5 on Friday!

Thank God it's Friday!!!  I'm linking up with April, Natasha, Christina, and Darci again for 5 on Friday so I've got 5 random thoughts for you today.

#1

Trader Joe's recently came to the DFW area and I had yet to visit one, even though that's where the wine for my wedding came from!  My coworkers were sweet and provided all the wine as a wedding gift to us. 

Yesterday, my coworker and I ventured out during our lunch break and went to Trader Joe's and it was awesome!  I really wish there was one closer to where I live!  I'd go all the time!  They have way more food than I was expecting. They have fresh produce, frozen pizza, all kinds of oils, cheeses, breads, and even household products - mostly organic.  I bought some lotion with aloe without "fragrance".

Top 25

These Irish Bangers make me laugh....Arrested Development anyone???

#2

I think I'm going to revamp my blog.  It'll have a new look and possibly a new name soon!  I never realized how technical blogging can be.  I'm super impressed with all of the blog authors I currently follow!  See my blog roll on the right side!

#3

I've been trying to make us salads for dinner lately.  It's so much lighter and we haven't been home until later, yet go to bed early.  I definitely can't go to bed with a full stomach so a salad settles a lot better.

Ingredients:

Chopped Romaine

Chicken

Red Bell Peppers

Feta Cheese

Sliced Banana Peppers

Kalamata Olives

Balsamic Vinaigrette (I love making my own with the little Italian packets)

#4

My friend, Carroll, is a consultant for CAbi, a very cute, classy clothing line that you will love!  For the next week, we're having an online "party"where you can purchase anything on the website with free shipping, including free shipping if you have to send it back in to exchange for a different size.  I know you will love the new Spring Collection!

If you want to purchase something, just contact Carroll directly at carrollschuler@gmail.com

#5

Don't miss the beginning of my Wedding Story series.  You can read the first post about how Kevin and I met here.  Many posts to come that complete our story!

5 on Friday!

It's time for 5 on Friday!!  I look forward to this every week!

#1

Last weekend I did a wine tasting with my small group girlfriends in downtown Grapevine at D'Vine Wine.  We had such a blast!  I just love these girls and feel so blessed that God has brought them into my life.  We missed the three that weren't able to make it and love them too!  They are such an answer to prayer!

(sorry for the zombie eyes!!)

On that day, 50% of the proceeds from wine tastings went to support Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas.  This is the organization through which Kevin got our sweet little (but big!) Riley....or as we call her "Riley Cakes".  Isn't she adorable?!



#2

This week, my sister, Lauren, sent me this adorable photo of my 3.5 month old niece, Kassidy.  Isn't she so stinking adorable???  I just had to share it with you all!

#3

I don't normally brag but I'm going to for a second.  Ok maybe I did in #2 about my niece already. Ha!  Before Kevin left for Arizona, he bought me flowers!  Aren't they so pretty?  I'm a lucky girl!  And I'm posting a photo of him looking mighty handsome along with it.

#4

This week I made Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos using my Crockpot!  I used this recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff, bought some corn tortillas, shredded a little cheese, cut up an avocado and we made them into tacos!  You may have to scroll down that post a bit to get to the Cilantro Lime Chicken with Corn and Black Beans.  We also added a little of the awesome Fuzzy's Taco Sauce.  They were delicious!

#5

Caroline over at In Due Time had a really great post this week about "taking captive" your negative thoughts.  She was talking about Philippians 4:8 and the thoughts that the Lord does want us to have.

The Lord really convicted me while reading this post.  This is so hard for me.  I mean, how often does a negative thought come across your mind?  And more so...how often do you verbalize that negative thought?  I know it happens for me in the form of complaining.  I've really started praying and asking God to take those thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5).  I'm really trying to be aware of when these thoughts come through my mind and ask God to take them away.

Have a wonderful weekend, folks!!!













5 on Friday!

I'm linking up with April, Natasha, Christina, and Darci again for 5 on Friday!

#1

This weekend I'm getting both alone time and girl time!  My husband is on a trip to Arizona with his grandpa so I'll be catching up on cleaning and reading at home AND enjoying some wine with my small group girlfriends and hanging out with my friend, Jennifer.  I'm pretty pumped!  Please pray for Kevin and Grandpa Bill - they're on a 17 hour roadtrip and then Kevin flies back on Monday.  I'm sure going to miss him!

