Month: September 2018

Scripture Sunday The Life I Live

Scripture Sunday: Have Grace with Yourself

Because God does with us.

We are all too hard on ourselves, expect too much, and when we inevitably let ourselves down, we take it hard. We feel bad. We feel overstretched and like we’re never getting enough done, accomplished, or taken care of.

But this isn’t what God wants for us. He wants us to slow down. He was us to give Him more time. He wants us to spend more time with our people. And He wants us to not try to keep up with the outside world, because let’s face it, the outside world is crazy.

Ephesians 4:7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

I myself never live up to my own standards. I always have more on my to-do list and I am never spending enough time with Him. But you know what? He does NOT feel that way. Those standards we have and goals we want to hit, those are self-imposed.

God knows where we were going to be in this minute. He knew that we were going to just make that noon-deadline for work this last week. (Me!) He knows that we may miss a deadline in the future, and He tries to remind us that that’s ok.

Miss a deadline, just don’t miss hearing Him talk to you.

Forget an errand, just don’t forget to pray.

Forget to give yourself grace, but remember, He won’t forget to give you grace.

If you’re reading this, I just want to pray for you:

Dear God, Thank you for giving us more grace than we ever give ourselves. We are so luck to have You. You are always there for us and You always know what is happening with us. You are always there for us to talk to, cry to, yell at, or laugh with. You always support us no matter if times are good or bad. You always love us and we thank You for that. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

 

Dairy Free fruits Gluten Free Paleo Recipes The Life I Live Vegan

Strawberry Vanilla Chia Pudding

Nick loves chia pudding. And chia pudding is quick, easy, healthy, and a great dish to have on hand. So we have it a lot and I am always trying new combos.

This is my newest version and according to him, it’s a winner, too. Make this quick so you can get some of the last of the summer strawberries to add in. Yum!

Strawberry Vanilla Chia Puddingstraw van chia pudding

  • 2 cups vanilla almond milk
  • 1/2 cup chia seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup strawberries, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Combine all the ingredients and let chill in the fridge for 5 hours or overnight. (Stir a couple of times in the first couple of hours to make sure that everything is combined.)

Like this recipe? Go HERE to check out my books!

 

Scripture Sunday The Life I Live

Scripture Sunday: Stronger by Mandisa

I love this song. In fact, it’s my favorite Christian song and has been for a while.

This song reminds us to hold on, whether we are being pulled under the waves or poured on by rain. Just because the days are hard and we are hurt and crying, that doesn’t mean that God’s not right there. He knows what we are going through, He knows we are struggling. He is always there to listen to us, we just have to talk to Him.

He is always there for us. And all we have to do is let Him be.

‘Cause if he started this work in your life

He will be faithful to complete it

If only you believe it

He knows how much it hurts

And I’m sure that He’s gonna help you get

Through this

These are my favorite lines in Stronger. I love to turn this song up, belt it out, and keep it on repeat. Have you heard this song? Do you love it as much as I do?

If you’re reading this I just want to pray for you,

Dear God, We want to say thank you for being there for us whenever we need You. Thank You for the amazing Christian artists in this life that share their experiences and songs and are relatable and comforting to those around them. We know that You are there for us, no matter what kind of mood we are in or what we may have said or done wrong. You are an amazing, all-powerful God, and we are so blessed that You Have our backs! Praise You! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Essential Oils The Life I Live

The Oils That Save My Skin After A Sunburn

It’s almost late September and it (sometimes) feels like Fall, I’m in Wisconsin for a few more weeks, and I accidentally got sunburnt just 3 days ago. Ugh. This is what I did.

I used oils. Yup, my trusty essential oils. And the burn, and my lobster red skin, were 90% recovered by morning. No joke. This is what happened.

I was with some of my favorite friends since high school and we all went to a Brewers game. It. Was. HOT. I’m talking sun without clouds, almost 90 degrees, and the littlest of breezes you ever did feel. I use sunscreen religiously so I did apply!

I slathered on sunscreen..that is on my legs, arms, and shoulders, a spot I always know IMG_20180917_120539gets too much sun. But I forgot to get my face, and I forgot to get my upper chest, and DAMN did I get a burn. I meant to sunscreen my face and chest, but one distraction later, and I forgot. That night, it hurt.

