headbands for hope

Coming down to Florida, where I didn't know anybody, gave me a LOT of extra time to sit and dream. I've been reading Restless and Mama Needs a Do-Over since moving and both have been challenging me and reminding me that while I'm a mom, I'm me. Becoming a mom doesn't mean I can't have my own dreams, aspirations, and passions. So often, I'm stuck in the rut of dirty diapers, smudgey faces, bath time and bedtime routines, and quieting crying children that I forget about myself. A lot of days, it's all I can do to make it to bedtime. And I mean MY bedtime, not theirs. While God has met me in my exhaustion and been good to me, I still felt like there was something missing.

This blog was a step in the right direction. I've always loved writing and communicating. I have a degree in public speaking, for crying out loud! To have a place to write and put all my thoughts in one place has been good for my heart. 

I still felt like I have gifts and passions that just weren't being used. 

One day a few weeks ago, I woke up with a legitimate need to make something. Anything. I was feeling dried up and needed to give my creativity a lap around the track. I ended up whipping Ellie up a headband. 

It was simple, sweet, and I really enjoyed making it. She got a ton of compliments on it and people said they'd love to have one for their kid. It got my wheels turning. I could do that! I could make headbands for other people's kids! But I felt like there needed to be more to it. 

The last few years have taught me that moms need each other. Especially in the beginning. Being a mom is hard. The first several weeks of Reuben's life were harder than I could've ever imagined. It was lonely, depressing, isolating, and painful. I had more support than I could've ever asked for, but I still struggled. I want to use those bad experiences to give other mamas hope.

Enter in Place of Hope. It's a ministry that was born out of Christ Fellowship and now supports children in South Florida from the womb, all the way to out of high school.

Being a young, single mom has to be harder and scarier than I could ever imagine. Place of Hope has a ministry they call Joann's Cottage. They take in mamas and mamas-to-be who have nowhere to go but are choosing life, and give them a roof over their head, food, the opportunity of an education, parenting classes, and so much more, all in a Christ-centered environment. We're talking girls still in high school, girls kicked out of their homes, victims of rape, girls. with. no one. If anyone had the "right" to choose to not have a baby, it's these girls. But they're choosing life. And they NEED support. That's just what Joann's Cottage is giving them! They're meeting their needs on every level-physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.

I reached out to them, and I'm so happy to say I get to partner with them to help these mamas!

A portion of every single headband and bib I make and sell will go straight to meeting the needs of Joann's Cottage. It may look different every month, but I'm so excited to share with you how you are able to help bless them, simply by buying an accessory!

All of the info will be on my SHOP page and will constantly be updated with new fabric options and anything I feel led to add to the shop.

Please share this with your friends and consider buying some for birthdays, Christmas, showers, or even yourself---they come in adult size (the headbands, not the bibs ;-) )!

Come alongside me and let's support these new moms! 

homemaker and mama don't always mesh

I always thought that the day I got to be a stay at home mom, my house would become immaculate and we'd always have a fridge full of options and hot, tasty food on the table (where we'd all sit together every night of the week and have rousing conversation while we oohed and ahhed over the deliciousness of the food).

Spoiler alert: That's not the case.

I've been a stay at home mom a little over a year, and I'm still just a few steps ahead of where I was when I worked full time.

If were having people over, we still have to scurry to get it cleaned up in time for them to come in.

The sink is full of dirty dishes more than it's not.

Laundry stays folded piled in the hamper until we wear it again and move it to the dirty clothes hamper (or floor). 

The toy room stays chaotic except for the once a week cleaning Reuben and I do. 

We eat lunch on the floor 6/7 days a week. Sometimes dinner if it's just me and the kids.

If we're not going anywhere, the kids aren't wearing pants.

But guess what?

I stopped doing the laundry this week because Reuben asked me to read a book with him.

Dishes had to be put down because Ellie got tired and needed some Mama cuddles.

We eat on the floor because Reuben loves it and looks forward to our picnics. 

The playroom stays messy because we're always in there playing and using our imaginations.

Our kids are happy, healthy, and loved beyond measure. We sing, dance, learn, and explore. The laundry, dishes, and table meals will always be here. These sweet, sweet moments with my itty bitty babies will be gone before I know it. I mean, I'm already halfway through my uninterrupted time at home with Reuben! In just 2.5 years, he'll be gone from me more than he's with me. Woah. 

