A Perfect Start...

I had to take a moment to share with you my most wonderful morning. It's the kind of morning that is so beautiful and the weather is so incredibly perfect, that you could just cry! There is a light, cool fall breeze blowing, the sun is shining crisp in the sky, and even the hummingbirds and butterflies in my yard seem a little extra happy today. I was so enjoying the butterflies joyful floating around my flowers that I couldn't help but get up and join them. I snapped a few quick shots that I thought you might enjoy as much as I did.

Can you spot the butterflies??

A morning like this leaves me feeling like all is right with the world.

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Take a Deep Breath and Relax

photo credit

Don't Ever Doubt Yourself

You have so much to offer,

so much to give, and so much

you deserve to receive in return. 

Don't ever doubt that.

Know yourself and all of your fine qualities.

Rejoice in all your marvelous strengths

of mind and body.

Be glad for the virtues that are yours,

and pat yourself on the back for all 

your many admirable achievements.

Keep positive. 

Concentrate on that which 

makes you happy,

and build yourself up.

Stay nimble of heart, 

happy of thought, 

healthy of mind, and 

well in being

- Janet A. Sullivan

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It's here! It's here!

It’s time for fall! YESSSS!!!! I wait all year for the fall season. I feel like I really come alive this time of year! I cannot express to you enough how much I love absolutely everything about the fall, and I’m sure there will be plenty of posts on the way attempting to do just that…

My first fall candle of the season! I woke up so excited about fall this morning that I ran out special just to buy this candle because I could not wait to have my house filled with the scent of autumn!

Can’t you almost smell the cinnamon apple-y goodness?? This is a great scent I found at Pier One called Golden Apple Orchard.

But now, I thought I would take a minute to tell you about my moment of pure contentment.

There are few things I love more in this world then my afternoon tea/coffee break. When I’m having my afternoon break I like to take time to be quiet with myself. I turn the TV off and either look through a magazine, write in my journal, or do nothing at all besides sit outside and enjoy nature around me.

A lot of the time what I write on here are things I started to write about in my journal.

Things I think would be nice to share with my sisters. For example I think it would be nice to share with you some mindless pleasantries. Like how much I am enjoying sitting in the silence with yummy coffee, watching the flame of the candle beside me dance around in its little can. And through the windows I see big white fluffy clouds in the sky and the trees blowing wildly in the wind stirred up by all the recent storms in the area (...big deep sigh...)

I've learned that the most important thing I can do in my day is allow myself to have this little afternoon break. I make it almost mandatory. It helps to calm my mind and re-center. Otherwise I just keep spinning and spinning because there is always so much to do in any given day. Watching the wind blow through the trees is quite meditative. It reminds me of the important things in life, the little things, and getting myself all worked up and stressed out isn’t worth it. 

No matter what I have going on in my life, after my little afternoon breaks I always feel better. I feel lighter and calmer of mind. Most of the time I actually just keep my mind relatively blank. Which feel sooooo good. Kinda feels like I’m giving my brain a nice big stretch. I keep my thoughts away from anything negative or stressful, and if my mind does care to think about something, I make sure it’s light and happy. 

But right now, all I want to do is watch the wind blow...

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Heaven in a cup

Okay, so lately my new obsession is iced coffee. like REAL iced coffee. The kind that is cold brewed. It really is the best way to make coffee. When you cold brew coffee you can really taste all the delicious rich, bold flavors of the coffee and prevents the bitterness you get when brewing coffee hot. Here is my recipe for the perfect cup of iced coffee..

3 cups ground coffee. The darkest and boldest roast you can find.

9 cups cold water.

Add ground coffee to a large airtight container. Pour water over coffee grounds. Secure lid onto container and let coffee sit at room temperature 12 hours or overnight. When time is up strain coffee using a french press or through coffee filters. And Voila! You have the most delicious iced coffee! Coffee will stay good in your frig for about a week. When ready to drink serve over a large glass of ice. I like to us a flavored creamer with mine. 

