Chicken Tortilla Soup

I have always been a huge fan of quick and easy meals. I threw this Chicken Tortilla Soup together in my Instant Pot and it came out soooo tasty! Here is what I used since it was what I had on hand:

• 1 Can Black Beans

• 1 Can Sweet Corn

• 1 Jar Salsa Verde (I use mild, just personal preference here)

• 1 Cup Chicken Broth

• 1 Onion

• 1 Bell Pepper (I used an orange/red pepper)

• Dash of Garlic Pepper Seasoning

• 3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

After cutting up the onion and bell pepper I threw them in the pot with Olive Oil and set for sauté. After the onions turned translucent I then threw in the chicken broth and the rest of the ingredients. I placed the chicken last and placed it on the soup setting.

My husband loved it and ate it with a corn tortilla at the bottom and both of us used greek yogurt for sour cream and of course the sprinkle of cheese on top. This again was super quick and easy and I was able to do the dishes while it cooked so no mess to clean up afterwards.

This will be one I cook again for sure, especially with fall coming up! I hope you enjoy it!!

Much Love & Light Always!

The 5 Love Languages

One of the books I have read recently was the 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman and I think it is a book everyone should read. It has truly helped me to recognize the different ways that we speak, receive, and show love. This in turn has really helped me with the relationships around me and in my life. It showed me how many relationship issues could stem from simply just not knowing and recognizing how the other person in the relationship speaks, receives, and shows love.

Here are the 5 Love Languages Gary Lists in the book:

• Words of Affirmations

• Quality Time

• Receiving Gifts

• Acts of Service

• Physical Touch

At the end of the book there is a quiz that you take and when finished it shows you your primary love language. For me my primary love language is Acts of Service and my secondary language is Physical Touch. For my husband his primary language is Physical Touch and his secondary is Quality Time. What this simply means is that I receive love when someone does something for me and especially when it isn’t something they enjoy doing but do it because they know it will show me love. Chris and I both got physical touch as one of our love languages and this doesn’t just mean what most think of. It simply means a kiss on the cheek when walking by, a hand on the shoulder when moving pass, a spontaneous hug and an I love you are the perfect little acts that show us our love to one another. 

What this has been able to teach me I believe is invaluable for the simple fact that it allows us to now see how we speak love and to be able to receive it in ways that are beneficial to our relationship. Before I would feel like I was doing so much to show love and it would just end in frustration. Now I can recognize that it wasn’t mine or his efforts that were the problem, it wasn’t working out because it just simply isn’t the way he or I communicates. This then can lead to feeling all kinds of unnecessary emotions. Now I can see that even though that is how I may receive love, it isn’t how he does and vice versa.

I know now that if I want to show him love then physical touch or quality time spent is the way to go. It also saves so much energy when you aren’t doing things for others that really don’t show them the love you are trying to express. Yesterday was a prime example of being able to receive love in a way that truly meant so much to me now that we know how each other speaks and receives. I was not feeling my best and was in bed all day and I just kept thinking about what I was supposed to be doing rather than laying in bed getting the rest I clearly needed. There was grocery shopping to do, the dishes that need to be done, you know the everyday stuff we do in life.

Not only did Chris do the dishes for me but he and our daughter went and took care of the grocery shopping along with getting it all put away. The fact that this man is not a fan of doing the shopping, but could see I clearly wasn’t going to be going myself and that we couldn’t really go another day without going, he went. He has done the shopping before, don’t get me wrong it just isn’t something he is too fond of. But for me he did it so I would be able to just give my mind and body the rest it was clearly needing. This meant the world to me! I made sure to tell him how much I appreciated him doing those things for me because that also makes a big difference in the relationship as well. When we get acknowledgement the little kid in us gets super excited and it makes us want to do things like that more.

Chris and I have been very blessed in our relationship and how close we are and how much love we have for each other. This book has just leveled us up to be even closer than before and love in a way that truly honors one another and our relationship. After almost 30 years of being together and seeing how far we’ve come, and now reading this book and having that information as a tool to just make us skyrocket even further is so exciting to me.

My wish for you is that you grab the book and read it and see how it can change your world and the relationships around you. 

Much Love & Light Always!

Never say Never

I never say never anymore because there are things in my life that I would have never thought would be and have been. Growing up in a city and then moving to an area that would be considered more country wasn’t something I saw happening but here I am and love it. Getting chickens and having 9 at some point was something I for sure wouldn’t have seen, but again, it happened. Cats have never bothered me, but there wasn’t any desire for me to have one and now we have our sweet Luna and I couldn’t imagine life without her.