Are you there with me? Honestly, I don't think our kids will remember the laundry, toys, and dishes. They're going to remember the laughs laughed, books read, songs sung, and all the dances we make up. I am far from a great homemaker, but I'm praying, by God's grace, that my kids can look back on their lives and think I'm a great mama. 

last week's food wins//vegetarian, WHAT?!

Clint and I like meat. Like really like it. We eat it every dinner. Meat and a side. But ya know what? Meat is expensive. And according to Forks Over Knives, it's not even that good for you. I decided to leave it out of several meals this week. Not only did I get food for an entire 7 days (plus some) for under $100 (details next week. Hint: Aldi), we didn't even miss it!

One night I tried Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce from The Pioneer Woman.

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This was super easy to make and really tasty! I started the sauce and then just let it do its thing while I put Reuben to sleep and by the time I was done, it was ready to move on to the next step. I substituted greek yogurt in for heavy cream to save some serious calories and add in some more protein. Just swap out a cup of yogurt for the cup of cream. Worked like a charm and saved over 700 calories.

I'm not sure you caught that. A simple swap saved over SEVEN. HUNDRED. CALORIES. 

Next up was Crock Pot Potato Soup. 

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Ok, technically we did have some bacon in this, but leave that off and it's meat-free! This took a little bit more work than my regular crock pot potato soup because I used fresh potato instead of frozen hash browns, but it was tastier, so totally worth it. Again, I swapped out heavy cream for greek yogurt. I left out the thyme because Aldi didn't have it and I didn't want to buy a ton of it for one recipe. We didn't miss it at all.

Fun Florida story. I told Clint I had decided to make this soup for dinner and that he should invite someone over because we had plenty. He mentioned it to our friend, Kevin, who said, "What's potato soup?"

WHAT'S POTATO SOUP?!

Then he asked a few more people in the office and NONE OF THEM HAD EVER HAD IT BEFORE. Kevin's wife, Brittany, had it one time at a restaurant, but that's it. Apparently this is a southern thing that has not quite made it down here? We'll be happy to start the introductions.

The last, and absolutely most surprising one, was Black Bean Tacos with Avocado Cilantro-Lime Sauce.

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Guys, this. was. DELICIOUS. I can't get over how much I loved it. We all loved it. Reuben ate it happily, too! The beans were rich and delicious and the sauce had an amazing zing to it. The filling can't get easier. Literally two cans of beans, a cup of salsa, and some cumin heated and smushed together. Reuben could've made dinner if he could use a can opener. We added a pinch of cheese and used flour tortillas because Aldi didn't have corn, but it would've been gluten free and vegan and just as delicious without that. Clint made some breakfast tacos for lunch over the weekend and added some of the leftover sauce to them and it took them to a whole new level. 

If you or anybody in your family is skeptical of meat-free meals, I seriously encourage you to try the tacos out and see what they think. 

Clint and I have decided we're going to cut our meat consumption down to 3 times a week and see how it goes. I want to make sure we're replacing it with good, nutritious food and not just carbs on carbs on carbs. It will be a challenge, but Pinterest absolutely helps! Check out all my boards here. I just pinned a vegetarian crock pot pin that looks like I hit the motherload. I can't wait to try some out and tell y'all about them!

Have you ever been surprised by a meat free meal? Have any favorites I should try? Let me know!

four things I wish someone had told me before I had children

Remember back in the day when you found a disposable camera you'd forgotten about? The anticipation to know what memories you'd captured on it? Well, while we were packing up to move down here, I'd found some camera cards I didn't know we had and the same giddy excitement came over me. I finally got around to looking at them this weekend and found some gems.

Pictures of our last Disney Cruise.

Pictures from our friend's rehearsal dinner.

Pictures of our BFF's kid (turning 4) eating solids for the first time.

And the very best find...

That's my very first "bump" picture during my pregnancy with Reuben. I was maaaaaybe 5 weeks pregnant and "feeling it". HA.

