My LLR Addiction

A friend of mine introduced me to my new addiction a while back. It's a little clothing company called Lu La Roe.

At first, I bought a couple items here or there - whenever she hosted a party.  I wanted to support her but I didn't really know what to do with these leggings. I mean - mom of 4 - hello! Are these really appropriate at my age?

I had a few pairs in my drawer for a while - never really working up the courage to wear them. Then my husband and I volunteered to take part in a dancing fundraiser. I decided I'd pull those leggings out and wear them to practice.  I was hooked!  Those things are so darn comfortable!

But, still, I didn't wear them outside in "public" too much because I was just still so unsure.  Finally, I bit the bullet and introduced myself to Irma.

If you're not familiar with the lingo yet, each of the pieces in the Lu La Roe line is named after a designer.  The Irma is a longer, flowing tunic that generously covers areas that a mother of 4 would appreciate having covered. So, I got a little braver and started wearing the set out in sorta public places.

Then the Christmas leggings hit!  Those are so fun! I accidentally bought 2 pairs, but...who's counting?

I have two daughters as well and they quickly noticed that Mom suddenly had new stuff!  (Perhaps I should have mentioned that several pieces in my wardrobe are older than ALL my children.)  Naturally, they were curious.  So, what's the big draw here? Well, let me break down MY top 5 reasons for loving Lu La Roe:

1) Super fun online shopping.

I'm a working mom of 4 that I also homeschool.  Sooo....generally my available shopping hours fall well outside of the normal department store hours. Besides, have you ever gone shopping with children? No? Well let me tell you a story....

A few months after I gave birth to my second child, I decided I was going to load the kids up and go swimsuit shopping.  The kids were too little to be left unattended so they were in the dressing room with me.  I try on my first suit - and my then 3-year-old son says, quite frankly, "Mom, that one's too small for you."    Yep. No swimsuit season for me that year!

So, yeah, shopping with children, no matter what their ages, is always barrels of fun.  Online shopping is where it's at.

2) Modest cuts and flattering lines.

I'm going to up the ante here - Have you ever been shopping with GIRLS?  Teen girls?? Oh My! I don't care what I pick out or suggest.  It's the WORST thing they have EVER laid eyes and oh my goodness I'm out to RUIN the rest of their lives if I force them to wear THAT thing!

With LLR, I can say, look, here's your budget. See if you find anything. And I can feel fairly confident that I can live with whatever they come back with. No booty shorts with cheeks hanging out. No vapid or suggestive slogans. Nada.  The whole line is designed with wonderfully refreshing modesty.  AND - it looks nice - not frumpy at all!

3) This is really a two-for....

As a woman who works in a professional environment, it can be SUPER difficult to find appropriate clothes. If you go to the department store and fall somewhere between 16-year-old cheerleader and Nancy Reagan (whose sense of style I LOVED), it's hard not to walk out feeling like Madonna. And I mean Madonna today - not the 1980s version. And while that might work for the Material Girl, not so much for me. I want to look like a grown up without looking like someone's great-grandmother or a 50-year-old stripper.

Enter LLR.  You can mix and match all the various pieces and styles (and there's a lot) and end up with a truly customized wardrobe.  Not one for the crazy patterns?  There's tons of solids, strips or polka dots to be had.  Feeling like a little flare would be ok? Match those wild leggings with a solid top and you've got a touch of personality while still showing restraint.

4) Versatility is endless

The designs and fabrics are comfortable and flattering. I can dress the leggings up or down, depending on what accessories I pair with it. And for someone whose day can go from meeting with elected officials, to loading and unloading food from coolers, to meeting with clients and volunteers, all the way to taking out the trash - I have to be ready to roll while looking like I actually know what I'm doing and can be taken seriously.

Also, I travel - a lot. And I'd like to think that I've gotten quite good at the capsule wardrobe thing.  But with LLR, you can really stretch your wardrobe pieces. Combinations are endless and with just a few pieces, you can end up with a week's worth of outfits. Plus, they pack WONDERFULLY and need very little time to de-wrinkle.