But after getting back from the game, I showered my sunscreen off, and added three essential oils with a carrier oil to my burnt parts, mostly my face, chest, and shoulders. My forehead and hairline was the worst by far but like I said, three applications and a good nights sleep and my skin was cured!

I should have taken a before and after because looking at my face yesterday made it hard to believe how red I really was. But if you need to save your skin from a burn (or if you peel,) use this blend and you will be good to go!

Sunburn Saver

  • 1 drop Lavender
  • 1 drop Frankincense
  • 1 drop Copaiba
  • ½ squirt of Sweet Almond Oil (or carrier oil of choice)

Mix this combination in the palm of your hand and apply to your face or any sunburned area.

I’m telling you, this blend will take your skin from tight, hot, and red to better in just a few applications. Be careful in the sun, but if you do get a burn, save your skin with these oils!

 

Essential Oils The Life I Live

When I Have Psoriasis Flares, This is What I Do

I hate when my psoriasis flares, it’s the worst feeling. What does it feel like? My skin itches, it’s on fire, it turns red, and it’s all around uncomfortable.

So what do I do when it happens? Slather on steroid cream? Run to the dermatologist to bathtub-2485957_1920.jpgget shots? Nope. These are the last things I do, the things I do ONLY if I have to. Let me explain.

I am not one to take medication. If I’m sick, I’m downing homemade, garlic-filled soup, dousing on essential oils, and sipping on OJ along with endless amounts of water.

And when I get psoriasis flares, it’s much of the same. Well, not exactly the same, but as natural and non-medicine as I can. Here are the things I do when I get a flare and the things that make me feel better, sans medicine.

Ice

Sometimes, nothing feels better than ice. It cools your skin, slightly numbs it, and does a good job of taking away the itch. Of course, be careful to not over-chill or give yourself ice burn, as this will only further irritate your skin. But in this case, for psoriasis flares, cold is good.

Essential Oilsleaf-3070153_1920.jpg

If I’m “at home,” and not going out, geranium is key. The thing is, it doesn’t smell good. But you know what else? It stops the itch. My other favorite no itch oil is peppermint. Because of the mint in it, it instantly cools your skin and, you guessed it, stops the itch.

Essential Oil and Epsom Salt Bath

These baths are perfect for flares and really help me relax, too. I like to use lavender, tea tree, and geranium oils for the bath. Make sure to mix the oils in a cup (or more) of Epsom salt and then add them to your bath water. (Just so you know, this mixture doesn’t smell good, it isn’t meant to, but it will make your skin better and you will be glad that you sat in it.) Also, add apple cider vinegar to your bath. I KNOW, yuck, all around, but this isn’t a smell good bath, it’s a (skin) feel good bath. Oh, and make sure the water’s not too hot, this is very important!

These are the main things I do when I get a flare. I have steroid cream on hand if I ever need it, but I rarely use it. I prefer to eat gluten-free, make sure to drink all the water, use paraben-free, fragrance-free, high-quality and natural lotion, and do anything and everything I can to naturally protect and take care of my skin.

I hope you don’t have psoriasis, but if you do, I hope this blog post is helpful and inspiring. Take care!

 

Scripture Sunday The Life I Live

Scripture Sunday: What He Wants From Us

God wants us to love Him. That’s a biggie. Love God, and love people.

God wants us to love everyone. He wants us to be giving. He wants us to jump to the aid of anyone who needs it.

God wants us to be selfless.

God wants us to lend a helping hand and volunteer. And He wants us to share Him.

He wants us to tell everyone to pray more, to listen to God more (because He talks to everyone,) and to share Him more.

God wants us to spend time, talk with, and join together with people who we love to praise Him.

And at the very least, God wants us to pray. He wants us to come talk to Him. He wants us to tell Him everything He already knows about us. He wants us to feel loved . He wants us to know that we are His favorite!

He wants to guide us, He wants to help us.

If only we would let Him.

Let Him.

I just want to take the time to pray for you if you’re reading this:

Dear God, Thank You for loving us. Thank you for reminding us to do what You want from us. Thank You for guiding us to be helpful, kind, loving, caring, selfless, and all around people lovers. We are so blessed to be loved by You. Thank You for always having a plan for us and reminding us of all Your promises in the Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Explorations The Life I Live

Where We Are Now: De Pere, Wisconsin

We’re off! We left this morning, on the way to our new life. The car was packed by 8:45AM and we were ready to walk out the door by 9AM. Scratch that, I was ready, hubby was in the bathroom. **eyeroll** haha.