I was full of fear (we'd previously lost a baby, but that's another post for another day) and, clearly, anticipation and excitement. I just knew motherhood would be the most wonderful experience. After all, we'd been trying and dreaming about it for the last 6 months. I was over the moon about meeting the little human who would be half me and half Clint. Little did I know, the tiny human in my belly would basically be a Clint clone. ;-)

Nine months later, my world was completely rocked. It was NOTHING like I thought it would be. I was honestly a little angry no one had told me what to expect because What to Expect When You're Expecting was not cutting it. Since Reuben's birth, I've tried to be real with first time moms like I wish people had been with me. These are some things I always share...

1. Birth and the days following may not go the way you planned. That's ok.

I'd planned to go into labor on my own, preferably as close to my due date as possible to give baby plenty of time to cook. Baby would be placed on my belly for skin to skin and eagerly latch right on to nurse for the first time. No pacifier or supplementation in the hospital. Head home the next day.

Literally nothing went as planned. I ended up having a cessation a little after 37 weeks because I was very sick without knowing it. Because of the sickness, I was drugged up in the hospital for the next 5 days, waiting for my platelet count to go up and my blood pressure to go down. My milk wasn't coming in, Reuben was a lazy nurser, and he lost 10% of his birth weight. The pediatrician said we needed to supplement to get him on the right track. It was all so incredibly discouraging. I was afraid and unsure of everything. 

But you know what? God redeemed all of it. My best friend helped us get on track with breastfeeding and he went on to nurse for 18 months. If I hadn't gotten sick and Reuben had come on his own around his due date, there's a really good chance we'd never have ended up in Florida. The birth experience does not define you as a mother. God is bigger than all of that and has it all in His hands.

2. You may not like your baby right away. That's ok.

I always envisioned my baby coming out and feeling instant heart eyes. After all, they would've grown inside me the last 9 months. Of course I'd connect with them. What I didn't realize is that your baby will be a brand new person who you wouldn't really know and who doesnt't really know you. We'd have to learn how each other worked. The love was always there. The like? Not so much.

Post partum hormones are no joke, y'all. They left me feeling isolated and so, so lonely. The irrational part of me blamed Reuben because I didn't feel that way before him. When he was two weeks old, refusing to nurse, and screaming uncontrollably around midnight, I put him down on the bed with Clint, screamed, "I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE," and left the room to go cry by myself. Talk about a low point. 

I spent a lot of time praying to God for patience, peace, and love for Reuben. I'll never forget looking at him when he was five weeks old, sitting in his swing, and thinking, "I can do this mom thing. I like you buddy." 

3. You'll do things you said you'd never do. That's ok.

The "perfect" parents have never actually parented anybody. I was one of them when I was pregnant. I knew exactly how I'd do everything: where he'd sleep (rock n play for a few weeks until he moved to his crib), what he'd eat (I'd make all his food from organic fruits and veggies), and how he'd act in public (perfectly behaved and NEVER on our phone). The joke was definitely on me.

He ended up sleeping with us because I realized how much more sleep I got. He ate jarred foods at first and then finally just whatever we were eating because I was over making his own food after I did it one time. He also got our phones out in public if he started freaking out when we were trying to have a conversation with other adults. 

You know what I realized? You do what works for your family. Find your groove and roll with it. As long as it's not dangerous to you or your baby, you're all happy and healthy, and it works, go on with ya bad self.

4. It. Is. Worth. It.

Motherhood is by far the hardest thing I've ever done, but I wouldn't trade a single second of it for anything in the whole world. The sleepless nights, the tears, the hormones, the stank (seriously, showering is a luxury), the poop, the feelings, they're all worth it. One day, your baby will smile at you and it'll melt your heart. Then one day, they'll crawl/walk over to you and give you a kiss all on their own accord and leave you crying puddles on the floor. Later on, they'll look at you and say, "I love you, mama," completely unprompted. Gosh. Be still my heart.

Watching them grow from screaming lumps of chub into little people with distinct personalities, likes/dislikes, and quirks is indescribable. It's worth it a million times over.

What are some things you wish people had told you before you became a mother?

five on friday//mom encouragement

This was a great week. A really great week. Not because of anything in particular, just because my attitude has changed (totally by God's grace, not my own doing!) and it makes the days a little brighter!

Here are some random bright spots and a few things I'd encourage you to check out!

