Pinterest- an addiction and an encouragement

   


   Most of you I am sure have heard of Pinterest.  Well, it is something I discovered just about 9 months ago (in October of last year).  I have a love hate relationship with Pinterest.  There are amazing ideas for crafts and parenting, things to do with the kids and things to do for my home, bible verses, funny quotes, workout ideas, and recipes.  It is smorgasbord of information and ideas.

   But then there is the me that can't have that perfect house, perfect rock hard abs, perfect garden, and still have time to cook a perfect dinner and craft amazing things. There is a sense of inadequacy while on Pinterest. But I still go on there - almost daily- and pin the things I love.  I have a gazillion pins and several boards.  If you want to follow me it's - http://pinterest.com/granolamommie/.

   But I am determined to make time to do some of these pins- I have been pinning them for so long, and now and done very few.  So from now on my goal is to do 1 craft a week that I have set aside on Pinterest in my boards and take a picture and talk about my process with you on Fridays! Some times it may be very little projects - we still have a few vacations set up for this summer.  But some times they may be very big- like refinishing my table or reupholstering my foot stool....we will have to see!!!!!

   This will be fun and I can't wait to challenge myself and stop feeling like I can't do any of these projects ever.  If you want to join me, you can comment and tell me what you did and how it went.  Or feel free to comment about mine.  Happy pinning!

Marriage...

I have been married 5 and 1/2 years.  Sometimes it was an absolute joy, others, not so much.  I always heard that marriage takes work.  It does.  Marriage is definitely not for sissies!! But more than work- it takes determination.  

I see so many people divorcing here or there.  Sometimes it is for an honestly good reason.  But often times it is not.  It is simple irritation that builds or not doing things the same way.  Well here is a tip- no two people do everything the same way.  There are times that I get frustrated because my husband is different; he has different priorities,different hobbies, different style, different budgeting habits.  But the best part of marriage is that his different soon becomes part of me.

When we got married we were soooo different-  I was the free spirit-type, more liberal in my politics, very very organic and green, etc.  He was the exact opposite.  Very black and white thinker, very conservative, didn't care about the planet, etc.  We have met in the middle over the last 5 and 1/2 years. There were always ties that bound us together- similarities, but the differences would irritated each of us sometimes.  If I had just decided to quit, I could have.  But we have worked through very difficult situations together- ones that a lot of people would have left each other over.  But we worked it out.  

God said that the two will become one flesh- Genesis 2:24.  But that doesn't jet mean sexually.  It means that eventually you will become one.  Eventually you each move a little more like the other, eventually you each share more similarities than differences.  It takes time.  But it happens.  Think about the older couples that are out walking together and seem so much alike.  It didn't just happen that way, they didn't find someone just like themselves.  It happens over time.

If you are married- stick it out.  Be patient.  Be determined.  Pray daily for your spouse.  Take the "D" word completely out of your vocabulary.  

If you are single- prayerfully seek out your spouse. Don't jump into marriage, it is a serious commitment.  This is the person you will raise your children with.  But go into it knowing that it is until "DEATH" do you part.  

What I Wore Wednesday- wrapping up vacay

So since we were on vacation last week, ok, more since we are recovering from vacation this week!! I am putting a few in here that didn't make it in previous What I Wore Wednesdays.  These were from our vacation- but the wonky wifi didn't allow them to upload for some reason, soooooo I will call today wrapping up vacay.

I decided this pose was fitting for the day- we had just arrived at Jellystone Park.
Shorts- Old Navy
  Tank- Target
Scarf-   London street vender.
Shoes Payless

 So here I was at Sutter Home- it was a free wine tasting...that's what I'm talking about!!!!
Hat- H&M
Shirt- Good will
Sweater- Old Navy
Jeans (they are capris but the fence covers that part) Sam's Club- but they are Nine and Co and awesome!!

This is on the Fisherman's Wharf pier
There is that Old Navy sweater again!!
Blouse- Target
Jeans- Marshall's

linking up with the Pleated Poppy

New series- Why Vegan

Over the next few weeks on Tuesdays I am going to have a series on here about why I choose to eat vegan.  I will talk about all the benefits, the struggles that I have had switching to a vegan diet, the research that I have read, etc.

 I am so excited about this new set of posts.  This is going to help you to see the benefits and helpfulness of a vegan diet.  It will also allow you to know how to transition if that is something that you would like to do.

I hope that this encourages you to start considering a vegan diet.  Just to flirt with or even, perhaps, take it all the way.

If you have any questions you would like to address or you are concerned about please leave a comment and I would be happy to answer them.

Back in the swing of things

We are back from vacation.  Now we are playing catch-up with life!!

We went to the Harkins Summer Movie Fun today.  And we are unloading the car (why is the least fun part of vacation the unpacking??) and doing laundry- oh, the laundry!!!!

We were almost completely out of groceries- which called for a serious Farmer's Market trip!!!!

The last couple days we were by the ocean and the weather was beautiful- but now we are back in Northern Arizona and it is HOT!!!! So we are back to the real world again.

Mercies Disguised

The entire reason we went to North California was originally to go to the Redwood National Park.  I had visited when I was a small child and loved it, so I wanted to take the kids to see them for themselves.  However, I didn’t want to camp in the national park with kids- I made that mistake  before.  The kids were restricted and we didn’t have that much fun.  That was when I looked up the Jellystone Park that would be in the area. I originally thought it was only 2 hours from the national park.  We would be able to do both.  

However, when we got here we found that it was more like 4-5 hours away.  And we had planned out the gas for the trip for it to be 2 hours away.  We tried and tried to make it work.  It just was not going to be possible.  I was so incredibly bummed.   After a night sleep I was renewed, still  a little sad, but ready to see what God had planned.  Later that evening when I was driving in my car a song came on the radio- what if my greatest disappointments are your mercies in disguise.  That was exactly what this had been.  It had been such a blessing to spend the day not rushing here and there but just relaxing with the kids, swimming in the pool, walking down by the river, and just being together.   

 

I was so saddened to not get to the Redwoods.  I really wanted to go.  But they will be there.  We can go another time.  We made it to Yosemite and are heading to San Fransisco.  It was soooo worth it to enjoy the day with my kids.  To relax with my husband and not be stressed from rushing and rushing here and there.  Sometimes things don’t go as planned but God’s plan is always what we need!!!

What I Wore Wednesday- Camping Edition

We have been on vacation- camping in California and my outfits reflected that this week!!                 

                                       T-shirt and Shorts from Target
                                       Shoes Tevas - bought on vacation in Estes Park years ago
                                       Hat- H&M

                                      Shirt Charlotte Russe- 12 years ago
                                       Jeans Miss Me
                                       Shoes target 10 years ago

                                       Tank- Tie Dyed from Casa Davis- we did them as a family
                                        Shorts Old Navy
                                        Bandana Headband- Walmart

                                           Tank Top- American Eagle
                                            Jeans- Miss Me
                                            Headband a small local boutique

Linking up with pleated poppy!!!