Weekend Links 6/29/12

Life
How a personality test made me a better mom - Inspired To Action
All you need are two words for a better marriage - Simple Mom
Being a Christian isn't a free pass to judge others - Rage Against The Minivan
What Are You Afraid Of? - (in)courage

Food and/or Recipes
Pretzel Bottom Snickers Blondies - Cookies & Cups
Chocolate Chip Reeses PB cup cookies - Mommy? I'm Hungry!
S'mores Ice Cream - Brown Eyed Baker
Yo' Mama's Dirt Cake - Iowa Girl Eats
Grilled Pesto and Goat Cheese Pizza - eat, live, run

Eating Disorder and/or Self Esteem
How to see your body through your daughter's eyes - Lisa - Jo Baker
Frumps To Pumps - Who You Are - (in)courage
I choose NOT to diet for Summer - you? - We Are The Real Deal

My friend Wendi

Wendi and me - day of my baby shower , March 2012

Happy Belated Birthday to one of my best friends, Wendi. Her birthday was yesterday and while I didn't get to spend time with her on her special day, I hope she knows how much I love and appreciate her! She is such a wonderful wife, mother and friend!!!

When I was thinking about her birthday yesterday, my mind went back in time reflecting on many of the memories we have shared together. Just to name a few . . .

Middle school volleyball, softball and basketball. Yes, I played sports back then but this does not mean I had any talent, whatsoever. We went to a small private school = it was not hard to make the team if you catch my drift. For the record, Wendi was actually good and actually got some playing time. :)

Middle school birthday parties, sleepovers and just your usual girl drama that comes with this age group. Oh how I would not relive the middle school years for anything. Anything.

Church youth group activities

Our first year of high school together before she moved away to Austin for the remainder of her high school days.

Our freshmen year of college here. We were not roommates but lived in the same dorm, on the same hall.

Our sophomore year of college. We pledged Sigma Theta Chi "social club," and in doing so developed some of our greatest (shared) friendships.

Our junior and senior year of college. We moved off campus, into the same house, and had an absolute blast those two years.

Our weddings - both bridesmaids for each other

Watching each other grow into a Christian wife and eventually, mother

Yet through all of these memories one thing I respect most about Wendi is her willingness to speak out, to say something, when her gut tells her something is up or is not right.  Outside of my family members, Wendi was the only friend who called me out about my eating disorder. The only one. I remember like it was yesterday. She sat next to me, with tears in her eyes, saying "Britt, are you ok? You've lost so much weight and I'm worried about you." (We were on vacation together and were sitting in the hallway of our hotel room. Why we were sitting there I have no idea.) Of course, at that time, my obsession with loosing weight had just begun and so I was in no way ready to make a change or be honest with her. I basically told her what she wanted to hear in hopes to ease her mind and so I could just continue on as "normal." Yet she didn't stop there. She continued to watch, listen and observe my behaviors, when we were together. She wrote me a few emails continuing to share her concern for my health. I continued to blow her off. I don't recall when exactly but eventually I took off the mask and broke the silence, and for once was honest with my sweet friend. While she didn't know it at the time, and while I certainly didn't show it, I really was thankful that she was willing to ask me about my struggles. By doing so she was showing me that she cared and that she loved me enough to risk our friendship, because honestly she had no idea how I would respond to her pointed questioning. She heard God tugging at her heart and she responded. She rose up to the occasion. She didn't sit on the sidelines and wonder. God spoke and she didn't miss a beat.

So Wen, I love ya friend!! Thank you for all the memories so far. Thank you for your love, support, prayers and compassion during the hard times. And thank you for having some guts.

You truly are part of my recovery story.

You're the best!

Happy Belated birthday!

Wendi and Me, June 2009,  seven months into my recovery from anorexia

Weekend Links 6/22/12

Life
Its who I am - Jamie Schulz
What's Your Thing? - Grace Full Mama
The Three Things Wife - (in)courage
Unforgiven - (in)courage
Laid-back mom, "type A" mom, or somewhere in the middle? Motherhood might surprise you - The Happiest Mom

Food and/or Recipes
Chipotle Black Bean Burgers - Iowa Girl Eats
Steak and Veggie Kabobs w/ avocado dipping sauce - eat, live, run
Blueberry Buttermilk Biscuits w/ Lemon Glaze - Blue-Eyed Bakers
roasted veggie & black bean tacos - gimmie some oven!
Red Velvet Cheesecake Pops - Steamy Kitchen
French Toast w/ A Twist - I adore food