If I wasn’t open to the few things mentioned above that I “never” would have thought or done, then I wouldn’t have had the Joy those things have brought into my life. Like sitting in my yard with my chickens and watching their utter goofiness and the opportunity for fresh eggs daily. Going out in the morning and listening to the birds and nature with my coffee and just being in that moment. I wouldn’t have the Joy that fills my heart when I get morning snuggle time with my Sweet Luna.

There are so many things out there in life that we can close ourselves off to that have the potential to bring such Joy into our lives. We close ourselves off without realizing it by saying the words, “I would/could never…..” Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we place such limited beliefs on things, people, experiences, and opportunities that could enhance our lives by saying the word never?

Some of my greatest Joy has been brought out by the very things I have used the word “never” with. This has recently been something that I was discussing with a friend and it has really made me step back and reflect. So much Joy that would have been missed by staying stuck in the “never” mentality. Part of that mentality comes from fear and is something we all experience. The more I find myself stepping into those fears though, the more Joy and Happiness I seem to have.

I think I sometimes forget how much fear plays a role in our lives and how much it prevents us from living the life we see within ourselves. It makes me ask the question to myself if the word “never” is used because of fear and out of protection from possible judgements? This is something I have had to analyze within and will continue to push passed and through so that I may receive and experience all of the Joy this life has to bring. 

Today I will be mindful of the word “never” and be reminded of all the Joy that has come when pushing through the “never”.

Much Love & Light Always!

The 3 Conclusions

Something I have learned along the way in this journey of life is that we are our own Joy Stealers. What I mean by that is our life experiences, what we’ve seen, heard, learned, etc. causes us to draw certain conclusions which in turn leads us to the outcomes. The other day I was listening to the audio book Stop Doing That Sh*t and there is some deep truth to what is said. The author Gary John Bishop breaks it down into 3 categories that we draw conclusions on:

• Ourselves
• Others
• Life

These conclusions are formed based on our life experiences and not always based on what we truly want. This was something that rang so true to me when I really sat and thought about it. How many times does the internal conversation sound something like this, “Who am I, and what makes me so special?” “Just who do I think I am? I can’t do that.” “Nobody has the time to help me or do they care.” “I just have to do it on my own.”  “Well things are going so well, when is the other shoe going to drop?” “If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.” Or how many times do you say or do the thing you just know is going to cause x, y, and z that doesn't usually end well?

We all have that internal dialog with ourselves about what we can/can’t do, say, think, accomplish, etc. I have found that more often than not, these really aren't things that lead us to success. It is usually counterproductive and takes us away from our dreams, goals, desires, happiness, love, and joy. It is a form of Joy stealing that we don’t usually think about as we tend to look outward for the reason something isn’t going/working the way we thought or even that it leads us to believe that maybe that thing just wasn’t for us.

At what point do we stop doing the sh*t that isn’t getting us to who or where we want to be in life? What point is it going to be enough and we decide to move past the patterns and behaviors in order to truly be and do all that we want? For me it is NOW! Today is the day I will hold myself accountable for rewiring that which leads me to kill and steal MY JOY. No one else has that control but me, and I choose to take it back.

I no longer choose to believe the other shoe will drop while it steals away the Joy of today, and instead I choose to believe that it is within me and my control to keep both shoes in the same place. That place is Joy, Happiness, Love, Light, Peace, Grace, Compassion, Kindness, and most importantly Gratitude. This doesn’t mean I live in a “Fantasy” world, it just means I no longer give my power to the subconscious mind that makes me go into old “auto pilot” mode which in turn leads to self destruction.

This isn’t to say either that I will not fall and have to pick myself up again. It means however that I again choose to get myself up, dust off, acknowledge what I need to, acknowledge what patterns and behaviors are no longer serving me, and most importantly KEEP GOING!! I will no longer let Joy be stolen from me by my own hands, I choose to hold it with gratitude, appreciation, and the knowing that I am worth it, I deserve it, and that it is my duty in this life to let my light shine in it’s unique ways as bright as it can be so that I may be a beacon of hope and light for others in the way that honors those bright lights placed along my path. 