5) Camouflage

Let's face it - we all go through times when we need to cover up or conceal things here and there. Too much turkey at Thanksgiving? Well, it's a good thing the leggings have some give.  Still carrying that baby weight (let's not talk about how old the baby is)?  The Perfect T has a generous cut around the bottom with a nice fit at the top.  Bloated today?  Carly is your friend. I personally love her.

I also happen to be involved in self defense and I would LOVE to talk to any ladies out there who might need more insight in this area. Let's just say that things fit nicely, allow a lovely range of movement, and you can conceal on person without feeling like you're 007 deep undercover.  If you get it - great. If not - not a big deal. Still tons of reasons to love Lu La Roe.

Can you see Mimi sneaking in a photo bomb?

No use crying over broken wine glasses

This post is a little late (and long) because after an incident at the house this morning, I decided I had a different idea.

One of my objectives is re-booting this blog was to provide a place for people to be real. To provide an alternative look at real life - outside of the glossy Facebook posts and perfect Pinterest creations. So in order to do that, let me be real with you for a moment -

We are a blended family of six.  Together we have four children  - let me rephrase - four adolescents in our home at all times.  The oldest is 13, the youngest 11; two boys, two girls; two genetically linked to me and two genetically linked to him.  But as I tell the children (and myself) frequently, there is a reason God put us all together as a family.  And that's important - because of days like today.

The oldest happens to be a boy and happens to be genetically linked to me.  He's 13 and has recently blossomed into a very social kid.  Here's a bit of background as to why this is important:

Growing up, I knew I'd be a really rockin' aunt. But I didn't want children of my own.  Somewhere along the line, I was told that I would most likely NOT be able to have children of my own due to a "hostile uterus" (thank you Grey's Anatomy for making that a real thing).  Then, I had a miscarriage. It was oddly devastating. I say that because I didn't even know I was pregnant until it happened.

But, I went on with life. My husband, who was in the military, was transferred to New York about that time. I landed a job at a Vet Clinic, made a really great Army Wife friend and life was really good.  Then, after several weeks of being sick, I found out I was having morning sickness!

I went in and did all the preliminary new-pregnancy stuff. I was reminded again not to get too excited because of my previous miscarriage. Also, because when I started my new gig at the Vet Clinic, I had to get several vaccines done, including rabies.  The doctors told me that usually the vaccine, given that early in the pregnancy, causes spontaneous miscarriages or other development complications.  But it was too early to tell.

So there I sat - literally thousands of miles from home with a ticking time bomb in my belly and all I could do was sit. And wait. I vividly remember sitting in the floor of my shower that night just sobbing.

After about a month, I was far enough along they decided to try an ultrasound to check on the baby and get a more accurate read on how far along I was.  And there he was - well, I didn't know he was he yet. It was still too early for that.  But the technician had a heck of a time getting a good read because the baby would NOT sit still!  He couldn't read the heart rate, couldn't get a measurement of length or weight.  We must of sat and turned and pressed a million different ways until the guy gave up and just made the best guess he could and said we'd tray again - later.

There's so much more to the story, but here we are - now - smack dab in the middle of "later." As I sit, looking into the eyes of my now 13-year-old miracle baby boy. He's mad at me. Beyond mad.  I've had to put my foot down with him (which doesn't happen often). He is suffering the most unbearable punishment for any 13-year-old in today's world - I've taken away his phone.

This was just supposed to be a short sentence. He didn't get out of bed in time and missed the bus. One of the consequences for such a thing is limited electronic usage.  But, to make matters worse, he laid in bed until well past time to be up, especially since I have to wade through school traffic to get him there on time.  So he got fussed at - again.  In response he stomps into the kitchen, throws a plastic lunch container on to the counter, where it immediately bounces off a glass plate and crashing into my set of wine glasses next to the coffee pot.  One is now crumpled on the counter in pieces.

Now, these are not especially expensive glasses or family heirlooms, but they were a Christmas gift from my husband. The broken glass just cost my son his phone for much longer than a day. Not only that - his computer. And now, instead of getting to go hang out with Nana at Sonic after school (a regular Friday treat), he would ride the bus home and clean the kitchen.

Dead silence. Cold stare. Ouch.

