Cooking for the Teachers

Is it ever too early to begin our Christmas gift list and shopping adventures?

Many of you are already worlds ahead of me in this department. I know, some of you... are so organized you are already buying for next Christmas during the "After Christmas Sales." I always kick myself as the holidays approach that I am not more organized in this area!

This Christmas I am planning at least one gift ahead of time. I know many of you already know the gift I am talking about, right? The always important, but always left to the very last minute...TEACHER GIFT!! Last year, just days before school was to be out, I received a text at 9:45 from my partner in this crime...my sister. I was already in bed, she was freaking out because she had forgotten the ever so important gift, and was on her way out to find something that would convey her gratitude in a classy and creative fashion. I calmly answered her text, but on the inside I too was freaking out that I had let this gift somehow slip off my list!! Now if you know my sister, you know she not only figured out a gift, but of course it turned out to be wickedly cool and totally classy too! She is amazing, I strive to be more like her everyday!

So my plan for this year, homemade Truffles for the Teacher, because there isn't a teacher I know who doesn't need chocolate. Teachers have one of the most rewarding jobs, but in return they give 150% of themselves to the job and your children! I think homemade chocolate is the least we can do!! The link above will shoot you to the recipe, and the good news, they are made with soy milk...so less fat! A guilt free gift for some very important & special people in our lives!

BTW, I did pull off gifts, for all four of my boys teachers last year, with flying colors. I made each of them a fresh evergreen table centerpiece. They smell and looked lovely, and I had so much fun making them! Each one was custom made for their specific holiday decorating style. If you live in the Seattle area, I would love to help you gift a special teacher or loved one in your life with an evergreen centerpiece! Give me a call, and check that gift off your list!

To help us all stay on track and organized, I have included this fun & free printable list! Simply print and let the planning begin. Don't forget to add those very important people who make our lives better each day: your child's teacher, your morning barista, the special gals/guys who help you maintain your beauty, your garbage man...yes I am serious, a pastor or youth leader, or your next door neighbor. Whether your list is big or small, I hope this printable list helps!

I will keep you posted on the truffles. I think the packaging will be fun to play around with, maybe even a trip to world market is in order... : )!

Happy list making!!

The Holiday Spirit

Now that Halloween is over we at, Premium Wreath & Design, are officially switching gears!

The holiday spirit is flowing, and we are SO excited about what is in store for this season!

The website has been updated and new services have been added to make this our most spectacular season yet!
Stop by and see how we can add sparkle to your holiday season!


Our wreaths and centerpieces make great gifts, or maybe you know someone who would love to have a design team make their home into the winter wonderland of their dreams!

Let the flocking fly, hang the lights, trim the tree, let us infuse your home with the spirit of Christmas...or at least the smell of cinnamon and pine!

We wish you a very happy beginning of the holiday season! May this season bring joy, laughter, friends, family, good food, and LOTS of holiday sparkle into your home!



Stop by and say HI to our design team at Premium Wreath & Design. We would love to hear from you! You can also visit us on Facebook!

All images from Pintrest

Rest Easy, We Have You Covered!

All the forces of good were gathered together on a chilly night in October!

The bad-ies didn't stand a chance, and neither did the stock piles of candy throughout the neighborhoods!

If there was trouble, we swooped in and saved the day!
All our muscle power was tested and pumped into a fine muscle power machine!

You have a trouble, worry, or care...give us a call, we have you covered!

I Need A System!!!! And FAST!

I normally take great pride in keeping my house clutter free and about 90% organized!

I said 90% because, as my sister can attest to, I am great at the company dash and stash!! I hate having my house look messy when someone walks through the door! So, I dash around, stash the unsightly items in my closets...light a candle or two, and when the company walks through the door my house looks pulled together. So the extra 10%...the closets, they are always a work in progress!

This being said, I really do LOVE creating systems and organization throughout my house and life. I love a drawer organizer, adore hooks, have an obsessive amount of sticky notes, use lots of baskets and totes, and swoon over a system that WORKS. I love these things so much, my husband and I use to go on dates to Office Depot or Office Max. He would hand me a $20.00 and say, "Have Fun!" I loved choosing new office supplies or creating a new system...you know, for that one drawer that was really bugging me!!! One day, during finals, He even surprised me with the NEW, extra large, bonus color, pack of Sharpies!!! I was thrilled! : ) So I am easy to please, what can I say!

