Archives for January 2013

Stand Up for Yourself

January 31, 2013 by Amy 4 Comments

My friend posted this article the other day about the long-term effects of sitting most of your day.

Research is showing that sitting for extended periods of time is worse for you than smoking.

Even for people that exercise regularly.

Yikes.

I can’t tell you how much my life expectancy has changed but I can tell you that after 13 years of sitting at a desk for 30-40 hours a week, it takes a toll. Often, I can feel my legs begging to be moved. I have a really bad habit of slouching AND curling my legs up into the chair. It just can’t be good for me.

I’ve seen the treadmill desks and such but that just isn’t happening for us. This article though really sparked a need for change.

What did I do?

For now, I’ve stuck a laundry basket under my laptop. Oddly, it’s the perfect height.

Hopefully Scott will feel motivated for something more permanent soon.

But can I tell you? I. love. it.

I find myself fidgeting and even, gasp, dancing to my music [read: burning more calories].

While I wholeheartedly believe that my time has already been measured, this has made my work time more enjoyable.

And really, I’ll take all I can get.

What I Wore Wednesday 1.30.2013

January 30, 2013 by Amy 11 Comments

Today’s the day I share my outfits from the week with The Pleated Poppy’s What I Wore Wednesday. I pair my outfits with inspirational photos. Read more about that here.

This is my comfy day. I had a full-on cold and felt yucky. Wearing the yellow and blue helped, though.

Source: pinterest.com via Amy on Pinterest

This is the day I got to meet Maureen from Mercy House Kenya. 100% of proceeds from my handmade necklace goes to the women in Kenya that made it.

Source: flickr.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: treknature.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: myaloysius.tumblr.com via Amy on Pinterest

Gluten-Free Food 101

January 29, 2013 by Amy 5 Comments

GlutenFreeFood101

img credit

If you’ve been following my site for the last year, you know I went gluten-free last February. In the last few months, I’ve been frequently sending a quick-start email to friends choosing the gluten-free lifestyle and realized it might be useful to others. I’ve turned that email into a Gluten-Free Food 101 guide here on the blog and made it available to everyone.

Share the page with friends going gluten free or even those that aren’t so they might know how to cook for their gluten-free guests. Please don’t share *this* post, but hop over to the guide and share the URL/picture from there. The guide is also available on my header so it’s easy to find.

Hope this helps!!

Lessons from Maureen

January 28, 2013 by Amy 4 Comments

Have you ever felt like you were exactly where you were supposed to be? It doesn’t happen often, but I surely felt it this weekend.

If you follow us over at our Facebook page, you would have seen me post a link over to Kristen Welch’s blog We Are That Family this week. For those of you who have been reading for awhile, you know I love Compassion and Mercy House Kenya, a ministry that Kristen started after her first Compassion blogging trip.

Well, my friend Jenny saw my post and tells me that Maureen, the co-founder of Mercy House, was scheduled to be in my town speaking in just a few days. I could not believe it.

My sister joined me and Jenny Saturday to hear Maureen tell her story and the story of Mercy House. I have heard the story of Mercy House many times, as I’ve followed Kristen through the years, but I had never heard all of Maureen’s.

Maureen was rescued by Compassion from the slums of Kenya. Her house was made of mud. She couldn’t sleep on rainy nights because of the muddy floor. She sometimes wouldn’t eat for 3, 4, 5 days. They had no sanitation. Many girls were forced into prostitution—by their mothers.

Compassion breaks in at age 7 and begins to help her family with food, rent money, school fees and of course shares Christ. She gets her family out of the slums, goes to University and is in the Compassion leadership program. Eventually, her story collides with Kristen when Kristen takes a Compassion blogging trip to Kenya and Maureen serves as their tour guide.

It’s just an amazing story of God’s redemption.

We sat listening for over an hour and it felt like we were the only room in the world. I could have listened to her all day telling stories of the women in the Mercy House and the ways God had moved.

I took away a few points from her talk and thought I might share them.

Be a Vessel of Honor

We were pretty much wrecked from Maureen’s opening prayer.

There have been few moments in my life where the Holy Spirit has moved so quickly and powerfully in just a few sentences of a prayer. You could hear her reverence for God and her faith. It truly brings me to tears just thinking of it.

