6 Simple Things that Changed Everything

With Jeff being in session, there are many times where I feel overwhelmed by the duties of the day ahead of me. Making meals, doing homework, running carpool, giving baths and - let's face it - just keeping these little people alive in general. So this year I have tried to implement a few changes that simplify everything for me, keeping me on task - or at least close to it.

1. A Load a Day

After I had Charlotte, I found that one more small person brings a lot more laundry and I easily got behind. I began reading Fly Lady's website and she has a motto that I try to keep in my head : A Load a Day Keeps Chaos Away. It is so very true.

Now with three kids - some of which have sports - and a husband that runs all the time, staying on top of the laundry is absolutely vital in keeping my mind sane. There is nothing that will ruin my attitude more than having four loads of laundry to do. I don't make sure I have empty laundry baskets every day, because that would require me checking everything several times a day, but I do make sure to run a load through - all the way to the drawers - once a day. (Within reason, people!)

This also allows me to be able to push Jeff's laundry through quickly on the weekends and allows for my laundry room to remain semi-clean. This will make your life easier even if it's just yourself. Yes, you feel like you're always doing laundry, but in reality folding a load of 10ish pieces every day is way less daunting than folding a load of 40+ pieces twice a week. (I see you rolling your eyes but nodding in agreement at the same time, friend.) Trust me on this.

2. Making Lunches the Night Before 

This one is difficult to maintain as routine for me, but I am always thankful when I do it. That's my mantra when I start to get all of the supplies out. I will not regret this in the morning. Oh, but all I want to do is park myself on the cozy couch over there with my book... but no. I WILL get this done.

In order to stay motivated, I set my timer for 15 minutes. I race around getting their lunches packed and then tidying up quickly. I almost always have time leftover when I'm all done. This one isn't fun to read about and it, honestly, isn't fun to do - but it is totally worth it.

3. Getting Up Before Everyone Else

Long-time readers know that this is my number one priority every day. More so than exercise (I mean, hello!) and even more than reading my favorite book - I have to get up before everyone else in the quiet of the morning. This is when I have my time with the Lord, but this is also just a time for my heart and mind to get settled into the day ahead of me. I might not get another quiet moment all day... it's just the reality of this season of life. The only consistently quiet and (mostly) uninterrupted time I can count on during the day is before everyone gets up.

I highly suggest finding a consistent time that you can just be alone in the quiet for a few minutes. Whatever that might look like for you, do it. It has become something that I look forward to and something that I make a priority in my day. Even when we were on vacation, I made time to go downstairs to the lobby, put my headphones in and just sit with my coffee. No, it wasn't quiet, but it wasn't my people hollering at me that they need a snack or help finding their shoes. It was just me, my coffee and The Show Ponies and it was marvelous.

4. Meal Planning // Prep

My week goes so much smoother when this happens. As much as I adore cooking, this is my least favorite step in my week. Meal Planning. I have read all of the tips and tricks about making this easier. I have bought apps. I have tried a calendar where I plan out an entire month of meals. But it never fails that when I sit down to meal plan I come up at a loss of ideas and end up making the same thing that I know my people will eat - or at least not cry about eating.

My meal planning strategy looks like this : I sit down with my calendar and my bullet journal. I look at what we have going on for the week and decide which nights I need to prepare meals. Then I start to think of what we could possibly have. If I'm planning a meal for every night, as opposed to one night picking something up due to to activities or what not, I spread out my work load as follows.

I have one frozen meal, one big meal (where I cook everything from scratch), one crockpot meal, one version of breakfast and one version of tacos. The frozen meal could be frozen pizza or a frozen pre-made casserole. The big meal - when I'm on my top of my game - will make enough for me to freeze half of it so I can have it a future week for a frozen meal.

Breakfast night and taco night are my kids favorites. Taco night comes in all shapes and sizes :: Fajitas, quesadillas, a nacho bar or build your own tacos. Breakfast night consists of waffles, pancakes, or biscuits, eggs and chicken sausage. If I'm feeling generous, I'll throw in some chocolate chips to the waffles and add some bacon on the side. That's when the kids feel especially loved, y'all.

5. Walmart Grocery Pickup (This is NOT an ad, but it should be!)

So this has quite literally changed my life. You might be saying, "Becky, stop! You're being dramatic!" To which I would say, "No, y'all! This is a real thing! It will change yours too!" I don't care who you are, this is one of those things that you will say you don't need, you'll wait forever to try it, but when you do you will kick yourself for not trying it immediately after hearing about it. I swear to you.

So here's how it works :: You go to walmart.com and you create account. You have already meal planned, because you're awesome, and you have your list next to your computer. You start to type in the things on your grocery list. Cheerios, turkey breast, applesauce, vanilla.... Wait. Don't you already have vanilla? You go to your refrigerator, open it up and there she is. A brand spankin' new large bottle of vanilla extract! You just saved yourself $4.39 from buying an unnecessary bottle of vanilla to make those cookies for your neighbor. Congratulations. Now go buy yourself something pretty!

Seriously, though, this system is great for so many more reasons than the scenario I listed above. I only buy the things on my list, I don't have to get my cranky toddler out of the car and pacify him with incessant snacks and iphone games so the elderly ladies look at me like a bad mom. I don't have to go searching for random ingredients! And when it's raining, y'all - they still bring it out to me!! I don't even have to get out my car!! If you're a work at home mom, work out of the home mom, stay at home mom, career woman without kids, wife that stays at home, single person... this could not be better for you!!! Try it and then tell me about it. I dare you.

6. Leaving My Planner on the Counter

This is such a simple thing to do, but it still doesn't happen every day. When it does, my day runs so much smoother, all of our appointments get made, errands get run and people get picked up and dropped off as they should. I have used the Erin Condren planner in the past, but this year I went with the Get to Work Book and I am LOVING it. It's very simple and clean, but it's great for all of my writing projects. I highly recommend it!

