Monthly Faves

Happy Wednesday! I'm excited to link up with Mia and Kelli for my current faves. It's a hodge podge of sorts, but what I'm loving right now.

{Collin and Emma} Did you really think I could make it through a favorites post without mentioning these cuties?! I didn't think so. But really, they are just the best of friends and adore playing together. Collin is really growing and maturing so much and it is so sweet watching the two of them together.

{Sunwarrior Protein Powder} I'm loving this protein powder!!! I'll mix it up with some Almond Milk and bam! I'm on my way to building strong, lean muscles. :)

{Archer Farms Monster Trail Mix} I mean, does this need much explanation?! If I'm exercising, I have to reward myself for it, right?! But seriously, this stuff is amazing!!

{My lovebug} Oh, he'll just love that I shared my nickname for him, but oh well. :) He's my fav!! And last month we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary and that celebration included those giant, delicious pieces of pie you see! Yum!!!

 

So, what are your current favorites {anything counts!}?

 

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Five on Friday

Happy Friday, y'all!! I'm just going to dig right into my 5 things I want to highlight this week. :)

{one} I'm currently obsessed with this Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee coffee from Target. So.Good. Get some immediately!

{two} Monday kicked off the Bikini Series with the Tone It Up girls and I am loving it!! I'm not typically one to get excited about working out, but this series is actually making me excited to work out!

{three} My blogger friend Cassie @ True Agape {whom I've had the pleasure of meeting in person} just launched her first product. She has a great marriage blog and is passionate about helping couples connect and grow deeper in their relationship. This product she's released will accomplish just that and I'm so excited for her!

{four} Going along with my working out, I've started watching Army Wives while on the elliptical. I'm only two episodes in, but I think I'm hooked. Do you watch {or watched} Army Wives?

{five} Sunday is my birthday! I'm looking forward to lots of good time with family and friends. They are so good at making me feel special and loved everyday, but when my birthday comes around each year, I always feel extra special and loved. :)

Do you have any weekend plans?

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I'm linking up with Darci, Lauren, Amanda & Jennie. Check them out! :)



Sparkly Green Earrings

Can I just say how nice it is to have Robert home?! It's so nice! He was able to work from home yesterday and battle his jet lag. It was just so great to have him home...even when he was working! But, enough of me gushing about that, on to a book I'd love to gush about....

 

Sparkly Green Earrings

 

Let me tell you, I loved this book. My friend Jen let me borrow it {Thanks, Jen!} and I sat down with it one afternoon while the kids napped and read half way through the whole thing right then! It was such a good and fast read.

Melanie has a great way of expressing her thoughts in an incredibly relatable way. I had heard people say they literally laughed out loud & cried while reading the book, and it's not that I didn't believe them, but, I guess, maybe I didn't believe them. Ha! Let me tell you...she makes you laugh and cry the whole way through.

And I really don't think you have to be a mother to enjoy this book. Obviously being a mother makes it even more enjoyable, but I still think you'd really enjoy it if you're not a mother.

Have you read Sparkly Green Earrings? What did you think about it? I can't wait to read her new book The Antelope in the Living Room. 

Also, at the end of the book, there was an ad for A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet. Have you read that book? I'm curious about it and think I might have to read that soon, too.

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What I love: Essential Oils

I love essential oils. My mom introduced me to them about a year and a half ago and the more I use them and learn about them, the more I love them. Let me just say first off, I have great respect for modern medicine and all that Dr.'s can do for us, but God has made our bodies so incredibly, that with the right tools, our bodies can often heal themselves. (I'm not talking about life threatening situations, but rather common ailments we all face.)

As a mom, few things are more frustrating than watching your sick baby/child and being helpless to do anything about it. That's what first drew me to the essential oils. I hated when the kids would get a cold and not be able to breath, but have to let the bug run it's course, thus making them miserable. And then I was introduced to essential oils. They have been wonderful! Being able to use oils that I know are safe for them and offer them relief is amazing!

