Less = More

I'm a big fan of "Less = More".  Yet somehow, we keep accumulating more things.  This just means we need to be inspired to edit and reevaluate often. 

Watch the video below and let me know in the comments if you agree.

Amazon Printer Paper Deal

 

If you need to stock up on printer paper, act quick!  The current $12.83 price tag is a great deal to me, especially considering I don't have to load this heavy box of paper and a toddler into a cart to get this deal.  Prices change quick on Amazon, so be sure to snag this quick if you need it!
 
This is my affiliate link, which you can read all about here.  Basically I get a small commission for you using my link above.  I use this towards running this blog, and hosting monthly giveaways on my Facebook {www.facebook.com/ASlightlyBetterWife}.

Coming out From the Comfort Zone

 

At 6:30am I made a phone call to tell my husband he left the bedroom light on.  He was in the kitchen, 50ft away at the time.

Pretty mature, huh?

I would've just hollered, but I didn't want to wake the sleeping babes in the house. & I would've turned it off myself, really I would have... Except I didn't want to. 
I was being lazy, and it was kind of the principle of it, you know?
He turned it on, he could turn it off...

He's a good guy, so he came back, turned the light off, and whispered some encouraging words and hinted that I should get up.  I'm so glad he did!

Those extra minutes this morning have added volumes to my day!  I think this will become my new thing again.  I used to wake early and found it quite satisfying.  Somehow through nursing a baby, homeschooling, or whatever, I got out of the routine of having "me time" in the morning.

Why do we do that? 

We find something that works for us, then we let ourselves get out of routine. 

Adversely, why do we not search for what works better when we are discontent or troubled? 

Maybe we just don't realize things could be better.

For me, life changed big this past year.  It wasn't the typical adding another baby or a death in the family, but a wake up call in another form that changed me.

The situation(s) I'm referring to seemed devastating at the time.  I was confused and hurt.  Everything I thought to be true proved very false.  I didn't know exactly what to think.  I kept thinking of the ripple effect from this particular event and how it would "ruin my everything". 

My routine was disrupted and I couldn't control it. 

It was rather uncomfortable, to be honest.  At first it left me feeling alone.  Then it forced me a step or two or three out of my comfort zone.
I later reflected and wondered, why was that place called a "comfort zone"?  It wasn't really comfortable, it was just familiar.

 

Familiar is not the same as comfortable.

 

How am I just learning this now, after 20+ years of life?

 

In this new place just beyond my so-called comfort zone I've discovered more community, more authenticity, more honesty and more care than I've ever known before. 

 

Had my routine not been disrupted, I wouldn't have known this beautiful place.

 

There is beauty beyond pain.

There is something better out there waiting for you.

Go get it.

 

 

The Ball Player's Passion

I hope I never forget the way he carries his hooded sweatshirts around on his head, when he doesn't want to wear them. 
Today he teared up because although we have a ramp on our front stairs, we don't have one for the basement stairs.  This means his best friend who is in a wheel chair right now (broken leg) can come over, but can't play down in his room. He wishes we never built this stupid house and feels all sorts of angry.  He questioned why we designed the house how we did.  Eventually we talked through it, and came to a resolution.  This boy has passion like no other boy I've seen before. 

He is a crazy wild 7 year old. Most of the time he is way too loud, and breaks things easily.  People stare because he is so impulsive.

I used to dread his drama.  God changed my heart, and now I see his compassion.  I can now appreciate the feelings my boy feels, and even more so I appreciate that he shares them with me. 

That impulsivness I told you about, has proved to be a good thing, more than once.  He's the first on the scene when someone is hurt, and doesn't waste time in getting them care.  He is a do-er.

This boy has my whole heart. 

This boy is The Ball Player.

Embrace Your Story, and Other Sunday Morning Ramblings

 

Random thoughts that ran through my head this morning:

 

Sitting in church and my 7 year old boy leans over and snuggles up to me.  He’s tired.  I’m not sure he’s listening, but he isn’t being disruptive to anyone else (but me) so I put my arm around him and hold him.  It’s what he needed.  His father, my husband, would’ve abruptly told him to sit up and pay attention.  That wouldn’t have been wrong either. 

You could say we’re a good balance that way, or that we’re just confusing the poor boy because he doesn’t know which of us is right, or who to listen to.  Regardless, this is what happened today. 