And sometimes we all experience that kind of anger toward someone. Unforgivable, unspeakable anger. And all we can do is glare coldly in their direction.  I suppose the comfort there is that only those we really choose to let in can get under our skin that deep.  It means we're still alive, even if the drone of everyday life seems to be sucking us dry. Even if it feels like we're all alone.

As we drive to school I tell him that although I realize he did not mean to break anything, there were still consequences for our choices and actions. And sometimes - many times - when we act out of anger we create more problems.  If he had just gotten up, excepted the fact that he overslept and went about the business of getting ready for school instead of staying in bed for another hour, he would have gotten his phone back after school, gone to Nana's and that would have been it.  Unfortunately, that was not the choice he made.

I tell him I love him even when he's mad at me, as he climbs out of the car. No response. Just closes the door and walks to the building. And admittedly it's hard for this mama to take.

I love all my children - don't get me wrong.  They are each so very different from each other in their own unique and wonderful ways.  Sometimes, we clash and butt heads, but really - for someone who thought they would never have children - God has blessed me with a wonderful bunch of little people.

But - my oldest and I have been through so much together. Most of it he has no memory of but I do. For so long it was just me and him. He didn't talk until he was 3 because - well, he didn't need to. Mom just knew.  We co-slept; snuggled; hugged in public (up until the last year). He never hesitates to say I love you.  And in a sea of blonde haired, blue eyed, extroverted family members, we are the only two brunettes with dark eyes rockin' in the introverted corner. Without him, I'd really be like an odd duck surrounded by water but no desire to swim.

Now before I have CPS knocking on my door worried about a co-dependent, parent-child relationship, I have fully embraced and acknowledged my role as a parent - to get my little fledgling ready to fly away from the nest - but that's a post for another time. For now, just now of the four children we have in our home, I homeschool three. My oldest still attends public school because I felt like he needed the structure more. Because we were so bonded, I knew I could not be an effective teacher to him. My younger three - well, again - that's a post for another time.

I wonder, how many times have my children witnessed me loosing my temper? Making a bad decision or just reacting without thinking about the consequences?  Well - the honest answer is A LOT.  I'm now sure we know each other well enough to get that real yet. Just know that I am 100% human!

But there's good news - for my son, for me, for you.  The following verses will often provide me comfort. I hope they do the same for you.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 
~Lamentations 3:22-23

For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus
~Romans 3:22-24

And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
~John 8:11

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “...If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, ... But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, ... And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

~Daniel 3:16-20(paraphrased)

So you see, there really is no use crying over broken wine glasses. We are all free to make choices. Sometimes they are good ones, sometimes not.  But good or bad, we are not free of the consequence of our choices.  However the grace and mercy of God is free, and unending.  We are never alone. And thank the Lord for that!

Friday Reflections: Prayer Journal

Splendidly drawn and vibrantly colored Prayer and Bible journals have recently become very popular.  Is it any wonder?  Some of the creations I've seen are simply stunning!  Unfortunately, while I do tend to have a flair for the dramatic, my drawing ability is somewhat lacking.

And when I say "somewhat lacking," I mean dolphins could probably draw a better stick figure holding a pen between their flippers than I could ever hope for.

Nevertheless, I was recently challenged and inspired to start a prayer journal of my own. So what is an artistically challenged girl to do? We KISS - Keep It Simple Sister!

I started with a simple spiral notebook and divided it into four sections: Praise, Confessions, Thanksgiving, and Requests (or Petitions).

Don't forget the coffee and devotion!

Praise

This is the very first stop on my Prayer Journal Journey.  Why? When we pray, we are entering His courts and so we enter with praise!  

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." ~Psalm 100:4

This is where I write a passage to focus and mediate on. Perhaps it came from my morning devotional, or Sunday's sermon, or a particular passage that God has pressed on my heart.  If you're really struggling for a verse, I find the Book of Psalm is a wonderful place to start.  

Confessions

Next up - confessions.  

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." ~ James 5:16

This might be a very specific sin that I am aware of - loosing my temper, gossiping about the neighbor, resenting obligations, believe me - the list is endless.  And if for whatever reason I cannot think - not enough coffee, lack of sleep - Martin Luther provides some great examples of how we are to interact with our neighbors that I routinely fall short on. Didn't literally STEAL anything from your neighbor today? Well, great!  But - what did you do to SERVE your neighbor so that he might prosper?  Oh, well, ummmm.........