Today my wish for all of you is that you remember how worthy and deserving you are and to keep getting up and finding the Joy in this lifetime. Life is too short and isn’t worth living if you live it without the Joy you truly deserve and desire and in whatever way that looks like for you. Joy isn’t the same for everyone, and as long as it isn’t causing you or anyone else harm, then do whatever it is that brings more of it into your life!

Much Love & Light Always!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Breakfast Bars

I was looking on Pinterest for something to crush my sweet tooth craving and would help keep me on track with my nutrition. Coming to the realization that I only have this one body and it is only going to treat me as good as I treat it is a huge factor in staying more focused and on track. When I find little gems like this it definitely helps to keep me moving forward in a positive way.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Breakfast Bars

I followed the recipe I found here but added in the following:

• 1 Scoop of Collagen-9

• 2 Scoops Vanilla Life Shake

• ¼ tsp. Vanilla Paste (From Trader Joe’s)

• Chocolate Chips sprinkled on top

They came out soooo good! These could easily be an anytime bar and not just a breakfast bar. Someone suggested making these with Blueberries and I think that is an excellent idea. There will definitely be some experimenting with these and I’ll share what I come up with as I go.

Enjoy!

Much Love & Light Always!

Saying No is Self Care

At one point I thought 2 things about self care….one is that it is this long process that you set aside a huge amount of time to do and two….it is selfish to spend time on yourself. WOW was I wrong on both of those accounts! As I go along on this journey to bringing the inner vision/version of me into reality the more I see how silly that thought process was. I have learned so much over the last 8 years of life and am grateful for it.

I know now that self care can be as small as being in the moment you take that first sip of coffee or tea in the morning. It can be simply removing yourself from a situation even if only for a few seconds to regroup and refocus. Asking for help is a form of self care. Sometimes it is even just simply saying “No.” I know now that self care is actually one of the most unselfish things I can do because the more I take care of myself, the more I say no, and the more I ask for help, all means the more I can do for others in the end.

As a recovering people pleaser and perfectionist, I really appreciate the ability to say no and to just start and move forward towards progress that leads me to bringing that in which I see for myself and my life into reality. By allowing myself the time I need to regroup, just be, ask for help, and by saying no, it allows my battery to recharge and I can do and give so much more than I did before and in ways I may not have been able to otherwise.

Let me ask this, how often is your day, week, weekends, or year so booked with events that it is almost or no longer enjoyable, and it feels like you are always going to no end without any rest? I used to do this thinking I was living life, but honestly I was just constantly worn out and super exhausted mentally and physically. The thought of one more thing was too much and doing the things I once loved was starting to become just one more thing on the To Do list.

It isn’t always easy learning how to say no, but this is in fact a way of self care that we really don’t think about and need way more than realized. Once I started to say no and started to be more accountable to myself and giving to myself as much as I gave to others, I noticed things changed. They are mostly little changes, but man how those little changes have added up and continue to add up. Most importantly is how it has affected my relationships for the better.

One of the best changes is the relationships with my husband, kids, and my loved ones. I can hold so much more appreciation for them because I now hold appreciation for myself. It has been something that has brought us closer together and brought a deeper meaning to all my relationships which I am so grateful for.

Self care is far from selfish, and again is one of the best things I started doing for myself. Back when I started this journey, I don’t think I could have ever been able to imagine the difference in learning to start saying “No.” would have. Saying no to others, events, and yes, even myself has been such a big turning point and it hasn’t always been an easy thing to do. With that being said, it has however been a key component to my self care and moving forward in a healthier way.

Let this be a reminder to you to do what you need in order to take care of yourself and recharge. As long as it doesn’t cause harm to yourself or others and comes from the heart, then do it. YOU ARE WORTH IT!! Start saying “No.” to the things that don’t feed you and your soul and start holding and creating space for the things that do. You will be amazed over time as you look back and see just what a difference it does make and how much more you have for yourself and others to give.

Much Love & Light Always! 

It Didn't Happen Overnight

It didn’t happen overnight that I put on enough pounds to have the numbers 203 show up on the scale and it didn’t happen overnight that I lost 77 of those pounds to now see the numbers of 126 show up on the scale. And where I am at mentally and spiritually didn’t happen overnight either. It has taken 8 years of work, stress, worry, and a health scare to get me to this place now. While people saw the weight I was clearly carrying on the outside, it in no way showed just how much weight I carried on the inside.

