago when I heard God speak in the hospital, I've felt/heard Him speak many more times on various situations in my life.  I think the thing that separates those who hear God and those who don't is a FAITH that He can and will speak to us - if only we will listen. 

What do you think?  Have you heard God's voice in your own life?  Or do you think those who do are faking it and are "false teachers"?