Have you ever been wrapping Christmas gifts at 12 midnight; and came to the realization that you had forgotten the batteries for all those wonderful "battery not included" toys that are now so neatly wrapped under the tree? Or ready to snap a pic or record a video only to see that annoying message saying "memory full"?

A while back I shared with you my finished Christmas tree. You can see that here if you missed it.

Now I'm back to give you a tour of our holiday home. I did two DIY wreaths this year that I'm very pleased with and look forward to doing again.

I kept it minimal this year, since we weren't expecting any guests. The major focus was on the tree.

Without further ado, here's our home.....




Here's another view of the tree

I love how this wreath turned out and I'm very happy I decided to do it.

Love the simplicity of this wreath and that it and it's counterpart aren't permanent so I can change them up each year.



Overview

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to share our family Christmas card with you all. I created it myself online using Shutterfly which is an online do it yourself photo creation site. I've been using this site for a few years now and I love it!

The quality and variety of the products and the ease of the site keep me coming back. Not to mention you can enter and keep all of the addresses of your family and friends into an address book and you can select which addresses to send and Shutterfly will send them out for you. I love that they have mobile and iPad apps and they are beautifully interfaced.


If you are in the market for something like this I strongly suggest you check them out.

My church's young adult group recently filmed a web series called Sinner's Anonymous. In it you find common issues that face not just young Christians but all Christians. It premires on Dec. 14th @ 7 p.m. If you are in the Northern VA, DC, MD area it will be screened live at Living Epistle COGIC same date and time. I hope you check it out and if you do, look for me in a cameo :)

Do you ever run out of ideas for getting rid of that thanksgiving turkey? Well today I'm going to give you one of my favorite go to recipes...

Fried Turkey Soup

I'm calling it fried turkey because that's what we had this year. But in previous years it's just been a regular cooked in the oven/roaster turkey. So the recipe is still the same. I managed to remember to snap a few pics of each step this time. Getting better.....


For starters you will need the following ingredients:

Leftover turkey meat shredded
Turkey legs, wings, and backbone
1 onion, chopped
4 large carrots, coined
2 cartons of turkey stock, substitute with water if you don't have
1 bag noodles of your choosing (I used egg noodles. If you use the egg noodles like me and you love lots of noodles in your soup, I suggest you get 2 bags.)
1 large stock pot or crockpot


1. Place your turkey stock or water in a large crockpot or stockpot along with the turkey legs, wings, and backbone. Bring to a boil and season to taste if necessary.

 2. Once you are satisfied with the taste of your base, then add in the carrots, onions, and the shredded turkey meat and allow to simmer for about 2 hours. If you have a crockpot it will be around for hours.



3. To thicken the soup mix about 1/4c of cornstarch or flour in a bowl with some of the broth of the soup until all lumps are gone. then add to the soup.

4. Based on the cooking times of the noodles you get, add them right when you are about to serve the soup to prevent overcooking.









I always make more than my family needs so I end up sharing every year. This year I took what we didn't need to church and they LOVED IT!

Try it out and let me know what you think.

This year I wanted to do something different from my traditional red, gold, and green tree. I fell in love with one of the White House trees from last year, seen here, and have been wanting to recreate it. I began to look around online to see what else I can use for inspiration and came across this, this and this on Pinterest. After some more browsing around, a quick trip to the store for colorful ornaments, and a sketched mockup; I was ready to decorate our tree.

I started at the bottom with the colored bulbs I had the most of and then just went up the tree
changing the colors as I went.

I wanted to do a ribbon around the tree but I didn't have enough on hand and was not up for another trip to the store. Maybe next year.....


I love how it came out! Don't you?

Hey peeps!

I hope you have recovered from your Thanksgiving turkey and Black Friday shopping. I'm on a slow recovery process due to the delicious fried turkey a friend did for us. It keeps calling from the fridge.... And I's keep answering lol. As for black Friday, I made a game plan and didn't suffer long in the lines due to planning ahead; which is a small blessing in and of itself.

With all of the talk about gift buying, etc. I began to think back on the gifts I've received in my life. I have been fortunate to be spoiled by my parents as a child and now my hubby. So it's hard for me to  narrow down what I would consider to be my best gift ever. But if I had to pick a recent one, I would say my birthday gift from my husband (circa May 2009). When we had my oldest son in May 2008, my husband began to tease me and give me a hard time about my birthday, because it's also in the month of May; and we all know this month is famous for Mother's Day. He would say something like "We have to skip your birthday if you want a mother's day gift." Of course he never did that. I always received something to celebrate the occasion (dinner, a gift, etc.). He just loves to as I call it, play with my emotions.

This particular year I really wasn't expecting much because we had just come back from a big trip back home and with 3 major events in the month, I was willing to sacrifice for my birthday. My love had other plans. He surprised me with a 4 day cruise to the Bahamas setting sail on the day after my birthday. This gift came as a total surprise and made my heart leap with joy. Coming from a single family with 5 kids my husband isn't big on gifts and gift-giving. So for him to make an effort to plan and execute a gift like this was a big deal. The gift for me was what it took for him to do it more than what he did.

