Pintersting Pins of the Week

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Fall has unofficially arrived and I have been pinning away at my Fall Pinterest board.

Here are my favorite Fall pins I found this past week!

~ 16 Dollar Store Fall Wreaths by the Crazy Craft Lady

DIY Dollar Store Fall Wreaths – You won’t believe that these Beautiful Fall Wreaths were made from dollar store supplies!

I think my favorite on this list might be the Burlap and Lace, but there’s a few different ones on here I would like to try. Of course, I love that they’re DIY and from the dollar store!

I didn’t end up making the summer wreath I posted about last time, but it’s still on my list!

~ Slow Cooker White Chili by Clean Eating Recipes

I love white chicken chili. It's so easy to make and tastes so good and I really like this recipe for cooking it in the slow cooker. Definitely a keeper! {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free} #cleaneatingrecipes #cleaneating #eatclean #justeatrealfood #dairyfree

I love soup and chili, especially in the fall and winter. As you can tell from the picture, this is gluten and dairy free recipe. My little guy at home is dairy intolerant so finding favorite recipes of mine in a dairy free option is always awesome.

~ Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles by Christie with Love From The Oven

These PUMPKIN SPICE SNICKERDOODLES are a family favorite! Delicious soft and chewy with pumpkin spice flavor. This fabulous fall cookie is delicious year round, but is fantastic for fall baking, Halloween or Thanksgiving. #pumpkinspice #pumpkin #cookies #snickerdoodles #pumpkinsnickerdoodles #recipes #baking #fall #autumn #thanksgiving #halloween

I looove soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookies and I love that these have a fall twist to them! I haven’t made this recipe before so I’m excited to try them!

~ Crockpot Apple Cider by Lexi Michelle Blog

Crock Pot Apple Cider -5 ingredients & super easy! perfect for those cold fall nights!

I went to a baby shower in winter once and the host had made apple cider in her crockpot. I’m not typically a huge apple cider fan, but it was sooo delicious! While I don’t have her exact recipe, I found this recipe that looks pretty similar! I’m excited to make it this fall.

~ This Fall Decor idea found on setyourroom.com

Plain and simple, yet a beautiful fall touch for your home. I love it.

~ Fall Bucket List for Toddlers by Terri with Creative Family Fun

Bonus Pin! I was going to stop at 5, but I didn’t want to leave this one out.

Get ready to have some simple family fun this autumn with this Fall Bucket List for Toddlers. The activities are simple and so much fun.

I wanted more activity ideas for Gryffin this fall and I thought this was a fun list. I love the gathering and counting acorn idea and the leaf color hunt.

I was thinking of skipping a fall bucket list this year, but this made me change my mind!

**Cheers to Fall! I hope you all are having a wonderful September so far!

Much Love,

Cami

Life & Lemons

/ Cami Grace / 2 Comments

Financial instability, challenges within work, and life circumstances can be really hard to deal with.   

Certain situations have been personally rough, both at work and in my personal life.  For weeks, even months, I was waiting for these challenges in my life to get easier or to flat out go away.  Nothing catastrophic happened, just a lot of little things were adding up to make it really difficult to deal with.

Thinking it was just a phase, time kept passing and if it wasn’t one thing, it was another.  After a while it felt like I was carrying around one giant, heavy pit in my stomach. 

That’s when it hit me – I need to accept the fact that it’s not going to get easier.  I honestly don’t mean for that to sound negative – it’s just reality. 

Life is hard and that’s ok!

The fact I needed to change my mindset finally clicked. I needed to move beyond the simple fact that life is hard to the part where I say “that’s ok”.  It was time that I accepted it and stopped fighting.  

We are all dealt lemons in life that we don’t like.  I finally stopped whining and complaining about mine.  I looked at the different situations with fresh eyes and said “okay, what can I do with this” and then started taking action. 

Because I had been carrying that heavy pit for so long I had to do a mental inventory and pin point each topic on my heart and mind that was causing heaviness and/or pain and really examine it to find out the root problem and find a solution.    

I’ve been asking myself questions like:

  • Does this really matter?
  • Does this need to happen right now?
  • This is my current situation, so how can I make this work?

Some situations require different questions and sometimes it’s a matter of simply accepting “it is what is” and moving on. 

Praying and keeping close to God has helped me the most. I’ve reminded myself that God is good.  The situation might not be, but God is and He can be trusted with all of this.

There’s a saying that says God doesn’t give us more than we can handle – but that’s not true.  We are often given situations in life that we can’t handle and that’s why we need God so much in our life to lean on Him and let Him handle it.

I don’t know if this helps anyone by sharing any of this, or if you can relate, but this is just where I’m at in life with certain circumstances and it’s ok.  Life is a journey with ups and downs. 

I have so much to be thankful for and am so glad God knows the future and has a plan for my life.  When I keep Him in perspective, all things fall into place, even the ones that are still up in the air, and I can find it easier to rest. 

What’s In My Bag?

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I have mentioned it before, but I like seeing what other people carry in their bag. Here’s what’s in mine!

Bag

I love a good deal. I bought this Nine West purse at Ross for $24.00. No, it’s not super fancy, but it works and I love it! It has the perfect amount of pockets and I find the size to be just right. It’s very easy to keep organized

Cell Phone

Can’t go anywhere without it! Especially while my little one is at daycare. I bought my phone case at Walmart and it’s done its job!

Keys

Again, can’t go anywhere without them…

Wallet

My wallet is also a Nine West brand that I bought on sale during the last cruise we went on. I love it!

Some people buy refrigerator magnets as souvenirs, others buy Christmas ornaments…I like to buy accessories!