This post is a new weekly (or so) blog post so that you can stay current we me and my hubby as we travel, work, and begin our new remote life. So much has been happening and we are busier than ever, more blessed than ever, and it starts now!

First stop, De Pere WI. We are staying in De Pere and visiting with Nick’s best friend and family for about a week. Him and Nick are going to the first Green Bay Packer football game tonight. (They are there now and the Packers won. What a game!)

For this week, there will be lots of time to play with his BFF’s kiddos and sit and visit with Nate and Jackie, his best friend and wife. We can’t wait to grill out and have some drinks and some laughs.

But first, I know you wonder what we’ve been up to since we left Florida. Well, we fell in love with WI all IMG_20180822_134600.jpgover again=) The summer weather has been perfect. We got to hike a lot, bike a lot, Nick golfed a lot, and we ate a lot, of beans!

My MIL has a small garden but a small amount of beans it did not produce, there were soIMG_20180729_085919_164 many fresh green beans to eat! My parents in law live in Central Wisconsin and there is everything imaginable to do for fun. We spent time with his brother and girlfriend, too and had dinners, lots of talks, and a round of mini golf. Around the area there are other events, giveaways, golf scrambles, open houses, and more. *family time*

In fact, just last night, we attended a dueling piano show. There was a huge raffle, singers, piano players, and someone even got out a trumpet. What a gas! (As my Dad would say, LOL.) Speaking of my Dad, he just happened to be working about an hour away from us, in a town named Pittsville, and we were able to see him and have dinner with him twice in these last couple of weeks. I loved that time with him, and little as it was, and can be these days, I will always be so thankful for it.

Speaking of family, we also took about a week to go see Nick’s extended family in Fargo, ND, and in Bemidji, MN. Mom and Dad drove the whole way so that Nick and I could work while on the road. That was so helpful and I hope we didn’t take too much advantage of the transportation situation, but we did get a lot of work done. (Thanks again Mom and Dad!)

And about traveling and visiting with family, I know it sounds like we were taking vacations, going to events, chilling, and simply living it up while we’ve been in WI, but IMG_20180825_085408_830the truth is, we worked a lot, too! I finished my latest book, Everything’s Better with Soup and Salad: Part Two, while we were at my in-laws. I wrote a ton of freelance work and did more edits this month than I ever have before. Such a busy work month for me. And for hubby!

Nick’s workload was pretty typical, but he also got out into the world, made some moves, and got some on-site experiences so that he could talk and write about new and fun stories to his readers. Want to know what he did? Of course you do!

Nick did a presentation on bitcoin at a rotary club meeting. His dad is a part of the club IMG_20180827_114538_1and asked him (persistently) to do a presentation. Me and mom helped push Nick to do the presentation, too. And for good reason! Nick is smart, knowledgeable, and did an amazing job explaining a hard to understand and very new to people concept. Way to go, Nick!

Nick also toured a cranberry bog and a ginseng farm, and took me along for the ride! It was awesome to see these things, not only growing but thriving in Central WI, a IMG_20180828_095113place known for both cranberries and ginseng. He talked business, and I talked fun, LOL. We got to try a cranberry, not fully ripened and picked right from the field. It tasted like an apple, not sour at all, a little sweet actually and less firm than an apple consistency but not in a mushy sort of way. We also got our first taste of ginseng via candy. It was different and good, and that’s saying a lot coming from me because I am not a huge candy lover.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for you for now. September is busier than ever and filled with more visits with friends and family, fun WI events, and lots of work during the days.

Thanks for reading and make sure to stay tuned for more from our adventures. Happy Sunday!

 

Gluten Free Recipes The Life I Live Vegan vegetables

How-To: Perfectly Grilled Sweet Corn

The summer is almost gone, but wait! If you’re in WI, you can still get fresh, local sweet corn, and have a summer meal, even now=)

I love to grill sweet corn, it’s the best. It’s super easy, too. Just soak it, grill it, shuck it, and eat it. Here’s how:

Perfect Grilled Sweet CornIMG_20180830_201539

  • 4-6 sweet corn
  • 2 gallons of water (or until the corn is completely submerged)
  • 1 large roasting pan (for soaking)

Place the corn, full husk, into a roasting pan and fill the IMG_20180830_133456pan with water. Soak for an hour or as long as you can.