I hope all of these ideas help you simplify your crazy life like it has mine! Let me know what you try and if you have any of your own ideas! I'd love to hear about them!!!

Can WE Change Facebook?

 

We have all witnessed Facebook taking a turn for the worst in terms of content. After the election was over, I was SURE that the posts would lighten up, but they seem to have only gotten worse - louder somehow, angrier and more divisive. Just when I think that it can’t get uglier, it does. 

As I quickly scroll through the posts, looking for the little nuggets of family updates and funny animal videos, I am overwhelmed by the hatred that people currently have for each other, and slightly confused by the need to “stand up for what we believe in” on FACEBOOK.

I had the thought the other day as I felt myself reacting to someone’s post, what are these statements actually doing? Why do we feel the need to virtually throw our opinions out for all of the world to read without context or explanation? Can the reader understand in any way where we are coming from when they are on the other side of a screen? 

We seem to be done attempting real conversations about hard things and rather, throw a fast ball right into someone’s face and instead of asking if they’re alright, we just walk away. That’s the luxury of the computer screen. 

It’s inhumane, y’all, and we’ve all done it. But, when did we lose our sensitivity to others? At the end of the day, we’re all people - maybe with differing viewpoints - but all just people. 

Maybe we should all take a hard look at not just what we are saying, but how we are saying it?There seems to be no difference in the tone of the posts that Christians make and non-Christians make; no difference in the right side or the left side.

The bible is clear that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves - even the virtual ones - but is t also clear that WORDS are important in accomplishing this? Actions certainly speak louder than words, but let’s be real - words do speak. And they stick. They can’t be unsaid or erased, even when forgiven. They tend to linger. 

Sharp words, even deeply felt, only serve to make the gap between “us” and “them” wider, not narrower. Speaking Truth in love is designed to be within intimate conversations one on one, allowing sincerity and genuine love to come through to those on the receiving end. Harsh words on a screen are just that - harsh. 

So let me ask this of us: are we building each other up as much as we are tearing each other down? Do people know us for what we are for or for what we are against? 

“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the ned of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:29-32

This tells us that it in fact is important to the Lord how we talk - even on social media. Now, let’s not get all technical here and say that the words aren’t spewing from our mouths but instead our fingers, because God always deals with the heart issue and out of our heart comes our words. “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart.” Matthew 15:18. The words we say, the words we whisper and, yes, the words we write. 

Lord, let us be women known for building others up, not tearing others down. Let us be the ones that change this divisive environment into a beautiful forum for love and admiration. 

God created us each with different ideas, bents and circumstances so that we can think for ourselves and form our own opinions. We shouldn’t be surprised that we will never agree on everything - we just won’t. We live in a broken world, and a free country. What if we celebrated the idea that we get to have an opinion instead of getting angry that “theirs” isn’t like “ours”. 

We can choose to focus on places of agreement instead of places of argument. When something comes into view that makes our hearts break, makes us see that there is terrible injustice in the world and maybe even moves us to anger - let’s be women who put down the iPhone and DO something about it.

Gather people - your actual people - and make a plan. Visit your local representation, write letters, make phone calls - but let’s be the ones who stop throwing stones across a computer screen. The world - our country, especially - will be better off and WE can be the ones that start making a change! Let's not be absent from social media, but be uplifting on social media - replacing words, articles and comments of hatred with love. Can you imagine the movement that we can start? 

5 Things to Take to a New Mom

If you're like us, you find yourselves in a season of life where everyone is having babies! Your neighbors, your sunday school class people, your friends, your siblings. One of my favorite ways to love on a family is through food, I mean, I grew up in a Baptist Church - that's just what you do. I thought I'd put together a little wrap up of my five favorite things to take to a new momma! What's your favorite thing to take to a new mom? What was your favorite thing to receive?! 

Beth’s Italian Wedding Soup

This is one of the easiest things to package up and give to a new momma for her lunch that is solo. This doesn’t go with my “meal” but it’s super comforting - just what this sweet woman will need to carry her through those long days after the sleepless nights! It lasts for several days, only getting better, and I dream of the day I’m able to throw some homemade bread in there with it. 

Honey and Lime Chicken Enchiladas (plus frozen taquitos if they have little ones already)

This is one of my very favorite recipes to make for a dinner party or to take to anyone who needs a warm meal. It is so tasty and so simple to make. The recipe is here, but I have begun to make a few changes over time. I like to use whole wheat fresh from the bakery section at my grocery store. They add a little texture, but are still soft unlike gritty corn tortillas. I also add 1 teaspoon ancho chill pepper to the marinade because that is my favorite spice of all time. It adds a bit of heat too, but you can add red pepper as well if you want to add more! I also like to use monterey jack cheese when it’s readily available. 

Prep all of it in an aluminum pan and wrap it up and foil. I like to write in sharpie on top the directions to baking so it’s super easy for them to just grab out of the fridge and put in the oven and bake it. 

Chips and Homemade Salsa

My very favorite thing to make - especially in the summer time - is homemade salsa. It makes two pint size jars and seems fancy but is, in actuality, extremely easy. I use to be so good about having a jar or two in the fridge at all times (cold salsa is totally my jam) but in recent years - perhaps since I’ve had Landry - I haven’t been as faithful. If you don’t have time to make homemade salsa, our family’s very favorite store-bought salsa is called Texas Texas Restaurant Style. We don’t like the chunky kind. 

Author Note :: Have you ever tried guacamole salsa? I don’t love guacamole, but this is one of my friend’s very favorite things to bring to a chips and salsa party, and it doesn’t disappoint!