When I started on my weight loss journey, I never sought out to work on my mental and spiritual health (I was perfectly fine….nothing to see here 😉) but that is exactly what happened. I was introduced by a friend of mine to a company and a group of amazing people from all over that would lift you up and encourage you. This showed me a new way of seeing life along with myself. While on this journey I was able to drop from 203 lbs. to roughly 176 lbs. At this point I had hit a plateau and life was throwing some heavy things in mine and my family's way so I stopped what I was doing, went into stress/worry mode, and my diet and eating was horrible to say the least.

This led to some health concerns along with an unhealthy weight loss going from 166 lbs. to 144 lbs. in a matter of 6 months (this was not normal or typical for me). I decided to go see a doctor and with my concerns, what I was experiencing, along with the weight loss, his primary concern was cancer. While this was thankfully not the case for me, I know plenty of amazing warriors and families out there that have been affected by this and my heart and prayers are always with them. 

If that isn’t a wake up call to change some things in your life, I don’t know what is. Losing the weight was not just a physical weight loss, it was also learning how to lose the emotional weight that I had been carrying for so long. Some of which I am still learning about to this day. I carried so much weight on my shoulders and I was the one who put a lot of it there. Whether it was mine to carry or not, I carried it. 

My heart is big, I care deeply, and I truly do want to see others succeed and have happiness in their lives. With all of that being said, this is part of why I carried so much weight in the physical, mental, and spiritual sense. I have had to learn how to hold balance with these things. I had to learn and teach myself what was mine to carry and what was others to carry. This hasn’t been and isn’t always an easy task for me. Especially when it is someone that is very close to me and I love dearly.

By holding myself accountable and do my best to stay balanced is the key to what has brought me to where I am now. Again, it has taken me 8 years of working towards it and taking even the littlest of steps in the right direction. Reminding myself everyday that every single one of those steps no matter how big or small adds up to some really amazing results. 

So give yourself grace if you are on this journey. Know you are so worth it and even when you think your steps are so small, remind yourself you are still moving towards what your goals are and it doesn’t happen overnight. Be patient with yourself and celebrate ALL of the things you do that are moving you in a positive way. You’ve Got This!!!

Much Love & Light Always!

Triangle of Drama

Below is an image showing the Karpman Drama Triangle:

I was introduced to this concept a little over 2 years ago now and it has really changed how I think about myself, my thoughts, life experiences from the past, present, and future. Although I am still working through things, I am proud of how far I have come with this. Too many times in the past I reflect and can see how I didn’t realize I was playing the victim and didn’t hold myself accountable for the thoughts and choices I made along with where my life was going.

No one can do the work for you and it isn’t always easy but man is it so worth it when you can start to see more and more light at the end of the tunnel and around you. Taking accountability for your life and the choices you make can be extremely difficult. I know because I have done it and continue to do it. There are plenty of things done, said, and parts of me in my past that I am grateful have been left exactly where they need to be….in the past. I am grateful for all that they have taught me and I leave them behind with love to focus on being and doing better and becoming the best version of me possible.

Life can be tough and I know how easy it can be to just sit back and point the fingers while not taking any actions to actually change things. I did this for most of my 43 years of life and if I am honest with myself, I can see how it really hasn’t served me, my goals, my dreams, or my relationships in a positive way. From what I have experienced and seen, playing in this drama triangle really does not serve you or anyone else. 

For me I think this was a key role in my realization that everyone has stuff they are trying to move through that you may not see or know about and nothing “done/said” to you is personal. With the helpful reminder that nothing a person does or says to you is personal, but a reflection of what they are currently going through helps tremendously in showing others more kindness and compassion. We all have our own struggles in life and by showing myself kindness and compassion it has helped me to move through so many life experiences in a much more positive and healthy way.

Part of this journey has also been about being more vulnerable which isn’t always an easy thing to do. Those that know me know that I have always in some way worn my heart on my sleeve which has come back to bite me at times. For several years this led me to becoming a little more and more “jaded” and I started to tuck my heart away for too many years now and only allowed those very few closest to me to still have access but even that was starting to become limited.

The Drama Triangle has helped me in so many ways and one of those is to allow my heart to be open and giving again. When I listen and speak from my heart I know I am on the right path. I wasn’t put on this earth to live a life as a victim or in a victim/fear based mindset. I was sent here to live in a way that follows my heart by living in the brightest light and using it to help lift up others and ignite the unique and beautiful lights within them. The victim mentally locked that away from me for a while until I could start to do the healing I needed to do. I am grateful for this new healing and although there is still some more healing to go I will hold pride in knowing how far I have come.