1//mama needs a do-over

After a complete mama breakdown one night last week, Clint encouraged me to start a devotional on the YouVersion Bible App based off the book Mama Needs a Do-Over. It was only a 7 day devotional, so not a huge commitment, but I finished it today and wish it had been longer. It was so real. And so encouraging. And just plain good. How many times a day do you, as a mom, wish you could re-do something with your kids? A moment you lost your temper or were stressed about getting somewhere on time? Lisa Pennington gives super simple and applicable tips to help you regain your composure, redirect your kiddos, and get everybody's sight back on Christ and the joy He loves to give us. Download the devotional today!

2//dog baby

If given the opportunity, Ellie will roll herself over to the vertical blinds (by the way, vertical blinds are awful. Can I get an amen?!) and stare out the window, like a dog. I'm talking for 15-20 minutes, which is a loooooong time in 4.5 month old time. It never ceases to crack me up!

3//scripture memory

I've been learning that having my brain full of scripture is crucial to keeping a positive attitude. I realized I'm not really good at looking at cards or stuff throughout the day, but I see my hand all. the. time. So the last few days, I've written a verse on my hand. On top of me always seeing it, Reuben is always seeing it. He's in a phase where he asks questions about ev-er-y-thing. I probably read the verse off my hand at least 20 times a day after he said "What that say, mama? That from Bible, mama?" By the end of the day, I've gotten the verse engrained in my mind! I'm planning on moving towards verses that I want Reuben to learn, too, so that we can start saying them together. Simple things like "Love one another," "Be brave, strong, and courageous," and other ones that will help his toddler heart.

Use your toddler's curiosity and try it for yourself!

4//playtime

I knew eventually Ellie and Reuben would play together. It's what siblings do. But I didn't expect for it to be so early and for it to bring SO much joy to all of us. I will say, with playtime comes spats. A few days ago, Ellie was playing with Reuben's talking puppy and he decided it was time for him to play with it so he took it and walked off. Ellie acted like he had ripped her arm off and started throwing the biggest fit ever. First off, excuse me? Four months old and doing that? Lord, help me later. Second, I couldn't help but laugh as we got it straightened out. The first time of MANY, I'm sure!

5//sleep

It's oh-so-simple yet something every mom longs for. I've been able to get both kids asleep at the same time every day this week and catch a cat nap myself. HALLELUJAH! Naps make everything better. Grab one if you can! Don't make them too long though. Then you'll wake up confused and angry... trust me. I would know. ;-)

Linking up with these ^^^ wonderful blogs today. From the link-up? Let me know! I'd love to check out what's going on in your life this Friday!

last week's food wins//"chick-fil-a" nuggets

Last week was CUH-RA-ZY. Clint was gone way more often than he wasn't and we were just off our game. There was a lot of cereal, PB&Js, and snack-food-made-dinners for me and Reuben.

However, I DID cook dinner for our guest, Josh. One night, I made the turkey burgers from last week because they're literally that good. The other, I decided to revisit a recipe I'd made one of our first months in Knoxville.

Just check this picture out.

Copycat Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets.

Guys. These things are soooooooooo good. They're definitely Chick-fil-A quality. And I ate the leftovers on a Sunday. It doesn't get much better than Chick-fil-A on a Sunday.

I followed the recipe pretty much to the point besides not having time to let the chicken soak in the milk/egg mixture. I popped them right in and out and they still tasted fantastic. Also, I had to cook them a little longer than 3 minutes per side to get them golden brown, but I was using a regular, non-stick skillet. It may be completely different in a cast iron skillet like they use. Next time, I plan to sprinkle in the tiniest bit of cayenne just for a lil' somethin' special.

What are you guys eating this week?

buzz lightyear

Buzz Lightyear is Reuben's favorite person in the world under Jesus and his family. He wants to watch every movie every day and would if we let him. That'd be 4.5 hours of Toy Story a day. Reuben's dream day.

He's met Buzz at Disney a few different times and always gets legitimately starstruck.

Right before we left Knoxville, I went to a consignment sale to get some "fall and winter" clothes (which really don't matter down here, I've come to find out). I found a Buzz Lightyear costume IN REUBEN'S SIZE. I grabbed it and would've paid just about anything for it, but did a happy dance right there in the aisle when I saw it was $5. Then, I went to the toy section and found Buzz Lightyear WINGS. Real, working wings. Obviously not flying, but alllllll of the buttons make his catch phrases come out of a tiny speaker. Five. Dollars.