Remember, this is YOUR journal. It's just you and God. Now is the time to get real and let it all out. Plus, there really is something to writing it down. It makes it real, puts a name to it.  

Somehow when I think to myself, "Perhaps I really shouldn't have yelled at my husband like that, but come on - how hard is it to put your laundry away?"  It doesn't sound so bad - almost justified. But when I SEE it written down - "Yelled at my husband," well, it just gives me a different perspective.

Thanksgivings

Right about now, you might be wondering exactly how Thanksgiving is different from Praise.

"Thank God that he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." ~1 Corinthians 15:57

Think back to your school days. Perhaps your teacher praised you for a particularly well written essay, or your coach for a perfectly executed block.  Later, your friend thanks you for giving him a ride home or letting her borrow your favorite sweater. That's a bit oversimplified but perhaps that helps illustrate my point a bit.

This is where I record my specific thanksgivings: Thank you for providing through my husband's new job; Thank you for bringing the children home safe from their weekend trip; Thank you for your amazing love and grace and the gift of eternal life.  

Requests or Petitions

The fourth and final stop on my Prayer Journal Journey is Requests.  This is where I conclude my time by bringing my petitions to God in prayer.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." ~Philippians 4:6

Sometimes my requests are specific: healing for a sick child, help withstanding a particular temptation, strength to face an oncoming battle.  Or, perhaps a bit more general: the courage to be more vocal about my faith, wisdom to make wise financial choices - you get the idea.

And that's all there is to it.  If you still need a little more color in your prayer life without channeling your inner Picasso, try using a different color for each section. For me, I find this simple method helps keep me focused during my prayer time, as my mind is endlessly restless and wondering.  

In the short time I've been using a Prayer Journal, I have also noticed a marked difference in my writing, my confessions and requests.  Slowly my focus has shifted from very specific, right here, right now to the bigger picture, the world outside of my little bubble.  Don't get me wrong. I still pray for my children, my husband, my family. I still bring specific people and situations before God as the needs arise. But by beginning in His word, focusing on what He already has done for me, God has provided a sense of calm well-being.  Yes - that meeting tomorrow is going to be a bear. But with His grace and mercy, I'll make it through - or I won't. And if I do not, well then God must have something much better in mind.  

What about you, dear reader? Is there a specific need weighing down your heart right now?  I challenge you to start a journal of your own. There's no right or wrong, the most important thing is to just sit down and talk with God. Perhaps you're hurt or angry - let Him know about it. Scared or worried? God is ready and waiting to help you with your burden. Or maybe your heart is just overflowing with joy! Wonderful! He would love to hear all about that!

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace." ~Numbers 6:24-26

But wait...there's more!

With the holidays fresh in our memories and hopefully one or two good intentions with the start of the New Year, I decided a post about food seemed like a great place to start.

As I mentioned before, I have a full-time job outside the home that also accommodates my homeschooling schedule. And while I am VERY fortunate and blessed by this fact, it also means that we are a VERY busy family.

On a rare occasion, we do grab a quick bite out to eat ($5 take out pizza, anyone?). But for this budget-conscious family of 6, eating out is a very rare treat and often a last resort (ie, out of town games, meetings or other programs). This means, scheduling and menu planning are a MUST. Unfortunately, even the best laid plans.....well you know.  Sometimes I forget to take meat out of the freezer. Sometimes I wind up having to work late or Husband gets shuttled out of town for a quick job. In situations like these, even my trusty slow cooker is of little use.

Just how much do I love my slow cooker? Well, someone once asked if I could only keep one singular kitchen appliance, what would it be? I said, without hesitation, my slow cooker.  Seriously, mine is a workhorse and often gets put to use 5 out of 7 days of the week, with the other two days being designated as leftover days.

So when dear sweet Husband gifted me with an electric pressure cooker for Christmas, I was a little skeptical. I mean - what could this thing do that my slow cooker couldn't already? Wasn't this just going to end up being another expense gadget taking up precious storage space in my kitchen?

