Cute & Easy DiY Notepad/Journal

I have quite a few projects that have been swirling around in my head for a while now and I am SUPER excited to finally be feeling well enough to begin working on them!

Last week, I worked on planting some flowers, cleaning up the yard, and planting our garden. Over the weekend, I worked on a few smaller projects; the kind that only take about 15 minutes or so and do not require much brain power but simply fun and a little creativity. I love these types of DiY projects for busy days when I don't have a lot of time to tackle the big stuff but still need to do something creative.

So, here ya go!

My Baby Girl and I got to go on a date over the weekend and do a little shopping. We were on the hunt for many things, but one of them was fun, crafty things for two of my nieces.
We found some fun things, purchased a few and then made these to add to their bags of creativity!

All you need is:
-white copy paper
-cardstock
-washi tape
-stapler
-scraps of fun paper
-glue dots, photo mount squares, glue, something to hold your cut out designs in place

I took my white paper and folded in half lengthwise, then used my paper cutter (because I cannot cut a straight line to save my life!) and cut down the middle. Now that I have the size of my notepad, I can cut my card stock accordingly. I cut my card stock to be just a tad bigger than the white paper.

Once everything is cut, then all you do is fold them in half, card stock serving as the outer cover. I took my stapler and stapled (while folded close) right along the top edge of the notepad, three times across in a row.

Next, I covered those staples with some fun washi tape. Then I added more washi tape on the bottom too. You can't go wrong with more washi tape.....ever! ;)

Lastly, play around with your papers and create your chosen design.

The options are endless! You can make the notepads bigger, smaller; use different colored or patterned card stock, etc.

I think I need one for myself now! As always, once I get started on something, then "the swirlings" in my head won't stop!





Have fun!
-Jenny

A Little Friday Inspiration

I am pretty excited that it's Friday! The weather is looking to be amazing, the hubs will be home to enjoy it with us, going to finally get my garden planted, and even have a few DiY projects up my sleeve to work on.....finally!
I have SO been missing working on projects but life has been a bit crazy around here the past few weeks so basic necessities have topped the list. Who am I kidding, basic necessities have been very lonesome on the list and not always do they get a happy check mark lately either.

So, check back next week and I will finally be sharing some creative inspiration in the form of DiY's again! Woo Hoo!
But for now, check out some of my favorite blogs. They inspire me in all kinds of ways.

Under the Sycamore

A Beautiful Mess

Hope and Honey

the Jolly Goode Gal

dearest someday

whatever

life in grace

I would love to sit down with each one of these women, talk about life, share inspiration; all over a cup of coffee.
But for now, I am super happy to have their blogs to read. They are inspiring and encouraging.

Check them out. Get inspired. And enjoy this amazing weekend ahead!
-Jenny

Giving Our Best

Before I had children, my thoughts were more along the lines of things that I would be teaching them. Now, having four little ones, I am often amazed at the things that they have taught me and continue to teach me.

Their hearts are so pure. Not in the sense that they do no wrong because they do. But pure as in, not yet tainted,jaded, or hard, just as a child's heart should be; tender.

They see people differently, often the way that we should. They see the good. They see things for what they are, period. And they are compassionate.

They tend to give with open hearts and they give their best.

My littlest boy has been picking me flowers by the handful lately, literally by the handful. They are smashed, crumpled and usually paired with blades of grass and a few ants that have taken up residence. But they are presented to me with such joy, pride, and love....every single time.

He runs to the back door yelling, "mama, mama, see flowdas!" He hands them to me one by one, placing each into my hand until I have a pile of them. He is smiling the entire time.

This is his best right now. He has carefully spent time searching in the backyard for these "flowdas" and has picked each one until he has a bouquet to present to me. This is what he can do right now and he does it for me. So, I squeal with delight each and every time and his little face just lights up. I don't care what the flowers look like. I am just in love with his heart of joy and love.

He isn't worried that what he has to offer isn't good enough. He hasn't over thought it. He doesn't have anxiety about the flowers not being the right color or even having a stem for that matter! ;) He is giving with his heart.