There have been a couple times that Emma has complained about an ear ache, so I've started using an oil on her to treat/prevent an ear infection and within a day, she stops complaining about her ears hurting. Or, rubbing a little lavender oil on the kids before they go to bed and having them sleep through the night...soundly. Or, seeing signs of a cold coming on and having an oil to rub on them to prevent the cold from getting any worse. Or, if they already have the sickness, not only rubbing it on them, but diffusing it into the air to provide over night relief.

Honestly, I can't say enough good about essential oils. And not just for the kids, but for myself (and Robert), too! I have this awesome book that is my go to for any kind of sickness/ailment. Seriously, this books lists practically everything and suggests the best oils to use and the different ways to use them.

If you're interested in essential oils, I'd be happy to answer any questions. Or, you can visit my mom's Do Terra website at http://www.mydoterra.com/lorieller/ and browse around there.

Or, you can check out my Simply Aroma website at http://www.simplyaroma.com/kristalstrong. Simply Aroma is a new essential oil company that offers 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils. {I'll be honest, most of my experience with essential oils are with the Do Terra oils, however, I'm switching over to the Simply Aroma oils.}

Finally, I want you to know that my intention is not to sell you any oils, but rather to share my love of them with you. I am a believer in essential oils! Have you tried essentials oils for yourself? Or know about who uses them?

What I love: Nature Box

Is it just me or can snacks be hard to figure out? Especially when it comes to my kids. I want something quick and easy, but something that is good for them too! Well, I think I've finally found the answer. Nature Box.

This past Black Friday, I received an email from Nature Box with an offer to try a box for $1.97. Now, I had seen ads for Nature Box on Facebook before, but was very skeptical of it because I didn't personally know anybody who had tried it before, plus, it creeps me out how Facebook has "personalized" ads for me now. But that's a whole other topic.  

By the time I received that email offer, I had a family member and friend who had tried Nature Box and had nothing but praise for it. So, I decided to give it a try. I signed up for the deluxe package, picked out my snacks and waited for the package to arrive.

A few weeks later, our first Nature Box arrived and we checked out our snacks. We enjoyed everything but one, so we made sure to remove that for our next box. Overall, though, we were very happy with our first box and decided to continue receiving them.

Since then, we've received our second box and love it even more! I love having healthy snacks on hand to give my kids and myself. If you've seen advertisements for Nature Box but have been unsure, I encourage you to give it a try. You can even receive $10 off your first box by clicking this link. I'd love to know what you think about it if you try it.

*I received no compensation for this post, just wanted to share something I really enjoy with you.

My favorite things: Stocking Stuffers

Today I'm linking up again with Cheers Y'all and Down with the Dearmores for My Favorite Things. This week we're talking about stocking stuffers. These are some things I'd love to find (or give) in my stocking.

{one} I've been wishing I would have picked up a bar of this when Mia and I went to Chicago (here and here) but, alas, I did not. It'd be nice to find in a stocking.

{two} Being the coffee addict I am, any type of coffee is welcome in my stocking. A gift card to Misty Brew or Starbucks would be great, too!

 

{three} I already have this book, but I think it's a great stocking stuffer idea. What better way to start your day than in the Word?! Sounds great to me!!

 

{four} This might be really silly to some, but I LOVE homemade gifts! In fact, Robert and the kids made me my absolute favorite gift ever for Mother's Day 2012. So, I think some kind of coupon book would be awesome! Ideas like, "Movie night" "Date night" "Mom's Day Out" "Mommy/Collin date" "Mommy/Emma date" "Back massage", etc. I love it!!

 

 

 

What are some of your favorite stocking stuffers to receive or give?

 

Also, the winner of the EC gift card  is Jana Kitts!



And the winner is....

Back in August I posted about needing help picking my 2014 Erin Condren life planner. Well, I made my decision and it arrived in the mail this past weekend! There are few things more exciting than receiving this beauty in the mail. :)  

I thought I'd give you a little preview into my planner and show you all the reasons why I love it! Plus, I have a little giveaway to use towards your favorite Erin Condren products! The planner that fit me perfect this time was the E-Sea Sand Dollar.

 

Fun sayings throughout....

 

Three full page spread for Birthday and Anniversaries, with a laminated tab for easy reference...

 

Two page year at a glance...