The BEST EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies

I cannot rave about these cookies enough, and man I wish I could take credit for these. (I will take credit for telling you about them, though!) We make them all. the. time. AND they make a TON of cookies and the dough freezes quite well. I used my smaller scoop last time and they made 75 cookies (and it would probably make more because we ate a bit of the dough… oops!) Chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and toffee chips. Need I go on? You need to get to the store right now and make these cookies. Take them to your neighbors…. freeze extra balls of dough and make them a few at a time (not that I have ever done that). You and your new momma friend will be thanking me profusely by the end of the day for introducing these cookies to you. 

Homemade Gift

This is one of my favorite things to add to the little package. I typically add a painted sign (duh!) or even something I have sewn… burp cloths, a little blanket, even some onesies. This doesn’t always happen - so when I don’t have time for something handmade, I like to add diapers or even a candle to the mix, something a little extra to make this momma feel super loved on. If they have siblings, I try to get something tiny for them too… think hot wheels, bubbles, crayons, etc. Just something a little extra, y’all, goes a LONG way. 

I typically package up my meals in a Central Market (or Trader Joe’s) paper grocery sack, tying it - if possible - with ribbon or a scrap of fabric or twine… whatever I have on hand. I stick a bagged salad in there with everything, because they’ve got to eat their veggies, and it sort of rounds out the meal!! Who can you bless this week with the gift of food? (Now I'm hungry and need to go make myself some enchiladas!)

Choosing Obedience

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation." 2 Corinthians 1:3-6a

Holding my steaming hot cup of coffee I sat on my sofa and had a familiar revelation. I am a weary momma, and I suppose that in some way - all women find their souls weary in various moments. Swollen eyed and foggy headed, from lack of restful sleep, I still dug into the passage before me and the Holy Spirit graciously met me where I sat.

When I am afflicted, it is so that God can comfort me. If I never needed comfort then I wouldn't need comforting. Being afflicted, experiencing failure and dead end after dead end is the way to experience God's grace and mercy at it's finest.

The times in my life that I've experienced God's hand most profoundly are the same times that anxiety, brokenness, loneliness and tiredness was most the prevalent, not the least. There has rarely been a time that I daily saw Him working miracles when I wasn’t in the middle of deep discouragement. When I am forced to depend on God to meet my emotional, physical and spiritual needs, I am stuck clinging to even the smallest ray of encouragement.

Are you uncomfortable today? Are you grasping for the hope that God provides or struggling to experience His perfect peace? There is hope today, sweet friend. He sees you. He's got you. He is, indeed, walking right with you. 

Often I find myself weary, I do, but sometimes I wonder if we should begin questioning if we sometimes we can actually be too comfortable.

We can all agree that there are times in our faith journey that we can choose whether to trust God, stepping out in faith, or instead choose to stay in the safe zone.

If we want our faith to grow, we have to give it opportunities to do so. Staying comfortable is not one of them. I can read my bible all day long about who God is. I can even believe that He is who He says He is. But I cannot fully experience the faithfulness of God while remaining in my own comfort the way that I can experience Him while stepping out on the edge of all things reasonable and secure.

I am not at all suggesting that I should intentionally do things that make me miserable and uncomfortable. I am simply pointing out that perhaps I should take a look at the choices I make on a daily basis and why I make them. Am I willing to sacrifice anything for the Kingdom - safety, comfort, time, pride, money, reputation?

For  me, I have decided that I have been safe long enough. I have guarded my comfort and my time long enough. I have stayed silent long enough. Has it been long enough for you, too? Are you ready to step out in the big and small too? 

What does this look like, practically, though?

Maybe it means walking across the street and asking your grouchy neighbor over to dinner. I know you’re thinking that he will most likely shoot you down and probably holler at your kid for walking on his grass, but perhaps there is something deeper behind his grouchiness? This will be uncomfortable. There will be a million reasons why you don’t want to do this - and can’t do this today or the next day or the next - but is this what you’re called to do? Is this the nudging inside your soul that you keep ignoring for the sake of time and pride? Do it. Say yes. 

Maybe it means signing up to mentor someone else. Yes, this will take time and maybe even some money for coffee each week. Of course you feel like you have nothing to offer, but don’t you actually have a whole bunch to offer? Is this the call God is placing on your heart - to bring up the next generation of women for Him? Say yes, friend. We need you to say yes. 

Maybe it is going on a mission trip, sharing your faith with your coworker or going to a marriage conference. Maybe it’s giving money, taking a meal down the street or reaching out to the Muslim families in your community, getting to know them on a personal basis and letting them know they are loved. None of this feels like it’s a fun idea, but God stretches us so that we can see Him work in and through us. 

Maybe you need to physically move. Perhaps God is asking you to switch jobs, or quit your job to stay home with your kiddos or pursue your dreams. Is He asking you to go back to work full time? Maybe He's asking you to sell your car, or sell your house. Maybe he's asking you to open up your home to a foster child or a down and out family. 

Whatever it is that you are on the fence about, whether it’s big or small or sort of in between, can I just encourage you today to say a resounding YES to the Lord? We will not regret it because we will see Him come through in ways we would not believe before. He tells us in scripture that He rewards those who are faithful in the small. What small steps of obedience can we take today to make an impact for the Kingdom? 

When we say yes to God, relationships will be fostered, bridges will be built, new adventures will begin but most of all our faith will be blessed. Choose to get uncomfortable today, friends, because we will get to experience the Comforter in all of His glory together. 

Chicken and Black Pepper Pizza

I have long been a fan of the white pizza. Even growing up, CiCi's Pizza Buffet was a big after sports games stop for our family and wouldn't you believe that I would order their Alfredo pizza just for me. It was simple, cheesy and hands down my favorite.

I love a good red pizza sauce, but in case you haven't heard, not all pizzas were created equal. There is just something comforting about the creaminess of the Alfredo sauce that has me going back for seconds (and thirds) every single time and I know it will be doing the same to you too.