Isn't this the heart of God? To give our best and to give it with a full, joyful, and loving heart.
Don't you think that is pleasing to Him as our Father?
I think so.

And so, another lesson learned through my children. :)
-Jenny

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

It's a cloudy, rainy day here today so cinnamon rolls for breakfast just felt right.

The best part about these cinnamon rolls is that I can actually eat them! I am cheating a tad bit because there is butter in them but there is no processed sugar or gluten. I plan on trying this recipe with coconut oil in place of the butter in the future.
The recipe calls for brown sugar but I used coconut sugar instead.

These are such a treat for me. They are gooey in the middle like a cinnamon roll should be with just the right amount of buttery crisp around the outer edges.
I sprinkle them with crushed pecans on the top because pecans make most baked dishes even better!

Are you ready for the recipe? Well, this is where it gets even better. I love homemade, from scratch everything and while I prefer to do things that way, sometimes the ease of a mix is what your morning calls for. I appreciate those types of recipes on those types of mornings. ;)

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix 
Simply follow the Cinnamon Roll recipe on the back of the package
Coconut sugar
Add crushed pecans to the top before baking

Enjoy with a cup of coffee!

...like I said, enjoy with a cup of coffee. :)

Isn't this the coolest?! I ordered it here. It just came in yesterday and I LOVE it!
I mean, really, how could drinking my morning cup of coffee get any better? How about drinking it from my "camera lens".......um, yeah, better. :)

Have a great day!
-Jenny

10 Things

So, I have been doing a lot of thinking/reflecting lately, on life, myself, our family, our future, etc.

I LOVE blogging. I love the creative outlet it gives me. I love that all in one place I get to do so many of the things that I am passionate about; writing, photography,making things, sharing my heart, etc. I love the people that I have already met because of this blog.

However, there is so much more to life than this blog and the whole blogging world. Blogging has provided so many wonderful outlets for people. It encourages and inspires and connects people from all over the world. But sometimes, it is easy to make false and harmful assumptions about the real people behind these blogs.

My heart is to be "real" with people, in person and on this blog. I never want to portray an all together, perfect life lived out within the walls of a magazine ready home.
I want you to know that behind the pretty photos and DiY's , there is a real person who messes up A LOT.

So, here's to being real!
10 Things You May Not Know About Me

1. I once played soccer. Literally, once. I played my first game in Kindergarten, fell one time and got a nasty grass stain on my uniform, ran off the field and was DONE. Seriously people!

2. I long to be an early riser; to be up before everyone else, have some time alone with the Lord first thing in the morning when all is quiet, get my workout in, get ready for the day and have breakfast started by the time my husband and kids awake. Most mornings, I am stumbling out of bed in a hurry to get the coffee going so my husband can grab a mug of it before he leaves for work.

3. I was a pageant girl; from 1st grade to my senior year in high school. I loved that I got to dress up in pretty gowns, have my hair fixed and be the ultimate girly girl. Pageants taught me to stand and speak with confidence in front of a crowd. Unfortunately, they also taught me that what I looked like was of the utmost importance and that is why people liked or would like me. So, my confidence was built upon a very shaky and vain foundation, rather than in the Lord God who created me and loves me for me....period.

4. I struggled with an eating disorder most of my teenage years and continued to battle self image issues and condemnation all the way to adulthood. I am free from these things now because of the Lord, but it is certainly my area of weakness. There are days that I feel weak in this area and the Lord is faithful to remind me of the truth.

5. My cousin and I once secretly took a puff of my grandpa's cigar when we were younger......it definitely smelled better when my grandpa smoked it! I have never forgotten that.

6. I smoked a lot of cigarettes in college. You would think that the whole grandpa's cigar incident would have ruined me. So thankful that the Lord got a hold of me and took every single one of those desires away. It was Him that I needed.

7. I cannot cut a straight line to save my life! It seems like such a simple thing and a silly thing, but it's true and has caused me many "do-over's" in the DiY world!

