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Category: family

Milestones and Updates

posted in family, kids, lifestyle, motherhood by Sara on

Maybe you haven’t noticed but I’m pretty good at being fashionably late and here is yet more proof…Halloween pictures almost a week after the fact! But who can resist posting cute pictures of their kid? Not me! Plus, this Halloween was a big milestone for Addie…her first pigtails! It is about time!

As a quick update about things to come, I’ve started some fabulous sewing projects over the weekend and can’t wait to share them with you! Also there is a great new addition coming to my shop this month with some even greater holiday discounts so keep your eyes open for that!

I hope you’re all having a great week!

Leopard Print and A Pumpkin Patch

posted in family, women's fashion by Sara on

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! As you can see, my weekend included a pumpkin patch. Can you believe Halloween is just four days away and we are just now getting our pumpkins! We’ll see if we get around to actually carving them.  I am usually lucky enough to simply make it through the week. Last week we had the dreaded car problems where our car wouldn’t start. I wish I could say it wad a simple battery issue but turns out we actually needed a new starter. With it being our only car it could have been a much more stressful situation but our good friends were gracious enough to lend us rides and even their car until our car was fixed. To them it might have seemed like no big deal but to me it meant the world! l’m so grateful for good friends, especially when I’m so far from family! While I’m forever grateful for their help I’m glad to have my car back. My husband’s mom and brother were also here over the weekend and we sure had a lot of fun with them! It is always so great to see family and hard to see them leave!  
I’m sure you also noticed my slight obsession for leopard print has spilled over into my daughter’s wardrobe as well. There is nothing quite like stretchy leopard print leggings…if they made them in adult sizes I might have myself a pair as well. 
While they are not stretchy, I’m kind of digging these leopard print pants from Gap. I love leopard print but I am still a fairly conservative person when it comes to my wardrobe which is why I love the subtlety in these pants. I have honestly had mixed feelings about printed jeans but I really can’t find anything not to love about these pants, they’re even on sale!  What are your thoughts on printed jeans? Hate them or love them?
Linked to:

I’m Back!

posted in faith, family, home, lifestyle, marriage, motherhood by Sara on

Hi everyone, remember me? It’s only been like what, three weeks since my last post but who’s counting right? To be honest  real life has finally come and hit me square in the face and I’ve had to come to terms with what I can realistically do.

For the past year and a half I have enjoyed the luxury of being a “stay-at-home-mom”. It wasn’t always easy and there were days I wished it was me going to work instead of my husband. There are some people with the misconception that being a “stay-at-home-mom” means sitting at home all day and doing whatever you want (I know because I used to be one of them). However, this couldn’t be any farther from the truth! There is always a diaper to change, laundry to do, errands to run, and meals to cook. Then you have those occasional days when your children demand all of your, time, attention, and energy. It is at the end of days like that when I’d gladly trade my husband jobs.

Now that my husband is in school full time with a demanding schedule, it looks like my wish has come true. I’ve been greatly blessed to find a wonderful job that will allow me to provide for my family while my husband finishes school, but it has been a rough adjustment for all of us. I hope to one day find a good balance in my new situation, but for now I feel confused, guilty, and torn. Over the past year and a half my role has been to be a mother. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay at home and devote all my time to taking care of my baby and the home. It too was a rough adjustment at first but I came to find great joy in it. While becoming a mom is by far the greatest thing I’ve ever done, it has also been the hardest. It wasn’t always necessarily the sleepless nights or the 24/7 care that a baby requires that was hard but finding my own identity within  being a wife and a mother. I can honestly say that since having my baby I have come to find myself.

While being a mother and a homemaker is still a major role in my life (and the most important), I am now having to take on the role of provider, at least until my husband is done with school. It is a sacrifice I agreed to and am willing to make to help my husband fulfill his goals, but it certainly doesn’t make leaving my baby any easier. Since I started working a little over two weeks ago my time at home seems much more precious. With less time at home and more time away from my family I’ve been struggling to balance and prioritize my life. I’ve been force to really ask myself what things are most important and what things are not. In order to determine this I decided to make a list of what my underlying goals and priorities are in life. Here is my list:

1.  Be an attentive mother.
2.  Fall more in love with my husband everyday.
3.  Continue to build my relationship with my Father in Heaven and act in His will.
4.  Remain true to who I am and what I love.

These basic yet profound lifelong goals are what influence my daily actions and priorities. With all this being said, I also love blogging and am determined to continue what I began only four short months ago. I may not be posting as often (hopefully more often than every three weeks) but I hope you’ll continue to follow and enjoy my adventures in life as a working mom, wife, seamstress and blogger!