Jeff and I have weekly pizza at-home date nights when he's in town, which is probably not the best choice for our diets but you only live once, right? This is BY FAR our favorite pizza to make and hits all the comfort food loving parts of our selves.




Chicken and Black Pepper Pizza 

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe for your favorite pizza dough - or Boboli does just fine too. 
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken breast
1 cup Alfredo sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese
1/2 tsp Ancho Chili Pepper
Red Pepper flakes
Lots of freshly ground pepper
Fresh Basil, julienned

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven according to crust directions. Usually 425.

Top your pizza crust with Alfredo sauce and mozzarella cheese. Chop chicken breast and add to cheese. Top with pecorino romano, ancho chili pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Add TONS of freshly ground pepper.

Cook pizza according to crust directions, usually 10-12 minutes.

When it's hot and bubbly, top with more ground pepper and fresh basil.

Enjoy!

Dig in Your Dirt : Prep Work

 

Alright, y’all. So now that you did a little homework and caught some inspiration, let’s discuss prep work! Depending on what you’re planting and where you live, it’s most likely too early to get really planting, but it’s never too early to get prepping. Please remember that I, too, am a novice gardener and this is all based on knowledge through experience.

CUTTING BACK

Now is a great time to cut back all the dead stuff in your yard, including hedges that need trimming, sticks plants hanging out in the pots from last summer, and vines that need to be cut down. There are so many dead spots in my yard, but as the weather warms up, I can already see green poking back through!

If you don’t cut things back - not withstanding the actual dead plants that you need to pull - you will still get green plants coming back in, but they won’t look as neat and put together because there will be the dead looking parts underneath all the green. That is a totally unsophisticated way of saying - it will look ugly if you don’t cut things back down they start growing back in!

TO MULCH OR NOT TO MULCH

Jeff and I argue about which way is best every single year. Should we mulch before we plant in our beds or after we plant? We’ve done it both ways and I think it comes down to personal preference. I find it hard to dig through mulch to plant flowers, but I also get irritated when the wheelbarrow plows over my existing plants as well - not that I have any experience with that at all. 

We typically do mulch in a weekend at our house. Check with your local dump to see if they provide truck loads of mulch. It’s generally very inexpensive and you can pick your color.  A handful of neighbors combine wheelbarrows, shovels and man power to get it done quicker - and have more fun doing it. Our kids love Mulch Weekend - and this year I think they might do more of the heavy lifting! 

CONTAINERS

This is my favorite part, y'all. Start to gather (or make) containers that you want to use when it comes planting time. Containers can be ANYTHING, all you need to do is make sure there are enough holes in the bottom for adequate drainage (not that I have ANY experience with that mistake!) If there aren't enough holes just take a drill to the bottom of the container and that will fix it right up!

One of my favorite containers for veggies are large whiskey barrels that you buy at Home Depot or Lowe’s. These are great if you don’t have a lot of space. I also have one of these from Williams Sonoma, but it’s several years old and is quite worn. The other disadvantage of this guy is that it’s not very deep. BUT, you can find tons of stuff just like it on Pinterest and amazon!

Two years ago Jeff built me this vegetable garden and last year I added the gate around it (again, the dang rabbits!) It was SUPER EASY, y’all. If you have pretty much any kind of saw and a drill you can do it. Just remember to line the bottom with weed liner. We actually did it twice. We did it before we laid down the wood and then we did it inside the frame as well, a little bit up the sides. We have never had a problem with weeds in here (now, I am sure we will that I said that).

BEDS

It's time to get those stubborn leaves out of your beds and begin to weed. If you have a lot of weeds, look into getting a weed killer at your local nursery. If you need to dig beds, begin to plan out where you want them and how deep you’ll dig them, what you will use to line them and what you will use to edge them. Get your beds prepped and ready to go prior to purchasing plants, seedlings or seeds!

SOIL and COMPOST

Two years ago, we purchased a truck load of compost from our local dump (where we also purchased mulch). I did not have a fertile garden that year so I think I am a bit jaded when it comes to purchasing compost. I like to purchase something local. For those of y’all who are in Texas, this is my favorite. I only use this for my fruits, vegetables and herbs. For all of our flowers, I use miracle grow potting soil - because it truly is a miracle. 

You might have to do a bit of research to find compost that is local to your area. I know that Miracle Grow has a Nature’s Care brand of compost but it would most likely not be local to your area. Just type into google “Best compost for _______” and then fill in your city or state. Something awesome will pop up because it's Google. 

There are also a lot of fancy people “blending” their soils and compost and vitamins (who knew?) together. That’s not how I do it. Maybe one day, I’ll get that knowledgable, but for right now straight soil and straight compost get me to where I need to go, so don't let all that fancy talk scare you away. You can do this!

FERTILIZE

Okay, let's talk fertlizer. This is a hot button topic for many gardeners, but I LOVE to fertilize. For all of my perennials that are beginning to come back, I use Miracle Grow fertilizer as soon as I start to see a bit of green popping through once a week. I love the kind that you connect to your hose and water through - it lasts me two weeks at least. 

For all of my edibles, I like this fertilizer and for everything (except tomatoes) I also fertilize once a week. There are many different schools of thought here, but I like to do it every week until the dead heat of summer kicks in. 

SHORT LIST

I know that was packed full of information, so here is a short cut of the supplies that will be on your list to buy and have in stock before you purchase your plants:

Mulch

Compost

Potting Soil

Containers

Bed supplies, if needed (liner, edging, weed control, etc.)

Fertilizer 

RESOURCES

If all of this seems overwhelming but you still want the joy of gardening, I wanted to add these two resources for pre-planned gardens.

I read about Mini Farm Box in a magazine and it looks adorable, and very self-explanatory although maybe a bit pricey. If you want a garden of edibles, but don’t want to put a ton of thought into it, this might be your jam. 