She prayed one sentence that is still sticking with me. In her Kenyan accent she prayed, “Oh God, make me a vessel of honor.” A vessel of honor. I don’t know if that hits you like hit us in the room, but that prayer will always be with me.

Your Past Doesn’t Define You

As she spoke about her past, she shared something someone told her and it is, “Poverty shapes you but it doesn’t define you.” We all have things in our past that could define us. We easily label ourselves as broken, cheaters, liars, poor, etc, but our past does not define us. It simply shapes us. Of course Maureen is impacted by the slums of Kenya, but I can tell you first hand she is not defined by the slums of Kenya. She is free, grateful and joyful.

Find God In Your Dreams

I know this is an odd one to include. We know God spoke so many times in the Bible through dreams. I’ve personally had at least two dreams I’m convinced was God speaking to me. But there was something about hearing Maureen speak about how God had spoken to her through dreams that confirmed it for me.

Say Yes First

As she was sharing her story, she knew that God was calling her to ministry before Mercy House was even a thought in anyone’s mind. She didn’t know what God was calling her to but she said she told God “yes” before she knew what it was.

So many of us get this backwards, including me. We want the plan, the name, the vision, the dream—all of it—before we weigh the risks and decide to say yes.

I think we need to say yes and THEN God will show up.

Be The One

If you ask Maureen, she traces back her rescue to one person that chose to sponsor her through Compassion. One. It only takes one person stepping out and making a difference in someone’s life and you can impact an untold number of others. Be that one.

If you need an idea, support a child through Compassion.

When the speaking was over, I was able to talk with Maureen. She immediately recognized my necklace as a Mercy House Shop necklace and wanted a picture to take back to show the girls someone wearing it.

Even in that, I was reminded that this is the real deal. It’s not the latest Internet fad to support. There are real girls with real babies that are really being rescued. And they need our support.

If you can support Mercy House, please do so. You can become a monthly supporter for just $3 a month or support them through their shop. 100% of the funds go to the girls making the products.

Maureen prayed Saturday to be a vessel of honor and her prayers were surely answered. Thank you, Maureen.

Again

January 25, 2013 by Amy 20 Comments

Writing with Five Minute Friday on “again”. No editing or backtracking, just writing for 5 minutes.

image source

Last I updated, we waited. Waited to hear about the possibilities of a little blonde-haired boy coming to our home. I said it felt right, and it did.

The waiting has ended.

But maybe not for the reason we hoped. He’s getting adopted by his foster parents.

I’m so happy for him. I truly am. He’s getting a forever family with someone that already knows him and where he feels comfortable. He doesn’t have to move homes yet again.

But I can’t say we all weren’t a little disappointed.

But God spoke to us last weekend through a friend, giving what we needed just when we needed it. He let us know he’s coming, finding his way home.

And with that message, my heart is content. Disappointed, but content.

We’re out to sea now, though, floating and not able to see the shoreline. Not sure which direction we need to go to find it.

We’re in a different waiting game, one where we try to find the next step, knowing we’ve taken all the ones He’s told us to so far.

And so we’ll wait.

Again.

StitchFix: Fix #1

January 24, 2013 by Amy 14 Comments

If you haven’t heard of all of these monthly beauty and style boxes circling the Internets, let me introduce you to one of them: StitchFix.

In a phrase, StitchFix is an online personal shopper.

What happens is you pay $20 to order a “fix” from StitchFix. You fill out a style guide and then you wait.

In a few weeks, a stylist will mail you 5 hand-picked items based on your style guide . You get to try on all the pieces, keep what you want or send it all back. You pay only for what you keep AND your $20 styling fee you paid up front goes towards the purchase if you choose to keep something.

Y’all, it’s like Christmas.

Within just a few minutes the box looked like Christmas morning, indeed.

So. Before I show you pictures you have to know I was sick all day, didn’t fix my hair or makeup and didn’t try to put these pieces in outfits. This is like legitimate girlfriends-in-a-dressing-room-trying-on-clothes pictures. Except I ran outside because the lighting is so much better.

Onward.

NORDICA AIRY KNIT OPEN CARDIGAN

Um, does my face give it away? While I normally love cardigans, love maroon and love knitted things, something about this combination didn’t work for me. The sleeves were tight. The length seemed too long. I felt old.

ARINELL TRIANGLE TRIBAL PRINT TANK

I liked the idea of this shirt. Clearly it would be cuter with leggings and boots. I believe this was a size too big though.