This being said, you can only imagine how bothered I am by the mountains of papers currently sitting on my counter, table, desk, and even in a bag already stashed in my closet!!! Where are all these papers coming from, you ask? One word, KINDERGARTEN!!!!! And Pre-School isn't helping the matter either. I am literally drowning in cute, colored, wobbly lettered, crookedly cut and pasted papers. I love them, they are so cute, they completely represent where he is developmentally, and HE is so proud of them. I can't throw them away, at least not yet!

Ladies, I need help...try as I might, I can't seem to come up with a system that is working for me. I have tried a box/basket that they all go in, and every month we go through and pick his favorites to save. This is so time consuming! I have tried a binder, one for each kid...they are never big enough! I don't want stacks or trays where the general public can see...I am stuck! I need your help, I know you have or are currently walking through this yourselves, so...what is your solution? What kind of system do you have for sorting and filing all the lovelies from school? I NEED your help!!!

Remember I am drowning, so don't hesitate to put your two bits in!! : )

Overtaken With The Love of Fall

I love Fall, have I told you that lately??

I love EVERYTHING it encapsulates; color, leaves, sun...then wind...then sun again, pumpkins, chocolate hazelnut cookies, sunflowers, the beginning of soup and stew season, homemade bread, apple candles, going home, pumpkin patches, building a scarecrow with all the funny old clothes mom won't let dad wear anymore..., my BIRTHDAY, wine crush, apple picking, football games in the cool night air, the need for cozy clothes, and LOTS of FAMILY MEMORIES!!!

It is a blustery kind of day here in Seattle. It is the kind of day where the weather can't make up its mind, one minute it is sunny, the next raining, the next blowing...or a combination of all three. This weather encourages me to, throw open the windows and doors, wash and air dry the sheets, and COOK!!!

The laundry is washed and blowing away outside. The boys and I just finished making Cowboy cookies, which are baking and filling our house with the wonderful smells of oatmeal, chocolate, and coconut. Up next, Barefoot Contessa's Chicken Pot Pie, a fall favorite for sure!! I am just hoping I don't loose the power before I finish making this glorious dinner...the lights have been flickering off an on all day.

Fall made an official peek into our life today, the normal routines were forced to hangout and wait, and the loveliness of the new season was embraced with all that an extra cup of coffee, a puffy vest, fresh cookies, and a pot pie can muster up! The pictures are just a peek into the season ahead and a few Fall escapes that look like just the kind of place to enjoy the crunchy, munchy, pitter-patter, wrapped in a scarf kind of lovin this new season brings.

Hope you had a great day!

If you haven't made BF Contessa's Chicken Pot Pie, you must make a date and indulge in this yummy perfection!

Photos:GapPhotos, Scandinavian Escape, Brandon Remler, Kim Michael, BlogsAway, NHViewfinders, ActiveRain, & Kim Michaels.

Sometimes The Truth Hurts...

Admitting you need help is sometimes the hardest thing to do!

This is a lesson I have been learning over the course of the last 18 months, and am still learning! During our unemployment journey I felt like I worked my way through levels of humbleness, vulnerability, and the willingness to say..."I need help." Just when I thought I had shed off the last of my pride and learned my lesson, our situation would get worse, and I would have another choice to make! Usually I would choose to struggle for a while, pull up my boot straps, put on a smile, and do my best. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that you should let others solve all your problems while you sit on the sofa and eat bon-bons. It is great to learn your own strength, get creative, and problem solve. But there also comes a time when learning when you need to ask for help from the Lord, your family, your church family, or even the community, will truly save your life.

This lesson was never harder than the day when I realized I didn't have enough food to feed my boys. As a mom, nothing could be more important or foundational than putting food in front of my kids. I was terrified, without any clear ideas on what to do, so I literally just sat down and fell apart. After some good cry time, I pulled myself together and prayed! I called out with all that was in me for a solution, for HELP! I needed free or dirt cheep, quality, food...but where was I going to find that. Then the Lord answered... Three minutes down the road from my house was a community food bank. The people who volunteer their time, at the food bank, to help families in the community are kind, generous, and there to with open arms.

