Beating the Back-to-School Blues

It’s been a BIG few days for Little Miss Sienna. She’s hitting milestones outta the ballpark. I’m really quite proud of her.

First hurdle was her very first violin recital. She’s been taking violin lessons for about seven months and she’s starting to feel more confident with playing the instrument. Still, when she was asked to play in the upcoming recital, she was a nervous wreck about it. She even said she was going to make herself sick so she wouldn’t have to go! When she figured that wasn’t going to work, she kindly suggested that Bill and I go out on a “date night” that evening and we could all skip the recital. I don’t think so, kiddo. The good news is, she found her internal strength and put on a great performance that evening. I was super-duper proud of her! 

Next hurdle: starting second grade!!

Honestly, I can’t believe it’s already time for her to go back to school! Our summer went by much too quickly (the fun stuff always goes too quickly, huh?). All last week, we were both a little bummed knowing that summer was almost over. For her, it was nervousness about a new teacher and new grade. For me, I know the ‘marathon weeks’ of homework, school, extracurricular activities, etc. are beginning again.

I had to get us both “pumped” for school!

To celebrate the last night of summer, I told the kids they could stay up until midnight. You would have thought I’d told them they’d won a million candy bars! We made beds for them on the couch and they chilled out and watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Needless to say, they didn’t make it to midnight. Still, I won some major brownie points and the kids were beyond thrilled. It will definitely become a "goodbye to summer" tradition for us. 

Then, yesterday, I had the kids create and decorate posters with their name, grade, and their teacher’s name on it. I also had them pick a theme for the year. Sienna picked learning and fun as her theme and Grant picked excellence. We were all starting to get excited about what the upcoming year would bring us. 

Then, this morning, it was go time…

Second grade or bust! 

A Perfect Pasta For Summer

I haven’t posted a recipe in a while. I don’t cook much during the summer. We’ve been living on salads, BBQ, snacking and an occasional blended beverage to cool us down. It’s been too hot to think about eating or cooking.

But, this weekend, I made Giada’s Lemon Spaghetti and I was reminded how much I love this recipe. It's my summertime comfort food. In my opinion, it is the perfect summer dinner. It’s light and refreshing, and super easy-to-make so there isn’t a lot of time spent in the kitchen. Plus, this recipe is especially good for my friends who are growing basil in the their gardens right now.

Giada’s Lemon Spaghetti

Ingredients

    1 pound spaghetti

    2/3 cup olive oil

    2/3 cup grated Parmesan

    1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

    Salt and freshly ground black pepper

    1 tablespoon lemon zest

    1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions (with my “tweaks”)

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, lemon zest and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce and the reserved cooking liquid. Then stir in the basil. Season with salt and pepper.

For added crunch, I like to sprinkle pine nuts on top before serving.

Delicious!

I can easily make a meal out of this pasta alone but it also pairs really well with a white fish (cod, halibut, etc.). This weekend I tried it with this:

Taste of Home’s Lemon Feta Chicken

Ingredients

    4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

    2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice

    1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

    1 teaspoon dried oregano

    1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions (again with my tweaks)

Place chicken in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour lemon juice over chicken; sprinkle with feta cheese, oregano and pepper.

Bake, covered with foil, at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.

Enjoy!

I Go Nuts For Coconuts!

I’m starting a blog series titled, “I’m Becoming A Hippie.” Or maybe I should call it, “I’m Going To The Dark Side,” as my friend says. The reason is, thanks to the good (or bad?) influence of my friends here (I’m looking at you: Tricia and Samantha!), I’m starting to *make* my own cleaning supplies and personal hygiene/beauty supplies. It started with a mild curiosity but I’ve been so surprisingly pleased with the recipes I’ve tried that I might be a full-blown hippie-chic now. And I want to share them with you! Trust me, if I can make this journey, anyone can!

For today, I will start with what I call the “gateway” into Hippieville: Coconut Oil. I like shredded coconut in my desserts and I love the smell of coconut but nothing can compare to the adoration I have for coconut oil. I want to scream from the rooftops, “I love coconut oil!” Ok, I won’t really do that, but I do truly love using coconut oil. I’ve started using it as a moisturizer for my face at night, and as a deodorant and as a leave-in conditioner for my hair. After I wash my face at night, I take the smallest dab of coconut oil and rub it into my face. Make sure it’s in a liquid state. It feels a little oily at first but absorbs in about 10 minutes. Plus, it smells GREAT! My bottle says to rinse off after an hour but I never do. I have oily skin so I was worried about putting OIL on my face but, after using the coconut oil for about two weeks, my skin is less oily and has better texture. Wow! In the morning, I still use my daytime SPF face lotion. 

Me and my new love. It's not the best photo because my six-year-old daughter took it but can you see how nice my skin is?! ;)

After my shower, I put a dab of coconut oil under my arms and run a small bit on the ends of my hair as a leave-in conditioner. Since it only acts as a deodorant – not an antiperspirant – and because it has been a million degrees here lately, once it absorbs, I put on my regular Secret deodorant and antiperspirant. Though, come winter, I imagine I will only use the coconut oil.

Speaking of coconuts, this weekend, I made Coconut Milk Shampoo using this recipe from One Good Thing by Jillee blog. Since I’m guessing many won’t have castile soap on hand, I recommend this version using Aveeno baby wash:

Semi-Homemade Coconut Milk Shampoo

1/4 cup canned coconut milk

1/3 cup Aveeno organic baby shampoo/wash (unscented if you’re planning to use the essential oils)

1 tsp vitamin E, olive or almond oil

10 to 20 drops of your choice of essential oils (I recommend Lavender or Lemon)

Add all ingredients to a travel bottle or an old, rinsed-out shampoo bottle and mix. It’ll last a month in the shower. Shake before use. Start with a tablespoon amount but adjust the amount depending on how much hair you have. I still use conditioner after but my hair is very dry. You might not need to.