My goal in sharing this image and story with you is to help you through your journey or to help you have a little better understanding of someone in your life. To hold compassion and kindness towards yourself and others along with allowing your heart to be a little more open to receive and give love.

Much Love & Light Always!

Back to Healthy

Over the last 5-6 years I have tried to be more mindful of my nutrition but like most the last year or two has been a little more of a challenge in this department for me. I was still doing better than in the past, but I wasn’t taking my health as seriously as I should have. While my physical body wasn’t really being fed properly, I was in the process of working more on my spirit and mental health.

The last couple of years have brought our family many changes, some amazing, some needed, some unexpected but for the better. I am sure many of you out there can relate to that! In the past I was never really one to handle these changes without stress and worry which started to really take its toll on my physical body. I knew I needed to make the mental and spiritual changes first before really focusing on my nutrition.

What I have come to realize over these last few months is that your health is really made up of 3 different components; Mind, Body, and Spirit. We hear this so often, but really for me, it didn’t truly click until the last couple of years. I have come far with my mind and spirit but now it is time to add the final piece….the body. 

A few years ago I signed up for a company to help with weight loss and it gave me a group of women that are truly amazing bright lights in this world. This program helped me tremendously and in more than just the weight loss I was currently looking for. I had great success in my journey but like most things over time it fizzled out of my life. While I can hold appreciation for that company and what it did for me in that season of my life, I just didn’t feel it was the right fit for this go around.

That is when a beautiful light I know told me about Shaklee and I started doing some research. At this point in my life I am looking for better. Better for my mind, body, spirit, and this beautiful planet we live on that I am guilty of taking advantage of and abusing in some way shape or form for too long in the past. After researching what the company stands for and the quality of their products, I was sold.

Yesterday my box came, and I am super excited to start the journey back to a healthy body. I have put this body through so much in its 43 years of life and am super grateful that it has been so kind and patient with me. Now I can start to show my gratitude by feeding it what it truly needs. I am excited to have a plan that is customized to me and not one size fits all. With being in my 40’s and the hormones that start to come into play, it is awesome knowing that I now have something in my corner to help along the way.

If the last couple of years have shown me anything it is that life is unexpected and we never know when the ride will come to an end. I choose to start living it fully and honor it in the best ways I can. This is one of those ways. I am excited for this next journey and to finally treat myself and my body the way it deserves.

Much Love & Light Always!

Turning Anxiety into Excitement

I have gone through many years of my life with anxiety that most may not have even realized was there. Just because I may hold myself one way on the outside doesn’t mean that I feel that way on the inside. At one point in my life I had to walk around with a heart monitor for 2 weeks so the doctors could monitor the chest pains I was feeling. After 2 weeks of wearing this monitor I was told that the chest pains were likely due to anxiety.

This was years ago and I did work on this, but not in the capacity that I really thought I had. As I venture into this new journey I am reminded yet again how anxiety can sneak up on you unexpectedly and mess with your body and mind. I am grateful to be in a much better mental state that I can now recognize these patterns and behaviors anxiety brings and work through them easier.

Not to say it goes away completely, now I just know how to flip my mindset and turn anxiety into excitement. Before I would get overwhelmed by having to navigate all of the new I am learning and going through with starting this blog and all that goes with it. This is all so new to me and the learning curve has been fun at times. The key I have found is to shift my mindset to how “Excited” I am to be learning so many new things.

It is exciting to see the inner vision start to come to fruition. It is exciting to learn new things. It is exciting to now know more of how all this works. It is exciting, it is exciting, it is exciting. This is what I will tell myself when I start to notice that anxiety creeping up. I turn all of it into excitement for what is to come and how many people I can potentially help along the way. As I go along this journey I am finding more and more it truly is your mindset. 

The mind is such a powerful tool to utilize, especially when you use it to create instead of destroying. As in the past, I know this too shall pass so I hold that with me as well. I choose to take the time and sit with my anxiety and reshift how it plays a role in my life. Before my anxiety would rule what I did or didn’t do and clearly at times stop me from moving towards my goals and dreams in this lifetime. 