Sooooo yummy! You gals will want to take a coffee break every day!

Mmmmm... nom nom nom

So sit back and relax with this tasty treat and make it a great day!

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A Must Make!!

Nothing satisfies my craving like these Pioneer Woman Enchiladas! I have made them multiple times and I can't get enough! I feel like I could eat them every day. 

For the red sauce I used a simple tomato sauce (the kind you find in a can without all the extra Italian seasonings) because it's all I had. But normally you would use the red sauce you would find in the Mexican food section of your grocery store. If using the simple tomato sauce like I did, add about a tablespoon of any hot sauce to give it more of a Mexican flare. The first time I made the enchiladas I added the black olives like in the recipe. I then discovered my five year old husband was spending his time trying to pick out all the olives instead of enjoying his meal, so I don't bother with the black olives anymore. And I certainly didn't even attempt the green onions. And it is still good with out the extra ingredients. 

The only other change I made was using wheat tortillas. I guess they make me feel like I'm being a tad more healthy. I would recommend trying the wheat tortillas they are quite good! I don't bother frying them before hand. Oh and I used a little less cheese.

Besides all that I followed the recipe exactly and they came out delicious! I really love the idea of making a homemade red sauce. So much better then anything you can buy. Enjoy!!

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My Morning Moment of Bliss

There is nothing I love more then waking up to a dark, rainy, windy fall morning; sitting outside on my porch with a hot cup of tea watching the wind blow through the trees and listening to the rain fall. To me it is such a relaxing, magical way to start the day. I'll light a few candles, cuddle up in my big cozy sweater, and enjoy the feeling of the hot tea in my hands. 

It is my ultimate "me time". I don't focus on anything that might be stressing me out or bothering me, I let my mind wander to happy thoughts. Right now what seems to be filling my soul are the Holidays! Lately when I'm having these moments to myself I love to flood my head with thoughts of Thanksgiving and everything I love so much about the holiday. Especially all those precious childhood memories! 

So for the next few minutes I am going to sit back, relax, and finish this delicious cup of tea! Happy Friday!

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Easy Halloween Craft

I did a Halloween craft!! I think I'm really starting to get into this crafting thing. I really enjoyed making these! Aren't they cute? I got the idea and "How To" here. I was looking for a craft to do and I thought they looked fun, cheap, and easy. And they were! They were pretty hard to mess up and easy to make them look good. I used orange, red, and purple tissue paper and came up with the faces myself. You can't see in the picture but I also added some glitter so they are pretty and sparkly during the day. When Austin saw them he was shocked that I made them! He said "Really? I thought you bought those". Always a good sign.


When my husband is out of town, I like to try and fill-up my evenings with fun things to do to keep myself occupied. So I went out and bought the supplies, then in the evening I popped in one of my favorite Halloween movies, made some hot cider, lined my kitchen table with lots of newspaper, and went to work! To me it sure beats just staring at the TV for hours. It was fun to have something to do while I, well, watched TV. But at least I was getting something accomplished I suppose. It was fun!

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Hello Autumn!

I thought a good first post for me after our SisBliss hiatus would be to write about my favorite time of year, the fall! And everything I love so much about the season. It will be hard to sum up and put into words, but here goes...


Ever notice how the fall just kinda creeps in? I can always feel the Earth changing. Even those last few days of Summer in September when the weather is still warm, there is something different about the air, the sun. Then you get that first cool, cloudy day and BAM! It's Fall. Time to pack away summer and pull out fall decorations!


My favorite part of any season is getting to decorate! I love the excitement of pulling out all the boxes and going through them. Then running around the house figuring out a good place to put everything. The boxes always have a particular smell to them. The smell of the decorations I suppose. Anyone know what I'm talking about? Then that night when the house is all decorated and candles are lit, you get to relax with a good seasonal movie and enjoy all your hard work! Or what I like to do is bake something special that night. There is nothing like the smell of something sinful baking in the oven to kick off the season!


