Friday Five

What a week it has been in our small town.

I'm gearing up for a jam packed weekend: overnight trip to Nashville, my Dad's birthday, church, play dates... oh my!

On to today's edition of the Friday Five.

Uno. The Music City
I am currently en route to Nashville for a VBS conference with some of my church sistas. While we are going for a conference, this lady is going to pretend we are on a mini vacay :) My sweet husband is on duty tonight and tomorrow- I know sweet Mary Grace is going to enjoy her time with Dada. I think getting out will do all of us a bit of good. Cabin Fever was beginning to set in and after being cooped up for three days with a rambunctious toddler, Mommy and Daddy need a break. MG has been asking about her Nannie, Bubba, and Duke {the dog} for days now, so I know she'll be ecstatic to spend a few hours with them.

Someone likes it :)

Dos. Violette Pinafore and Leggings
What do you do when you're stuck at home for three days? You dream of Spring and start sewing sweet little outfits for those gloriously warm days. I made this little lovely and cannot wait for warmer weather so she can wear it out. The top was oh so easy- I foresee making many of these for little miss. {Please overlook the safety pins on the top- I've got to find some super cute buttons}.

 

 

 Tres. Forgotten God
When I wasn't sewing or chasing the wee one, I was busy catching up on some reading. I finished this book {finally} and highly recommend it. I say finally because I've been working on it for a couple of months now. I tried to really marinate on what it had to say. It focuses on the Holy Spirit and it's role in our lives. Definitely made me view the Holy Spirit and in a whole new way.

Qutro. Snuggle Buddy
Louie may be the only one excited about the freezing temperatures. It was his excuse to spend a couple of nights inside, snuggled up with me. Although I'm not sure what was worse- braving the freezing temps outside or having Mary Grace chase him relentlessly inside.

Cinco. Birthday Wishes
I saved the best for last. Today is my sweet Daddy's birthday. I hate that I'm traveling and cannot be there to sing to him in person ;) While going through my camera photos, I came across this sweet treasure. Priceless.

Happy Birthday, Daddy! I cannot wait to see you tomorrow!

That's all I have for today. Check back tomorrow for a glimpse into our snow days.

Now, head on over to The Sowell Life and check out Joy's Friday Five- along with others who have joined the fun!

Happy Friday!

 

Monday Hodgepodge

Krispy Kreme Sale
Oh my, can I just lament on how cold it was Saturday morning? Thank goodness we sold out in record time, because my toes were beginning to freeze.
A big thank you to everyone who came out and supported our team!

Snow
As we get closer to the big day, the chances for snow keep going up. I am sooooo excited about the possibility of snow! I cannot wait to let Mary Grace play in her first snow :) If you've never lived in the deep South- let me fill you in on the situation. When the first forecast of snow appears, no matter how small, people suddenly lose their minds, buy 6 loaves of bread and 200 cases of bottled water. Oh, and did I mention that every.single.thing shuts down- even if it's just snow flurries. Having lived in Indian where 2 feet of snow is considered normal, I see the humor in it. I'm just praying for the ice to stay away and the power to stay on.

Sweet Treat Overload
My house is not the place to be if you are trying to watch what you eat. If you were to walk into my kitchen right now you would find a box of krispy kreme doughnuts {we've already devoured one box}, a chocolate chip bundt cake {you can find the recipe here}, and amish friendship bread I baked  yesterday. I am meeting my daily caloric intake by 10:00 am, but I'm claiming the quote above to be true ;)

A Hunger for the Holy
When looking for a new study for our Bible group, our pastor mentioned this as an option. We ended up choosing a different study by Kyle Idleman {gods at war}, but something about this study just stuck with me. I ended up picking it up at Lifeway and it is so good. It's all about nurturing your intimacy with Christ. I'm beginning to think it was written just for me, because every day it has impacted me so deeply. I highly recommend it.

Happy Monday, lovelies!

 

Friday Five {sheer randomness today}

Let's get right down to this week's randomness. I know you're anxiously awaiting the popular Friday list. ;)

One. Minnie Mouse Fanatic
My child is a tad obsessed with Minnie. My Dad bought her a cute little pair of Minnie pajamas. It was all good until she started refusing to wear anything but her Minnie jammies. She digs through the dirty clothes looking for them. Soooo, I am having a blast washing them every. single. day.