Some days I am a frickin' rock star at this, and other days I am human and just have to let it move through me and just do what I can until it moves its way out. If you are going through something right now that is bringing up feelings of anxiety, try to hold focus on the positive of whatever it may be. Hold that positivity and focus solely on that and the feeling it will bring to you once you are through whatever it may be.

Always remember you are stronger and more capable than you may realize at this moment. Keep going and don’t give up on yourself and your dreams. You and they are so worthy of all of it!

Much Love & Light Always!

Divine Time & Expectations

I’ve told so many others how it will happen when it is supposed to happen. What I have come to realize this last week is that I don’t always allow myself to remember this. In the past I would start to work towards something and because it wasn’t happening in the time frame of what I thought it should be, I would talk myself out of doing whatever it was. I would tell myself things like, “Well, I guess it just wasn’t meant to be”, “If it was meant to be it wouldn’t be this hard”, etc.

Well, what I have come to find out more and more, especially while on this journey of creating a blog along with a few other things, is that it really will happen in Divine time. This is the point where patience and understanding comes into play. Push past the impatience, keep swimming, and do the hard work. If I sit back and reflect on my life, I can see that everything really does happen when it is supposed to.

I have also found that when I can do this, I allow myself to receive more than I was expecting and it turns out even better. It isn’t always easy though. We are human, and man; can that make things messy at times. As the frustration of new learning comes into play for me at this time, I have to remind myself of this more often than not. Also reminding myself that it isn’t going to happen overnight. 

It is hard to see when you are in the thick of whatever it may be and keep hitting obstacle after obstacle. The more I leave myself open  though, to the possibilities of it not going or looking the way I envisioned and in the time frame I thought it should be, I have found that it opens myself up to so much more. It is the consistency, the drive, the perseverance, and belief in yourself that you can push through and do all things and know that you are meant for better and to just keep going. 

Sometimes, I think the expectations we set aren’t always realistic. I am not saying that we shouldn’t have high expectations, what I am saying however is that sometimes we need to be open to expectations changing or looking different than we thought. It is looking beyond the feeling we need to receive when those expectations aren’t met in the way we expected and being able to hold space and gratitude for what is and keep moving forward towards those expectations with grace, compassion, and patience. When you can be open like this, it gives you the opportunity to see what you may not have before.

Today I will choose not to give in to my past patterns and behaviors that would move me towards giving up on my goals and visions. I will however choose to honor what I have learned, be excited to know how much more I will learn, and remember most of all that I am worth the wait. Hopefully this helps you to keep moving and pushing through whatever it may be that you vision and desire and to bring it forth into reality. 

Much Love & Light Always!

Your Brain is a Tool

Consider your brain a tool and let me ask you this, "Do you use it to destroy or do you use it to create?" What I mean by that is do you use it to destroy out of fear that in which you desire or do you use it to create and as a motivator to push you to keep doing the action steps necessary to reach your goals? This is something I have had to work on in my life.

I have been a person of worry and stress most of my life until recently. The thing that I have found most useful along my journey is the realization that my brain just like many other things is a tool. Depending on the holder of the tool, it can either be used for creating or destroying. If this way of thinking is then applied to how I choose to use my brain, then of cours I want to use it to create.

This pushed me into using this for so many things, self talk, working through old behaviors and patterns, and to truly start to bring that which I could see so vividly in my heart to reality. When you are in this worry and stress pattern it is sometimes hard to see through the other side. I had to literally retrain and work my "brain tool" to create new patterns that were in alignment with how I wanted to move forward.

In the past, I would get so excited about so many different things I was doing or working on and then it would just fizzle out. Mostly because I let the opinions/possible opinions of others dictate in some ways how I used my "brain tool" and sometimes it was due to the "obsticles" placed in my path. This then lead to self sabotage without sometimes even realizing it. Things would be great and then the slack would start to set in.

This week has been one of learning new things and navigating through the unknown. I could use my brain and create all of the "Ughs" OR I could use it to create the motivation to keep trying and pushing through. Learning how to do a blog, then learning how to get your blog to people, then creating links that the social media platforms keep saying are malicious and against guidelines, to you name it. All of these things in the past would have stopped me in my tracks.

It has taken a lot for me to push through these fun learning lessons, but I know I will get there and it is still progress towards creating what I want. This journey is a new one to me with new dance steps that I can either dreed learning, or have fun learning. I choose to keep learning with fun in my heart knowing it will all work out as it always does. Especially when I can get out of my own way and use my "brain tool" as a creator instead of a destroyer.