Light your grill (gas or charcoal,) shake off any access water and grill the corn until the husks are burnt and black, or about 20 minutes.

Husk and eat with lots of butter (or Vegan substitute,) salt and pepper! For me, make some BBQ chicken and you’ve got the perfect summer IMG_20180830_201024meal.

BBQ chicken and grilled sweet corn= summer meal perfection. I’m sorry to everyone who will miss the summer. But me? I actually get to experience some Fall this year and I AM TOO EXCITED!

Are you a Fall lover, too?

 

Gluten Free Meats Recipes The Life I Live vegetables

Everything’s Better with Soup and Salad: Part Two, Read On to Win My Newest Book

My most popular book to date, Everything’s Better with Soup and Salad, now has a part soup and salad covertwo, and it’s coming out this month!

Officially, it’ll be released on September 17th. But you could win a free copy of it as early as Friday, September 7th. That’s this Friday!

This book has new favorites like Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup and Bacon Cheeseburger Salad. Or how about Meat Eater Salad and Bacon Cheddar Potato Soup? These recipes are amazing and will wow everyone!

So, if you want a chance to win it, you need to subscribe to my weekly newsletter. (It comes straight to your email every Wednesday and is filled with health tips, delicious recipes, and is all about wellness.)

Whenever I release a new book, you will hear all about it, get a chance to win it before it even comes out, and will have full access to all of the preorder bonuses and extras just for being subscribed!Capture

To sign up, visit my homepage at iwantwellness.co and add your email to the subscription box on the right hand side. (Enter your email under where it says, ‘follow blog via email.’) That’s it, you’re in!

Remember, you can win it this Friday, as long as your subscribed, so make sure to get your email in right away! I can’t wait for you to enjoy this cookbook, it’s definitely my new favorite=)

XOXO

Scripture Sunday The Life I Live

Scripture Sunday: Praise God

Anytime is a good time to give praise, to give thanks, and to pray. God is always listening,

Last week my best friend in the whole world had brain surgery. This came after a seizure that put her in the hospital two weeks before hand. And she’s 4 months pregnant.

What a month. It’s still surreal thinking about it, and it all happened so fast. The surgery was just four days ago, and it went perfectly. Everything went as planned and her and her baby are happy, healthy, and recovering. Whew!

At first, I lost it. I couldn’t even imagine for one second not having my BFF “at my side.” (We have lived across the country from each other for three years and half a country away for a over a decade.) We talk almost everyday and sometimes, multiple times. We have Sypke dates and send care packages, and are truly closer than ever.

Not having her is literally unthinkable and when I found out, I couldn’t pull it together. But then, I called my “Bible Mama.” I needed someone stronger than me, I needed someone to remind me of His promises, I needed to pray.

I called, breathless, shaking, and in the middle of having a glass of wine with my hubby on our fourth wedding anniversary, after I found out. I could barely talk, I didn’t know what to say, I was full of fear.

She let me breath it out for a second, told me I could NOT be afraid. She reminded me that He knew this was coming, that it was a part of His plan. And she forced me to start the prayer.

Through tears, I prayed. And I felt better. And I praised Him. I praised Him because I knew no matter what, He would take care of my friend. He has a plan for her and He loves her as much as I do. She’s His favorite!

It was hard and I couldn’t do it on my own. But God gave me Skip, my Bible Mama, when I was in Florida. We laugh together, enjoy coffee, tea, and snacks, and praise Him.  And I knew I could call her. And I knew she would answer. Because He told me she would.

He gave her to me and I praise Him for her! #sothankful

Also, the song, “God Gave me You,” was a song that my BFF told me was our song. Aww!

This is my life. And amen for that!

I just want to take the time to pray for you if you’re reading this:

Dear God, Thank You for giving us the amazing people you do in this life. We praise you, in the bad and in the good. Thank You for having a plan for us. We would be lost without You. Thank You for reminding us to see the sun through the rain, to be patient and have faith, and to continue coming to you for anything we need. In Jesus’ name, Amen.