four friday faves.

 happy happy Halloween :)

pumpkin pancakes.

I recently discovered a pumpkin pancake recipe, modified it a bit, & now it's my favorite breakfast ... perfect for this time of year. Top with pure maple syrup, pair with cinnamon apples on the side, and you have a deliciously healthy [+ filling] breakfast to start your day off on the right foot!

::INGREDIENTS::
1/2 banana
1.5 tsp almond milk [i use unsweetened vanilla]
1/4 cup egg whites [i use Trader Joes cage-free]
Vanilla Protein scoop or packet [i use this]
1 tbsp pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Mash up banana with almond milk using a fork. Slowly add in egg whites & the rest of the ingredients, mixing with a wisk. Spray your pan or griddle [i use Trader Joes coconut oil spray] & cook one large pancake ... or little ones. Recipe makes 1 serving. I make several at once & freeze for a much appreciated easy breakfast on other days.

*For the cinnamon apples ... slice 1 apple, sprinkle cinnamon on top, and microwave in a glass bowl for 1 minute.

four friday faves.

[1] In honor of TobyMac turning 50 [crazy!] this week, I had to include him ... we all love him & this is one of our favorite songs.

[2] Target ... need I say more? :)

[3] A couple of squares from a Ghirardelli dark chocolate bar is my go-to when I want something sweet ... they're always on sale @ Publix too!
[4] I plan on writing a separate post on this book [The Duggars: 20 and Counting!] @ some point soon ... call me old-fashioned, but there is so much wisdom to grasp & apply to our family of six :)

what a morning!

Yesterday started off pretty stressful as I woke up only 10 minutes before I planned to leave for my 8 a.m. dentist appointment in Tallahassee. My phone alarm, which is almost always successful at getting me out of bed by 5:30, didn't do the trick. Thankfully, right after my initial panic & disbelief of the numbers on the clock, I thanked God for waking me up when He did. I wasn't my usual ball of stress rushing frantically around the house & out the door. It's amazing how simply stopping to recognize & praise God instead of focusing on the fact that I had almost no time to get ready gave me such a peace. I even squeezed in setting out drinks/snacks for the boys before I scooted out the door ... AND I was actually early to my appointment! Anyone who knows me, knows being on time is a challenge, and being early is practically a miracle :)

I usually dread dentist appointments. I had major reason yesterday since I was told by my former dentist that I need a root canal. Those two words equal nightmare to me, which is why I sought out a dentist who uses "laughing gas" for this procedure. Well, when I pulled up to the office that resembles a very large mountain home and went inside, I was completely at ease. I cannot even begin to explain how nice this place is other than to say it feels very "homey." Whoever designed this dental office is a genius for achieving what seems like the impossible - creating a truly comfortable environment for people who usually arrive pretty anxious ... Yet another thing I found myself thanking the Lord for in the first two hours of my day.

After my appointment I headed to Chick-fil-A to grab a surprise breakfast for everyone, especially Hudson. I'm pretty sure he tells me at least once a week how he can't wait to have their hash browns again :) When I arrived at the pay window, the worker informed me that the man in the car ahead of me had paid for our order. WHAT?! I couldn't believe it. I've heard of complete strangers paying for others, but never thought I would ever experience it. As grateful as I was though, I couldn't help but feel bad because there are so many people who desperately need a free meal, but as my wise friend informed me - that's not the point. I know God allowed that to make us aware of this kind of generosity that we need to be doing for others on a regular basis. It was SO exciting to share this news with Gus and the boys, and I can't wait to see who all God leads us to bless in the future!

four friday faves.

[1] Cashew chicken salad sandwich + amazing  tea @ Hopkins in Tallahassee ... we hadn't eaten there in a few years until last weekend. YUM.
[2] Fitbit Flex wireless activity & sleep tracker from Target or Nordstrom ... this one's on my wish-list.
[3] I have loved this cut for a couple months now ... I'm leaning towards taking the plunge at my next hair appointment.
[4] One of my very favorite things about Friday night is the TV show Shark Tank ... love seeing all the clever ideas that turn into thriving businesses.

field trip!