Two pews ahead I see a mom next to her high school aged boy.  He’s sitting tall, attentively listening to the pastor.  I can tell because when the pastor moves, his head moves to follow him. 

At first I feel a touch of jealousy.  What’s she doing right, that I’m doing wrong?  Her son is surely making her proud. 

Then I realize, this is just the stage I’m in.  My 12 year old was sitting just as well as the high school boy.  Listening well, following along.  This skill will come for my 7 year old too.    

One thing I’ve been working on for some time now is just embracing my story.  It was our MOPS theme last year and I didn’t quite get a handle on it the way I should have.  I am trying to be thankful for this stage, right here and now. 

I saw a couple tired moms with babies in church, and my heart ached for them.  My heart ached for me too.  It wasn’t that long ago that I was the mom swaying side to side in the back of the church rocking my little baby, feeling like I was missing out.  Wondering why got dressed for this and longing to go home, because it was just easier there.

 Now my “baby” is two, and rarely needs rocked or shushed.  I should’ve embraced that stage, rather than crying as I rocked my baby in the church nursery rocking chair, wishing those days away.  Shame on me, it was a beautiful stage of bonding. She was learning to trust me, and I couldn’t just fully enjoy it.  Hindsight is 20/20.

So my message to you, dear momma, is EMBRACE THIS STAGE. Whatever it is you’re going through, whether this is about you, your kids, or your marriage.  Own your story.  Yes, just embrace it.  Work to improve it, because without a struggle, you won’t find your strength.  No matter how bad it is for you right now, please don’t wish these days away. 

And if your church offers it- don’t be afraid to use that nursery!  Embracing your story and enjoying this stage doesn’t mean you have to do this all alone.  Don’t be afraid to ask a neighbor to watch your littles for an hour so you can have a little break.  Life is better when we do it together, and when we do it well rested and refreshed.  ♥

Amazon Prime Full Year Membership Discount SATURDAY ONLY

Mark your calendar, set a reminder on your phone, or put a note on the fridge- Do whatever you have to do, to remember that THIS SATURDAY {the 24th} Amazon is offering up a full year of Amazon Prime for just $72! Regular price is $99. For us, Amazon prime has been WELL worth the cost.
Click on the banner below that has what you're looking for. I'm on the Amazon Mom program, because I loved the big discount on diapers shipped right to my door. If you're a student, there are even better benefits for you! Amazon offers a 30 day totally risk free trial, so don't be afraid to give a try. If you don't like it, you can cancel at any time (before the end of your trial).

Quick Prayer Request

The enemy is at work in my life right now.  I can so clearly see it happening and know it's a lot of my own thinking that is skewed and making me feel insecure.  I know Satan is working against me because I've set my eyes on intentionally working so hard for the Lord on several projects right now, but I'm still struggling with it.  When this usually happens I take my frustrations out on my husband first, then my friends.  So I already freaked out on Mr. Awesome tonight.  I'm asking if you could all just pray for me before this snowballs any further, or before I just curl up in a ball on my bed and stay there for awhile.  Ain't nobody got time for that! #pressingForward #realLIFE

Pick Pulling Back The Shades NOT Fifty Shades of Grey

Great news, ASBW fans!
I was selected to be a part of the Pulling Back the Shades book team! WooHoo! I will be working with Dr. Juli Slattery & Dannah Gresh to tell you all about this book & God's perspective on intimacy. I cannot wait!
I first heard Dr. Juli Slattery speak at Hearts at home back in November and have been following her on Instagram and Facebook ever since. 
Search for "Authentic Intimacy", on any social media site.  They have so much wisdom to offer us ladies.  You won't be disappointed, but you will be stretched a little bit outside of your comfort zone.  No worries, this is where we grow.  It's a good thing!

I'm a little nervous because this is such a deep topic, but I am so excited also to jump in and share this with you, because I know so many of us need this.
#pullingbacktheshades

So bare with me for a few weeks while I get totally obsessed about this book, k?  :) thanks!

In the Kitchen: DIY Homemade Almond Milk Recpie

Today I’m going to share with you a super simple DIY Homemade Almond Milk Recipe.

All you really need for this is Almonds and Water.  If you want to sweeten it up a bit and add a little more flavor you can add a Pitted Date, a pinch of salt, and a small splash of vanilla. 

 

Let's get started!

 

Soak 1 C. of almonds in 4 C. of water overnight.