Thanks to her new Minnie Mouse Bowtique movie from Mima, she now thinks Minnie can be shown on demand. No more giving her the excuse of 'Minnie's not on right now'. She knows better. She lets you know that she knows better. I don't care to share with you how many times we've watched that two.hour.long marathon.

Oh, let's not forget the Minnie Mouse plate. While shopping with Chickadee on Monday, she found a cute little Minnie Mouse plate. I thought, heck it's only $2, might as well. Worst investment ever. She will now only eat if she has her Minnie plate. Soooo... again, I'm having a blast washing it after every. single. meal. {Oh, after snacks, too}.

The next person that buys her something 'Minnie' needs to be prepared. I just might dive on you.

Two. Happy Feet
Nothing makes me happier that having packages appear on my steps. Especially when said package is my new Brooks Ghost 6 kicks. It's on now. I felt my motivation level rise drastically after just trying them on. They arrived just in time for the first long run on the new year tomorrow. I am shooting for 5-6 miles :)

 

Three. Gods at War
Our Bible study group had a last minute change of plans, we decided to do Gods at War by Kyle Idleman instead of the other study we had picked out. I am super excited about getting back into our weekly study group routine :)

Four. Purging
I went a bit psycho on Wednesday and cleaned out every.single.drawer/closet/cabinet in my house {with the exception of Mary Grace's room- which is next on my list}.  Ya'll, I even went through my spice rack and our medicine basket. Here's a glimpse of the first load I took to the Salvation Army yesterday {minus the five bags of trash}. A more detailed post on this craziness to come.

Five.  Krispy Kreme Fundraiser 
For my readers who live locally- don't forget to stop by and show your support for our mission trip to Nicaragua! Who can say no to Krispy Kreme? Certainly not me! We will be around the courthouse square or within that vicinity. There are five of us total, plus we will have signs- so you can't miss us!

Alright, lovelies- you know what to do. Check out other Friday Five link-ups via The Sowell Life.
As always, we'd love for you to join the fun!

Happy Friday!

Krispy Kreme {Mission Trip Fundraising}

Our Mission Team will be selling doughnuts Saturday morning in town. Please stop by and help support our mission trip to Nicaragua!

We are picking them up early Saturday morning so they will be fresh and oh so good!

Boxes are $6- additional donations are welcome.

If you are in town, stop by and grab a box!

We also have some super cute t-shirts designs for ladies/gentlemen. Be on the lookout for a post on the designs and ordering details!

Thanks again for your support.

 

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice

Yesterday my dear friend, Chickadee, had quite an exciting day!

It's time to stock up on dresses, hair bows, bloomers, and all things pink!

That's right, Baby K is a darling baby GIRL!

I was so excited I could hardly stand it. After hearing the news we immediately headed into Gymboree to buy Baby K some much needed pink! Of course, I ended up buying her the sweetest little spring dress and cardigan {with a hair bow, of course}- in blue. :)  I love dressing baby girls in blue! No worries though, Baby K now has several sweet little girly, frilly, pink outifts!

I have been team pink all the way and was so excited see that little one is indeed going to be a frilly, sassy girl!

Now the fun begins! I cannot wait to start planning a girly baby shower :) And it's time to get started on the essential monogramming!

Chickadee has been my very best friend for the last 8 years. We've been through everything together. She was there for me every step of the way during my pregnancy. In fact, I found out I was expecting at her home. She knew before anyone. I've seen the Lord pour out so many blessings on her life in the last few years, and I am so blessed to be part of this special time in her life.

June cannot get here fast enough!

Birthday Weekend Recap

Oh my, I am getting so close to 30. Yesterday I turned twenty-eight. I'm excited about this age, but I think this is the age I will stop at ;) Remember when I mentioned that I have a thing with odd years? Even years always bring with them exciting things

. 

At 22 I graduated from college.

At 24 I finished my Ed.S. degree and bought our first home.

At 26 I had my daughter. Our little blessing from above.

I wonder what 28 will hold? Possibly our home selling? Starting an adoption process. We shall see.

Yes, I claimed the entire weekend as my special time. Today counts too, in case you didn't know :) The only good thing about being born in the middle of January when it's too cold to have 'fun birthday parties' is MLK day. It always falls right around my birthday, so I always get a three day weekend off for my special day. Be jealous.

Friday.
Mary Grace and I spent Friday afternoon with our pastor's sweet family. I had been asked to teach sweet KJ how to work her new sewing machine. She was so excited and her happiness is just contagious. Love that sweet girl!

