Almost missed November! Life is making it nearly impossible to blog. Or do other things I care about.
Anticipating...Seeing my sister and her husband for Christmas. Also their puppy. Cooking...Nothing. How depressing. I started a new job and I had to retire my seven on/seven off schedule. I'm learning to create a work/life balance but it's been a struggle thus far. How do normal people make time for things besides work? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Enjoying...My morning cup of coffee. Feeling...Nostalgic. Learning...I'm capable of way more than I have ever given myself credit. Things I used to be so scared to even think about are becoming second nature to me. It's crazy. Listening...Strahan.
Reading...You're Already Amazingby Holley Girth. Wanting...A new jacket. It's cold. Watching...Mostly just Alfred Hitchcock Presents on netflix. I only have 2 episodes left.
Anticipating...There is some possible change happening in my life. I'm not gonna share it yet because it's not definite, but prayers would be greatly appreciated. Cooking...I've been trying some new recipes, but I'm really wanting to try some pumpkin themed everything. I got me some pumpkin at the store! Any ideas what to do with it? I'm thinking a dessert. Enjoying...This little piece of art... Feeling...Pretty good. I've got myself a cup of coffee and Spotify is going. It's gonna be a good day. Learning...To be content. This is something I constantly struggle with...learning that I am enough and that I have enough isn't easy! Listening...Still jamming to Brand New by Ben Rector. Also discovered The Roosevelts this month. Check out these two songs if you want. Paris is my fav Ben Rector song (for now...it changes every week) and I'm loving Everybody Knows by The Roosevelts.
Reading...Eat with Joy: Redeeming God's Gift of Foodby Rachel Marie Stone Wanting...The weather to cool down just a tad... Watching...Ahem...I've gotten addicted to iZombie. And also America's Test Kitchen.
Alright, so I kinda already feel like I'm failing because it's the 8th of the month and I'm just now sharing my goals...but alas, I'm still gonna go for 'em. So, I'm linking up with my dear friend, Hannah, for this post!
October Goals
1. Memorize 3 scriptures. I've been kinda getting behind lately. The first one I've chosen for this month is Isaiah 59:1.
One of the things I want to start on Living is Simple is a recipe collection at the end of each month. This will be the recipes I've tried during the month and a short review of each one and an explanation of any changes I made.
This was a hit...it was super easy and really tasty. Plus it made enough for leftovers for lunch the next day. The only letdown is that it includes "cream of" soup and I really want to get away from that. I haven't found a good substitute yet. Anybody know of any? By the way, I think the recipe would be better without the cheese on top. I'm going through a weird phase where cheese has been grossing me out. I know...I never thought this day would happen.
Okay...the noodle and sauce mixture was fantastic. I ruined the chicken...and I cooked a LOT of it. This was my first attempt at frying chicken, and it all went south when my oil got dirty, and I kept using it. My chicken was burnt, but still pink in the middle...apparently because I was attempting to fry it too fast. I'd recommend pounding the chicken beforehand. If I make this again I may do shrimp.
This lasagna was good! In fact, both of my parents agreed it was the best they had ever tried. I'll definitely make this again. Plus it made enough to freeze for another meal...there are some advantages of feeding only 3 people.
Loaded Baked Potato & Chicken Casserole : recipe here
My opinion of this casserole is that you can't go wrong with potato and bacon, right? I thought it was pretty good, but to me, the chicken felt like a random afterthought. It just really didn't add anything to it. But overall, the recipe was good. Not sure if I'd make it again.
So obviously, we didn't have any bowtie pasta...so I used shells. This recipe is SO simple and I actually really liked it. I've made it twice this month already. I thought it was going to be bland, but I think the crushed red pepper helps add a little spice to it.
Apparently, September was pasta month. Wow! I didn't realize how many meals I prepared actually included pasta. Haha.
I like some pretty embarrassing things and I used to be ashamed of them but now I realize they are the things that make me "ME". So I am now embracing the nerdiness that is me and I'm going to share a few embarrassingthings I like or that I do. By the way, who decides this is embarrassing?! Ugh, society is lame.
And here we go.
Soundtrack music.
One of my favorite Pandora stations is the Pride & Prejudice Film Score station. Ain't gonna lie, I get super pumped when it plays songs from The Chronicles of Narnia movies. It is like creativity fuel for me. If you don't have it on your's, you best be adding it to your shuffle right now. The song there, Dawn, is so beautiful. I want it played at my wedding (lolz). Do yourself a favor and listen to it.
Disney music.
Okay, well, apparently most of my embarrassing things are music related. Interesting. I love some Disney movie music. I'm not talking about like Hannah Montana, I'm talking classic Disney. Like The Bare Necessities or You Can Fly! I love so many Disney ballads, it's hard to pick a favorite. What's your's? I know I'm not the only one secretly listening to them.
The moment of absolute perfection when it's a beautiful film score but also Disney.
Cheesy Christian romance fiction.
Okay, okay. Many women like these but I doubt many my age. I really enjoy books by Deanne Gist and Janette Oke...ahem...Plus I just discovered When Calls the Heart on Netflix and I'm already addicted. Although it's really different from the book.
History channel and historical documentaries.
I love me some history and learning about it. I just finished The Ultimate Guide to the Presidents and I highly recommend it. I learned some really interesting facts that I'm sure will be useful in everyday conversations. Instead of "How about that weather?" I'll say "How about that Teddy Roosevelt being shot but instead of being rushed to the hospital, he delivered his 90 minute speech?" Sure to be an ice breaker.
Running to epic soundtrack music.
Namely the Walking Dead or Doctor Who. Yep. TWD music is eerie and creepy, so it makes you run because you're scared. And try not running when you hear "I'm the Doctor". It's nearly impossible. Check it out if you haven't heard it...ah. I love it so.
It's only embarrassing if your headphones come unplugged and someone else hears it. This happened to me during a 5k. I got a little stare but who cares? Haha.
What embarrassing things do you like or do? Please share so I know I'm not alone. :)
Social media can be a great thing. It's a way to keep in contact with others, to know what's going on in their lives and to share updates in our own. But it can also be a bad thing. Social media acts as a tool for comparison and comparison is a thief of joy. Social media can also remind you of the constant bad things going on the world and can be really depressing. Taking time to "detox" from social media can offer some great benefits.
Signs you spend too much time on social media:
You feel anxious when you're away from your phone or computer
You only do things so you can share about them (this is a real thing)
You feel stressed out by a lack of response to something you post
You fail to get things done because you spend so much time scrolling
Things you can do instead of social media:
Spend time with God in His word or in His creation, or both
Get to know yourself better and discover new hobbies
Go for a walk or just be outside
Rest
Read
Write
Be creative: paint, draw, take photos
Spend time with other people, away from the internet!
How to detox from social media:
Use the "do not disturb" feature on your cell phone
Turn off all push notifications on your cell phone
Sign out of your accounts on your phone, computers, tablets, etc.
Charge your phone outside of your bedroom and use an actual alarm clock in place of your phone
If you find certain apps excessively addicting, just delete them. Such as games, facebook, instagram, or snapchat (gasp)
If you return to social media:
Be intentional with your posts
Set a limit to how long you will spend online
Let go of the apps and/or accounts you don't miss during the detox
I suggest you start slowly. Commit to one day of social media fasting. Then move onto a week. You will find that you rely on it less and less over time.