Hand Sanitizer

Any hand sanitizer will do, but Victoria’s Secret PINK Fresh & Clean is my favorite!

Lip Gloss

I rotate between different brands and shades, but NYX Lingerie gloss in Honeymoon is the current lip gloss in my bag.

Coupons

Have you ever been out shopping to one of your favorite stores and then realized you left your coupons at home? I do this all the time! My purse has a zipper divider pocket right in the middle and it’s the perfect spot for these coupons. I go through often and throw out any that have expired.

Dog Waste Bags

Ok, what?! This actually makes a great ” mom hack”.

1 – I have a kid who gets car sick and these have come in handy.

2 – unexpected stinky diaper you had to change? Throw it in the bag and tie it up until you can throw it away in a garbage can without smelling up your whole car.

3 – you can use these for small wet clothing items

Feminine products

Not much explanation needed there. These go in the small peachy pink pouch. The pouch is one of my favorites that I got from Mary Kay back in the day when I used to sell it.

** What you will NOT find in my purse – Opened packaged snacks.

This became an official rule after I cleaned out my last purse. It’s hard when you have a small child who doesn’t always finish his snack but you don’t want to throw it out. My last purse was disgusting with all the crumbs. No more!!

Currently – August 2019

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So here we are…the last day of the August. I usually start looking forward to fall by now, but honestly, I’m just not ready! I have absolutely loved this summer!

Here’s what we’ve been up to this month…

Currently Watching

Movies have included Aladdin (which you can read about during our Staycation Recap) & Mary Poppins. Actually, I’m only halfway through Marry Poppins, but the rest should be finished tonight.

Mikey has also watched the Pokemon movie.

Currently Reading

Ok, so I haven’t started reading it yet, but Unseen has made it on my to-read list after a friend told me about it. I’m looking forward to this one!

Currently Making/Baking

Tamale Pie!

Ok, so I honestly think this deserves a post all it’s own where I share the recipe…and a picture, ha. The recipe is very versatile and you can serve it different ways. It’s delicious!

Fun fact, the same friend who told me about the book is the same one who shared the recipe with me. Don’t you love friends like these??

Also, because they are just that good, I am keeping these brownies on my list. I have made them so much this summer!

Ghiradelli Triple Fudge Brownies

Ghirardelli Chocolate Triple Fudge Brownie Mix, 19-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12)

Current Obsession

Blogilates!

I am sure this has made it on a past Currently post, but Cassie Ho has AMAZING workouts and they are all free on her YouTube channel! She also has a beginner calendar on her website that has a workout plan, including links to the videos for the day. It has been working so well for me!

I took a very, very, veeeeerrrrrrry long break from working out after having a baby. I tried getting back into working out, but for one reason or another my workout routines were just not sticking.

Finally, after 2 1/2 years, I finally have a chunk of time after work that I’m able to fit in a 30 minute workout and stretch. I feel amazing…ok, sore, but amazing!

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I hope you all have had an amazing August and have a wonderful fall season!

Much Love,

Cami

8 Tips for Clearing Your Mind & Improving Focus

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I know I’m not alone when I say I have a problem focusing. I just finished my second week of work after our vacation and there are still times I feel like I have vacation brain.

Regardless of vacation brain, I’m a daydreamer by nature and I often times have problems focusing and staying on task. Since it’s something I have to work on I’m sharing my go-to tips for clearing my head and improving my focus.

1 – Make a List / Brain Dump

I make two lists each day. One is my task list; everything I need to get done that day, both big and small, goes on that list. This helps me so I don’t forget anything and also helps me see everything all at once so I can prioritize.

The second list is for those thoughts that pop up into my head that are not work related and distract me from what I’m currently working on. For example, “oh, I need to remember ‘fill in the blank’ “, or “I wonder if I can find my dog’s medication on Amazon instead of going to the store”. These thoughts go on a second list so I can take care of them on my break and not have to worry that I’ll forget about it later.

2 – Prioritize & Take One Task at a Time

Time blocking is a great way to prioritize. A lot of people use their calendar and task list on their computer. I actually prefer a notebook. After I make my list I then take each item and I start with the most important first. I Take into account how long I think a task is going to take and I create somewhat of a timeline for my day. It doesn’t have to be set in stone and you can make adjustments as needed.

Here’s an example.

  1. 8:00 – 8:45 Task One
  2. 8:45 – 9:00 Task Two
  3. 9:00 – 10:30 Task Three
  4. Break
  5. and so on

Also, finish one task at a time instead of bouncing back and forth between different items. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve jumped between projects because they were equally important and it took me twice as long to finish them. It’s easier and more efficient just to pick one and see it through until the end.

3 – Clear the Clutter

I don’t mean to go on a cleaning spree, but taking 5 minutes to clear your desk can also help clear your mind.

4 – Drink Cold Water

I actually prefer my water at room temperature (I know, I’m weird), but taking a sip of ice cold water has a way of snapping my senses and zaps my mind back into place.

5 – Sit Up Straight

There are added benefits to sitting up straight. Not only is it good for your back, but you also look more confident and professional. Sitting up straight helps with oxygen flow and increases your circulation, which in turn helps your concentration.

6 – Eat a Snack

I don’t know about you, but If I’m hungry I can’t focus. Plain and simple. Obviously the healthier the snack the better.

7 – Take a break

Sometimes it helps to get up and walk around. Having a small change of scenery and maybe a short conversation with someone in the office (or wherever you are) can do wonders.

8 – Sheer determination

Honestly, this is really what it comes down to. You can go through the whole list, but sometimes you just have to sit down, suck it up, and get it done. I even have to give myself a pep talk sometimes. Then buckle down and just do it. Simple (and sometimes difficult) as that.