Saturday.
My husband did a bit of light grocery shopping for me so I could relax in my jammies. He came back with ice cream, cup cakes, and birthday candles. We had our own little 'party' at home. Mary Grace has mastered blowing out the candles- just in time for her big second birthday.

Our computer crashed. Is it just me or is that like the number one most frustrating thing in the world? We took it to our pastor (who is very tech savvy). After thinking it over and praying, we decided to just upgrade rather than spend money on the older one.

We topped the night off with dinner at Mexico. MG's personality isn't the only spicy thing about her- apparently her appetite is also. She was devouring the salsa (which amazed everyone since it was so hot). Thankfully my husband feels the same as I do about having waiters singing to you, so he didn't give away our reason for eating out. I had no intentions of a singing group hover around me and shove ice cream up my nose (which is really what they do!). FYI: don't eat out with my mom on, or around, your birthday unless you are okay with embarrassment. She will rat you out. Every. Single. Time.

Sunday.
Sunday morning was our usual routine of Sunday school followed by morning worship. After church we headed to see my dad for my special day.

 Then we were off to Best Buy in search of a new computer (which I am claiming as my birthday gift ;) ) We ended up getting a laptop and a wireless router for our DSL. We figured since we may be moving soon, a laptop offers a bit more flexibility and will not take up as much space.

My view as I'm drafting this post :)

Before leaving town we made a pit stop by A&W Root Beer (my favorite). The little one was beginning to get pretty ill at this point since she had not napped. After dropping my two loves off at home, I headed to evening worship.

My SIL called to wish me happy birthday and share some exciting news: I'm going to be an aunt again! Our family is so excited for another little one to join the mix! I know it's too early to start calling things, but I am feeling a baby boy is on the way :)

Neat little story behind this: A couple of weeks ago I woke up with my SIL on my mind. I felt led to pray for her, so I did. I was a bit worried because the last two times this has happened, something not so good had occured. I texted her and told her I was lifting her up in prayer and hoped that everything was okay. I had a feeling it had something to do with a pregnancy. When she called me, she said they had just found out the night before I texted. She joked that she and my brother can't keep anything from me, because Jesus always lets me know something is happening. Now I know why she was on my heart so heavily.


There you have my weekend recap. Glamorous, right? haha
Today is jam packed for me. I'm spending time with my bestie- who, by the way, finds out what she is having today! I'm team pink all the way, and of course, be on the lookout this week for the big reveal here on the blog. I have a little shopping to do and then a sewing class this evening. Busy but fun day ahead!

Happy Monday!

I hope you are one of the lucky ducks that have the day off!

 

Friday Five {Potty Training Edition}

Happy Friday, lovelies! You know what today means- Friday Five link-up.

I thought I'd change things up a smidge and do my Friday Five on a topic. Today it's all about the potty- potty training that is. There are endless resources out there for this topic and I've found some great ideas to help make the transition a smooth one.

We have been potty training since about mid October. Mary Grace does great when she needs to 'tee-tee', she's good about saying 'I potty' to let  you know. When it comes to the other, we are not so good. She let's us know after the fact. I think a lot of it has to do with her tummy woes and the fact that she poops so much during the day. Still, to be shy of two, I feel she's doing a great job! Our goal is to be in big girl undies by her second birthday.

Here are a few tips that we use to make potty time a bit more enjoyable.

One. The Perfect Potty
When you are potty training, your whole world revolves around the potty. Since you will be spending a great bit of time in the bathroom, it's good to find the right potty. We chose the Munchkin Arm & Hammer 3-In-One potty chair {$25 at WalMart or ToysRUs}. I like that it has odor control, built in side compartment for easy access to wipes, and it's just the right size. We've recently transitioned to having the toddler potty seat on the big potty, and we use the base as a step {or my seat ;) }. It's highly recommend finding one that grows with your little one- it will save you money down the road.

Two. All About The Undies
Diapers are a hassle when potty training. We use the Huggies Little Movers Slip-On diapers. They are super soft, plus they can still open up like a diaper for when you need to change a messy little one. While I haven't used them, Pull-Ups are a great option as well. I chose Huggies because I get more bang for my buck. Pull-Ups tend to be on the pricey side.