This wonderful food bank has saved our "bacon" a few times now, and I just can't tell you how blessed we feel when driving away with more than enough food to feed my family. The last time I needed to visit them I had to take my boys with me. I struggled keeping the tears back as I tried to explain to my boys where we were going and why. (I wouldn't want them to EVER worry that they wouldn't have food or that we couldn't provide for them.) However, to my surprise they were excited to be part of "our shopping trip," and asked if they could help say thank you to the people who were providing us with food! Their sweet spirit was a total blessing to me, and their helpful attitudes made our visit so much easier. The volunteers at the food bank were kind and very generous with my boys, and they each left saying how much FUN they thought our "shopping trip" was!!! All I could say was, Praise the Lord!!!

The point of this story, I want you to know there is NO shame in needing to ask for help from time to time. Being part of a community, whether a church community or public, is such a blessing! You don't have to do it alone! I know there are many families in this same situation all across the country right now, and I would just encourage you to let go of your fear and pride and reach out...let someone help you! Then when you can, return the favor. My boys and I are adding volunteering at the food bank into our homeschooling curriculum this year. I want our family to give back, and I want my boys to experience the pure joy in helping another!

I hope you are encouraged today!

John 15:12
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

BTW, Happy First Day of FALL!!! Love this season!!!

The Turning of Seasons

Hello Friends,
Life has taken us on quite a journey during the last 18 months. I wanted to fill in the blanks, give glory where glory is due, and turn the page with the turning of the seasons!

I am so thankful to be standing where I am today. The Lord was ever faithful, He loving provided strength for me daily, and He continues to show that his blessings and mercy are new every morning!

About 18 months ago, my husband's family company began to show stress from the declining economy. We found ourselves facing unsteady income and the fact that a job loss was emanate. We began to look for other work, along with many others across the country, and were faced with the reality that this was going to be a long process. Life, daily, became a game of survival and an ultimate test of faith; in our Provider, our marriage, our communication skills, our ability to persevere while under extreme stress...all the while attempting to keep our home peaceful and steady for our boys!

For me, I was stretched to renew my faith in the Lord, to daily ground myself in His word. I loved seeing scripture around my house, feeling His love through the form of music, and I learned to listen to the silence where I found great insight. I found out that I am actually stronger than I gave myself credit for and learned again how to use the gifts He had placed in me to support my husband through a very challenging time.

I was given the ability to see my husband, for the first time, through His eyes. He created a man with great strength, wisdom, determination, loyalty, perseverance, a servant, and a loving provider. I gained respect for the man He created him to be, and learned that I could trust in Him/him to provide for our family. Our days together weren't always easy, our communication was tested, and we daily struggled to gain some sense of control. But ultimately we found strength in each other, and daily placed our burdens at the feet of Jesus...together!

By April, we officially had no solid income, all our resources had been drained, and we faced the ending of a rental contract before us. As I began to pack our house and transition our boys into the Summer, I had to remind myself not to panic. The Lord remained so faithful, He provided small side jobs, monitory gifts from loved ones and strangers alike...just when we needed them the most, and our daily bread from unexpected, but loving sources. I have never experienced love and generosity from a community, a church family, and loved ones like we did during this time...WE WERE SO BLESSED! Our thanks will never feel like enough for the burden they helped us carry!

The middle of June rolled around and I, on wobbly feet, daily stood on the knowledge that the Lord would take care of my family. The house was packed, the boys were finishing up school, and the future was still unknown. Again, the Lord provided. A family from pre-school provided us with a place to stay during the month of July...A very cute, clean, happy one bedroom apartment on 10 acres complete with mules. I was speechless, and so thankful...my boys were thrilled! A week later my husband was called in for an interview. 4 interviews & 2weeks later he was OFFERED A JOB!!! We were thrilled, humbled yet again, and relieved! The week we moved out of our home, of four years, Glenn started his first week of work! The Lord is good, right?

We spent the Summer, officially "homeless," house hopping. We stayed on the farm for a month and a half...which was such a blessing, lived with my sister, and then my in-laws. We continued to look for a new house which would fulfill our streamed lined and practical list of requirements...this was no easy process. I had truthfully been looking for a new home since January and still hadn't found "the right one!" Our goal was to move into a new situation on labor day weekend, one week before school started! After months of scouring Craigslist, and one week before our moving deadline, I found IT! The Lord yet again, came riding in on His white horse and saved the day! Not only did we find a great house that met our conservative requirements, we found one that exceeded all of our expectations! The Lord totally blessed us!