8. I used to want a picture perfect house, a nice car, and recognition from everyone in my life to affirm that I was loved and that life was good.

9. I now long everyday for the day when the Lord brings to life what He has been doing in my heart. The day that we sell most of what we have and go to the ends of the earth, taking only our family, the necessities and the gospel of Jesus Christ and His saving grace and endless love.

10. Patience is a virtue.......that I apparently do not excel in. OK, that I don't have at all MANY days!

It feels good to be real with you! And trust me, there's so much more! Recognizing the areas where I am weak and fall short, simply makes me realize my need for my Savior that much more. It highlights all of the areas in my life that He has transformed and made new. Most importantly, my weakness brings glory to Him.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong."
-2 Corinthians 12:9-10

 What I also love about reflecting on such things is that it serves as a wonderfully encouraging reminder of who I used to be and who I am now in Christ. I am simply not the same person as I once was and I am so thankful for that.
I still mess up A LOT and fall short, but I know that God uses even those times to teach me, make me stronger and bring glory to Himself.

My hope and prayer is that I would continue to decrease and He would continue to increase in my life. (John 3:30)
I also hope that my short comings are an encouragement to others and to you. :)

Blessings to you today!
-Jenny

Spring is Finally Here!

 Pretty pink blooms suddenly appear on the branches...

little ones exploring the wonder of roly poly's...

containers around the yard are transformed into habitats for bugs and carefully watched after...

surprises in the garden of plants that survived the winter...

green, crisp...

aroma of rosemary...

basking in the sun together...

bringing new life to the front porch...
...Spring is finally here!

Thankful for the new life, cool breeze, and sunshine that it brings.
Enjoy today!
-Jenny

Random Friday

So, today's post is a bit on the random side.
There hasn't been much time for diy projects or crafts or creative anything around here lately. Upon my return from Texas where I attended my grandmother's funeral, I found a very sick husband and a mildly sick little girl. Once they were all well and our home was disinfected from that nasty stomach bug, I then began getting sick with cold/sinus junk. So early to bed it's been for me.

By the way, I shared the other day how I deal with my allergy/sinus symptoms naturally and after one day of doing these things, I could breathe again!

Okay, let the random begin!

 Trader Joe's! Why oh why don't we have one of these where I live? While in Texas, we stopped in for a few minutes and my addiction has begun...for Trader Joe's and also for these little golden nuggets of goodness!

This little beauty arrived on my doorstep this week. I have been waiting and now it's here and I can't wait to dig in! I was able to read the first couple of pages and so far, it is everything that I hoped it would be. I'll share more later, ;) But for now, you can go visit the gal behind this little lovely here.

I got my essential oils intro kit in this week too! Woo hoo! I am really excited about this. I have read up on essential oils before. I know the health benefits and I fully believe that they work. However, it is quite an investment to begin using essential oils especially when your goal is to replace other forms of medicine, etc in your home with these oils. I never knew anyone personally that had been using the oils either and as much as I read and believed, I think I just needed that testimony from a friend in order to dive in.
Recently, a handful of ladies that I know and call friends, have begun using these oils and a few of them, even selling them too. I was really excited to find this out!

So, what I am starting with is the doTERRA Introductory kit which includes a bottle of lemon, lavender, and peppermint. I also ordered an oil blend called Past Tense which is supposed to be amazing for headaches and a bottle of Slim and Sassy, which is supposed to help rev up your metabolism and shed some pounds.

My good friend Amy let me try out some Past Tense one day and within in 15 minutes, the headache that I had already had for a day and a half, was gone! That was enough for me to order my own bottle.

The Slim and Sassy....I felt kind of silly ordering this bottle. However, after almost of a year of giving up gluten, dairy, sugar and exercising regularly, I still have 10-15 more pounds to lose. I have lost 30 pounds, but that last 10-15 is being extremely stubborn so I figured it was worth a try!
I'll keep you posted! Until then, you can learn more about doTERRA oils here.

And I will leave you with this.
Happy Friday!!!
-Jenny