One of my girlfriends who loves to garden and had TONS of bed space ordered a drought-resistant perennial garden from Blue Stone Perennials  a few years ago. This is her third spring with them and they continue to come back even bigger and better than the previous year! I highly recommend this based on her experience. Just know that when they come they will look small and sort of dinky, but they do fill out beautifully! Trust me. If you want beautiful low maintenance  perennial flowers, this is such a great bet. 

Okay so that's it!!! Next time we'll get planting, I promise!!!!  I'd love to hear about your progress or answer any questions you might have! You can find me on Instagram @littlebranches. 

Restaurant Style Salsa

If you live in Texas, salsa is a staple in your kitchen. We always have some on hand, and if you catch us when we don't - it's probably a really bad day. A day without salsa is like a day without sunshine. Gray and dull and boring.

Here's the thing about salsa, y'all. Some people (not naming any names here) like it thick and chunky. Think Pace Picante Sauce. If I come to your house and you serve me that, I will be dipping my chips instead of scooping. We do not enjoy the thick stuff. I much prefer cold, smoky, pureed salsa with some warm chips or nachos. Y'all - it's the best snack ever!!

This is our family's recipe for salsa... and yes, my oldest and my husband basically drink this at dinner. I start with 2 jalapeños because I never know how potent they'll end up being. If you like your salsa super mild, start with 1. You can ALWAYS go back and add seasonings or heat in there to your liking, you just can't take it out.

I hope y'all enjoy! (Recipe below)




LEACH FAMILY SMOKEY SALSA

INGREDIENTS

1 large can whole tomatoes, loosely drained (28 oz)
1 can Rotel tomatoes, undrained
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup diced onion
2-3 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
Juice of one lime (1 Tbs)
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp pepper
1 bunch of cilantro - to taste
Tortilla Chips for serving


DIRECTIONS

Pulse all ingredients in food processor, scraping down sides as needed. Taste with chips and adjust seasonings as necessary. I usually am adding more cilantro, jalapeños or salt - depending on how potent everything is. Chill 2-3 hours before serving, although it's ready immediately. Keeps in the refrigerator for 1 week, but beware it probably won't last that long!

Finding an Outlet

“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” —Andy Warhol

I started experiencing physical symptoms of stress a few years ago, sneaking up on me after having our third child. A few months in, I finally went to see a doctor for the “weird tension” in my neck and shoulders. He looked at me very gently and said bluntly, “it’s chronic stress.” 

I was dumbfounded. I was not stressed out. No way. Only wimps get stressed out. Only worry warts could feel physical symptoms from stress-induced anxiety, or whatever he called it. That was not me. 

Until I got a second opinion, I was sure I had a tumor and my lazy doctor had not diagnosed me properly. Unaware that I had already asked my GP, my OB confirmed his diagnosis of my physical symptoms. Stress.

It felt so vague. Short of taking medication, there was no “quick fix”… and even with the medication, it could still be a long road. She explained to me, through my tears, that life is just plain hard sometimes. 

I sat there begging her to see that I wasn’t stressed, that my life wasn’t any harder than anyone else’s life - in fact it was probably easier. Yes, I had a husband with an odd set of demands that can sometimes feel lonely and yes, I had three kids now (which I am still recovering from) but I didn’t feel like I could at all quantify my life as hard. 

Her response was not what I bargained for, and it still echoes in my mind when I feel guilty for feeling stressed. She said, “Becky, just because it’s not as hard as it could be doesn’t mean it isn’t still hard.”

Think about that for a second. Just because life isn’t as hard as it could be, doesn’t mean it isn’t still hard. Just because I have healthy kids and a loving husband and a happy-ish home and the woman down the street lost her husband and a mom at school is going through a divorce doesn’t mean that kids, marriage, career tending and homemaking come easy all the time. The demands of all of our mundane, everyday lives can get extremely overwhelming. And that’s okay, in fact it’s normal. 

And I needed to get a freakin’ grip. 

So I asked her for a prescription and instead she gave me a remedy. 

Many of the things she suggested were obvious and I felt frustrated even thinking about them. Exercise… I mean, I had a brand new baby. Yoga? Please. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Hot baths? My bath tub is full of baby toys. Eating healthy? Unfortunately, eating unhealthy was my coping mechanism. 

But finding an outlet? That one was tough. 

I had an outlet… many outlets, in fact. I write, I paint signs, I run (when I can), I cook and I garden. So why wasn’t any of that making it better? 

I discovered that all of these things I was doing out of necesity, obligation or for the enjoyment of someone else. I wasn’t doing any of these things intentionally just to settle my mind. I wrote with a purpose (you’re reading that here). I painted for a business. I ran because I was told it was good for me - and it was the only thing that I didn’t HATE doing. I cooked because my people needed to eat - and it was always a battle.

How could I do something just for me… something that would have no expectations, no limits, no one criticizing, no one watching? How could I find that time? 

I didn’t until I decided at the beginning of 2017 that I had to make that time. I had to force myself to take time to do something that might feel fruitless at first because it wasn’t serving a purpose. But now I see that it was - it is - because it’s serving me. 

As women, we can get incredibly caught up in serving everyone else. Even if you aren’t a natural servant, I bet you still find yourself serving someone else throughout the day. We were created to be helpmates, and that is what we do all day long. So when we are doing something that isn’t helping someone else, it feels unworthy of our time. But that’s not true. It’s a lie. 

When I paint just for me, I somehow feel my mind settling. As if the insides of my mind are just starting to untangle. Sometimes I talk to God as I paint, sometimes I listen to worship music or just sit in silence. Sometimes - and don’t tell anyone else this - I crank my Spotify up real loud and rock out to Bruno Mars and Maroon 5. 