We busted them out on a slow day last week and he was convinced he WAS Buzz. He'd press his "laser" on his arm and go "zoomzoomzoom" and a million other adorable things. 

Gosh. I can't even handle how cute this still a toddler, not quite a preschooler phase is. 

To infinity and beyond, little buddy!

five on friday // 1

five random goodies from my brain

1//friends visiting

We have company this weekend! Our friend, Josh, came down to stay with us for the weekend. He and Clint are going to the Titans game in Tampa on Sunday. Reuben LOVES Josh and asked about him every single day when we told him he was coming down. We're so happy to have him with us and are not-so-secretly hoping he falls in love with West Palm Beach and decides to move down here.

2//living room naps

Ellie is now 4 months old. Why do I feel like I'm a first time mom all over again sometimes?! She currently takes 95% of her naps on the floor in the living room on a blanket. She's not on any sort of schedule, I just get her to sleep when she starts seeming fussy. There has to be a better way. I just haven't had the time/brain capacity to sit and figure it out logistically. The big plus side? She's stinking' adorable when she sleeps and I can sit and oogle her as long as my heart desires when she's in the same room.

3//sibling love

Ellie is waking up to Reuben and he is loving it. He's always doing stuff to make her laugh, helping her with toys, talking to her, and just generally being an adorable older brother.

4//"fall"

"Fall" does not mean fall in south florida. Womp womp. It's hard to get excited about a season when it's still 90 degrees outside and you're in shorts and tank tops. I hear I'll get used to it and grow to love it, but I'm not convinced. Tennessee is too gorgeous to not miss.

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5//"restless"

I've been working my way through this book over the last few weeks and it is wonderful. Exactly what I need in this phase of life. When I'm done, I'm going to do a whole post about it, but take this little snippet and be encouraged. 

"Great people do not do great things; God does great things THROUGH surrendered people."

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What's going on in your world this week?

Linking up for Five on Friday!

#tbt

Because when you stumble across a picture of you and your babe just 6 short months ago that feels like years ago, it deserves a #tbt. Sweet, sweet baby Reuben.

He was in the middle of making his elephant noise in preparation to ride the safari at Animal Kingdom.

Gosh. I love that boy!

last week's food wins

I'd never claim to be a fantastic cook. I try, but my go to will always be pan fried chicken and pasta because that's what I ate 90% of my childhood. #pickyeater

Pinterest is my go-to for new recipes. Sometimes they're a hit, other times they're a BIG ol' miss. Last week was FULL of wins for me. Every dinner, Clint raved about how yummy it was. Reuben, not so much. His toddler taste buds will get there, I'm sure.

First one was Wednesday. Steak salad. Gosh, I wanted to eat that entire 16 oz of sirloin all by myself. It was THAT GOOD.

I've never cooked a steak in my life. I did some research (AKA googled) and saw there were a ton of different ways. I took a bunch of them and combined them to what sounded best to me. First, I set the steak out to get to room temp, dried it really well, and did a very generous sprinkling of freshly ground pepper and kosher salt. Then,  I got our nonstick pan suuuuuuuper hot, sprayed it with a little cooking spray, and stuck the steak in there. Three minutes on each side and a couple on the fatty side to get it to render off, and we were left with this. It was melt in your mouth good.

Reuben didn't love it. He said "Oh! I try steak!... Oh. I no like that." We'll try again, little guy. Clint said it was one of the best steaks he's ever had. BAM.

Cut up some zuchinni, shred some carrots, roast a little corn, and toss in some shredded cheese on top of your spring mix. Dinner. Is. Served.

The next night we did greek yogurt pancakes.

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I fried up some turkey bacon and scrambled some eggs to go with these. I doubled the recipe to make sure we had some leftover for the next few days of breakfast. They're delicious popped in the toaster! I added some chocolate chips to a few since we were out of syrup and we gobbled them up. And guys, they've got greek yogurt in them. Instantly healthy.

I'd say the creme de la creme were these turkey and zucchini burgers.