Three. Keep Track
We use a simple little chart to help keep track of MG's successes. It's really more for my benefit since it's a visual of how we are doing each day. Other than flushing {which just thrills her}, she loves putting a sticker on each time she 'goes potty'. Pinterest has dozens of cute, free printables. I have been printing ours off, but I plan to laminate one and use a dry-erase marker to make it easier, and save ink :)

Our sucker station :)

Four. Rewarding is Key
We reward with dumdum suckers. The first couple of days though, Mary Grace would want to go potty every five minutes just to get a sucker. After her first 'tee-tee' it just clicked with her- I think it was the sound. Now we only reward when we have actually 'gone potty'. Sometimes we sit and nothing happens, I verbally praise her for trying, but there's no reward. Lately, we've stopped rewarding 'tee-tees' since she's good in that area, and instead are rewarding the 'boo-boos' since that is where we need to work. I've even seen parents keeps 'Potty Bags' filled with $1 toys as rewards {for completing a row on the chart, etc..}. I like the suckers/skittles- cheap, easy, simple.

Five. Entertainment
During the first few weeks you will spend quite a bit of time just waiting on the magic to happen. My little one would get restless and fussy. To keep her happy an on the potty as long as possible, I kept a small basket of educational toys/books for entertainment. It's less used now since she recognizes the urge, let's me know she needs to potty,  and gets right down to business. It was a life saver in the beginning, though.

If you are in the potty training process, or plan to be soon, I hope these tid bits help! If you have any suggestions or ideas, please feel free to share!

Happy Friday! I'm looking forward to a fun, relaxing birthday weekend! 

 

Immediate Obedience {Carrying Your Sign}

Being bold for Christ is not always easy. Especially for me. It is a battle that I am always fighting.

I admire those who can be so bold about the Gospel. Fellow friends who can witness to anyone, anywhere. Friends who can stand on a corner holding their sign for Jesus. A former pastor and his Cardboard Ministry.

I want that courage.

One random morning I was running a few errands in town. I was singing with my daughter while at a red light and noticed two ladies on the corner holding signs for Jesus. As I admired them, knowing my own struggle, I quietly prayed for Jesus to help me be bold for Him.

Hold the sign with them.

The excuses started flooding in as I wrestled with what I knew I should do. I have my daughter with me. I have so many things to get in before her nap. I don't even know those ladies. And the biggest one- what will people think of me when they see me standing on the corner with my sign.

What will they think... that's always what stops us, isn't it.

I headed to pay our water bill, trying to get it out of my mind. If you ignore the Holy Spirit's promptings long enough, He will become less and less audible.

As I walk out the door of the utilities board, again...

Why are you waiting? Hold the sign.

Instead of excuses, I start coming up with alternative ideas. Immediately my spare Bible comes to mind. I always keep one or two new ones in my car to give to someone when needed. Yes, that's what I'll do. I'll give the ladies the Bibles to pass out. Conscience relieved. Problem solved, right?

I park the car, grab the Bibles and my daughter and walk up to one of the ladies {who is struggling because she has one sign in each hand}. I tell her of my admiration for her, give her the extra Bibles, and tell her to pass them out to anyone she witnesses to. A total of two minutes, tops, and I am back in my car on my merry little way.

You took the easy way out. Hold the sign.

The easy way. That's so common. It's easier to donate money than your time. It's easier to say 'I'll pray for you' rather than helping them fight the battle. It's easier. I took the easy way. It was my way. It wasn't His.

I start giving the big excuse again....'what will people think?'. Oh, how He sends me scriptures.

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and that of the Father and the holy angels. Luke 9:26

Ouch.

I pray for boldness, courage. Before I realize it I am heading to the Nannie's to drop off my daughter.

I pull back up and park the car. As I am walking to the corner I don't see them standing there. Then, I spot them getting back into their truck and leaving.

Immediate Obedience.

Ouch. I was too late. I wrestled for to long trying to convince God that now was not the best time. That this was not the best way to use me. I made excuses and took the quick, easy way out instead of submitting and showing immediate obedience. See, it wasn't about the difference I could have made for Christ, it was really about the difference being bold for Him would have made in me.

I missed an opportunity to be a servant and experience God move. I missed a chance to grow. Never again.

When God asks something of us, He expects immediate obedience. Not excuses. Not our own alternative plans. Look at Jonah. Instead of submitting to God's call, he ran. He tried to hide. And we all know how that worked out for him. In the end, he did go where God had asked, but think of the trouble he could have saved himself had he showed immediate obedience.