It’s not always a Holy experience, is my point. 

It is, however, an experience that makes me feel encouraged, uplifted and like my soul is being tended to. Yes, God gives me everything I need on a daily basis emotionally, spiritually and physically - but He also created me with a need to create. Just like He created you with your own needs too. I’m wondering if you need an outlet just like I did.

How can you carve time out for it? You just do. You just have to. It might be five minutes, it might be nine. But just set your timer and do it. Get up ten minutes earlier. Go to bed ten minutes later. It doesn’t have to be huge… just start with something. Let God speak to you as you unwind your mind through reading, cooking or catching up with a girlfriend. Find a release this week and see what it does for the depths of your soul. I bet you won’t be disappointed. 

Let's Dig Together /// A Gardening Series

It’s that time again! Time to plan our gardens and this year I have big changes in mind due to lessons I learned last year and I’m terribly excited to get started on this year’s crop!!!

I have received several questions from beginner gardeners over on Instagram, so I thought I would start a little series here that goes through things I think about each year when planning a garden. So keep reading for bi-weekly updates on how our garden is doing and what you can be doing to excel (by trail and error) in your own garden.

DISCLAIMER : I am by no means a professional gardener or am actually trained in anything. I am just a gal who loves to dig in the dirt and I want to share that experience with y'all. So buckle up and get ready to dig in your own dirt!

First things first though. You might be reading this post thinking “why in the world would I ever garden?” Or you might be one of those - sitting where I was - thinking that you could never have your own garden… that you would never be able to keep up with it, you’d kill everything or it would be a total waste of money…. STOP!! Let me tell you… YES you can!!!!!

I garden because I love to plant something and watch it bloom. I love to sit in my backyard and literally enjoy the fruits of my labor. I like to feel the sweat on my back as we dig and bury and weed and water. My very favorite process - until the dead of August - is getting my cup of coffee before the kiddos get up and getting out to water with the hose. It is maybe the most peaceful time of day ever and perhaps those are also my most peaceful times of the year.

Y’all, I long for that time right now… when the green leaves spring back to the water and the blooms carry the droplets like tiny little crystals of jewelry. I mean, let’s be honest, I could get out there right now and water but nothing would enjoy it. It’s all brown, crunchy and dead. Watering that isn’t the same as watering something that is growing… there might be a sermon in there, right?

Okay, so let’s start at the very beginning.

THE BASICS

First, you need to find out what zone you’re in by looking at this map. That was pretty simple, wasn't it? Also, know that I’m in zone 8.

Next let’s do some definitions :

Perennial : lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring. (Also known as the plants that come back year after year).

Annual : plants with a life cycle that lasts only one year. They grow from seed, bloom, produce seeds, and die in one growing season. They then need to be replanted each spring.

Next, you need to evaluate where you want to plant.

Do you have a patio or do you have a yard? Do you want to plant in your beds or do you want to build something? Do you have a lot of sun or do you have a lot shade? Mine changes from spring to summer - nothing terribly dramatic - but keep that in mind. What is your water situation like? Can you move a hose to wherever you want to plant?

A few thoughts here before you get overwhelmed.

First, container gardening is MY personal favorite. I would much rather plant in pots, or baskets or whiskey barrels, than plant in a bed. In fact, there are only a handful of things I’ll plant in beds now because I feel like they are definitely harder than keeping something alive in containers. The BIG advantage of container gardening is that if you see something wilting in hot sun every afternoon, you can move the container! How genius is that? If you have something in beds, it’s not as easy, although I have done it before. If you are a TRUE beginner gardener, I would stick with containers.

Okay - so next you have to decide what you want to plant.

FLOWERS

Do you want a cut flower garden? Do you want big blooms or do you want a variety (that’s what I like!) Do you want to stick to a color theme? Do you want to plant perennials (the kind that come back every year) or do you want to do annuals that you plant every year, or do you want to do a mix of both?

I have one flower bed by my living room window that I did almost all perennials in with big blooms. I had Lavender Butterfly Bush, Salvia and Texas Sage. I filled in with some Lantanta (which is essentially a perennial in Texas). All of these are pretty drought resistant and that is a necessity for us in Texas, unless I plan to be out there all of the time. These all did well and are already turning green this year. Also know that perennials tend to be hardier than annuals.

EDIBLES

The number one question here is this : What do you (and/or your family) like to eat that you can grow? I mean, I like cookies, but I can’t grow those… fortunately for my weight. Most edibles require FULL sun, so keep that in mind if you are working with some shade. There are a few that don’t necessarily care all that much, like herbs, but most flowering plants like FULL, HOT sun!

Here are some easy (from my experience) first time edibles to grow.

Basil, Rosemary (a perennial), any kind of pepper, Cucumbers, bush beans.

Your assignment for this week is to grab a cup of coffee, a piece of paper and start answering these little questions for yourself. Start scribbling down what you really want. It might not be what you end up with, but it gives you an idea of where you want to start.

Take a trip to your local nursery and see what they have available in terms of seed and small plants, but DON'T BUY ANYTHING YET. This will get your mind inspired for planting and give you a better idea of what grows in your zones. Don't be discouraged if there isn't much available, it's still very early in the planting season.

Take a look at gardens over on Pinterest. Beware to not spend too much time there, though, or you might get overwhelmed and disappointed that your yard can't look like the picture you see. It can still look awesome, and it will become your little baby soon enough.

The bottom line is to get inspired and to tell yourself that you CAN do this!!

Next week, come with your answers along with your ideas and we will starting putting a plan together for your yard! Let me know if you have any specific questions you want to answer in next week's post and I'll put them in there for you!