With American History being part of our CC curriculum this year, we have some great field trips lined up. Thursday's field trip was one I've really been looking forward to because I've never toured ... the Governor's Mansion. We were excited to have that time with just the big boys and extra excited that Mama Anne was able to join us!

The Library where Governor Rick Scott signs bills at times. One fascinating detail: two jars from Christopher Columbus' voyage are displayed in one of the bookcases ...

The guest room where Presidents George H.W. Bush & Bill Clinton have slept ...

The surprise highlight was meeting First Lady Ann Scott. She was very sweet answering many questions & posing for a group picture ...

 

 The field trip was a success :)

 

four friday faves.

[1] This great book was given to us a few years ago ... a parent-must.

[2] Unrefined Coconut Oil from Whole Foods ... I use it as a night-time moisturizer about once a week, but my favorite use: eye makeup remover.

[3] Blow-dry hair clips from Sephora ... just a fun little splurge :)

[4] "Fall in Line" nail polish ... I've always admired non-traditional polish on others, but never thought my toes could pull it off until now. 

i love surprises.

Huge thanks to a great friend who introduced me to Birchbox. [maybe I'm one of the last to hear] What a clever idea ... you pay just $10 a month to receive a fun little box full of samples.[mainly make-up/skincare products] You can personalize your profile, but you never know what will come in the mail. That's the fun part. If you decide you can't get enough, [absolutely no obligation though] you may purchase your favorite products through Birchbox. Here's what I received in my September box...

I cannot wait to see what surprises I'll open up this month!

inspired.

I'm a major fan of E! News. I know a lot of it is unimportant celebrity news, but I enjoy it when I can. It's just a nice little break from "real" news I guess. Anyway, several weeks ago Giuliana Rancic [love her] casually mentioned something about Jason Kennedy [another E! News journalist] and his faith. I had to google him, of course. I found out he's a fellow Floridian & is engaged to a girl named Lauren Scruggs who was in a horrific accident almost 3 years ago... this really intrigued me, so I dug deeper. I was stunned as I read several articles about how she stepped into a plane propeller & lost her left hand + eye. Apparently the accident caught national attention, but I hadn't heard about it. So, I bought her book: Still Lolo. I could have easily read it in a day if I had the time. It's that good. Her determination, her beauty, and her trust in Jesus through her darkest days inspires me more than I could ever articulate. Even more inspiring, it's a story of the enormous power of God.

four friday faves.

      

[1] journal from T.J.Maxx ... I'm drawn to about anything navy + gold.
[2] seasonal-only pumpkin spice tea from Trader Joes ... I'm stocking up!
[3] Alaffia coconut water face toner from Whole Foods ... so refreshing & affordable.
[4] Old West cowgirl boots ... on my wish-list :)

september snapshots.

October is here! I love this month ... Fall fashion should become a reality in our area before too long; some of our favorite holidays are on the horizon; and delighting in the evidence of Fall outside is close by. For now though, here's what September looked like around here...

No matter how the season goes, GO Gators :)

 

 

Scenes around CC ...



 

This is the day we were halfway to CC, and Eli said, "I don't have any shoes on!" ...

 

 

Enjoying the outdoors!

 

Random shots :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Cousin time! [wish we had all the cousins]

 

Watching the city workers cut down a dead tree early one morning ...

Soccer Saturdays have begun. GO Huds!

These are from a field trip to the Tallahassee Museum to learn about a child's life in the 1800s. [the kids are studying American History this year] They worked as children would have back then, learned about churning butter & experienced how school was during that time... including wearing suspenders & playing until the school bell rang :)

 

  

These two girls have so much in common ... both are 2 years old, have similar

names [ellis & hollis :)] and they have three big brothers all about the same age.

It will be so fun watching this friendship grow & grow!