There is nothing I love more then a blustery autumn day, sitting outside all bundled up in my favorite fall sweater with a cup of hot cider. I love the wind. The way it blows through the trees, carrying with it the leaves from the branches that have finally surrendered to the season. I love the sound of the dead leaves on the ground being stirred by the breeze. And the feeling of the crisp fall wind blowing the hair away from my face and neck. Such a rejuvenating sensation! 


And the smells! ahh the smells... Best part of any season in my mind. The smell of camp fires off in the distance and fallen leaves. The smell of apples and spices in the air. 


There is a magic in the fall air that is almost palpable. You can feel is all around you. The Earth has this eerie stillness, even when the wind is blowing. Like the world is finally relaxing after a long hard Spring and Summer of growing things and being lively. 


These kind of blustery fall days are the kind of days that I feel anything could happen and anything is possible. I do believe there is a magic in the world. A magic that is always there if you know where to look and is just waiting to be discovered. Or maybe is doesn't want to be discovered, and that is what makes it so special and mysterious.  


Fall is the time for homemade soup simmering on the stove. For apple pie, pumpkin bread, and anything with lots of cinnamon! It's for cozy nights in front of the fire, big fuzzy blankets, and a comfy couch. A hot cup of tea and a good book you can really get lost in. Or for one of those fantastical movies I've been waiting all year to watch (Tim Burton anyone?) 


Each season is wonderful and special in its own way. But autumn is the one that stirs something inside me!


I would love you girls to help me kick-off the rest of October with everything we love about the fall! What do you love most about the fall? What are some of your favorite fall memories?


~B

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My Big Spring Purge!

This month I've been working on (as Tiffany called it) "Spring purging". I'm doing all that I can to clear my mind, body, soul, and house of negative energy and clutter. I'm working to make myself and my surroundings feel lighter and fresher.

One of the things I have been working on is spring cleaning and landscaping and it feel soooooo good! I really believe a clean, un-cluttered house is the key to peace and happiness! My mind feels so much more calm when the house and yard are in order. It is a lot of work, but I always feel really good after a day of yard work or cleaning. Because I know I've worked hard and I can see the results.

Something I have to work on rather regularly is defusing negative energy. Unfortunately negative energy is so strong. I've said this before, but being a happy positive person doesn't always come super natural to me. Fighting negative energy is just something I might have to always battle with. But I'm okay with that, I think being a positive person is worth it! When I feel that negative energy creeping up, there has been some things that I have been doing to try and get rid of it that I would like to share with you all. It seems to have been working for me so maybe it will work for you too, if you struggle with negative energy as I do (and I think it effects all of us from time to time.)

1. I have been taking a lot of B vitamins, the "happy vitamins", and I think I really notice a difference. I feel calmer and more focused. My mind isn't as easily stressed out about all I need to do that day. I've been trying to drink water all day as well.

2. If I happen to wake up on the wrong side of the bed, which happens quite a bit, I will come downstairs and turn on some calming, yet up-lifting music and open the window a crack, even if it's cold out. Then I sit and take a couple deep breathes and fill my mind with thoughts of spring! The music and fresh air really help cleanse the soul.

3. Taking a walk is one of the best things you can do for yourself I think. When I walk now, I try to clear my mind of the days tasks. I try to use my walk as time to clear my head and take in the beauty of the world around me!

4. I know I repeat this a lot, but that's because it is so important! A clean house! I know it isn't always easy to keep a clean house. To be honest mine is rarely squeaky clean. But it is definitely something I am trying to work on this month. Because I notice such a huge difference in my mood when the house is clean!

5. I always give myself something to look forward to. Something short term, like getting the chance to hang out with my husband that night and the fun stuff we could do. Something long term, I always try to have something planned for that weekend. And something long long term, Austin and I are always planning our next trip together! All this really helps keep my mind focused on all the fun positive stuff ahead!

Well these were just a few things that I have been doing lately that I wanted to share. I will be writing more about My Big Spring Purge soon!!!

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