Homemade Fall Scent

posted in diy, family, home, recipe by Sara on

Growing up, home was my sanctuary. Sure, it wasn’t perfect but it was a place I always felt safe, welcomed, and loved. Even though I am all grown up and have a family of my own now, I still love going home and the special feeling I feel when I walk inside the front door. I especially love going home during this time of year and walking in to my mom’s homemade fall scent simmering on the stove. It is one of those scents that takes me back to my childhood when everything seemed more simple and carefree.

Here is how you can create this natural and fresh fall scent in your own home!

Ingredients

3-4 Sticks of Cinnamon
3 Bay Leaves
1/4 cup Whole Cloves
1/2 Lemon, halved
1/2 Orange, halved
1 quart Water

Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer as long as desired. Keep adding water so it does not burn on the bottom and as long as the scent will last.

And there you have it, easy right?!

A Day of Spontaneity

posted in family by Sara on

If you read yesterday’s post you’re probably back for Step 3 of Wardrobe Basics. However, instead of finishing my write-up of Step 3 like a responsible adult we took a spur of the moment trip to the beach with some friends. I’m not going to lie, it is fun to live life with a little spontaneity. The beach was cold and windy but the day certainly did not lack in fun or good company…I even believe Addie may have developed her first crush. I can’t even express how grateful I am to have already made some great friends since we’ve moved!

Our trip started off with (of course)  food– Mo’s famous clam chowder and fish’n chips. It is a great little restaurant that overlooks the beautiful beach of Lincoln City. The rest of the day was spent at
 the beach digging in the sand, taking pictures, chasing kids, and having a good time… I even got some more practice with my new camera! Life isn’t always perfect and blissful, but today came pretty darn close.

Home Sweet Home

posted in diy, family, home, motherhood by Sara on

Over the last 2 weeks I’ve been working hard to turn our apartment into a home… our home. While it is still an ongoing process, I thought I’d give you a little peak at the heart of our new home. The living room is well, where we live. Being in a small apartment, the living room is where we spend the majority of our days and it is the first thing you see when walking in the front door. While we still live on a meager college-student income and don’t have the nicest pieces of furniture, I try and do what I can to make our home a welcoming and relaxing environment. As a wife, mother, and a homemaker I wish to establishing a safe haven for my family– a place where they can feel at home; a place where they can be happy; and a place where they know they are always loved. While maintaining a peaceful, clean, and orderly home is often easier said than done, today that goal was met…at least for a part of the day. But to be completely honest anywhere seems like home, no matter the state, with this cute girl! She truly brings our home to life with her adorable smile and fun personality!

Oh and I’ve left out a picture of our TV stand as it is still a work in progress, but I have big colorful plans for it! Pictures to come later! Also be sure to stop by again tomorrow for Step 3 of the Wardrobe Basics series! 

Strawberry & Cream Cake

posted in family, food, tutorial by Sara on

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend! Our holiday weekend was cut short this year due to my husband’s school schedule. Yesterday was his first day as a doctorate student, and quite honestly, with him gone at school I completely forgot the rest of the country was taking the day off. Having forgot that it was a holiday, I still felt like it was a day that needed to be celebrated. My husband has worked hard to get where he is and I am so proud of him for it. So while Collin was off at school, I spent the better half of my day baking him a surprise.

I’ve had this recipe on my list for a while now and knew now was the perfect occasion to try it out. While it is a fairly simple recipe, you can be sure that will not disappoint. It is easy to make and has now become one of our new favorite deserts. I originally got this recipe {HERE} where it gives great detailed instructions, but I made a few adjustments to get a more moist and flavorful cake.

STRAWBERRY CREAM CAKE RECIPE

CAKE:

1 box Duncan Hines white cake mix (or any other white cake mix that does not have adding pudding in the mix)
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups water
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoon oil
4 egg whites

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13″ baking pan.
2.  Mix together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Pour in water, sour cream, oil and egg whites, and beat until all ingredients are well blended.
3.  Pour batter into the prepared 9×13″ pan and bake in preheated oven for 23-28 minutes.
4.  Allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting. I let my cake cool for 15 minutes and then stuck it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to cool completely.

FROSTING

1-8oz package cream cheese at room temperature
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

5.  Mix cream cheese and heavy whipping cream with an electric mixer until smooth and well blended, then add in powdered sugar and vanilla.
6.  Smooth frosting over cake and place back in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

STRAWBERRY GLAZE

4 cups strawberries, sliced
1 package Strawberry Danish Desert mix

7.  Wash and slice strawberries
8.  Prepare Danish Desert mix according to the “pie glaze” instructions on the box, then add in the strawberries.
9.  Pour over the frosted cake and allow to cool in the refrigerator for a least 1 more hour before serving.
10.  Eat and enjoy!

Also, here are some pictures of my handsome husband all dressed up for his first day of school!