Next time I am asked to hold the sign, I will.

Not long after that day, I was running errands with a friend when I saw the lady that I had given the Bibles too. I told her who I was and she remembered me. I told her my struggles that day and the lesson I had learned the hard way.

We all hold signs anyway, whether we realize it or not. When we reach out to others we hold a sign that says Love. When we skip church for fill in the blank, we are holding a sign that says 'God is not my priority.' We don't have to stand on a corner with a cardboard sign in order for the world to know who we serve.

What does your sign say?

Birthday Lovelies

 My special day is fast approaching, so here are a few happies I would love- just in case you were wondering what to send my way!  After all, a girl can dream!

Birthday Lovelies by bsjames on Polyvore

1. Brooks Ghost 6    2. The Story   3. The Crucified Life    4. Scentsy refills in Sweet Pea & Vanilla scent    5. Chevron Infinity scarf

Friday Five {linkup}

Hello Friday! You know what that means- another fun little Friday Five linkup.

Uno. Warming Up
Hello warmer weather and sunshine! The mini and I have been cooped up indoors for far too long. Thankfully, warmer temps are arriving just in time to save my sanity.

Dos. Play Date
Speaking of warmer weather, we have a fun little play date this afternoon. Mary Grace is in dire need of some fresh air and fun. I'm looking forward to having adult conversation, too.

Tres. Caramel Macchiato Creamer
Oh my, this stuff is so good!


Cuatro. Lovely Spring Frocks
As if these freezing temperatures weren't making me dream of Spring enough, the new Kelly's Kids catalog arrived this week. I can't wait for Spring so I can dress Miss Priss in some pretty little lovelies!

Cinco. Biblical Homemaking Blog
As a new SAHM, I'm always looking for advice, insights, and fun reads to help me along this journey. I stumbled upon the BH blog a few months ago and have been an avid reader since. It is such a beautiful mix of following Jesus, raising little ones, and making your family and home the priority. If you're not a reader, you should be :)

That's all I have for today, lovelies. Now, head on over to The Sowell Life and check out other Friday Fives.

Christmas and New Years {2013} In Pictures

First up- lovely Christmas frocks. Mary Grace donned some cute Christmas attire made by your's truly. The week leading up to Christmas, I took  her picture every morning so I could put them in her baby book. There was only one outfit I didn't get a picture of- it was a sweet little nativity scene top with minky dot ruffle pants. I love making things for my little model ;)

{Christmas tree alpha applique with red minky dot ruffle pants}

{girly reindeer applique with minky dot ruffle pants}

{Ho-Ho-Ho applique and matching polka dot ruffle pants}

{Chevron dress with bow and Santa applique}

The weekend before Christmas, we spent time with my grandparent in Philadelphia. It was also my grandmother's birthday weekend- fun times!

{Christmas with Poppy and Marlene}

{Sporting their cute matching sweatshirts}

{Photo time at the camphouse}

{She loved 'riding' the lawnmower- ha!}

{me and my sweet mini}

{Feeding the fish}

{The Grimes women after church }

{Marlene, me, MG, and Vickie}

Christmas Day

We were sick with a yucky cold, so we spent the day at home. I cooked breakfast, we did gifts, then I cooked a ham and other yummies for lunch. Family stopped by throughout the day and we loved seeing everyone!

{Christmas morning at our home}

{The toys and the MESS! A good mess, though.}

{Christmas night Mima stopped by with goodies}

{Stocking from Mima}

{Mozart in the making}

These are just a few of the pictures we snapped. We visited my Dad and Bob's Nannie on Christmas Eve. Then on Christmas day, Bob's mom, dad, sister, and niece stopped by- we didn't snap pictures of those visits, but instead we got some great videos :)

New Year's Eve & New Year's Day
We headed out to the shop for a few fireworks and some games of pool for New Year's Eve. Mary Grace wasn't fond of the fireworks on the Fourth of July, so I was a bit leery of how she would react this time. To our surprise she LOVED them! She had a blast with the sparklers {supervised, of course} and loved watching Daddy and I with the bigger ones.

New Year's Day I cooked the traditional pork, peas, greens, and cornbread dinner. We ate our fill, so hopefully 2014 will be filled with luck, health, and money :)

{My husband is a bit of a pool shark- looks like Mary Grace may have her Daddy's pool skills,too}

I hope you enjoyed our holiday recap! 

Happy Thursday, friends!