We had so much fun and didn't want to leave the ship... isn't that always the case? A cruise is definitely a fun way to travel. Can't wait until we do it again.


What was your best gift?

In a few years I will be turning 30. Eek! In honor of this grand occasion, I decided to try and complete 30 different things before I reach this milestone. My goal is to accomplish some things I've been working on and to push myself out of my comfort zone. This is by no means a finalized list but here's what I have so far. I will of course update it as I go along by crossing it off and adding the date next to it once it's complete

1. Complete my degree
2. Wear a 2 piece bikini or a monokini
3. Participate as a speaker/seminar presenter
4. Be able to run at least 5 mi a day
5. Go to the Essence Music Festival
6. Record a song as lead
7. Attend a Beyoncé Concert {7/30/13- birthday gift thanks Babe}
8. Complete a volunteer project
9. Run a 5k
10. Take another cruise- 1 week this time
11. Learn to sew
12. Blog everyday for 3 months straight (except maybe on Sun)
13. Lose 45lbs
14. Take a winter vacation to a ski lodge
15. Run the National Mall (in DC) with my husband
16. Learn to snowboard
17. Take a  pole fitness class {Summer 2013}
18. Read 30 new books
19. Start and complete a Project Life Album
20. Do a major home DIY project (like make my own upholstered headboard, or reupholster a chair)
21. Work on my time management. (Be consistently 10-15 mins early)
22. Take a photography class
23. Do something totally out of character {Summer 2014- participated in a radio show 3 times and currently cast in an online web series}
24. Treat myself to a day at the Spa
25. Take a trip with my mom (just the two of us)
26. Stay at a bed and breakfast
27. Start a children's ministry 
28. Own a home
29. Be featured by a blogger I love
30. Guest post at least 3 times

Hey guys!

I'm back with another post of things I'm totally crushing on. Being a stay at home mom and online student I'm always focused on other things. So it's nice to be able to pause and look at pretty things and dream every once in a while. There's no universal theme for this edition of Stuff I Love. It's just all awesome. Enjoy!

1. That Chair

 Here's a picture one of my friend's posted on her Facebook page of her new in home mini studio. She is a christian singer/songwriter and is beginning to focus on her music more. I'm dying for the chair. Just gorgeous! Check out her wonderful music here www.nonajonesmusic.com

2. Nude Sparkle Lips

Don't these lips just scream "holiday goodness"? I definitely want to try this at one of the holiday functions we attend this season.


3. Awesome Dream Bath

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Don't you just LOVE this bathroom. I absolutely fall head over heels with that shower every time I look at it.

4. Advent Gift Bucket

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Wrap small gifts (ie; Christmas books, games, etc.) and have your child open them each night and do the activity. This is such a great advent activity and I can't wait to do it with my little ones this year.

5. Inspirational Running Shirt

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I've recently gotten back in the gym and I just love this scripture as inspiration to keep going.



Well, that's it for now. I hope you enjoyed checking out the Stuff I Love



Great Day Peeps!

A month ago I purged my closet; and after I got rid of all the junk that gets passed over and left on the floor or stuck in the back, I realized that I have very little handbags.

 Whaat?! When did that happen?!

Happy Monday! I hope your weekend was a relaxed and enjoyable one. As for us, our weekend was pretty good. Friday night we had a night out without the kids; we went to one of the local farms for their haunted events. There was a haunted corn maze and zombie hayride. After that, we roasted marshmallows in one of the bonfires and drank hot chocolate and cider. It was a blast. I'd definitely do it again. Unfortunately because they didn't allow flash photography, I wasn't able to take any good pics.

Happy Birthday!!!!!

My baby (blog) is now officially a toddler! Lol, there has been a lot of growth and I'm excited about where I'm headed. I started this blog with no real goals in mind other than stepping out of my comfort zone and doing something I would normally never do.... take the spotlight. Growing up, I was the child who cried at the very thought of going in front of a crowd. And now here I am exposed to the blogosphere. It's very exciting and nerve-wracking.

Now that I've gotten my feet wet, I have a few goals I'd like to achieve by the second blogiversary. I'm going to start small and make my goals something easily attainable, with every intention of surpassing them. Here they are in no particular order.

• Be featured by at least one of my favorite bloggers
• Get 500 subscribers and at least 100 Facebook followers
• Increase my daily traffic flow by 50%
• Guest post at least 5 times
• Get at least 2 sponsors
• Host 1 giveaway

Can't wait to come back next year and see what I've done.

Hello Folks!

Good morning! Happy Monday!

It's a rainy start to this week for us and since I'm not really feeling up to going out and running errands, etc. I decided to go to one of my favorite pastimes, Pinterest. I went on looking for some DIY projects to tackle and came across a few I can't wait to try, more on that later.