On labor day weekend, my completely amazing sister, her family, their dog, and their camper parked in our new yard! They spent the weekend helping us schlep boxes, sort and organize, problem solve, and begin the process of restoration of our hearts and our home. I am not sure what I would have done without her that weekend, but I am so thankful she was here. Her act of love and service was a complete blessing and she really did help make my house feel like our NEW HOME! A transformation began through the moving process, we had come full circle, we had remained faithful, and the Lord really did have us in the palm of His hand.

Life has begun to resume a "new" normal. Daddy has a new job with different hours, my oldest son is in Kindergarten, my youngest is in Pre-K..., and I am trying to keep track of them all! No complaints from me though...I am thankful for our steady, crazy, new, and blessed life! I am looking forward to the upcoming year, and plan on writing one heck of a Christmas letter proclaiming all that we have to be thankful for this last year!

Thank you for standing by me, your kind words of encouragement, and prayers. We are so very thankful for where we are standing today, and so happy to be moving forward!

Emily

My Path

This song came thundering into my thoughts from the recesses of my childhood memories. I love how God uses music to speak directly to my heart, just when I need it the most!

This is a little old school, but the words still speak so deeply to my heart, I just had to share!

!

I have been singing this song on and off now for days. I hope it is encouraging to you as well!

This morning, I asked God to reveal himself to me today in a whole new way. I just wanted a reminder of His presence! There were many moments in my day today where I could see his reflection.

My boys gave me a Mommy's day tea party at pre-school today, they sang to ME...and I could see His face.

My sister blessed me today with encouragement and a solution to my worry of the day...and I could see His face.

A very special blogger posted today about God's faithfulness, it was His words through her, I was so encouraged...and I could see His face!

Just another reminder to trust Him, trust that He is working! I am so thankful for His presence in my day today. What is God working on with you today?

I love my blog, each one of you who have committed to reading my ramblings, and the friends I have found in "blog world."

However, as of late I feel I have nothing to contribute to this sunny, creative, inspiring world of bloggers, and so I have remained a silent reader and not posted. I just want you to know I am still here, I miss posting, but just don't have it in me right now.

I am encouraged that this is a time for new growth, re-birth, and change. The Lord is upholding me in His right hand, and I know He has a good and perfect plan for our life. He will provide for us, He will sustain us, and I know He will direct us. He has been so faithful, never left our side, and continues to provide for us in so many ways! I am so thankful for this! So, I am on shaky, weak legs learning and remembering to trust Him.

I am thankful for your posts, love your creativity, your honesty, and find encouragement in your sunny dispositions.

For my family, this too shall pass, and I will be back.

For you, I hope you are having a very happy, sunny, and cheery Spring.

Voting for the Best of the Northwest Getaways!!

Scandinavian Escape

Leavenworth's finest Bed & Breakfast Vote for Scandinavian Escape in King 5's Best of Northwest Escapes!

If you are already a loyal reader of mine, than you know this place is near and dear to my heart! This is where I had the privilege of growing up. It has now been transformed into a very private & luxurious Bed and Breakfast. If you would like to read more about the inn or the inn keepers you can read this post, or visit their website!

I am asking you to please vote for their bed and breakfast in the King 5's Best of the Northwest Escapes! This would be an honor for Scandinavian Escape to win, and great publicity for their Bed and Breakfast!! Their inn has transformed, grown, and been perfected in so many areas in the last ten years! They now offer a place to stay that is so unique and special in Leavenworth's hospitality industry!

If you are looking to visit the Northwest in the near future, I know they would love to see you!Vern and Linny, the inn keepers, love for serving others has only grown and been fine tuned to literally be the icing on what would be your most memorable stay in Leavenworth! Scandinavian Escape is Leavenworth's best kept secret!

Thank you for your vote!

Have a great weekend, enjoy the sunshine while it lasts!!!

Happy Monday

Happy Spring Break Week!

I hope you are having fun as a family and checking things off your to-do list!

It is raining here, something new and different, but I pulled out my favorite coffee mug, my meal plan form, and my cookbooks...I am gearing up for a great day chalked full of the ordinary but oh so necessary!! We are headed to the store for our BIG shopping trip, old mother Hubbard is attempting to move in! The mountain of laundry grew this weekend beyond its usual massive proportions and needs to know that I am still boss! The house....oh the house, so much to be done after our weekend, it was ignored... but for good reason.