Double the Meat Stuffed Jalapenos

A few thanksgivings back, I had PW had some Jalapeño Poppers in her current cookbook that I wanted to try. I was assembling them in my parents kitchen with my chef brother right next to me, which always puts me at a little disadvantage at showing how great of a cook I pretend to be. He graciously showed me how to use the spoon to scrape out the seeds so I didn’t have to use my poor little fingers to do it. I don’t know why, maybe it’s because I eat a lot of spicy things, but the seeds have never really bothered my skin. Now, my eyes? That’s a different story all together for another day.

The nice little poppers were a big hit that day and I’ve pretty much been making them the same way ever since - cream cheese, bacon, jalapenos.

Somewhere along the way, I started brushing the tops with a little BBQ sauce, trying to get a sweet-spicy thing going on. The BBQ sauce also makes the bacon extra crispy - because who wants soggy bacon? NOBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND, y'all.

But now I have this friend, and she loves to cook just like I do - and she is dang good at it. She tries new recipes and we both love a good appetizer (dips are our specialty). It so happens that she makes jalapeño poppers too. I’ve eaten hers for years as well; they were always a big hit at parties (especially with this jalapeno lover), but I had never thought to ask what was actually in them.

During Christmas time this year, Jeff requested that Julie bring her ‘famous jalapeño poppers’ on Christmas Eve (obviously they were more memorable than mine - you'll see why in a sec), but since they were coming in from out of town, she had to send us the list of her ingredients so he could go grab them for her. As I started to assemble the ingredients for her, I was surprised to learn that hers didn't include bacon - I had never thought about it before. That night they were super delicious, of course, but my mind stirred a bit.

I had already planned on making my original jalapeno poppers for Christams night dinner with at my parent's house, but what if I ended up mashing up Julie’s jalapeños with mine?

 

How does that saying go? Two heads are better than one?? That’s how this recipe got made. Not to brag, y'all, but my brother (remember, he's a real-deal chef), called them legit and went back for thirds. 

I’m sort of reluctant to share our party food with y’all though, because chances are either Julie and I  are taking something to a party, it is going to be these. We call dibs. 

DOUBLE THE MEAT STUFFED JALAPENOS

Ingredients

Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage (regular, not spicy)

Cream Cheese (just swallow your pride and buy the regular kind, not the low fat)

1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 package Center Cut Bacon (the shorter pieces)

10 large jalapeños, cut in half and seeded

1/4 c BBQ Sauce

Cilantro for garnish, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 425. Line a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick foil for quick clean up.

Brown and crumble breakfast sausage in large skillet. Drain off excess grease, return to pan and turn off heat.

Cube cream cheese and throw it in the pan with the hot sausage. Add cheddar cheese and stir until it’s all creamy and melted goodness. TIP :: After you throw the cheese in there, put the lid on and let it get toasty in there for a bit before mixing it. If you need to turn the heat on low to get it all melted, go for it!

Meanwhile, seed your jalapenos. To seed them, you want to slice the ends off and then cut them in half lengthwise. Use a spoon and scrape out the insides into a bowl or the trash can. If you like a little heat, you don't have to be super intentional with this. But if you are skeerrred of some heat, get it all out! 

Lay out all of your jalapeno halves and your bacon strips. I like to make an assembly line next to the stove. Cream cheese mixture, jalapenos, bacon, baking sheet. 

Now it's time to assemble! Using the same spoon, scoop some of the cream cheese mixture into the jalapenos. When they are all filled, wrap the back all the way around the jalapeno, leaving the ends on the bottom or tucking them under the pieces of bacon. Place assembled jalapenos on the baking tray. 

Brush each jalapeno with some warmed BBQ sauce.  (This is the secret ingredient, y'all!)

Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes. Turn the broiler on high and broil for 5-8 minutes, until  bacon is nice and crispy! Top with chopped cilantro and an extra drizzle of BBQ sauce to make them look all dressed up for a party!

STOP Believing Those Lies!

Have you ever found yourself repeating words in your head that started out as a lie but now you are wondering if they’re true? When people call you names do you think, “wow, maybe that is right - maybe I really am like that?”

A few years ago, I got wind that a friend had suggested I was a less-than-friendly type of person. The reason it stung so badly was because I felt like I was actually going out of my way in that particular friendship. It was exactly the opposite of how I felt about myself, and what truly was in my heart.

Instead of reaching out to her, I shrunk back and became bitter. Those words continued to ring in my ears for the better part of two years. It filtered into all of my friendships - old and new. I stopped reaching out to old friends because I had convinced myself that it would never be good enough. I shrunk back from new friendships telling myself “what is the point.” 

I let her words fill my soul.

Have you ever been there?  Has there been a time in your life when you allowed someone else’s words to define who you are? Do you feel stuck there like I did? Let me encourage you today, you do not have to stay there!

Listen, words are powerful. A friend’s words are mighty when they lift us up, affirm us and encourage us. There is nothing like hearing from someone you love that you can, in fact, keep going. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, a friend’s words - or even someone you barely know, for that matter - can remain in your ears for a long time when the words were meant to tear you down.

I let this woman’s words echo in my heart for entirely too long. When that happens, the words begin to snowball and become way bigger (and worse) than they originally were. No matter how long I tried on my own to fight it, they began to define who I was. 

God is so good, and I knew deep down that this yucky person I had built myself up in my mind to be, wasn’t truly who I was. When I finally decided to get a grip, put my big girl panties on and be done with it, I had to realize that this was not her fault. It was mine. And I needed to take ownership of that. The ugly that was filling my soul was MY junk, not just her words. Just to be clear, this was - and still is - a tremendous battle for me. It was not as if a switch flipped and I just felt better, it remains a struggle to this day. 

Satan would love it if he could kill us with our own thoughts, y'all. He would love nothing more than to take one simple sentence that someone said way back when to torture us into thinking we are not worthy to see the light of day, let alone approach the throne of grace with confidence.