Today I wanted to share with you a recipe for a healthy alternative to Kool-Aid. If you've read any of my recent post, you will know that I have been slowly trying to change my family's eating habits. I have been wanting a healthier alternative to juices and fruit drinks that my son will love.

Don't these look delish?! Click the link below to be taken to the recipe.


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I'm a complete Pinterest addict and I know I need help! My addiction is like unto that of the Candy Crush Saga variety. I'm sure if you have Facebook, you have seen this image floating around your newsfeed.

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If you haven't then a quick Google Search will provide you with a plethora of information.

Unlike Candy Crush; my addiction has provided me with tons of valuable information and cute craft and decorating ideas. Some I have actually used! I wanted to share with you some of my favorite pins for Fall. These are the ones I actually plan to do.


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I will post some more of my Pinterest finds for you later on.





I know. I know. It's been a long time.... Let's just move on and not even talk about how life gets in the way. No judgments...

 Back to school brought on a slew of new things for me to worry and stress over. From riding the bus to what to feed my son to ensure he is getting proper and enough nutrition during the day. Adding to my already tough challenge of providing my family healthy and natural food choices; I have a PICKY EATER!

Part of it is our fault, mainly mine; because I was home with him more than my husband. He only wants to eat certain things and is almost defiantly unwilling to try new things. I only hope we can do better with our 1 year old.

 Naturally, being the researcher and Pinterest/Blog addict I am; I went straight to my computer to get some help. It didn't take long for wonderful posts began to spring up with topics like 30 School Lunch Ideas for Picky Eaters to back to school lunch gear. I was well on my way to a successful plan of action. Today I wanted to share with you a quick and simple breakfast option that will please your picky eater and provide him/her with a fun and tasty meal that you know is healthy for your child.

My son's school is a nut-free zone which put a big wrench in my plans for lunch. Because my son absolutely LOVES peanut butter. He will practically eat anything that has peanut butter on it or in it. I haven't tried any other type of butter yet but I plan to soon. So in an effort to fill my son's desire for peanut butter I wanted to incoproate it into his other meals as much as possible.

Enter Peanut Butter and Banana Toast.....



This is my lifesaver. All I have to do is preheat the oven in the morning and place the bread (we use honey wheat) into the oven for 5 mins or so and it's ready by the time he's brushed his teeth and made his bed. Just add the peanut butter (we like Skippy), and bananas or whatever fruit your child wants on top and another serving of a different fruit on the side and there you have it. BREAKFAST!

He wanted to put his grapes on top as well. If your little ones like this option I recommend cutting the grapes in half so they don't roll of the bread when they go to eat it

Waiting for mommy to take the picture so he can eat

I love how simple this is and it's a hit with the little ones whenever I make it.

Hope you and your little ones enjoy....


P.S. I'm joining my first link up party this weekend by linking up with these awesome bloggers:

Serenity Now
Link Party Palooza hosted by: Tatertots and Jello, Somewhat Simple, I Heart Naptime, Lil Luna, & Today's Creative Blog

Wow! Can you believe it?!

Summer is almost over!

Come the end of this weekend pools and waterparks will be closed; and for us on Tuesday, classes resume. This year the end of summer marks a bittersweet, exciting moment for us. Our oldest known around here as Speedy, is headed to Kindergarten. He's super-excited and we are happy for him. He's already been to Kinder Camp for a week where he got to meet the teachers and get a little practice being in a "big school" setting. I love that his school offered this and the other "back to school" events. It made the transition for us, in my opinion, smooth.

Of course you know I took several pictures

But enough about that.....

Our summer has been jam-packed with a lot of awesomeness. We didn't do everything on our list (which almost always is the case) but we did a great deal. Here's a brief review of our summer.

King's Dominion- The first (and only) big trip of the summer was our church trip to King's Dominion. It was a blast to spend the day with families we know and love screaming our heads off and splashing around. I love that Speedy was able to ride most of the rides.

Here's a shot of our group before we went in. Don't ask me why my silly husband is hiding behind the pole. I had my camera but was too busy riding rides to remember to snap a few photos lol. I have to do better.

Chipmunk Turned 1- In true Russell fashion, we celebrated our littlest's 1st birthday with a party full of friends and fun. Because his birthday fell on a very busy week, we opted for a weekday evening party at a local indoor jumping place. The kid's had a blast and that included my little man.

He was using his hands but decided that was for the birds lol

Speedy Started Baseball- And here's the kicker, my hubby is coaching his team. So far they have had four practices. The first game is on the 12th





Pool and Waterpark- During this summer we took several trips to our neighborhood pool and to the local waterparks. Which is one thing I love about being in this area. They have tons of public pools (with nice features) and full-fledged waterparks, which I wish we had growing up in Miami. We only had the pools, the nearest waterpark was 2 hrs away. Something I never understood for a place with such beautiful year round weather. Nonetheless, we had great fun; and so I digress...