Our first experience with the electric pressure cooker was a little mixed. We made rice and steamed some veggies in it all at once.  Not sure how this gadget worked, I used my normal rice to water ratio.  I will say the rice was cooked in record time over my current rice cooker, but when we opened it up - rice soup! I'm not kidding. Have you ever tried to scoop rice with a SLOTTED spoon?  I have since learned that you don't need as much water in a pressure cooker like you do a steamer because the water doesn't escape during cooking. My mom had a good chuckle over that one. Anyway...

After that I decided to poke around Pinterest and see if I could find any recipes for this new fangled contraption. Sure enough, I found lots of tips and tricks -including cooking ground meat from frozen! I'm probably a bit too excited about that one.

Tonight I decided to try my spaghetti squash. If you're not familiar with this veggie you are missing out. Spaghetti squash and it's cousin butternut squash make frequent appearances in our house due to their versatility. However, they are a BEAR to prep. I've tried pre-cooking in the over, microwave, and yes, my slow cooker, all with varying degrees of success.

I cut my spaghetti squash in half around the middle - so I didn't have to cut through the stem part. Then scooped out the seeds with a spoon, put it in the pressure cooker (cut side up) with a cup of water and set the time for 7 minutes.  And it worked wonderfully!

I decided to put it in a dish with a bunch of kale I had that I needed to use up. The bunch was a little small so I added some kale I had chopped and frozen earlier.

I started by heating about a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan, then added minced garlic and just a few little onions. After I sauted those for about a minute or two, I added the kale, a pinch of red chili flakes, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1/2 a tablespoon of rosemary. I stirred it all around until it was mixed well and the kale was wilted.  Then, using a fork, I scrapped the cooked strands of spaghetti squash into the pan to heat through.  That's it!

The kids did add cheese to their dishes later on and it probably could have had a wee be of salt added, but I find it's much better to not add salt during my cooking and let folks add what they want after.  In a family of 6, everyone has a different palette so I try not to add too much in on the front end.

Update: I've also tried cooking potatoes for mashed potatoes in the pressure cooker and it worked like a CHARM! Potatoes cooked in 10 minutes and mashed easily without being soggy or starchy!

Spaghetti Squash with kale and chickpeas

• One Spaghetti Squash
• One bunch of kale, de-stemmed and chopped
• One can of Chickpeas, drained
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Chopped onion, to taste
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 1/2 Tbs rosemary
• Pinch of red chili flakes
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Cut the spaghetti squash in half, around the belly, avoiding the stem area. Place in an electric pressure cooker, cut side up. Add 1 cup of water to the cooker. Set timer for 7 minutes and cook. Allow to cool before handling. 

While the squash is cooking, heat up the olive oil in a pan. Saute the garlic and onion for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook just until kale is wilted.  Using a fork, scrap out the strands of the spaghetti squash into the pan and heat through. 

Serve immediately.

New Year's Resolutions

It's officially 2017 and it's been WAY too long since I've been serious about working on my blog.  Between working full time, being a mom of 4, plus homeschooling, I've found lots of easy excuses to get out of adding one more project to my To Do list.

BUT - it's a new year. And while I am not super big on making resolutions, I am resolved to get my blog going again and to be more serious about keeping it going.  From fashion (what?), to cooking, fundraising, homeschooling, self-care, and a focus on the Bible, my hope is to not only use this platform as a personal journal of sorts but a source of inspiration and comfort for others.

I promise to be brutally honest about my triumphs and failures, because, let's face it, there's LOTS of failures and I think we are too pressured to only focus on the triumphs without being real about the times we fall flat. But that's where forgiveness and mercy and grace abound. That's where I find peace and joy.

So, whether or not you made any resolutions; whether or not you're already struggling to keep your resolutions or if you're tackling 2017 with a roar; I hope you will come join me here from time to time and remember to give yourself a break.  Everyday is a chance to start over. We don't have to wait for a specific day or month or hour.  You can choose, right now, to make a different choice than you did before.

Today, I'm resolved to do two things - drink more water and work on my blog!

My goal starting out is one new post a week and MAYBE work up to daily posts. But we shall see.  :-)  What would you like to see first? Food? School? Faith?  What's weighing on your heart this New Year's?

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23