 

 

Your water will turn a funky color and you’ll wonder if it’s still okay to use.  Yes, it is.

 

 Strain off the water the almonds have been soaking in.

 

You end up with these nice beautiful plump looking almonds.

In a blender or food processor add your plump almonds, and 4 C. of water.  If you chose to add the date, vanilla, and salt, now is the time.  I did add those for this batch, that's why the water is the color it is.

 

Turn it on and wait about a minute.  It doesn’t take too long at all to see the magic happening.

 

Strain the almond meal from the almond milk.  I had a small cry over some spilt milk, but we kept going anyway.  At this point you can use the back of a spoon to push some extra liquid through the strainer.  Thanks to my hubby for that creative thinking!  We got probably another half cup of almond milk from his trick!  Which is probably about how much we poured out on the counter!

 

Then just pour the milk into a jar and put it in the fridge!

 

Easy right? Now quit spending so much on store bought almond milk that can be full of fillers/processed junk.  Remember just because a label says “natural” doesn’t mean it’s actually natural.  You can totally make this! 

The leftover almonds, called the almond meal are still very much edible.  I put ours in a covered container the fridge overnight because I didn’t feel like doing anything with them right away. 

Today I toasted the almond meal on a pan in the oven at 425 for about 5-10 minutes. You can sprinkle it over just about anything; flavored or plain yogurts, oatmeal, hmm, maybe even some homemade ice cream…

FYI-  I’ve read you can keep homemade almond milk in the fridge about 5 days.  I don’t imagine it’ll last that long around here, especially because I love to blend up frozen coffee cubes and almond milk for a tasty midafternoon treat quite often.

Double FYI- Making this with your husband is a fun bonding experience.  It’s probably not something either of you has made before, so no arguing over which way is the “right” way, or whatever.  Not that we do that sometimes or anything.  My husband doesn’t care for almond milk, but he was still a team player when it came to playing in the kitchen together.  The Fashionista, our oldest daughter who might as well be nicknamed future foodie, enjoyed staying up with us to help out also!

In the Kitchen: Baked French Toast

 

Once in a while I realize we have an abundance of bread in the house.  With three kids and a husband who eat sandwiches each week this this doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I know just how to use it up!

Baked French Toast!

Reasons I bake my French toast vs. making it the traditional way.

1.        I suck at making French toast.

2.       Everyone’s food is hot at the same time this way.

That’s it, those are my lame reasons. 

Now I’m sure I don’t need a disclaimer here, but if you’re wondering, this is NOT a Trim Healthy Mama meal, but it is one that my family loves, and that I delight in serving for brunch or breakfast when we have company for those meals.

It warms the soul, fills the belly, and leaves everyone smiling.  You’ve gotta keep some recipes like that in with your arsenal of kitchen tricks.  It’s in the housewife’s rule book.  Sorry I can’t remember the page number, but  I’m sure it’s in there.   

 I compiled this recipe a few years ago, after trying a few others and not quite finding “the one”.  Since we’ve been eating healthier and cut way back on our sugar, I’ve found this Baked French Toast to almost be too sweet.  BUT be warned, if you try to cut almost all of the brown sugar out and serve it to your honest friends who eat a typical American diet on the daily, you’ll quickly realize you need to put the sugar BACK in when serving to company.  Alright, you’ve been warned- nothing more I can do for you but tell you to just enjoy this.  You can eat healthy again in 3 hours, deal?

It’s good y’all.  I promise you!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

First you melt the butter and brown sugar.

 

 

Cook it low & slow, so it doesn't burn, and because it makes the clean up easier

It'll begin to look like this. 

 

Spread that mixture in a 9x13 pan & add a layer of bread over it.

 

 

Mix up your milk, eggs and vanilla.

 

Get it good and soupy like. 

 

Pour part of that over the first layer of bread.

 

Add another layer of bread.

Pour the rest of the milk/egg/vanilla mixture on the top of it all.

Layering is the trick here.

 

Cover the top of your pan with foil.

 

 

 Bake it for 45 minutes!

(remove the foil for about the last 15 minutes, to help it brown up a bit).

 

Here are some things you can do while you wait for this yummy goodness to cook: 

Unload the dishwasher

Or commission a kid to do it. :)



Kindly ask that same kid to get the dishes ready.