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I used sweet onion instead of red onion and used a little more zucchini than it called for, but it still tasted great and I was able to make 6 patties instead of 5. They seared beautifully and cooked really quickly. We put them on some pretzel buns I'd found at aldi. YUM. We ate the again the next night, they were THAT good.

Tell me, what have your dinner wins been lately?

Playmobil Funpark

In case you guys didn't know, Florida is HOT. Like, crazy hot. Not only do we Lamberths burn after 10 minutes outside here, we have a very low tolerance for heat. We'll build it up eventually, but it's going to take a while.

That being said, we are allllllll for inside play. The only problem with those jumpy parks is that I can't really play with/help Reuben with Ellie in the ergo or solly wrap so I don't want to spend the money to go there and it be a complete disaster and leave within a few minutes. I heard there was a place that was only ONE DOLLAR to go in to and they had a ton of toys for kids to play with. It sounded too good to be true, but we decided to try it out.

Y'all. Playmobil Funpark is where it's AT!

We were pleasantly surprised that it was indeed only $1 per person to go in and play for as long as you'd like. You can come and go as you please all day long with your receipt from that morning.

Once you get inside, it's like a toddler's dream!

They have tables and tables and tables of playmobil sets up and ready to be played with. There's a whole girl section full of princesses and houses (we didn't really go over there since Ellie would be more into eating the pieces than playing with them), farms and zoos, police and firemen, pirates, and an entire castle full of dragons and knights and all of that goodness.

Who said a bright yellow rescue helicopter couldn't play with pirates?

After running around the whole building a few times, Reuben spent the most time in the castle room playing with a dragon. I think he would've stayed all day if we let him.

When you walk out, you walk out through a gift shop full of everything you just played with. Genius. We almost got Reuben the dragon but then realized it would turn our $3 day of fun into a $23 day of fun and passed.

Reuben and I (and of course Ellie. She tags along for now.) will most definitely be going back there. We live less than 5 minutes from it, so I plan on taking advantage of their come and go policy. Definitely a south Florida WIN!

How did we get here?

(I'm not going to lie. I sang that out loud to the tune of the Paramore song from Twilight. Definitely going to go find that on Apple Music once I'm done here.)

Let's start at the very beginning.

In March 2013, Clint Came down to West Palm Beach (forever and ever known as WPB after this) on a mission trip with the church we both worked at. I was mad that he even went because Reuben was only six weeks old and i was NOT keen on the idea of being home alone with a newborn while Clint got to go to the beach and sleep through the night (even though it was on an air mattress on a gym floor). He called me on Sunday afternoon and said, "Steph, this church is amazing. God is doing something here. I need to be a part of it one day." I said something snarky and full sleep-deprived postpartum hormones along the lines of, "In your dreams. I'm never moving to south Florida. Now get home." Aren't you sad you didn't get to be around me the first few weeks of Reuben's life? I was a gem...

Fast forward a while (well out of newborn stage and into normal life where I can think rationally) and he's applied for a job and not gotten it. He was majorly bummed, but we took it as a God thing and moved on, eventually moving to Knoxville. Clint kept up with some of the guys and kept up to date with what the church was doing and how God was working there. When I was about 37 weeks pregnant with Ellie, a guy Clint had talked to about the first job over two years before called Clint out of the blue and said he was looking for someone to fill a position and Clint's name was the only one God kept bringing up. Filled with hormones again, I brushed it off and said, "Let me get this baby out of me and then we can talk about it."

Nine weeks later, we were on a plane to Florida with a newborn to interview! We knew it was meant to be when we made our 7 week old a duct tape hula girl at our first staff meeting. The rest was history.

I could go on and on about teeny tiny things God has done to confirm this is His will for our lives. The way He's orchestrated everything over the last 2.5 years is unbelievable. Looking back, if I hadn't gotten sick and Reuben had come closer to his due date, Clint would've never been on the trip down here in the first place. Who knows what would've happened?! There are countless little things like that which make my jaw drop. He is so good and His plans are WAY bigger than my own!

While we miss our family and friends dearly, we feel so at home here. The staff has welcomed us with open arms and made the transition down here easier than I ever imagined it could be. We're in it for the long haul. I can't wait to see what God does in and through us down here.

I'm looking forward to sharing our adventures!