Eating Disorder and/or Self Esteem
Embrace Your Bod - Guiltless
What three words would you send to life someone's spirit? - We Are The Real Deal
Stop Lying To Yourself About Your Eating Habits - We Are The Real Deal

Make it a great weekend!
Britt

Tuesday thought

(Source)

Weekend Links 6/15/12

Food and/or Recipes
Spinach and Cheese Quinoa Casserole - eat, live, run
Vegan Dark Chocolate Stuffed Scones - eat, live, run
Cake Batter Blondies - The Girl Who Ate Everything
Pad Thai on the lighter side - Skinnytaste
Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Hummus - gimmie some oven!
The Best Spinach and Artichoke Dip Ever - The Pioneer Woman
Baked Oatmeal Bars w/ PB and Banana - Rumbly In My Tummy

Oreo Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies - Blue Eyed Bakers 

Life
Kindness Matters - (in)courage
What is your anything? - (in)courage
Stop Playing It Safe - Jamie Schulz
Ringing Doorbells - a deeper story
Love Assumes The Best - a deeper story
3 happy truths about new motherhood - The Happiest Mom
Being a mom is one of the hardest things I've ever done - inspired To Action
when it comes to losing a child, time does not heal - Rage Against The Minivan

Eating Disorder and/or Self Esteem
The 1 in 20 Project - ED Bites
Own Your Beauty: Change the Conversation - BlogHer
10 Phrases That Every Child Needs to Hear - We Are The Real Deal
Weighing In: The Yay! Scale - We Are The Real Deal
Body Image Booster:Adjusting Our Stories - Psych Central
Guarding My Eyes So I Don't Compare Myself - inspired To Action
What makes you beautiful - 100 women weigh in - the gypsy mama

(Source)

"i prayed for this"

"I prayed for this."

This is a phrase I have been repeating over and over and over the past two days. I am not sure if our Vermont trip through Clara for a loop but ever since we returned she has not been acting like herself. She eats well (praise God!) followed by some good awake time, yet anytime I put her down to nap during the day/sleep during the night she screams. Not the "sweet little newborn" type of cry. We are talking the full out "If someone was walking by my house they might think I'm hurting my child" type of cry. I always first assess if she is hungry (usually not b/c she just ate), dirty/wet or needs to burp/has gas. If none of those things are an issue I put in her paci, pat her back, or pick her up for a few seconds until she is calm. Then I lay her back down. Enter the screaming. She will scream until I pick her up and then literally within 30 seconds will fall asleep on my shoulder. 30 seconds. I have to have her in a deep sleep before putting her down if I want it to last or if I ever want to sleep. So. . .

"I prayed for this."

No. I didn't pray for a screaming child and I didn't pray to cry my way throughout the day. But I did pray for a baby. And with a baby comes crying and sleepless nights and sleepless days. I knew all of this when we prayed so diligently to get pregnant. 

Regardless of the hard days and nights I will choose to always give thanks. This doesn't mean I won't cry. In fact, I might cry a lot. But I will praise God daily for my sweet baby girl. Because there are hundreds of other couples out there that are now walking the hard road of infertility. They would give anything to be in my shoes. Anything. I know this because I was once there, too. So I encourage any of you out there that greatly struggled to conceive but are now holding your sweet child. . . 

for the sake of others. . . 

please don't forget. . .  

"You prayed for this."

and 

"I prayed for this." 

We are blessed. 

a few of my favorite things

So I was sitting here this morning drinking my coffee (done simultaneously while nursing. . . don't freak out people. . . not going to make Clara go haywire from too much caffeine running through her veins) and literally thinking "this coffee is SO good and drinking it is one of my favorite morning rituals." From there I just started thinking about all the little things I do/use everyday that have over time become a favorite, and thought I would share them with you all. I know. Super exciting, right? I hope for your sake some deeper, more insightful blog content will follow up this post. Without further ado. . . a few of my (current) favorite things. . . (thanks to google images for all of the photos below, besides the one of my daughter. duh)

Donut House Cinnamon Roll coffee is out of this world good. I know I know, there are many of you who prefer boring black coffee with no taste whatsoever. Boo on you. This is seriously delicious and tastes AND smells like hot, gooey cinnamon rolls out of the oven. Especially when mixed with . . .