My intent as always is to share my life in the hopes this helps someone else to rethink of how they go about life and in this case using the brain as a tool. We are all capable of so much in this life, and deserve more than our brain allows us to believe at times. So keep moving forward even when life is throwing you new dance steps to learn. It will in the end create a beautiful and unique masterpiece.

Much Love & Light Always!

Glass Art Project

So I bought a frame from the dollar store a few weeks ago and I wasn’t sure what to do with it. Yesterday I was feeling a little creative and was wanting a fun project to release the creativity. I remembered I had bought that frame and proceeded to grab the following:

• Picture Frame

• Coloring Books

• Sharpie Pens

• Tape

• Double Stick Tabs

• Round Cake Pan (size of frame glass)

I know that at first some of those items seem a little obscure but go with me here. I knew I was wanting to make some type of “stained” glass with the frame so I started looking through the coloring books to see what image stood out. I found one I thought would be really cool and proceeded to cut it into the size I needed.

After doing that, I taped the image to the bottom of the cake pan and from there placed the glass piece on top of the coloring page with the double stick tabs. The cake pan was a great option to utilize as my platform because it allowed me to secure both the coloring page and glass in a way that I wouldn’t have to worry about realigning the two later. It also made it so much easier when I had to rotate the glass to get a better coloring angle.

This took a couple of days to complete because I let the black outline sit for at least 24 hours before starting the coloring. The coloring was finished in one day because the artwork wasn’t too busy and I was able to stay in the creative flow. Coloring has always been such a great outlet in many ways for me. I remember as a kid I would sit on the floor and color, when my husband and I first started dating we would color, and even now as an adult I love it.

For anyone looking for a fun project that doesn’t cost a whole lot of money, this is a great option. It wasn’t too time consuming, but it did allow for me to just let my mind be still for a bit. Life can be busy and full at times, it is good to take time to not only rest your body but your mind as well. During this process it was also a helpful reminder that progress is better than perfection. This isn’t a masterpiece work of art, but it is complete. The old version of me would have put it down and never finished it at the first unintended imperfection.

Below you can find my progress along with the final product. Hopefully this inspires you to go out and be creative today.

Much Love & Light Always!

Maple Peanut Butter Krispie Treats Experiment

Yesterday as I searched for a peanut butter krispie treat recipe I came across a recipe for some Maple Peanut Butter Krispie Treats. These looked so delicious and I was super excited to make them along with my hubby. He's been asking for peanut butter treats for a bit now so his excitement was so cute to see when I told him what I was trying out. 

As I gathered my ingredients together I was excited to try something new. Don't get me wrong, I have made krispie treats plenty of times in the past, but this was new for me. I have never made them without some type of marshmallow in it. Whether it is the fluff, mini mallows, or both, that is how I have always made them. So this was an exciting adventure for me.

Everything was coming together great, and my confidence in how they would taste was super high. The modifications I made was doubling the recipe and then with that I added in 2 C Cheerios gently crushed, 2 C Quaker squares gently crushed. When it was first added to my baking pan and we were nibbling on what was left on the spoon my husband said it tasted similar to a Whatchamacallit. He was just telling me how he would love for me to make something similar to this so.....success.

Going a step further and running with the Whatchamacallit idea I melted down 1 1/2 of the Giant Hershey bars and spread it over the top. This was sure to be the "cherry on top" and I could give my man what he was asking for. We patiently waited for the chocolate to harden but because the heat we were experiencing the chocolate was still too soft. (picture of chocolate mushroom hubby created when testing chocolate hardness below) 

With the heat and the chocolate not melting, I decided to throw them into the refrigerator to hopefully help this process. A few hours had gone by and we were excited to try these bad boys out, so with a tall glass of milk and a piece of the krispie treat I watched the hubby dig in. Excited to see what his thoughts were, I have to say I was not expecting him to come back with the statement, "They aren't crispy. There's no crunch to them." 

Crushed by this I just had to try it for myself and sure enough......No crisp! What went wrong? Was it because I put them in the fridge? Who knows, but I DO know this....the taste of them was DELICIOUS enough that I will be trying these bad boys out again and having fun experimenting with different ways of additions I can add to the mix. 

I have included the link to the original pin for those that would like to give these yummy treats a try.

Much Love and Light Always!

Link for original Pinterest recipe:

https://cookingwithcarlee.com/maple-peanut-butter-krispie-treats/