Maternity 10×10 Challenge
There’s this thing called the “10×10 Challenge” that I saw first on Cladwell, and have followed through the stylings of various bloggers. It’s a simple concept: 10 items, 10 days, 10 outfits — a short and sweet test of the capsule wardrobe concept that encourages you to be creative in styling fewer pieces. Right up my alley! And with approximately 4 weeks of pregnancy to go, and fewer items in my closet that really fit, this is the perfect time to test it out. I used a similar concept toward the end of my previous pregnancy with a limited capsule wardrobe and I enjoyed the simplicity of having fewer items to mess with and discovered some new ways to style them. I also created a…
Make A List…
I’ve been writing a lot of lists lately… grocery lists, work lists, cleaning lists, prayer lists, this-baby-is-coming-soon-so-get-it-done lists… (the list could go on). It helps keep me sane and on track. This is probably a habit from my corporate office days when I made daily agenda outlines to keep my tasks and deadlines straight. For my freelance work, I keep weekly to-do lists that seem to get longer as the week goes on. There’s no denying the sense of accomplishment that comes with checking something off your list — but sometimes it feels like every completed task adds up to 3 new ones! This past spring, I was struggling through the physical strain of constant nausea during early pregnancy, and I challenged myself to write…
All Natural Beauty Routine
It’s been about a month since my 31st birthday — which included a wonderful weekend full of celebrating — and we are settling into a new back-to-school routine with 3 half-days of preschool for both children. 31 feels pretty good and, honestly, a lot more comfortable than 30 did. I guess I’m just still getting used to the idea of being in my thirties. The teens are long gone, but the twenties were so good… sometimes it’s hard to let go! I’m not so worried about the passage of my youth, so to speak, as I am about the recognition that every day is a gift, at any age, and I want to enjoy it to the fullest extent. But time passes, and things change,…
A 31 (year-old) Woman
That’s not me. It’s just a picture of a woman with her arms wide open to the sky. But it fits, right? As my 31st birthday approaches (this Friday!), the “Proverbs 31 woman” has been on my mind quite a bit. I guess this is cliche since it seems the topic has been exhausted by women’s Bible studies, devotionals, books, podcasts, sermons, etc., in recent years. For many, this Biblical paragon is an elusive model of Christian womanhood that brings with it a tinge of bitterness….but I believe that is a mischaracterization we can attribute to the downfall of sin, as with many other Scriptural misinterpretations (read: http://churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/161344-aubry_smith_why_i_hate_the_proverbs_31_woman.html). It’s tempting to feel intimidated by the poetic representation of a woman who appears to “do it…
Summer Dining
After several weeks spent not wanting to cook dinner at all (thanks, all-day morning sickness), I’m finally back in the swing of things and enjoying the benefits of fresh summer veggies, outdoor dining, and cooking on the grill. Since summer is prime time for fresh fruits and veggies, I try to incorporate these into every meal. We’ve been loving berries of all types (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries…all the berries!!), as well as fresh corn and tomatoes. Plenty of both around here! My favorite meals include a grilled meat, steamed veggie and grilled or roasted starch/carb. These meals are simple to prepare, relatively quick to cook (under 30 minutes), and healthy, too. We’ve also done pizza on the grill, which was a fun test — the…