Do you see that cinnamon roll goodness in the above picture? That is basically what my coffee tastes like every morning thanks to International Delights Cinnabon coffee creamer. I could drink it all day long. But alas I hold myself to one (maybe two after a really long, hard night w/ Clara) cup in the morning. Please try this asap. You will not regret it one bit.

Stacy's gingerbread pita chips basically taste like cinnamon sugar chips with a hint of gingerbread. They are amazing! Yes I am a little obsessed with all things that even semi reflect the cinnamon sugar combo. I believe these are a seasonal flavor as I haven't seem them in the store lately. I will admit I bought a bag over Christmas holiday, put them in the bottom of the pantry, and forgot about them until. . . two weeks ago. They were well past their expiration date yet unopened, so I went for it and didn't look back. I think the bag contains a total of 7 servings. I may or may not have eaten this entire bag in 3. Just saying.

Sabra Hummus is, by far, my favorite hummus around. Brandon thinks this tastes like dirt but anyone out there with normal taste buds will side with team Brittnie. The pretzel chips are just the icing on the cake. I have tried several other brands yet Sabra always wins in my book. These make a great snack or compliment to any meal.

For the longest time I have been a hard core Today Show fan, but as of late I am watching more and more Good Morning America. Now that I am home with Clara full time and our mornings are (usually) pretty chill I find myself flipping on GMA. I really enjoy their team of hosts and feel that they give a slightly less  biased opinion that other morning shows.

Ok. . . I will admit that I am not one of those women that vacuum every day. I am an organizational freak but when it comes to deep cleaning I am not the best. We replaced our vacuum a few months back and replaced it with the Hoover Wind-tunnel. This stellar piece of equipment makes me want to vacuum everyday. No lie. The first time we used it we were astonished at how much JUNK it pulled up from our carpet, even when the carpet looked fairly clean to begin with. If any of you are in need of a new vacuum you will not be disappointed. This one is also quite a bit cheaper than some on the market and gets good reviews via Consumer Reports. Love. It.

After about 5 seconds of becoming a mom I realized the importance of the swaddle blanket. I have a few brands here at home but the Aedan and Anais blankets are the BEST. They feel like gauze and are much bigger than the traditional swaddle blanket. I am so glad I listened to my many friends recommendations as many said these were a must have! Clara loves being all tight and cozy in these and let's not overlook how cute they are as well. A&A have many different patterns/colors depending on your taste.

Staring at this cutie has become a favorite pastime of mine over the last month. Need I say more? Didn't think so.

Your turn! What are some of your favorite things as of late? Any one else out there as obsessed with all things cinnamon sugar? :) Let's hear it! 

Clara 1 month

Our little girl is one month old! I meant to post these photos on Clara's actual one month birthday (June 2), but I am a tad behind schedule these days. We just arrived home from a week long vacation to Vermont with my family and now we are trying to get back into a "routine" (ha! funny!) in between feedings and loads of laundry. Another post to come this week. . . Enjoy a few pictures!

And I think she hit her limit of picture taking. . . Ha!

Weekend Links 6/1/12

Life
Be online. But be offline, too. - Simple Mom
Bittersweet - A Deeper Story
No More Waiting - (in)courage
The Wandering Heart - Jamie Schulz
The Heart of Simplicity: Foundations for Christian Homemaking - Keeper of the Home
You Are A Mom. And You're Kind Of A Big Deal - Life Rearranged
5 reasons your child should be friends with someone who has special needs - The Mom Blog

Food and/or Recipes
185 Best Summer Recipes - Brown Eyed Baker
Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes - Brown Eyed Baker
Death By Snickers Bar - Cookies & Cups
Old Fashioned Chocolate Chips Pie - eat, live, run
Easy Blueberry Buttermilk Cake - skinny taste
Blueberry Cinnabons - Rumbly In My Tummy
Nutella Bread Pudding - Steamy Kitchen
Chocolate Chip Caramel Ice Cream Sundae - The Pioneer Woman
*I think nursing is bringing out my sweet tooth, can you tell?*

Home and/or Organization
A Laundry Room Dilemma - Organizing Made Fun
Repurposed Component Cart - i heart organizing

Eating Disorder and/or Self Esteem
"You Are More Than Your Swimsuit"- the gypsy mama
Fear, food, and the need for control - ED Bites (I think this hits the nail on the head!)
Evidence Based Treatment: Is It The Answer To Treating Eating Disorders? - We Are The Real Deal
Our walls of perfect bodies need to come down - We Are The Real Deal