Stare at the oven about a hundred times.  Glance more often as the aroma fills the house and you wonder if the eggs are still raw, or if you could just snatch one tiny little bite.

Admire your kids coloring so well together.  Then gently scold the youngest for laying on the table, and the oldest for sitting in a booster seat! haha.

When it’s time to dish up, flip each piece of French toast upside down on the plates.  It looks more impressive that way.  Enjoy!

 

The condensed version- AKA- The part where you can highlight and click “print selection” on without all the mumbo jumbo.

 

 

The condensed version- AKA- The part where you can highlight and click “print selection” on without all the mumbo jumbo.

A Slightly Better Wife’s Baked French Toast.

·         1 Stick Butter

·         1 C. Brown Sugar

·         about 12 pieces of bread

·         4 Eggs

·         1 ½ C. Milk

·         1 splash of vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt and mix the Butter and Brown Sugar together. 

Spread that mixture into the bottom of a 9x13.

Put a layer of bread over that.

Mix Eggs, Milk and Vanilla together.  Pour half of that over the first layer of bread.

Add another layer of bread.

Pour the remaining mixture over the second layer of bread.

Cover the pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  (30 covered, last 15 uncovered).

Remember to flip each piece upside down to serve it.  Enjoy!

 

 

The Cars Are Taking Over! #boymomprobs

The Tooth Fairy left 5 new Hot Wheels cars here this week.
This rekindled The Ball Player's love of toy cars. So he brought them ALL upstairs to play with today.

I don't know if this collage of pictures better illustrates how boys play vs. how girls play, or first born vs.middle child.  Either way, they did have a lot of fun together while the baby napped.

Side note:   With the special Thirty One ran last month we ordered a few red junior duffle bags for "organizing", well concealing, some of our toys.  I think the boy will be quite pleased when those arrive and he no longer needs to use this hot pink large utility tote! ;)  I'll be happy to have my favorite grocery tote back!

If you're curious, the final count was 157 cars! & I'm sure there are some more in the baby's room, but I'm not letting anyone go in there to check while she's sleeping.

I have actually been asked why I still buy these when he has so many already.  The answer is, it's something we already own, so there's no problem finding a place for it when a new one comes in the house.  He knows right where to put them.

Also he loves them, and I'm sure one day he will play with these same cars with his children, just as his dad plays with him.  And yes, some of these cars are almost 30 yrs old. 
Hot Wheels and Matchbox never go out of style. 
#boymomma

An "Ooops, The Tooth Fairy Forgot" Letter

So yesterday I posted this picture on my Instagram:

 

I was practicing with my new camera when we noticed through the lens that The Ball Player had lost a tooth! Literally… lost it.  He had told me in the morning that he dreamt he lost a tooth, but he didn’t know he really did!  The big kids went searching for it in his room and can you believe they actually found it?! 

The excitement was so real!  He was on cloud nine all.day.long.

He wrote a letter, even sounding out the tough words, working hard, because he was so proud, and so ready to be done with this wiggly tooth that was stealing the joy out of each meal.  Everything he ate had to be chewed carefully and in a certain spot so it wouldn’t irritate it. 

 Then you know what happened this morning?  My oldest daughter quietly whispered to me "Mom, I think you forgot something".

 

CRAPOLA!  How the heck did I forget about his tooth?????

Thankfully we’ve had some bad weather that worked in my favor this time around.  I said her pick up/deliveries were probably postponed due to weather.  I assured him we’d try again tonight and hope she’d stop! 

I’ll be straightforward here, I wanted to say she didn’t come because he puts up a stink about brushing his teeth.  Then I decided I’d let him have his excitement and save the dental hygiene talk for another day.  If you’re in the same boat as I was- please, choose to celebrate too, okay? 

On the way to a meeting tonight I swung into the local grocery store & picked up a few hot wheels cars he’s been wanting.  When I got home I did a quick search for an “oops, sorry” letter from the tooth fairy.  There are some great ones out there, people!

I started with this one from The Doodle Girl, and tweaked it to work for us.

 Just yesterday we were cracking up from a video our neighbor posted of her dog snoring; we replayed it probably 15 times over dinner.  And my kids are obsessed with apps, specifically Instagram and YouTube so the tweaks I used were perfect for him!

Here’s what my final product looked like.   Feel free to switch it up and use it however you’d like.  This mothering stuff is hard, no need to reinvent the wheel here.  Best of luck to you momma!