 

 

#2

 

I recently found this amazing recipe for Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken!  Kevin and I LOVED it!  It kind of tastes like chinese food from the mall food court but waaaay better and you know what's in it!  No MSG, not fried, no extra hormones.  We served it with white rice.

 



(photo by Table for Two)


#3

This one is about food too!  Even better....DESSERT!  For Valentine's Day, I made stuffed chicken breasts, jalapeno cheddar mashed potatoes, asparagus AND red velvet molten lava cake for dessert.  It was delicious!

(photo by Chelsey's Messy Apron)


 

#4

 

I want to share a little about an organization that I love and support!  Crystal, the executive director, is one of the most compassionate, go-get-em, driven people I know.  She worked with the International Justice Mission in the Philippines before helping run My Refuge House, a ministry that helps provide a safe home to empower and restore survivors of commercial sexual expoitation and abuse.  Kim, my friend and fellow IBCer (Irving Bible Church) just became MRH's Director of Engagements as well!  Congrats Kim! 

 

Visit the website!  Pray for the work they are doing!  I will share more about this in another post someday!

 

 

 

#5

 

Just so you know...it's almost baseball season!!!!  Woo hoo!!!  Kevin gets to go to a Spring Training Rangers game this weekend and I'm jealous.  We're ready for the season to start!  GO RANGERS!!

 

 



5 on Friday!

 

Today I'm linking up with a. liz adventures, carolina charm, hello! happiness and the good life blog!

 

I get to share 5 random fun things!  Here we go!

 

ONE

 

It snowed in north Texas yesterday!!  Actual snow...not the normal ice that we get when precipitation falls from the sky.  You're probably making fun of it if you're from the north, but it was kind of fun.  Too bad it wasn't Christmas, because it totally fit the holiday feel.  I did watch some of the neighborhood kids throw snowballs at each other...well, the small amount they could gather off of the ground.

 

photo by Sydney Pham

 



 

TWO

 

Speaking of snow...last weekend, my husband and I went to Oklahoma to see his grandfather....the sweetest man on earth.  Here we are dancing at my wedding:

 

 

It's always a hoot going to visit Grandpa Bill.  He loves going to country dances at the senior centers around the area.  Normally we go to one on Saturday night, but this weekend we went to two!  One was an hour away on Friday night and one in town on Saturday night.  I was exhausted!  There are 86-year-olds not taking a single break when I have to sit down every chance I get...haha.  It's definitely motivation to stay active and healthy so I can do stuff like that when I'm that age.

 

So we heard there might be snow on our drive home that Sunday, but didn't expect it to be nearly as bad as it was.  Our 5 hour drive home turned into 7 hours in the car with 2 anxious doggies.  It was definitely icy.  We saw probably 30 wrecks, overturned cars and semis.  It was pretty scary. 

 

See that long extension of the ice/snow storm, yeah, that was our entire drive from Grove to Dallas!  It somehow knew exactly where we'd be driving!

 



 

It went from this:

 

 

To this:

 

 

To this:

 

 

Thankfully, we made it home safely!

 

THREE

 

My husband and I love hot chocolate!  We always use the little store-bought packets, but they aren't wonderful and you never know exactly what they're sweetened with.  I found this amazing recipe for Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa through Jen's blog at Whimsy At Heart that originally came from The Nourishing Gourmet.

 

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Since we are both lactose-intolerant, we don't drink normal milk so I made Kevin's with Lactaid and mine with unsweetened almond milk.  I also didn't have those sugar replacements so I used Stevia because I had some in my pantry.

 

FOUR

 

We pretty much finished our guest rooms and we're ready to have some guests stay with us!  Here is the big room where we've decorated mostly with items I've purchased while traveling and some bird-themed decor.  Once I've finished all of the walls, I'll post a photo from every angle.

 

 

And here is the other guest room:

 

 

And don't judge!  I don't have candles in the candle holders yet!  Thank you to the Guilbeau's for donating the bed decor.  I love it!  The framed 'B' and green clock were also gifts from our sweet friends, Wally/Monica and Tracy.  And bless my husband's heart...I initially wanted this room to be painted an olive green so we spent a whole day painting it.  Then, months later, I decided I wanted it to be grey so we re-painted it. 

 

FIVE

 

So my husband and I love watching shows like Treehouse Masters, Shark Tank and American Restoration, but we've started a new evening activity.  I especially like it because I get to interact with Kevin more and it challenges my brain.  We sit on the floor together and play Rummikub.  He ALWAYS beats me, but for the record, I beat him for the first time last night. ;-)