 

Laminated tabs! This year they added Special Occasion, 2013/2014, Notes & Contacts tabs...

 

 

Two page month spread...

 

Weekly spread, complete with weekly goals and to-dos and my favorite addition...

This section for notes at the bottom of your weekly spread...

Lined and blank pages for notes...

 

A page of important number and contacts...

 

Several pages of labels, including blank ones; a two sided pocket folder; a clear, zippered pouch, including gift labels...

 

Finally, a glance at the coming years on the inside back cover.

 

 



Do you see why I LOVE this planner?! It has it all, it's so colorful and fun...just lovely! And the team at Erin Condren is so wonderful to work with and almost always includes some kind of "thank you" surprise in your order. This time they gifted me with a $10 gift card...and I would like to gift it to YOU!

 

Just enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win. :)

 

Or, if you can't wait that long, follow this link and sign up for their emails to receive $10 off your order now. 

 

 

 

One last thing, the winner of the Scentsy giveaway is...Dawn Burns!

 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Few of my Favorite Things

I'm linking up with Elise @ cheers y'all and Jen @ Down with the Dearmores' to bring you My Favorite Things this Christmas.

{one} I'm loving this coffee mug and spoon. Being the coffee addict I am, this would be the perfect Christmas gift. You can find the mug here and the spoon here . 

{two} I recently bought a great new desk, which you can see here , but still need a desk chair for it. I'm thinking this one or this one would be perfect. Which do you like?

 {three} I have been on the hunt for new bedding for our bedroom. We have a gray/deep purple color scheme going on in there. Bless Robert's heart for letting me do purple. :) He's a good man. I'm really like this one from Target and this one from Kohl's. Which is your favorite?

 

 {four}I'd love to have a rug in our den. We have carpet in there, which someday we'll replace with hardwood, but for now the quality of the carpet is great! Unfortunately, it's cream colored carpet, which with kids and pets doesn't work too well. I'm liking this one  from Target.

{five} Now, you might find this unbelievable, or maybe you don't have one either, but we don't have an iPad. I'd really love one, though. So, that's my big wishlist item this year for Christmas. (It looks like Best Buy will have a good Black Friday sale on them, but no way will I be standing in line!)

So, these are some of my favorite things/wish list. What are some of yours?

Planner, anyone?!

So if you know me very well, you know I am obsessed in love with my Erin Condren life planner. See, here's a pic of my current LP.

I love this beauty! After I had Emma, well before, too, it was just more manageable, I couldn't remember things for the life of me...unless I wrote it down. I thought that as Emma got older and I became a little less sleep deprived, my memory would return. I was not so lucky. So, what's a girl to do but get a planner!!

I came across Erin Condren products last year and began drooling over the planners. My only hang up....can I justify spending $50 on a planner?! So, the hunt was on. I looked and looked and looked for something different, but just couldn't find anything I liked as much at the EC planners. By this point in the year, Christmas was fast approaching. My sweet parents got my first EC life planner for me for Christmas. To say I was excited  was an understatement!

I fell in love with it in person immediately! And I finally wasn't forgetting things like I once did. :) Plus, I started writing down everything, which was helpful for me as a stay at home mom for two reasons 1) it serves as good confirmation that I truly am busy all day, and 2) it keeps me on track with everything I need/want to do. I just love it!! (Can you tell?!) I talked my planner up so much, that my mom purchased one for herself shortly after I got mine. :)

Well, the beginning of this month brought the release of the new 2013/2014 life planners. You can imagine how excited I was about this! While I loved my planner as it is, I'm really excited about the changes and improvements they made to the new planner! I cannot wait to order a new planner. However, my current planner goes through the end of this year, plus it's surprisingly hard to decide which one I'd like to get this go around. So, I need your help!

Here are my top picks...I'd love to hear which you love...for me and yourself!

Find this planner here

 

Find this planner here

 

Find this planner here

 

Find this planner here

 

Find this planner here

 

 

See, there are so many great options! So, which is your favorite?! I'd love to hear! :)

 

Until next time,

Kristal

 

 



Five on Friday

It's time for another Five on Friday post! Here's what's on my mind this week. :)

1. Yesterday my parents celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary! They have provided such a great example of how to have a loving, God honoring, lasting marriage. I am so grateful for them and their influence in my life.