Truth be told, when this friend's words rocked me to my core, I was still grieving from my miscarriage. Don't think that was a coincidence, y'all. Satan knew exactly what he was doing, just like he still knows exactly what he's doing. He is crafty and he wants you and he wants me and he wants any woman who's heart is after the Lord. He wants to discourage us and beat us down and make it all seem so real and hard-core and bigger and badder than these simple words were ever intended to be. 

The only way I have found to consistently combat Satan in my thought life is to replace those words with His Truth.

“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8

This verse has become a qualifier when thoughts begin to rage in my head. I ask myself: Is it true? Is it lovely? Does it bring honor to myself or that person? If the answer is no, I begin to repeat that verse over and over until my thoughts move on to something else. In my head, y'all - no one likes a crazy person! It sounds so simple, but make no mistake that this is still a hard discipline to put into practice!

Sweet women of the Lord, can we not only work to be gentler with our words but stronger in our sense of self? Can we look for ways to shake Satan loose and inform him of who we are in Jesus?

No matter what words were said or what lies were spread, the Truth is that we are daughters of the King who is not shaken by this world, those words or our lies.

We are loved, we are worthy, we are unashamed and we are His. This is the Truth y’all. No one and no one’s words can take this away from us. May we live in these truths this week!

Letting Go at 35

I have been forewarned by several people in my life that 35 is a rough birthday. I guess that's the good thing about being the youngest in your group of friends - these wise souls have gone before me and can tell me what to expect when I get there. I say that with a smile on my face because I love being the youngest. I love looking forward with them and being challenged with how they are living out their lives. I love being the youngest.


But this youngest friend is turning one year older in a few months (exactly two) and I've been doing a slight bit of reflecting on life. The things that I love, the things that I want to change. Mostly, I have no regrets - I don't really look back and think "I wish I had done ___" but I do do a whole lot of dreaming about the future. I might not have regrets, but I do want to make some changes - and if there's any time to make adjustments - it's a milestone birthday.

So here we go.

5 Thinks that I want to let go of at 35.

1. My 25 year old, pre-kids body image.

It’s not even about weight, y’all. It’s NOT. (wink face, hand on my hips). It’s about this image I have in my mind of what I looked like when I was 25. How unreasonable is it for me to think I should still look like that! Of course I look different now! Who wouldn’t look different with 10,000 more miles and 3 kids and 10 more years of marriage under their belt? (The secret answer here is someone who has had major plastic surgery and botox, but that's neither here nor there for the time being).

I want to let go of that image. I want to stop trying to “get back there” and instead journey forward to wellness, whatever that might look like on my 35 year old body.

2. Fear of Offending Others.

I’ve only recently realized that my fear of offending others has held me back from many friendships over the years. In an effort to not put myself out there, I generally say nothing at all which then makes me seem like someone I’m not. I want to thoughtfully mean what I say and say what I mean. I want to love others well - this includes the people who are hard to love.

By letting go of this fear, I can diversify my friendships, my Christian walk and my parenting style. This is by no means an effort to say whatever is on my mind without thinking about others' feelings. This is all to say that I don't want to supress the Holy Spirit anymore. I want Him to fill my mouth, my heart and my actions and remove all fear.

3. Striving for Perfection in our Marriage

For too long, I have tried for "the perfect marriage" instead of the best marriage I can have. I am letting go of the idea of perfect because our marriage, with the mess and the love, the fullness, the disagreements, the makeups, the imperfect child-rearing and the falling asleep in the first 15 minutes of a movie that drives me nuts…. that kind of marriage stretches me, y'all. It makes me better. It spurs me on not only in my walk with the Lord but also in my walk toward my husband. It endears him to me and me to him.

It is not my goal in life to be comfortable. I don't want an easy life (on most days). I want a life that points me to the Father and I am so grateful I get to walk with Jeff on that path. Gosh, I am humbled thinkng of how God ordained our marriage. How dare I think that it's not enough?

I will strive to be consistently content with the state of marriage. The easy and hard times. The pretty and the ugly. I will serve Jeff more and let go of selfishness.



4. “My” Time

At some point after having kids, I started to refer to certain hours of the day as “my time”. I know that any momma out there knows exactly what I'm talking about.  We all need it - especially those of us who are introverts, but over the years I have begun to get irritated when My Time is interrupted. I’ve so fiercely guarded this that when the kids come down stairs too early the first thing they hear is me hollering “it’s not time!” I hate that, y'all!!

I will let go of it being “my” time and realize it’s all HIS time. That does NOT mean that I will give up getting up early and setting aside time for myself to write, pray, think and paint. It just means that if (and when) it gets interrupted or needs to take a back seat for my kids, for a sick neighbor or a household chore to get done, I don’t want it to make or break my whole day.

5. Keeping Houseplants Alive

It’s gut-check time, y’all, and this is an area that has frustrated me for 15 years! I have grown a relatively green thumb when it comes to plants outside, but when it comes to the plants I have inside, y’all, I just kill them. There is the rare exception (the plant that has miraculously stayed alive for over a year) but for the most part, they just die a sad and slow death.

The thing is that IKEA has really cheap house plants. And so do Home Depot and Lowe’s. So instead of forsaking all things green and alive in my house, and instead of getting worked up and frustrated when things look sickly and die, I’m just going to set aside some time and money to be able to replace them when they die. It may seem like a terrible waste of money, but it is proven to make the air in your house cleaner. Or something like that. And it helps in the winter time with a mood boost.

As I grow older (and wiser), I want to be able to make adjustments in my life for the better. I want to easily let go of things that aren’t working and welcome new ideas that add to our quality of life. God is so gracious to grant me another year on this precious earth to live for His glory, so why would I want to live anything short of all out?!

Do you have anything you want to let go of this year? Anything new that you are adding into your routine? I would love to hear about it! It might be just the thing I need!