 

Hey Buddy,

My name is Fancy Francy, but some people call me Forgetful Francy.  I really don’t know why.  You see, it’s been so long since you lost a tooth, I just forgot which house you lived in by a little bit.  I am SO sorry!  I went into a house across the street, but there was a sleeping dog that snored so loud that I just started cracking up and forgot what I was doing.  LOL!- That means Laugh out Loud, and that’s just what I did! 

 I took a video of that dog to post on Fairygram (like Instagram, but JUST for us tooth fairies).  The notifications started coming in on my phone right away.  Every fairy that saw it, loved it!  I got so caught up reading the “likes” and “comments” that I lost track of time!  When I went to leave that house, it was getting close to my bed time.  I know my fairy godmother would be angry if I didn’t get to bed on time.  So just like that I took off for home! 

Lucky for YOU and me both, tonight I used the GPS app on my phone, not my Fairygram app.  The GPS lead me right here, to your home! 

Thank you for your note with the request to trade for something.  I’ve got just the thing for you! If you would like to accept my trade, please open the box this letter is attached to. 

 Ugh, okay this Fairy job is hard work.  If I don’t get the hang of it quick, I’m going to quit my job and start my own YouTube channel with all these great videos I’ve been taking.

Love,  Fancy {Forgetful} Francy

Clean Room, Clean Heart

 

I spent a chunk of the evening cleaning my oldest daughter's room.  It wasn't the worst I've seen, but it would not be deemed organized, by even the lowest of standards.

She had trouble giving up toys she had matured on from like little plastic dolls, and cheap happy meal toys.  There were papers she had drawn on, and little key chains that really had no significance other than she sort of liked them.

We bickered a little back and forth about what was worth keeping and what wasn't.

 

I'm happy to say it didn't take too terribly long before she and I were on the same page and working efficiently together. 

That first 15 minutes of sorting out what our goal was though, that was really tough!

 

Just as the rooms of our home get messy with use, so does our heart.

 

Before company comes I usually tidy up the house.  I'm sure most people do this. 

I don't put much worry into it, because I think there is something said for being real. But I do pick up the toys off the living room floor, or at least kick them all to one corner.

 

Isaiah 1:18The Message (MSG)

Let’s Argue This Out

^18-20 “Come. Sit down. Let’s argue this out.”
    This is God’s Message:
“If your sins are blood-red,
    they’ll be snow-white.
If they’re red like crimson,
    they’ll be like wool.
If you’ll willingly obey,
    you’ll feast like kings.
But if you’re willful and stubborn,
    you’ll die like dogs.”
That’s right. God says so.

 

I have to remind myself that my heart needs that same attention.  We need to do a tidy of our heart regularly.  Especially as women, who are ordinarily more emotional and just feel more (whether it's happy, sad, joy, mad, etc), we need to get on the same page with God.  We need to be obedient to Him and set some goals if we want to be working efficiently for Him.

 

So in practical terms, what does that look like? 

It's different for each of us, but for me it's devoting time to read my bible or one of the many devotional books I have around here.  It's photographing my life, it's writing about it.  It's giving thanks to God and asking Him to show me where I can improve.   I didn't used to ask where I could improve, for two reasons. 
1. I didn't think I needed to improve on anything. 
2. I didn't want to know if I did!  Honestly, no one likes to be wrong! 

 

Once I humbled my heart and began asking God to show me my faults and give me a clean heart, I have been living much happier.  It's not easier.  I'm sorry to say it takes a tremendous amount of effort to live purposefully.  But it does bring me greater joy that I have only found by living for Him.

 

 Life is so much better when it's so richly filled with JOY. 

New Year, New You

I don't really do New Year's resolutions anymore. However if I did, one of them would be to get a decent pair of glasses I could actually wear in public, you know, if I had to.

Back when I bought this pair they were totally my style, alright I don't really know what my style is or ever was, but I just liked them better then, okay? 

First step is making an eye appt., cuz faux glasses won't cut it for my awful eye sight.

Second step is trying on a bazillion pairs of glasses and taking a million selfies. Or is it the other way around?

I'm a contacts girl, I only wear my glasses for about 3 minutes twice a day. 

There has to be some frames out there that will catch my eye. Haha. Get it? ;)

What do you look for in a pair of glasses? Do you wear them full-time, part-time, or stress you lucky enough to not need them at all?