2. Am I the only person that has a hard time getting back into a routine after being away on vacation? On the one hand I was ready to sleep in my own bed, but on the other hand I enjoy the change of pace vacation brings. It just takes me awhile to get back in the swing of things.

3. This week I signed up for The Fresh 20 per the recommendation of this lovely lady. I am loving it so far!! I've only made a few meals, but they have been so tasty and so fresh! One meal Collin even went back for 3rds! I'm excited to head to our local farmers market this weekend and pick up the ingredients for next weeks meals.

4. Sometimes I can struggle with contentment. Do you ever struggle with that? Let me give you an example. I'm a beach girl through and through. I would love nothing more than to live on the coast and enjoy everything about it. However, the Lord has me landlocked in Oklahoma right now. And sometimes, like when I vacation at the beach, I wish so badly I could live there, that I forget to be content and usable where the Lord has me. But, He and I had a sweet moment the evening we got home. I took Maxi boy (our Great Dane) outside to potty and was struck by the beauty around me...the trees, green grass, beautiful sky, warm temperatures. It was just a sweet moment that the Lord gave me to remind me that I'm here, living in this place, for a reason.

5. My bestie and I have been completely spoiled with Snickerdoodle coffee from a local coffee shop. Seriously, this is the best coffee ever!! We were talking just last night about how much we look forward to morning just for our Snickerdoodle coffee. :) If you're ever in Tulsa, go to Mecca Coffee and buy a pound, or two, of it. You'll thank us! :)

What are your favorites this week? I hope you have a great weekend!!

Until next time,
Kristal

Five on Friday

We've made it to another Friday!! The weeks sure fly by, don't they!? Here are some things I'm loving this week.

1. We enjoyed another week at the beach, this time with Robert's family. Robert's grandma turned 80 this year and wanted to have the whole family together for a week at the beach to celebrate. It's been a fun week!

2. We tried to go deep sea fishing Tuesday morning, but learned it was cancelled (after we had gotten up at 4:30 and arrived to the marina by 6:00) due to rough conditions. So, we tried again Wednesday morning and successfully came back with fish! Now, this was my first time deep sea fishing. I'm a bit of a competitive soul, so I do love some good, fun trash talk. That being said, I announced to our crew of about 13 people that I would catch the biggest fish of the trip. Can you believe it...I actually did!! It was a fun experiencce. I would do it again, though I'd be more excited to try bay fishing.

3. Home. While it's so fun to get away, especially to the beach, it's always good to go home. We've been gone for 2 weeks and I'm ready to be back. That's where we're headed today...look out family and friends at home, we're coming back! :)

4. Our car top carrier. I feel a bit weird saying this, but I'm really loving our car top carrier. It frees up so much space in our car and I love it. It would always feel so cramped in the car when we would travel, but now we have space galore.

5. Family. We have had lots of family time the last couple weeks. It has had me thinking about how much I value family...both blood related and those friends who become family. I couldn't imagine doing life without those closest to me supporting me, loving me and encouraging me along the way.


What are your favorites this week?

Until next time,
Kristal

Five on Friday

 

 

I decided to start participating in a fun link up called Five on Friday. Here are 5 things I'm loving and/or excited about this week. Hopefully you find something you love, too. :)

 

1.

I added this to my last Honest order and I'm really enjoying it! It's full of great information on food, beauty, cleaning and more on how to choose healthier, more natural products. Love it!

2.

 

Speaking of better choices, I found these at the Dollar Tree, of all places. They may not be the absolute best snack, but Collin and Emma are loving them and so am I!

 

3.

 

I bought this cutie on Very Jane and I'm loving it! I'm truly a beach bum and this is my new summer necklace.

 

4. Speaking of the beach, we're on our way now!!! Woo-hoo!!!!

 

5. And finally, I recently discovered The Blue Eyed Bride and am loving her blog!! This is probably old news to you, but it's a favorite of mine this week.

 

 

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July and have a great weekend!!

 

Until next time,

Kristal