LYRA 3/4 SLEEVE JERSEY TUNIC DRESS

Again, it’s hard to imagine with these cords on. The dress would be way cute with tights or leggings but I don’t know. I just can’t seem to get with the pattern. I usually love the chevron pattern but this just didn’t work for me. The dress made me look boxy and dated me. Perhaps another size too large..

HOLLOWAY BUTTONDOWN STRIPE MAXI DRESS

This dress? This dress was all kinds of awesome. It fit like a glove, has gorgeous stripes in all the right places and I love the color. I want to wear it every single day this summer.

TRIBAL PRINT GOLD CUFF

The final piece is a cuff. Unfortunately, the cuffs and I don’t get along too well. Normally, I’d be open-minded but the cuff stayed more like this:

Oh my, isn’t that so much FUN?!

And yes, as you go, you give feedback about size and styling and it gets better as time goes on. As someone said last night, it’s like Pandora!

I’m totally ignoring price tags right now and just having fun with the arrival, dressing up and sharing!! Prices aside, what should I keep?? Is it just me or is the maxi dress the winner, winner, chicken dinner?

If you want to sign up, be sure to use my referral link—for everyone that uses your link you get $25 to spend. FUN, right?!

What I Wore Wednesday 1.23.2013

January 23, 2013 by Amy 11 Comments

Today’s the day I share my outfits from the week with The Pleated Poppy’s What I Wore Wednesday. I pair my outfits with inspirational photos. Read more about that here.

I feel like I should say, Ahoy, matey! with this outfit on but seriously, so bright outside.

Source: redbubble.com via Amy on Pinterest

This day was a no-good rainy day so my rain boots were in order. The rest? I liked the idea of blue, mustard and red together inspired by this duck I pinned but for me, this outfit wasn’t hitting on a whole lot on its own. The duck is pretty amazing though, yes?

Source: flickr.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: magicalnaturetour.tumblr.com via Amy on Pinterest

I wish you could see the gray sequined shirt and snakeskin flats a little better in this picture. I’m still trying to figure out the best way to take these pictures. Tips?

Source: media.picfor.me via Amy on Pinterest

In case you missed my stellar day recap, this was my casual laser tag-bowling outfit. T-shirt, jeans and chucks are still my favorite some days.

Source: Uploaded by user via Amy on Pinterest

Apologies for all the wrinkles and flash on this work outfit. I sat in EIGHT hours of meetings and then drove home 45 minutes before taking this picture. *sigh*

Source: img-fotki.yandex.ru via Amy on Pinterest

Every week I’m convinced I can’t pull off another post with outfits and pictures and God always pulls it together. Such a beautiful creator! I hope you’re enjoying these because I have SO MUCH FUN putting them together!

Come visit my Facebook page for a bonus picture!

3 Ways to Have a Stellar Day

January 22, 2013 by Amy 5 Comments

Days like yesterday don’t happen often in the dead-center of winter, but yesterday? Was stellar.

And the best part is I think you could have one too.

Take a Risk

For several months, perhaps years, I’ve been reading and listening to training on this whole blogging business. Every single one recommended guest blogging.

I knew it was the way to go but Inadequate told me I wasn’t good enough–I didn’t deserve to be published elsewhere. It was a risk to me to send in the guest post to MoneySavingMom.com that published yesterday. But the risk paid off.

And I can’t tell you what a good day that made. Risks don’t always pay off but when they do? Stellar.

Where do you need to take a risk? A conversation? Application? Do it! It will make for a stellar day!

Be Creative

Yesterday morning the girls and I decided to make some homemade play-doh. I did the making and yes, even the playing.

What is it about homemade things that provide so much satisfaction? Perhaps because God is quite creative and he put that inside us too. When we tap into that, it feels right and good and dare I say, sometimes stellar.

Get Active

Scott and I don’t get many days off together so yesterday when we were, I was determined to do something as a family.

We landed on laser tag and bowling. And let me say, running through the dark with fake guns with your 10 year old, chasing down your husband and 8 year old? Makes for a stellar day.

How can you get active? Maybe you need to sign up for that 5K or pick up your dusty tennis racket.

And as a bonus tip, order a StitchFix and perhaps they’ll tell you they shipped it on the same day as your other stellar-ness is happening, making your stellar day downright giggly.

What makes your days stellar?