Our weekend was comprised of a whole lot of nothing, and a lot of little special somethings! Our weekend usually begins on Thursday evening. My boys don't have school on Friday, so we usually plan something fun for Thursday evening. My youngest is a rough, tumble, energetic, sweet bundle of boy, and he LOVES this show called Wipeout. It is aired weekly on ABC, Thursday evenings. The show is full of fun, crazy, constant insane stunts that fill our how with squeals of delight. Erik likes to create his own obstacle course in my living room, and enjoys spending the hour imitating the stunts aired throughout Wipeout. (The commentary is sometimes PG-13...so just a warning.) It is crazy fun and has become the traditional way our weekend begins!

The rest of the weekend was full of discovering outside again...I just love Spring, gardening, riding bikes, riding bikes through the mud, bubbles, great food, boys night for Dad, a much needed haircut for Mom, games, family movie night, and a birthday party at Grandma's! It was the kind of weekend that brings us together as a family and makes me smile when I stop and realized how blessed I really am!

We are looking forward to this week! Lots of projects will get done, and we are planning to have fun with our unscheduled life!!

Hope you do the same!

P.S. New April specials were just announced on my website, there are some great deals this month! www.mysensaria.com/allnatural

Much Harder Than I Thought...

I have a whole new respect for my fellow bloggers who continue to post lovely, creative, real, and sincere posts when their lives are difficult or turned upside down.

I know many of you have encountered this in your own blogging experience & we all know others like; Edie who lost her home to fire and experienced great loss, or Sasha who thought she was moving...onto a new adventure, but details fell through, or Jessica who built a lovely house only to have it burn, rebuilt this amazing structure with love, and then endured a flood. I am not sure where they found the energy, strength, or clarity to post through these situations, but I am glad they found blogland a place of reprieve & solace. This cozy place has become a source of inspiration, friendship, and an avenue to see, share, and talk about what we love. I am impressed, encouraged, inspired, and honored that they thought to bring us along for their journey...both in their highs & lows. I am thankful for their REAL posts, and the opportunity they gave me, us, to support them as they moved forward.

My life, currently, is different than what those amazing women have endured, but things have in their own way been very difficult lately. For a while it seemed that I was coping, and each day I mustered the strength to keep going. Looking for the positive as I maneuvered through life's obstacles, became almost like a game. However, it has become harder and harder to daily find the positive. I have allowed myself to become focused on & bogged down by the details of my life. I have forgotten to pan out and See, Experience, and Feel the joy which naturally surrounds me.

Well, NO MORE! No more focusing on the "unpleasantries," as my Dad calls them, of life, I am switching gears. I want to share some of the great, happy, ordinary, fun, and inspirational that has happened while I have been checked out. I am pressing forward, I am moving on, and I am taking my blog with me! Hold on because you have much to look forward to!! I may occasionally share life's challenges, but there is so much more to ME and my life than those challenges! I am taking a note from the inspirational ladies mentioned above. I am focusing on the things I really LOVE, I am going to treasure this life I have been given-pure joy coming your way baby!

Thank you for sticking by me, I am so thankful for your friendship.

Tomorrow, I am posting another chapter in my Jazzercise journey, stay tuned, you won't want to miss out!

There is a Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow!!

I don't know about you, but I LOVE a good deal...

But I love a good deal even more when it is one of my most favorite skincare products on SALE!!!

Mineral Genesis GOLD is an exceptional product, beyond exceptional!!!

This high end liquid gold is like a face lift every time you use it, and it comes in a very cute little tub!

Who wouldn't want to:

Look and feel younger instantly

Have a healthy & subtle glow

See skin that is lifted and tightened after each use

Benefit from long term strength and rejuvenation of their skin at the cellular level

Mineral Genesis Gold is part of our high end skin collection. The gold formula is made up of a blend of peptides and volcanic minerals, which significantly boost the skin's intracellular responce. It strengthens the skin's ability to fight premature cell aging and acts as a catalyst allowing the skin to naturally repair itself and improve performance!

It is NEVER to early to slow down the signs of aging...Am I right ladies??

This pot of gold usually sells for $90.00, and let me tell you it is worth every penny!

BUT, today...in honor of St. Patty's Day,

The Mineral Genesis pot of GOLD is selling for $50.00(until mid-night)!!!

This is an amazing deal, and the tub will last you 6-8 months!!!

Pop over to my website, and order your face lift

delivered to you in

your very own pot of GOLD!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

www.mysensaria.com/allnatural