There are a thousand other uses for coconut oil and coconut milk – go ahead and Google it! These are the ones I’ve tried and approve, so far.

Here’s the coconut oil I bought. I found it at the commissary but I’ve also seen it at Target. The bottle cost about $7.00 and I think it might last me about a year. Only the smallest bit is needed. Good for you, smells great, not too expensive and lasts forever = SCORE!

  

Stay tuned for more homemade ideas coming here soon!!

Preparing for Battle

 

The “Big D” is coming, and I don’t mean Dallas or Divorce (as the country song says), but the other dreaded Big D: my husband’s Deployment. I can push it out of my mind as much as I want, but there is a huge pile of gear that my hubby brought home last week which serves as a physical reminder that this mountain, this marathon, this storm, is approaching…and it’s time to start prepping for it.

As I’ve mentioned, the last deployment was a very difficult time for me. Unlike the soldiers preparing for their battles, I went into it not expecting or anticipating the landmines and challenges that I would face. After all, I wasn’t the one deploying. So, I was not prepared. I wasn’t trained up. I wasn’t wearing my bulletproof vest. I was weak and unprepared, like a lamb headed to the slaughter, and as a result, I came out of the fight pretty beat up.

Not this time! Oh, no!

This time, I am going to prepare my heart, mind and spirit. I know the domestic challenges that await me, and even more important, I’m anticipating the attacks on my heart. This verse keeps coming back to me: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23. I couldn’t agree more, especially during long separations from my husband.

It’s preparation and training time!

First, I have to get in the habit of reading my Bible EVERY day. I’ve been a Christian a long time and I’m kind of embarrassed at how long it’s take me to realize this very simple and basic truth. I must keep tucking those words of life, instruction and encouragement into my heart and soul. Otherwise, I start to believe my own half-truths, and those, my friends, are some scary and dangerous things.

Second, it’s time to weed out things that could be used against me. Take account of some of my negative thoughts (my pity parties), my destructive actions (retail therapy!) and look for even unconscious bad habits. Instead, it’s time to find healthier options (exercise), choose better habits (be thankful) and not let bad days – and my emotions – get the best of me. If I’m disciplined now then these things will be habits when I need them most.

Third, I’m going to appreciate the time we have right now as a family. The next few months are going to be all about our family unit, spending quality time together – family movie and game nights, family day-trips and hikes, etc. – to create memories to last us these next several months while strengthening our bonds with each other.

Fourth, in the upcoming months, I’m going to continue to forge bonds and traditions with friends here. Whether they like it or not, these ladies around me will be my lifeline during the deployment. And I hope to be a source of encouragement and support for them as well.

Lastly, now is the time to set goals for myself during the deployment. Life changes when my husband is gone, but it doesn’t stop. In fact, in some ways, it gives me more time focus on the things I’d like to pursue. Plus, keeping busy and working towards positive goals will definitely keep the blues at bay. On my list so far: I’d like to catch up on my scrapbooks and there is a long list of books I’d like to read. It’d also be a perfect time to learn something new, like sewing, or brush up on those three years of Spanish I took in high school. Setting goals is the first step in achieving them.

A wise man once told me, “Live intentionally.” So much of our life and attitude is a choice. Therefore, I’m working to choose wisely. Now that I’ve said it, please keep me accountable!

I’m working through the book, “Nehemiah: a Heart that Can Break” by Kelly Minter, with some friends (see, already working on point #1 and #4!). In the book she mentions she says this prayer some days: “Lord, be my husband, my father, my brother.” That is so applicable to my life and situation. We don’t always have or are able to count on people, or life situations, but as Kelly Minter says, “’I’ve got God.’ And, by the way, He trumps everything.” Amen.

Thankful For My Citizinship Here -- And Beyond!

In the past few years I’ve had a new understanding and appreciation for the meaning of freedom, service and sacrifice. Being apart of a military family and community has so much to do with it, plus, starting a family and growing older puts a new perspective on things. Most recently, living within 2-miles of another country, and reading its news almost daily, has also given me a deep-rooted gratitude for my country and citizenship. We are extremely blessed here. As an American, and especially as a woman, I have so much to be thankful for. In fact, being born in the United States isn’t just about big picture “freedoms” and “luxuries” but very much a matter of daily safety, overall health and well being, and knowing that my life has value. We have hundreds of advantages, freedoms and privileges that women in many other countries don’t have.  

God Bless America!

Yet, I have also been reminded that this isn’t my true home. My home and citizenship are heavenly and I must try to live my life with that perspective. I’m still working on that….

With that said, and in honor of Independence Day, I’m sharing these stories, prayers and thoughts:

(Click on titles for article links)

A funny “we’ve all been there” Mommy-brain moment with an awesome reminder about our true home, heavenly citizenship and where we really belong…

When You Feel Like You Don’t Belong?

“In Christ, you’re a native of heaven right now. You aren’t a citizen of here trying to work into heaven. You’re a citizen of heaven trying to work through here.”

“When heaven is really your motherland, then prayer is really your mother tongue, and you can’t help but yearn to speak in the language of your Father now.”

We are free indeed!

A Prayer For The 4^th of July

“But the gratitude I feel for my citizenship in the USA pales in comparison with the joy generated by my citizenship in heaven (Phil 3:20). I praise you today for making me a member of the “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession”(1 Pet. 2:9). This is my true and lasting identity—my consummate and eternal liberty.”

And just for fun…

Independence Day

"May your day be chock full of patriotism found in freedoms unique to this good country, in freedom to breathe fresh air deep, and in freedom to say no to the iffy potato salad no matter who made it."

Happy 4^th!!